Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/18/16

Around the Empire

NJ.com | Ryan Hatch: After Mark Teixeira’s X-rays came back negative on Saturday, he woke up on Sunday still feeling sore. The team saw it fit to give him the day off and send him for a CT scan. While it came back negative, the oft-injured Teixeira is day-to-day and Rob Refsnyder will primarily handle first base duties until Teixeira comes back, and Brian McCann will be his primary backup. Miss you so much, Greg Bird.

Baseball America | Will Bryant: When Jorge Posada became the first member of the Core Four to retire, a spot opened up for Jesus Montero to come in and lead the charge of the next generation of Yankee greats. Since then he’s had an interesting career, but now with Triple-A Buffalo (a Blue Jays affiliate) Montero admits that there was a lot of pressure on his shoulders in that regards. The Yankees felt comfortable trading Montero because they had Gary Sanchez coming up through the system. Sanchez shares similar pressures for the future of the Yankees, but does not have the pressure of being the guy to replace Posada.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: While Michael Pineda is the cause of frustration with many Yankee fans, he would actually attract potential suitors if the Yankees chose to make him available. He has never consistently put things together, but he’s shown flashes of being absolutely filthy. With Pineda’s potential, age, salary (arbitration-eligible), the fact that he won’t be a free agent until 2018, and a relatively weak free agent market for starting pitching, a team could come calling for him.

New York Post | George A. King III: CC Sabathia and Chase Headley have both had direct experience handling trade deadline rumors about themselves, albeit not as much this year. The two, however, could not have handled it more differently. Whereas Sabathia said he just stayed out of the conversation and ignored them, Headley admits to being bothered by the talks when his name first started popping up in those talks.

Fun Questions

• What’s the most overrated snack?
• If you could pick any one active pitcher not named Clayton Kershaw to be on the Yankees right now, who would it be?

Song of the Day

With or Without You by U2

It’s 80’s Rock Ballad Week on Pinstripe Alley. Not necessarily as “air guitary” as some of the other songs that are sure to be featured this week, it’s definitely a song one can slow-jam out to and has a stellar video to add. Plus for all you Friends fans out there, this should bring back some memories. As always, please link us your song of the day.

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