Baseball's Best Team Rolls On...

  

Miguel Andujar & Gleyber Torres / Photo Credit: Julio Aguilar, Getty Images

33 Wins in 46 Games, 6 ½ Game Lead…

It has been quite a week…where do we start?

For starters, the Yankees have a plethora of brilliant ones. Nestor Cortes, Jr has been a godsend, and arguably the best pitcher in the rotation. In the first two games Thursday and Friday against the Rays at the warehouse called Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida, Cortes, and Jameson Taillon each went eight strong innings against last year’s AL East champions, and the only run scored was a runner Cortes left when he tried, unsuccessfully, to pitch into the ninth inning. Both men struck out five Rays. There is no doubt in my mind that these are games the Yankees would have lost last year. It is a testament to the strength and cohesiveness of the 2022 New York Yankees.

When the Yankees win, it is friggin’ FANTASTIC! When they lose, it is the end of the World. Last year’s team gave us too many runs through the valleys. This year, onward and upward! Life is good.

I preface this by saying I wish injury upon no one. However, I am relieved that Aroldis Chapman has been removed, albeit temporarily, from his closer’s role with his placement on the injury list due to Achilles tendinitis. It has allowed the best reliever in the Yankees bullpen, Clay Holmes, to ascend to the throne. I do not know about you, but my confidence at the end of games has improved significantly.

Clay "The Closer" Holmes / Photo Credit: Getty Images

Holmes has pitched in twenty-three games this season, a total of twenty-four and a half innings. He has only given up one run on fifteen hits and has only walked two batters. He is 4-0 and has accumulated six saves and has not blown a save opportunity. He has punched out twenty-six batters and his fWAR is 1.0. I do not need to tell anybody those stats are damn good. Aroldis Chapman is a free agent at the end of the year. The Yankees should not be concerned with Chapman’s ego. It is a foregone conclusion he will not be back. Chapman has pitched a little more than ten fewer innings than Holmes, yet he has walked ten batters to Clay’s two. He has given up thirteen hits, six runs, and two home runs…with three wild pitches. Holmes has not surrendered a home run and has only thrown one wild pitch. Give me ninth inning certainty, give me Clayton Walter Holmes.

As for Chapman, he should join the setup crew when he returns. Choose his spots. If he demands a trade, comply with his wishes. I do not expect Chapman to rediscover gold. He is 34. He was great in his younger days, and maybe he can find new pitches, but not on our dime. It is time to move on. I am more excited about the return of Zack Britton from the Injured List than I am with Chapman. Britton knows a thing or two about being the most dominant closer in the game but even he should not close over Holmes.

Give props where they are due. The Holmes trade, which sent infield prospect Diego Castillo and Hoy Park to the Pittsburgh Pirates last July, ranks as one of the greatest in the Brian Cashman era. I can still remember my first reaction to the trade. “Who?” Cashman’s brilliance won out the day and I am extremely grateful Clay Holmes is a Yankee. Too often in years past, unheralded Pirates would go to Tampa and flourish. Turnabout is fair play. You could put Jameson Taillon on the list of great trades, but he was recognized, when he was still a Pirate, as a potentially great pitcher. His only vice was health. Still, Cashman placed his faith in Gerrit Cole’s buddy, and it has paid off too. So, congratulations Cashman. I have been down on you often, but I recognize you built the 2022 Yankees. Although you chose a different recipe than the one, we, the fans, wanted, the results have far exceeded expectations. Thank you for bringing the fun back to the Bronx.

Josh Donaldson suspended, sick and then hurt. What a week NOT to be Josh Donaldson! For calling Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson ‘Jackie,’ Donald received a one-game suspension. I agree. Something had to be done even if one-game seems light. Although Manager Aaron Boone was supportive of Donaldson, strong words from Aaron Judge brought light to the extremely sensitive issue. Although my initial reaction was the invocation of Jackie’s name was not racist, I have been able to see this in a different light and understand how the word could be viewed as inflammatory regardless of what Anderson may have said in the past.

Donaldson and Anderson will never be best buddies. They did not have the type of relationship that allowed playful words to be exchanged with each other. My bigger concern now is if Donaldson has alienated himself from a few of his current teammates. To Donaldson’s defense, he did issue a public apology to Anderson and the family of Jackie Robinson. Unfortunately, an apology only goes so far. Donaldson is not going to change who he is.

Donaldson was placed on the COVID-19 list earlier in the week with symptoms of the virus and has since been placed on the Injured List for shoulder inflammation. Although I appreciate the job Donaldson has done this year, particularly with the glove and the ‘take no shit’ attitude he brings to the team, the time away is probably good. Team chemistry is particularly important to me. I have not been in the Yankees Clubhouse, but you can sense that there is something different and incredibly special about this year’s team. I do not want anything to disrupt it. Hopefully, Donaldson returns to the team with some degree of remorse and can repair any potentially damaged relationships.

Chad Green, I am sorry. It was announced that Green, like Luis Gil before him, will need Tommy John surgery. I have been down on Green, but this is not how I wanted it to end for him. Since he will be a free agent at the end of the year, I wonder if the Yankees will simply move on like they once did with Michael Pineda and Nate Eovaldi. It would be nice to see the Yankees bring him back on a back-loaded two-year contract to help him through the rehabilitation and eventual return (he is expected to be out twelve to eighteen months), but I understand how valuable spots on the forty-man roster can be. Do you protect Green this winter or a young prospect with Clay Holmes or Luis Severino potential? As much as I appreciated the great years Green brought to the Yankees bullpen, it is most likely time for it to end and I am terribly sorry. I hope Green can recover and eventually find the payday that will set him up for the rest of his life.

Chad Green / Photo Credit: AP

Welcome to the Yankees, Matt Carpenter! The longtime St Louis Cardinals infielder is now a Yankee. I get that he has seen his better days. He is thirty-six and has not been great since 2018. The Cardinals chose not to re-sign him last Fall, and he subsequently signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. Last week, after failing to make the Rangers’ major league roster and stuck playing in Triple A, he asked for and received his release. There is hope off-season work he did to revamp his swing will pay dividends. He will never be the All-Star player he once was, but if he can help, great. Given the recent rash of injuries (Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, etc.), Carpenter has a chance to contribute. In his first two games with the Yankees, he has homered once (last night) and scored three runs. I have no idea what his future holds. When everybody is healthy, he seems to be the odd one out. Marwin Gonzalez has proven his value with his versatility and appears to be the more valuable of the two players. I guess we will just enjoy the ride and see where it takes us. Feel free to swing for the fences (or into the deep corners), Matt. Welcome!

Matt Carpenter / Photo Credit: AP

Welcome back to the Yankees, Manny Banuelos! Manny, after starting the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, has finally achieved his dream of making the Yankees roster. Sporting Dellin Betances’ old number (68), he has yet to appear in a game but hopefully he will get his turn. Like Carpenter, I do not know how long Manny’s pinstriped dream will last. It could be short. I hope he makes the most of his latest opportunity. It has been a long, hard road for him, and I will really enjoy it if he finally achieves success. We are far removed from the Killer B’s (Banuelos, Betances, and Andrew Brackman) and Manny no longer holds the promise he once did, but conversely, he has worked extremely hard to get here and has earned this shot.

The Yankees also brought back another former Yankee on a minor league deal when reliever Shane Greene was signed. Greene was traded to Detroit in the 2014 three-team trade that brought shortstop Didi Gregorius to the Yankees from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Greene developed into an All-Star reliever and saved thirty-two games for the Tigers in 2018. Greene was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers to a minor league deal in March and had been pitching for their Triple A club this year. He was called up to the Dodgers on May 15^th, pitched two scoreless innings and was designated for assignment two days later when the Dodgers activated one-time Yankees punching bag David Price. Like with Banuelos, I would like to see Greene find success with his original team. Given the injuries in the bullpen, he may get his chance.

Thanks to JP Sears for his successful spot start this week. It was a quick trip from and back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but with family in attendance, Sears performed brilliantly on Wednesday, May 25^th when he pitched five scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles and held them to three hits. It was the second victory of the year for Sears. No doubt we will see Sears again. It was tough losing Luis Gil for the year, but I am glad Sears is making the most of his opportunities. There is confidence with both Sears and Clarke Schmidt as rotation stand-ins.

JP Sears

Lastly but most importantly, my thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims of the horrific shootings in Uvalde, Texas. Every story of the children and two teachers lost are heartbreaking. I am not against guns, but clearly, this country can do so much better with gun control and safety. I get that it is impossible to keep guns out of the hands of professional, cold-blooded killers, but an eighteen-year-old kid should not be permitted to buy an assault-style weapon. I am disappointed that we, as a country, have not learned anything from the tragedies of Columbine, Sandy Hook and now Robb Elementary. Throw partisanship out the window, the solutions and remedies require full and unwavering bipartisan support. We must all come together to stop senseless violence and loss of life.

Photo Credit: Jae C Hong, AP

As always, Go Yankees!

Stretch Run to Opening Day...

 

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Mike Stobe, Getty Images

The dawn of 2022 Regular Season is upon us…

Winter is leaving. I know, it already left, but the upcoming week will feature the official return of the 2022 MLB regular season with Opening Day scheduled for Thursday. It has been a long, difficult road through the atypical and frustrating off-season that included 99 days of the owners’ lockout. I am glad it is over, and happy Spring Training is nearing an end. I know we had hoped for more notable upgrades, yet the 2022 Yankees as presently structured can and will compete hard in the AL East.

With rosters expanding to twenty-eight players until May 1^st, the Yankees are contemplating carrying 15 to 16 pitchers on the active roster until the May restoration of the maximum of thirteen pitchers (and thirteen non-pitchers). Between now and Opening Day, the Yankees will need to create room on the 40-man roster. I would like to see LHP Manny Banuelos make the team but then it becomes a question of who loses their spot on the 40-man to make it happen. Aaron Boone has given assurances that Albert Abreu and Mike King will be on the roster. Abreu is out of options. Boone’s assurance of a player’s spot, lately, has proven to be a precursor to a trade. I like Abreu but he seems to be a candidate to be moved if necessary.

Albert Abreu / Photo Credit: John Minchilli, AP

If I felt strongly about the other arms for the bullpen, I would consider trading Chad Green. He has been a good reliever for the Yankees, but if you could get a decent return, it would potentially be worth it. Considered one of the better relievers in the game, he is a good ‘sell high’ candidate if you feel he is replaceable. Not saying Banuelos is better than Green but looking at the composition of all the pitchers who could potentially step up, there are impact arms waiting for an opportunity. There are certainly plenty of internal options available and pitching coach Matt Blake has proven to be extraordinarily successful in his role, along with the other “new-thinking” pitching instructors in the organization. Plus, there are always guys like Clay Holmes who can be poached from other organizations.

I do not envy GM Brian Cashman for his upcoming roster decisions. The bench guarantees only one player…DJ LeMahieu. From there, it becomes a deeper shade of grey. Infielder/outfielder Marwin Gonzalez has seemingly done everything possible to make the Opening Day roster. As a non-roster minor league invitee, moves must be made a clear a spot for him. If the Yankees carry sixteen pitchers, then it seems Tim Locastro could be the odd man out. The Yankees need a backup catcher, expected to be Rob Brantly, until Ben Rortvedt is ready to play. It almost appears the Yankees must pick the worst of their available catchers for the backup role because whoever it is will most likely be designated for assignment when Rortvedt returns. Here is hoping Kyle Higashioka’s fabulous Spring carries over into the regular season. I have seen many fans projecting 20-23 homers and 70 RBIs for him. I am a little skeptical, but if he reaches those numbers with his excellent defense, it will be tremendous.

Kyle Higashioka & Gerrit Cole / Photo Credit: Tony Dejak, AP

Circling back to Locastro, it seems if the Yankees do carry an additional outfielder, besides Gonzalez, the choice will be between Locastro and NRI Ender Inciarte. I have to say it, the third option could be the return of Brett Gardner. Never rule out the Gardy Party until the party is over. Locastro seems to be favorite since he holds a spot on the 40-man. I have really liked Inciarte over the years and he might be my personal preference but either guy will be fine. Their Spring stats are oddly similar, slightly tilted toward Inciarte. Probably not enough to make a difference so I see Locastro retaining his spot. Speed plays.

Triple A games start on Tuesday so yesterday saw the following players re-assigned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre: RHPs Matt Bowman and Ryan Weber, INF/OF Phillip Evans, INF Jose Peraza, 1B Ronald Guzmán, and OF Ryan LaMarre. I liked what I saw from Guzmán. I would love to see him crush it in Triple A. The former Rangers farmhand may forever be one of those 4A type of players, but I am still pulling for him.

Ronald Guzmán / Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg, The New York Post

Hopefully, the next few days will bring an announcement the Yankees have signed Aaron Judge to an extension. The rumors circulate about $30 million average annual value, with the number of years being the point of contention. Judge turns thirty later this month and it seems his camp wants six or seven years. Judge is the face of the franchise. He is the most visible player since Derek Jeter. Pay the man. I get the rub of multiple guys with heavy contracts into their late thirties (Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton), but Judge is the franchise player. If there is a single player on the team that I could never see (or rather never want to see) playing for another team, it is Judge. Do the right thing, Hal.

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Adam Glanzman, MLB Photos

After Manager Aaron Boone had said Luis Severino was dealing with “general soreness” last week, thoughts of worst-case scenario began seeping in. It proved to be nothing as Sevy was able to throw a bullpen session the next day after a cancelled start.

I am ‘cautiously’ excited about Severino’s return this season. I know he was back late last year, but it was a limited relief role. It has been several years since he was a force in the rotation. Yet, any excitement is tempered when we hear words like ‘general soreness.’ I am hopeful it is nothing and the season represents a full return for Sevy. We need a strong #2 and he can be that guy. He is not today, but he CAN be if health proves to be his friend.

When I heard yesterday that Mets ace Jacob deGrom has been shut down for four weeks due to “a stress reaction on his scapula that has caused inflammation in the area,” it brings up fears we could get the same kind of news about Severino. Sevy is scheduled to make sixty pitches today in his last Spring start. I will be crossing my fingers that all goes well. As for deGrom, I am sorry the best pitcher in the game has suffered a setback. He will undergo another MRI in four weeks. Not that I care about the Mets, but I wish deGrom well in his recovery and hope he is back sooner than later.

Not sure why Brian Cashman mentioned 2017 again this week. Look, we were all wronged. It was a bad situation, but it is water under the bridge. There is nothing that can be done about it, and the Yankees are not going to be anointed a mythical World Series champion as a result. It seems like the Yankees are trying to deflect attention from the impending release of the “Yankees Letter” which the Yankees intend to appeal…again. I have no idea if the two are related but the timing of Cashman’s words is odd. If the Yankees Letter unfairly portrays the Yankees in bad light (singles them out for actions taken by other team as well), I can see the team’s resistance to its release. But if they singularly violated the rules, the letter should be released.

Final Word: I am incredibly happy and excited for the return of Derek Jeter. Jeter will be honored with Hall of Fame Induction Tribute Night on Friday, September 9^th at Yankee Stadium. 

If Jeter had still been the Miami Marlins CEO, this night might not have been possible. Selfishly, I am glad he is free from his loyalty to the Marlins and can make the high-profile appearance at Yankee Stadium. His long absence from Yankee Stadium has been difficult. He helped bring the twins, Mystique and Aura, from the old to the new Yankee Stadium. I will love seeing him back in the Bronx. Hopefully he brings the magic back home. 

As always, Go Yankees!

These Are Your New York Yankees...

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, AP

For better or worse, the Yankees roster is solidifying…

While it feels like the Yankees could have done so much more this interrupted and abbreviated off-season, it is hard to not have some excitement for the 2022 New York Yankees as they are presently structured. I know many of us wanted Matt Olson or Freddie Freeman and one of the elite shortstops, but it was not meant to be. It most certainly does not mean that the Yankees will not be good…they will be exceptionally good.

• 1B           Anthony Rizzo
• 2B           Gleyber Torres/DJ LeMahieu
• SS           Isiah Kiner-Falefa
• 3B           Josh Donaldson
• C             Kyle Higashioka (and Ben Rortvedt when healthy)
• RF           Aaron “Pay the Man” Judge
• CF           Aaron Hicks
• LF           Joey Gallo           
• DH          Giancarlo Stanton

A bench that will most likely include the versatile Marwin Gonzalez and the speedy Tim Locastro.

This is a better lineup than the one featured on Opening Day 2021 which featured Jay Bruce at first base and Clint Frazier in left field. I know we will miss the fun associated with Gio Urshela but clearly IKF and the Bringer of Rain are improvements. Gary Sanchez, well Gary, have fun in Minnesota before you hit free agency.

I had thought the Yankees would acquire an additional starting pitcher before returning north next month. For a while it seemed like they were hot after either Sean Manaea or Frankie Montas, but those talks appear to have cooled. The Yankees always seem to be hot after some pitcher, only to see the guy get traded elsewhere. With Opening Day less than two weeks away, I think the Yankees will revisit the starting pitching market in July when asking prices lower. The front office is expecting holes to be filled by the younger Yankees talent waiting for their opportunities in the Show, like Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and, if he has shaken off the disastrous 2021, Deivi Garcia. Schmidt is 26, Gil will be 24 in August, and Garcia will be 23 in May. Their time is now, and the Yankees do need to see what they have with these guys. Michael King pitches today, but he is better for the bullpen.

Clarke Schmidt / Photo Credit: AP

If Cashman makes any move between now and Opening Day, I fully expect him to address catching. Willson Contreras seems to be the most mentioned name, along with Oakland’s Sean Murphy. I feel we will see a new catcher before starting pitching or center field help if any trades are made. Two defensive catchers seem a bit underwhelming even if I am grateful defensive catching is no longer the liability it was just a season ago.

I doubt the Yankees trade him, but if there was one guy on the roster, I would trade today it is Aroldis Chapman. There is no chance the Yankees re-sign him when he hits free agency this fall. He is not the elite flame-throwing reliever he once was, and Jonathan Loaisiga has proven he is up for the challenge. I would love to eliminate Chappy’s salary to free up room for other areas and start Loaisiga’s run at the back end of the bullpen. No doubt we will see a transition this season. With Aaron Boone’s stated intention to use Chapman more consistently, even if that means bringing him in earlier in games, Loaisiga will be the safety net to potentially close out games.

Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, Getty Images

We have much to be excited about with this Yankees team. Toronto may be getting stronger, but they are not perfect. Although they have made some nice recent acquisitions, it can be argued they are not upgrades over the guys they lost. Boston clearly overachieved last year. They are making a huge financial commitment that Trevor Story does not show reduced production through the Coors Field effect and that he can successfully transition to second base. Just because DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado have been successful outside of the Mile High City, it does not automatically mean Story will be. I think he will, but it is not guaranteed. Nothing against former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi, but when he is your best starter (due to Chris Sale’s latest injury), there are challenges in the rotation from top to bottom. Tampa always finds a way, but there are no clearcut favorites and the Yankees can beat any of these teams.

It is time to get excited about our team, the Six Billion Dollar Men. Let’s Go Yankees!

A few new rules were announced this past week. Active rosters will be expanded from 26 to 28 players until May 1^st due to the shortened Spring Training. The maximum thirteen pitchers will not be enforced during the month of April. In a rule favoring Shohei Ohtani, if a team uses a starting pitcher as the DH, he can remain the DH after being pulled from the mound. Makes me wonder if we will start to see more players attempt to become two-way players with this rule and the universal DH. Lastly, in the return of a pandemic rule that has left many fans aghast, there will be a ghost runner at second base in extra innings. Too bad we cannot sign the ghost of Lou Brock or the phantom of Rickey Henderson’s younger days. I am indifferent to the rule. I have never been a huge fan of extra-inning games going beyond the tenth or eleventh innings. The longer games make players more susceptible for injury, and with fewer off days (and more double-headers) this season, it will be all hands-on deck for nine inning games. From a traditionalist view, it seems a bit janky to put an unearned runner at second base. Oh well, it is what it is.

A "younger" Rickey Henderson

These changes were agreed to by MLB and the Players Association but need to be ratified by the MLB Owners this upcoming week (through a simple majority vote).

I had been concerned about twelve arbitration eligible cases for the Yankees this year, but they successfully signed all but one, Aaron Judge. Judge filed for $21 million, while the club countered with $17 million. I am grateful the Yankees are not a ‘file and trial’ club. The Dellin Betances arbitration case a few years ago remains on my mind for how ugly this process can be. I simply cannot imagine going into a room to hear your employer tell an arbitrator how much you suck at your job. Human emotions surely come into play. As for Judge, I did not really expect them to agree on 2022 compensation since they are actively discussing a long-term extension. I am hopeful they can work it out before Opening Day. I am all in favor of retaining Judge and making him the team captain. I have no idea how Judge will age into his late thirties but that is not a concern for today. He is a great Yankee and a guy who can help win the elusive championship(s).

Aaron Judge / Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey, MLB Photos

Speaking of Dellin Betances, whatever happened to him? I think of him every time Manny Banuelos, his former Killer B teammate, runs out to the mound as a Mini Me #68. I know Betances has had his struggles the last few years, but I would love to see the Yankees sign him to a minor league contract. As for Banuelos, I am quietly hoping he makes the team. Good health has not been his friend (the Yankees seemingly have too many of those kind of guys) but watching Banuelos in pinstripes again has rekindled thoughts of how much I had wanted him to succeed when he, Betances and Andrew Brackman were the great trio of hope in the farm system.

Manuel Banuelos

It is kind of funny that so many fans did not want the Yankees to sign Carlos Correa due to his participation in the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal, yet it did not stop the Yankees from signing his former Astros teammate Marwin Gonzalez. I had thought Oswaldo Cabrera would inherit the utility role this year from Tyler Wade, but I like Gonzalez better (for now). He may not be the player he once was (when garbage cans assisted him), but he can help. With an ability to play both infield and outfield, he provides Aaron Boone an ingredient to field stronger lineups. Maybe he only proves why the Boston Red Sox cut him last summer, maybe he is something more. With the expansion of the rosters to twenty-eight, I view his signing as ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ If he does not work out, cut him. It is not like the Yankees are making a huge financial commitment with him. He needs a spot on the 40-man roster, but I am sure Brian Cashman will figure it out.

Lastly, Eli Fishman (@elifishman on Twitter) reported this week that George Steinbrenner IV has joined the Low-A Tampa Tarpons as an advanced scouting analyst. Young George is the 25-year-old son of late Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner. He mostly likely holds an ownership interest in the Yankees with his three siblings. I saw many fans cry nepotism at the news, but I like seeing a young Steinbrenner take an interest in learning the baseball side of the business from the ground up. Considering that neither Hank nor Hal exhibited strong interest in the Yankees when they were in their twenties, I like the ambition of Hank’s son. He seems driven to succeed and of course he carries a great name. For those who wish George Steinbrenner were the owner of the Yankees, maybe they will get their wish again one day.

George Steinbrenner IV

Speaking of the Tampa Tarpons, here is wishing a speedy recovery to their manager, Rachel Balkovec, who was struck by a baseball during hitting drills.

Rachel Balkovec (via Instagram)

As always, Go Yankees!

MLB Fandom Lockout Continues...

  

MLB Owners & MLBPA continue to show disregard for its fans…

The MLB Owners and Players Association finally met this week in a ‘why bother?’ one-hour session. The fool in me had been hopeful the first meeting regarding core economics in over a month would yield some momentum for further talks. Silly me. Now the wait for the Players Association to counter which most likely will be as aggressive as the MLB Owners were conservative…meaning the two sides remain miles apart. No time frame has been given for the Players Association’s response. There is a threat Spring Training may not start on time, but a shortened Spring Training is probably very appealing to both the owners and players. Now, it feels like this labor dispute could drag into March and delay the start of the regular season.

I think both sides are damaging the reputation of the sport. Much has been discussed about appealing to younger fans to help continue to grow the fanbase. Yet, the current state of Major League Baseball shows young sports fans that football, basketball, and hockey are tremendous alternatives. If MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to create a lasting legacy, he is on the wrong path. Hopefully, egos can be set aside, and cooler heads will prevail to bring meaningful negotiations soon. Maybe that is an overly optimistic view, but I cannot imagine the owners walking away from regular season gate receipts, especially after the trauma of the 2020 season. I do not understand the wait until the last minute. I understand each side wants to be the big winner but compromise for the sake of the game is more important. They can and will find common ground, but the question is when and at what cost to the fans.

We get this is a fight over our money. MLB Owners and Players, please remember this is not all about you. Get in a room, lock the door, and settle this…now.

Congratulations to Rachel Balkovec, the new manager for the Single-A Tampa Tarpons! This is a well-deserved promotion for Balkovec, who joined the Yankees in November 2019 as a minor league hitting instructor. I honestly wanted the Yankees to hire her as an assistant hitting coach for the big-league club, but this new role certainly befits the talented and industrious coach who is on her way to a bigger and brighter future in the Yankees organization.

Rachel Balkovec / Photo Credit: Yankees

Balkovec’s expressed goal is to be a general manager one day. I could easily see the Yankees eventually elevating her to assistant general manager. Jean Afterman is sixty-four and relocated a couple of years ago from New York to Sonoma, California. Balkovec is a possible replacement for the much-respected Afterman, when/if she decides it is time to enjoy the wonderful Napa Valley vineyards. Such an appointment could place Balkovec in line to eventually replace Brian Cashman. If not, it is a certainty in my mind that Rachel Balkovec will accomplish her goals through determination, perseverance, knowledge, and competitiveness. She wants to be a MLB general manager which means she will be a MLB general manager. For now, low level Yankee prospects will benefit greatly from an excellent teacher. I am glad she is on our side.

No word on a replacement for short-term Yankees assistant hitting coach Eric Chavez. The latest name mentioned is Eric Hinske, a brief one-time Yankee. His name excites me about as much as Mark Trumbo. In other words, not very much. Hinske served as assistant hitting instructor for several seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks until he was relieved of his duties in June 2021. I understand the need for a coach with Major League experience, a weakness in the current configuration of the Yankees coaching staff, but the Yankees can do better than Trumbo or Hinske. I like the idea of someone who has past ties to the organization but that is not a prerequisite. I want a coach who can team with hitting coach Dillon Lawson and assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes to provide a strong collaborative and synergetic trio to help make Yankee hitters better. I keep thinking Brett Gardner would be a formidable choice if the Yankees could convince him his playing days are over.

International Signing Day. For the Yankees, they are expected to sign top international prospect Roderick Arias. MLB’s Jesse Sanchez is reporting the Yankees have signed the young shortstop to a $4.0 million deal. The Yankees have not confirmed the signing. Per Sanchez, Arias has above-average bat-to-ball skills and strike zone awareness. He shows power from both sides of the plate with emphasis on the right side. Good opposite field power from the left side. Sanchez goes on to say the overall package could develop into a plus-plus hitter. Once the signing is confirmed, Arias will immediately be inserted into the Yankees’ current list of top ten prospects.

Roderick Arias

The presence of Arias and last year’s number one pick Trey Sweeney make it easier if the Yankees decide to include Oswald Peraza in a trade with the Oakland A’s to acquire first baseman Matt Olson. The Yankee still need more than a stopgap at short, but outside of Anthony Volpe or Jasson Dominguez, there is not much I would not give up to get Olson (although the argument can be easily made to simply part with money to sign Freddie Freeman). I remain on the bandwagon to sign either Carlos Correa or Trevor Story although their signings range from highly unlikely to mostly improbable. With no disrespect to the futures of Anthony Volpe or Peraza (if he is not traded), it will sicken me if the 2022 New York Yankees shortstop is Andrelton Simmons. If that is the case, I would rather have that Falafel dude from Texas. It does bother me that the Rangers thought so highly of Isiah Kiner-Falefa that they signed not one but two of the top free agent shortstops this off-season. I would prefer him over Simmons, but I do not think either guy would move the needle for improving the team.

More minor league free agent signings. I was a little surprised to see the Yankees have signed former top prospect LHP Manny Banuelos to a minor league deal (I know, Daniel, there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal). Manny has bounced around a few organizations since the Yankees traded him to Atlanta in 2015 (in the deal that brought Chasen Shreve to New York). In 2019, while a member of the Chicago White Sox, Banuelos gave up nine earned runs in one inning to the Boston Red Sox. After some time in China, he spent last season in the Mexican League. I would love to see Banuelos, now 30 years old, finally achieve success in the Major Leagues, even as a reliever, but let us just say that I am not optimistic.

Manuel Banuelos

The Yankees also signed former Red Sock Ryan Weber, 31-year-old RHP, to a minor league contract. In Weber’s last MLB appearance for the Red Sox on June 13, 2021, he gave up eleven runs in 5 2/3 innings. I see a common theme with both Banuelos and Weber. They have both been horrible for and against the Boston Red Sox.

Can Matt Blake and the Yankees minor league pitching instructors unlock potential in either arm? Doubtful but we will see. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I miss baseball.

As always, Go Yankees!

To Be or Not To Be, MLB is the Question...

Photo Credit: Mark Cunningham, Getty Images

Players Association Expected to Vote Today…

I had hoped that we could be talking about the Yankees and actual baseball by now but, sadly, we’re not. As the pain back and forth continues, we’re caught in the middle. The players will vote today regarding the MLB Owners’ latest proposal (instead of “a few days” according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale). The billionaire boys club is proposing a 60-game schedule with full pro rata pay which includes expanded playoffs and a universal DH in both leagues.

I don’t know. I am starting to lose interest in salvaging this season. I thought a schedule of 82 games was the last hope for meaningful baseball.  60 games does not really prove anything except which teams get hot at the right time which will not necessarily the best teams in the game. I know the expanded playoffs are a financial boon for the owners but it further dilutes our ability to see the best teams play. 

I am disappointed. If the Yankees still manage to win the World Series this year (assuming they actually play), I’ll be happy and I won’t place a caveat on the season. By the same token, if the Chicago White Sox blaze through with a rapid ascension of their young talent, it wouldn’t surprise and I wouldn’t place a caveat on them either. Nevertheless, this will be a strange, perplexing year no matter how it ends. From a sports fan’s perspective, it might be the worst year of our lifetimes. 

Seeing the Instagram pics Gerrit Cole posted, throwing from the Yankee Stadium mound in shorts was not exactly the image I wanted to see this summer in the Bronx. I would have preferred pinstripes and real competition.  It’s a sad reminder of what we are missing.

Photo Credit: Gerrit Cole via Instagram, @gerritcole45

I am bummed we are missing out on a year of the careers of our favorite players. The life of a baseball player is short even if you can make it to the Major Leagues.  In some cases, a player may only get a year or two (or less). The time lost could mean guys who might have made it never will.  Players on the downslope are still on a downward trajectory despite no games. Time and age will not wait for anybody except for maybe Tom Brady. Players in their prime move closer to the edge of downward spiral. Who knows what magical moments might have happened so far in the 2020 season if it had started on schedule. Or missing the beautiful sights and sounds of great baseball fans everywhere hurtling deserved insults and boos at the Houston Astros.  

I feel MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been largely ineffective since he took over the role from Bud Selig. I have felt the players have reasonably tried to make the season happen while the owners are most concerned about how to protect their investments (the dollars, not the players). These tense negotiations are setting up a very contentious, difficult battle after the 2021 season when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.  

Frankly, if the next few days only bring more rejections, I will be officially on board with shit-canning the season. 

I am truly at the ‘why bother?’ stage. The MLB owners obviously do not care about us so why should we care about them? I’d love to see some decisions made “for the good of the game”. 

If Baseball somehow finds a way to play this year, it does seem weird the Yankees will have to use Yankee Stadium to hold “Spring” Training. Since the seasons changed yesterday, I guess this makes the first Summer Training for MLB. With spring training homes closed in Florida due to the coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo has said the Yankees (and the Mets) have permission to use their New York stadiums for training purposes. Too bad they didn’t leave the old Yankee Stadium up. Then they would have had two legitimate baseball fields to work with. As it stands, they have the single main field of the current Yankee Stadium, four bullpen mounds and an indoor batting facility. I guess they should model Adam Ottavino’s idea from several off-seasons ago when he rented vacant commercial space and converted it to a pitching facility. 

It seems strange, with the possible restart of baseball, Aaron Hicks is a stronger bet to start the season than Aaron Judge. I have absolutely no idea what is going on with Judge. Meanwhile, Hicks has proclaimed he is ready. I guess the doubt about Judge will keep Clint Frazier’s name relevant in training camp. Clint has been the guy I’d love to see the Yankees trade to create opportunity for him, but as long as he is a Yankee, I guess I will continue to hold out hope he has that magical, transformational Yankee moment. If I was a betting man, that’s not exactly a bet I’d make but I’d love to be proven wrong and if he is going to find Major League success, better with the Yankees than not.  

Until the Yankees sign their draft picks, I am not going to get excited about Austin Wells, Trevor Hauver or Beck May. I liked the picks but they are just guys who happen to play baseball and are not true Yankee prospects until they sign on the dotted line. With other teams locking up their draftees, the eery silence among the Yankees’ picks worries me that they might not sign at all.  I think Wells is a great story. Drafted in high school by the Yankees in 2018 (35th round, the same year they took catcher Anthony Siegler with their first pick), he chose to go to college over signing with the Yankees. Betting on himself paid dividends as he parlayed his worth into the Yankees’ first pick in the 2020 draft. The negative is that he picked the wrong year to do it. The other negative is his agent (Scott Boras). The odds of getting Wells signed this time around appear to be nearly as challenging as two years ago. We’ll see. I hope the one-time Red Sox fan realizes how much the Yankees want him and have the resources and coaching talent to help him become the best he can be, whether it is behind the plate or at another position.  

I was a little saddened to see former Yankees pitching prospect Manny Banuelos, 29, sign to play in the Chinese Professional Baseball League this week. Not that I thought he had any chance of making it back to the Major Leagues at this point, but the failure to fulfill the promise he once showed when he was part of the Killer B’s in the Yankees’ farm system with Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman. Every time Banuelos landed with a new MLB team, I had hoped he would find success but it has not happened for him. I know non-Yankee fans like to say Banuelos is just another overhyped former Yankees prospect but I did and still do believe that he had the talent  at the time necessary to succeed. Whether it was injuries, focus, control, consistency or whatever stopped him from reaching his ceiling, it doesn’t erase the fact he was once a talented, young prospect with value. Even though it didn’t work out, I think it is unfair to dismiss him as over-hyped. Jesus Montero, yeah, he was over-hyped…

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. To all fathers, I hope this has been a wonderful Father's Day for you and your families.  

As always, Go Yankees!