The Yankees Are No Longer the Evil Empire...

 

Roki Sasaki

The Dodgers and, to a lesser extent, the Mets have overtaken the Yankees…

Friday’s news that Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers was expected, but it was still disappointing to hear. When Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani signed his heavily deferred contract with the Dodgers, it freed the team to use more money elsewhere. You hate to say it gave them a competitive advantage because it is true that any team could have structured a similar deal (well, maybe not for the total dollars involved). Outthinking the opposition is not a trait monopolized by the richest teams. The Dodgers are playing at a higher level, and it is up to the other Major League teams to catch up.

The Dodgers have the benefit of an extraordinarily rich and powerful ownership group, just like the billionaire who controls operations in Queens for the crosstown Mets. Other fans screamed about the Yankees when they flaunted their money years ago, but now many of those same fans are relishing their newfound prestigious financial edge. The Steinbrenner Family is wealthy because of their baseball team. The Dodgers and Mets ownership groups had the money, they just needed the toys. Enormous difference.

The caveat with Steve Cohen after he launched his guaranteed highest bidder campaign to snag former Yankees outfielder Juan Soto in free agency is the lack of other significant moves to put the Mets in the Dodgers’ stratosphere. I am sure Cohen will spend more money; it is only a matter of time. I thought they would be more aggressive in trying to re-sign their own free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, and maybe they still will despite this week’s word that they are not optimistic. If the Mets land Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero, Jr prior to Spring Training, then it would be hard to find fault with their approach. Vlad Jr will age better than Alonso or at least he should even if his mouth will not.

Ultimately, the Dodgers and the Mets have stolen the spotlight on the Yankees as the King of the Jungle, the big market behemoth, the team most willing to buy the best players in baseball and field All-Stars at every position. In other words, the Yankees are no longer the Evil Empire. They might just be the Jawa sand crawler at best these days. The Dodgers have taken the main stage of Baseball’s biggest villain, with Uncle Steve trying to nip at their heels. Meanwhile, Hal Steinbrenner and his sisters sit back and watch the show.

If the Yankees were ever placed on the market, the World’s biggest billionaires would line up to buy the team. Not that I want to see Elon Musk as the owner of the Yankees, but it would be nice to have an owner that is ultra-competitive with a burning desire to win at all costs like we once had with the late (and, admittedly, flawed) George Steinbrenner.  The shipbuilder made his money prior to buying the Yankees but he was not playing in the same financial circles as today’s super rich owners. It is almost laughable today that Steinbrenner paid $10 million for the Yankees in 1973. Now, ten million might get you a subpar reliever or role player for a year.

Although the Yankees’ franchise generates high revenues, I would never want them to foolishly spend money. I do buy into the argument that you do not have to spend the most money to win; it is more a question of where you place the dollars you spend. It is a little aggravating to see the team stop short nearly every offseason with the full moves needed to ensure top contention for the Fall Classic. Overall, I am pleased with the Yankees’ moves this offseason after Juan Soto’s defection to the Mets. They may not be a better team than they were with Soto, but I do not feel they are noticeably worse. The fact they were able to tread water in what could have been a devastating loss is admirable. Aggravation is the current second/third base predicament. I would prefer to see Jazz Chisholm, Jr return to second base to replace the departed Gleyber Torres, with a new third baseman acquired. The present plan has DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza competing for the job. None of those options excite me, but there is still time before Spring Training for the Yankees to make moves. I do not fault GM Brian Cashman for waiting out the market to see what falls to him. Waiting is not fun, but the eventual results, if the Yankees can get the player they want, are better for the bottom line.

Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and Yankees GM Brian Cashman

Although it is not my money, I want the Yankees to do what’s right for the long-term stability and continued success of the franchise. I am not saying that the Dodgers and Mets have unsustainable models, but I am only concerned about the state of the New York Yankees. Within the realm of doing what is right for the organization, I hope they make the necessary moves to help ensure that the Yankees are still standing at season’s end (hopefully, the last men standing).

The needs list is not that great. Find the second or third baseman, get a reliever that can join up with closer Devin Williams and setup reliever/backup closer Luke Weaver at the back end of games, find a backup catcher, and announce the new assistant pitching coach replacing the departed Desi Druschel. I dream how nice it would be to have Tanner Scott on the team, but I doubt the Yankees will pay the money it would take. Scott-Weaver-Williams would be lethal. But nearly every year, a surprising reliever emerges as a force, and I expect no less in 2025. There are plenty of potential candidates in the organization who could take their game to the next level. But as part of the trusted trio to close games, proven ability to shut down the game’s best hitters is a plus. I think more options will be added to the team before the gates of Steinbrenner Field and the surrounding practice facilities open to its spring participants.

Tanner Scott (Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/Pressbox)

I think the point to my exercise is that I am aware of the Dodgers and Mets, but focus is best served on the Yankees. The Yankees cannot control what the Dodgers and Mets do, but they can control what the New York Yankees can do. The Yankees made considerable progress in scouting and player development when they focused their resources on finding the right people. Continue down that path. Pitching Coach Matt Blake is an inspired hire that was the right choice. Keep it up. Despite the multiple loss of instructors throughout the organization this offseason to other teams, the Yankees have shown they have a model that others want. They have proven they can hire the right people. At the end of the day, everybody is replaceable.

So, to bring this story to a close, I am cautiously optimistic about the 2025 New York Yankees. I know there is work to be done, and I hope the team sees it through. Stopping short would be a mistake. We are in the prime of the careers of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. Strike while the fire is hot. A couple of years down the road, we can revisit the word “rebuild.” The focus here and now should be “enhance” or “improve.”  The Dodgers want somebody that can give them a challenge in next year’s World Series.

I think the thing that saddens me the most about the Dodgers’ signing Sasaki is there is no room for future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. He has been such a great Dodger and will go down as one of the all-time greats in the organization. I had hoped he would spend the entirety of his career with the Dodgers, but if he decides to continue, it seems he will need to pull on a new uniform, with the Texas Rangers as the most logical fit for the Dallas area resident. I would hate to see Kersh as a Houston Astro even if he is not the pitcher he once was.

Clayton Kershaw

When the International Signing Period opened on January 15^th, I expected to see activity with the Yankees. Alas, nothing but crickets. I read that Roki Sasaki’s impending decision, even though the Yankees had been told they were out, was the reason for the delay in any announcement of signings. The most notable international player associated with the Yankees is Dominican shortstop Manny Cedeno, MLB’s eleventh-ranked international prospect. There was potential to trade international bonus pool money to the Dodgers after they signed Sasaki, but the Philadelphia Phillies were there to assist the Dodger Blue. It was reported the Phillies sent either $750,000 or $1 million to the Dodgers for outfield prospect Dylan Campbell. The Dodgers still need to make another move or two to get the money they need for Sasaki so maybe the Yankees are trying to figure out where they can cut a few dollars with the intended signings. Regardless, we should start getting the news of the actual signings this weekend (one would think). I hope the Yankees do not blow it with Cedeno as he is the only player on MLB’s list of Top 50 International Prospects that was associated with the Yankees. I wish I could find someone who loves me as much as the Yankees love shortstop prospects.

Maybe it is just me but as time goes on, I wish the Yankees could find a way to bring Jorge Posada back into the organization in some capacity. I have always loved his fire and intensity, and that is a needed quality in the organization.

Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter (Photo Credit: Mark Brown/Getty Images)

I will say it now, but I want Munetaka Murakami as the Yankees first baseman next offseason. Thanks Paul Goldschmidt, we appreciate you giving us a year, but NEXT. I know, it might be foolish to get excited about any Japanese player with Chavez Ravine being the current desired location, but maybe at some point, Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka can sell an elite young player on how great it is to play in New York wearing the famed Pinstripes. I seriously hope Murakami is that player.

Munetaka Murakami

Myles Straw is now in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays. It certainly gives Yankees fans more opportunity to boo a player that is just not that good. Not many players that I dislike, but Straw certainly is among the group. Good for the Cleveland Guardians to rid themselves of a pathetic outfielder. The only downside is that the great Don Mattingly and Straw now wear the same uniform.

Boston could still make moves that move them up the standings in the AL East. It is fathomable to think that both Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso could be calling Beantown home. While I think of the Baltimore Orioles as the top challenger in the AL East, their relative inaction and inability to strengthen the starting rotation leaves them vulnerable. Boston can be a prime beneficiary of waiting out the market.

Now that Sasaki has made his decision, I hope the offseason can resume. The Yankees’ activity has been non-existent for the past few weeks so it would be nice to see a move or two before we see Aaron Judge walking into Steinbrenner Field.

As always, Go Yankees!

A New Year for Pinstriped Dreams...

  

Happy New Year to Everyone in the Yankees Universe…

Happy New Year!

2025 has arrived, but, naturally, the 2025 New York Yankees are not yet a finished product. General Manager Brian Cashman has work to do to complete his roster masterpiece after the Yankees were forced into Plan B with the departure of prized free agent outfielder Juan Soto who signed with the crosstown Mets.

The biggest hole is either second or third base depending upon where you place Jazz Chisholm, Jr. While I felt Chisholm did well when asked to play out of position at third base, the Yankees would benefit from a ‘tried and true’ third baseman with above-average defensive skills. I think Chisholm can be a better third baseman if he focuses on it exclusively in Spring Training (a training environment he did not get last year as an outfielder for the Miami Marlins). Yet, I think the Yankees would be better served by moving Chisholm back to his original position of second base which was vacated by the free agent departure of Gleyber Torres, now a Detroit Tiger.

As such, the Yankees need a third baseman. The present roster options are DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Oswald Peraza. It is tough to get enthused about any of those guys. LeMahieu will be 37 years old this summer. His health challenges will persist. They are not going to get better as he continues fighting Father Time. LeMahieu would be best served playing the utility role he originally signed with the team for. I like Oswaldo Cabrera, but I remain unconvinced that he is more than bench depth. Last year seems like a lost year for Peraza. I do not feel that he did anything to warrant consideration as a starter on the Major League roster. We may not know all the reasons for why the organization held him back, but the fact they did should give us pause regarding Peraza.

The best and only hope is the team’s starting third baseman is not yet on the roster.

Fans love to speculate about the options. Every talked-about choice is polarizing. After much mention of St Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, it was shot down by Jack Curry on a recent episode of Hot Stove on the YES Network when he stated that there was not interest in Arenado within the Yankees organization. But like Mike Axisa said, things can change with a phone call. I know Arenado will be 34 in April, but he is still a good baseball player at the plate and on the field. Sure, Arenado and current Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had down years for the Cardinals last season, but it was a down season for the entire team (you cannot place the blame solely on those two guys). I think both are capable of having rebound seasons. They may never reach the heights of their respective prime seasons, but the best versions of their current selves can help the Yankees win a championship. I like Nolan, and I would be happy to see him run out to third base at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, March 27 in the top of the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado (Photo Credit: Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports)

I would even be willing to accept Houston Astros cheater Alex Bregman, a free agent that seems likely to land in Detroit, Boston, or Toronto soon. Again, it just takes a phone call. Until Bregman signs a contract, he is fair game for any team, including the Yankees. Well, not the Miami Marlins since they have already tapped out after spending **checks notes** nothing this offseason.

Other names have been mentioned, but regardless of who we are talking about, it is a given that Cashman and his team are evaluating players about whom we are NOT talking. While it is possible the Yankees could make a surprise announcement that they have acquired Arenado, it is equally possible we will see the acquisition of a name we were not expecting. If the Yankees feel they can acquire a young player on the cusp of a breakout season, I think they have earned the benefit of the doubt. Not everybody works out, but I remember being slightly underwhelmed when the Yankees acquired Tino Martinez from the Seattle Mariners to replace Yankees legend Don Mattingly when he retired. Maybe it was more about not wanting to see Mattingly go but I was deeply disappointed about the news. Martinez had big shoes to fill…despite the odds, he succeeded. He may not have been Don Mattingly, but he gave us the best version of Tino Martinez which was one of the key factors to the team’s dynasty success in the late 1990s. An incoming third baseman for the Yankees is not being asked to fill the shoes of a legend, but the point is that we need to give time and patience to the player if for no other reason than the Yankees believe the player is the right choice for the current opportunity. If he becomes a Joey Gallo sized failure, then we can tear into the choice.

So, for as frustrated as I have been with Cashman at times, I do believe he and his team have the proven ability to uncover untapped potential. My fear or my biggest gripe would be for the Yankees to do nothing further this offseason and go into the season with twenty-six men off the current 40-man roster. To stop short like they did a couple of seasons ago by not filling left field with a strong player. If we can do better than LeMahieu, Cabrera or Peraza at third base, I trust the organization to make the right choices. There is pressure on them to succeed.

Personally, I am hoping for Arenado’s acquisition but realistically, I think the Yankees will go the young up-and-comer route. The player ready for a breakout season. They will not be wrong when the decision is made. Only time will tell but given the circumstances, I am willing to gamble with the Yankees on this one so long as they make a move. Doing nothing is the worst possible outcome.

The Yankees also still need bullpen help and a backup catcher.

Whether the Yankees re-sign Tim Hill or sign former Tigers lefty Andrew Chafin, they will do something. I still hope for a reunion with Tommy Kahnle. A reliever could also be part of a potential trade for third baseman although that could be a two-way street with relievers. I am confident that Clayton Beeter will be a bullpen breakout next season, but the Yankees need more than just him. The Yankees have developed the knack for ‘Build-A-Bullpen,’ so I am not too worried.

It is possible that JC Escarra or Alex Jackson wins the backup catching duty vacated when Jose Trevino was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. However, I do not feel that either player can be anointed the backup ahead of Spring Training. The Yankees need other options. When the Los Angeles Dodgers designated a former top prospect, catcher Diego Cartaya, this week to make room for the free agent signing of Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, it immediately caught my attention. I would love to see the Yankees get a hold of Cartaya to see if they can help him realize his potential. He is only twenty-three, so he is still young. I would prefer Cartaya over Alex Jackson based on his potential alone. I think Cartaya would benefit from the tutelage of Yankees Major League Field Coordinator and Director of Catching Tanner Swanson.

Diego Cartaya (Photo Credit: Mark J Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

It should be noted that Hyeseong Kim is not the San Diego free agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim, another rumored (fan-speculated; not organizational insiders) Yankees target. I have no problem with the MLB-experienced Kim other than my hope is the team’s third baseman has power. Kim hit seventeen homers in 2023, but only eleven last season. With the Padres’ Kim, you would most likely put him at second and keep Chisholm at third which is the scenario I would like to avoid if possible.

Speaking of coaches, there have not been any announcements about the formalization of the 2025 coaching staff. While most will return to continue their present roles, the Yankees still need an assistant pitching coach for Matt Blake. The Yankees website continues to show Desi Druschel as the Assistant Pitching Coach, but he left for the Mets earlier this off-season.

The Yankees website also loves to carry over a player’s number from his previous team regardless of number availability with the Yankees. Paul Goldschmidt shows number 46 which we know will not be unretired for Andy Pettitte. When the Yankees acquired Trent Grisham last year, they showed him with number 2. It was only a matter of time until Grisham was updated with number 12. I think Goldy should take forty-eight since he prefers numbers in the forties. He wore forty-four with the Arizona Diamondbacks and forty-six with the St Louis Cardinals. The only downside to Goldy wearing forty-eight is that it is the number of the beloved player he is replacing (Anthony Rizzo). If Kahnle returns, maybe he wants his old forty-eight back which would open forty-one for Goldy or he could take Luis Severino’s 40. I guess we will find out in about a month and a half.

One hundred years ago (the 1925 season), the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Senators (now the Minnesota Twins) in seven games. The Senators were the defending World Champions after defeating the New York Giants the previous year. Is 2025 the year the New York Yankees can defeat the defending World Champions? I hope so. I want a rematch with the Dodgers. If not the Dodgers, bring on the Mets. To return to the World Series, the Yankees need a strong third baseman. Can they, do it? I hope so. I am counting on Hal Steinbrenner pulling out all stops to ensure that the team has a successful return to the Fall Classic with a better outcome. If he is not pulling out all stops, then he needs to question if the Steinbrenner Family is the right fit for the New York Yankees in this century and investigate the possible sale of the team to an owner capable of competing with the big boys.

As always, Go Yankees!