WASHINGTON – Aaron Boone had to tell a player he believes can thrive in the big leagues that there was no place on the Yankees list Saturday night.
It was then that outfielder Clint Frazier was sent to the Yankees’ alternate site in Scranton / Wilkes-Barre with reliever Ben Heller to make room for relievers Nick Nelson and Brooks Kriske after Boone used five bullpen arms in a loss by 9-2 on Saturday night against the Nationals. .
“Hard. Clint is ready to be an impact player in this league, there’s no question in my mind,” Boone said of the right fielder who didn’t play in the first two games of the Yankees season. “Unfortunately for him , he’s blocked by a lot of good outfielders. Unfortunately, with options and our situation right now, Clint was a strange man, but that doesn’t make it any easier because he’s done everything, from the point of view of work, from the point of view of focus.It’s difficult when you send a major league player that you know is ready to produce. ”
With left-hander Patrick Corbin starting Sunday for the Nationals, Boone put to the right hitting Miguel Andujar on the left (Frazier’s position) during the 3-2 victory. It was Andújar’s first major league game in the outfield. And if the Yankees had wanted to, they could have sent Andujar, who has two options remaining.
Left-hander Mike Tauchman, another outfielder ahead of Frazier on the depth chart, started in center field because Boone didn’t want to overdo it with Aaron Hicks.
“Coming back from Tommy John, I just want to be smart in how we handle it and feel like a long day. [Saturday], day game after night game, something he hasn’t done yet and he wanted to put Tauchman there even though he’s left-handed, ” Boone said. “I like their bat quality at the bottom of the order.”
After kneeling down for the national anthem on Saturday night, Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton were not on the field on Sunday when the song was played before Sunday’s game. No player on the field knelt.
Throughout his 13 years in the big leagues, JA Happ has thrown off-line situations that he has successfully blocked while on the mound.
On Monday night in Philadelphia, the 37-year-old left-hander will attempt to repeat that process thanks to an unresolved dispute over a $ 17 million takeover option for next year. In a 162 game season, Happ would have had to make 26 starts or pitch 165 innings. In this 60 game schedule, Happ would have to make 10 starts or throw 61 ¹ / ₃ innings to activate the $ 17 million option.
According to a July 15 report by Joel Sherman of The Post, the March agreement between the parties committed MLB and the union to negotiate in good faith on special agreements, such as award options, including agreements based on Injured days and for players who were injured as of the end of March.
Happ was placed in a category covered by that appendage of injuries by MLB / Yankees. Therefore, the league argues that it doesn’t fall under the umbrella and that he and the Yankees either have to negotiate new thresholds for openings or innings and / or a new 2021 total option, or the matter is referred to a referee for decision.
Happ has not been on a disabled list since signing his two-year, $ 34 million contract with the Yankees that contains the 2021 award option. And Boone said in mid-July that Happ was a healthy player in the This year’s first spring training in March.
“It has been a process that we are trying to solve. Unfortunately it is what it is kind of deal. I’m going to do my best and just pitch, ” Happ said via Zoom on Sunday. “I’ve been in situations where there have been other things potentially hanging from your head [and] I’ve been able to handle it, so I plan to focus on the task at hand. Hopefully we have a resolution for that at some point. ”
Masahiro Tanaka was scheduled to launch a simulated game at the Yankees’ alternate training site in Scranton / Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. However, the club did not provide an update before leaving for Philadelphia.
.
