Bronx Bomber Ball

Trade deadline summary: Yankees received: JA Happ, Zach Britton, Lance Lynn, Luke Voit, maximum amount of international spending money Yankees traded: Brandon Drury, Billy McKinney, Tyler Austin, Luis Rijo, Chasen Shreve, Giovanny Gallegos, Adam Warren, Caleb Frare, Dillon Tate, Cody Carroll, Josh Rogers Here is how our staff perceived the deadline:  Photo Credit: NJ.com

In a rather surprising and unexpected move, the Yankees announced following Saturday’s game that they had traded LHP Chasen Shreve and RHP Giovanny Gallegos to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for 27-year-old first baseman Luke Voit and international pool money. The move was done to beef up the Yankees’ position player depth after some injuries and free up more spots on the 40-man roster for the Yankees’ young players   Photo Credit: NJ.com

The opening game in this series on Friday was plagued by another poor Sonny Gray performance, yet the Yanks had reason for optimism on Saturday, as their ace Luis Severino was on the hill. The optimism was well deserved, as Severino added to his MLB league lead in wins, picking up number 14 and riding a big performance by the offense as the Yanks took this one 8-5.   Photo Credit: AP Fred Thornhill The Canadian Press The game began with a bang, as Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge went back-to-back to start off the game, putting Blue Jay starter and possible future Yankee J.A Happ on the ropes, as many viewed this as an unofficial audition for his possible new team. However, Happ would continue to pitch subpar, completely losing the strike zone and would not even make it out of the third inning. Brandon Drury added in on the fun in the opening frame and ripped a two-run double to give the Yankees four first inning runs.    Photo Credit: AP Fred Thornhill The C...

In a lineup initially missing rookie phenom Gleyber Torres, the Yankees were able to even up the series with a suspenseful 8-5 win against Atlanta. Despite a short performance from German and an exhausted bullpen, the Bombers took game two on a beautiful Bronx night.   Photo Credit: New York Yankees The action got started early in the Bronx with a two-run homer from Aaron Hicks, who now has nine home runs in his last 17 games. In the bottom of the second, Kyle Higashioka earned his second Major League hit as well as his second career HR with a long fly ball to left.  Brandon Drury collected an RBI after being walked with the bases loaded, which was the final strike for Braves’ starter Sean Newcomb. The potential All-Star was replaced after a meager 2.2 innings by Luke Jackson. Higashioka walked to earn his third career RBI, but Neil Walker’s bad luck continued as he sharply lined out to first for what could have been a multiple-run hit. Instead, the inning was o...

When describing the Yankees’ bullpen, some words that come to mind are “electric,” “filthy,” “overpowering” and “unhittable.” For the core six members of the Bombers’ relief gang (Chapman, Betances, Robertson, Green, Holder and Warren), these words ring true. After all, those men, with some help from A.J. Cole and Luis Cessa, have combined to hurl 54 scoreless innings since June 5, an almost unthinkable accomplishment. They have also helped the Yankees earn the third best bullpen ERA in MLB (2.72), as well as the best bullpen K/9 (11.97) and WAR (5.2). Unfortunately, there’s one reliever on the team who hasn’t exactly held his own, and his performances of late have been costing the team games. That pitcher is Chasen Shreve. Since June 5, he has managed to allow five runs in 6.1 innings pitched, per Katie Sharpe. Remember that no other Yankee reliever has allowed a single run in that span. Additionally, Shreve has somehow allowed 100% of inherited runners to score since ...

It is really difficult to find flaws in a team that is 50-25 and went almost half of their season without losing three games in a row, but the Yankees do have a few roster spots that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. The Yankees should not be sweating over this losing streak as they just were on the unfortunate side of some close games, but every game matters as the Red Sox are tied with them on top of the division and the Yankees do not want to win 95+ games and have their season possibly end by the means of a one game playoff. With that being said, when there are problems that need to be fixed on a roster, they should be addressed when necessary and two spots in particular need to be addressed: Chasen Shreve and Neil Walker Photo Credit: Getty Images

A weekend to forget at Tropicana Field came to a disappointing end Sunday as the Yankees dropped the series finale to the Rays by a score of 7-6 in 12 innings. With the loss, the Yankees lost three in a row for the first time this season. Photo Credit: Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

In a game where nothing was going right for the Yankees in the early going, the fans who stuck with the team or tuned in after they received scoring alerts were rewarded with the Yankees’ biggest come from behind victory since the eight-run deficit versus Baltimore last April.   Photo Credit: Seth Wenig

Seeking their third straight win and yet another series win, the Yankees sent their ace out to the mound this afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Sevy was dominant again in this one, going eight  scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while adding nine strikeouts.   His eight scoreless frames lowered his season ERA to 2.09, second best in the AL behind only Justin Verlander. Photo Credit: Adam Hunger/AP

On the heels of an emotional, come-from-behind win last  night , the Yankees turned to Masahiro Tanaka to keep the ball rolling.  Opposing Tanaka was RHP Garrett Richards for the Angels.  Both Tanaka and Richards had strong starts their last time out, with both earning the win.  Last night's win was New York's seventh in a row, and after Boston's loss at home to Tampa earlier this afternoon, the Yankees had a chance to pull within two games of the first place Red Sox. Tanaka was sharp all n ight ,  Richards didn't get out of the second and New York won  its  eighth straight by a score of 11-1.   Photo Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo

Yet another big day at the plate for Didi Gregorius led the Yankees to their fifth consecutive win on Wednesday  night , as they defeated the Minnesota Twins 7-4. The Yankees shortstop also made history when he homered in the third inning. Gregorius became the first Yankees shortstop ever to hit a homerun in four consecutive games. The Bronx Bombers are now 14-9 on the season.   Photo via New York Yankees

The bullpen was the key to the New York Yankees success last year, and one of the more important pieces to that arsenal was Chasen Shreve.  Shreve, a Nevada native, was traded to the Yanks in 2015 for prospect Manny Banuelos, who was sent to the Atlanta Braves.  The left-handed pitcher spent some time in the big leagues in the middle of the year, but spent most of his time down in Triple-A.  He has a lot to prove and will come into spring training with a chip on his shoulder.  He didn’t have the best year last year, but when he was called up, he got the job done.  I project him to be the seventh pitcher on the relievers depth chart behind Adam Warren, but can this southpaw prove he is the real deal and can secure Yankees wins? Photo Credit: Getty Images

Last week, the New York Yankees came to terms with all eight of their arbitration-eligible players, agreeing on one-year contracts with each and avoiding going to arbitration hearings, which are set to begin on January 29th.     Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Yankees have one of the most heralded bullpens in the majors, routinely labeled one of the best in the MLB, and usually owning a top five bullpen ERA. However, if you took the blood pressure of Yankee fans when Aroldis Chapman or Dellin Betances stroll out to the mound in a tight game, they would most likely compare to a cardiac arrest patient, why is that? MLB.com

With just 18 games left in the 2017 Major League Baseball regular season, the New York Yankees are in hot pursuit of not just a playoff spot, but potentially their first division crown since 2012 as well. As of this morning, the Yankees currently stand at 78-66, four full games back of the first place Boston Red Sox.  While it is still conceivable the Yankees can steal away the division from the Red Sox in the final two weeks of the season, I’m writing this piece today assuming the Yankees will be hosting the 2017 American League Wild Card Game.