March 10th, 2020: Judge, Outfield Trade, Fifth Starter, Roster Check-In, Sanchez, Reviewing Offseason Ideas, McHugh

The worst part of vacation is the end and transitioning back into work mode. I'm home now and ready to get back in the saddle with Opening Day only two weeks and two days away. Here are today's thoughts as Aaron Boone becomes the longest tenured manager/head coach in New York.

1. Judge's rib. Are the Yankees ever going to get this stuff right? Are they ever going to incur an injury, diagnose it promptly and treat it, and get the player back when expected? Or is that just not an option? The Yankees are up to three core players going down this spring with injuries that date back to last season. When it happens once, you groan and move on. That's baseball and it sucks sometimes. When it happens again, it becomes more frustrating, and the third time brings the team's competence into question. Maybe they aren't unlucky. Maybe the Yankees are just really bad at managing injuries and bring this on themselves. Aaron Judge deserves some blame for the stress fracture in his top right rib. He said last month that his shoulder -- the top rib is up high near the collarbone, so I can understand it feeling like a shoulder or pectoral injury -- started barking when he got to Tampa and ramped up his workouts in January. That was only partially true. Last week he revealed it's something he's felt since September, when he made a diving play in right field (likely this one). "I thought it was something I can warm up and work through and be fine by the time Spring Training starts ... And then as the offseason progressed on, it started to get worse and worse. But I thought it was more of a chest issue. Is it a pec? Is it my shoulder? There was a lot of confusion out there," Judge told Erik Boland and Bryan Hoch. Judge also revealed he received an injection(s) to manage the injury in the postseason, so the Yankees were aware of the issue. He didn't hide it from them. Did the Yankees not follow up enough (or at all) during the offseason? I get this is a tricky injury to diagnose -- "You give them the symptoms, tell them what’s wrong, and they work off of what you say," Judge told Boland -- but your franchise player suffered an injury serious enough to require an injection(s) to stay on the field in October. You just let him go into his offseason program and hope everything will be okay? Judge has to speak up, obviously. He made the injury worse by staying silent -- "Swinging and lifting during the offseason really didn’t give it a chance (to heal). I was pissed off the way the season ended and (there were) changes I wanted to make and I went right back to it. In my head I thought it was something I could fight through and it cost me," he told George King -- but the Yankees also dropped the ball. They knew their best player had some kind of injury and there was apparently no attempt to get to the bottom of it after the season. Is that unfair to say? Maybe, but the Yankees have earned zero benefit of the doubt when it comes to injuries. The bottom line is the team's best player got hurt late last season, the injury went untreated all offseason, and now he's going to miss time this season. At the outset of Spring Training, the Yankees were around 90% to win the AL East. FanGraphs says their division odds are down to 55.4% and it's not even Opening Day yet. The Yankees say Judge will be reevaluated in two weeks and everyone seems optimistic he will avoid what I assume would be major surgery* -- "Just hearing how it’s healing, I’m happy with that. That’s why it’s two weeks away, then I see how far away it is. And then hopefully in three weeks, four weeks, I’ll start getting back into moving everything," Judge told Boland -- but I'm sorry, I'm going to need to see it to believe it. We've done the "he'll be reevaluated in X weeks" thing and come out on the wrong end way too often these last 13 months. Judge missing time this season feels like something that was preventable. He didn't speak up until it got worse and the Yankees were not diligent following up on the injury after Judge needed an injection (!) to play last postseason. What an absolute organizational failure.

* Cutting a guy's chest open and taking out a rib can't be a simple procedure with a quick recovery, right? Pitchers who have their top rib removed to treat Thoracic Outlet Syndrome typically return in about 10 months. Judge isn't a pitcher and wouldn't have to go through the same throwing progression, but even if it's a six-month recovery, that's the entire regular season. When you're facing that, I totally understand waiting two weeks to see whether the injury improves.

2. Late spring trade. There is a +2 WAR outfielder currently sitting in free agency, but there is basically zero chance the Yankees sign Yasiel Puig. Bill Shaikin says Puig turned down a one-year deal worth $10M at some point this winter, and I don't see the Yankees going there when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton could return at some point in the first half. Also, the Yankees place too much value on good clubhouse culture to bring in anyone who could be considered a distraction. (Puig being a distraction didn't stop the Dodgers from winning back-to-back pennants, but I digress.) The Yankees have been known to make late Spring Training trades and those trades are almost always in response to injuries. They acquired Mike Tauchman because Aaron Hicks was hurt. They added Gregorio Petit when Brendan Ryan got hurt a few years ago. So on and so forth. If they're going to bring in an outfielder to help cover for Judge and Stanton, it'll likely be a late spring trade, not a Puig signing. The Yankees have only four healthy outfielders on the 40-man roster: Tauchman, Estevan Florial, Clint Frazier, and Brett Gardner, and Florial is not a big league option (he's already been sent to minor league camp). Miguel Andujar has looked good in his limited time as outfielder this spring. Good enough to count on him as an everyday option? Ehhhh. That's a real stretch, and I love Miggy. Rosell Herrera would almost certainly make the Opening Day roster if the season started today, but it doesn't, and the Yankees aren't the type of team to be swayed by 25 good spring plate appearances*. My guess is the Yankees are seeking a better fourth outfielder. Scott Schebler and his Yankee Stadium friendly left-handed power (video) could be a potential target. He is out of minor league options and the Reds have no room for him on their roster, so might be available on a straight waiver claim. No trade required. Some other potential outfield trade targets as I comb through depth charts:

• Drew Ferguson, Astros: +0.4 WAR projection per ZiPS 
• Dustin Fowler, Athletics: +0.4 WAR
• Tim Locastro, Diamondbacks: +1.2 WAR
• Austin Slater, Giants: +0.9 WAR
• Lane Thomas, Cardinals: +0.5 WAR
• Bradley Zimmer, Indians: +0.9 WAR

Fowler and Locastro have Yankees ties -- Locastro is sneaky fun but he's not a lock to make the Opening Day roster because the D-Backs are so deep, or at least he wasn't a lock until Domingo Leyba got popped for performance-enhancing drugs last week -- though that does not make them any more likely to be a target or succeed. Zimmer has been a mess since wrecking his shoulder at Yankee Stadium in 2018 (video), and besides, the Indians are so thin in the outfield that I'd bet against them selling super low on a talented player (plus Oscar Mercado is now hurt, so they need the center field depth). San Francisco's outfield situation is wide open and Slater may have a spot there. I'm not sure he'll be available. Thomas is probably too good a prospect to be a late spring trade candidate. These trades usually cost the Yankees nothing and Thomas would cost something. Ferguson has been really good at Triple-A the last two years (.290/.410/.441 and 122 wRC+) and it's a classic fourth outfielder skill set in that he lacks the defense to stay in center long-term and the power to hold down a corner. The Giants took a shot on him as a Rule 5 Draft pick last year (he was returned in Spring Training), so at least one smart team saw enough to roll the dice. I dunno, I'm just spitballing potential outfield trade targets. Tauchman was never on my radar last year and, if the Yankees do make a late spring trade this year, I suspect they'll get someone who isn't on my radar now. Given the current outfield situation, a trade is a distinct possibility before Opening Day. I can't imagine everyone in the front office is huddled around saying, "don't worry about the outfield, we have Rosell Herrera."

* The obvious counterpoint here is Yangervis Solarte, though he had never played in the big leagues when he made the 2014 Opening Day roster. Herrera has over 400 big league plate appearances under his belt and they're not good: .225/.286/.316 (63 wRC+). The other obvious counterpoint is that the Yankees are really good at finding hidden gems/helping hitters improve, so maybe Herrera is next. Possible! Right now, the only reason to believe that is the team's reputation and 25 spring plate appearances. I'm open to Herrera being the next out-of-nowhere Yankee but Brian Cashman & Co. wouldn't be doing their jobs if they don't look for a better outfielder before Opening Day.

3. Fifth starter's race. It is becoming increasing clear the Yankees will use an opener in the fifth starter's spot to begin the regular season. I say this for four reasons. One, Aaron Boone has hinted at a creative fifth starter's solution, so it's coming right from the horse's mouth. "I think in the end we could go a lot of different ways, whether we piggyback guys on a given day depending on who’s available. The opener always becomes an option on certain days ... I continue to be excited about our depth and I would imagine we’ll be a little creative in the early days as we wait for (James) Paxton to come back and other guys to get into the mix," Boone told George King last week. Two, the Yankees have played 18 of their 33 exhibition games, so Spring Training is more than halfway complete, and none of the fifth starter candidates have separated themselves from the pack. Here are the Grapefruit League numbers (Opponent Quality via Baseball Reference):

Loaisiga has performed the best, clearly, but he's also pitched the eighth and ninth inning in two of his four games, which is not usually when a rotation candidate enters games. Usage is telling and that's my third point. We're at the point in Spring Training where guys begin to settle into set roles and it hasn't happened with the fifth starter candidates yet. Pitching late in Grapefruit League games is not something a team does with a serious fifth starter candidate. Pitching twice in the first 18 spring games, like Garcia, is not something a team does with a serious fifth starter candidate. Usage is a window into the team's thinking. "You see that dynamic stuff. We’ll continue to stretch (Loaisiga) out a little bit. What role it ends up being, it could be multiples. It’s just good to see him throwing the ball well and on the attack," Boone told Erik Boland last week. Four, the eye test says Schmidt has looked the best this spring, but this race won't be decided by the most GIFable breaking ball. There's a very "wow did you see Manny Banuelos strike out Kevin Youkilis?" vibe to Schmidt's spring. He is arguably the top prospect in the organization and he's thrown fewer than 30 innings at Double-A. That's a huge jump, going from essentially High-A to big league starter for a World Series contender, plus Schmidt hasn't cracked 100 innings in four years now. This is subjective, I know, but I don't believe the Yankees will alter Schmidt's development plan because he looked good in February and March. That's a recipe for failure and he's too good a prospect to risk stunting his development. Remain patient and stick with the plan. Schmidt will arrive soon enough. "I don't think (he's MLB ready). Fastball command and usage still a work-in-progress. No question has raw stuff," a scout told Andy Martino about Schmidt recently. Based on what we know right now, which admittedly isn't much, I'd rank the fifth starter candidates like so:

1. Opener
2. Loaisiga
3. King (could jump Loaisiga with a strong outing or two)
4. Cessa (the Yankees seem set on keeping him in the bullpen)
5. Tropeano
6-7. Garcia and Schmidt

Opening Day is two weeks from Thursday. Kinda close! The Yankees will have to finalize their roster plans soon and that includes getting the fifth starter working on an every five days schedule and actually making starts. They have to get into their routine. That has not happened yet -- that could change at literally any moment, obviously -- and I think it's because the Yankees are not planning to have a set fifth starter. I think it'll be an opener with Cessa, Loaisiga, and maybe even King penciled in as a bulk innings guy. The Yankees did the opener thing last year and it worked well. Doing it again has to be on the table. That's the best way to optimize the available personnel, and that includes letting Schmidt (and Garcia) continue their development in an appropriate place (i.e. the minors).

4. Roster check-in. Once again, we have to take an updated look at the projected 2020 Opening Day roster because another Yankee got hurt. First it was James Paxton, then it was Luis Severino, then it was Giancarlo Stanton, and now it's Aaron Judge. Judge is going to miss Opening Day no matter what. His best case scenario is getting the thumbs up in two weeks, then going through a Spring Training crash course to get game ready. Here's what I expect the 26-man Opening Day roster to look like given the available personnel:

The interchangeable parts are dwindling! Maybe it's Estrada instead of Wade, or King instead of Hale, or Otero instead of Holder, but that's pretty much it. The Yankees were short on 40-man roster position player depth even before Judge got hurt. Now they're at their limit. Herrera's bench spot is begging for an upgrade (Tauchman to the bench, Frazier to left, Yasiel Puig in right!) and I think there's a 50/50 chance something happens there. Cessa, Hale, and Loaisiga give the Yankees three long man types to serve as the bulk innings guy behind the opener occupying the fifth starter's spot. They could play matchups with the bulk innings pitcher and still have extra long men available in case there's extra innings or something. Hicks, Paxton, and Severino are already 60-day injured list candidates, giving the Yankees the flexibility to add non-roster invitees like Hale and Herrera (or Otero or whoever) to the 40-man. Given the available personnel, these are the regular starting lineups I'd expect Aaron Boone to employ:

vs. RHP
1. 2B DJ LeMahieu
2. 1B Luke Voit
3. CF Brett Gardner
4. SS Gleyber Torres
5. C Gary Sanchez
6. LF Miguel Andujar
7. DH Mike Ford
8. 3B Gio Urshela
9. RF Mike Tauchman

vs. LHP
1. 2B DJ LeMahieu
2. 1B Luke Voit
3. SS Gleyber Torres
4. C Gary Sanchez
5. DH Miguel Andujar
6. 3B Gio Urshela
7. LF Mike Tauchman
8. RF Clint Frazier
9. CF Brett Gardner

Again, that's what I expect the Yankees to do, not what I would do. Voit hit second when Stanton and Judge were hurt early last season and he is probably the team's best offensive player at this point (assuming he goes back to pre-sports hernia Voit), so that's the spot to hit him. Get his on-base ability up high in the lineup. Gardner bats third against righties because he did mash them last season (.265/.346/.546 and 131 wRC+), and because the Yankees think batting too many righties consecutively is worse than crossing the streams. Ford is likely to be on the roster at this point, so figure he'll be in the lineup against righties, otherwise what's the point? The lineups as presented suggest a Ford/Frazier platoon, but I think it's more likely Andujar, Frazier, Tauchman, and Urshela take turns sitting for Ford. You know how the Yankees are with resting players. The injuries have removed much of the mystery. Once upon a time we wondered whether Montgomery could beat out Happ for the fifth starter's spot. As recently as three weeks ago it was Ford vs. Frazier for one roster spot. Now they're on the roster and there are spots open behind those guys. The biggest roster questions right now are do the Yankees go get someone better than Herrera, and who wins that final bullpen spot? I have Hale in there right now based on what he did last year, but I am not confident in that at all.

5. How can he improve? Gary Sanchez. Up next in our series looking at ways each core Yankee can improve in 2020 is the starting catcher. We've already covered Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman, Gerrit Cole, Brett Gardner, Chad Green, J.A. Happ, Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, Jordan Montgomery, Adam Ottavino, James Paxton, Luis Severino, Giancarlo Stanton, Masahiro Tanaka, Gleyber Torres, Gio Urshela, and Luke Voit. Sanchez had a strong season last year, hitting .232/.316/.525 (116 wRC+) with 34 homers and improved blocking that saw him cut his passed pitch rate (wild pitches plus passed balls) basically in half. The batting average is lower than you'd like, but the power is unmatched -- Gary ranked first in homers and tenth in plate appearances among catchers last season -- and only Yasmani Grandal (121 wRC+) and Omar Narvaez (119 wRC+) had as many plate appearances at the position and bested Sanchez's overall offensive output. A flawed player? No doubt. A very good player? Undeniably. Improving in 2020 centers around two things. First, the defense. Sanchez was a much better blocker last year but it came at the expense of his framing. He went from good framing and bad blocking to bad framing and okay blocking. The numbers:

• 2017: +7.4 runs framing and -3.1 runs blocking 
• 2018: +3.3 runs framing and -4.3 runs blocking
• 2019: -5.1 runs framing and -0.8 runs blocking

The Yankees want Sanchez to strike a balance between framing and blocking. They don't want it to be one or the other, so they hired catching guru Tanner Swanson away from the Twins, and he and Gary are working on a one-knee stance this spring. Sanchez had the most trouble framing low pitches last year and the new stance is designed to help him better frame those pitches without sacrificing his blocking ability. We've seen the new one-knee stance in action this spring but it remains a work in progress. "It's something new to me and something that I still am learning. A couple of times I felt that I was in-between, the rhythm was not as good," Sanchez told Pete Caldera following a game last month. The defensive work is underway and that's the most important thing. Progress can take time. The second way Sanchez can improve involves his plate discipline. His chase rate -- the rate at which he swings at pitches out of the zone -- has held steady at a bit above the 30.7% league average the last three years. The bigger issue is Gary is swinging at fewer pitches in the strike zone:

Sanchez is becoming too passive. The league average swing rate on pitches in the zone was 65.3% last season and Sanchez has gone from 63.3% to 58.9% to 57.5% the last three years. Not a good trend. He's letting too many hittable pitches go by. Just look at the heat maps of Gary's swings in his three full MLB seasons:

The heat map should be a dark red blob over the plate, like it was in 2017. That means the hitter is mostly swinging at pitches in the zone. In 2018, Sanchez's dark red blob shifted down and away, then last year it shifted even more. That's not because Gary is swinging at down and away pitches more often. It's because he's swinging at pitches over the plate less often. Working the count is good and all, but the entire point is getting into favorable points and swinging at good pitches, and Sanchez isn't swinging at those pitches as much as he should. He needs to be more aggressive on pitches in the strike zone, which is easier said than done, obviously. I have no idea how anyone ever hits a pitched baseball (seriously, it's insane), but people do it, and Sanchez is among the very best at it, especially relative to his position. Offensively, the single biggest difference between the current version of Sanchez and 2017 Sanchez is how often he swings at pitches in the zone. Even getting up to the 65.3% league average zone swing rate would mark a big improvement and lead to more damage given how hard Gary hits the ball:

Better framing and a more aggressive approach (more aggressive on pitches in the strike zone, specifically) are two ways Sanchez can take his game to the next level in 2020. He and Swanson are working on the framing (and blocking). Swinging at pitches in the zone? That's up to Gary.

6. Reviewing offseason ideas. Rather than put together another long RAB Offseason Plan this year -- the smartest thing I ever did in those Offseason Plan posts was trade for pre-breakout Christian Yelich -- I cobbled together a list of ideas for the 2019-20 offseason. Yankees-specific ideas, of course, and since the offseason is over, I figure it's time to go back and review those ideas. Let's get to it, shall we?

What I thought the Yankees should do: Put the training staff on a rocket to the sun
What I thought the Yankees would do: Change up their training staff
What the Yankees did: Change up their training staff

Good start! The Yankees overhauled their training and strength and conditioning staffs over the winter and hired Eric Cressey, a titan in the industry, to oversee their performance staff going forward. The Yankees have already been hit with several key injuries this spring, but several carried over from last season, so I don't think we can pin that on Cressey. Point is, I said I expected the Yankees to change their training staff, and they did. As far as what I thought the Yankees would do, I am 1-for-1.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Call Chapman's bluff
What I thought the Yankees would do: Extend Chapman
What the Yankees did: Extend Chapman

2-for-2. Letting Aroldis Chapman walk was never realistic, even if the Yankees replaced him with someone like, say, Will Smith, who is really good. Chapman remains one of the game's elite closers -- the Hall of Fame conversation is still a few years away (he's at roughly 60% of Billy Wagner's career innings) but he's trending in that direction -- and the Yankees are a better team with him than without him. The World Series window is as open as it's going to get. If you're going to pay big to keep an elite closer, now's the time you do it.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Let Gardner walk, commit to Frazier
What I thought the Yankees would do: Re-sign Gardner, trade Frazier
What the Yankees did: Re-sign Gardner, keep Frazier

Clint Frazier is still a Yankee ... for now. They could always move him prior to Opening Day, though the Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton injuries have created a need in the outfield. Clint is probably safe for the time being, so I'll take the L here and say I'm 2-for-3. As for re-signing Brett Gardner, that was a layup. The Yankees needed a center fielder in the wake of Aaron Hicks' Tommy John surgery and Gardner was, by far, the best center fielder sitting in free agency. Plus he's approaching legacy Yankee status.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Commit to Andujar as a 1B/3B/DH guy
What I thought the Yankees would do: Commit to Andujar as a 1B/3B/DH guy
What the Yankees did: Commit to Andujar as a 1B/3B/DH and OF (!) guy

I thought it was silly, but there was a lot of speculation the Yankees could trade Miguel Andujar over the winter even though his value was down following shoulder surgery, and young hitters who have shown they can produce at above-average levels are really valuable. Fortunately, the Yankees love Miggy Missiles, and they're trying him at different positions this spring to get his bat in the lineup. It's very similar to Alfonso Soriano back in the day. The bat is special, but there's a better defender at his natural position, so the Yankees are moving him elsewhere. 3-for-4.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Re-sign Gregorius (to a short-term deal only)
What I thought the Yankees would do: Let Gregorius walk
What the Yankees did: Let Gregorius walk

Have y'all ever stopped to think that Didi Gregorius signed a one-year deal worth $14M this offseason and it wasn't with the Yankees? Seems crazy. Had I known he would sign that contract on Nov. 1st, I would've bet the farm on him returning to the Yankees. Instead, the Yankees will go into the season with Thairo Estrada and Tyler Wade as the first line of depth behind DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres, and way over the $248M third luxury tax threshold anyway because they had to keep J.A. Happ. Groan. 4-for-5.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Re-sign Betances
What I thought the Yankees would do: Re-sign Betances
What the Yankees did: Let Betances walk

The fact Dellin Betances missed pretty much all last season and suffered a new and severe injury in September made a reunion less likely than Gregorius, but I still thought the Yankees would bring him back. They obviously value a deep bullpen, and they were in position to let Betances rehab at his own pace and join the team at midseason. Oh well. For what it's worth, Dellin was sitting 88-90 mph during his Grapefruit League debut with the Mets over the weekend. 4-for-6.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Re-sign Romine
What I thought the Yankees would do: Go with a cheaper backup catcher
What the Yankees did: Go with a cheaper backup catcher

That cheaper backup catcher will most likely be Kyle Higashioka, though the door is not completely closed on Chris Iannetta or Erik Kratz (I say that simply because they are still in big league camp). Austin Romine did good work the last three years and parlayed it into a one-year deal worth $4.15M with the Tigers. He's expected to be their most of the time starter. For what it's worth, ZiPS sees Higashioka and Romine producing nearly identical WAR through 2022. 5-for-7.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Extend Torres
What I thought the Yankees would do: Continue to go year-to-year with Torres
What the Yankees did: Continue to go year-to-year with Torres

For now, anyway. February and March are extension season and the Yankees could work out a long-term deal with Gleyber before Opening Day. There are no rumblings about an extension at the moment, however, so let's call it 6-for-8. I wrote about a potential Torres extension last week.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Non-tender Bird
What I thought the Yankees would do: Tender Bird and bat him third on Opening Day after he has another great Spring Training
What the Yankees did: Release Bird

Technically, the Yankees did not non-tender Greg Bird. He was designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space prior to the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline, and he elected free agency after clearing waivers. Either way, Bird's time in the organization came to an end over the winter. He is in camp with the Rangers on a minor league deal and is currently 3-for-24 (.125) this spring. 6-for-9.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Salary dump Happ
What I thought the Yankees would do: Keep Happ (but not let his 2021 option vest)
What the Yankees did: Keep Happ (2021 vesting option status TBD)

Even with James Paxton and Luis Severino nursing injuries since last postseason, the Yankees reportedly shopped Happ over the winter. They wanted to dump him and his $17M salary. Once Paxton's back started acting up (again), the Yankees keep Happ as depth. The vesting option is something we're going to have to keep an eye on all season. Happ locks in a $17M salary in 2021 with 27 starts or 165 innings in 2020. 7-for-10.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Make Cole the highest paid pitcher ever
What I thought the Yankees would do: "We feel getting full years of Severino and Montgomery are the best additions we can make to our pitching staff"
What the Yankees did: Make Cole the highest paid pitcher ever

Not sure I've ever been happier to be wrong. 7-for-11.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Explore a trade for Kluber and/or Gray
What I thought the Yankees would do: Explore trades for high-end starters, but not land one
What the Yankees did: Sign Cole and nothing else

I'm sure the Yankees looked into various trade scenarios even after signing Gerrit Cole, including Corey Kluber, who did get traded, and Jon Gray, who was reportedly on the block. They don't leave any stones unturned. We didn't hear about any of those trade discussions over the winter though, so I guess that equals an incorrect prediction. 7-for-12.

What I thought the Yankees should do: Trade for Daniel Ponce de Leon
What I thought the Yankees would do: Trade for someone who is not Daniel Ponce de Leon
What the Yankees did: Not trade for Daniel Ponce de Leon or anyone else

Ponce de Leon is a personal favorite and I never expected the Yankees to actually trade for him. I just used the post as an excuse to write about him. That makes me 7-for-13 overall. I was "Rosell Herrera in Spring Training" hot with what I expected the Yankees to do this offseason.

7. Rapid fire thoughts. The Red Sox signed Collin McHugh last week. I wrote about him as a possible option for the Yankees over the winter, and again following the James Paxton and Luis Severino injuries. It's a one-year contract worth $600,000 guaranteed with $4.25M in bonuses tied to innings and days on the roster. McHugh had elbow trouble last season and the low base salary tells us his medicals are a mess -- Pete Abraham says McHugh hasn't started throwing yet, so he's not close to helping the MLB team -- and I can understand McHugh preferring the Red Sox over the Yankees given their pitching situation. There's more opportunity in Boston, even with the Paxton and Severino injuries. I would've happily taken McHugh on that deal. It is zero risk. The fact he hasn't even started throwing yet isn't good though. This could turn into one of those deals everyone likes at the time because it's so cheap, then the guy throws 12 innings with a 7.00 ERA ... The Ben Heller mystery has been solved. He tweaked his back over the winter and his throwing program was delayed, according to Lindsey Adler. Heller is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut later today. As for Chad Bettis, Randy Miller says he had to be shut down with a back issue earlier in camp, but he has resumed throwing bullpen sessions. Hard to see Heller and Bettis as Opening Day roster candidates given how far behind they are. I'm sure we'll see them relatively early in the season though, especially Heller ... Sounds like there's a chance the Yankees will get Rony Garcia back. The Tigers took Garcia with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft and he 's been so-so this spring (4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K against mostly High-A caliber competition), and Lynn Henning writes there may not be room for him in the Detroit bullpen. My guess is the Tigers will keep Garcia to begin the season. I don't think they used the No. 1 pick in the Rule 5 Draft on him to cut bait after a handful of Grapefruit League innings ... Following the Starling Marte trade, I said I wouldn't be surprised to see the MLBPA get on the Pirates about their sub-$50M payroll. Sure enough, the union has filed a grievance not just against Pittsburgh, but against the Marlins and Rays as well. They claim those three teams did not spend enough of their revenue sharing money on the MLB roster and this is not the first time either. The MLBPA filed similar grievances against those teams just two years ago. There really needs to be a mechanism in place to ensure revenue sharing money is spent appropriately. You'd think big market teams that pay into revenue sharing (Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, etc.) would welcome that. Maybe big market teams and the MLBPA can put enough pressure on small market teams and commissioner Rob Manfred to get this done as part of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement ... And finally, I just wanted to pass along this Gerrit Cole quote, because I thought it was pretty cool. From Bryan Hoch:

“A lot of guys that have come up through the system have a really professional approach,” Cole said. “That's a testament to the organization. We've looked at our whole group analytically as a team; everybody has an above-average fastball in one way or another, which is really unique. I’m looking forward to seeing who surprises this year and who emerges and begins their career in the Major Leagues. It’s always exciting, especially for older players. It kind of reminds you of when you got started.” 

Neat.

(Send your questions for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com.)