BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 5

The latest from the Trade front, right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.
(Photo: NY Daily News)
Ubaldo Jimenez: Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees believe that the Rockies may be lowering their demands for Jimenez today. Really? And I'm the Pope. The Rockies aren't going to just give Ubaldo away, although, in fairness to the Rockies, it would be smart to lower demands alittle. It's unrealistic to ask for Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Jesus Montero and Ivan Nova for 1 Ubaldo Jimenez... I mean, this is not Nolan Ryan. He's a 2nd or 3rd starter but in my opinion, not 5 times better than AJ Burnett. Instead, it's my estimation that Jimenez is a talented young pitcher with a few good years under his belt. If he comes to New York, it will be a huge help to the team no doubt, but Jimenez is being billed a Superstar... I'm not jumping on that bandwagon yet. Read HERE.(Photo: Getty)
Heath Bell: The Padres are looking to deal him ,along with Mike Adams and Chad Qualls. All are reliable relief and according to MLB Trade Rumors and Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are continuing to monitor these guys. The big thing to know here is, Mike Adams is someone the Padres really do not want to part with. As I've said time and time again though, no one is untouchable. Stay tuned on this one. Personally, having a likable and great pitcher like Heath Bell in the Bronx would be alright with me, any day of the week.
(Photo: Getty)
Hiroki Kuroda: The Dodgers would be willing to pick up Ivan Nova and a catching prospect for Hiroki, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and the Yankees are more inclined to go after Kuroda than Erik Bedard. Bedard apparently did horribly last night in his pitching performance. People like Kuroda, I don't think he's anything better than what we have, but if we did get him, I'd use him as our number 3 guy behind AJ Burnett. Read about it HERE.

Updates coming fast and furious, keep checking here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 3

New day and a new list of updates and names of players the Yankees may or may not interested in and my thoughts on some as well. Cashman has already stated that he expects the Yankees to have a quiet deadline, and if I know may man Cash, and I feel like I do, he may be right, but you know what happens, right? Sometimes these deals get done after the deadline, and believe me, the Yankees may be acting quietly, but I strongly believe that some type of move can be and will be made.

Erik Bedard: Bedard seems to be drawing some interest from the Yankees. Apparently they are scheduled to scout him today. This is a guy that had some injury in his career, but has some potential in the Yankees roster. Now, in my opinion, he really doesn’t offer what a number 2 starter needs to do, and to me, that's what the Yankees really need right now. The Red Sox like Eric Bedard too, according to Ken Rosenthal. Bedard is a lefty. The one issue with Bedard is he has not pitched since June 27^th because of the strained knee, yet another injury. We should watch this one, but I don’t like Bedard and I’m not so sure I want him in New York. His record this year though is a 3.00 ERA with a 4-6 record. Is he really any better than what we have already? Read about Bedard HERE.

Bill Hall: For the San Francisco Giants to make room for newly acquired Carlos Beltran, they needed to designate Bill Hall for assignment. Hmm, a thought. The Yankees were attached to Bill Hall on and off all year, perhaps there is something to this and perhaps, this is the extra bat help the Yankees are looking for. Hall can play second base and has a power bat. I’d be curious to see if the Yankees try pursuing Hall. It makes sense.

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Yankees are still attached to this kid, but I would not unload the farm for him like I would for the Mariners Felix Hernandez. The Rockies are being ridiculous asking for all they are for Jimenez; it’s just not a fair trade. One thing is for sure though, much like a said about Zambrano (see below), if they were to lure Jimenez to New York and unload a few farm guys that wouldn’t hurt us in the future, Jimenez would be a number 3 guy in the Bronx, in my opinion. Jimenez is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA this year. Read about Ubaldo HERE.

Hiroki Kuroda: Terrible record for Hiroki and I am not understanding the appeal of him to the Yankees. In my estimation, Kuroda is another pitcher that is no better and no upgrade to what the Yankees already have. Now, if the Yankees have a plan to help stabilize the bullpen with Freddy Garcia and move Kuroda in the rotation, that may make sense, but again, I’m thinking we need a number 2 guy in the rotation and to me, Kuroda is no number 2. Read HERE.

Carlos Zambrano: Buster Olney says the Cubs are doing everything they can to get the Yankees to take Zambrano, even offering money so they can take him off their hands, but the Yankees are not biting, yet. To me, I say work out a deal for Zambrano. He has potential and passion even if he’s no longer a number 2 guy, he is a number 3 guy in the rotation the Yankees have. You could easily have CC Sabathia 1, AJ Burnett 2, Zambrano 3, Colon 4, Hughes or Garcia 5. Yes, it’s true, this year Zambrano’s ERA is a high 4.70, but for this guy, maybe a change of scenery would help. Who knows.

Doug Fister: He’s a Mariner who pitches well, he’s in every game but his record isn’t too good, probably because he’s on the Mariners and their dropping like a rock right now. 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA. I like the ERA and if he was a Yankee starter, that record would improve because he’d have better run support. I don’t have an opinion on him yet, but I can tell you that many teams are looking at Fister and the Yankees should as well.

More rumors coming, and so is the deadline. Continue reading on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 1

It’s the big week for trade rumors and all of Yankeeland is wondering who it’s going to be and what we will give up. Cashman plays the best shell game in town and when it comes to the Yankees, he’s pretty damn smart in my estimation. How else do you bring two washed up veterans to the Yankees who turn out to be gems in Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia?

Yesterday, I wrote WHY MY GUT SAYS FELIX IS BRONX BOUND and while it is near impossible that King Felix would ever be delivered to the Bronx because of the odd relationship the Yankees and Mariners now have because of the Cliff Lee debacle last year, no player is untouchable. If the Yankees gave up some top prospects and pay alittle money, Felix Hernandez would be ours; I don’t care what anyone says. In fact, vote in our new Poll on the left side of our home page, who would you give up for King Felix?

In addition to Felix, there are other pitchers out there that are appealing and plenty of guys who seem like smart choices, others however, do not. Let’s take a look. Read our post and comment on our blog. Let us know what you would do.

Edwin Jackson: Yankees scouts were apparently in Cleveland Sunday where Edwin Jackson pitched for the White Sox. They are definitely looking into this guy and with good reason, he can be a solid pitcher although, going by my gut again, I can’t see this guy hacking it in the Bronx, not sure why. Jackson this year is 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA this season. The other good thing about Jackson is he’s only 27 years old. I'd like the guy, but not sure how serious the Yankees are at this point. Read about Edwin HERE.

Gio Gonzalez: This guy keeps coming up because to me, he is the future, not only is Gonzalez a lefty, but he is developing into a really good pitcher. He’s Andy Pettitte light in my eyes. Gio is someone the Athletics probably want to hold onto, but again, for the right price, he could be ours. Adding Gio to the Yankees rotation will definitely give some support. This year, Gio is 9-7 with a 2.67 ERA. Read about Gio HERE.

Jeremy Guthrie: Guthrie has been around for a few years with the Batlimore Orioles and while I find this to be an interesting name for the Yankees, I cannot in any way see the Orioles dealing him to the Yankees, plus, I can’t see why the Yankees would like this guy. He has an ERA over 4 and only has 4 wins. The upside is he can pitch against the Red Sox. He held the Sox to 2 runs over 7 in one recent outing and the time before he shut them out after 6, according to Jon Heyman of SI. That is appealing but it wasn’t too long ago that AJ Burnett was dominant against the Red Sox too…. We saw how that worked out. I don’t make too much of Guthrie at this time.

Tyler Clippard: The kid’s made a name for himself as a reliever. I once saw him pitch live when he was with the Yankees and I liked what I saw but he did let up for 4 runs in the game against the Mets. Since he went to the Nationals, he has become lights out and even an All-Star. Good for him. Getting him back could be a treat and could definitely help our bullpen, but again, we need a starter in my opinion. Read about Tyler HERE.

Hiroki Kuroda: He’s with the Dodgers and his record is 6-12 with a 3.19 ERA. The ERA is decent, the record is not and that has to do with the Dodgers just plain sucking it. But let’s face facts, he’s 36 years old and don’t we have enough pitchers in their late 30’s? Is Kuroda really better than Bartolo Colon at this point? I’m not a fan of this but I trust Cashman, so we will see. I can be swayed. Bottom line, there are reports that Kuroda would waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yankees or the Red Sox, stay tuned. Read about it HERE.

Stay tuned for more names and more opinion on the trade rumors on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I SMELL A TREND

Quick, what do Ivan Rodriguez, Jerry Hairston Jr., Eric Hinske, Austin Kearns, Kerry Wood, and Lance Berkman all have in common? If you guessed that they are former Yankees, you're correct. If you guessed that all of those guys were acquired by the Yankees near the trade deadline over the last three years you would be correct as well. But, there's one thing you may not have guessed, and that is all of those acquired players were on their respective final years of their contracts when they got traded. With the trade deadline just over a week away, I smell a trend. The Yankees like to trade for players who are free agents to be. In other words, they like to get rental players.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the upcoming Free Agents HERE.

Now, most of you can agree that the Yankees will look into starting pitching, although they have six major league starters (with Ivan Nova in AAA), but like the old saying goes, you can never have enough pitching. So, let’s look at the starting pitchers who are free agents to be, here are some intriguing names that would make sense:(Photo: SI)

Mark Buerhle and Edwin Jackson (Chicago White Sox)

Right now the White Sox have six major league starters with Buerhle and Jackson along with Phillip Humber, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Jake Peavy--but they're currently 4.5 games behind Cleveland and Detroit in the AL Central. The White Sox rank 10th in the American League in runs scored, so that's an area they do need to improve on if they want to make the playoffs. They'll be looking for a good bat in return for one of their starters. Both Buerhle and Jackson would be a good fit but I would take Buerhle over Jackson because he is a veteran, and has pitched in big games before. Jackson doesn’t have quite as much experience, although he's younger and he has nastier stuff.
(Photo: Getty)

Hiroki Kuroda(Los Angeles Dodgers) and Jason Marquis (Washington Nationals)

Realistically, both the Dodgers and Nationals are out of their respective races, and are already looking forward to Spring Training next year. The Dodgers have Hiroki Kuroda, and the Nats have Jason Marquis. Both of these guys are veterans and can get the job done, but personally, I like Hiroki Kuroda because he throws harder. His average fastball is about 92 mph, whereas Marquis throws a fastball averaging around 89mph. You can check out Kuroda's stats HERE here: and Marquis' stats HERE.

Ultimately, I think the Yankees really need an elite number two starter, like Ubaldo Jimenez, but the price is too high for him. Cashman is always a little reluctant to part with his prospects in a blockbuster trade. We'll see.

Now, most of you believe that the Yankees may need a reliever. Personally, I think the Yankees only need another lefty, and they probably have that guy in their organization with J.C. Romero. But, for kicks and giggles let's take a look at some of the upcoming free agent middle relievers who could be intriguing:

• John Grabow- Chicago Cubs

• Kerry Wood- Chicago Cubs

• Michael Wuertz- Oakland A's

This season, Grabow hasn't had a very good year he has a 5.36 ERA in 42 games, but he's been solid against lefties--holding them to a .238 batting average. Boone Logan has a .250 opponent batting average against lefties this year, and this used to be a lot higher. However, if used correctly Grabow could be a nice addition. Kerry Wood and Michael Wuertz are both quality setup men, but they're not better than what the Yankees have right now. Everyone remembers Wood last year with the Yankees, 0.69 ERA in 24 games and Michael Wuertz has 437 career strikeouts in 408 innings pitched.

All three of these guys aren't significantly better than what the Yankees have right now. Luis Ayala and Cory Wade both have ERA's in the 1's right now, and the Yankees have the second best bullpen ERA in the American League behind Oakland, with a 3.09 ERA. They also have David Robertson, who has been tough as nails, and Rafael Soriano (remember him?) who should be back in the near future.

What I really think the Yankees could use is a versatile bat off the bench. Eric Chavez may be coming back soon, but he's always injury prone and one more injury could very well finish his career. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some intriguing names:

• Juan Rivera (Los Angeles Dodgers)

• Jerry Hairston (Washington Nationals)

• Scott Hairston (New York Mets)

• Omar Infante (Florida Marlins)

I wouldn't mind having any of these guys. Obviously, none of these players stand out, but what bench player does? Juan Rivera and Jerry Hairston are both former Yankees, so it would be easy for them to be reintroduced with the team. Rivera can play corner outfield and first with some pop, while Hairston can play just about every position except catcher and pitcher, and he provides speed. Scott Hairston and Omar Infante are both very versatile options as well.

More to follow, stay tuned to Bleeding Yankee Blue.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer






--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor




Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

RAPID FIRE: YANKEES TRADE RUMORS

It's getting to be that time of year again, when the hot stove turns back on for about a month as all 30 teams around the league scramble to optimize their roster before the trade deadline. There's no secret as to what the Yankees are looking for: pitching, pitching, and more pitching. Ideally they would love to pick up both a starter and reliever to solidify the rotation and fill in for Joba. No need to search all over the Internet for the latest Yankees trade rumors, here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we've got you covered. Here is the first round of rumors:
(Photo: Getty)

• Wandy Rodriguez: Wandy may not be the kind of half-season salary dump rental the Yankees are looking for, and he's on the wrong side of 30 years old, but Wandy would be the ideal guy to anchor a playoffs rotation. The left-handed Astros ace has pitched to the tune of an outstanding 3.21 ERA this season, thanks in part to a 2.50 ERA in the month of June. His record is 5-4, and frankly the fact that he's managed a winning record while backed by the piss poor Astros offense is a testament to his dominance. As I mentioned, he'd be anything but a rental; Wandy is signed through 2013 with a 2014 player option, but if the Yanks are looking for a long term investment and are willing to shop a good prospect or two, the Astros are definitely selling. Read it HERE.
  

• Hiroki Kuroda: Kuroda is more of the rental type the Bombers are looking for. Read about it HERE. He's signed for this season and is arbitration eligible in the off season should the Yankees seek to give him an extension. Despite an ugly 5-9 record, Kuroda has been one of the more dominant pitchers in the NL, holding a 3.10 ERA (the record can be blamed on the disaster that is the Dodgers... poor Donnie Baseball). I know what you're thinking: Kuroda's cheap, only signed through this year, and is definitely being shopped….so sign him up! The only issue is his full no-trade clause, but I wouldn't imagine he'd be against spending possibly one of his last seasons (he's 36 years old) in the hunt for his first World Series ring. Jonathan Broxton could potentially be a throw in with Kuroda to sweeten the pot a little, but given the disaster he's become I wouldn't exactly welcome him with open arms. But hey Kerry Wood wasn't on fire when we got him either...

(Photo: Getty)

• Carlos Beltran: This one is a bit puzzling. He's obviously not a pitcher, he's an outfielder, and our outfield is set with GGS. The idea was to maybe bring him on to replace Posada, but the DH problem is absolutely gone, as I wrote about earlier this month WHY HE'S STILL HERE. Swisher wasn't doing particularly well either but like Jorge, he has been blazing hot this month. The only option I see is to have him platoon with Jorge in the DH spot, but it'd be a little ridiculous to use two switch hitters in a platoon system. Beltran always wanted to be a Yankee, they just couldn't afford him before (I know, it sounds weird...), but I'm sorry to say I don't see him ever becoming one, unless he wants to be a backup for next year. Read about it HERE.
  

(Photo: Getty)

• Heath Bell: Bell has been one of the more dominant closers in the game since he took over Hoffman's old job in San Diego. In 2010 he logged 47 saves to go along with a glistening 1.93 ERA. He hasn't been much worse in 2011, recording a 2.61 ERA with 19 saves. He'd be more than sufficient as a replacement for Joba, I dare say he'd even be an improvement. However, he's a fan favorite in San Diego and he's made it very clear that he wants to stay there, so there would be some hard feelings about trading him. Nevertheless, baseball is a business, and if Bell could bring in a prospect or two to make the Padres future look less miserable, they'd be foolish not to. They're obviously sellers, when you are trailing the Dodgers, there's something wrong.
  

• Francisco Rodriguez: The better half of New York despises Francisco Rodriguez. He acts like he's won the World Series every time he records a save and has been sent to anger management. Still, there's no denying that he's one hell of a pitcher. K-Rod recently said that he would gladly accept a trade to the Yankees or Rays (a "contending team" as he said, backhanding the Mets). The Mets quickly followed up with a statement saying they are not looking to trade him, but come on, he's a free agent after this season and while the Mets aren't quite as awful as expected (39-39), they're in the NL East competing with the Phillies and Braves, so it seems unlikely that we'll see a Cinderella Story in the Queens. He's posted a decent 3.65 ERA and has 20 saves to his credit this season. Personally I'd explore other options, but if he's on the block, you know the Yankees will at least make an offer, serious or not.

Check back soon for more trade rumors.



--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor



Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.