End the Snell-to-the-Yanks Talk...

 

Blake Snell (Photo Credit: Mark J Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

Yanks-Snell talk---Much ado about nuthin’…

I am ready for the Blake Snell rumors to die. He will not be a Yankee.

The Yankees have not indicated they are willing to spend what it would take to sign Snell, even on a short-term deal with a high AAV. Three-year contracts, with annual opt-outs, appear to be the rage this late into free agency, yet Snell, even on a short-term deal, seems beyond the Yankees’ appetite with the associated 110% luxury penalties on any additional payroll this season. The Yankees could trade money to add money, but dealing away a player like second baseman Gleyber Torres does not make sense when he is one of the best hitters on the team, regardless of Oswald Peraza’s readiness. If the Yankees could find a way to offload Giancarlo Stanton and his contract, sign me up. While it is great Stanton showed up to Spring Training looking much slimmer (showing his commitment to recapturing past success), I would move Stanton in a New York minute if I could. It would open the designated hitter slot for player rotation, and there is value in getting fourth outfielder Trent Grisham’s glove into games. But I doubt the Yankees can move Stanton and certainly not without paying much of the freight cost. The bottom line, the Yankees are done spending money for now.

With so much talk this offseason about adding another starting pitcher, I am ready to go into the regular season with the pitchers currently in-house (as if we have any other choice). It makes more sense to me to spend the money to add a reliable arm to the rotation than to deal away top prospects, but it is not my money, and the Yankees know their prospects better than we do. Clayton Beeter and Will Warren are emerging as the rotation depth, and everyone must start a big-league career at some point. I prefer a proven, veteran arm, but given the Yankees’ apparent unwillingness to pay the cost, the future rests with the top pitching prospects. I like Nestor Cortes; however, his best use may be as the long man in the pen. If his injury struggles continue this season, moving Cortes to the bullpen is something the Yankees need to consider.

It seems odd that the Yankees are most frequently mentioned with Snell, with much less talk of other teams. The San Francisco Giants, despite signing free-agent third baseman Matt Chapman last night, appear to be the best fit. They have room in payroll and need to continue adding quality players for new manager Bob Melvin in the highly competitive National League West. Snell’s best chance to join the Yankees was before they signed Marcus Stroman. We may never know the inner details of negotiations, at least not until someone authors a book about it. It does seem like Agent Extraordinaire Scott Boras overplayed his hand and did his client a disservice. Snell is not a $300 million pitcher, and at the end of the day, he could be calling the Los Angeles Angels home with Octobers free to pursue other interests when he could have been thick in the highly competitive American League East again with the greedy Pinstripes (pun intended). The Baltimore Orioles should sign Snell to use in tandem with Corbin Burnes. They have the money and the room in their payroll to do it. I guess it would be unpoetic justice if Snell ended the Yankees’ 2024 season in the playoffs wearing Birdland gear.

I have felt all off-season that Jordan Montgomery would be the best solution to provide stability and consistency for the rotation. Yet, unlike Snell, his name is never mentioned with the Yankees despite their history together. Either they or Montgomery (or both) have chosen to move on. Monty’s trade to St Louis for centerfielder Harrison Bader will never make sense to me. Bader had a few fine postseason games in his first year, but he has been largely forgettable as a Yankee. A good guy, fun to have the native-born New Yorker from Bronxville on the roster, and a brilliant defender when healthy, but Monty’s continued presence in the rotation would have given the Yankees more than Bader’s limited contribution. My best memory of Bader as a Yankee was seeing a pic of him with Nestor Cortes at a Knicks game.

Harrison Bader and Nestor Cortes, Jr.

Montgomery seems destined for the Boston Red Sox. If the Texas Rangers do not have the additional money it would take to bring Montgomery back to their championship roster, Boston has the clear advantage. His wife is working in Boston, and it gives him personal motivation to make the city his permanent home. I always hate when former Yankees take up residence in Beantown even though I love the city of Boston. It is the stain of the Red Sox uniform that bothers me. I was glad when James Paxton signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency for no other reason than he was no longer a Red Sock, just like I was when Nathan Eovaldi left the Sox. I love David Cone and I always enjoy his presence on YES Network game broadcasts, but it still bugs me that he wore a Red Sox cap after his tenure with the Yankees. Not that I feel the Yankees should sign Montgomery solely to keep him out of Boston, but it would be a nice side benefit. The Yankees know Montgomery well, and he has proven he can win in New York. His time away from the Yankees has only made him better, yet there is something that puts the Yankees off. Maybe it is just the cost…whatever. I am sorry it did not work out for Monty in Pinstripes.

Regardless of what the Yankees ultimately decide to do to bolster the starting pitching staff, neither Snell nor Montgomery will be the names called. Time to move on and be grateful for the guys currently on the roster. The potential of the lineup is better than last year’s 82-80 team. Time will tell if it is better than AL East opponents, and specifically, the Baltimore Orioles, but a half-month into Spring Training is generating much fan excitement about the team, unlike anything we have seen in the past couple of years.

It would be foolish to say World Series or bust, but the Yankees have a team, as currently structured, that can position itself to play in October. Once the team is in the playoffs, anything can happen. Nobody expected the Texas Rangers to win the World Series last year. The champion is the last team soaked in champagne, not the best collection of player names on a roster.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have had the best offseason of any team in Major League Baseball, but they should probably play the games on the field before collecting their championship pay. I have a feeling some team is going to disappoint Dodger fans (like they do every year).

I hope it is the Yankees in 2024.

The Revolving Waiver Door...

It is tough to keep up with the Yankees’ waiver claims since the end of last season. I thought the Yankees' claim of former Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Jordan Groshans was a nice move. Granted, Groshans has not fulfilled his potential and he has now gone through several organizations without success, but I was optimistic the Yankees saw something in the player they felt they could help unlock. Groshans’s stay on the 40-man roster lasted fifteen days. He was designated for assignment this week when the Yankees claimed outfielder Jahmai Jones off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. There is a chance Groshans will stay in the organization if he goes unclaimed, but he did not have much chance to show anything…assuming he had anything, of course.

Jordan Groshans (Photo Credit: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

I am not entirely sold on DJ LeMahieu as the team’s everyday third baseman. Not that I thought Groshans could suddenly blossom into a reliable and productive Major League baseball player, but for as strong as the organization is with shortstop/second baseman prospect types, third base is not as deep. I had thought former Yankees prospect Trey Sweeney would be the eventual third baseman even if he had been drafted as a shortstop. Sweeney was dealt to the Dodgers in the offseason for second baseman Jorbit Vivas, so he is no longer in the conversation.

The Yankees lost another third base prospect this offseason when Andres Chapparo left the organization through minor league free agency to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. I was a little surprised the Yankees never gave Chapparo any look at the Major League level late last year. I thought he had earned at least a little taste for a team that was not going anywhere last September. Yet, he was ignored and allowed to leave. There is no Roderick Arias or George Lombard, Jr developing at third base like there is at shortstop. The future at third base, as it stands today, will come from outside the organization if Oswald Peraza is not the future.

To clarify, my reservations about LeMahieu do not relate to his ability. He is a great defensive player with a productive bat. The concern is health. LeMahieu has missed time the last couple of seasons, and there have been times when nagging injuries have affected on-the-field play. After playing 150 games in 2021, his totals dropped to 125 and 136 games in the most recent two seasons. LeMahieu will be 36 years old in July. He is no longer a Spring Chicken. I doubt he will reach 136 games this season. He has entered the stage of his career where his highest and best use is playing with moderation.

The hope is Oswald Peraza can be the designated fill-in at third base for LeMahieu. Given how much the Yankees have tried to find infield depth this offseason makes me wonder how committed they are to Peraza. It was surprising to hear utility player Kiké Hernandez say his choices were down to the Yankees and the Dodgers before he ultimately signed a contract to return to LA. Peraza has nothing left to prove in Triple-A so I wonder what Peraza’s fate would have been if Hernandez had signed with the Yankees. Although Hernandez can play the outfield, the Yankees have Trent Grisham as the key outfield reserve off the bench, so clearly Hernandez was viewed for his infield versatility. Either Peraza is going to succeed at the Major League level, or he is not, but he deserves a chance. With no clear third basemen behind LeMahieu, Peraza must be the guy ready to stand in.

As for Jahmai Jones, I guess we will save the ‘Welcome to the Yankees family’ since there is no guarantee he will be around in a couple of weeks. When a better player comes knocking at the 40-man roster, Jones will lose his seat at the table like the waiver claims before him.

Jahmai Jones (Photo Credit: AP)

Last word…

I liked Marcus Stroman’s performance against the Baltimore Orioles today. Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted today that Stroman told him he would be starting the Yankee Stadium home opener on April 5 against his old team, the Toronto Blue Jays. I am pleased that Stroman’s assimilation to the Yankees has gone so smoothly. I was wrong when I once said that I did not want Stroman on the Yankees. I am glad he is here.

Marcus Stroman (Photo Credit: AP)

As always, Go Yankees!

Hell-Bent for a Championship...

 

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone (Photo Credit: Reid Hoffman/AP)

Wishful Thinking by Yankees Manager…

I desperately want to experience another Yankees World Series Championship in the not-so-distant future (like any true Yankees fan), but I had to chuckle when Aaron Boone remarked “We’re hell-bent on being a champion. We understand very well that last year was not anything anyone in this organization wants, demands, or expects.” Granted, I believe that acquiring outfielder Juan Soto was a HUGE move in the offseason, but I remain skeptical they have done enough to shorten the gap between them and the game’s best teams. ‘Hell-bent’ would be acquiring a strong number two starting pitcher to pair with ace Gerrit Cole. Marcus Stroman is nice, but if he is the definition of ‘hell-bent,’ then the Yankees clearly love taking Octobers off. Stroman will be a good pitcher for the Yankees, but whether he will be the difference-maker come playoff time remains to be seen if the Yankees make it that far.

Lately, it seems every post I write revolves around the Yankees' inability to pull out all the stops to bring championship baseball back to the Bronx. T. It is the product, or the hazard, of not winning since 2009. For as many World Series championships as we have experienced in our lifetimes (some more than others), there are fourteen-year-old Yankee fans who have never experienced a Pinstriped championship. I would be quite surprised if any fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds had a recollection of the 2009 World Series Champions. It saddens me that they live in a world where the Boston Red Sox have won championships and the Yankees have not.

I will let it go. I am happy and excited that baseball is back. It is quite enjoyable to see the players return to George Steinbrenner Field this week, participating in group training activities and giving on-camera interviews. I am looking forward to the first Spring game which is a week away.

It is impressive to see position players who have arrived early with the pitchers and catchers although I am still trying to get used to Alex Verdugo with no facial hair or the fact that he is even a Yankee. That should change once he takes the field in Pinstripes and when he delivers his first home run or game-winning hit. Regardless of who I wanted for the outfield when the offseason started, Verdugo is an upgrade over the players who patrolled left field last season. Like Juan Soto, I am not convinced Verdugo’s stay will be long. Verdugo will be a free agent after the season and if there are any missteps by Verdugo during the season, it seems like he will be allowed to walk away. I was recently talking with a Red Sox fan who seemed relieved that Verdugo was no longer with the Sox not because of on-the-field play but rather the challenges he represented in the clubhouse and the stormy relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Alex Verdugo (Photo Credit: New York Post)

Despite my concerns, Verdugo deserves a second chance. The problems in Boston do not automatically mean there will be problems in New York. There is a greater potential for problems than with your average player, but I am convinced that Verdugo learned from the Boston experience, and he will be a better man for it or at least I hope that is the case. Incredibly, the Yankees could lose two-thirds of their current outfield to free agency after the season even if Jasson Dominguez will be 100% healthy entering next season (hopefully). Man, I want to fully embrace both Soto and Verdugo, but the potential ‘one-and-done’ aspect holds me back a little. I guess a World Series championship would cure any hesitation.

I am cautiously optimistic about Carlos Rodón who reported to camp with no moustache and is throwing much harder than he did this time last year. He seems focused on proving who he is and showing us that last year was simply a bad aberration. Given the failure to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pursue a top free-agent pitching target, or trade for an upper-end starter, the Yankees need Rodón to be the pitcher they thought he was, the guy who dominated in San Francisco. As a fan, I want to have the same elevated level of confidence when Rodón takes the ball as I do when Gerrit Cole is on the mound. Rodón is not Cole, but he can shove if he pitches like we think he can and he knows he can. If Nestor Cortes suffers any setbacks, the Yankees need all they can get from the front-end starters. So, as it stands, Rodón is the key to the rotation. Cole will be dominant, Stroman will be consistent, and Schmidt will continue to blossom. Rodón can make this a great starting rotation rather than a good one.

I keep hoping the Yankees sign one of the top free agents, Jordan Montgomery, or Blake Snell, but I recognize it is a pipe dream. The Yankees will not add that amount of money to the already high payroll. I am a little surprised they remain on the market, but the cost remains high. Not trying to prospect-hug, but I would rather see the Yankees spend money to upgrade the rotation over parting with elite prospects to bring in a strong young controllable starter. I know the latter option represents the best financial decision for the organization, but spending the money keeps elite young talent in-house better. With no further additions, it seems inevitable that Luke Weaver will be thrust into the starting rotation at some point. If not Weaver, then Clayton Beeter or Cody Poteet.

There are lesser free agents available, such as Hyun-Jin Ryu and Mike Clevinger. Neither of those names excites me even if we are starting to hear Ryu’s name more closely linked to the Yankees. I have liked Ryu over the years, but good health has never been his friend. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and did not return until last August. He turns thirty-seven before Opening Day, and the thought of an older pitcher with an inability to stay healthy (the health concerns date back to his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers) seems like a poor investment choice regardless of how good he is. Mike Clevinger is not the pitcher he once was for the Cleveland Guardians. He is three months younger than Gerrit Cole, but Clevinger gets a ‘meh’ from me. I barely remembered that he pitched for the Chicago White Sox last year after a couple of years in San Diego. He was 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA for the White Sox, making twenty-four starts. I want to see better upside from any pitching additions if there are any.

With so many questions remaining, ‘hell-bent’ is not exactly the right word for the Yankees. I think the Los Angeles Dodgers have purchased the rights to ‘hell-bent’ although they probably deferred the dollars for the purchase. Juan Soto, with the limited other upgrades, seems like a Hail Mary Pass with the hope that all other Yankees can play to the back of their baseball cards.

I remain hopeful the Yankees can prove me wrong.

This Week’s Transactions

The Yankees have certainly been quite busy this offseason with waiver claims. I cannot remember the last time they were this active. On a side note, I saw that the Baltimore Orioles claimed brief off-season Yankee Diego Castillo on waivers. After he was designated for assignment by the Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed him. However, his stay in the City of Brotherly Love was brief and he hit the waiver wire again this week. I hope for his sake he has better luck in Baltimore. He has certainly landed with a good young team.

Earlier this week, the Yankees claimed infielder Jordan Groshans off waivers from the Miami Marlins. Recognizing that Groshans has failed to fulfill his potential as the twelfth player taken in the 2018 MLB Draft (by the Toronto Blue Jays), there is always cautious optimism that the Yankees see something they feel they can fix. I am not optimistic, but there is hope. At worst, he is depth for Triple-A. At best, he is the latest iteration of Gio Urshela who found new life as a Yankee. Groshans is only twenty-four, so he still has some time on his side.

Jordan Groshans

I am worried about DJ LeMahieu’s ability to stay healthy, which is magnified since he has been designated as the team’s starting third baseman, after the nagging injuries he has had for the last couple of seasons. Groshans can play third base so if he defies the odds to become Brian Cashman’s latest ‘lightning in a bottle’ acquisition, he offers some insurance although you would expect Oswald Peraza to be the first call for help at third base. If Groshans is starting third base for the big-league club, you know that either he blossomed beyond expectations or things have gone horribly wrong—nothing in between.

The cost for Groshans was a roster spot for LHP Matt Krook who finally lost his seat at the table when he was designated for assignment. I am surprised Krook made it this long. It must be a bummer to be within days of reporting to Spring Training, only to get a call to tell you to postpone your travel plans.

Seeking more pieces for bullpen consideration, the Yankees swapped a lower-level pitching prospect (RHP Joshua Quezada) for Milwaukee Brewers reliever LHP Clayton Andrews. Andrews, 27, only made four MLB appearances for the Brewers last season, spending most of the season in the minors. Like Groshans, maybe the Yankees see something that can be corrected. Looking at Andrews, there is one thing that stands out to me. He is Jose Altuve-small (5’6”). I get this image of him standing next to Aaron Judge and his head barely reaching the Captain’s waist. If he can get outs, I guess it does not matter how tall (or in this case, short) he is but he is certainly not going to have an imposing presence on the mound. Heck, that would be like me standing on the mound.

The Yankees also re-signed reliever RHP Lou Trivino who continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He should be ready to join the team later this summer. Once Trivino was firmly secured on the 40-man roster, the Yankees claimed reliever RHP McKinley Moore on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies. In the corresponding move, Trivino was moved to the 60-day Injured List to open the spot for Mount McKinley (6’6”, 225 lbs.). Now that is the size of the relievers I want to see on the mound! Booyah!

As always, Go Yankees!

Yankees Pitchers & Catchers, You're Up! ...

   

Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Florida

Steinbrenner Field is ready for the start of Spring Training…

The NFL season has ended. Time for the return of America’s Favorite Pastime.

After a few months of no baseball and a nice but not-as-great-as-it-could-have-been offseason for the New York Yankees, pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, February 15. The forecast for Tampa, Florida on Thursday, February 16, for the first workout, will be a high of 78 with partly cloudy skies. In other words, fantastic weather for baseball. The first full-squad workout will be on Tuesday, February 20.

There are reports the Yankees could still acquire the additional starting pitching they have been seeking during Spring Training. I guess the Dylan Cease rumors will be never-ending until the Chicago White Sox finally pull the trigger, if/when that ever happens. If the Yankees have resisted Chicago's efforts to include outfielder Spencer Jones in a potential trade, I cannot fault the Yankees. I know prospects are suspects until proven otherwise and ‘flags fly forever.’ However, the Yankees have traded away multiple prospects in recent years. For the most part, they have not been hurt by any of the trades. Yet, it is a depletion of the farm system. The best way to combat high payroll is through young, cost-controlled players who can play better than the league average on the field. In other words, you need to maintain a good mix of young and veteran players to keep the salary level from skyrocketing.

Spencer Jones (Photo Credit: New York Yankees)

I get the Yankees have gotten smarter and their system is one of the higher-ranked systems in MLB. I did not want to see pitching prospect Drew Thorpe traded, but it was the necessary cost to acquire Juan Soto. I would have loved it if the Yankees had acquired Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes before the Baltimore Orioles did, but I cannot say that including Jones in a potential trade would have been worth it even if Thorpe for Soto was. As it stands, the Yankees lost Thorpe and others for a potential one-year rental of Soto. Losing other top-ranked prospects for Burnes, who, like Soto, can also walk after the season, is too much unless the Yankees genuinely believed that he was the difference-maker for winning the World Series. The Yankees are not the odds-on favorite to win it all, and Burnes would not have cinched it for them. Sure, the Yankees can win the World Series this year, but they are not the prohibitive favorites and Burnes would not have changed it.

I know the Yankees have held onto certain prospects too long (past their peak values), yet I support the Yankees if they believe Jones can be a special player. I have seen some people say that Jones will never be as good as Aaron Judge. Funny because people once said that Judge would never be as good as Mike Trout. Jones does not have to be Judge to be a valuable player for the Yankees. The Yankees know their players better than we do. I will give them the benefit of the doubt for players they believe they should hold versus those they are willing to package in the right deals. So, I am certainly not going to try and crucify them for losing out on Burnes because of an unwillingness to part with Jones. Again, I would have loved to see the Yankees acquire Burnes, but it needed to be at the right price that made the most long-term sense for the organization.

If the Yankees end up with Cease, I know that he is not on the same level as Burnes. As such, the cost should not be as high as the package the Orioles put together for Burnes. It should not cost the absolute best prospects in the organization, a group headed by Jones and Jasson Dominguez.

Maybe the Yankees will do nothing, and head into the season with a starting rotation consisting of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Jr, and Clarke Schmidt. It is not like the Yankees are trying to do patchwork with unproven starters. All five guys have proven they can win Major League games. Health concerns aside, it is a formidable group. No doubt we will see starting performances by Cody Poteet, Clayton Beeter, Luis Gil, and others. The question becomes whether this group can get the Yankees to the trade deadline when a potential deal for another starting pitcher brings the needed reinforcement. Barring a Spring Training trade (or signing), this seems to be the current path.

For most of the winter, I had some hope the Yankees would turn to Jordan Montgomery as a potential rotation solution. You keep hearing that he wants to return to Texas, but with the calendar having turned to February and Montgomery still accepting offers, there is always a chance. The Yankees must have decided it was not an option for them as they finally gave away Montgomery’s number 47. If they harbored any hopes of signing Montgomery, they would have withheld the number. According to the Yankees’ website, the number has been assigned to one of the relievers acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Victor González. Thanks for the memories, Monty…the Yankees should have never traded you.

Jordan Montgomery

Speaking of numbers, I was surprised the Yankees gave a low jersey number (29) to non-roster catcher Luis Torrens. If the Yankees trade Ben Rortvedt, Torrens stands a good chance to be the emergency catcher in Triple-A (assuming Austin Wells joins Jose Trevino on the Major League roster as expected). I have low expectations that Torrens will make the Yankees; however, I am pulling for him.

Looking forward to the first sights of Spring Training. The pictures of players working out in Tampa were enjoyable, but it is not the same as organized team activities. The first surreal moment will be when Juan Soto arrives. The other new guys will seem like afterthoughts. Sorry Stro & Dugie, New York loves its stars.

Welcome back, Yankees!

Exhibition Games in Mexico

It was exciting to see the addition of two exhibition games in Mexico City on March 24 and 25.

The Yankees will play the Diablos Rojos del México at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium. They will be split-squad games since the Yankees will also be in Bradenton, FL to play the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 24 and at Steinbrenner Field on March 25 against the New York Mets.

Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú

It will be interesting to see which players are chosen to make the trip to Mexico City. I am hopeful that Jose Trevino makes the trip for no other reason than how excited he is about it. Spring Training usually becomes a grind by late March so the infusion of excitement for the Mexico City games will be a bonus in advance of Opening Day.

The Yankees last played in Mexico City in 1968 which was Mickey Mantle’s final season. A couple of the new guys, Victor González, and Alex Verdugo, have roots in Mexico like Trevino. They should certainly be on the travel squad, but I would like to see some of the regulars make the trip.

Adding Another Dodgers Reliever

Victor González will certainly see a few familiar faces at Steinbrenner Field this week. Alex Verdugo was a prospect in the Dodgers organization a few years ago and spent some time with the big-league club before he was traded to Boston in the Mookie Betts deal. Last week, the Yankees acquired Dodgers reliever, Caleb Ferguson, a lefty, for the left-handed reliever the Yankees had claimed on waivers from the Houston Astros, Matt Gage, and a low-level prospect, RHP Christian Zazueta.

Caleb Ferguson (Photo Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Gage may have had a chance to make the Opening Day Roster, but Ferguson is the better reliever. Not exactly Josh Hader, but the Yankees have proven an ability to put together an effective bullpen.

How long until Manager Aaron Boone starts calling the new lefty “Fergie”?

I like both González and Ferguson, but there is part of me that wonders why the Dodgers were so willing to part ways with them. I know they needed the roster space, but still. Oh well, it does not matter how they got here, and it does not mean that the two relievers cannot become part of Boone’s trusted inner circle in the bullpen.

Welcome to the Yankees Family, Caleb!

On an unrelated note, former Yankees reliever Lucas Luetge signed with the Boston Red Sox. Regardless of the player, I hate it when ex-Yankees join the Red Sox. At least the Yankees squeezed the best years out of Luetge.  

As always, Go Yankees!

Did the Yankees Stop Short? ...

 

Juan Soto

Yankees Offseason Shopping is seemingly over…

Before I criticize the Yankees for not doing enough to strengthen an 82-80 team, I acknowledge and credit GM Brian Cashman for acquiring one of the greatest young talents in the game…outfielder Juan Soto. His addition to the offensive lineup is a huge boost and he will help those around him. But…. If Soto is a one-year rental, I am going to temper my excitement and enthusiasm. I will be excited when he has his signature moment in Pinstripes, and we will cheer for every home run. Yet, he is only here for one year until proven otherwise. There is a real possibility that we get excited about Soto, only to watch him play for the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. So, I will hold any high praise for Cashman until if/when he can sign Soto to a long-term extension.

Early in the offseason, we had dreams of getting both Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. We know how that story ended. After Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers, there was hope the Yankees would sign one of the top available free-agent starting pitchers, notably Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell. Although the team allegedly made an offer to Snell, it was short of the pitcher’s expectations (or rather those of his agent, Scott Boras), and the Yankees quickly pivoted to Marcus Stroman. While I recognize Stroman is a good pitcher, going from Yamamoto to Montgomery/Snell to Stroman is a drop-off any way you slice it.

Recent social media posts had me believing the Yankees would make a run at Corbin Burnes in July at the Trade Deadline. Then, this week (and out of nowhere), the Baltimore Orioles seized Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers without sacrificing elite prospect talent. I am not trying to minimize shortstop Joey Ortiz or pitcher DL Hall, they are good, young players, but they were not the best of the best in the Orioles farm system. If memory serves correctly, The Greedy Pinstripes’ Daniel Burch wanted the Yankees to take Hall in the 2017 MLB Draft, when he was a top left-handed pitcher from Valdosta High School in Valdosta, GA. With the sixteenth pick of the first round in the 2017 Draft, the Yankees chose Clarke Schmidt. Hall slid to the Baltimore Orioles five picks later. At least Schmidt has not been a flame-out, but Hall, in combo with Ortiz, fetched an elite starting pitcher for the O’s. Like Soto, Burnes is a one-year rental, but I would be surprised if the Orioles do not sign him to a lucrative deal, especially if he proves to be a difference-maker for them this year. With the potential addition of new billionaire owners, the Orioles should be ready to compete with the big boys for a long time and they certainly have lots of room in the payroll for a few big contracts without breaking the bank.

Despite their unsigned status in February, I am not expecting Montgomery or Snell to fall into the Yankees’ lap. I would be highly surprised if the team signed either one given the luxury tax ramifications which would double the cost of the player’s contract. I am also not optimistic about a trade for Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox, but even then, he is not Corbin Burnes.

The Yankees are, apparently, ready to go to war with Gerrit Cole and question marks. Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes, Jr must prove they can stay healthy and can be the pitchers they were in 2022. There are questions about Stroman’s health given his bout with injuries last August. He is healthy now, but of course, that is what we thought about Rodón and Cortes this time last year. I probably have the most confidence, aside from Cole, in Clarke Schmidt. Although his early season starts last year were concerning, he showed growth and improvement, and his upward progression should continue as expected.

Clarke Schmidt (Photo Credit: @clarkeschmidt via Instagram)

Honestly, I wish I felt better about the starting rotation. If all the pitchers perform to their respective abilities and avoid injuries, the pitching staff will be a strength. Yet, Murphy’s Law always prevails. If anything can go wrong, it will. If the Yankees are forced to depend on starts by unproven minor-league pitchers, all of us will take our lumps. Not an effective way to play catch-up with the stacked Orioles, the always annoying Rays, and the ‘one of these years they will put it all together’ Blue Jays.

I like the feeling of confidence on days when Gerrit Cole is pitching. Win or lose, you know it will be a competitive game, and the opposing pitcher must bring his “A” game if he expects to beat the Yankees ace. I wish there were more guys on the starting staff who inspire the same or close to similar confidence for the fan base. Yamamoto would have been one of those guys, even though he has never thrown a pitch in a Major League regular season. Jordan Montgomery is not the same pitcher he was in Pinstripes. He is better. Not “ace-like” better, but still. Snell certainly falls into the ace category regardless of your feelings about how he pitches. As good as Stroman is, I was never concerned when he was the opposing pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays. I remember when it seemed like Baltimore’s Mike Mussina was always shutting down the Yanks until he became one. Stroman does not bring that same aura…at least not for me.

When the starting pitching door closed, it seemed like the Yankees might bolster the pen. But one by one, the available free-agent names have fallen off the board. The best reliever, Josh Hader, is now a Houston Astro. Former Yank Wandy Peralta joined Michael King, Kyle Higashioka, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, and Drew Thorpe in San Diego. I thought the Yankees would re-sign Keynan Middleton, but he went to the St Louis Cardinals. Phil Maton is close to signing with the Tampa Bay Rays. Not much left. It appears the Yankees will look in-house to help round out the pen, barring any last-minute signings or trades. I do not blame the Yankees for passing on Wandy. He was a good Yankee, but the Yankees got the best years of his career. Let the Padres tie up the years and dollars for the declining asset.

While Spring Training is still several weeks away and the Yankees may make some moves, they are finished. They will look to the farm system for help (Luis Gil, Clayton Beeter, Will Warren, and others) and will reassess in the days leading up to the trade deadline later this summer. I hope they have done enough even if I do not believe they have.

Yankees, PLEASE prove me wrong.

Binder Joe is Back

I was surprised to see the YES Network has added former Yankees manager Joe Girardi as a TV analyst for the 2024 season. Not that I do not believe Joe brings value but being placed in a role that can potentially criticize current Yankees manager Aaron Boone seems like an odd twist of fate. I do not pine for the return of Girardi as Yankees manager. He served his time. I would have graciously accepted his return in 2018, but it was not to be and just like the team has moved on, so have I. If Boone is replaced in the next few years, Girardi will not be the chosen one. If Girardi were such a great manager, he would still be the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, or other teams would have been burning up the phone lines trying to get a hold of him.

Joe Girardi (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Aside from the odd pairing of the former Yankees manager with the YES Network, I look forward to his in-season contributions. I think he can easily qualify himself as a lifetime Yankee with seventeen seasons in the organization as a player or coach. He brought good insight into his past role with the MLB Network. I was not aware that he is part of the Chicago Cubs broadcast crew, but it makes sense given his history with the Cubs. Multiple paychecks are a blessing.

I will break with one of Girardi’s favored phrases (“It’s not what you want”) and say Girardi on the YES Network team IS what you want. I think he will do well for the YES Network until such a time when/if he is presented with another management opportunity (elsewhere). Welcome back to the Yankees family, Joe!

Joe Girardi (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The YES Network’s TV analyst team paired with play-by-play announcer Michael Kay suffered from the loss of Ken Singleton to retirement and David Cone’s reduced games caused by his work with ESPN and Sunday Night Baseball. Girardi will help make up for those losses. It is wild to think Aaron Judge is the only current Yankee on the roster when Girardi last managed the Yankees in 2017. I am sure Yankee fans will be waiting for him to question Boone’s managerial decisions. I suspect he will take the high road, but time will tell.

I would not mind it if the Yankees hired Buck Showalter again now that he is free of his Mets-obligation. I liked Showalter’s in-studio work before he got the Mets job.

As always, Go Yankees!

The Call of Spring Awaits...

 

Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Florida

Spring Training Less Than 3 Weeks Away…

The New York Yankees are finished with the off-season’s heavy lifting, and we will only see minor roster tweaks, if anything, between now and the Valentine’s Day reporting date for pitchers and catchers.

It is hard to say that a team with a payroll of $300 million has not done enough to close the gap between them and the AL contenders, but I guess we will find out. I am appreciative of Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner’s willingness to spend. The only complaint would be how those dollars have been allocated. This is certainly not an indictment of Gerrit Cole or Aaron Judge as both men perform to the expectations of their respective contracts. For every solid deal, there is a Josh Donaldson type of decision that befuddles the mind (the original decision to add him and his hefty contract; not the later decision to part ways despite the cost).

I get frustrated when the Yankees take on a bad contract and then use it as an excuse not to pursue elite younger players. It is always as if there is a Jacoby Ellsbury on the roster blocking the addition of good to great players.

There is also a concern with the guys who are now on the ugly side of their contracts like Giancarlo Stanton where age has deteriorated the player below his compensation level. Sure, Stanton looks great this offseason and I hope it equates to a bounce-back year for him. Yet, time is not his friend. Stanton is thirty-four and while that age is not “over-the-hill,” he is closer to the end of his career than the start of it. A good year or two can still be in the cards, and maybe this year will prove fruitful for him after his offseason focus to improve his performance. If the Yankees could find a way of offloading Stanton, they should do it. I would prefer to keep the designated hitter slot open for Aaron Judge or other players on a rotation basis. So long as Stanton is a Yankee, I will pull for him and I honestly hope for a strong season, but I would absolutely have no problem if the Yankees decided it was time to move on. You know that day is coming. Eventually, the team will decide the player is not worth it when the remaining balance of the contract becomes a sum that they can knowingly absorb without any further contribution from said player. It will not be 2024, but I think the Stanton ‘Designated for Assignment’ Watch can begin in earnest next year, particularly if his 2024 season mirrors last season.

Giancarlo Stanton (Photo Credit: @giancarlo818 via Instagram)

The other player that concerns me is DJ LeMahieu. I have always liked DJ. I lived in Denver, Colorado during his final years as a Rockie, and he was one of my favorite “local” players. He has performed well as a Yankee, but like Stanton, Father Time has caught up with him. LeMahieu will be thirty-six in mid-July. His best years have passed. He can be an admirable player, a complimentary player, on a playoff team, sure, but he will not be one of its driving stars. I am not sure what I think about LeMahieu as the starting third baseman. I suppose it is a better situation than first base so long as Gleyber Torres is the second baseman. LeMahieu will become the de facto first baseman should anything happen to Anthony Rizzo, however, if Rizzo stays healthy, I do like the consistency of one primary position for DJ, instead of bouncing around the infield.

I have seen the talk that the Yankees are interested in free agent third baseman Matt Chapman which seems more like ‘agent-speak’ than genuine interest from the team. I like Matt Chapman, but he is not the answer. Maybe not the player so much as the dollars it would take to sign him. The Yankees have made it obvious that long-term plans at third base will not feature Oswald Peraza. If not Peraza, then LeMahieu does seem to be the most logical candidate for the position. I wish there were a better contingency plan in place. It is possible that Peraza comes to camp and makes a statement that he is ready to ascend to the game’s highest level. Anthony Volpe was the golden child during last year’s camp. This year it can be Peraza since Jasson Dominguez will not participate while he recovers from offseason surgery, although Austin Wells is the player that I want to see in Tampa on a mission. With no other options, I begrudgingly accept LeMahieu as the third baseman, but it is a position that bears watching should LeMahieu suffer any setbacks. I am hopeful Anthony Rizzo stays healthy this year to minimize the need for LeMahieu to play first base. Plus, the Yankees need Rizzo and more specifically, the player at the level of play before he suffered the head injury last season.

I am confident in most of the other position players. Austin Wells and Jose Trevino should form a strong catching tandem, with Wells having the potential to take most of the playing time if he takes his game to the next level. I am glad the Yankees did not trade Gleyber Torres and he is my second baseman until he is not. Last year at this time, I wanted Oswald Peraza as the starting shortstop, but the Yankees have made the commitment to Anthony Volpe…as they should. I expect offensive improvement from Volpe for his second year in the big leagues. He has the talent and ability to succeed. Manager Aaron Boone must figure out the correct outfield alignment with Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham (not to mention Giancarlo Stanton occasionally). It appears Judge will be the centerfielder, Soto will take right field, and Verdugo, a right fielder in Boston, will move to spacious left field. Trent Grisham will see plenty of time as the Yankees will look at ways to bring his defensive prowess into tight games. I am sure that Boone, with help from new bench coach Brad Ausmus, will fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

If Stanton and LeMahieu are my primary concerns among the position players, Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes, Jr. probably give me the most consternation among the pitchers. Both can be excellent pitchers. We saw it in 2022. Conversely, both pitchers were unable to stay healthy last season and there is no guarantee that 2024 will not be more of the same. When both pitchers arrived at training camp last season, they were healthy and ready to go, yet both missed considerable time with subsequent injuries. We should probably be thankful that Luis Severino is no longer a Yankee given his health concerns (I say that despite how much I enjoyed Sevy as a Yankee, at least the healthy version).  Gerrit Cole is not a concern, nor is newly signed Marcus Stroman despite his bout with injuries last August when he was first diagnosed with inflammation in his right hip and subsequently a rib cage cartilage fracture. Clarke Schmidt showed continued improvement, and there is no reason to believe that his progression to a middle-of-the-rotation starter will not continue. It seems like a near certainty that we will see Major League starts by Clayton Beeter, Cody Poteet, Cody Morris, and perhaps Luis Gil if all does not go according to plan. I wish the Yankees were bringing Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell to Spring Training along with Stroman, but it is crazy to think how much a pitcher like Montgomery would cost when you factor in the luxury tax penalties for exceeding the highest tax tier (basically he would cost double the face amount of his annual contract).  I am anxious to see the ascension of Chase Hampton, but he will not be ready for his Major League debut until late in the season at the earliest. He needs time at Triple-A to finish off his development.

Chase Hampton

While the bullpen still needs work, I am confident the Yankees will piece together another strong bullpen unit based on their history of successfully doing so. Call it the Tampa Bay Rays approach. Relievers can be so volatile from year to year. The next Ian Hamilton is just waiting for an opportunity. No need to spend top dollars for a guy like Josh Hader. I would like to see the return of Keynan Middleton, even more so than Wandy Peralta, although I would gladly accept both back. Although there has been some talk of Hector Neris, it seems like that ship has sailed even if Neris has not yet signed anywhere. The Rays are good at throwing a bunch of no-names together to form a strong bullpen unit, starting over from scratch every year.

I wish I had no concerns about the 2024 Yankees…that every position is filled with an elite All-Star player, carrying no question marks. Sadly, that is not a world that anyone lives in. Even the Los Angeles Dodgers have questions despite the huge financial outlay to bring in several of the game’s brightest young talents and featuring an abundant farm system that continually churns out above-average talent.

I guess this is why they play the games.

Bring it on. The Yankees may not win the 2024 World Series, but they will be better than the most recent team that posted eighty-two wins. So long as we have a competitive Yankees team that wants to play in October this year, it will be a better season for all of us. The Yankees are our team. As much as I would like to say Championship or Bust, and I know that has been the Bronx mindset, I think any of us would sign up for the intensity of the 2017 or 2019 Yankees even though those teams did not win the ultimate prize. If the Yankees leave everything on the field in terms of effort, missing a championship is more palatable than a team that simply gave up. No question a championship would reignite the excitement we had when the Yankees won the World Series under Manager Joe Torre in 1996 after an eighteen-year championship drought. It has been far too long since 2009.

I am ready for the 2024 MLB Season.

This Week’s Transactions

To make room for the recent signings of Marcus Stroman and Luke Weaver, and the waiver claim of Diego Castillo, the Yankees had designated three players for assignment. Infielder Jeter Downs and outfielders Oscar Gonzalez and Bubba Thompson. All three players were claimed off waivers by the Yankees earlier this off-season. Downs and Gonzalez went unclaimed after their placement on waivers by the Yankees and will remain in the organization. They have been sent outright to Triple-A.

The speedy Thompson departed the organization as the Minnesota Twins claimed him. I know Thompson would have been an asset late in the season and potentially in the playoffs with his speed, however, the Yankees have greater concerns and needs to fill. I wish Thompson the best in Minnesota. It does seem like he will have a stronger path to Major League playing time with the Twins. It would not be fun to spend the off-season as a thirty-ninth or fortieth player on a 40-man roster.

The Yankees also signed catcher Luis Torrens, a former Yankees prospect, to a minor-league contract.

Luis Torrens (Photo Credit: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The Yankees signed Torrens as an international free agent in 2012. He was taken in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft by the Cincinnati Reds, who immediately traded Torrens to the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later. The player-to-be-named turned out to be infielder/outfielder Josh VanMeter who also signed a minor league contract with the Yankees this offseason. The Padres kept Torrens on the Major League roster for the entirety of the 2017 season which kept him in their organization. A bad Padres team that was able to bury a not-ready-for-the-Majors player on the bench. After a few years in San Diego, he subsequently spent time with the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Nationals organizations. Torrens was robbed of valuable developmental time, and it prevented him from becoming the player he could have been if he had been able to stay in the Yankees organization. He is now 27 (will be 28 in May). There is no question I will be rooting for him. He is not going to make the Yankees’ Opening Day Roster but regardless of whether it is with the Yankees or another team, I hope he finds a home in the Major Leagues again.

As always, Go Yankees!

The End of Yankees Christmas...

 

Marcus Stroman

No more gifts for Yankees fans…

Are the Yankees done with their off-season shopping for us?

I know, when your team acquires one of the youngest and greatest superstars in the game, you should be ecstatic. Trust me, I am excited that Juan Soto is a New York Yankee, and I look forward to his presence at Yankee Stadium, wearing the famed Pinstripes. Yet, I felt like the Yankees needed to do more to overcome the disappointment of 2023. Plus, there is the concern that Soto calls the Bronx home for only one season before he departs for much greener ($$$$) pastures. If the Yankees had signed or if they could sign Soto to an extension before the season starts, my enthusiasm for Soto in Pinstripes would be much greater. He seems destined to be a Yankee, so I am hopeful that it becomes a long-term relationship.

I will give the Yankees credit. They did bring in a legitimate outfielder to cover left field in Alex Verdugo after ignoring the position last season. Granted, Verdugo is a right fielder who must learn the nuances of the vast Yankee Stadium left field but throwing him out there is better than trying to convert infielders like last season. I wanted Cody Bellinger who could cover center field and provide backup at first base, but it was not meant to be, so Verdugo is fine as an alternative albeit in left. I have gotten over the addition of a hated Red Sock. Now, it is up to Verdugo to prove he belongs.

Marcus Stroman is not exactly the frontline starting pitcher I had been hoping for after our dreams of Yoshinobu Yamamoto were destroyed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. After Yamamoto chose to play with Shohei Ohtani, I legitimately thought the Yankees would pivot to either Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell. If reports are correct, Monty is pining for a return to Texas and Snell simply wants too much money. The Yankees allegedly made an offer of 5-years for $150 million although I heard today it was for six years. Either way, Scott Boras rejected the offer, and the Yankees subsequently pivoted to Stroman. As good as Stroman is, it is not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison since Snell is the much better pitcher. If the rumors are true that Snell’s camp wants more than $200 million for the two-time Cy Young winner, I have no problem with the Yankees deciding not to play. Yet, by signing Stroman, I thought the Yankees would still aggressively pursue a second starting pitcher. 

On a side note, as a blocked account on Stroman's X (Twitter) account, I do believe he is a talented pitcher who is an upgrade for the Yankees. Even though I think Snell is the better pitcher, it is not like Stroman is a slouch (he is not). I will gladly accept Stroman over Luis Severino, a pitcher I loved during his time as a Yankee. Stroman will be a solid piece for the starting rotation. I regret telling him that I did not want him as a Yankee (the reason for the block) but those were my feelings at the time. Things change; we change.

Now, it seems like they are finished, although they will re-evaluate later this summer at the trade deadline. I am not sure Stroman is a difference-maker, but one thing is for sure, the Yankees are heavily relying on comebacks by Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes, Jr. I am not sure those are bets that I would place. It seems possible that the best-case scenario might be only one of the two emerging in 2022 form. I would love to be wrong with both players pitching to their respective ceilings. However, it seems like a long shot at best. It also places greater importance that Clarke Schmidt continues his upward progression. No doubt we will be watching Cody Poteet and/or Cody Morris starting games this year when the inevitable injury bug strikes. I would prefer going into Spring Training with six or seven guys having a legitimate shot at the starting rotation instead of just five, but it is what it is. May good health be with us.

I keep hoping the Yankees acquire Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians before the start of Spring Training despite the inherent injury risks with the pitcher. I have given up on the possibility of Dylan Cease since the White Sox do not appear motivated to move him now and if they are, the prospect ask is untenable. Realistically, we need to be prepared that all 2024 starting pitchers are already in-house.

When it became obvious the Yankees had slowed their search for starting pitching after the Stroman signing, there was hope the Yankees would redirect their attention to the bullpen. Josh Hader has been a dream of the Yankees fan base forever, dating back to his days in Milwaukee. As much as I would have liked the Yankees to sign him, there was not any indication to show they had an elevated level of interest. Hader is now off the board, having signed a 5-year, $95 million contract today with the Houston Astros. The Astros have a scary bullpen with Hader, Bryan Abreu, and Ryan Pressly. There has been some talk of former Astros reliever Hector Neris, a free agent, but it seems unlikely to me that the Yankees will meet his asking price. There has been chatter about bringing back Wandy Peralta although it is tough to look at that as a major upgrade. There were some warning signs with Peralta last year, and I would always prefer to move on from a player a year too early than a year too late. The Yankees may be finished with any further major moves. It might not be as much as we had hoped when the offseason started, but the Yankees are a better team today than the one who lost the season’s final game on the first of October last year.

The Yankees should always be greedy, so I am feeling underwhelmed even if I am trying to put a positive spin on it. Sorry, I just miss October baseball and want to be a part of it again.

Designated for Assignment

Because I am so conditioned to what the word “designated” means in Major League Baseball, I must admit that my heart always stops when I see my favorite NFL team has “designated” a star player for return. I know it is a positive in the NFL as an injured player is returning to active status, but the word carries such a negative connotation for the finality it means in the MLB that I cannot overcome that feeling when I hear the word in the NFL.

With that being said, the Yankees have designated two players for assignment this week (so far). They still need to make room for pitcher Luke Weaver so another one is forthcoming. The two players designated for assignment are outfielder Oscar Gonzalez and infielder Jeter Downs. I was looking forward to both players in Spring Training, but they always were the most logical players to lose their seats at the table. There is always a chance both clear waivers and are sent outright to Triple-A, but they have enough promise that other teams may or should bite. When Downs was designated earlier today, Boston Globe beat reporter Pete Abraham was quick to tweet “Yankees DFA’d Jeter today.” I am sure he loved typing those words. Downs had been claimed off waivers from the Washington Nationals in December. Gonzalez was DFA’d to clear space for Marcus Stroman, while Downs met his fate when the Yankees claimed infielder Diego Castillo, a former Yankees prospect, off waivers from the New York Mets. Castillo, along with infielder Hoy Park, was traded by the Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021 for Clay Holmes.

Diego Castillo (Photo Credit: Matt York/AP)

It does seem funny the Yankees are loading up on infielders. It seems like a prelude to a potential trade of Oswald Peraza or Oswaldo Cabrera. Or it might be nothing.

I am surprised the Yankees continue to carry five catchers on the 40-man roster. It seems like trading at least one of them (Ben Rortvedt or Carlos Narvaez?) would be a better option if you genuinely believe there is potential with Gonzalez or Downs. Maybe a catcher is moved to make way for Luke Weaver. If not, outfielder Bubba Thompson or reliever Matt Krook seem like the most logical DFA candidates.

Update: Bubba Thompson is the loser. He has been DFA’d to add Weaver to the 40-man roster.

International Signings

The Yankees made multiple international signings this week, as the new signing period opened on January 15. The big acquisition is Francisco Vilorio from the Dominican Republic. Vilorio, 17, is rated as the fifteenth-best international prospect according to MLB.com. The 6’4” right-handed outfielder received an overall scouting grade of 55.

Francisco Vilorio

Here is MLB.com’s Scouting Report for the prized prospect.

Vilorio is a tall, projectable outfielder with power potential and the ability to impact the game in various ways. The athletic teen has a solid bat tool and has a chance to hit for average and power in the future. He already shows emerging raw power, and more strength should come as his body matures.

Overall, he projects to be a middle-of-the-order bat and an offensive threat if he continues to develop at the expected pace. His offensive potential makes him valuable, but he’s also improving on the other side of the ball. On defense, Vilorio is toolsy enough to start in center field and just might stay there. There’s also a chance he outgrows the position and moves to a corner spot.

Currently, he shows the arm strength and the bat tool to profile as a right fielder, which bodes well for the team that signs him.

The Yankees paid close to $1.7 million to sign Vilorio. Their total international bonus pool allotment for the current signing period is $4,652,200.

Here is a list of the signings according to Baseball America:

 Francisco Vilorio, OF, Dominican Republic

Richard Matic, 3B, Dominican Republic

Dexter Peralta, SS, Dominican Republic

Queni Pineda, C, Dominican Republic

Alexander Almonte, RHP, Dominican Republic

Browm Martinez, OF, Dominican Republic

Angel Ventura, OF, Dominican Republic

Edgar Jimenez, C, Dominican Republic

Carlos Villaroel, C, Venezuela

Dylan Medina, OF, Dominican Republic

Carlos Rondon, C, Venezuela

Estivenson Montero, OF, Dominican Republic

Remy Veldhuisen, OF, Dominican Republic

Marco Manzano, LHP, Venezuela

Cristofer Reyes, SS, Dominican Republic

Jesus Marquez, C, Venezuela

Luis Ilarraza, RHP, Venezuela

Diego Gonzalez, OF, Dominican Republic

Diego Flores, C, Venezuela

Juan Araujo, SS, Venezuela

Junior Tavera, LHP, Dominican Republic

Enixon Sanchez, RHP, Venezuela

None of these guys may make it to the Show, but you never know. One or more of these names might be celebrating World Series championships down the Canyon of Heroes in the next decade or two. Vilorio and possibly Matic will get the most immediate attention, yet it is fun to watch the names that emerge as the players work their way through the farm system.

Congratulations to all the players who signed and to the Yankees for making them part of our family.

As always, Go Yankees!