#milnarik

It’s certainly been a long time since I’ve written!  So here it is...I’m back!  Yankees are still pursuing starting pitching.  Along with Chris Archer of the Rays, there are rumors swirling about them talking to the Mets about Zach Wheeler, also.  Hard to squeeze everyone into the 25 man active roster, but ya can never have too much starting pitching, as the Dodgers are demonstrating by having SEVEN starters and they are still checking in on others that are out there!  Crazy!  With their acquisition of Manny Machado to fill the hole left by Corey Seager (DL for the rest of the season) they seem to be "fool proofing" their team with contingency plans when something goes wrong!  They're the favorite in the NL right now.  A bit scary!  Gotta get the Yanks and the Dodgers in the WS again!  I believe it would be their 12th matchup!!  Today and tomorrow could have some exciting news as the non-waiver trade deadline is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 400pm.  Hopefully, we'll see at least one more strong starting pitcher, but we may also see some of our favorite players put on other uniforms.  STAY TUNED!!

I, have another theory...the media is telling the truth, and the Yankees recently told Ellsbury to say that they never approached him to waive his no trade clause so that the fans don't hate him all season, prohibiting him from playing his best and making all the negative publicity around this disappear. What do you think?

Well, everyone is buzzing about the three way trade with the Rays, Diamondbacks, and Yankees that just sent infielder Brandon Drury to the Yankees. Most of the comments I've read in various groups are trying to figure out how Drury fits in with the Yankees. I don't think he does. I'm betting that Drury will be headed to Baltimore as the final piece of a trade for Machado so that we don't have to give them Andujar. We win the series with Machado this year, while we keep developing Andujar. When it comes time to negotiate with Machado next year in free agency, he can either offer a fair price, or can go to a lesser team and we plug Andujar right in. If Machado offers a fair price and stays with the Yankees, Andujar will be worth much more as a trade chip next year due to being developed further. Time will tell, but it is something that theoretically could happen. Watch and we shall see!

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2018/01/17/would-orioles-get-better-return-for-manny-machado-than-pirates-did-for-andrew-mccutchen

The Yankees, as an organization, are powerful.  They could ruin any player's career if they wanted to.  I've been wondering if soon they are going to make Jacoby Ellsbury "an offer he can't refuse".  This may be connected... https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/16/what-andrew-mccutchen-says-about-giants-moving-him-to-right-field/

Just saw something posted by the New York Daily News saying that in order to get Darvish we should trade Ellsbury and Clint Frazier to the Giants for their 2nd baseman so that they pick up $12-13 mil of Ellsbury’s contract, as the Giants have two outfield positions open.  To me, this seems ridiculous.  Why on Earth do we need to trade Clint Frazier to get rid of Ellsbury, either way Ellsbury fills one of their holes.  Ellsbury is a great defender, when he’s healthy.  He’s inconsistent behind the plate…until the pressure is turned up.  Just have them take Ellsbury off our hands, take the money, stay under the luxury tax, buy Darvish, and then use Clint Frazier in a Machado trade or for another pitcher.  (Personally, if we get Darvish, I wouldn’t mind trading for Chris Archer.  After Darvish everyone seems to be pretty similar - give or take.  Archer seems to have a good demeanor and he has pitched pretty well against the Yankees last season.  Just my thoughts.

At this point in the off season things have been very slow, but I think that there are some blockbuster deals on the way.  Lots of manipulation of the media needed on Cashman's part to make teams think "this" and not "that" and then have conflicting reports to confuse everyone.  My predicted 25 man roster from a month + ago still stands and some of it has already come to fruition.  By the time spring training starts I would like to see the following players in Pin Stripes:  Manny Machado (3B), Yu Darvish (SP) and Chris Archer (SP).  My 25 man roster has some of the bigger trade chips that I think we will use to get this done.  Unless the Yankees give up on getting under the luxury tax - I would think that Darvish isn't going to happen unless Ellsbury is convinced to leave.  As much as the owner of the Orioles doesn't want to deal Machado to the Yankees - he will.  He still needs a 3rd, 4th and 5th starter in the rotation.  Machado goes he also needs a 3B.  We can provide most of that, while other teams may not have what the Orioles need.  Just a matter of Peter Angelos giving up and realizing that they are in a rebuild and they need what we have...and there's no other choice.