Bronx Bomber Ball

Grade: A- As we move further into the MLB offseason and closer to the busy part of the offseason, we’re going to take one more look back at the 2017 Yankees’ season. Last season was a very exciting time for us as fans and it will hopefully only get better in the seasons to come. A major part of the Yankees’ success last season was the growth and evolution of their pitching staff as the season progressed. Although the group had ups and downs throughout the year, the pitching staff emerged as a surprising strength of the team and helped to spur on their playoff run. With an exciting mix of young talent and veteran experience, this Yankees’ pitching staff was different from years past, but it may have been the most exciting in recent memory. Let’s take a look back at last years’ staff. Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

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

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

As the dust settles from the trade deadline, the Yankees are left with a great problem to have, a wealth of starting pitchers. The only downside to this is that there is going to be an odd man out. That man looks to be Jordan Montgomery. Photo Credit: Kathy Willens | AP

Despite being traded earlier this week from the Braves to the Twins, the Yankees are reportedly “deep into discussions” with the Twins on a deal to send left-hander Jaime Garcia to the Bronx, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports . Photo Credit: Ben Margot | AP

With less than one week until the July 31 trade deadline, the Yankees have already made possibly their only big move acquiring relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle as well as third baseman Todd Frazier in a seven-player deal with the Chicago White Sox. In one deal, Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman bolstered the bullpen, and added a player to help produce at the corner infield positions. Despite that, one area of need that has yet to be addressed is the starting rotation. The Yankees have been linked to a number of different starters and most notably Sonny Gray. Gray would be a huge addition to this rotation and with his team control through 2019, the Yankees must acquire Gray if they intend on being serious contenders this season. Photo Credit: Brian Bahr | Getty Images

As the July 31 trade deadline is near, it’s been reported that A’s scouts have been scouting the Yankees Low-A affiliate, the Charleston RiverDogs. They’re noted to be keeping an eye on top outfield prospect Blake Rutherford, shortstop Hoy Jun Park, outfielder Estevan Florial, and right-hander Freicer Perez. Photo Credit: Martin Griff | Pinstriped Prospects

During the first half of the season, the Yankees and the Red Sox only faced off five times, with the Yanks winning four of those five games. A lot has changed since then however, as the Yanks were 34-23 after beating the Red Sox on June 8th, and now find themselves at 45-41 and three and a half games behind the Red Sox for the division lead. The Red Sox lost four of five before the break, but have been great at home this year, and will get to play in Fenway for the first time in the month of July.

Yankee fans have waited anxiously over the past few days for the team to announce their rotation for this weekend’s pivotal series against the Boston Red Sox and it seems we now know why the team waited to so long. Credit: Joe Sargent Getty Images

The Yankees have  announced  a flurry  of moves prior to tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox. The big news of the day, of course, is that Michael Pineda has been diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his elbow and seems destined for Tommy John Surgery.  His tenure in New York is likely over as he is set to become a free agent at season's end.  Jordan Montgomery has been recalled from triple-A and will his start tonight in place of Pineda. Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Newsday

When the Yankees take the field in Boston tomorrow night, they will have officially kicked off the second half of their season.  On  June 12th,  the Yankees sat at 38-23, a season best 15 games over .500, but over the next 25 games the team fell apart, stumbling to a 7-18 finish.  Today their record sits at 45-41, a mere four games over the .500 mark.    The team does, however, sit just 3.5 games back of the first place Boston Red Sox and they head to Fenway this weekend for a crucial  four game  series that can have a critical impact on the final regular season standings in the division.     Brian Cashman has deemed the Yankees as  "careful buyers"   heading into the trading deadline, so with that being said, let's look at the five keys to the Yankees turning around their season and getting back to playing the kind of baseball they were through the season's first 61 games.   Adam Glanzman/Getty Images ...

Should Brian Cashman make a move at the trade deadline to further the Yankees' chances of making a run in October? If you asked me this question one month ago, the answer would have been a resounding YES. However, after watching the Yankees falter for the last month or so, the organization should be hesitant to jeopardize the future for 2017. Let's be clear-- the Yankees are not winning the World Series this year. That is painfully apparent. Trading away resources to further that unreachable goal would be futile at this point. As a matter of fact, the Yankees should, but probably won't, sell off assets, like Michael Pineda and Brett Gardner, to pave the way for even more Baby Bombers. Fellow Yankees fans, the future is bright, but it has not yet arrived. Photo Credit: Brian Bianco/Getty Images

There’s no doubt that the Yankees have been in the market for a front of the rotation arm for a couple of years now. With CC Sabathia’s health issues, Masahiro Tanaka pitching to a five-plus ERA, and Michael Pineda’s inconsistency, the Yankees most consistent starters have been rookie Jordan Montgomery and flamethrower Luis Severino.  However, even Severino has been shaky as of late, and the trade deadline is approaching. Jose Quintana has been a name that has floated around in Yankee land for the past year or so. With a surplus of semi-pro talent in the Yankees farm system, it’d seem like a great idea.  Photo Credit: Matthew Stockman | Getty Images

All MLB teams are off until Friday, which leaves two full days of nothing after the All-Star Game. In regards to the Yankees, I have some thoughts following their first half performance: Photo via Getty Images

Grade: C+ The definition of inconsistency, Michael Pineda was hoping to silence his former critics and put it together before his first chance at free agency. Big Mike did not have to fight for his spot in the starting rotation like some of his teammates had to and actually looked like he was going to have his best season yet out of the gate, but after his recent stretch of struggles, he is currently one of the Yankees most unreliable starters. Photo Credit: Paul Bereswell | NY Post

Grade: B The six-time All-Star, now in his 17th season at age 36, CC Sabathia has had a rocky 2017 season to date, not pitching to ace-like numbers since 2012. His past few seasons have been very inconsistent, but Sabathia has still been productive at the back end of the rotation. Photo Credit: Kathy Willens/AP

In the rubber match of a three game set in a game the Yankees desperately needed, the Yanks found themselves in a big hole early on, eventually climbing out of that hole only to find themselves on the wrong side of yet another bullpen collapse, as the Yankees dropped this one by the score of 7-6. Photo Credit: AP

For the Bombers all was well early, as Sabathia looked good coming off the disabled list, but things quickly fell apart for the veteran during the third inning. Since May 16 th Sabathia had the lowest ERA in the American League at a 0.99. However, after three weeks off, and no rehab starts the big lefty would not be long for today’s outing. In his last six starts C.C. was 5-0, but with two outs in the third, Sabathia was unable to find the strike zone. AP Photo/ Kathy Willens

The Yankees return home to the Bronx following a disappointing series in Houston, in which they dropped two out of three to the American League’s best team. After an impressive 13-4 victory Friday night, the Bombers collapsed on Saturday, and were shut down on Sunday, falling to three games behind the first place Red Sox. The Yankees hope to put together their first series victory since the disastrous West Coast trip that began their recent fall from grace. The last place Blue Jays are 2-8 over their last ten games so this might be the perfect club for the Yankees to play at a time when wins are hard to come by.

Joe Girardi told the media on Friday that the team expects CC Sabathia to be ready for his next scheduled turn in the rotation. CC has been out with an injured hamstring since June 13th and Luis Cessa has struggled to fill the big lefty's place in the rotation in the meantime. Credit: Kim Klement USA Today Sports