GETTING THE YANKEES TO 100%

Alex Rodriguez: Alex is a few weeks away from returning according to Ian Begley and that’s a good thing. Yes, Nunez has adjusted well to every day play at 3^rd base, but there is nothing better than a regular in there with a power bat to really make you feel comfortable. The Yankees are in their last week of July and that means many things, this week the trade deadline week, names will be brought up like crazy about who the Yankees need, want and should give up. Rumors are usually true, but some are just plain ridiculous. Read them all, open your mind but know one thing, nothing is final until it’s final, and if you don’t believe me, ask Cliff Lee who was looking at New Jersey real estate until he was suddenly shipped to Texas last year.

Alex, according to Cashman has been progressing great and once he’s back, the question will be what to do with Nunez. I say, with a bat like that, you need to use him off the bench, with him and Andruw Jones, or a Ty Wigginton type, that’s a pretty strong bench, a lot of power and a lot of clutch. It’s not like you’re going to bring in Nunez as a late inning defensive replacement, he can’t field.

Rafael Soriano: In Soriano land, Rafael Soriano should be back Wednesday or Thursday. In his last rehab start at Scranton Wilkes Barre, he allowed 1 homer, a run and hit, in 1 inning of work. He struck out 1. Look, it’s a rehab start; don’t get crazy, although, I would have liked a better line. Soriano has not had a very good time rehabbing and according to reports and hasn’t exactly been too talkative to reporters after games where he gets knocked around. This guy has a bad attitude in my estimation and it’s a poison. The good news is we’ve been doing well without him and it’s not like we really need him right now. I wish him well though. Who knows, maybe Roger Dorn will put a cut slip in Soriano's locker as a joke like he did to Ricky Vaughn. You want to see someone really flip out? Ha Ha. If you’ve never seen Major League then you don’t know what I’m talking about. See it.

(Photo: MiLB)

Eric Chavez: Chavez went o-4 in his last rehab start in Single A Tampa. In a previous game in Tampa, he was 4-5 and had 2 runs in a 10-3 rout of Tamps verses Jupiter. According to Chavez, he is experiencing no foot pain which is great. Let’s just hope he doesn’t start experiencing that mysterious back strain or abdominal strain… or better yet, let’s hope he doesn’t get injured shaving or something. Having Chavez here is yet another great bat off the bench, plus this is a 6 time gold Glover. If A-Rod were to need a rest, Chavez could be there either as a sub or a late inning replacement. He’s expected back tomorrow, hopefully everything goes as planned. Welcome back Eric, you were missed.

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WHY YANKEE TRADE RUMORS ARE FLYING

"We aren't going to do anything stupid." -- Brian Cashman

Let the craziness begin. There is no doubt that the Yankees know they can win it all this year. They have the guys and they have the talent and it’s just a matter of picking those few extra pieces of the puzzle and setting them into place to see if they have what it takes to win number 28. Several names have been mentioned. Some are absolutely ridiculous. Others are possibilities. We like to give our opinion here and luckily for us, you like to hear about it. Check these names recently attached to the Yankees. Tell me what you think…comment.

Ty Wigginton: Wigginton’s got pop in his bat no doubt and if the Yankees are looking for an extra bat in the lineup to ensure runs and wins, this could be helpful, plus, he can fill in at third until Alex comes back. Read about it HERE. The other thing you should know is Wigginton is on the Rockies and wow, so is Ubaldo Jimenez. If a deal was going to happen with the Rockies, it could be in 1 swift movement and no doubt the Rockies would want every youngster we have. Would I pull the trigger? Well, My opinion is I like Wigginton’s bat, but not for a Jesus Montero type. Now, according to reports, if the Rockies were to trade someone like Ubaldo Jimenez to the Bronx, Montero wouldn't be the centerpiece of the deal, according to Jon Heyman of SI so there you go. But I see it this way, the Rockies seem to want pitching, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances and who knows who else for Jimenez. Now, Cash has already made it clear that certain players aren't going anywhere. But my question is this; if the Rockies were willing to ship Wigginton and Jimenez, what would the Yankees offer? Would Montero be in the cards then? How about a David Phelps, a Ivan Nova and Dellin Betances? Would we keep Montero? Would we keep Austin Romine? Just a question and I'm probably premature, but it is interesting, isn't it? That's where Cashman comes in.

Heath Bell: For a few days around the All-Star break, the Yankees were hot and heavy for Heath Bell, at least that what reports said and why not, he’s incredibly talented, as great rental and so damn likable. The Yankees have also apparently have been connected to Bell’s teammate Mike Adams as well... Read HERE. Both Adams and Bell are equally talented but to be honest, I don’t see how the Padres would part with both. The Pads are looking for a prospect, probably pitching for Adams in return. Again, this rumor is getting a lot of play and we need to keep an eye on it. I personally see the Yankees snatching up a Bell or Adams before a Jimenez merely for the fact that Jimenez, while an affective starter, is about as reliable as an AJ Burnett, some days and the Rockies are asking for way too much.

Ricky Nolasco: Ken Rosenthal says this guys a possibility for New York and we all know the power of Joe Girardi and his connection with former players. Just ask Sergio Mitre, he’ll map it out for you or read THE CURIOUS CASE OF SERGIO MITRE. Also, read about the Rosenthal rumor story HERE. Nolasco pitched for Girardi briefly back when Girardi was manager with the Marlins and if you know Girardi, he remembers talent. Now, I believe this move is more of a possibility than a Ubaldo Jimenez but in this scenario, the Yankees would need to pay alittle and give alittle talent away. It all depends on how smart Cashman is in negotiation, so we shall see. I do believe that Girardi’s connections run deep though, so while it’s not Chicago, it’s still a former player of Joes and we all know he loves to collect.

Slow and steady wins the race here... Cashman's no dope, he won't pull the trigger and unload all our prospects, there is too much talent down there and he knows it. The deal's got to be right... we just have to trust him.

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