The Offseason of Uncertainty...

 

Will the Yankees make the moves that make the difference in 2026?...

This is a weird offseason. I legitimately do not know if the New York Yankees will move to fill holes without completing the puzzle to ensure more regular season success and a roll of the dice for the October Crapshoot, or if the Yankees recognize the ownership groups in Los Angeles (Chavez Ravine, not Anaheim) and Queens have set a new World Order, forcing the team to go “all in”. Granted, the Mets flunked the season, but it will not stop Uncle Steve from throwing more of his money into the problem. Sunday’s trade of outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien puts them in the outfield arena for guys like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. 

The Yankees do not seem to be on the same playing field with the game’s best, even if they historically have been Major League Baseball’s most fantastic franchise. You have owners who play to win, and you have owners who play to profit. While you could argue that a World Series Championship pays the most significant dividends, it involves too much gambling, particularly for a conservative, professionally trained bean counter like Hal Steinbrenner.

Hal Steinbrenner (Photo Credit: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

I blame George Steinbrenner for not training a son to hold his same passion. That was what he was trying to do with a former son-in-law, although divorce tanked the plan. Hank Steinbrenner’s son, George IV, holds the magic name. I have no idea whether he keeps his grandfather’s (or his father’s) passion. Yet, I am ready for the next generation of Steinbrenners to ascend to the throne. Hal was not interested in the Yankees when he was young, and I pray he is working on an escape plan. I am surprised that selling the team does not appeal to Hal. I know, he holds his father’s legacy in his hands, but a sale would bring multi-generational money to the Steinbrenner family. Every year, I hope Hal decides to go “all in” like he did in 2009. Maybe this is the year, maybe not. Realistically, the latter seems like the most probable outcome…and I come away from the offseasons with a sense of disappointment.

Sadly, we move forward with Hal’s leadership, for better or for worse. A transition to a younger owner is years away. So, we are married to him and can only hope that the Steinbrenner blood works into some future decisions. 

As for the team, the offseason is well underway. A few moves have already been made. Trent Grisham, surprisingly, accepted the Yankees’ qualifying offer. He must have felt the compensation that interested teams would pay to sign him as a potential market suppressor. If he can replicate his productive 2025 in 2026, he will enter the free agency period next offseason with no strings attached. Not sure if this is one of those ‘bet on yourself’ moments, or if Grisham was not ready to end his Yankees tenure. I suspect it is the former regardless of how Grisham feels about the Yankees.

I have mixed feelings about Grisham. If he can replicate his performance next season, a one-year deal is not a terrible thing. The money that goes to Grisham could have been used to attract an elite free agent like Kyle Tucker. The Yankees can afford both, but recent history says the team will choose a cheaper route. I would love to have Cody Bellinger back in Pinstripes, but Tucker is better. I would hate to see the Yankees try to chase Tucker, fail, and lose Bellinger while they were grasping for Tucker. Admittedly, I would go with the surer thing and try to bring back Bellinger. I have seen many fans say the contract will age poorly, but at this point, I am concerned about 2026. We are not making moves for 2027 or 2028.

Somehow, Boston always seems to get out from under bad contracts, but the Yankees bite the bullet and eat the money.

Grisham’s return spells the end for Jasson Dominguez unless the Yankees pass on both Tucker and Dominguez and need a left fielder (again). A trade of either Dominguez or Spencer Jones this offseason seems likely. I would hate to see Jones leave. I remember when people were complaining about a young Aaron Judge striking out too much. He has had a nice Major League career, one that has guaranteed a trip to Cooperstown, New York, someday.

The Yankees also re-signed Clarke Schmidt to a $4.5 million deal for the 2026 season. Schmidt had Tommy John surgery in July, and I feared a potential non-tender, like how they have moved on from other Tommy John rehabilitators like Nathan Eovaldi. I can hear GM Brian Cashman now, “He’s like a trade deadline acquisition” when Schmidt returns mid-season. I am glad to see Schmidt returning, and I am sure his return will coincide with a rotation need.

Oswaldo Cabrera, who missed most of last season, also re-signed for $1.2 million. While I like Cabrera, his role could be upgraded. The Yankees need a shortstop to start the year, and if they acquire a legitimate frontline shortstop, keeping Jose Caballero in reserve, it would be hard to find a place for Cabrera on the Major League roster. Shortstop is a sore subject. I know the Yankees love Anthony Volpe, but the team can do better.

The Yankees re-signed LHP Ryan Yarbrough, a dude who knows his role and does it well. With the starting pitchers who will be late arrivals in the 2026 season, it's all-hands-on-deck for the Yankees' rotation. Yarbrough is not the answer, but he helps. 

There were a few surprises with the non-tenders. I got the decision to cut bait with Michael Arias, Scott Effross, and Ian Hamilton. The two that surprised me were Mark Leiter, Jr., even if he did fade in the second half, and Jake Cousins. Cousins underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so like Clarke Schmidt, he is out until the second half of 2026. Holding two positions for guys who cannot help when the season begins must have been too much for Brian Cashman and his cast of nerds. I wish it worked out for Leiter, Jr., or Cousins, but I know protecting roster spots over the Winter is challenging when other moves are anticipated. Bullpen will undoubtedly be an area of focus this offseason as the Yankees try to build a strong pen after last season’s struggles.

The Yankees tendered contracts to eight arbitration-eligible players. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm, Jr., closer David Bednar, set up reliever Camilo Doval, shortstop Anthony Volpe, utility infielder Jose Caballero, starter Luis Gil, setup reliever Fernando Cruz, and deadline-disappointment right-hander Jake Bird.

The Yankees also selected the contracts of outfielder Spencer Jones and pitchers Chase Hampton and Elmer Rodriguez in advance of next month’s Rule 5 Draft.  After watching catcher Carlos Narvaez thrive with the Boston Red Sox this season, there is consolation in the fact that the Red Sox gave us a pitcher who can ascend to the top of the pitching prospects in the organization. Rodriguez is currently the third-ranked prospect in the Yankees organization behind Jones and RHP Carlos Lagrange, according to MLB.com. I thought they would protect a couple of other prospects, but I trust they had their reasons.  I hope none of the non-selected players come back to haunt the Yankees. They are RHP relievers Harrison Cohen and Eric Reyzelman; LHP Henry Lalane (once highly regarded), LHP Brock Selvidge, and LHP Allen Facundo (not on MLB.com’s prospect list, but a talent that has drawn strong reviews); first baseman T.J. Rumfield; outfielder Jace Avina; and catcher Manuel Palencia. It seems like a few of these guys will be poached in the Rule 5 Draft. Whether they stick with their new teams remains to be seen, but they will be playing for an opportunity that the Yankees either could not or did not afford.  No doubt the Boston Red Sox will be rummaging through the Yankees’ trash looking for another ex-Yankee difference maker.

Tough decisions. I recognize that we cannot judge today’s decisions until we see the moves the team makes between now and Opening Day. The chances for success in 2026 hinge on the collective improvements made to the roster, not a few surprising individual moves in November.

Congratulations to Aaron Judge for winning the 2025 American League Most Valuable Player Award. My fear was that the voters would be unduly influenced by the historic season of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. He certainly went where no catcher has ever gone before, but Aaron Judge was the better overall hitter and deserved the award. The only thing that Raleigh did better than Judge, aside from the homers, was taking his team to the American League Championship. I still laugh when I remember people saying that Aaron Judge will never be Mike Trout. In retrospect, I am glad he is not Mike Trout, an injury-riddled 30-something former elite player. In Trout’s defense, I would love to see him rebound with one of his best seasons next year (so long as it is not at the Yankees’ expense). I have no idea what it must be like for him to watch his friend Shohei Ohtani win a World Series Championship every year since his departure from the Los Angeles Angels of "an hour away" Anaheim. I genuinely wish Trout could have been given better opportunities to win during his career.

As for moves to be made this offseason, I would love splashy moves, but those days are over. I quietly hope for Kyle Tucker, but I hope for at least the return of Cody Bellinger. I would like to see the Yankees bring in another Japanese player to re-establish the intense connection they once had with Japan. The Yankees have not had a Japanese player since Masahiro Tanaka departed (Kenta Maeda’s brief stint in the minors last season does not count). I would like to see the Yankees sign Tatsuya Imai. I recognize the 27-year-old righthander is not elite, but I want to think he can be as valuable as Hiroki Kuroda once was. I have cooled on Munetaka Murakami, a first baseman who can also play third base, so that I would take Imai as the preferred Japanese player over Murakami. Murakami was recently photographed having dinner with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, leading to speculation the Dodgers will continue to add to their elite Japanese connection. This is the magic the Yankees once held when Hideki Matsui was on the roster. The Yankees need to re-engage the Japanese community and make New York as attractive as the West Coast.

Tatsuya Imai (Photo Credit: Sports Nippon/Getty Images)

Usually, I am anxious and excited for the Baseball Winter Meetings. It has always been my favorite time of year. This year is different. I am unsure what to expect from Yankees leadership. Will they try to run it back with the majority of the 2025 roster, or will they legitimately make the moves to close the gap with the game’s elite teams? I have no idea or trust in the Yankees’ leadership to do what it takes.

Hopefully, a month from now, we will have a better idea of the team’s direction and plans to compete in 2026. If late December is just as foggy, it sadly does not bode well for 2026. So, either MUCH happens between now and then, or there are crickets with the Yankees hierarchy. Hal, please make us believe in the Yankees again. This is your birthright.

As always, Go Yankees! 

Yankees: Incomplete Finish is the Product of an Incomplete Start...

  

Photo Credit: Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Not addressing the team’s needs last offseason led to disappointing results…

The New York Yankees ended their season nearly three weeks ago, and the time has not done much to heal the wounds of a disappointing season.

The early exit at the hands of the current World Series participant, the Toronto Blue Jays, stung because the Yankees seemingly had the better team on paper. Of course, the best team on paper plus a dime will only get you ten cents. This year’s disappointment began last offseason when the Yankees failed to address third base and went into the season as a flawed team. Just when it looked like the Yankees had learned how to build a dominant bullpen in recent years, 2025 was a mess. Devin Williams looked better late in the year, but he shares significant blame for why the Yankees failed to repeat as the AL East champions. Luke Weaver, who most likely departs the team this offseason as a free agent in search of a starting gig, regressed, going from a lockdown reliever to another replaceable arm. His personality will be missed. David Bednar was the most crucial deadline acquisition, but he could not do it alone.

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman/Imagn Images

The Yankees have a large offseason needs list. They will soon meet to identify their offseason priorities, yet I fear it will be another Winter of ‘stopping short.’ Or worse, they try to run it back with the current roster, albeit with some minor adjustments.

Ryan McMahon was a needed acquisition at the deadline, and his glove helped to bring stability to the position, but the bat, with only occasional pop, is underwhelming. The Yankees should have tried harder to get a stronger overall player for the position last Winter. McMahon will be the third baseman for the near future, which is okay only if the Yankees are fully engaged in the coming weeks to build the best possible roster. McMahon is not the reason the Yankees got bounced early, and he will be a Yankee until 2027 unless the team finds a better option between now and then. I like his glove at third base so long as we do not need to rely on his bat. The phrase ‘offensive production’ can be taken several ways with him, yet he is what he is, and he was an upgrade over the departed DJ LeMahieu or trying to play Jazz Chisholm, Jr. out of position.    

The Yankees need to address their starting rotation. Gerrit Cole’s recovery from Tommy John surgery puts him as a mid-season option. Yet, it takes time to regain full form after Tommy John surgery. Immediate success may not come. We may not see Cole at his best until 2027. Carlos Rodón will not be ready for Opening Day after his recent surgery to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. Clarke Schmidt is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will not be an early 2026 option. There has been some speculation that he will be non-tendered. The decision reminds me of the Yankees’ decision to cut Nathan Eovaldi in a comparable situation and how Eovaldi has been a much better pitcher since. For Opening Day 2026, the Yankees have Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and Will Warren. Luis Gil will also be available, but in the long term, he seems better suited for the bullpen despite his starting success in 2024. Warren is “just that dude” at the back end of the rotation. Not expecting much from him other than to keep the Yankees in games.

We can dream about Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, but the Dodgers or the Mets seem like a more probable destination if the Tigers decide to trade away their ace. The Yankees should focus on other starters while the Dodgers and Mets are focused on Skubal. Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta seems like a good trade target if the rumors are true about Peralta’s availability. There will be competition for his services, but the Yankees can assemble an aggressive package to make it happen. Although the trades are unrelated, Milwaukee, by winning the Devin Williams trade, at least has some good feelings about trading with the Yankees. Former Yankee and current San Diego Padre Michael King is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent, and he looms as a possibility. I would enjoy a reunion with King. It was tough to give him up for what turned out to be only one year of Juan Soto. This year, he was powerful for the Padres, going 13-7 with fourteen quality starts, a 2.85 ERA, and 201 strikeouts.

Photo Credit: K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune

The bullpen needs offseason attention. David Bednar showed that he is the man for the ninth inning, but he needs a better supporting cast. Hopefully, last season was an aberration, and the Yankees can resume their prowess at picking relief arms. It would help to have a manager who does not routinely make bonehead decisions late in games, but it is what it is. Manager Aaron Boone is not going anywhere, whether you love or hate him. In Boone’s years as manager, I hoped for continued growth and evolution, but he is reaching the ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ stage.

Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner has the money to hire the best talent for the front office and the coaching staff. Yet, he is content with winning seasons that line his family’s pockets with wealth over his late father's ‘going for it’ style. General Manager Brian Cashman may be one of the better GMs in the game, but with no championships since 2009, it is time for new voices in the room. The game has evolved since Cashman became the team’s GM in 1998. I say it every year, and nothing happens. Still, the Yankees should move Randy Levine, the Team’s President, to the business side and appoint Cashman as the President of Baseball Operations, allowing the team to hire a new general manager. Granted, Cashman could overrule a new hire’s decisions, but bestowing power and authority in a younger, brighter mind would help.

Going down the ‘Fire Aaron Boone’ rabbit hole is senseless since Hal will not make a change.

First base is or is not a position of need. Granted, Paul Goldschmidt departs through free agency after one season. Yet, the Yankees need Ben Rice in the everyday lineup. If he is not catching, and Giancarlo Stanton continues to occupy the DH spot, first base is the best spot to plant Rice. I have seen some express interest in free agent first baseman Pete Alonso. I would rather focus on the outfield, pursuing free agent Kyle Tucker, despite his “Yankee-like” performance (i.e., unproductive October bat) in the Cubs’ losing playoff effort against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month. If the Yankees cannot sign Tucker (who seems like a future Dodger), they must re-sign Cody Bellinger, who will opt out of his contract next month after a productive first year in Pinstripes. I am not saying Bellinger is better than Tucker (he is not); nevertheless, I enjoy Belli’s versatility, and he provides an easy alternative to pair with Rice at first base when he is not playing in left field. If the Yankees cannot get at least one of Tucker or Bellinger, the offseason will be disappointing, regardless of how much you believe Spencer Jones can be the answer.

I am among many Yankee fans ready to move on from shortstop Anthony Volpe. Yet, he seems as entrenched at shortstop as Boone does as the Yankees manager. The projected ETA for top prospect George Lombard, Jr. is 2027, which means we must endure at least one more season of Volpe at short unless the Yankees make other moves at shortstop (unlikely). A full season of the speedy Jose Caballero provides backup support while we wait on young Lombard, Jr. That is better than Volpe and nothing that was featured before the trade deadline this year.

Trent Grisham will not return. He was the surprise of the season and earned the right to get paid. The Yankees have too many other needs to invest more bank in Grisham. They need to fully commit to Jasson Dominguez as the everyday centerfielder or make a trade for a younger (or, as Hal would say, cheaper) option to place between Aaron Judge and Tucker/Bellinger/Mystery Player in the outfield from right to left. There is a chance Grisham stays if the Yankees put a qualifying offer on him and he accepts it. I think he will be looking for a lucrative long-term deal to cash in on what might be his career year when it is all said and done and will reject the QO if given. Whether another team wants to give up a draft pick to sign him remains to be seen. Every offseason of free agency is different.

The coaching staff will feature new faces, while Aaron Boone continues to blow bubbles in the dugout. The Yankees have already parted ways with First Base/Infield Coach Travis Chapman and Bullpen Coach Mike Harkey. They also removed respected Assistant Hitting Coach Pat Roessler, with some speculation that he will be offered another role in the organization. Hitting Coach James Rowson remains a finalist in the Minnesota Twins’ search for a new manager to replace the fired Rocco Baldelli, so he may depart. There was early talk about Luis Rojas in managerial searches, but there is a better chance he returns as the Yankees’ Third Base Coach. To replace Roessler, the Yankees promoted minor league hitting coordinator Jake Hirst. If Hirst had not been promoted, he most likely would have left the organization for better opportunities, so Roessler appears to be the sacrificial lamb to retain the younger, talented Hirst. The poor bullpen performance is not Mike Harkey’s fault, but neither Michael Fishman nor Brian Cashman will fire themselves for assembling a leaky pen.

I look forward to the end of the World Series so the offseason rebuilding can begin. I know it will set us up for disappointment when Spring Training rolls around, but there is always HOPE the Yankees will make the right moves, even if history shows they never quite do enough to field the best possible team. Thinking about the possibilities (such as Tucker or Peralta) is exciting until they are off the board. Maybe Cashman pulls off another trade that shocks us all. The offseason is like Christmas…the anticipation of the gifts that await us.

I am glad to see Don Mattingly experience a World Series, yet I wish it had been with a team other than a hated division rival (or Houston). Dave Winfield, who battled Mattingly for the batting title in 1984, which Mattingly won on the season’s final day, won his only World Series with the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays. If the Blue Jays defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, he will be another former Yankee great who had to go north of the Border to find the game’s most fantastic prize. Although I have been a long-time Mattingly fan, I am pulling for the Dodgers to win the World Series. While I am not crazy about the Dodgers winning back-to-back titles, it is a better alternative than the Blue Jays as the World Series Champions. Ironically, Mattingly’s path to the World Series this year meant facing two of his former teams (he was the Dodgers manager before Dave Roberts).

Photo Credit: Hunter Martin/Getty Images

I was surprised when the Blue Jays crushed the Dodgers, 11-4, in the first game of the current World Series, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto's dominant complete-game pitching performance in Game Two last night, leading the Dodgers to a 5-1 win, sent the Series to Dodger Stadium with strong momentum for Game Three on Monday. The Dodgers’ starting pitchers will be the difference-maker in the Series despite Blake Snell’s clunker in the opener.

I cannot wait for the World Series to end and the Hot Stove League to open.

As always, Go Yankees!

The Magnified Lows of a Long MLB Season...

 

Oswald Peraza, Luis Rengifo, and Anthony Volpe (Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

After sweeping the Royals, the Yanks have lost six straight…

Just when you thought the Yankees were getting a good mix of pitching, hitting, and defense, they forgot how. The team's hitting slump has been a primary culprit, but Friday night’s error by Anthony Volpe in the eighth inning that botched a potential inning-ending double play, allowing the winning run to score for the Los Angeles Angels, was the poster child of what ails this team. It is blowing the key moments of games. It seems like baseball always comes down to a few key plays and how you perform during the game’s most intense moments.

Anthony Volpe is what he is. He is a decent player on a team with championship aspirations. He is not a superstar and will never be. Being a good player on a great team is not a terrible thing. Great teams need good complementary players to support the elite guys on the roster. My only request is for Volpe, or anyone on the team, to make the routine plays.

Losing six straight games is certainly not solely Volpe’s fault. This has been a team effort, or lack thereof.

Every season has its highs and lows, and this losing streak will end. Will the Yankees be in first place in the AL East when they start winning again? Maybe, maybe not, but there are still more than three months left in the season. In other words, there is time to turn the ship around and point it in the right direction despite the recent lackluster play.

The sting of the losing streak is playing so pathetically against the team’s most hated rival, especially since the Boston Red Sox had been playing so poorly until they ran into the Yankees (or rather, ran over the Yankees). Then, an inferior baseball organization like the Angels has taken advantage of every mistake, every gift handed to them by the Yankees. These are two teams the Yankees should easily beat, and they would have earlier in the season. When the season ends, the Yankees will have a better record than either the Red Sox or the Angels. It is time for the team to wake up and start playing baseball to the best of their abilities. Hopefully, it starts today.

My biggest frustration with the Yankees in recent years is how they always leave a hole or two in the roster construction. For the longest time, it was left field after Brett Gardner’s career had ended. This past offseason, third base was such a glaring and obvious hole to even the most novice fans, yet the Yankees did nothing but try to patch it with converted in-house second basemen. There was a time that I loved DJ LeMahieu, but he is not helping this roster, and while Jazz Chisholm may have the heart to play third base, his highest and best use is his work at second base. Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez is the current name most often mentioned for the Yankees. The Diamondbacks are currently 36-37, nine games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, and three games out of the Wild Card chase. It is the distance to the Wild Card that will determine if the D-Backs are buyers or sellers at the deadline, and whether Suarez will be available. I do not care if the Yankees acquire Suarez or another experienced third baseman; I just want a good third baseman to manage the position. Getting an elite player is unlikely, but the Yankees would be improved by putting people at their best positions…not asking them to play out of position.

If the Yankees were contemplating designating LeMahieu for assignment last year, it is something they need to consider in the coming weeks, especially if they can get Chisholm back to his natural second base. Oswald Peraza is another guy who needs to go. His spot on the roster can be upgraded. The former top prospect, who turned twenty-five last week, is not going to be a star, and the Yankees would be better served by getting a better infielder who can provide stronger support for Volpe at shortstop. No doubt if the Yankees dropped Peraza, he would get picked up by Boston and become a star. That is how it works these days as the Red Sox continue their rebuilding through the effective play of multiple former Yankees. Oh well, I have seen enough of Peraza, and I am ready for other options.

I am always amazed at how Boston can get itself out from under heavy contracts, and the Yankees never can. Boston stunned the baseball world following their recent sweep of the Yankees when they sent their best hitter, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants in a surprising trade. When I first saw the trade reports, I thought it was just another one of those hypothetical trades with a clickbait title. The Red Sox had strained their relationship with Devers, and regardless of whether it was Devers’ fault or the team’s fault, it was starting to look like an irreparable situation. The Red Sox made their bed when they signed former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, pushing Devers off third base. The breakdown was how poorly the situation was handled. Better communication with Devers would have helped ease the transition, but there was probably much behind the scenes that we may never know. Still, shipping Devers away when the Red Sox had just started to build some momentum after a slow start does not seem like the best move for October aspirations. I would not say the Red Sox only got a bag of balls for Devers. There is talent in the young players they acquired. One (James Tibbs III) was a first-round pick in last year’s draft. The worst aspect of it is the talent acquired is not ready for the Major Leagues, outside of Jordan Hicks. Boston may get some value this year, but more than likely, the incoming players (most notably Tibbs and Kyle Harrison) will help in future years, not this year unless the Red Sox can reignite the hard-throwing Hicks to the potential he once held. Boston seems to get more out of their young players than the Yankees, and I expect the Red Sox will do more with their recent acquisitions in time. However, in any way you slice it, losing Devers from their lineup hurts this year.

Rafael Devers (Photo Credit: Jeff Chiu/AP)

It is funny that Boston will immediately find out what life is like watching Devers from the opposing dugout when they travel to San Francisco this weekend. I hope Devers gives Boston the taste of some of those clutch late-inning home runs. Let them feel the pain and aggravation that we have suffered over the years. Devers was the biggest Red Sox thorn on the Yankees’ side since David Ortiz. I am glad the Yankees will rarely see him now that he resides in the Bay Area. He is the Dodgers’ problem now.

My biggest fear with Boston’s salary relief is that they will become a major player for Kyle Tucker when he hits free agency after the season. I know Tucker would be great in Yankee Stadium, but my preference is for him to wear the famed Pinstripes, not the Boston Road Gray uniform. It is hard to get excited about a potential superstar free agent signing, considering the Yankees have rarely been the winning bidder for the game’s best players in recent years. Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge, plus the brilliant signing of Max Fried, are the notable exceptions, but the Yankees have generally lost out on the game’s best talent. I assumed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tucker’s current team, the Chicago Cubs, would be major bidders for his services later this year, but we can now add the Red Sox to the list of teams with stupid money to burn. Well, the Dodgers might be out with the news that their owner is purchasing a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers for ten billion dollars. Well, not out, but enough to give some pause about adding another high-dollar contract.

For all the negative comments on social media about Yankees manager Aaron Boone, I thought it was a class move on his part to add Joe Torre as an honorary coach for the American League squad during next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta. 

Joe Torre (Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin/New York Post)

Torre, as a former Braves player and manager, will be well received by local fans, and his presence next to Boone brings back so many warm feelings about those great Yankees teams under Torre.  Boone also added Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to his All-Star coaching staff.

The trade deadline is a little more than a month away. It is time for Brian Cashman and company to start cooking. Fix what ails the team. I am not overly optimistic they will, but we can always hope. Go ahead, Brian, make our day.

Today is a good day for the start of a winning streak.

As always, Go Yankees! 

Juan, We Hardly Knew Ye...

  

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

Soto departs for the “greener” pastures in Queens…

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

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

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

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

Devin Williams (Photo Credit: Aaron Cash/AP)

Another beard bites the dust.

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

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

Alex Bregman (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

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

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

Cody Bellinger

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

Max Fried

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

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

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

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

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

As always, Go Yankees!