Gleyber Moves On...

  

Gleyber Torres (Photo Credit: AP)

Torres, once a prized Baby Bomber, departs via free agency…

 I suppose it was inevitable.

Gleyber Torres, the prize of the 2016 trade that sent Closer Aroldis Chapman to the eventual World Champion Chicago Cubs, is a Yankee no more. Only yesterday people were continually asking if he was only twenty-one. Now twenty-eight, he seems like a shell of the player we once thought he would be, but admittedly, I was saddened to hear Saturday’s news that Gleyber had signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers 2B

Given the Yankees have not done anything to address third base or provide the final and much-needed bat to the lineup, the best-case scenario would be to re-sign Gleyber if the plan is to keep Jazz Chisholm, Jr at third base. I know, the poor . He had 709 OPS produced last season and had an atrocious defense at times, but I have always felt he was capable of more (better). Sometimes, it is best to just cut bait rather than delay the inevitable. I was grateful last season when Gleyber improved his performance in the second half, and he did an admirable job batting lead-off. Alas, it was not enough to convince the Yankees he was worth bringing back.

Ironically, Gleyber will now play for the manager who led the Trash Can Astros and their cheating ways. Oh well, I hope Gleyber does well enough on his one-year deal to justify a more lucrative contract next offseason. I will always be disappointed it did not work out and wish there had been a different outcome. However, a change of scenery for both sides was needed. As such, it was the only viable outcome.

Gleyber finishes his seven-year Yankees career with 888 games played. In 3,673 plate appearances, he hit 138 home runs and drove in 441 runs. His batting line was .265/.334/.441 with .774 OPS. Unfortunately, he also accumulated 106 errors, including eighteen this past season. He had a career .967 fielding percentage with the Yankees. He is what he is. He can help you with his bat, but he will give a few runs away with his glove.

We move on.

Jazz Chisholm, Jr is a talented guy. With Gleyber removed as a second base option, Jazz becomes my favorite for the position opening third base. While Jazz did a decent job at third base, I want a tried-and-true third baseman who can effectively field and hit. Is that too much to ask? I have concerns that the Miami Marlins thought so well of Jazz’s abilities at second base that they moved him to the outfield. I am sure there were other factors at play. I do not doubt Jazz’s talent. Hopefully, the Marlins were just being the Marlins, the joke of a franchise that caused Derek Jeter to wash his hands of them.

Jazz Chisholm Jr and Aaron Judge

There was a time when I wanted DJ LeMahieu as the starting second baseman. Those days have passed. DJ has not been a reliable part of the lineup for several years. At his age, things will not miraculously get better. He has become a player that is best used sparingly, making him a prime candidate for the bench. I have seen people pencil in Oswaldo Cabrera, but he is not a championship-caliber everyday player. He is a talented, diverse player but a bench option. How the Yankees managed Oswald Peraza in 2024 told me enough about what they think about his future. He is not an option.

The Yankees should spend the money and sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. I think Bregman would be a strong player for the Yankees, but I do not feel his contract fits in the grand scheme. It is not my money; the Yankees have the money, but it is their decision. I like Nolan Arenado, even if most of the Yankees fan base does not. However, like Bregman, cash is prohibitive. I doubt the Cardinals will pay much of the freight, and the Yankees would need to part with quality prospects to make a deal happen. It seems like the obstacles are too significant. I have seen people throw out Alex Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies as an option. I know less about Bohm than Bregman or Arenado, but I favor any player who can hold third base at a level better than the league average.

I am not sure what the Yankees will do, but they need to do something. Going into training camp as the roster stands today is a mistake. It would just be another offseason in which the Yankees did not do enough to bridge the gap to a championship.

Waiting for the offseason plan to unfold sucks. Hopefully, there will be better days between now and the opening of the training camp in February.

In other moves, the Yankees need to finish their bullpen work. Bring back Tommy Kahnle, and sign either Tim Hill or Andrew Chafin. I am partial to Hill since he has shown he can help the Yankees, but I would not be disappointed with Chafin even if he lost his menacing beard. I would love to see the Yankees sign Jack Flaherty, but that seems like a pipe dream. Shipping out Marcus Stroman's contract is necessary for any significant moves. I wish Stroman could have proven himself to be upper-rotation material for the Yankees, but regardless, he can help…somebody.

I am pleased with the offseason additions of Max Fried and Cody Bellinger, even if the return of Juan Soto would have been more impactful. I am…optimistic…that the Bronx will reenergize Paul Goldschmidt. At worst, he will be an improvement over Anthony Rizzo (which is painful to say, given how much I loved having Rizzo as the team’s first baseman). Devin Williams, supported by Luke Weaver, will be a beast at the end of the games. Nice to have one of the game’s better closers again (which is not a knock against Weaver, who I thought was terrific in the role).

I am interested to see who the Yankees hire as Matt Blake's assistant pitching coach. The Yankees’ website still shows Desi Druschel, who departed earlier this offseason for the crosstown Mets.

Lots of work to do for Team Cashman. The only question is whether they will do it.

As always, Go Yankees!

And First Base is Covered...

 

Paul Goldschmidt (Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson/AP)

Yanks agree to a one-year deal with Paul Goldschmidt…

I was underwhelmed when I heard that the New York Yankees had signed free-agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. No offense to Goldy, but I hoped for a more youthful approach to the position. Now that I have had a day to think about it, a one-year, $12.5 Million deal is a solid investment to solidify the position for next season. Worry about first base after the 2025 season; it is not a concern now.

When Christian Walker signed with the Houston Astros, or when the Arizona Diamondbacks traded for Josh Naylor, or when the Cleveland Guardians signed Carlos Santana, or even today's trade of Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers to the Washington Nationals, Yankees fans on social media bemoaned those were prices the Yankees could have/should have paid. Regardless of how the Yankees landed on Goldschmidt, I am confident they examined every known possibility and looked at some that were not discussed. I hoped for a comparable Tino Martinez after Don Mattingly retired type of acquisition, but that move will wait another day. If the Yankees feel that Paul Goldschmidt is the best solution for the 2025 season, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. I am hopeful Goldy can rebound from his down year in 2024, but at age 37, he will not see his ceiling (NL MVP) again. That would be good enough for me if he could call himself a World Champion Yankee after the 2025 season.

I am sad to see the end of the Anthony Rizzo era in New York. He was quickly a favorite, even if injuries curtailed the last couple of seasons. He is a good guy, and he was once a valuable player. I only regret that we did not see Prime Rizzo in Pinstripes. Nevertheless, I am glad he was a Yankee and appreciated his time on the team. While I liked Luke Voit and his personality, not to mention his ability to go yard, his iron glove at first base was painful. Rizzo's glovework was a welcome relief, and even if Rizzo did not hit like he once did, his defense positively impacted him. While corner infielders should be strong run producers, bringing elite defense to first base is vast, given how active the position is during a game. Goldy is a good gloveman, so there should be no drop-off from Rizzo, or at least when Rizzo was on the field.

Anthony Rizzo (Photo Credit: Robert Sabo/NY Post)

I hope Rizzo stays in the game in some capacity. He is at the end of the road for his playing days. It will not be a long-term relationship, even if he signs on somewhere for next season. When Rizzo transitions to his post-playing career, I hope he stays as a coach. He is undoubtedly a Chicago Cub, and the Cubs may give him a coaching opportunity in their organization. If not, I hope the Yankees do.

As a person, I like Anthony Rizzo better than Paul Goldschmidt, but Goldy is the better player for 2025. Goldy seems like a great family who loves to play the game of baseball. He will have every opportunity to endear himself to the fan base, and I have no reason to believe he will not be successful. He is not a long-term option for the Yankees, but we can have a good run together. At the end of Goldy's run, we will be as grateful for him as we are for Rizzo.

Anthony Rizzo, thank you. The lost time was unfortunate, but you proved worthy of the Pinstripes. You wore them proudly, and we are thankful for your time. Our acceptance and embrace of Paul Goldschmidt as the new Yankees first baseman have nothing to do with your character's quality and desire to win. Sports is a continual changing of the guard. Father Time is undefeated.

When I think of his strength of character, Oscar Gamble will always stand out to me, given that I had the opportunity to meet him during his playing days with the Yankees. He is not a reason the Yankees won the World Series, and he was never the best player on his teams, but the quality of the man was elite. Rizzo passes the Gamble test, and I am hopeful Goldschmidt can, too.

We need to give Paul Goldschmidt a chance. Ben Rice has a good opportunity to back up first base and catcher while learning first base from one of the game's best players over the last decade. I hope Rice can use this time to elevate his game. If Goldy is injured, Cody Bellinger is fully capable of everyday work at first base. The Yankees have the most substantial safety net at first base that we have seen in a few years.

Now that the first base vacancy is solved, the next question is the third/second base. As much as I like Jazz Chisholm, Jr, I prefer him to return to second base. While I would like to see the Yankees re-sign current second baseman Gleyber Torres, Chisholm is the next best option if the Yankees move on from Torres, which is how the tea leaves currently read. I want strong defense at third base, especially after the massive investment in starter Max Fried. DJ LeMahieu can still provide good defense, but it is foolish to count on him as a starter, given his struggles with injuries the past couple of years. Jazz tries, but he is not a trained, experienced third baseman. I value experience and performance in the position. I am not opposed to acquiring St Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. He is not the player he once was in Colorado, but he will not hurt you at third base. I prefer him over Oswaldo Cabrera, whom I view more as a role/bench player, or Oswald Peraza, a player I think will have a challenging time making the Opening Day roster.

I could accept Alex Bregman just to keep him away from Boston or from returning to Houston. I know some can never take the Houston cheaters, and while I will never forgive Bregman for his role in it, I can appreciate a current commitment to help the Yankees win. We have seen other villains put on the Pinstripes, and we have accepted them. Although you cannot get more villainous than Bregman and Jose Altuve, I believe in second chances. When players put on pinstripes, they value and appreciate it the most. It may not have been the case with Juan Soto, who valued the dollar above all else, but I sincerely believe that Alex Bregman would want to help the Yankees to win if he signed here, just like he will fight to be successful in Boston if he goes there. 

I prefer Arenado over Bregman, but then again, I lived in Denver during Arenado's prime and know what he meant to that city and his teams. Neither player is the player they once were, but who they are now can still help the New York Yankees win the World Series.

At the end of the day, I have no idea who will take third base on Opening Day. Regardless of the man who runs to the bag in the season's first game, I will know it was a decision that was carefully considered by the organization and a decision made in the best interest of changing the outcome of the most recent World Series. I know I have been critical of GM Brian Cashman, but only a fool would say that they do not understand the game of Major League Baseball. They have proven an ability to turn weaknesses into strengths. I will give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

The best outcome for the Winter would have been to re-sign Juan Soto, but it did not happen. The alternative may not be as good, but it can be just as effective. I never dreamed that Max Fried would be in the starting rotation, yet there he is, right behind ace Gerrit Cole. We should head into the season with Luke Weaver as the team's closer (a role I accepted), but we will have The Airbender instead. If these are Brian Cashman's last years as the Yankees General Manager, he is focused on going out with a bang. I will never underestimate him.

The days ahead should be interesting. Some moves still need to be made, and I do not see the Yankees waiting until Spring Training to address the final holes. Multiple teams' rapid succession of moves quickly closed the first base window this week. The same situation could happen with the other current holes on the Yankees roster. Strike now while there is opportunity.

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a team capable of beating all teams for the World Series in 2025. Please, make it happen.

As always, Go Yankees!

If at First (Base) You Don't Succeed...

  

Anthony Rizzo (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The Yankees cannot punt the remainder of the offseason…

Like most Yankees fans, I have gotten over the sting of Juan Soto’s decision to take the money and run. It would have been nice to see him return for a second season, but alas, life moves on. The Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres survived life after Soto, and so will the New York Yankees.

I would never attempt to make the argument that the Yankees’ Plan B currently underway is equal to Plan A (Signing Soto), but given the circumstances, fielding an alternative team that can complete with the league’s best is all that we can ask for. The surprise of the offseason was the signing of former Atlanta Braves ace lefty Max Fried. I did not see it coming, but I am certainly glad that he is a Yankee. The Yankees needed a strong Number Two to follow ace Gerrit Cole. The last couple of years have been Cole with three to five level starters (sometimes sixth or seventh!). I have no doubt that Fried will become a personal favorite. A strong lefty is a valuable commodity in Yankee Stadium. I had hoped for more from Carlos Rodón but pushing him down the order in the rotation may help him. Less pressure may allow him the freedom to perform better. Maybe not, but one can hope. I like Carlos despite his struggles at times, and I hope he tastes remarkable success in the seasons to come.

I was a little sad to see Nestor Cortes, Jr go, but I thought the price of Cortes and second base prospect Caleb Durbin was a fair price to pay for one of the game’s best closers. I was ready to go into the 2025 season with Luke Weaver as the team’s designated closer but pairing him with Devin Williams will allow the Yankees to get more creative with Weaver. If Williams misses any time due to injury, it is nice to know that Weaver can step back into the role and thrive. I thought Marcus Stroman might have been the first starter to be shipped out, but Nestor brought Williams to the Yankees, so it had to be him. I will miss Nestor and his atypical pitching style. He was fun to watch, and I always appreciate guys who love being a Yankee.

Nestor Cortes Jr (Photo Credit: Meron Menghistab)

Part of me wishes the Yankees would sign free agent starter Jack Flaherty to free up Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt for inclusion in a trade to help fill the remaining holes in the roster. However, I do not feel there are any more big contracts coming. As such, the Yankees should hang on to Gil and Schmidt to round out the rotation. Cross that bridge in the future if a young arm from the system ascends to the Major Leagues. Will Warren, we are still waiting for you. I would say Clayton Beeter, but I think the bullpen is his destiny. But hey, prove me wrong. I would love it.

Nevertheless, thank you, Nestor, for your time as a Yankee. We appreciated your work, dedication, and performance on the game’s biggest stage. The results were not always perfect but your desire to be the best never wavered. Milwaukee is gaining a first-class player. I hope Brewers manager Pat Murphy finds ways to maximize your abilities and potential. Sometimes when players leave the Yankees, I hope they will struggle. Not Nestor. I genuinely want the guy to succeed.

Before jumping into the holes on the roster, thanks to the Yankees for finally bringing outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to the Bronx. I know the trade was met with a mixed reaction by the fan base, but I have always been a Bellinger fan despite his past struggles. He is not Aaron Judge. We know that. He is not Juan Soto, nor does he try to be. He is Cody Bellinger, and he has value to the role that he brings to the team. I like his diversity, I like his home run swing, I like his defensive play, I like his attitude. It is cool that he will be wearing the same number (35) as his father. I am looking forward to seeing the former Yankee (Clay) wearing a Yankees cap. I got tired of seeing him in Dodgers caps a few years ago. It is also cool that both Bellinger’s are/were on the roster the same time as “Mike” Stanton. I know, the most recent one is Giancarlo these days, but I am sure to many, he is still Mike.

Cody and Clay Bellinger (Photo Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins)

I am glad Aaron Judge will return to right field. I was never too comfortable with him in center field, and while he did a decent job, he is a better right fielder. The Yankees improve team defense in right with Judge’s return, while Bellinger will be the better centerfielder.

Bellinger was one of my favorite non-Yankee players so it will not be hard to embrace him as one of my favorite Yankees. A few Belli Bombs to right field will solidify his standing among the fan base, especially if he hits them when they matter the most.

So where are we? The infield is still a mess. We do not have a first baseman, and either second or third is vacant depending upon where you place Jazz Chisholm, Jr. Anthony Volpe has shortstop covered but there is still work to be done. Former Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is off the board after he signed a three-year deal with the Houston Astros. I am not sure what I thought about Walker. I know he has been a talented player over the years, but he is nearing the end of his shelf life. The same can be said of former D-Backs/St Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt who is still in play as a potential first baseman for the Yankees. I think I might have preferred Walker over Goldy. I do not expect the Yankees to sign Pete Alonso although it would have fun to take something from the Mets. I agree with those who say that Alonso will not age well. The trade options of Yandy Diaz, Nathaniel Lowe, or Josh Naylor make sense. I would be happy with any of those three.

As for second and third, I am flawed in my thinking for sentimental reasons, but I would bring back Gleyber Torres for second base and continue placing him at the top of the batting order. The move would keep Chisholm at third base which might not be the best option when Max Fried is pitching, but DJ LeMahieu is still on the roster and can be the designated third sacker on the days that Fried is pitching. If signing Gleyber is out of the question, move Chisholm to second base and sign Alex Bregman. I despised Bregman and the other Astros players for their cheating ways, but in 2025, I am not going to worry about 2017. Bregman can work to regain admiration from the fan base. He knows how to play, and he can bring value to the team. Bregman’s days as an Astro appear to be over now that Houston has signed Walker, pushing newly acquired Isaac Paredes to third base. I suspect that Bregman will end up in Boston so that we can continue hating him. But if the Yankees took a flyer, I would give him a chance to prove himself.

I hope the Yankees do not stop short in the quest to round out the roster. It seems like every year the team does not do everything it needs to do to field the best possible team. I really hope this year is different. The next couple of years will be the best years of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. The Yankees need to take advantage of the window and put the best players on the field around them. This is not the time to go full Arte Moreno on us.

The Yankees still need a few more arms for the bullpen. I continue to hope for a reunion with Philadelphia Eagles fan Tommy Kahnle. Hopefully, the Yankees feel the same way. If Luke Weaver was the great surprise of 2024, I think Atlanta Falcons (former?) starting QB Kirk Cousins’ cousin Jake was not far behind. I am glad Cousins will be back for another go-around. Otherwise, I have confidence the Yankees will find the arms to construct a strong pen. They have seemed to have figured out the formula after the years of watching the Tampa Bay Rays run circles around them with their bullpen choices.

I thought the Yankees might trade backup catcher Jose Trevino this offseason, but the trade of Carlos Narvaez to Boston weakened the replacement strategy. The Yankees think highly of catcher JC Escarra, so I assume he moves up to the next man up position while sitting in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. I do not think he has proven his worth as a backup to starting catcher Austin Wells yet, but he will have his opportunities. In the interim, I fully expect Trevino to be back in 2025. Scratch that, the notification just came across that the Yankees have traded Trevino to Cincinnati for RHP Fernando Cruz and Catcher Alex Jackson. JC, you’re up. 

JC Escarra

I am ready for the gates of Steinbrenner Field to open. Not for them to open for the Tampa Bay Rays as their regular season home in 2025, but the earlier opening for the Spring Yankees. It will be good to see the band back together again. Living in the Los Angeles area, I am tired of the Dodgers fans even if I am slightly one (they are my National League team and of course I live in their backyard). When I wear my Yankees cap in public, I always get grief from the comments made by people. I am ready for a rematch that sees the Yankees dump the Dodgers like 1977 and 1978.

I appreciate the Yankees’ aggressiveness this offseason after losing out to Uncle Steve’s money. They remain New York’s elite team, and overpaying a superstar by the Mets is not going to close the gap on a century of excellence by Major League Baseball’s greatest franchise. It is almost comical that the Mets will go into the 2025 season with Clay Holmes in the starting rotation. When right, Clay is a beast, but when he is not, Yikes! I hope the Mets fans have the stomach for Clay’s sudden loss of control. I have seen Social Media posts that say the Mets signing of Holmes was more valuable than the Yankees signing of Max Fried. Yeah, good luck with that.

Major League Baseball finalized their luxury tax calculations for the 2024 season, and as expected, the Yankees ($62.5 million above the $237 million competitive balance tax threshold) were surpassed by the Dodgers ($103 million above) and the Mets ($97.1 million). It was good to see that nine teams in total surpassed the threshold. With even the (city unknown) Athletics spending this offseason, it is great to see more teams getting aggressive with salaries. Speaking of the A’s, what is the deal with all the ex-Yankees? Luis Severino, Miguel Andujar, Gio Urshela. I am surprised that they did not keep James Kaprelian last year. Gleyber Torres must be atop their leaderboard. If Ronald Torreyes wants to make a comeback, he should call the A’s.

As always, Go Yankees!

Juan, We Hardly Knew Ye...

  

Juan Soto (Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)

Soto departs for the “greener” pastures in Queens…

I am disappointed that Juan Soto chose to take the most money for the duration of his major league career even if all of us, most likely, would take top dollar. If the Mets had offered substantially more than the Yankees, it would be one thing, but the Yankees gave an extremely competitive $760 million offer that was only $5 million short of Uncle Steve’s offer. I do not know the exact details, and of course, there were other perks involved, but the Yankees deserved better consideration from Soto. At the end of the day, it shows the quality of his character. As such, maybe it is best that he gave us only one season in the Bronx. I just wish it had not happened at the cost of Michael King in retrospect. I know it is a bit hypocritical to say we would take the most money and then criticize a player for doing exactly that, but one would like to think there were sentimental reasons to stay in Pinstripes, the most storied franchise in baseball history.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I was never able to fully embrace Soto as a Yankee. I know he is one of the game’s finest young talents, but I was suspicious that things would play out the way they did. I did not want to get emotionally invested in a player who could easily be wearing a rival’s uniform in 2025. This proved to be correct. There is no doubt if Aaron Judge had accepted the offer from the San Francisco Giants, it would have been far more painful that watching Soto parade around Citi Field and saying how no one reached out to him after the season. Such is life. We move on. I wish Soto the best, but now he is just another player I want to beat.

I must admit that I was getting hopeful the Yankees would pivot to Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, and there was some sense of optimism with recent reports until the official trade with the Chicago Cubs was announced today. Tucker would have gone a long way toward making up for the loss of Soto. Oh well, Team Cashman has time to find other alternatives. Will they? Who knows? But one can have hope.

The Yankees did make a move today in acquiring Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams. 

Devin Williams (Photo Credit: Aaron Cash/AP)

Another beard bites the dust.

Although I appreciated Luke Weaver’s efforts as the team’s closer after the Clay Holmes closing era ended, the combo of Weaver and Williams brings great confidence to the end of games. When Clay Holmes was great, he was fantastic. When he was not, he was Tyler Clippard in his last appearances for the Yankees. Williams brings much greater certainty to the final innings. It is sad to see Nestor Cortes, Jr depart, but it was almost expected. I like Nestor and I appreciate the job he did, but to get quality, you must give up quality. I was probably more surprised that the other Yankee headed to Milwaukee is second base prospect Caleb Durbin who had been penciled in as the second base replacement for Gleyber Torres by many. The Yankees clearly have a plan so we will wait to see how it plays out. Moving Jazz Chisholm, Jr to second base, his original position, makes sense if you want to bring greater defensive certainty to third base. No slight to Jazz who did an admirable job, but we do not need a player learning the position when the stakes are so high.

The question is who will take over third base. I think the past few years have proven that DJ LeMahieu can no longer be counted on as a solution. As much as I dislike the Houston Astros, I would not have an issue if the Yankees were to sign Alex Bregman. Alex Verdugo proved last year that we can forgive former enemies, and Bregman is obviously a much better player. Granted, Verdugo did not cheat to beat the Yankees, but 2017 was another time, and I am only worried about 2025 at this point.

Alex Bregman (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

There is other third base options so we will see how this plays out.

The most probable next trade continues to be outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Now that the Cubs have Tucker, they are more motivated than ever to unload Belli’s contract. I like Bellinger. He is not Juan Soto (obviously), but he can fill a role with the Yankees. He can play center field. He can play first base. Both are positions of need for the Yankees. I like his ability to back up the position he does not start. It is cool that his father Clay is a former Yankee, but that is not the reason I want to see Bellinger in Pinstripes. I genuinely feel that he can help. But as much as I like Belli, he cannot be the only offensive addition after the loss of Soto.

Cody Bellinger

I thought the Yankees would be more active during the Winter Meetings this past week, yet I was surprised when they signed former Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. I did not see that one coming. I like it…with a bit of caution given his injury history. Hopefully, the Yankees can manage him correctly to keep him on the field. 

Max Fried

Adding guys like Devin Williams will certainly help Fried. Admittedly, I do not know a great deal about Fried. I am not a Braves fan, and I have not followed their team. I knew that Fried and Spencer Strider were the two best pitchers in Atlanta’s starting rotation, but that is about it. My first reaction at hearing the news of Fried’s addition was how much he reminds me of former Yankee Jimmy Key. I am not comparing pitching styles. It is more their personalities or their mound presence. I did not care for Key, the Toronto Blue Jay, but I loved his time as a Yankee. I cannot say that I disliked Fried since I do not really think much about the Braves, but I can see him becoming a personal favorite. I thought Carlos Rodón was going to be a strong number two starter behind Gerrit Cole, and it never happened. I have felt the Yankees needed to find a better option for the last couple of seasons, so it is nice to finally cross that one off the list. Cole to Fried gives confidence on back-to-back days. If Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Rodón can pitch to their potential, there are not any weaknesses in the rotation. I wish it would have been a better outcome for Marcus Stroman, but he does appear to be the odd man out unless there is another move that opens a spot in the rotation.

Another move that surprised me this week was the trade that sent catcher Carlos Narvaez to Boston. Although I liked the return, I despise watching the former Yankees thrive in Boston. I would rather see them go to someplace like San Francisco. As for the return, the Yankees received a top twenty prospect from the Red Sox in minor league righthander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. 

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (Photo Credit: Christopher Smith/MassLive)

ERC was the thirteenth-ranked prospect in Boston’s system according to MLB.com. He moved up a spot to twelfth in the Yankees system. The Yankees also received $250,000 in international bonus pool money. The Yankees put the money to effective use on Friday when they signed international prospect Stiven Romans, a 17-year-old shortstop, for approximately $1.5 million. They had been linked to Romans for the 2025 signing period, but the additional money received from the Red Sox allowed them to sign the eligible Romans now. It sets up a potential run at Roki Sasaki for the next signing period although I suspect the Los Angeles Dodgers will win that chase.

I liked Narvaez and I had assumed that he would replace Jose Trevino as the Yankees backup catcher at some point, but it is hard to argue against the additions of Rodriguez-Cruz and Romans. I think the Yankees did well, but of course, only time will tell. In the meantime, I hope Narvaez does not cause too much damage against the home team.

As always, Go Yankees!