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Earlier in the week I asked for submissions to our Ask PSA mailbag. I received so many submissions in the comments and via email that I’ve decided to split my answers into two parts. The rest of my answers will run on Sunday, but you can still submit additional questions in the thread linked above, or to our email in the meantime.
NYCKING asked: Could Yankees host ASG in 19 or 20? They are currently lone ballpark in AL that has opened this century and not hosted ASG.
I don’t think the Yankees will end up hosting the All-Star Game any time soon. It was already announced that the Marlins and the Nationals will host in 2017 and 2018, respectively. That adds up to four consecutive National League hosts, so it is likely that a team in the American League will host in 2019. However, it probably won’t be the Yankees. New York just hosted the 2013 game (Mets), and the Yankees did just host in 2008. Although they have yet to host a game at the new Yankee Stadium, there are several other teams who have experienced a longer drought than the Yankees.
For example, the Dodgers, Athletics, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Orioles each haven’t hosted in over 20 years. The Rays have never hosted the All-Star Game (and who really wants to go to Tropicana Field for that), and the Phillies haven’t hosted since their new stadium opened up. The Yankees don’t really seem to be first in line for the 2019 game.
James Vivo asked: What do you believe are the chances of the Yankees having Michael Pineda, Brian McCann, and Brett Gardner all on the roster at the start of the 2017 season?
Of the three, I think McCann is most likely to be moved, and Pineda is the most likely to stick around. With Gary Sanchez ready to take over as the starting catcher, there is no real need to keep McCann. He certainly could slot into the DH role if the Yankees want to do that, but for the first time in years, the Yankees don’t have to rotate multiple players through the DH spot. It is early in the offseason, but there are already rumors flying that the Astros, Braves, and Nationals are interested in McCann. The only potential hold up could be that McCann has a full no-trade clause, and would have to agree to any deal.
On the other hand, I think Pineda stays. At this point, the Yankees’ 2017 rotation is full of question marks. If you take Pineda out of the mix, then the only guaranteed starters in the rotation are Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia. They may be counting on Luis Severino, Bryan Mitchell, Luis Cessa, Chad Green, and possibly even Adam Warren to fill in one (maybe two) of those spots, but it would be risky to trade Pineda. It may be difficult to watch him pitch sometimes, but he did give the Yankees 175 innings. Pineda will probably stick around unless the Yankees start signing free agent pitchers and/or Brian Cashman starts making some big trades.
CanGuest asked: Given all the recent discussion on a big reliever addition, what about Brad Ziegler?
Interestingly, the 37-year-old just had one of the best seasons of his career. Through 68 innings, he posted a 2.25 ERA and 3.10 FIP with 7.68 K/9, 3.44 BB/9, and 0.26 HR/9. Ziegler tends to keep the ball on the ground and had a 63.3% ground ball rate this year, which could translate to success at Yankee Stadium. He is coming off of a three-year, $15 million deal, but I think he could be a more cost effective option than many of the other free agent relievers out there. It doesn’t hurt to see what kind of deal he is looking for.
AJSMind asked: Is Chapman worth $18 million dollars to the Yankees for 5 years?
I don’t think so. He is reportedly seeking something astronomical like a 5-year, $100 million dollar deal. Obviously the Yankees have the money to afford this, and Brian Cashman confirmed that he has already been in contact with Chapman. However, the Yankees had their three-headed monster super bullpen last year with Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances, and Chapman, and it still didn’t get the team to the playoffs. I would much rather see the Yankees focus their efforts elsewhere before they go out and sign a closer. The rotation is in desperate need of help, and the lineup could use a DH. This year’s free agent class isn’t the greatest, but I’d rather throw boatloads of money at a DH than at Chapman.