THE YANKEES HAVE AN ACE. WHY IS AARON BOONE HESITATING?

Cam Schlittler has spent the season making the hardest decision in the Yankees’ playoff rotation look easy. He is the American League Cy Young favorite, and the Yankees have a short Wild Card Series to win. Give him the ball in Game 1.

Yet when Bryan Hoch asked Aaron Boone whether Schlittler would start the opener, the answer was: “We’ll see. Not necessarily.” Boone explained that starting Game 1 or Game 2 would leave a pitcher available for the same potential starts in the Division Series. I understand the calendar. I also understand that you have to get to the Division Series first. 

This is what drives me crazy about Boone. A straightforward playoff call becomes a discussion of future matchups and hypothetical schedules. Schlittler has earned the opener with what he has done this season. In a best-of-three series, I want my best pitcher setting the tone before the Yankees have a chance to fall behind.

Then I would go to Carlos Rodón in Game 2. Rodón has put together a remarkably steady run, including 24 consecutive starts allowing no more than three runs as of September 12. That is the kind of reliability I want when momentum is on the line. 

Gerrit Cole’s name and résumé command respect. They should not make this decision for Boone. Cole recently allowed seven home runs across two starts, though he followed that stretch with a stronger outing against Arizona. That is a pitcher I still value. It is not, to me, the strongest case for handing him Game 1 over Schlittler. 

Does Boone worry about Cole’s standing in the clubhouse? Is he waiting for Brian Cashman and the front office to settle the order? I cannot know that, but I will bet it's one of them, cause the dude can't make hard decisions. Boone’s hesitation says it all. His job under playoff pressure is to make the call that gives the Yankees their best chance to win, even if an established ace has to hear that someone else goes first.

To me, this is the roadblock the Yankees keep running into. Boone can explain a decision ten different ways. When October arrives, I want a manager who sees what is in front of him and acts on it.

Start Schlittler. Follow him with Rodón. Make Cole part of the plan without letting his reputation dictate it. If Boone keeps managing for the series after this one before winning the series in front of him, don’t act shocked if the Yankees are home early, off hunting for the winter.

Boone, my friends, is the problem we have in October. That's the bottom line.  

IS JUDGE FINALLY GETTING FED UP WITH BOONE?

Something doesn't smell right here.  And I'm done pretending that every strange exchange between Aaron Judge and Aaron Boone is just another innocent case of poor communication.

Aaron Boone told the world that Judge has a “moderate” calf strain. Judge then stood in front of reporters and said:

“Everybody's ‘moderate’ is a little different... I don't know why he used those words.” 

Read that again. “I don't know why he used those words.” That's Aaron Judge talking about his manager. And here's where it gets interesting. Judge insists he's trying to play in the Wild Card Series. Boone has painted a much less optimistic picture. Judge even said that if Boone says he isn't going to be ready, that's something Judge can't control.

That's tension.

Call it whatever you want. A disagreement. A disconnect. Frustration. I'll call it what I think it is. The beginning of a feud. Because we've seen this before. Last season Boone went on WFAN and announced that he didn't think Judge would return to throwing the way he normally does during the remainder of 2025 while recovering from his flexor strain.

Judge's response? “I don't know why he said that.”

Judge then added something even more revealing: Boone hadn't watched him throw for the previous two weeks. And what did Boone do afterward? He backed off the statement, admitting, “Maybe that's a little overstated.”

Are we seeing the pattern yet? Same subject — Aaron Judge's health. Same problem — Aaron Boone talking publicly and Aaron Judge wondering why the hell he's saying it.

I'm sorry, but that's not normal. Now Judge also said, “Boonie's my guy. I've always got his back.” 

Fine. What do you expect Aaron Judge to say? He's the captain of the New York Yankees. He's not going to walk into a press conference six days before postseason baseball and announce, Yeah, I'm sick of my manager. Judge doesn't operate that way. He's calculated. He's professional. He's careful.

Which is precisely why “I don't know why he used those words” catches my attention.

That's Judge pushing back without detonating the clubhouse. And maybe — just maybe — he's getting tired of Boone speaking for him. Look, I've said this forever about Aaron Boone. He's the perfect manager for this Yankee front office. Not necessarily because he's some brilliant baseball mind. He is not. It's because he plays the role.

Brian Cashman runs the operation. The organization establishes the message. Boone walks into the press room every day, delivers it, protects everybody above him and absorbs whatever criticism comes his way.

He's the mouthpiece. That's why the Yankees love him. Cashman has publicly praised Boone for controlling the clubhouse and specifically cited his temperament when explaining the organization's faith in him. The Yankees rewarded Boone with a contract extension through 2027. But there's one enormous problem with having your manager serve as the organizational mouthpiece:

The mouthpiece has to know when to shut his mouth. Why announce that Judge has a “moderate” strain when just days earlier Boone himself declined to reveal the severity of that exact injury?

That's another part of this story that shouldn't be ignored. When Judge initially went on the IL, Boone specifically wouldn't provide the severity and wouldn't predict a return date. “I don't have a timeline on him,” Boone said. “I'm not going to predict anything.”

Great. Then don't.

Yet days later we're suddenly getting “moderate” from Boone. And Judge is wondering why. So am I.

Look, that's my question. If you haven't watched Judge throw, don't announce how he's going to throw. If you're not going to reveal the severity of his calf injury, don't suddenly characterize its severity. If the player believes he can return and you believe he can't, maybe figure that out behind closed doors before everybody starts talking to reporters.

This is the manager of the New York Yankees. He's been doing a lousy job since 2018 and at this point we all know Judge is the leader here. I mean how many communication mulligans does Boone get? And how many times are we going to hear Aaron Judge publicly question something his manager has said before we're allowed to acknowledge that maybe there's something happening between these two?

I'm acknowledging it. I think there's something there. I think Judge is frustrated. I think Boone talks too much. And I think Judge's carefully chosen words are becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Does that mean they're screaming at each other behind closed doors? I have no idea. Does it mean Judge hates Boone? Nobody outside that clubhouse knows. But a feud doesn't have to begin with somebody flipping a table. Sometimes it starts quietly. A comment. A contradiction. A little public pushback.

“I don't know why he said that.”

Then a year later:

“I don't know why he used those words.”

That's enough for me to start asking questions. And here's the biggest one: How long before Aaron Judge stops wondering publicly why Aaron Boone keeps saying these things and starts wondering privately why the hell he's still his manager?

It's a good question right? I want the answer.

BEN RICE WASN’T THE YANKEES’ CHOSEN ONE & THAT’S THE POINT

The Yankees love a prospect with a story they can sell. Just ask Anthony Volpe's family. Seriously though, a first-round pick. A familiar name. A future star before he’s taken a major league swing.

Ben Rice wasn’t that guy.

Rice played just 30 college games at Dartmouth after the pandemic wrecked his schedule. The Yankees took him in the 12th round of the 2021 draft, 363rd overall. Nobody was clearing a path for him to the Bronx. That's an important line... Nobody.

The only reason the Yankees took a chance on him was that area scout Matt Hyde noticed his strong performance in wood-bat summer collegiate leagues, where he got the reps he missed in college. Hyde saw power, followed the kid.  It wasn't a long, drawn out courtship, it was a guess. Let's call it what it was. Well, I am glad Hyde guessed right. 

But here’s what drives me crazy: Rice had to make himself impossible to ignore. The bat was real. The work was real. Yet he came into the organization as a 12th-round pick, while the Yankees have spent years telling us who their special prospects are.

Anthony Volpe. First-round pick. New Jersey kid. Yankees fan. Great story. The organization praised his tools and built enormous expectations around him from the start. And yes, his amateur résumé gave them reasons to draft him. But at some point, the story has to step aside and the results have to take over. He just isn't what Hyde claimed he was. That's a fact.

And that’s my problem with the Yankees. Once they decide a player is a favorite, they seem determined to be proven right. When a guy like Rice comes along, he has to do the proving for them... and boy, has he done it.

Rice became a 2026 All-Star by doing what good hitters do: showing up, taking his swings and producing. He has power, he can hit, and he carries himself like a guy who still remembers what it felt like just to get drafted. He said he was excited to be picked in the 12th round and wanted to make the most of his chance. That’s the kind of attitude you want in your clubhouse.

Matt Hyde guessed on Ben Rice, but Rice wasn't even on the radar, not like Volpe. So, I mean sure, credit the scout, but credit Rice even more for breaking through and forcing a conversation.

Now I’d like the Yankees to learn something from Rice. A first-round label doesn’t win games. A prospect ranking doesn’t drive in runs. And being somebody’s favorite doesn’t mean a damn thing once the pitcher lets go of the ball.

Ben Rice earned his place the hard way. Maybe it’s time the Yankees started valuing that as much as the players they picked first.

BABOONIE CAUGHT LOOKING SILLY....AGAIN!

There's so much to think about, and hell even worry about as we wrap up the regular season. The Wild Card series is waiting for us where we will probably be playing the Red Sox again and we don't even know who is gonna be able to play!

That's because Aaron Boone is talking crazy again. It happens all the time, I just didn't think we would get an extensive sneak peak into his insanity. The Yankees are preparing their postseason roster, and Baboonie is living in an alternate universe, read more HERE and HERE.

Let's start with Aaron Judge, arguably the heart and soul of the team. He's the guy that is the difference maker for anything and everything. The Yankees suffered without him for three months and now they suffer again because they rushed him back to action without a minor league rehab assignment and now Baboonie has said "we're planning on him not being a part of " the first round. But then it gets dicey.....

The Yankees and Judge are clearly not on the same page. We all know is going to rush back. He's already done that. No one believes that he wouldn't push to be in a wild card series against the Yankees biggest rivals. We know what is on his mind, he's going to "try to get my body ready so I'm ready to go" because we expect no less from Judge. Baboonie says he will not be an option, and Judge tells a different story. "We've done a lot of talks, but I can't control what people say," Judge said. "So you'll have to talk to them about that."

Judge-less against the Red Sox is not the only challenge though. This one is a real head scratcher though because Giancarlo Stanton is "knocking on the door" of a return. Yup, after Stanton has been out since April with not one but three different calf strains. Oh and two of those strains happened while he was running the bases and ramping up for a return to the team. The guy is a rotation of chronic reoccurring calf strains but Baboonie thinks this time it's all gonna work out! Stanton is coming back everyone! He took a few at bats recently and hit a home run so it's a sure fire sign he's ready to come back!

So history be damned, everyone. Baboonie even admitted that he wasn't sure if Stanton returning during the first round was realistic but "anything's possible" so there's hope (I guess). Of course, IF Stanton is ready to play it's "looking more at a pinch-hit scenario. We'll see if that's even a realistic option. I don't know yet," Boone said. It must be exhausting being this stupid.

So there we have it. Let's completely rule out Judge but talk about crazy fantasies about Stanton that just don't make any sense. Logic does cease to exist in Baboonie's world. If we are going to live in an unrealistic world, I'd rather live in the world where Baboonie no longer manages the Yankees!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES LET IT FLY

The Yankees needed a response after Tampa Bay celebrated clinching the division Tuesday night.

They got one.

The Yankees blasted the Rays 9-2 on Wednesday, launching four home runs and making sure this one was never really in doubt.

And Ben Rice was the star of the show.

Rice launched his 40th home run on the first pitch of the game and then did it again later, finishing 3-for-4 with two bombs. He now has 41 home runs on the season.

That's HUGE.

Rice has become one of the most dangerous power bats on this team, and the timing couldn't be better. If he's getting hot heading into October, the Yankees could have a very interesting weapon in their lineup.

Ryan McMahon added five RBIs, including a grand slam, while George Lombard Jr. also went deep.

Gerrit Cole did his part, striking out eight over 5⅔ innings.

But let's be honest—this was the Ben Rice show.

And the Yankees certainly won't complain if he keeps swinging like this.

WHY IS BOONE NOW FORCING VOLPE AT THIRD BASE?

I'm done.

At some point, the Yankees have to stop pretending Anthony Volpe is something he hasn't been. And apparently, that point still hasn't arrived. And now Aaron Boone is telling us Anthony Volpe will likely move to third base while George Lombard Jr. stays at shortstop — because apparently the Yankees still haven't run out of ways to keep Volpe in the lineup.

Third base? Seriously? After everything we've watched from Volpe over the last three years, the Yankees' answer is to move him around the infield and keep finding ways to get him into the lineup?

This is getting ridiculous. WE ALL SAW WHAT VOLPE WAS, Let's not rewrite history now. When Anthony Volpe was at his lowest point, Yankees fans absolutely hammered him.

And why wouldn't we? The guy couldn't hit consistently. He made far too many errors. He looked completely overmatched at times. And three years into his major-league career, we were still talking about the same problems that were supposed to be fixed by then.

And one of the biggest problem has always been the arm. Volpe has legitimate throwing limitations, and his Statcast arm-strength numbers have ranked near the bottom of the league. His 2025 arm-strength percentile was just 8th percentile, with his 2026 mark listed at 13th percentile.

Then came the shoulder problem. Volpe dealt with a torn labrum and underwent surgery. So explain this to me why are you taking a guy with a questionable throwing arm and moving him to third base?

That's where this entire thing falls apart. Every time Volpe struggles, the Yankees seem to find another explanation. Maybe he's young. Maybe he needs more time. Maybe the pressure of New York is getting to him. Maybe he's injured. Maybe he'll figure it out. Maybe he'll become the player everyone thought he would be.

Enough.

At some point, potential stops being an excuse. Volpe isn't a rookie anymore. This isn't spring training. This isn't some 20-year-old prospect getting his first taste of the majors. We've seen him. We've seen the bat. We've seen the errors. We've seen the throwing issues. We've seen the inconsistency.

And we've seen enough baseball to know that sometimes a player simply doesn't become what everyone hoped he would become.

That's not personal. That's baseball.

The Yankees apparently believe George Lombard Jr. is good enough to take over shortstop. I'm thrilled. But why does that automatically mean Anthony Volpe needs to play third?

Ryan McMahon is right there. Is McMahon perfect?

No. Is he my favorite third baseman in baseball? Obviously not. But he's a veteran major-league third baseman who has spent his career playing the position. He's experienced. So why are the Yankees trying to turn Volpe into something else?

Why are we once again watching the organization bend the roster around Anthony Volpe instead of simply asking the most basic question: Who gives us the best chance to win right now?

That's supposed to be the job. Not protecting a former top prospect.

This is where I put the blame on Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. Because this isn't just a Volpe problem anymore. It's an organizational problem.  The Yankees seem determined to find a position for this guy rather than simply determining whether he deserves one. STOP CONFUSING DRAFT STATUS WITH PRODUCTION... that is backwards.

Look, I get it, Volpe was a highly touted prospect according to our scouts, who, after our investigation, concluded it was all favoritism... according to our findings HERE.

But ok, he was supposed to be the future. But the hype of Volpe doesn't win baseball games. Production does. That's what matters. And Volpe has had plenty of opportunities to provide it.

Instead, we've spent three years having the same conversations over and over again. I'm tired.

The Yankees are trying to keep Volpe in the lineup because they're afraid to admit that maybe the experiment hasn't worked. My opinion of course. I'm sorry, but that's not my problem as a fan.  Do the Yankees gauge their audience? About 70% of the fans don't even want Volpe.

I don't care where Anthony Volpe was drafted. I don't care how highly he was once ranked. I don't care what the Yankees thought he was going to become. I care about what he gives this team right now. And that's the standard Cashman and Boone should be using too.

 I was patient with Volpe. But eventually, you run out of excuses. Volpe has had three years to establish himself as the Yankees' shortstop, and now the idea of him at third base with a weak arm doesn't even make sense. Not to me, not to anyone with a brain in their head and the eye test on lock.

The bottom line is discussing whether he should move to third base tells you everything you need to know.

If McMahon is available, play McMahon. If not, use the more athletic utility man, Jose Caballero. And if Volpe has a role on this team, then make it a role that actually makes sense... the bench.

The Yankees don't owe Anthony Volpe a starting job. They owe Yankees fans a team built to win.

And if Cashman and Boone can't separate what they wanted Anthony Volpe to become from what he has actually been, then maybe the biggest problem isn't Anthony Volpe anymore.

Maybe it's the people who refuse to move on from him. 

SHOWALTER KNOWS BASEBALL. MAYBE THE YANKEES SHOULD LISTEN.

Buck Showalter believes the Yankees made a mistake bringing Aaron Judge back without a minor league rehab assignment. After months away with a rib injury, Judge returned to the lineup, played seven games and landed back on the injured list with a calf strain.

“When you start talking about the calf, that’s a different animal,” Showalter said on Foul Territory.

Buck’s point is that Judge’s new injury brings a different problem. The rib injury kept him out for months; the calf now affects the running and movement required to play. Showalter believes a rehab assignment would have let Judge build back up in games before taking on a major league workload. He isn’t claiming that the calf strain proves the Yankees caused it. He’s questioning how they handled the return.

And Buck has earned the right to ask. He spent 22 seasons managing in the majors, including four with the Yankees. He won Manager of the Year four times with four different clubs: the Yankees, Rangers, Orioles and Mets. In 2022, he guided the Mets to 101 wins. That’s a real manager and a real baseball mind speaking from decades in the dugout.

Judge wanted to play. Every Yankees fan wanted him back. But wanting your captain in the lineup and preparing him for the demands of playing every day are two different things.

Would a rehab assignment have prevented the calf strain? Nobody knows. Judge is hurt again, October is almost here, and Showalter’s question deserves an answer.

The bad decision making from this front office is never more evident than the last few years. No one is paying attention, and it's getting worse. 

We. Need. Change.

RODÓN STOPPED THE RAYS. BOONE COULDN’T STOP THE CELEBRATION

For one game today the Yankees looked ready to make Tampa Bay wait.

Carlos Rodón was terrific in the doubleheader opener. He gave the Yankees eight scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and didn’t walk a batter. Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer, David Bednar finished the shutout, and the Yankees won 2-0. It was crisp, decisive baseball. It also required Rodón to be nearly perfect because the lineup managed only five hits.

And Anthony Volpe? 0-for-3. Another empty line on a day when every run mattered. I’m tired of being told to see the player the Yankees hope he’ll become while watching the player standing in the batter’s box. Dude’s not good period. If Boone is making October decisions based on faith in Volpe instead of what he’s producing, fans have every reason to worry.

The nightcap gave those fans plenty more to worry about. Drew Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the seventh and struck out 11. Heliot Ramos finally broke it up with a double, and George Lombard Jr. drove in the Yankees’ lone run. Meanwhile, Taylor Walls helped Tampa Bay build its lead, and Yandy Díaz drove in four. The Rays won 6-1, clinched the AL East, and celebrated at Yankee Stadium. That’s the image fans are left with after a split that briefly felt promising.

Now comes the familiar request to stay calm because the Yankees made the playoffs. Fine. They made it. But October doesn’t hand out runs for regular-season wins, and it doesn’t give a manager extra time to figure things out. Aaron Judge is expected to miss the Wild Card series. The lineup just produced one run and three hits in the game that decided the division. A fan looking at that and feeling uneasy is paying attention.

And that brings me to Aaron Boone. His teams win plenty of games over a long season. I know the number. What I want to know is why, when the pressure rises, I’m supposed to trust him to get the crucial decisions right. A manager is judged by what happens when there’s no comfortable margin left, and Boone has done little to earn that trust from me. Why does Hal Steinbrenner continue to allow Boone to manage this team? How many anxious Octobers does he need to see before he asks whether regular-season success is enough?

Rodón showed what the Yankees can look like at their best. A few hours later, the Rays showed them what it looks like to finish the job. The Yankees still have a postseason ahead of them, but this is a rocky road to get there. Right now, being a Yankees fan feels less like anticipation and more like bracing for the next bump.

SHOULD YANKEE FANS PANIC YET?

The Yankees had this game. Then, almost on cue, they gave it away.

New York jumped out to a 4-1 lead after Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones all homered in the third inning. The kids supplied the power, the Yankees grabbed control—and then everything collapsed.

Arizona scored seven unanswered runs, with Nolan Arenado delivering the crushing blow: a fifth-inning grand slam off Brent Headrick that turned a three-run Yankees lead into another ugly loss. The Diamondbacks won 8-4 and took the series. Once Arenado’s ball landed in the seats, the Yankees never answered. Five Arizona relievers shut them out over the final 6 1/3 innings. 

So, do we panic yet?

Maybe “panic” is too dramatic, but concern is absolutely justified. This is no longer about one bad inning in Arizona. The Yankees are now six games behind Tampa Bay with only seven remaining, and their shot at the American League East is barely breathing. They will almost certainly enter October through the Wild Card door—assuming they don’t stumble even further.

And that brings us back to Aaron Boone.

Boone has won plenty of regular-season games. His defenders will always point to the record, the playoff appearances and the consistency. But managing the Yankees isn’t about piling up victories from April through August. It’s about executing when the pressure arrives.

Boone has repeatedly shown that when a game tightens, his decision-making does too. Sunday was another example. The Yankees had a lead, the inning was slipping away, and Boone entrusted the game to an overworked Headrick, making his 79th appearance. By the time Boone reacted, Arenado had already put Arizona ahead for good.

That is Boone’s greatest weakness, and it will always make him a poor manager in my eyes—regardless of how many regular-season wins appear next to his name. The postseason exposes hesitation, questionable bullpen choices and managers who fail to feel the moment. We have watched that movie before.

The Yankees now head into a four-game series against Tampa Bay. Boone says they need to “kick their butt.” That sounds wonderful. But this team doesn’t need another Boone slogan. It needs urgency, clean execution and a manager capable of staying ahead of the game instead of reacting after it has already been lost.

Should Yankee fans panic?

Not yet. But if this is how Boone and the Yankees plan to handle October pressure, we already know how the story ends.

The dude can't close. Yes, we clinched a playoff spot, but that means nothing if we can't win it all.  The dude's not George Patton... he not even close.

IS PLAYOFF BASEBALL A POSSIBILITY WITHOUT JUDGE?

Nothing hurts more than being kicked when you are down. That's how I feel right now. The Yankees are down, and begging for a postseason miracle as the bad luck just keeps on coming. It's a consistent kick to the gut and the pain just keeps intensifying.

What a weekend. We lost the series to the Diamondbacks which I hate more than anyone here could ever understand. The weekend they celebrate their 2001 World Series against us, we lose again. Luis Gonzalez didn't deliver the crushing blow this time but that spirit still lives on. Of all the times I wanted the Yankees to win, this ranks high up there. We lose again, and it stings.

Then to add insult to injury, we all get to sit and hold our breath about Aaron Judge, who is back on the Injured List. On September 2nd, we wrote AARON JUDGE IS CLOSE TO A RETURN - BUT IS HE READY? I was worried he wasn't going to be ready because a rub injury is no joke and our medical staff IS a joke. Now Judge lasted 7 games before his next problem....a calf strain.

I swear I am so sick about this team and their calf strains. It is ridiculous! Here we are again. Judge has a right calf strain, and we don't know how bad it is. Our plan of attack includes hoping that we can get him back by the last game of the regular season and ready for the postseason. This sounds a little scary....

"They haven't told me yet [grade of muscle strain]. But he did reveal that the strain was to the soleus muscle, which he said "is a little more crucial with running and hitting," said Judge.

"It doesn't matter what grade it is, said Aaron Boone. "We're going to get him back, or we're not. That's what we're going to work to do, and we'll see."

That doesn't make me feel great. For the record, I don't believe that the Yankees don't know what grade strain he has. They absolutely do, they are just trying to keep it under wraps.....which makes it sound really really bad. It also makes the rest of us speculate which is dangerous.

Soleus muscle injuries can be precursors to Achilles tears if they are not treated properly or if someone is rushed back prematurely. Judge is so important to this team, but if they don't rehab this correctly it could cost us the rest of the season. The Yankees are six games behind the Rays with seven games left to go. Odds are the Yankees are going to be playing in the Wild Card spot again....and we need Judge ready to contribute.

A Wild Card berth means the Red Sox would be waiting for us again. The Red Sox are always a pain in the ass, but would be an even bigger one without Judge. That's just something I don't want to think about.

It's been a rough season, and even though the regular season is almost over it certainly isn't getting easier. This is definitely more than I want to stress about right now. It's time for the bleeding to stop. It's time to start praying to baseball gods and asking for a postseason miracle.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

GREAT PITCHING ALONE WON’T SAVE THE YANKEES

There is no question the Yankees have the pitching to make a serious run in October. The rotation is strong, the bullpen can shorten games, and when everything is clicking, this staff can shut down anybody.

But here’s the problem: pitching cannot carry a dead offense forever.

The loss of Aaron Judge changes everything. He is not simply the Yankees’ best hitter—he is the one player opposing pitchers fear. When Judge is missing, the lineup becomes easier to navigate. Pitchers can attack everyone else without worrying about the big man waiting around the corner.

That puts even more pressure on Ben Rice.

Rice has shown that he can provide legitimate power and change a game with one swing. Now the Yankees need him to prove he can do it when the pressure rises. Cody Bellinger needs to contribute. The middle of the order needs to produce. Someone must take control instead of waiting for Judge to return and rescue everybody.

The Yankees can celebrate their record and recent winning streak, but October does not care what happened in September. One quiet night at the plate can end a season. Two quiet nights can send everyone home.

This pitching staff is good enough to win a championship. But if Rice and the rest of these bats don’t step up, it won’t matter.

You cannot pitch your way around an offense that disappears. And without Judge, that is exactly what the Yankees are in danger of becoming.

DEVERS TO THE YANKEES? DO WE REALLY NEED THIS?

Here we go.

Rafael Devers and the Yankees are being mentioned in the same sentence, and naturally Yankee fans are going to start dreaming about home runs into the short porch.

ESPN's Buster Olney recently floated Devers as a potential fit for the Yankees, reportedly saying, "He would be perfect with the Yankees."

Perfect? I'm not so sure.

Nobody needs to convince me Rafael Devers can hit.  The bat isn't my problem. The baggage is. Remember how this whole thing with Boston went down?

When the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman and wanted Devers to move away from third base, Devers publicly pushed back. Then, after Triston Casas went down and Boston approached him about potentially playing first base, Devers wasn't exactly thrilled with that idea either.

Eventually Boston shipped its $313.5 million star to San Francisco. Now we're supposed to look at all of that and say, You know what the Yankees need? Rafael Devers.

Do they? That's the question. This isn't fantasy baseball. You don't just collect names and home-run totals. You're building a clubhouse. And if you're Brian Cashman, before you even think about calling Buster Posey, you'd better know exactly which Rafael Devers you're getting.

Because New York isn't Boston and it sure isn't San Francisco.

If Devers didn't like questions about his position in Boston, wait until he's surrounded by 25 reporters after an 0-for-4 night in the Bronx. That's what concerns me. They need guys willing to do whatever is necessary to win.

Could Devers come here, DH, play some first base and absolutely rake in Yankee Stadium? Of course. Would I love his bat between some of the hitters in this lineup? Absolutely.

But I'm not giving away the farm and taking on a massive contract simply because somebody showed me his Baseball Reference page.

I want to know about the guy. I want to know about the teammate.

And most importantly, I want to know what happens the first time Aaron Boone tells Rafael Devers he's doing something Rafael Devers doesn't particularly want to do. Because we've seen that movie before.

Maybe Devers comes to New York, settles in, lets Judge lead and hits 40 bombs. Great. But before Yankee fans start Photoshopping him into pinstripes, somebody needs to ask the question nobody seems interested in asking:

Do the Yankees really need Rafael Devers... or do they just need Rafael Devers' bat? Those are two very different things.

And after everything we've watched this organization get wrong over the years, that's a distinction Brian Cashman better understand before he picks up the phone.