Ready or Not, Here Comes Opening Day...

 

Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas

With a detour to Mexico City, the Yankees will soon arrive in Houston…

Less than a week until the regular season opens (well, at least for the New York Yankees since the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres already got the party started in Seoul, Korea this week).

Honestly, I thought the Yankees would be more active during the closing weeks of Spring Training in shaping the final roster. Granted, there are still a few days to determine the final 26-man roster that will head to Houston, Texas, so anything is possible, yet the clock is winding down. I am glad the Blake Snell rumors have been laid to rest now that he is officially a San Francisco Giant. We received another swirl of ‘Yankees connected to Jordan Montgomery’ rumors even if the likelihood is about as strong as the chance the Dodgers rehire Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. In other words, no chance in H-E-double toothpicks. Even if the Yankees’ back-office nerds do not like Montgomery, I do and I think the team could benefit from his consistency, reliability, and now, World Series experience. Give Monty a rotation spot and worry about other positions…not that one. Realistically, there is no way that Hal Steinbrenner is going to pay premium dollars for Montgomery since the amount would double with the luxury tax penalties associated therewith.

The best way to sustain an expensive business model is to supplement it with cheap, affordable, and most importantly, controllable, young talent. As such, Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, Cody Poteet, or Luis Gil stand a better chance of being in the Yankees rotation than Montgomery. My uninformed guess is that Will Warren will be nominated as the Man of the Hour, subject to performance, in a decision that can and most likely will change as the season progresses. I like Warren, and I am excited about his upcoming Major League career, but I would be foolish to say I prefer him over Jordan Montgomery, even with the price difference (hey, it is not my money!).

Will Warren (Photo Credit: @yankees via Instagram)

So, in other words, Will Warren, it will be. I know Luis Gil is under consideration, but he seems like a better fit for the bullpen (filling the role once held by Michael King). Yet, even if Warren gets the job, he will not be the last Yankees prospect to make his Major League debut in the rotation this season.

For the first few years of DJ LeMahieu’s Yankee career, I wanted him to have a set position. He was recognized as one of the better second basemen in the game (with emphasis on defense). Using him as a roving infielder never made complete sense to me, but to his credit, he has played respectively at both corner infield spots. Now, as he ages, I was admittedly concerned when I heard that he would be the starting third baseman this season. He can play third base, yes, and if healthy, he will not be a weakness in the lineup or on the field. Yet, it is that word ‘healthy’ that has caused me grief. LeMahieu and good health are, basically, a couple who are constantly screaming at each other. They cannot live with each other; they cannot live without each other.

LeMahieu recently fouled a ball off his right foot which caused a severe bone bruise. The MRI results were clear, so the prescription is rest and, of course, the Yankees tend to take a conservative approach when it comes to injuries. On one hand, you can feel relieved that LeMahieu did not break or crack a bone, but on the other hand, it is always something with him. He may not be the frequent traveler to the Injured List like Aaron Hicks was, but his ailments tend to reduce his effectiveness when he is playing. With Oswald Peraza on the shelf, the Yankees need a backup third baseman. I thought Gio Urshela made total sense before he signed with the Detroit Tigers. Or even JD Davis before he signed with the Oakland A’s although Gio is more versatile. I like Oswaldo Cabrera, but I am not excited about him being part of the everyday lineup in a critical position like third base. I know, he is an infielder by trade, but he has not shown he is an everyday player. I guess you must start somewhere. Minor league roster invitee Kevin Smith seems like an underwhelming option. With upcoming roster cuts by all teams, maybe a good backup corner infielder, who is cheap, will become available for the Yankees. As if LeMahieu’s health concerns were not enough, first baseman Anthony Rizzo was scratched from Friday’s exhibition game with a tight latissimus dorsi. Although Rizzo is expected to be ready for Opening Day, the Yankees cannot afford to lose both LeMahieu and Rizzo for any extended period without a solid Plan B in place.

I saw the Chicago White Sox released Mike Moustakas on Friday. There was a time when I wanted him as a Yankee. That time is NOT now. Eduardo Escobar, released by the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, does not excite me either. We know how GM Brian Cashman likes dumpster dives. These are not garbage pieces worth collecting but you know that Cashman will be sniffing.

I want the perfect team. Is that too much to ask? One would think over $300 million could ensure twenty-six elite players on the roster, but sadly, it buys you a flawed roster at best.

Oh well, bring on Opening Day, Part II. Thursday, March 28, 4:10 pm EDT, with cameras ready at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, will soon be here, y’all! Beers, BBQ, and a Yankees win. I love it!

The Last Straw in Cleveland

Now that Alex Verdugo has become “likable” (how did that happen?), the list of players I do not like has become much shorter. Cleveland’s Myles Straw has been a longtime resident on my list, yet his days in Cleveland might be over. Straw, beaten out by other Guardians outfielders including Estevan Florial, was placed on waivers this week. Sadly, with his contract (3 more years totaling $19.25 million which includes a 2026 buyout), no team will claim the dislikable outfielder. He will clear waivers and will be sent outright to Cleveland’s top minor league affiliate (he has sufficient service time to reject the outright assignment, although he would be dumber than I thought if he walked away from $19.25 million).

Myles Straw (Photo Credit: AP)

The Yankees visit Cleveland for a three-game series beginning on April 12. Hopefully, Cleveland does not have an outfield need between now and then to force Straw’s call-up. I am looking forward to a Straw-less series with the Guardians. Of course, that probably means that Estevan Florial will go off on the Yankees, hitting something like three game-winning home runs to win the series for Cleveland.

If the Guardians are making moves, I know where they can send starting pitcher Shane Bieber. Bieber would look great in road gray for the three-game series in mid-April.

Service Time Manipulation

Add Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday, Matt’s son, to the list of the young prospects demoted to delay the start of the MLB service time clock. The reasons for Holliday’s demotion seem legitimate. Holliday is moving to second base from shortstop since the talented Gunnar Henderson has the latter position. Holliday needs more time to learn the nuances of playing second base, an education that started this Spring. Orioles GM Mike Elias also cited Holliday’s lack of experience against upper-level lefthanded pitching. Young Holliday has only played eighteen games at Triple-A and is only twenty.

Jackson Holliday (Photo Credit: The Baltimore Sun)

Holliday hit .311 in Spring Training (14-for-45). He collected three doubles, two triples, and two home runs while scoring six runs. Many expected him to be on the Orioles’ Opening Day Roster. Yet, he did struggle against lefties, striking out nine times against southpaws.

There is no doubt Holliday will make his Major League debut in 2024. I am sure that once he is below the potential to reach 172 days needed to qualify for a full year of service time, he will look extremely attractive to the Orioles for a Major League call-up. He could still earn a full year of service without reaching 172 days if he happened to win the Rookie of the Year award (which is within the realm of possibility). Baltimore has way too many young potential superstars. I guess we should be thankful the Orioles have chosen to delay the MLB start of the latest one. 

As always, Go Yankees! 

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!

Marcus Stroman is a Yankee? ...

 

Marcus Stroman (Credit: @stroman via Instagram)

Stroman unexpectedly dons the Pinstripes…

Assuming the New York Yankees have chosen to move on from Blake Snell after he rejected the team’s 5-year, $150 million offer, I hope the pivot to Marcus Stroman, pending his physical, does not represent the end game. The Yankees need an upper-rotation starter to potentially place behind Gerrit Cole if Carlos Rodón is unable to pitch like the dude he was in San Francisco in 2022. The 32-year-old Stroman is not that guy.

I have mixed emotions about Stroman. I do not like the player, and I thought his war of words in recent years was childish along with the now-overplayed video of Stroman mocking the Soto Shuffle after striking out Juan Soto during a Cubs-Padres game. I am a little surprised the Yankees forgave Stroman for the shots he took at the organization and GM Brian Cashman a few years ago, but I get it, thick skin is a necessity in the Wide World of Sports. If the player has something to offer, the reward becomes more valuable than the risk in the eyes of the team (sometimes to a fault). Granted, acquiring Juan Soto was a popular move among the Yankees fanbase but the Yankees do not make moves designed solely to get fans excited as we have seen far too often. They want to win regardless of who we feel should be on the team. It is funny that Cashman has plucked two of the most despised competitors after the fan base had to painfully endure the hated Josh Donaldson. The social media posts saying the Yankees should go all out for Jose Altuve since they are collecting hated players are funny but hopefully, Cashman never takes it that far.

I am one of many Yankee fans who have been blocked on X (Twitter) by Stroman. My crime was saying that I did not want to see him play for the Yankees despite his talent. Now that he is a Yankee, I have no choice but to accept it (obviously). I am willing to give him a chance. It is on Stroman to prove he can be a capable Yankee. If he succeeds, everybody will be happy. If he fails, it is going to be a long two years for him.

Stroman effectively replaces Luis Severino who has joined the crosstown Mets. I know, Sevy left the bar quite low on his way out the door, so Stroman immediately became the better pitcher when he signed with the Yankees. As much as I loved Sevy as a Yankee, I feel better about the state of the starting rotation with Stroman. Honestly, I hope Severino can recapture the potential he once held, even if he is pitching for the Mets. But switching Severino out for Stroman was a move the Yankees had to make.

Marcus Stroman (Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

They cannot stop here. Another…a better…starter is needed. If Snell is out, do the Yankees pivot to Jordan Montgomery? It does not seem like there has been much fire between Monty and the Yankees. The Miami Marlins do not seem overly motivated to trade Jesus Luzardo and there is some talk the Chicago White Sox may hold onto Dylan Cease. Regardless, the price tags on Luzardo and Cease are astronomical. The best current option is Cleveland’s Shane Bieber who can be acquired without forking over multiple elite prospects. Bieber’s recent injury history is a concern, but when healthy, he can be one of the game’s best. I would love to see a reunion between Bieber and Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake.

Shane Bieber (Photo Credit: Dave Richard/USA TODAY Sports)

Regardless of what happens, it seems a given that pitchers will get hurt, and we will be looking at starts by Triple-A pitching depth at some point this summer.  If Bieber is the prime pitching acquisition, so be it. There are flaws with every available pitcher. The Yankees would be charged with placing Bieber in the best possible position to succeed if they are successful in acquiring him. He would not carry the burden of being the staff ace like he does in Cleveland. Sure, I would prefer Montgomery or Snell…or Cease or Luzardo…but the Yankees with Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, Alex Verdugo, Marcus Stroman, and potentially Shane Bieber are a much better team than the 82-80 squad of last year. The Yankees need to retain their current pitching depth (the organization guys like Clayton Beeter and Luis Gil, the returning Luke Weaver, and the new acquisitions such as Cody Poteet and Cody Morris) to help fill in for potential injuries. Top pitching prospect Chase Hampton should be available to help later in the season so keeping him is important. I am feeling better about the Yankees than I did a few months ago. It will be those final decisions (adding another starter and bullpen help) that will determine if this has been a good off-season for the Yankees or a great one. I will add a caveat that if the Yankees sign Juan Soto to an extension before Spring Training, that alone would convert this to a great off-season regardless of what the team does going forward. The one-year “rental” of Soto is the only reason I can go no stronger than “good” right now. The excitement about Soto in 2024 Pinstripes is tempered by the fact he could be in a different uniform in 2025.

Back to Stroman, I should take back that I dislike the player. It was more I did not appreciate his words and actions. I do not know the man personally, and I have always recognized that he is a talented pitcher. If you told me that I had to take one of Stroman, Trevor Bauer, or Domingo German, I would take Stroman every day of the week. Now that he is a Yankee, I do believe he deserves the opportunity for redemption. I was not so forgiving of Josh Donaldson, but I also do not believe that Stroman is washed up like Donaldson was when he joined the Yankees. I was not happy when I heard the Yankees had signed Stroman, but after a day, I felt better about the team’s decision to improve the starting rotation. I will not boo Marcus Stroman unless he gives us reason to as we move forward. The slate is cleared. When he takes the mound at Yankee Stadium, our interests will be aligned. I wish him the best as he embarks on his Pinstriped career.

There had been some talk the Yankees were interested in free agent pitcher Jordan Hicks as a piece for the bullpen, however, he has signed with the San Francisco Giants and will be converted from a reliever to a starter. With Hicks off the board, it makes Robert Stephenson the reliever to add. I seriously doubt the Yankees will pay top dollars for Josh Hader, so he does not appear to be an option unless his price falls.

I am glad to see Major League transactions are happening now that we have made it through the holiday season. There are talented players available who can help return the Yankees to championship contention. I am cautiously confident that Brian Cashman is not finished. At the end of the day, we will root for the team that takes the field on Opening Day 2024 so regardless of what happens or who is acquired (or not acquired), 2024 is a new season. We have hope. Selfishly, I want to be given reasons to heighten expectations, yet I will stand with the team we are given. Not trying to let Cashman off the hook, but rather trying to be a realist. The payroll is busting $300 million, and we have some of the game’s best players on the team. We have more than the average team. Maybe not as much as the Los Angeles Dodgers and their wealth of salary deferments, but the game is played on the field. I will take the Yankees for the win every time until the last game is played.

Yankees Settle All Pre-Arb Cases

The painful memory of Dellin Betances losing his salary arbitration case to the Yankees, worsened by the gloating of Yankees Team President Randy Levine, has not been forgotten. It happened seven years ago next month, however, it is the last time the Yankees failed to settle one of their pre-arbitration cases. The Yankees had a potential obstacle this year with Juan Soto, so I was extremely pleased when I heard the Yankees had settled all their cases.

For Soto, his 2024 salary of $31 million sets a new arbitration record, besting the Los Angeles Angels’ final year of Shohei Ohtani by $1 million. I was hoping the Yankees and Soto would negotiate a longer-term extension as opposed to the one-year salary, but it is Scott Boras’s world, and we only live in it. I still think the revelation and announcement of a contract extension during Spring Training would be a beautiful thing so I will keep believing it until it does not happen. The realist knows that Scott Boras will want to pit the game’s biggest spenders against each other before Soto’s next contract is determined.

Juan Soto (Credit: @juansoto_25 via Instagram)

Here are the agreements reached with the following players:

OF Juan Soto, $31 million

2B Gleyber Torres, $14.2 million

OF Alex Verdugo, $8.7 million

RHP Clay Holmes, $6.0 million

OF Trent Grisham, $5.5 million

LHP Nestor Cortes, Jr, $3.95 million

C Jose Trevino, $2.73 million

RHP Jonathan Loaisiga, $2.5 million

RHP Clarke Schmidt, $2.025 million

LHP Victor Gonzalez, $860,000

I am glad there will be no arbitration hearings this year. It is always best to keep Randy Levine muzzled.

As always, Go Yankees!

The Yankees Are Moving at (a) Snell's Pace...

 

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

Trying to decide the best route to Rotation Help…

2024, the year of Juan Soto. Spring Training reporting dates are a little more than a month away, and the Yankees, despite the acquisition of one of the greatest young baseball players in the game, are still a work in progress.

The swing and miss on Yoshinobu Yamamoto has led to endless discussions among the fan base about whether the Yankees should sign a free agent (Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell), or trade for a starter (Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox or one of the Miami Marlins’ young arms, Jesus Luzardo or Edward Cabrera). Of the free agents, while I think it would be cool to feature the reigning AL and NL Cy Young Award winners in the same rotation, I prefer a reunion with Montgomery. I know he can be a workhorse and he is not intimated by New York. There is no loss of draft picks for signing the former Yank like there is with Snell, who declined San Diego’s qualifying offer.

If the Yankees did sign Snell, I certainly would not be disappointed. I understand the pros and cons but at the end of the day, there is no perfect pitcher. Every pitcher has flaws. Some more than others. Whether Snell is not a fun pitcher to watch, or he walks too many guys (by design), he is successful and he will help a starting rotation. Yet, for me, Jordan Montgomery is more appealing. Snell may be the flashier signing but Monty’s reliability, consistency, and evident growth since he left Pinstripes are traits much needed by the Yankees’ current starting rotation.

Jordan Montgomery

Yesterday, there was some talk that Snell is interested in the Yankees, and Montgomery’s preference is to return to the World Champion Texas Rangers. Scott Boras represents both pitchers, and he is an expert in press manipulation to benefit his clients. So, until somebody signs the dotted line, talk and rumors are baseless and often not factual. If memory serves correctly, the Yankees were the clear frontrunner for Yamamoto’s services, and we see how that one turned out. Too many people like to use the press to sway opinions to their benefit, so I tend to look at baseball talk and rumors as fiction material.

Chicago’s Dylan Cease or Miami’s Jesus Luzardo (specifically among the two Marlins pitchers) seem like excellent options, but I do not see the Yankees trading multiple elite prospects. ‘Should they?’ and ‘Will they?’ invoke two vastly different responses. In terms of prospects, a talented team deep in superior prospect wealth like the Baltimore Orioles seems more capable of providing the White Sox or Marlins with the necessary ingredients for a trade than the Yankees. I am not trying to minimize Spencer Jones or Chase Hampton, but the Yankees have thinned the farm through trades in recent years whereas the Orioles are flush with young, overflowing talent. Everybody knows the Yankees need pitching, and no team is going to make it easy for them. Ultimately, Cash is King (money; not the Yankees' GM) and it is the Yankees’ greatest capital resource so they may have to take a bad contract to get a talented starter through trade along with the necessary highly-ranked prospects. These scenarios make signing Jordan Montgomery more attractive despite the inflated cost it will take. This offseason has shown teams are willing to break the bank for pitching. When the Cincinnati Reds are willing to pay an injury risk (Frankie Montas) $16 million or the New York Mets taking a similar gamble at $13 million with Luis Severino, you know that proven commodities like Montgomery and Snell are going to get paid for generations to come.

I know there is lots of time between now and Spring Training. Adding Juan Soto alone will not convert an 82-win team into a World Series contender. The Yankees would need so many ‘what ifs’ to go right. Hopefully, with the time remaining between now and Spring Training, the Yankees can add the necessary additional starting pitching to ensure the Yankees can compete with the league’s best.

I would place myself in the cautiously optimistic category. I want to believe the Yankees will add the necessary reinforcements…I am just not confident they will. I hope for better clarity in the coming days and weeks before the team starts arriving at Steinbrenner Field next month.

Several New Additions

The Yankees made two surprising moves yesterday even if neither one registers on the Richter Scale. It was first reported the Yankees had signed former Marlins pitcher Cody Poteet to a Major League contract. It is the second Cody obtained this offseason. Pitcher Cody Morris was previously acquired from the Cleveland Guardians for outfielder Estevan Florial. I guess when I said that I hoped the Yankees would acquire Cody (thinking Bellinger), I should have been more specific.

Poteet underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2022. He refused an outright assignment by the Marlins after the 2022 season and became a free agent. He subsequently signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals and was able to make a two-inning start for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate in September. Poteet’s minor league contract with the Royals contained an opt-out (in the event he was not selected in the Rule 5 Draft or subsequently added to the Royals’ 40-man roster).

Cody Poteet (Photo Credit: FOX News)

His contract with the Yankees is for one year, and it will pay $750,000 if Poteet is in the Majors or $200,000 if he stays in the Minors. He has options so he becomes the latest up-and-down starter to help fill the roles vacated by Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez (both of whom were dealt to San Diego in the Soto trade).

The Yankees officially announced the trade today, and Poteet has been added to the 40-man roster, filling the last open spot.

The Yankees also acquired outfielder Bubba Thompson through a waiver claim when he was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds. 

Bubba Thompson (Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The former Texas Rangers prospect, a 2017 first-round MLB draft selection, is only twenty-five and possesses elite speed. Unfortunately, his hit tool has not developed at the Major League level. He was designated by the Rangers in August, and claimed by the Kansas City Royals, finishing the season with their Triple-A affiliate. After the season was over, Thompson was claimed on waivers by the Reds. The Reds have been one of the more active teams this offseason, and they needed to clear a roster spot for reliever Buck Farmer, hence the waiver of Thompson.

When/if the Yankees add starting pitching and/or relief help, they will need to clear roster space. Thompson will be among those at risk of losing their seat at the Yankees table. He will join Jeter Downs and Matt Krook as guys who should not purchase homes in the New York City area.

MLB Yankees Roster

I wish the Yankees roster would be updated in real-time on the MLB/Yankees website. The site continues to show Alex Verdugo with the number 99. Blank (no number) would be a better option until the new number is revealed. Same with Trent Grisham who sports the retired number 2 on the website. I am confident he does not have Derek Jeter’s permission to wear the number.

Credit: MLB/Yankees.com

The Yankees also continue to show Sean Casey, who is not returning, as Hitting Coach along with new Hitting Coach James Rowson.

Credit: MLB/Yankees.com

I have also seen reports that Casey Dykes will return as assistant hitting coach but nothing about Brad Wilkerson.

Details matter and I wish the Yankees would clean up their website. They are quick to add and delete players. I just wish they paid as much attention to the content as possible. Sometimes it feels like they show the same disregard for the real roster.

A Bargain Sale

The Boston Red Sox front office, even if the names and faces have changed, has the luck of the Irish when it comes to unloading bad contracts. I was amazed they were able to trade former ace Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for a legitimate player (talented young infielder Vaughn Grissom who was blocked in Atlanta by Ozzie Albies). The Red Sox sent $17 million in cash to Atlanta as a partial offset to the $27.5 million that was owed to Sale, but it is still a net savings for Boston.

While I believe Sale can help the Braves, Boston was able to pull another money-saving deal like they once did with Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto when they shipped those contracts to the Los Angeles Dodgers more than a decade ago. Punto did not make much, but the inclusion of his contract, along with the other three, allowed Boston to get under the 2012 tax threshold and reset their luxury tax penalties. The Yankees never make these kinds of deals, sticking with players until the point that eating the remaining money owed becomes more tolerable than the player’s presence on the roster.

The chances Sale stays healthy are better in Atlanta since Sale is no longer the focal point of the starting rotation. They can afford to take it slower with him and put him in the best position to stay healthy. I have seen writers say new Red Sox General Manager Craig Breslow was fleeced by Alex Anthopoulos, but I do not see it that way. Boston is not going to contend next season, or if they do, they will not go far. Sale will be 35 this season and he did not figure into Boston’s long-term plans. They save money and get a new starting second baseman with Sale’s departure. Grissom is a piece to the puzzle in Boston’s attempt to rebuild a World Series contender. The money savings helped Boston sign free agent Lucas Giolito who will replace Sale in the starting rotation. While you can argue whether Giolito is a worthwhile addition (he was a hard pass for me as a Yankees option given his struggles last year), there is a chance that Giolito could find success in Boston. If he can rediscover the potential he once showed for the White Sox, the Sale trade will be a huge win for Breslow and the Red Sox.

Some trades are win/win for both teams, and that is how I view the Chris Sale trade for Boston and Atlanta…not that I want to say anything good about the Red Sox.

2024 Trade Deadline

Joel Sherman of The New York Post has reported that this season’s MLB trade deadline will be Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at 6 pm Eastern/5 pm Central. Last season’s deadline fell on August 1. Historically, the trade deadline had fallen at the end of July, but the latest collective bargaining agreement had empowered the commissioner to choose a date between July 28 and August 3 to give flexibility for scheduling purposes (avoiding afternoon games on deadline day when possible).

I preferred the simple July 31 deadline, but I get it. You do not want to impact players actively on the field (or withheld from play) in the hours and minutes leading up to the deadline.

So long as the Yankees are buyers on July 30, life is good.

As always, Go Yankees!