Bronx Bomber Ball

The Yankees head into the 2018 offseason with only three locks in the starting rotation, Luis Severino, Sonny Gray, and Jordan Montgomery. Masahiro Tanaka has a player option to opt out of his remaining three years worth $67 million. The Yankees will also be losing CC Sabathia and Jaime Garcia to free agency unless they resign them. The Yankees have repeatedly mentioned that they want to be under the luxury tax threshold for the 2018 season, likely meaning that they would like to avoid large long-term contracts. With that in mind,  let's  take a look at some starting pitching free agent options for next season. David J. Phillip | AP Photo

After a memorable 2017 season, the New York Yankees have some work to do before pitchers and catchers report in February. First off, the team needs to decide whether or not to re-sign GM Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi, and after those are sorted out, the club has a few critical free agents to deal with as well. The list of notable Yankee free agents is as follows:  SP CC Sabathia, DH Matt Holliday, 3B Todd Frazier, SP Jaime Garcia, and SP Michael Pineda. It is also worth noting that Masahiro Tanaka could join this list if he decides to opt out of his contract. Kathy Wellington/AP

The Yankees entered Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday night coming off the emotional high of their win in the Wildcard game on Tuesday night. With Corey Kluber looming on Friday, Game 1 was of key importance to Yankees’ hopes of making this a long and competitive series. The match up pitted Sonny Gray against Indians right hander Trevor Bauer and it was clear right from the jump that this was an energized Indians team with a raucous crowd behind them. The Indians jumped on top early and were able ride the momentum to a 4-0 victory. Credit: Davd Dermer AP Photo

Entering their last series of the 2017 regular season, the Yankees are holding on to very slim division hopes as they need the Red Sox to lose their last three games and need a sweep of this series just to secure a division tie. Otherwise, the Yankees will enter the playoffs as the first Wild Card team and will face off against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium with an ALDS berth on the line. Even if the Yankees can’t manage to tie up the division, these three games could provide the Yankees with solid momentum going into the Wild Card matchup, and should be treated as a time to build this momentum, for whatever playoffs await the Yankees, against a Blue Jays team which has struggled all season and is going to finish the season under .500.

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports Network, the New York Yankees hope to get below the luxury tax threshold in 2018 for the first time since 2002. Currently, the Yankees payroll is at about $201 million, second to only the Los Angeles Dodgers’ staggering $242 million. The threshold for the 2018 season is $197 million, this was agreed upon in the 2016 Collective Bargaining Agreement. With big-time players like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper set to become free agents in 2019, now is the time to get under the threshold and reset the tax percentage. Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports

This series with the Twins might be one of the most important of the season, and the Yankees began in style, winning 2-1. This game had such a playoff feel to it, and most likely will be a preview of the AL Wild Card game. Ervin Santana against Jaime Garcia wasn't exactly a playoff level pitching matchup, but both pitchers gave solid performances, and the Yanks prevailed behind a dominant Aroldis Chapman. Kathy Willens / AP

The Yankees may be coming off a loss against Baltimore, but there is much to be excited about in the Bronx. The Bombers have won five straight series since the sweep by Cleveland, and they have performed great in that span. They have won games with their explosive offense, closed tight games with their bullpen, and even played enough small ball to win a low-scoring game. The list goes on, but in short, the Yankees are doing a lot of things right. It may not always be pretty, but it's working. This matchup against the Minnesota Twins may be the most crucial since the Boston series as the Yankees can all but ensure a playoff berth while closing in on a division title if they can corral the Twins at home.

After such a tough loss last night, the Yankees looked to rebound today and take the series from the Rays. They were up against a tough customer in Chris Archer, but made him work as hard as he ever has, scoring three runs in the second inning, thanks mostly to a Brett Gardner two-run single. Although the eighth and ninth innings were nail biters, Aroldis Chapman was able t to record a four out save, and the Yanks were able to win 3-2. Frank Franklin II/AP

Heading into the 2017 season, the Yankees had a lot of doubts and concerns, especially surrounding their starting rotation. Luis Severino followed his breakout 2015 rookie season with a thud in 2016. C.C. Sabathia was another year older. Michael Pineda was still the inconsistent of inconsistencies. Jordan Montgomery was an unknown rookie, while Masahiro Tanaka was the only starter that fans weren’t worried about after his Cy Young-caliber 2016 season. Well fast forward to the last month of the season and a lot has changed in this rotation. Photo Credit: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

The Bombers have won seven out of their last ten games and punctuated that with a huge 16-7 win in Texas yesterday. Trailing the Red Sox by only three and a half games, the Yanks have their eyes set on catching their arch rivals. This may be an away game on the schedule, but due to the threat Hurricane Irma, the Rays will host the Yankees in Queens at Citi Field, which should amount to a home game for New York. The last time these squads met, the Yankees were able to take three out of four in the Bronx.

The Yankees enter this three game set in Baltimore fresh off taking three of four games from the Boston Red Sox, in the club's last meeting of the year. The Yankees will look to build off that momentum and gain more ground in the division race. It's worth noting that the Yankees have not won a series in Baltimore since 2013, so they would like to change their misfortunes this series.

Per Donnie Collins of The Scranton Times-Tribune, Jordan Montgomery has been scratched from his scheduled start with Triple-A Scranton tonight and is on his way to the Bronx to start for the Yankees tomorrow. We found out a short time ago that tonight’s game has been rained out and will be made up as part of a double header tomorrow. Joe Girardi confirmed to the media that Montgomery will be taking game two and tonight’s scheduled starter, Jaime Garcia will take the first one. For the 2017 season Montgomery has a 7-6 record with a 4.00 ERA in 126 IP. He has been very solid for the team in his rookie season but was replaced by Garcia after the deadline in an effort to monitor his innings down the stretch. A corresponding roster move has not yet been announced, but it is likely he will be the 26th man added to the team per normal doubleheader rules. Credit: Paul J. Bereswill

The Yankees enter this series just 2.5 games out of the division lead, having won their last two series, taking two out of three from the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners. The offense has been inconsistent as ever as of late, rotating between moments of run scoring explosions to innings on end of mediocrity. With the returns of Greg Bird and Starlin Castro this past weekend, the Bombers will hope to make a push for the division as the race for October heats up. A pivotal four game series against the Red Sox in the Bronx soon awaits the Yankees, but first they must do all they can to defeat the first place Cleveland Indians, who have been bitten by the injury bug as of late, presenting the Bombers with a prime opportunity to capitalize.

The Yankees were red hot, coming into the series finale winning the first two games by scores of 13-4 and 10-2 respectively. With the Yankees looking for the sweep, the Tigers weren’t going to allow another blow out. The Tigers sent out their ace Michael Fulmer to the mound to take on Jaime Garcia. Garcia has been rather consistent for the Yankees since coming over from the Minnesota Twins, but with Fulmer on the mound he had to be on top of his game. The scoring would be back in forth for most of the game, but much like the scoring, both teams went at each other three times with benches clearing brawls, involving countless ejections. Unfortunately for the Yankees, more players on their side were forced to leave. This game would be known as a slugfest for more ways than one, with a final score of 10-6 Detroit Tigers. Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus | Getty Images

The Wild Card leading Yankees will head to Comerica Park Tuesday for a three-game matchup against the mediocre Detroit Tigers following their series loss to the Boston Red Sox. The series featured many highs and lows for the Yankees pitching staff, as they took on a potent Boston offense which has been on fire recently. Thankfully, the Tigers offense won’t be as much of a challenge to pitch against this series, as they are currently sitting at a measly 54-69 and are 1-5 in their last six games. With a lackluster opponent waiting, the Yankees should solidify their postseason spot and possibly gain a few games on the Red Sox if they drop a game or two against the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians.

The Yankees survived a near Aroldis Chapman meltdown last night to take both games in the Bronx vs the Mets, as the split Subway series was in Flushing on Wednesday night for two games before another series vs the Red Sox. Jaime Garcia was making his third start as a Yankee, and gave them a solid performance, pitching into the sixth inning. Garcia would find trouble in the sixth, but would be picked up by the Yankee bullpen, which was dominant once again as the Yankees beat the Mets on the road 5-3. Photo Credit: AP Frank Franklin II

After a series opening win against the Mets Monday night in the Bronx, the Yankees were back in action Tuesday night. Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39 ERA) got the start and pitched into the seventh inning. After allowing only two runs, Gray and the Bombers offense were able to get a 5-2 victory over the Mets, Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. AP Photo/ Frank Franklin II

The Yankees enter the Subway series stumbling after a stunning defeat Sunday night. The Bombers dropped two out of three to the Red Sox at the Stadium, falling to five and a half games out of first place. The Subway Series is always a fun time in New York. Though the Yankees are the only New York team in contention for a playoff spot this season, the Mets will certainly not roll over for their crosstown rivals. This will be a hard fought series, but the Yankees are going to have to find a way to beat an inferior Mets team before heading to Boston for a pivotal three game series with the first place Red Sox.

The Yankees and the Red Sox will be seeing an awful lot of each other over the next few weeks, and the first of their ten remaining games against each other was Friday night in the Bronx, as lefties Jaime Garcia and Eduardo Rodriguez faced off in a pivotal division matchup. Instead of coming out with some fire and determination, the Yankees came out completely flat, and were flat out dominated by Rodriguez through six, with the game looking like a lost cause late in the game. Yet, the Yankees rallied in the eighth, scoring five runs and holding on to dear life in the ninth to take the series opener in the Bronx 5-4.  Photo Credit: AP Frank Franklin II

This week, the Yankees head to Toronto for a three game set with the Blue Jays before returning home for a massive three game set against the first place Boston Red Sox.   Last week saw the Yankees struggle offensively, but they were able to salvage a series split against the Cleveland Indians after pulling out victories on both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.   All in all, the Yankees went 3-4 last week against Detroit and Cleveland and will look to rebound this week as they set their sights on first place.   Last week’s stars included Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius and the bullpen, who, as a unit, were honored as MLB’s bullpen of the week after allowing just four earned runs and 15 hits over 21 and two-thirds innings of work, racking up 27 strikeouts against only three walks. Aroldis Chapman recorded two saves. Photo Credit: Getty Images