Monday, March 18, 2024

CASHMAN HAS A PLAN FOR THE YANKEE CATCHING SURPLUS



I've been focused on two areas all winter. First, the need for more quality starting pitching and the second is more complex. My second concern is how to "fix" the same lineup from last season that couldn't hit with Juan Soto as the notable exception. I still think about these areas, but right now Brian Cashman is not.

Opening Day will be here before we know it and I am still thinking about the starting rotation and the offense. I know I am not alone, many of you reading this have said the same thing. Brian Cashman on the other hand, he's trying to spin something crazy. 

The Yankees have some roster questions to figure out as Spring Training winds down, read what the New York Post had to say about it HERE. The Yankees have five catchers on the 40-man roster, which is an interesting dilemma to have. The Yankees are familiar with Jose Trevino and Austin Wells has impressed the Yankees both defensively and offensively. I've liked what I've seen from Wells also. But what about the other three?

Agustin Ramirez and Carlos Narvaez need more time but have promise. The Yankees also have Ben Rortvedt and we've talked about him a lot. He's got potential. He was groomed to be a strong defensive catcher, but Wells has looked sharper lately and Rortvedt still needs work. I wasn't impressed to watch Rortvedt check out behind the plate with a ball five feet away from him that allowed two runners to score this weekend. Not a good time to make that kind of error. Pair that with his lack of offensive pop and he's not standing out as an easy add for the Opening Day roster.


So where do the Yankees go from here? Ben Rortvedt may need more time, but he is out of minor league options. So the Yankees either need to take a leap of faith and give him a spot, or expose him to waivers where someone will scoop him up. Cashman of course is trying to take advantage of this scenario and turn into a salesman. Here's what he had to say:

"It's certainly an area of depth. Everybody's actually done a great job showcasing their abilities, not just for us but for others. So clearly a dam is going to break one way or the other toward the end of camp, so we’ll see how we navigate that," said Cashman.

So, Cashman is waiting for someone to pay up for a catcher....and get what out of it? Who knows, but Cashman is definitely trying to drum up more interest than he has right now. His choice of words also makes me laugh at him hysterically.


I do like his dam analogy for something else though....I am sitting, hoping and waiting for his dam of failures to finally break and get washed away from the Yankees. Let Hal Steinbrenner fire him. Let him get carried away to somewhere else far, far away. I know I won't get that lucky though soon enough. 

The Yankees catcher situation will be solved before Cashman goes away. It's unfortunate but, a girl can dream. 


--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj






Sunday, March 17, 2024

COLE "GOT A LITTLE HOT TOO QUICK", BUT WHAT ABOUT JUDGE?

Source: FOX News

The injury bug is alive and well in the Yankees camp in Tampa. And the problem, besides the injuries themselves, is the way the Yankees talk about these injuries. They are vague, non-committing and almost defiant in hopes, likely, to sell more tickets. Honestly, I don't really understand the injury thing with these major leaguers given they have been off since October and should have been following an exercise regimen. I think they are just too distracted with other things. But we can talk about that later. 

Source: New York Post

To start with, Gerrit Cole was just enlightening when he told reporters this week, "I think we've determined that we just got a little too hot a little too quick," Cole said before Saturday's game against Toronto. "I just got to a certain point where we just didn't hit baseline and recovery. That's important at this time of the year." Let's dig deeper into that fascinating statement.

In case you didn't hear, the Yankees disclosed on Monday that their ace was suffering from elbow soreness. Actually, first they said, he had trouble "bouncing back between starts" but later revealed it was more serious. Elbow soreness is code for Tommy John Surgery in my mind, but the Yankees are smarter than that. They made the whole incident seem routine but not Cole.

Source: USA Today

"It's not a common experience for me," Cole said. "I haven't really dealt with anything like this before. So anytime you're going through something for the first time, there's a little bit of uncertainty, but I had a lot of faith. I felt good leaving the doctor, yeah," reported ESPN. Cole will take three to four weeks recovery and then go from there.

Aaron Judge is a different scenario. He underwent an MRI early this week to address some pain he has been experiencing in his abdomen. Recall Judge had made trips to the IL for oblique, hip and ab injuries over his eight-year career. This MRI was precautionary in the Yankees' brass words but again, who knows really.

Source: New York Post

"The doctors tell me and they're like, he's good," Cashman said. "Just give it some time and get it going again. So, as far as I'm concerned, that's in the rearview mirror even though he hasn't played yet. That's more of a timing issue rather than a concern issue. And he's a pro, he knows how to get ready and knock the rust off. I'm not worried about it," reported ESPN.

Source: NBC News

Judge has not played in a week but has been on the field taking practice and Saturday he will take batting practice with former Yankee pitcher and now coach Andy Pettitte. Am I concerned? Yes. This continues to be a recurring injury for Judge and having this show up this early, when the season has not even started is just ridiculous. I really never remember these kinds of injuries with the championship Yankee teams in the late 90s and early 2000s. I guess that was a different time and this is different baseball.

My take on all of this? I think these superstars do too much in the off season with their "other jobs" and don't take care of themselves the way they should in the off season. Recall it was player Aaron Boone himself who played basketball in the offseason and blew out his knee, rendering him out of commission for good. 


I am reading the book Be the Unicorn by William Vanderbloemen. In this book, the author provides 12 habits to becoming invaluable and unique to others. The first of the twelve is Fast. And that trait calls for individuals to know the difference between distractors and priorities. So, my advice? Be Fast with your priorities players and stop focusing on things that take you away from your full-time job. You only have limited number of years to do this- so do it right!




--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof





Friday, March 15, 2024

CHARACTER IS EVERYTHING, MARCUS STROMAN


So, we signed this Marcus Stroman guy I guess the bolster the Yankees rotation. I was never for it. This is a guy that would trash the Yankees and Cashman and I guess the Yankees turned the other cheek in their deperate search for cheap pitching this offseason. But now we signed the guy and Marcus Stroman could not be more thrilled about it.  Stroman, I guess ultimately wanted to be a Yankee.  Fine.   

But now the Yankees are in a bad spot. Gerrit Cole is hurt, and he is (was) our ace. And so now what? When you look at the Yankee rotation there is no one really worthy of being handed the ball on such an important day. And so, this same loser organization went to the guy that bad mouthed the team but now he dons their same pinstripes. The Yankees asked Stroman if he'd take the ball on Opening day to represent everything right about the New York Yankees.  You won't believe what this turd did.  Talk about being a selfish player.... why did we sign this guy?

The New York Post writes:

" After one injury and one rejection, the Yankees have an unfilled position for Opening Day starter....

Aaron Boone approached Stroman to gauge his interest for the Opening Day honor.

While Boone said the decision still could change, Stroman valued remaining on his schedule over the frills of Game 1....“I think they thought I was going to be like, ‘Hey, let me get it,’ ” Stroman said of the conversation...“But like I said, that’s not my nature, man. Doesn’t matter to me.”

And this my friends is all you need to know about Marcus Stroman.  A "me" guy.  I knew it about him for years.  He's abrasive, vocal and selfish and I DO understand how hard it is to break routine in spring training to change your day and readjust.  But let's call this what it is... an excuse to be selfish. The Yankees, Stroman's employer needed a favor and he said NO.  If this was Game 7 are you gonna tell me this guy would decline? 

When you're on a team, you do what the team needs.  Look, I don't even want Stroman on my team, but we have this guy, so we have to deal with him. But the fact that this conversation actually happened and he declined is unbelievable to me. 

I hope the Yanks enjoy the next 2 years with this guy. Bad, bad signing. Ridiculous.

Character is everything, Marcus. This speaks volumes.



Thursday, March 14, 2024

WHY WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET WITH GERRIT COLE'S INJURY


I'm mad as hell right now! The Yankees hit the pause button this winter after they traded for Juan Soto. I have been screaming and begging for another good starting pitcher (not Marcus Stroman) for months now. The Yankees have stayed stagnant, and it may cost them dearly.


I didn't think the Yankees rotation was deep enough as it was. Too many question marks after Gerrit Cole and it always felt like a serious gamble to me. I don't trust anyone after Cole and not for nothing, this team has the worst injury history. Now Cole is hurt and while everyone on X seems to be celebrating about the most recent updates, I'm not. The video below is all over my X feed.


Am I the only one concerned with that comment about the Yankees doctor's opinions? Seriously, our medical staff is a joke. I don't trust anything these guys tells us. The Yankees have resources most teams would kill to have, and they can't even get a reliable and intelligent medical staff. So now that we know FOUR Yankee doctors evaluated Cole and found inflammation but no visible tear. They believe Cole could rest, rehab it and come back in 1-2 months. Great.


Yet, Aaron Boone said "he didn't know yet" if there was a tear or not since it's not always clear on first looks or second looks so that's why Cole had to jump on a plane to Los Angeles to meet with Dr. ElAttrache. So, X is all excited that a tear hasn't been found yet, but I don't think the Yankees medical staff could find one if it jumps off the x-ray and yelled "BOO!" So, X can be cautiously optimistic while I quietly tell myself that all of the inflammation may be hiding it (and I am desperately hoping I am wrong). People just don't go see Dr. ElAttrache for a casual second opinion.


The Yankees aren't out of the woods yet no matter if Cole only misses 1-2 months. That's still missed time and the Yankees have no reliable depth at this point. Dylan Cease is a Padre as of last night, so the Yankees missed out there. I'm crossing my fingers and praying for good news.... but this was my worst nightmare.



--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj




Wednesday, March 13, 2024

WITH COLE OUT, OUR NEW ACE IS MARCUS STROMAN... SAID NO ONE EVER


Imagine the Yankees actually improved the rotation this offseason? We wouldn't be in this situation.  But instead, we are a desperate, desperate team.  If you read DESPERATE YANKEES WILL BE READY TO POUNCE ON DYLAN CEASE, you know I'm not a very happy Yankee fan.  Right now, I'm in a worse mood.  Why? Read Fansided:

"Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported on Wednesday that Cole will be out for at least 1-2 months with an elbow injury and has an appointment to go to LA for further evaluation. He's not ruled out for the year yet, but there's more work to be done.

"Several Yankees doctors and ElAttrache have viewed Cole’s preliminary film, and while none has detected a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, there’s enough concern about the ligament that ElAttrache has suggested an in-person visit. Word is that the defending AL Cy Young Award winner will be out for an “extended period,” although for now, the hope and belief is that Cole has a chance to return sometime in May or early June."

So, what, our new Yankee ace is Marcus Stroman who has a pretty ridiculous injury history? (Read HERE.) Then you got Nestor Cortes who is coming back from a horrendous injury season and Carlos Rodon who suddenly doesn't know how to pitch well.  In other words, we are putting all our eggs in the basket of Clarke Schmidt.  Yippee.

The Yankee front office blew it.  They let us down... it's embarrassing.

Get well soon Gerrit. We will miss you the next few months.  I hope Yankee brass apologizes to you for not giving you the backing you need to truly dominate.  








DESPERATE YANKEES WILL BE READY TO POUNCE ON DYLAN CEASE


I wonder what the Yankees pitching situation would have been like if they actually did what they said they were going to do this offseason is make the necessary trades or free agent signings to get stability in their rotation.  Instead, they waited for Gerrit Cole to have an arm scare and then panicked and are now out there doing their best dance to try and get quality pitching without giving up Spencer Jones.  Whatever... they think too much in the moment... they aren't planners... they aren't a team that looks toward the future anymore.  It's ridiculous.  

And by the way, in their desperation, they will no doubt give up Gleyber Torres in the process.  Say what you will about Gleyber, but the guy has been one of the more consistent hitters for the Yankees.  Now it makes sense to part with him, but now I feel like they definitely will now out of desperation.  If this Cole news comes back bad, Cashman will be on notice and make some ridiculous move that we'll regret immediately.  He's lost his way.

Anyway, the latest news (rumor) about a pitching upgrade and Dylan Cease comes from Inside the Pinstripes:

"The New York Yankees could end up landing another ace soon.

New York has been linked to a handful of pitchers since signing Marcus Stroman but has opted to roll with the rotation it has...

The Yankees had a scare Monday as ace Gerrit Cole had an MRI on his pitching elbow and now there are rumblings that the club could make another addition.



Chicago White Sox star Dylan Cease has been mentioned as a possibility and the club even attempted to complete a blockbuster trade earlier in the offseason.

The two sides never were able to agree to terms, but the Yankees reportedly have made a new offer to the White Sox in the wake of Cole's injury scare, according to USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale.

"The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones," Nightengale said."

Now I have never been a fan of following ANY Bob Nightengale report, after all... Trevor Bauer was once going to the Mets until the Twitter universe made Nightengale apologize for just being totally stupid.  But this info makes sense. The problem is I do wonder if the Yankees will do it, and by the way, why didn't they just do it when Cole was healthy?  Seems like a smarter move to make a bigger, better championship Yankee team. Now they just appear to be desperate and it's sad.

Whatever the case, it's interesting and something we will be following closely.

Stay tuned.




Tuesday, March 12, 2024

WHY PITCHING HAS NEVER BEEN SO IMPORTANT FOR THE YANKEES AS IT IS RIGHT NOW


The idea that the Yankees are not upgrading their pitching is not surprising to me.  That's because every off-season Hal Steinbrenner tells the Yankee universe "we're not done", only to be done and hope that Gerrit Cole and a few struggling starters can get us to a championship. But what is Gerrit Cole can't pitch?  What is Nestor Cortes struggles? What is Carlos Rodon doesn't show his true form (or maybe this is it)?  Right now, the Yankees are in a world of hurt with their starting rotation, and I don't care HOW HAPPY Marcus Stroman is being a New York Yankee... that guy is no leader.  In other words, the Yankees are in trouble, and "hoping" the Yankee pitching is successful in 2024 is not way to be a championship team.  The Yankees are not that. The Yankees are not champions and to be honest, it's more of the same.  


And by the way, Aaron Boone just needs to not speak to the media.  He's a walking soundbite of doom.  He's an idiot.  Telling the media that Aaron Judge was "mid-spring beat up" was an awful description for pulling Judge from the lineup the other day.  Look, this is the spring, guys don't need to play every day.  Just pull Judge and give him a day off. Don't even address it. It's no big deal. To amplify it and make it seem like the guy's got wear and tear in Spring training is embarrassing. We're babying guys. The messaging is disappointing and let's be honest, the Yankees haven't learned.  Everything will be the same... nothing has changed, and YOU, the fan has been duped again.  

And so, what's my message here? We're in a Yankee Fever Dream and we're never getting out of it.  The pitching has NOT improved and now, we have a real situation.  If Gerrit Cole is out, delayed, hurt, that's not good. MLB Trade Rumors writes:


"Gerrit Cole is headed for an MRI on his right elbow, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Monday morning (X link via Newsday’s David Lennon). Cole hasn’t been recovering as well between throwing sessions and will get his elbow checked out to determine if there’s an injury at play. The imaging will take place today.

Cole will receive multiple opinions on the status of his elbow, and the Yankees don’t expect to announce a prognosis today or even tomorrow..."

And so where is Hal? Remember when we "weren't done"? Feels like we were done and now we're just desperate.  How disgraceful is this team?  SPEND THE MONEY.  Meanwhile Trevor Bauer is just sitting out there for the taking.  CBS Sports writes: 



"On Sunday, Bauer threw three scoreless innings against Dodgers minor leaguers while pitching for the Asian Breeze, a pay-to-play barnstorming team consisting mostly of amateur players hoping to get noticed by scouts....

it does not appear any major league scouts attended Sunday's game."

But why? Cashman should have been there before the gates opened. Why are we not turning over every rock looking for a diamond in the rough? Now we HAVE to. Now the Yankees have to have some urgency.  Why do I say that? Because if Cole is down and out, we got Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman.  That's not a championship Yankee team. That's a rotation put together with bubble gum and glue, and I'll say it again Yankee fans... YOU'VE BEEN FOOLED AGAIN.

Ya'll wonder why I'm so disconnected from this team over the past several months. Ya'll send me notes of encouragement and ask me to keep Bleeding Yankee Blue alive. I appreciate you all, but why would we continue? I'm no Mets fan and we feel like the Mets.  

I'm a Yankee fan. At least back in the day the Yankees showed up with the pieces to make a run.  This is not the Yankees... it's the Montgomery Balloon Knots, a few stars and a bunch of guys we hope don't break down.  It just doesn't feel the same to me.  That's my frustration.  That's my aggravation.  I'm kind of over it.

We need to do better.  We need to do what we say we're gonna do Hal. If "we're not done", then let's not be done. That's the bottom line.





Monday, March 11, 2024

DON'T LOOK NOW, BUT NEW YANKEES HITTING COACH IS DOING WHAT WE ASKED!


After YEARS of seeing and hearing things I didn't like from former hitting coaches, I'm finally hearing something good. But now, will it translate into the regular season?

In case you missed it, Greg Joyce had a good write up last week about how the Yankee offense has stacked up in recent years, check it out HERE. We've all felt that the Yankees have not met expectations for a long time. It's one thing to talk about not winning a championship since 2009, but how about an offense that has been in a steady decline since 2019.

The Yankees have hired all of these analytically driven "experts" for years who know nothing about baseball. We've heard about exit velocity and launch angles for years and it's done nothing good for this team. But now, James Rowson is trying to change that.

That will be an uphill battle, but you've got to start somewhere. Reading this article, you really think this is back to basics and that MLB players should know how to hit but the Yankees have done everything they can to brainwash their players and ruin all baseball fundamentals. That's where we are at.


But now Rowson is trying to fix it. He's implemented the art of situational hitting early in spring training. We need guys like Anthony Volpe who is young and impressionable to think about their at bat when there's guys on first and third with one out. Or what about the scenario of guys on second and third with two outs? The Yankees need to get back to these basics so they can execute when the games really count starting next month.


This is definitely the place to start. If Rowson can make tweaks and improve veteran guys like Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu, and help the rest of the lineup be consistent this team will be on the right track. It's a long way to go though. This won't be easy but, Rowson has the right idea. It's taken a long time for the Yankees to underachieve offensively, so it's going to take time to turn this around. The Yankees finally have a vision! Now....can they execute?

I'm cautiously optimistic, because at least we aren't hearing more of the same analytical nonsense. I've said the Yankees need to get back to fundamental baseball. I will admit I wasn't sold on our new hitting coach when we signed him......but if he does this and it fixes the Yankees, I will gladly eat crow.


--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj






Sunday, March 10, 2024

SPRING TRAINING: CACTUS LEAGUE UNPLUGGED

Source: X

Well the Yankees are about where I expected as spring training moves into its midway point. With injuries already rearing their ugly head and a lot of growth needed, I am confident the Yankees will be competitive this year. And although I am used to following the Grapefruit League, this year, I had the opportunity to support teams out west in the Cactus League. So, if you bear with me, I will give you my take in Spring Training: Cactus League Unplugged.

Game 1: San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, home of the both the Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Absolutely beautiful ballpark with great energy on a Monday afternoon. An absolute picturesque day for baseball. 

The game had depth, with a ton of back and forth, trading spaces for the lead. What was particularly fun was that the Giants seemed more like the New York Mets with Michael Conforto, and J.D. Davis headlining. Also present was the Panda himself Pablo Sandoval

It was a treat to see Kris Bryant at first base. He hit a bomb to give his team the lead for a time. The Rockies did eventually push through with a 12-10 win. And yes, you could not only get a sausage sandwich and a bag of peanuts but a fruit stick- literally just that, fruit on a stick.

Game 2: Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ- aka little Wrigley Field. What a different experience. The field was outstanding giving it a Chicago feel in the middle of the desert. Chicago Dogs and Vienna Beef were plentiful. 

And on deck for all to enjoy was former Yankee Mike Tauchman who launched one out to the fences and gave the Cubs the lead in a tightly matched game. Alson the roster was Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson and former Met Dom Smith. For the Angels, yes, I believe he knew I was coming and performed exactly as I would expect- Aaron Hicks. What did he do you ask- struck out looking. Yep, I heckled. No, I am not ashamed. 

I enjoyed a Chicago Dog, a tour of little Wrigley, including roof top seating and some interesting beers. The staff could not have been more accommodating, thanking me for coming out. 

I drove past a few other parks including Diablo Stadium in Tempe, home of the Angels, which has some charm according to the locals. On the outskirts of Arizona State University, the park totes images of Mike Trout around campus, hoping to drive in some college students to its old school abode.  

Spring Training Cactus League style was a unforgettable experience. And although I wish I was in Florida visiting the Yankees, it was interesting to see how the other half or so lives out west. As we move into the midpoint of spring training, I am getting excited for what's ahead. Will the Yankees jump out ahead? Will they gel? Will they stay healthy? Answers for another time but the anticipation is amazing- I hope this feeling lasts. 




--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof







Thursday, March 7, 2024

RODON ROCKED & HECKLED!

 "Rodon, you're a bum!"

It's only Carlos Rodon's second start in Spring Training and it feels like 2023 DeJa'Vu all over again. Rodon pitched just over three innings and gave up three runs. His outing started and ended with a home run....and a frustrated fan who stood up and called Rodon a bum.

I'm sure he wasn't the only one who wanted to do it. It's early in spring training, and there is still time to improve, but I've been saying all winter long we needed a solid number two behind Gerrit Cole. We need another stud pitcher. That voice has been nagging me over and over again and I really just want Rodon to prove me wrong.


I don't know if he can though. I really want him to. I just want this guy to win me over, but I think he's just another Brian Cashman casualty. He's not cut out for the Yankees. He's just a freak side show. In my mind I have this footage on repeat of him turning his back on Matt Blake, and blowing a kiss to the fans last season after a disastrous start and now his comments today just really didn't help, read more HERE.
 

"Obviously on the bookends, some bad fastballs got hit. I didn't really have the true fastball velo that I wanted, but it's one of the days you've got to pitch without the fastball and use some other things. So that was good to feel that in the game that no one really gives a s--t about because it doesn't matter. It's spring training. From the competing side of me, you don’t want to give up the homer in the front end and the homer in the backend, but there were some good pitches in-between.

I think the Yankees made a risky gamble here with Rodon. He's primarily a fastball-slider pitcher, and his fastball velocity was down this game, and he got hammered. We can't afford that in the regular season, and I am not sure that he can mix in his other pitches enough to be successful here.


Thanks for the reminder, Rodon it is spring training, and the games don't count.... but after your failed season last season I want to see you give a "s--t" about every start. We can't afford another return of the 6.85 ERA pitcher from last season. You've got a lot to prove, so you better give a "s--t" otherwise, you don't belong in pinstripes.



--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj






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