Justus Sheffield Archives - Page 4 of 13

Trade Deadline Rumors: Machado, Wheeler, Samardzija, Tigers

July 14, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

Later tonight the Yankees and Indians will continue their four-game series with the third game at Progressive Field. That’s a 7:15pm ET start. Until then, here are some trade rumors to check out.

“Strong” offer for Machado doesn’t include Sheffield, Frazier

The Yankees are making a “serious” push for Manny Machado and have made a “strong” offer, reports Jon Heyman. Heyman adds the offer does not include Justus Sheffield or Clint Frazier, however. Jon Morosi says the Orioles would trade Machado to New York as long as Sheffield is in the deal. There are reasons to trade Sheffield, though dealing him for a rental — even a rental as good as Machado — rather than a controllable pitcher might not be a great idea.

Would Machado address the Yankees’ biggest need? No, absolutely not. They need another starter or two. Would he make them a considerably better team? Yes, absolutely, assuming they put him back at third base, where he is otherworldly defensively. I love Miguel Andujar, he’s awesome, but Machado is a demonstrably better player in 2018 and would thus improve the team’s chances of winning the World Series quite a bit. Machado would make the Yankees that much more dangerous even if they don’t really need him. I am all for it. Let’s do this.

Yankees have inquired about Wheeler

The Yankees recently inquired about Zack Wheeler, reports Marc Carig. Among the Mets’ starters, Wheeler strikes me as most likely to go before the trade deadline because he’s only under control for one more season beyond this year. Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz are all controllable for at least another two seasons. Wheeler has an injury history and he’s close to free agency. Sell sell sell.

Wheeler, 28, has a 4.42 ERA (3.71 FIP) in 99.2 innings this season, though he’s been much better of late, pitching to a 3.44 ERA (3.39 FIP) in his last eight starts and 49.2 innings. He recently added a splitter and is now throwing harder than ever before, which is perhaps an indication he’s over his injury problems from 2015-17. Wheeler’s worth a phone call, for sure. I’m intrigued by the new splitter and added velocity. That said, can the Yankees and Mets work out a trade? I need to see it to believe it.

Giants have let Yankees know Samardzija is available

According to Bob Nightengale, the Giants have been nice enough to let the Yankees know right-hander Jeff Samardzija is available in a trade. Samardzija has been on-and-off the disabled list with shoulder and pectoral trouble this year, and he has a 6.42 ERA (5.47 FIP) with nearly as many walks (24) as strikeouts (29) in 40.2 innings. He’s also owed roughly $45M through 2020. Triple whammy right there. Injuries, poor performance, expensive.

The Yankees did have interest in Samardzija as a free agent a few years ago, so I suppose there could still be some lingering interest there, but nah. Samardzija’s been hurt, he hasn’t pitched well at all, and he’d hurt the team’s chances of getting under the $197M luxury tax threshold. Unless the Giants are going to eat a lot of money and take non-prospects in return just to be rid of the headache, I don’t see a fit here. The Yankees have enough bad-to-mediocre pitching. They need good pitching.

Tigers interested in Frazier, Wade

The Tigers have a scout at Progressive Field this weekend and, according to George King, they are interested in Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade. Detroit has been scouting the farm system thoroughly in addition to the big league team. I think it’s safe to assume the Tigers are doing their due diligence in preparation for a potential Michael Fulmer trade. The Yankees have been scouting Fulmer.

So far this season the 25-year-old Fulmer has a 4.11 ERA (4.03 FIP) in 107.1 innings, though, like Wheeler, he’s been much better lately, pitching to a 3.10 ERA (3.06 FIP) in his last six starts and 40.2 innings. For whatever reason Fulmer has become a “the whole is less than the sum of the parts” guy since his Rookie of the Year season in 2016. The stuff is good — very good, in fact — and I feel like he’s a tweak or two away from consistently dominating. I dunno. Either way, the Tigers are preparing for a potential trade, including getting eyes on Frazier and Wade.

Three reasons the Yankees should make Justus Sheffield available at the trade deadline

July 13, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

We are now less than three weeks away from the 2018 trade deadline, and the rumors are starting to be more frequent and more serious sounding. As such, we’ve already discussed the merits of the Yankees trading Miguel Andujar and trading Clint Frazier. I don’t want them to trade either! But the Yankees have to consider all options as they trade to win the 2018 World Series.

The final entry into this week’s spur of the moment “three reasons he should be available” series: Justus Sheffield, the Yankees’ top prospect now that Andujar and Gleyber Torres have graduated to the big leagues. The just turned 22-year-old southpaw has been excellent this season, pitching to a 2.44 ERA (2.92 FIP) with a 27.4% strikeout rate in 85 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’ll represent the Yankees at the Futures Game next week.

I am of the belief that, if he isn’t traded, Sheffield will help the Yankees this season in some capacity. Either as a starter or reliever. His role is going to depend on the team’s needs more than anything. Quality left-handed pitching is a necessity in Yankee Stadium and it stands to reason the Yankees should hold on to Sheffield and incorporate him into the rotation next year. Trading him can’t be off the table though, for three reasons.

There are command issues that need to be ironed out

In fact, we might even be able to call them control issues, not command issues. Control is the ability to throw strikes. Command is the ability to throw quality strikes (on the corners, at the knees, etc.). So far this season Sheffield has an 11.0% walk rate and while that is a touch high relative to his career norms, it’s not wildly out of line with what he’s done the last few years.

2016: 9.9% walk rate at High-A
2017: 8.1% walk rate at Double-A
2018: 11.0% walk rate at Double-A and Triple-A

Both MLB.com and Baseball America (subs. req’d) gave Sheffield a future 50 grade for his command on the 20-80 scouting scale, which is average. That’s average command at some point in the future. Sheffield has nasty, nasty stuff. Lefties who sit mid-90s and have a wipeout slider are no joke. But there is work to be done to improve his strike-throwing ability and that’s not easy. The Yankees could decide to cash in on Sheffield’s potential as a trade chip and let some other team figure out how to improve his command.

Does Sheffield’s peak line up with the rest of the roster?

It is so unbelievably hard to win in baseball these days. You can’t just have the best lineup or the best rotation anymore. You need the best players — that includes the full 40-man roster — and you need to keep them healthy and on the field as often as possible, and use them in the right way (platoons, etc.). And you need as many of them in their prime as possible. Look at the last few World Series teams. The Astros, Dodgers, Cubs, Indians … their core players were all in their prime years.

That’s what it takes to win the World Series these days. Have as many great players in their primes as possible, use them properly, and figure out a way to keep them on the field. Easy! Yeah, right. Lining up peak years is not easy. Look at the Yankees right now. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Luis Severino, Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, and Didi Gregorius are right smack in the middle of what should be the best years of their careers. The Sonny Gray trade hasn’t worked out, but that was part of the thinking behind the trade. He’s a prime age player.

Sheffield is a 22-year-old kid who, as good as he is, may not line up with the big league team’s timetable. Judge, Stanton, et al are all ready to win right now. Sheffield has yet to make his MLB debut, and once he does make his MLB debut, he may have to go through some growing pains. What if he debuts this year, pitches well, then goes through a 2016 Severino year in 2019? It happens. Baseball is hard. Sometimes it takes players a while to find their footing.

The Yankees aren’t going to give Sheffield away. There has been some Sheffield for J.A. Happ on social media chatter and that is crazypants. Not happening. If the Yankees trade Sheffield, it should be for an impact pitcher they can control beyond this season. A Jacob deGrom type, basically. And that’s the type of pitcher who best fits the Yankees and gives them the best chance to win this year. A star in his prime. Sheffield should be available for that type of pitcher.

Pitchers break, man

An unfortunate baseball truth. Pitchers get hurt, even the big strong ones with picture perfect mechanics. Sheffield himself missed time with a shoulder issue earlier this year, and last season which missed two months with an oblique injury, though at least that wasn’t his arm. Point is, Sheffield had a shoulder scare earlier this season, and he’s not the biggest guy at 6-foot-0 and 200 lbs. Durability may be an issue long-term.

Now, here’s the thing: Veteran pitchers get hurt too. Edinson Volquez and Michael Pineda needed Tommy John surgery last year, for example. Yu Darvish has been out close to two months with a triceps problem. David Price missed most of last season with elbow woes. Stephen Strasburg visits the disabled list once or twice a year. So does Clayton Kershaw nowadays. Veterans get hurt just as much as prospects, if not more.

Trade Sheffield for a veteran, even a stud like deGrom, and that veteran could get hurt tomorrow. That’s just baseball. In that case though, the Yankees would at least be acquiring a pitcher they can plug right into their MLB rotation with a reasonable expectation of success. If he gets hurt, he gets hurt. What can you do? Sheffield is in Triple-A. He might not be able to help you right away and that same injury risk is present. There’s an opportunity cost here. Trade Sheffield for big league help, or run the risk that he gets hurt and doesn’t help at any point.

* * *

Just to make this perfectly clear, I am not arguing the Yankees should trade Sheffield. He’s awesome and I hope they keep him. I’m just laying out some reasons the Yankees could make him available, because his name will be — and already has been — tossed around in trade rumors these next few weeks. As good as he is, Sheffield’s control needs to improve, and by time he is reaches his peak, the rest of the roster might be past theirs. Plus there’s the injury risk. Trade him before he gets hurt and gives you nothing. That sort of thing. The Yankees will need to get a quality MLB player back in any Sheffield deal. And if that player is available, Sheffield should not be untouchable.

Justus Sheffield selected for 2018 Futures Game

July 5, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

The 2018 Futures Game rosters won’t be officially announced until tomorrow, but Triple-A Scranton manager Bobby Mitchell let the cat out of the bag today. Mitchell told reporters that left-hander Justus Sheffield will represent the Yankees and pitch for Team USA in the Futures Game later this month.

“It’s awesome. I’m excited. I’m pumped,” said Sheffield to DJ Eberle. “Just the experience, getting to play with guys from all around — different leagues, different teams, meeting guys, getting to play in a big league stadium. I think it’s just going to be awesome.”

Sheffield, 22, is the Yankees’ top prospect now that Gleyber Torres has graduated to the big leagues. He’s pitched to a 2.49 ERA (2.99 FIP) with 27.2% strikeouts and 11.1% walks in 79.2 innings split between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton this season. Baseball America (subs. req’d) and MLB.com rank Sheffield as the 22nd and 39th best prospect in baseball, respectively.

Teams do have a say in the Futures Game rosters and I thought there was a chance the Yankees would hold Sheffield out in case they’re planning to call him up — that’s what happened with Luis Severino in 2015 — but that’s not the case, apparently. That doesn’t mean we won’t see Sheffield at some point this season! It just indicates a call-up isn’t imminent. Not surprising, I don’t think.

It’s unclear whether the Yankees will have any other representatives at the Futures Game. Teams do typically send two prospects, though not always. Torres and Miguel Andujar have graduated, Estevan Florial and Freicer Perez are hurt, and Chance Adams hasn’t pitched all that well this season. Maybe someone like Dillon Tate or Trevor Stephan will sneak onto the roster? We’ll see.

Florial and Domingo Acevedo represented the Yankees at the Futures Game last year. It was Jorge Mateo and Gary Sanchez in 2016, Sanchez and Aaron Judge in 2015, and Severino and Peter O’Brien in 2014. The 2018 Futures Game will be played Sunday, July 15th, at 4pm ET at Nationals Park.

DotF: The Yankees beat the Red Sox in Triple-A too

June 29, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

A couple quick notes to get us started:

RHP Freicer Perez’s season is over. He had surgery to remove bone spurs from his shoulder earlier this week, reports Matt Kardos. Perez has been on the disabled list since May 9th with shoulder inflammation. I suppose the good news is there was no structural damage. His labrum and rotator cuff are apparently in good shape. Still a bummer.
1B Tyler Austin was placed on the Triple-A disabled list, the team announced. He left last night’s game with a back issue and saw the doctor today. There’s no word on the severity of the injury or a timetable for his return. Austin’s a call-up-able depth player, but now I guess Brandon Drury is second on the first base depth chart. Or third behind Neil Walker.
Baseball America (subs. req’d) released their midseason top 100 prospects list — they’re really overdoing it with the top 100 updates this year — and four Yankees made it: LHP Justus Sheffield (No. 23), OF Estevan Florial (No. 57), RHP Albert Abreu (No. 67), and RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (No. 71). Fun to see Johnny Lasagna on a top 100 list.
OF Trey Amburgey, IF Abi Avelino, LHP Caleb Frare, and RHP Dillon Tate were all named to the Double-A Eastern League All-Star Game, the league announced. The All-Star Game will be played July 11th at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton. You can buy tickets right here.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (7-4 win over Pawtucket) the Yankees even beat the Red Sox in Triple-A tonight

2B Tyler Wade: 2-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K — he’s been great for the last month now
CF Clint Frazier: 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI — here’s video of the double
RF Billy McKinney: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
RHP Chance Adams: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 7/2 GB/FB — 60 of 90 pitches were strikes (67%) … let’s see if he can build on this blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda … sorry, but I’ve said that enough times this season
LHP Stephen Tarpley: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2/0 GB/FB — ten of 19 pitches were strikes … just bumped up from Trenton

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Evaluating Happ and Hamels

June 24, 2018 by Matt Imbrogno Leave a Comment

It’s a Cole world out there. (Bob Levey/Getty)

For most of last week, I was in a room at a high school in Queens Village–shouts to the Hillside Avenue Wendy’s–scoring ELA Regents exams. At first, it’s a nice change of pace from the day-to-day grind that is the end of the school year. It’s fun to read other students’ writings and get a glimpse into how their teachers approach the very same things that I do day in and day out. But, of course, by the second or third day, your eyes are crossed and every word looks exactly the same and the rubric is laughing at you with the subtle distinctions between scores. So you’d think the last thing I’d want to look at is another rubric. Well, you’d be wrong, because as we inch closer to the trade deadline, it’s time to evaluate some pitching targets.

The two the Yankees have been linked to most frequently–though that talk hasn’t been as fervent lately–have been JA Happ of the Blue Jays and Cole Hamels of the Rangers (hey, two former Phillies). Yes, they’ve been linked to Jacob deGrom as well, but that’s a pipe dream. I have more of a chance of successfully teaching pre-calc than the Yankees and Mets have of doing that trade. Let’s stick to more realistic options.

While the Yankees’ starting pitching has been good of late, it wouldn’t hurt to acquire one more starter for the second half and the playoffs when they get here. On a surface level, they fit well. Both are lefties, which the Yankees always love, and both aren’t aces. That last point may be counter-intuitive, but the Yankees don’t necessarily need that right now and that cost would be rather high. As a quick reminder of my very rudimentary trade rubric, see below and an explanation thereof here.

Category/Score	3	2	1
Cost $	Low $	Medium $	High $
Cost player	Low player	Medium player	High player
Control	3+ years beyond 2018	1-2 years beyond 2018	Impending free agent
Performance	High performance consistently AND recently	Some inconsistencies, may be a rebound/regression candidate	Consistently poor performance

In terms of money cost, both are relatively low. Haap would cost just under $4.5M for the rest of the year and Hamels, if acquired at the deadline, would fall somewhere around $10-11M, depending on the date. The Yankees, per our most recent calculations, have about $13M left to play with before hitting the luxury tax threshold. Acquiring either one of these guys would leave them with room to get someone else–a reliever?–if necessary.

Given that both are impending free agents–though Hamels has a club option and a buy out–they would score a 1 on the control part of the rubric, but there’s a caveat here. That’s fine for the Yankees this year. They’re not necessarily looking for a long-term piece this deadline season, but rather just one more piece to get them over the top. And both money cost and control combine nicely to help the Yankees out in player cost.

Since they can absorb the money and don’t have to worry about a long term commitment, the Yankees can insist on a lower player cost. Mike outlined the potential cost for Happ here and it seems pretty reasonable. Additionally, as Mike noted, the Yankees have the prospects to win a bidding war. The cost for Hamels is less clear, of course, but it’s doubtful that his cost would be much higher. Either way, the Yankees could acquire one of these pitchers without having to give up Clint Frazier or Justus Sheffield. Improve the team and keep two of the best prospects? Yes, please.

Both players have been solid performers, too. Happ has learned how to be a strikeout pitcher and has had four straight years of an ERA- no higher than 94. Likewise, Hamels–who has added a new pitch–has had no higher than a 92 ERA- in the last few years. Cole is experiencing a bit of a HR spike this year (HR/FB% of around 20%!), but that’s anomalous and should come down, even in Yankee Stadium.

Which one should the Yankees choose? My heart–which has loved Cole Hamels since his debut in 2006 (good god, I’m old)–wants Hamels. My head says that Happ is probably the better choice, since he doesn’t have the option/buyout looming. I’ll be typical, though, and say either one would be fine.

DotF: Clarke Schmidt debuts following Tommy John surgery

June 22, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

MLB.com posted their midseason top 100 prospects list today. Three Yankees made it: OF Estevan Florial (No. 39), LHP Justus Sheffield (No. 42), and RHP Albert Abreu (No. 65). 2B Gleyber Torres and 3B Miguel Andujar are no longer prospect eligible while RHP Chance Adams, who was No. 66 before the season, has dropped out of the top 100.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (3-1 loss to Rochester)

CF Tyler Wade: 2-4, 1 BB, 1 K — threw a runner out at second
3B Brandon Drury: 0-4 — in a little 1-for-16 (.063) skid
1B Tyler Austin: 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB
DH Billy McKinney: 0-4, 1 K — 3-for-21 (.143) in his last six games
SS Ronald Torreyes: 0-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB — two walks???
C Kyle Higashioka: 0-1, 3 BB
LHP Justus Sheffield: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 4/6 GB/FB — 65 of 95 pitches were strikes (68%) … gave up a three-run homer to a rehabbing Byron Buxton on a cement mixer slider (here’s video)
RHP Tommy Kahnle: 1 IP, zeroes, 3 K — nine of 12 pitches were strikes … 15/3 K/BB in 8.2 innings with the RailRiders

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Starter or reliever, Sheffield is likely to help the Yankees at some point in 2018

June 20, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

Later tonight, rookie right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga will make his second big league start, and it’ll be his 13th career start above the short season minor leagues. The kid came back from Tommy John surgery last year and zoomed through the minors, and given the way he pitched in his MLB debut last time out, it was easy to see why. Loaisiga was great.

Also later tonight, left-hander Justus Sheffield will make his eighth career start at the Triple-A level, all this season. Loaisiga is a fast riser in the farm system but Sheffield remains the organization’s top pitching prospect. He owns a 3.03 ERA (3.26 FIP) with 33 strikeouts in 32.2 Triple-A innings around a relatively minor shoulder injury so far this year.

It is not a coincidence Loaisiga and Sheffield are lined up to pitch the same day. Or at least it’s not entirely a coincidence. Loaisiga is new to the big league rotation and if he can’t cut it — he skipped right over Triple-A, remember — the Yankees will be able to plug Sheffield into Loaisiga’s rotation spot easily. They’re lined up perfectly.

“If you’re at Triple-A, at the very least, you’re in play all the time for every day if something happens up here. Just ask (Ryan) Bollinger,” said Brian Cashman to Brendan Kuty over the weekend when asked about a potential Sheffield call-up. A call-up is not imminent, but if the Yankees need Sheffield, they’ll bring him up.

One thing is clear: Sheffield’s stuff is big league ready. He’s mid-90s with his fastball and his slider is a legitimate putaway pitch against both righties and lefties. The changeup is not on par with the slider, but it is a reliable third pitch. Here’s Sheffield flashing the goods in Spring Training:

The question is not Sheffield’s stuff. The only question, really, is whether his command is big league ready. His 12.5% walk rate with the RailRiders is high — Sheffield has a 9.8% walk rate above Single-A ball — but walk rate is not a command stat. It’s a control stat. There is no command stat. (Baseball Prospectus is trying.)

We know the Yankees don’t consider Sheffield’s command big league ready at the moment because they didn’t call him up when Masahiro Tanaka went down. They deemed Loaisiga, despite all his injuries and inexperience, the more MLB ready player. The Yankees are pretty darn good at self-scouting. When they call dudes up, they have a tendency to produce right away. It’s pretty remarkable, really. They’re pretty good at knowing when guys are ready.

Right now Sheffield is not ready in the team’s opinion, and that is perfectly fine. He is a just turned 22-year-old kid who is more than four years younger than the average International League player. Sheffield is right where he needs to be at this point of his career. In fact, he’s probably a little ahead of schedule. There were eight high school pitchers taken in the first round of the 2014 draft and only two (Sheffield and Michael Kopech) have reached Triple-A.

Sheffield is not big league ready right now according to the Yankees. How long until he is big league ready? Well, that’s up to Sheffield. Once he irons out his command, he’ll get the call. He might get the call before that, but I’m guessing the Yankees would prefer to avoid that scenario. That means another injury or something like that. Could take Sheffield a month to get his command where he needs to be. Or maybe a week! That’d be cool.

One thing to keep in mind here: Sheffield’s command may not be ready for starting duty. But what about the bullpen? Relievers can get away with poor command — Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances are examples 1A and 1B here — as long as they miss bats and limit hard contact, and Sheffield definitely does the former. His 28.8% strikeout rate and 13.0% swing-and-miss rate will play, especially from the left side.

The Yankees don’t really need another reliever. There is always room for improvement and if they can upgrade the bullpen at the trade deadline, they should do it. They’re not desperate for late-inning relief the same way teams like, say, the Dodgers and Astros are though. If Sheffield is not needed in the rotation during the summer, giving him a look in relief in September is definitely worthwhile. Maybe he’ll sneak onto the postseason roster. That’s be neat.

I’m not sure I like the idea of bringing Sheffield up to work in relief prior to September though. If that happens, it probably means some bullpen regulars are hurt or ineffective, and that would stink. Also, give the kid as many innings as possible as a starter so he can develop in that role. Should Sheffield bump up against his innings limit at some point — his career high is 127.2 innings in 2015 — then yeah, letting him finish the year in relief make sense. Otherwise stick with the starter development path.

At some point this season we’re likely to see Justus Sheffield in the Bronx. I think the chances are pretty darn high. Possibly as a starter if Loaisiga falters, possibly as a reliever in September, possibly a little of both. Sheffield will be Rule 5 Draft eligible after the season, so adding him to the 40-man roster early is a non-issue. Get him up, give him a taste of the show, then get ready to turn him loose in 2019.