Yanks Go Yard » Alex Pugliese

Hot & Not: Examining the Yankees Hitters

Alex Pugliese — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 16:00:29 +0000

The Yankees are in the middle of a west coast road trip, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that one item forgot to make it into the suitcases: the offense. While most of us on the east coast were sleeping, the Yankees have been struggling to score runs against the A’s, Angels and the Mariners. However, while some guys are mired in offense slumps, others are upping the ante as we head into the middle of June. Let’s take a closer look at who is hot and who is not:

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Playing Devil’s Advocate in the PED Debate

Alex Pugliese — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:20:58 +0000

Once again the PED issue is a hot topic as it pertains to Major League Baseball with last week’s news about Biogenesis and the potential 100-game suspension for Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, and the implication of about 20 other players in the probe. I think it’s fair to say that baseball fans have pretty strong opinions about PED use, and many have voiced those opinions in the week or so since this news broke. However, I think it is important to play Devil’s Advocate in looking at the issue, too, and seeing whether or not- in the broader scope of things- the players are actually being given the due process to which they are entitled as it pertains to PEDs and testing.

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Catching Up With The Ex-Yankees

Alex Pugliese — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:00:44 +0000

Over the last couple of years, the Yankees seem to have been more about finding gems in the scrap heap, deviating from the past off-seasons of big-time spending. However, the Yankees have also made some waves on the trade market, acquiring some big contributors, such as Curtis Granderson, Boone Logan, Ichiro Suzuki, as well as some soon-to-be (hopefully!) contributors, such as Michael Pineda. Additionally, the Yankees have let some of their free agents go, declining to sign those players as the team attempts to get below the $189 million dollar self-imposed cap. Each of those transactions sent a member of the Yankee farm system elsewhere in the majors. As we enter June, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check in with several former Yankees:

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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: May

Alex Pugliese — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:00:12 +0000

Another month of the season, another edition of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. May brought more injuries for the Yankees (surprise, surprise), but a lot of good developments, as well. That being said, let’s take a look:

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Curtis Granderson Stock Watch

Alex Pugliese — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:00:40 +0000

If you’re a free agent, it’d probably be ideal to have a fantastic season heading into free agency, particularly if you had a couple of blemishes on your resume as if comes to on-field activities- age, strikeouts, etc. One of the least ideal situations: missing a ton of time due to injury, combined with the other potential problems in your game. That is exactly what is happening to Curtis Granderson this year. While it’s unlikely that the Yankees would have retained him if he had put up numbers similar to those over the last two seasons, it is worth asking: does Granderson’s current misfortune increase his chances of staying with the Yankees past 2013?

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The Bright Sight of the Injuries: Seeing the Future

Alex Pugliese — Sat, 25 May 2013 16:00:41 +0000

If David Adams can stay healthy, he may be the next third baseman. (Image: Joy R. Absalon, USA TODAY Sports)

The seemingly never-ending injury brigade. The Yankees are now down to their third-string players in some areas, such as catcher, third base, and in the bullpen. However, it has given fans a chance to see what is brewing in the farm system, a re-development effort that has been a big part of Brian Cashman’s front office over the last few years. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the minor leaguers who are making an impact at the big-league level this year:

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I Was Wrong About Vernon Wells

Alex Pugliese — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:57 +0000

One of the greatest things about writing for a blog like Yanks Go Yard is the ability to put your opinion out there about the dealings of all things Yankees. However, an important aspect of writing like this is that a person needs to take accountability for what is written, particularly if what was written turns on to be wrong. With that said, here it is: I was totally and completely wrong about Vernon Wells. And I couldn’t be happier about that.

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Accountability and Rose-Colored Glasses

Alex Pugliese — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:00:21 +0000

It’s been an interesting week or so in sports with a ton going on- the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NBA playoffs, and drama at the Players Championship, not to mention the usual baseball happenings. It’s no surprise that there were, as usual, the ups and downs and early-exits and underwhelming disappointments associated with each of these events. It’s even less surprising that there’s been a ton of talk about players who “failed,” whose legacies were affected, and of course, the most heated debate of all: who deserves the blame for the failure to advance, the loss, the end of the season. All of which begs a interesting question: do we hold players that we like to a different standard than players we don’t like?

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Dellin Betances: Out of Options, But Is That a Bad Thing?

Alex Pugliese — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:47 +0000

Lost in this weekend’s Yankees activities- a sweep of the Royals, Eduardo Nunez being placed on the disabled list, the kerfuffle between Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain- was some interesting news out of Scranton, when the Yankees officially ended Dellin Betances’ career as a starting pitcher. The one-time 43rd prospect in all of Major League Baseball will be officially out of options next year, meaning that if he does not make the 25-man roster, the Yankees will be forced to place him on waivers and risk losing a valuable depth player. Though it is a far-cry from the promise his once showed as a member of the “Killer B’s,” this move might actually make a lot of sense for the Yankees moving forward.

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The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: April

Alex Pugliese — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:00:18 +0000

With a new season comes a new series here at Yanks Go Yard: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Every month, we will look at all things good, bad, and absolutely horrific that happens to the Yankees over the course of the previous month. With that said, let’s take a look at the month of April:

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