The Long Wait for Yankees News...

   

The Quiet Pinstripes…

I got excited when Jeff Passan tweeted the other day that the Phillies’ Ryan Thompson “yanks a slider” (that Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno could not handle which allowed Bryce Harper to score) because it was the first time that I got to hear the word “Yanks” in a postseason game this season. Okay, I know, he was not referring to the greatest franchise in MLB history, but it just shows how much I miss the Yankees. 

Since the end of the regular season, the New York Yankees have been extremely quiet. I know, they are waiting for the end of the postseason before making any public comments or moves. I guess we can call this season THE BIG VOID. A void filled only by ex-Yankees playing in the postseason. 

I would like to think Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner is effectively using this time to take his deep dive into the organization although there are reports the self-conducted internal audit will not occur until after the World Series champion is crowned. Who knows what Hal is doing other than counting his money.

Moves we know for sure will NOT happen. Manager Aaron Boone and General Manager Brian Cashman will not be fired. Whatever scenario we craft for the offseason in our speculative moves we feel the Yankees should make, the chances Hal removes his key leaders is about as good as George Steinbrenner rising from the grave to take control of his beloved franchise. It remains to be seen if the Yankees make any adjustments to their analytics division. If there is anyone who should be fired, it is Assistant GM Michael Fishman. I do not care that he has been in the organization for years. Results are more important than tenure. The Yankees have screwed the pooch in how they have analyzed players for the last decade. They may uncover an occasional gem, but the duds are far more frequent.

As far as players, we will have to wait until the Hot Stove League starts next month before we start hearing any real rumors. Although there is no certainty the San Diego Padres will trade Juan Soto, he is clearly the latest number-one target for Yankees fans. I try not to get too wrapped up in Soto speculation. I would be excited if it happened, but why think about it if it may never happen. I wanted Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, and they were there for the Yankees to grab for only money, and Team Steinbrenner let us down by not even joining the chase. Soto will cost quality prospects, in addition to money if they want to retain him. There is nothing about Hal Steinbrenner that leads me to believe he will be an aggressive pursuer of Soto. He should, but will he? I do not like the odds. 

I am even trying to temper any expectations the Yankees will sign Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Although the Yankees have shown public interest in the pitcher, it is not like the Yankees are the only MLB team in search of quality pitching. Hal Steinbrenner may have authorized big money for baseball’s greatest starting pitcher, but I am sure the Carlos Rodón contract is enough to give anyone heartburn about handing out a Brink’s truck to another pitcher. I may be more optimistic about Yamamoto than Soto, but with either one, I am trying to keep expectations low. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Photo Credit: Eric Espada/Getty Images)

I am not in favor of bringing Jordan Montgomery back. He has done well since he left the Yankees, but honestly, I would be surprised if Monty wanted to come back to the Yankees after being dealt at the trade deadline a couple of years ago amidst speculation that he did not figure into the Yankees’ postseason plans. He has proven the Yankees were wrong and perhaps he would not have discovered who he could be if he had stayed in New York. Monty will be 31 before the 2024 season. It may not mean that he is over the hill yet, but I think there are better, younger options. I would not be disappointed if Monty returned, but I just do not think it will happen. So, saying I am not in favor of it is probably not accurate, however, I am not going to push for something I think will never happen. Monty should enjoy his post-Yankees renaissance and grab the life-changing money from another team for his next contract. The Texas Rangers would be foolish to let him get away. 

Although the Houston Astros seem to have momentum in the ALCS, I am ready to get the World Series over regardless of which teams are in it or who wins it. 2023 will always be a lost year in my mind. The year the Yankees could have been contenders if Brian Cashman’s moves had not thwarted it. It's time to move on to the 2024 MLB season or at least the preparation for it. Hal Steinbrenner gets to show if his heart is really in it. We shall see. Until then, there is just talk with no action. 

Retiring A-Rod’s Number

The short answer…NO. I am not a fan of Alex Rodriguez. While I appreciate his accomplishments in helping bring a World Series championship to New York in 2009, his desecration of the game far outweighed any positives he made. He is a cheater. He is a liar. He crossed an ethical line of his own volition. 

While I recognize Rodriguez has recaptured some fans with his post-playing career on TV, it does not atone for the damage he did to the game or to the Yankees. 

I think the Yankees have too many retired numbers as it is. There are players with retired numbers who should not be there. Reggie Jackson is one. He may have had big moments as a Yankee, but his stay was brief. He only played five of his twenty-one seasons in New York. Billy Martin is another one. I was not born during his playing days, but I loved every minute of his time(s) as the Yankees manager. I was so excited with every hiring and devastated with every firing. As much as I loved Billy, I do not consider his time worthy of a retired number. He will always remain one of my favorite Yankees managers. On the other side of the coin, Roy White is more deserving of a retired “Yankees” number than A-Rod. His number (6) is retired for Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre. It should be co-retired with White, much like how number 8 is retired for Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra.

Roy White

I do not feel A-Rod should be in the Hall of Fame, and I do not believe his Yankees number should be retired. You may not agree but that is okay. This is not something we need to agree on. You have your opinion and I have mine. 

Speaking of retired numbers, Fresno State will retire Aaron Judge’s number 29 on November 18. A worthy retired number while we wait for the future enshrinement of number 99 in Monument Park. 

Aaron Judge

Looking forward to when we have real Yankees news again.

As always, Go Yankees!

The End of the Season is Near...

 

Oswaldo Cabrera, Greg Weissert, DJ LeMahieu & Austin Wells (Photo Credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Yankees conclude the season in KC…

As I type this post, the Yankees have begun playing on Friday night against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Not much point in waiting until the end of the game to start writing this week’s entry. The Yankees, by taking two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays this week, assured themselves of not less than a .500 season. By winning at least one game in the next three from the 105-loss Royals, the Yankees will keep the winning season streak alive even if you cannot exactly call this a “winning” season. 

Boston’s tailspin this week (they have lost five consecutive games entering play this evening) clinched the AL East Cellar for the Red Sox. Not much to shoot for goals this season, but finishing ahead of Boston was one. Small wins. We need something to keep us warm over a long winter. Finishing with more wins than losses is another yet-to-be-achieved goal. The Yankees were 81-78 after concluding their trip to Toronto, Canada. They can finish anywhere from 81-81 to 84-78. If I can dissect a goal from the possibilities, it would be to avoid 80 losses. If the Yankees can take 2 of 3 from the Royals like they did the Blue Jays, they will finish 83-79. Sounds better than 82-80 or 81-81.   

I am ready for the season to end. The downside is that we must wait until the playoffs are over before there will be any meaningful activity for the Yankees in their efforts to bounce back next season. There are reports the outside company brought for an audit of team processes throughout the organization will start in October. Well, the halls of Yankee Stadium will be empty next week. No time to start like the present.

The managerial firings began today when the San Francisco Giants announced they had parted ways with Manager Gabe Kapler who won 107 games and the NL West Division crown in 2021. I have no interest in Kapler as Yankees manager although I have already seen numerous social media posts to that effect. I would rather have Joe Girardi as the manager than Kapler, and believe me, I have no desire to see Girardi return to Pinstripes. He had his time. I am sure it was a hard decision for Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ President of Baseball Operations, but like the Yankees, I think the Giants front office holds more responsibility for 2023 on-the-field disappointment than the manager. Zaidi is probably seeing his own mortality as a team executive, and he was not going to fire himself. Does Yankees GM Brian Cashman serve up Aaron Boone as the sacrificial lamb?  At the end of the day, the buck stops with Zaidi and Cashman. They are responsible for the men in the clubhouse and the players on the field.   

My speculation is the Yankees retain both Cashman and Boone. Another GM was promoted to President of Baseball Operations today (Nick Krall of the Cincinnati Reds). With so many GMs making this transition, it seems inevitable the Yankees will do the same for Cashman one day or at least they should if they are not going to fire him. It is time for a new Yankees GM regardless of how Cashman is moved out of the position (firing or promotion). Promoting a failure seems counterproductive, but I will not believe that Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner has the stones to fire Cashman unless he ACTUALLY does it. 

Hal Steinbrenner (Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

The Yankees game went from 0-0 first pitch to 8-0 Royals in the bottom of the first inning with no outs and Carlos Rodón already out of the game. As David Cone just said, when it rains, it pours. You would think the Yankees would enter the season’s final series with some pride, and at least have some success against one of baseball’s worst teams. Yet, the Yankees are getting bludgeoned to death. It seems par for the course this season. The first inning ended 9-0 in favor of the Royals. One of the worst innings I have ever seen in my life. Well, my little league team, George’s Pizza, did have a few bad ones if memory serves correctly. But the Yankees made it professionally bad. 

Frankie Montas is expected to pitch a few innings this weekend. There seems to be some interest on both sides for a reunion next season. The Yankees should only do it on a short-term, “make-good” contract to see if they can discover the pitcher that they thought they were getting from the Oakland A’s.  If another team wants to offer Montas a three- or four-year deal, call it a sunk loss and move on. 

I doubt the Yankees can eliminate Giancarlo Stanton or DJ LeMahieu this offseason, but the team would be better in the long run if they could. Even if they must pay the bulk of the contract, the Yankees should try to find a way to move Stanton. Of course, any move would take Stanton’s blessing, but a change of scenery could be good for him, as he might find greater success elsewhere. The Giants or the Dodgers seem like the most logical landing spots if either team is interested in Stanton at a discounted price. I like LeMahieu, but his best days are behind him and, sadly, they are not coming back. 

I have already accepted that Kyle Higashioka will not be part of the 2024 Yankees. Austin Wells has proven he belongs, and he will be half of the catching tandem with Jose Trevino, if not more. Ben Rortvedt in reserve, with promising young catchers on the way. There is simply no room for Higgy. He is a good clubhouse guy aside from his defensive prowess and occasional pop, but it has become a numbers game for him and there is simply no room for moving forward.

I am hopeful and optimistic that first baseman Anthony Rizzo will have a bounce-back year next season, but the Yankees need to ensure that they have strong first base support. I know many people do not want the Cubs’ Cody Bellinger, but he makes too much sense to me. He would give us a strong outfielder who can play first base if needed (and play it well). He can play center for most of next season, and then possibly move to left, if/when Jasson Dominguez is ready to return. 

Cody Bellinger (Photo Credit: MLB Photos via Getty Images)

If not Bellinger, it needs to be someone capable of multiple positions in addition to first base. It would be nice if LeMahieu could be that guy, but I am fearful that Father Time is no longer his friend. We become more injury-prone as we get older, and LeMahieu is trending in the wrong direction.

I have no desire to trade Gleyber Torres, but I do believe the Yankees would be stronger with Anthony Volpe at second base and Oswald Peraza at shortstop. I felt that way before Volpe made the Major League club in Spring Training, and I continue to feel that way. Keeping Volpe at shortstop just because that is the position that he grabbed in Spring Training does not make sense if the team is better defensively with Volpe at second and Peraza at short. But of course, if Volpe is the second baseman, where does Gleyber Torres play? Under that scenario, it might be necessary to trade one of the team’s best hitters. Or trade Peraza if it helps to acquire a starting pitcher capable of performing well under pressure. So, I will say that I prefer to keep Torres, but I am not opposed to moving him if it helps make the team better. 

If Peraza is at short or is traded, the question then becomes who is the third baseman? I would have liked to have seen Andrés Chaparro in the Bronx in September but there was no room for him. He will have a chance to make his case for third base next season, along with prospect Tyler Hardman. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees address third base from within or if they go externally through free agency or trade. With so many other pressing needs, it kind of feels like third base will get lost in the shuffle.  Peraza is capable of being the third baseman which would allow the Yankees to keep Torres, but it seems like Peraza’s highest and best value is either shortstop or second base. The Yankees need to figure this out.

I have liked Everson Pereira, the prospect, but as a Major Leaguer, I am not sure he is the answer for left field. He will continue to grow; however, I am not sure if he can fix the ‘swing and miss’.  Unlike this season, the Yankees need to ensure they have a strong left-field solution entering Opening Day 2024. As much as I want to see Pereira succeed, I think they can do better.

As for center field, I am not sure what the Yankees will do if they are not successful in acquiring a guy like Cody Bellinger. Estevan Florial deserves more time, but honestly, the Yankees can ill afford both Florial and Pereira in the same lineup.  One or the other. If Pereira is included in a trade, then take the chance on Florial in center at least until Dominguez is ready. Doing this, the Yankees cannot take any chances in the other areas of need. They need certainty…they need consistency…they need players who can play to the back of their baseball cards. 

I have not dived into pitching. There is Gerrit Cole, the soon-to-be AL Cy Young Award Winner, and then there is everybody else. I did mention Montas earlier, but the one guy who must find it this offseason is Carlos Rodón. His final 2023 start, with an inability to record an out after 35 pitches, allowing six hits, eight earned runs, and two walks, will leave a bad taste in the fanbase. Well, it puts an exclamation point on his horrific season. Rodón enters 2024 as the player with the most to prove on a team with a bunch of guys needing to prove themselves again. After this season’s pathetic performance (aside from his extended time on the Injury List), I am not sure that you can automatically pencil in Rodón’s name for next year’s starting rotation. For the money and years that the Yankees owe him, it seems inevitable he will be, but with all honesty, he should not be given anything. He needs to earn it.  My guess is the Yankees will move on from Luis Severino given so much other uncertainty in the rotation. They cannot afford for Rodón to crap the bed again.

Michael King, as of this writing, is the Yankees’ second-best starter and he spent most of the season as a reliever, albeit a very good one. I am in favor of retaining King in the rotation. I would like to see the Yankees sign Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He seems like a special player, and if the Yankees are truly in the running for him, they need to pull out all the stops to get him. The Yankees have strong starting pitching coming up through the farm system. Drew Thorpe seems to be on the fast track, and he has already proven he is the best young arm in the organization. With Rodón’s uncertainty, the Yankees cannot take too many chances with the other starting spots. They need to be RIGHT about the pitchers they choose, not something that has been a good front-office attribute in recent years. 

There are plenty of strong arms for relief in the bullpen and in the farm system. I am not too worried about the Yankees’ ability to rebuild the pen. However, they do need a legitimate closer. Clay Holmes is not that guy.  Holmes is good for the pen, just not at the back end of meaningful games. I hope the Yankees can figure this one out over the coming months. I have no idea who the Yankees could or should get, but I trust they can find an elite arm. They have the resources. 

The Yankees desperately need to rebuild the Analytics division, starting with the ouster of Assistant GM Michael Fishman. I recognize that wanting Cashman and Boone fired does not mean they will be, but clearly, the Yankees must see the poor decisions that have been formed on information provided by the Analytics team, led by Fishman. If the Yankees do nothing else with the Front Office this offseason, getting newer, smarter nerds is an absolute must. 

I am hopeful this is finally the offseason of change with the infusion of hope. I have literally waited years for Hal Steinbrenner to excite the fan base. Is this finally the year he acts like a true Steinbrenner? If not now, he probably never will. This is his moment to put his stamp on the New York Yankees. Hal was in charge when the Yankees won in 2009, however, his father, in health decline, was still in the background. Will history remember Hal as an owner committed to winning like his father, or is he just another also-ran in it for the profit? He needs to make his mark as the stand-alone ownership leader of the Yankees, no longer in the shadows of his legendary larger-than-life father or opinionated late brother. The Yankees organization created the culture of winning in the 1920s. Hal has a chance to redefine success one hundred years later. Is he up for the challenge? We shall soon see.

As always, Go Yankees!

Just One of Those Seasons...

 

Giancarlo Stanton (Photo Credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

The Yankees are not a good team…

Aside from a rare Friday night victory, Yankee fans were dealt a double whammy yesterday. The Yankees announced the placement of Nestor Cortes, Jr on the 15-Day Injured List with a rotator cuff strain in his left pitching arm (days after placing Carlos Rodón on the Injured List), and that Luis Severino (ugh!) will make his next start on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. Most fans felt the team needed to bring in a pitcher and a left fielder before the August 1 deadline, and in retrospect, that need has been heavily underscored in the days following the deadline. 

Losing Nestor hurts. The Yankees’ playoff chances were in doubt before his loss, so the reinjury of Nestor’s rotator cuff moved the Yankees further away from the ability to compete for October.  

Continuing to start Luis Severino every fifth day has become a joke. The games he starts feel like losses before the first pitch is thrown and they generally are. In his last seven games, Sevy is 1-5 with an 11.71 ERA and 2.39 WHIP. The use of an opener on Wednesday did not help as Sevy gave up four earned runs on five hits in two innings of work, taking the loss and helping the Yankees to drop the three-game series to the Chicago White Sox. Expecting better results against the Atlanta Braves is not a prudent bet. I think I can speak for most fans when I say we have seen enough of Luis Severino in 2023.

Luis Severino (Photo Credit: Robert Sabo/NY Post)

An impending free agent, his chances of resigning with the Yankees are about as good as Aroldis Chapman’s were last off-season. I guess you could say that Sevy did not give up on his team like Chapman did, but regardless of whether Sevy’s ailments are physical or mental, 2023 is a lost season for him and he is not going to make a miraculous comeback. It is time to move on from Sevy and given how much I have liked the pitcher over the years, that is a tough but true realization. With Nestor moving to the Injured List, both Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito are in the Major League clubhouse. Yet, the Yankees continue to roll out Sevy every week for more losses.  I had expected Will Warren to make an impact for the Major League team sometime this season, but he is only 7-4 with a 4.27 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in nineteen starts this season in Triple-A. Still, I would probably rather see Warren take his lumps for the big-league club than watch Severino pitch again. Clayton Beeter seems like the only other minor league option, but he has fared worse at the Triple-A level (1-3, 6.25 ERA, 1.52 WHIP in six games). The righthanded pitchers are both 24 years of age. The Yankees need to rebuild their starting rotation next season behind Gerrit Cole and a hopefully healthy Carlos Rodón and it is important for the Yankees to find out what they have with the young pitchers like Warren and Beeter. I would rather see them grow at the Major League level now than be subjected to another Severino start. 

As for Nestor, they are saying surgery is not on the table. I hope that is truly the case. It would be disappointing for weeks or months to pass, only to find out that Nestor needs Tommy John surgery. Until he is determined to be fully healthy, it is hard to factor him as a primary rotation cog for 2024.  I am hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. I would love for the fears to be unfounded. The Nestor news was further aggravated by the disclosure that Frankie Montas will not pitch this season. There had been some hope we would see him toward the end of the season. Montas will go down as one of Brian Cashman’s worst trades despite several other strong recent contenders for the abysmal title. 

The Yankees have not faced a losing season since Buck Showalter’s first season as Yankees manager in 1992. They finished 76-86, tied for fourth place in the AL East. Currently, the Yankees are 60-56, alone in the AL East Cellar by one game.  A losing season is a possibility. The Yankees are four games out of the Wild Card chase and the gap between them and the current third Wild Card team, the Toronto Blue Jays, seems much greater than it is. The two outside teams ahead of the Yankees in pursuit of the Blue Jays, the Seattle Mariners, and the Boston Red Sox, have current win streaks of eight and three games, respectively.  They are doing what the Yankees have been unable to do…win consistently. Face it, the Yankees are not making the playoffs. Even if they did somehow manage to leapfrog the Red Sox, Mariners, and Blue Jays in the next month and a half, they would not make it far in the playoff rounds. I do not buy ‘anything can happen if they make the playoffs’ with this Yankees team. There will be no World Series parades in New York this year. 

The Yankees should have sold at the deadline. Standing pat was the worst thing they could have done. Either go for it or reload for next season. The Yankees chose to do neither. Now, we are faced with possibly the worst Yankees team in thirty-one years and a grim outlook for next season. What will it take for Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner to take action to restore the team to World Series contending status? If it takes a losing season to make it happen, so be it. Hal needs to take the necessary action to ensure the Yankees can compete with the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox in the coming years. Baltimore looks to be a very dominant team with their pipeline of young, growing star players. Hal has apparently made the decision to retain Brian Cashman, which I think is a mistake. It is time for new blood in the front office. Assistant GM and analytics nerd Michael Fishman is done. The Yankees need a new head nerd and a new manager if Cashman is not going anywhere. Well, they would need those two positions replaced even if Cashman was exiting. The point is the Yankees need to stop doing what they have always done and try a new, fresh innovative approach to help lead the team to successful results. I would love to see what the brightest available minds in baseball could do with the Yankees’ vast resources. 

Hal, your move.

So long, Deivi

In a surprise move, the Yankees designated RHP Deivi Garcia for assignment on Monday to make room for Jonathan Loáisiga. Garcia was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox and re-assigned to their Triple-A club. It is a sad Yankees ending for a pitcher that once held so much promise. Glad to see Loáisiga’s return but genuinely sorry it came at Deivi’s expense. Albert Abreu seemed like a better candidate for dismissal.  

 

Deivi Garcia (Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post)

With the number of talented minor league players that need to be placed on the 40-man roster this winter or be exposed to the Rule 5 draft, it was fairly obvious that Garcia would not survive his place on the roster come November. Yet, I did not expect the ending to happen so quickly.  The Yankees must have believed he offered no hope for this season since they were willing to let him go. At the very least, if the Yankees knew Garcia was not in their future plans, they should have dealt him at the deadline for a low-level minor leaguer. If Garcia finds success in Chicago, the Yankees’ mishandling of the pitcher will be forever magnified. It reminds me of New York Mets starter Jose Quintana who played out a minor league contract with the Yankees in 2011 and signed a free agent contract with the Chicago White Sox. Quintana proved the Yankees misjudged his talent. Hopefully, for Deivi’s sake, he can do the same. 

As always, Go Yankees!  

Fun Week in Yankees Universe...

Photo Credit: Mike Stobe, Getty Images

Gerrit Cole is a Yankee…

Sorry, but typing those words does not get old. This was quite the week with the brilliant introduction of Gerrit Cole at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.  Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone, and particularly Gerrit Cole said all the right things. “Pressure is a privilege” will certainly become as much a part of our Yankee lingo as “Savages in the box”.  Yankee fans especially liked Cole’s words “I’m here. I’ve always been here” while pulling out the 18-year-old sign from Game 6 of the 2001 World Series in Phoenix which featured the words ‘YANKEE FAN TODAY, TOMORROW, FOREVER’.

Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran, USA TODAY Sports

People seemed to dissect whether the sign was the original or not. Not that it really matters one way or the other, but I think it was the faded original. The point is a one-time young Yankee fan achieved his dream of playing for his favorite childhood team. A child who would grow up to be among the best in his profession.   

I’ve been looking for Hal Steinbrenner to excite the Yankees fan base for a few years and he certainly delivered this month. Of course, no sooner than the press conference was over, Yankee fans were calling for Steinbrenner to trade top prospect Jasson Dominguez to Cleveland for Francisco Lindor. As great as it would be to have Lindor in the Yankees lineup, it is not happening. If the Indians do trade their ultra-talented shortstop, it’s more likely he’d go to a team in the National League like the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lindor is scheduled to make $16.7 million in 2020 with one more year of arbitration until he becomes a free agent. The Yankees are trying to unload J.A. Happ to get his $17 million off the books to help the team get below the third luxury tax tier. As great as Lindor is, I don’t see the Yankees staying above the third tier. Without Lindor, many are already saying the Yankees are the favorites to win the 2020 World Series. I am not a prospect-hugger but I don’t want to trade Dominguez.  There are countless prospects overflowing with elite potential who never made it to the Show but still, I’d rather take my chances on a seemingly count-miss prospect like Dominguez even if he eventually flames out. He has a chance to be something special and I’d prefer to see it in a Yankees uniform.

@jassondominguez_7 via Instagram

For me, the only work that needs to be done is bringing in depth at certain positions. I’d like to see the addition of an infielder that can cover second and short to compete with Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada in Spring Training. A left-handed hitter would be nice. He can’t play short, but someone like Travis Shaw and his ability to play all infield positions except catcher and shortstop seems to make good sense. Wade, as the backup shortstop, could play a valuable role on the bench with his speed and positional flexibility. 

As much as I like Lindor, I think the one player I’d target if I owned the Yankees would be Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Rockies are apparently considering offers since they’re entering a rebuild situation. Financially-speaking, I don’t think the Yankees would take on his contract, but to me, there’s a greater need for a guy like Nolan at third base than there is for Lindor at short. I know, putting Lindor at short would allow Gleyber Torres to stay at second, and D.J. LeMahieu to remain as the Utility Man Extraordinaire. But to add an elite bat and glove at third base carries great value. With no disrespect to Gio Urshela or Miguel Andujar, neither is on the same level as Arenado as a complete premier player.  Nevertheless, I do not see the Yankees bringing in any more “big” names this off-season. 

I was surprised the Cleveland Indians finally traded Corey Kluber after years of speculation. Their return from the Texas Rangers seemed a bit light (outfielder Delino DeShields, Jr and hard-throwing reliever Emmanuel Clase). I don’t really feel bad the Yankees missed out on him.  He’ll be 34 in April, and he missed most of last year due to injury. Going to Texas represents a homecoming of sorts for Kluber as he went to high school in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. At some point soon, perhaps, he’ll be entering the decline phase of his career. Maybe he has resurgence in Texas like Justin Verlander did, but then again, maybe not. I’d prefer younger players to help keep the Yankees’ current championship window open. If the Yankees had missed out on Cole, then maybe Kluber would have been a great option. Heading into the season, I have no qualms about a rotation featuring Cole, Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and Jordan Montgomery. I do feel Happ will be traded so I didn’t include his name, and although I think Montgomery will be on an innings limit, we have guys like Deivi Garcia and Michael King ready to step in at some point next season.  I could see the Yankees bringing in a veteran starter on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Or Brian Cashman making a trade for a young, controllable starter is always an option. 

I expected Luke Voit to give up his number 45 to Gerrit Cole but I was surprised Luke went with number 59. On social media, he indicated he will wear the number to honor his brother who went to West Point and was Captain of Army’s football team. Makes sense. 59 has always seemed like a coach’s number to me and that’s who has primarily worn the number in recent years, but no reason that Luke can’t make it his own. Luke has a “football” mentality so it fits his persona. 

@lukevoit via Instagram

The excitement for Cole was nearly matched by yesterday’s news the Yankees had parted ways with their director of strength and conditioning, Matt Krause. While I believe it was a necessary change (much like the dismissal of pitching coach Larry Rothschild), I feel bad for Krause, the man. His dismissal most likely happened weeks ago and we’re just now hearing about it, but regardless of when the decision was made, you hate to see anyone lose their job prior to Christmas.  People view Krause as the reason for the high number of injuries last year and that’s probably unfair. Krause was the 2017 Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and had been employed by the Yankees since 2014. I am all for the change, but I do hope that Krause lands on his feet for his next opportunity. Sadly, he now carries the stigma of 30 men lost to the Injured List in one season, a MLB record.  Not exactly something you want on your resume as a specialist in strength and conditioning.

Credit to the Yankees for realizing the changes they needed to make within their infrastructure regarding coaching philosophies and the bright, new talent they’ve brought in with the changing of the guard. New pitching coach Matt Blake may be the face of the change, but this goes much deeper than just him. Yankees Assistant GM Michael Fishman, the analytics guru, is rapidly becoming a major force within the Yankees’ hierarchy. With the news that Assistant GM Jean Afterman is moving to Sonoma, CA for family reasons and will be working remote, it seems like Fishman may leapfrog her as a bigger voice, and now face, within the organization. His presence at Cole’s press conference was confirmation. 

I know many Yankee fans were disappointed yesterday to see Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher last year, Martin Maldonado, re-sign with the Houston Astros. As we saw with Austin Romine’s departure, the Yankees are not going to spend $3-$4 million on a backup catcher. Maldonado got 2 years, $7 million from the Astros and there’s no way the Yankees were going there. They seem committed to making Kyle Higashioka the backup to Gary Sanchez, but admittedly, I’d prefer a better Plan B than the return of 39-year-old Erik Kratz who was signed to a minor league deal this week. At this point, I don’t see the Yankees bringing in competition for Higgy. Jason Castro, currently a free agent, has experience with new Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson but I don’t see the Yankees paying Castro the money he’ll be looking for.  We were spoiled a bit by Romine the last couple of years since he always seemed to come up big during Gary’s IL stints.  But there’s no reason Higgy can’t deliver in the role.  He has superior pitch framing skills, and there’s some pop in his bat.  As much as I am looking forward to Swanson’s work with Sanchez, the same holds true for Higgy. The brightest catching prospects in the organization (Anthony Siegler, 20, and Josh Breaux, 22) have yet to play above Class A ball. 

Lastly, it appears to be the end of the Pinstriped road for former top pitching prospect Chance Adams. He was designated for assignment on Wednesday before the Yankees announced Cole to make room on the 40-man roster. It’s disappointing as many of us had very high hopes for Adams, but the last couple of years have not been fun. Like many, I thought Adams might be a stronger option in the bullpen but we’ll never know. He could clear waivers and end up back in Scranton/Wilkes Barre but it seems like somebody would be willing to take a chance, no pun intended, on the former top prospect. He is only 25, has an option remaining, and some team might think they can pull his potential out. You see pitching-starved teams like the Los Angeles Angels and think they’d be all over this. I expect a trade as the more likely outcome although I can’t really see the Yankees getting much in return. Hopefully the change of scenery will be good for Chance and he’ll achieve the Major League dream at some point in the not-so-distant future. I am sad it didn’t work out with the Yankees but it was not to be. 

The Yankees still need to make room for Brett Gardner once he is officially announced. If J.A. Happ isn’t traded, I think Stephen Tarpley is probably next up on the chopping block. I’d prefer to keep Ben Heller over Tarpley, and not really interested in parting with the younger arms that were added to the 40-man roster earlier this Fall. There was a time I wanted Luis Cessa to go, but he proved last year to be a good long-man option. With the departure of Nestor Cortes, Jr, Cessa carries more value than he did in seasons past. At this point, the next major milestone for the Yankees will be Februrary 12^th when pitchers, including Gerrit Cole – woohoo!, and catchers report to Legends Field in Tampa, FL. 

Photo Credit: Associated Press 

As always, Go Yankees!