Bronx Bomber Ball

One of the biggest storylines for the Yankees braintrust this offseason has been what to do with Jacoby Ellsbury and his unwillingness to waive his no-trade clause. He has repeatedly voiced his desire to stay in New York, and believes he can be the starting center fielder next season. According to a new report, however, the 33-year-old could possibly change his mind.   Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Yankees have a huge task in front of them with the letting go of decade long manager Joe Girardi this past Thursday. The Yankees managing job is one of the hardest in sports, and with a team that is ready to win now, the Yankees have to make a very important decision in who they pick to be their next manager. With no clear front-runner for the position, the list of possibilities is a long one. Here are five of the stronger candidates to replace Joe: Photo Credit: Press Wire Rob Thomson and Tony Pena Thomson, 54, has been with the Yankees since 1990 and has been a part of the major league coaching staff as a third base coach and a bench coach since 2008. Thomson has minimal minor league managing experience and no major league experience, but is widely considered a future manager by many baseball personnel. Thomson is well respected by the current Yankee players and has a reputation for being more analytical than Girardi. His relationship with the front office is said to...

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported earlier today that Blue Jays’ RHP Marco Estrada was claimed off of revocable waivers by an unnamed American League East team. While the team was never officially named, a source told the Blue Jay’s BP Toronto that odds are the Yankees were the team that in fact claimed Estrada. Photo Credit: USA Today  It would make sense that the Yankees claimed a starting pitcher with their current injury situation, but the same source that identified the Yankees as the likely culprit of the claim, also believes that the claim was more of a block move to prevent another team from claiming Estrada. Houston and other AL rivals are reportedly looking to add pitching, so it makes sense why the Yankees would not want another team to claim a player that has had success against them in the past. There seems to be no exchange of possible packages between the Blue Jays and this “mystery AL East team,” so likely nothing will come out of the claim. Estrada, ...

With a lack of starting pitching on the market, teams are starting to decide whether or not to cash in on this scarcity of arms and receive major hauls back. One of those teams is the Detroit Tigers, who are an aging team with a subpar farm system. Their ace Justin Verlander has been made available, and according to multiple league sources, the Yankees are said to be a team interested in the RHP. Photo Credit: AP Justin Verlander is a legitimate ace who has had a very successful career in the Major Leagues only playing for the Detroit Tigers. After a near Cy Young victory in 2016, Verlander has had a down season in 2017 with a 4.73 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, and an American League leading 51 walks, which is only six less than he had all last season. Despite his poor stats, Verlander has the track record that will entice many teams in late-July. Verlander could be an impact arm down the stretch and be trusted in a playoff rotation. Verlander, 34, will likely still require a large ...