THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS & BASEBALL WISHES AS WE LOOK AHEAD

First and foremost, I want to wish all of you a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving! This year has been stressful on all of us, but we press on and we persevere. I've learned to appreciate a lot of things that I previously took fore granted because I thought they would always be around. 

Sports is a great example of that. It's been routine for many of us, so when we didn't have any to watch for months I suddenly appreciated them a lot more. I missed them A LOT. I missed the distraction from the unfamiliar world we live in. It's the simple things in life that I now appreciate even more.

So I hope as you read this and you are spending time with your family that you are healthy and focusing on what you are grateful for. The world looks very different right now. I yearn for pre-covid days and I hope to watch baseball inside of a stadium again. I hope that is in our future, and will continue to remain optimistic and wish for what comes next. Who knows, maybe those wishes will manifest and turn into reality.

One of my wishes would of course be to re-sign DJ LeMahieu. I think that is on every Yankee fan's wish list this winter, but my wish goes beyond the obvious. This season we were reminded how hard it is to stay on top. The Rays are the new pain in our butts while the Red Sox were far less threatening. I want to get back to the top just like every other fan....and this week there was one important detail to help us get there. The Rays lost an important piece to their division winning team, so that's good new for us.

Maybe the Yankees are starting to close the gap. There's a long way to go of course. The Yankees need to make improvements even if the Rays lose more of their big names BUT Charlie Morton is no longer a Ray and has left for Atlanta. The Rays declined Morton's $15 million club option for 2021 and the Braves were willing to pay it. The Rays wanted to keep Morton but at a lower price. The Rays made a mistake, Morton's salary was too much for their payroll, but so is the cost of his departure.

But on top of that, the Rays are also rumored to be willing to trade Blake Snell for a hefty return just like they did in 2016 when they traded Chris Archer. Now IF this is true and not just a baseless rumor, a trade that involves getting Snell OUT of the AL East would be HUGE for the Yankees. I wouldn't mind the idea of Snell in pinstripes either behind Gerrit Cole in our rotation, but to me that sounds like a wish that just isn't realistic. It is a nice thought for sure. I realize this winter will be challenging for free agent signings. Owners will probably pinch pennies so IF the Yankees big splash is bringing back LeMahieu I am happy with that if the Rays help us close the gap by making more notable subtractions. Sometimes you need to get a little creative and improvise and 2020 has definitely taught us this.

So as we sit around the table today and give thanks for the small victories and celebrate 2020 coming closer to an end I also celebrate the possibilities for 2021 ahead....baseball related or not.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I am truly thankful that all of you continue to come here and support us.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj