BABY BOMBERS TO WATCH RIGHT NOW!

The Yankees minor league minicamp has everyone buzzing about Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez but there are other baby bombers that are flying under the radar. I've got two names I am watching and wondering what happens next for good reason.

The Yankees have two areas that need major upgrades. One has more of an urgency than the other but both need to be addressed. We are all sitting and wondering who is going to be our next shortstop because that has to be in place whenever Opening Day happens. But what about catcher too? Because Gary Sanchez is dead weight, he's on borrowed time. His time in pinstripes is coming to an end. 
So here's who I'm watching.....

1. Trey Sweeney
Where does Sweeney fit, exactly? We all know the names Volpe and Oswald Peraza (who is already on the Yankees 40-man roster) so the Yankees have a lot of depth at shortstop. Peraza is expected to open at Triple-A and Volpe at Double-A so Sweeney has quite the roadblock ahead of him who are closer to being major league ready. Sweeney also may be more suited for third base also based on his large 6-foot-4, 200 pound frame. If the Yankees want to commit to Sweeney they may have to give him a new role.

2. Austin Wells
Even if I didn't REALLY dislike Sanchez (which, I REALLY do), I would still watch Austin because I am curious about him. I remember when the Yankees drafted him the scouts were not convinced because they said he didn't have the arm strength needed for the position. His experience at first base and all three outfield positions in college seemed like a more logical fit rather than catcher. Fast forward to today and he is still a catcher. He's also gained some arm strength and work on his receiving skills so he's making strides and he's developing in areas that Sanchez has not. It shows promise. It also tells us the Sanchez's time in pinstripes may be coming to an end because Wells also has a developed bat and we all know Sanchez can barely hit his weight. The question is will the Yankees make some changes to his position just to get his hot bat into the lineup? He played well in High-A last season and will likely compete for a bump up to Double-A. He's making his way up....which means it could mean Hello Wells and buh-bye Sanchez soon. I think we are all ready to see anyone else behind the plate.

I'm anxious to see what happens to these two in particular and I'm not going to lie I'm rooting for anyone that could replace Sanchez.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

ZACK BRITTON FIGHTS FAKE NEWS

 I love when public figures call bullshit!

As we all know the lock out is still happening. It's one of those stories that we have to report because it's baseball and it's news... but guess what. I hate reporting it at Bleeding Yankee Blue, because it is literally killing our readership. No one wants to hear about the bitching and moaning. They want a resolution. And the people to blame? Rob Manfred...who just sucks... and the owners.

This story came out today... MLB put it out... and quickly, Zack Britton went on the attack. MSN writes:

"An MLB Network report surfaced that the league and the Players Association is “within striking distance” of making a deal and that an agreement on a new CBA could be done by deadline day — Monday, Feb. 28."

Then this happened:

This is not accurate.

— Zack Britton (@zbritton) February 27, 2022

Now if you remember that last time the MLB was questioned... by Ken Rosenthal, Rosenthal was fired by bitch Manfred and his cronies.  

Hopefully there are no fines coming down for Britton.  I love what he did. Way to call them out!

SAVE BASEBALL

MLB's Opening Day is in doubt reports every new outlet this Sunday morning. The 162-game schedule begins shrinking if a decision isn't made regarding the requests from both sides, ending this lockout by end of day Monday. As baseball players and owners flow in and out of the doors of the meetings' site at the St. Louis Cardinals minor league complex, Roger Dean Stadium, in Jupiter, FL, more than one fan drives by with the simple ask, "Save Baseball." 

Source: The Boston Globe

"Among Saturday’s developments, the players reportedly made a comprehensive offer covering several key issues, including the competitive balance tax, salary arbitration and more. The players made a significant move towards the owners on arbitration, reducing their ask for the number of two-year players who would be eligible for arbitration from 75% to 33%. Currently 22% of two-year players are eligible for salary arbitration and the owners have indicated they won’t budge from that number," reported the Eagle Tribune.

Source: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Big name players have been part of the negotiations with arbitrators and the owners. Max Scherzer, Lance McCullers and Gerrit Cole are among the players present for the meetings each day. Meetings start in the morning and last about 3-4 hours. 87 days have passed since the lockout began last fall. 

I have been through a few strikes in my lifetime, actually all of them. The 1994-1995 strike lasted from the August 1994 through the following March 1995. I had tickets to see the Phillies play in Veterans Park that year. That trip was postponed. The contention there was on the salary cap. There was that year I was supposed to go to Spring Training in 1990, but that didn't happen. We didn't miss any games that year, but the impact likely sets up the modern-day lockout: salary arbitration, free agency, minimum salary. The 80s and 70s also saw a few lockouts, with the worst being in 1981 which came in the middle of the season.  You can read about these strikes here. 

Source: Sporting News

History is absolutely repeating itself, in this expensive, greedy sport. I stayed with the sport because I love it but this time, it is leaving a horrible taste in my mouth. Everyone deserves to earn a good living. You work hard to make it to the major leagues, you don't skimp on practice, you give up your family and certain lifestyle for another lifestyle and success on the field. You deserve to be treated fairly. Baseball owners, and agents also deserve to make a good living, but their greed is sucking the life out of the game.

"Save Baseball" two simple words. Unfortunately, even if the two sides come to a resolution in time to salvage most of the 2022 season, baseball itself will not be saved. If history has told us anything it is that this sport will continue to become bloated with egos, money, and entitlement. It is simply too expensive to go to games, keep up with wardrobe and accept the price tag for streaming services to access your favorite teams. The only way to truly "Save Baseball" is to lower the demand for it. For us as fans to not come back. I know that is a hard ask—it is a hard ask for me too. But it is the only way to really Save Baseball.

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

JOEY GALLO NEEDS TO STOP CRYING

Baseball is hard.  It's hard to get to the Major Leagues. My kid's in college ball right now and it's hard there. You play with competitors, and you play against competitors too. And the goal? The goals to win.  Joey Gallo knows this.  He's a major leaguer. Suddenly he's upset about the shift. Maybe that's because he's batting a career .206. 

He can't get doubles; he can't get triples.  You know what Joey? You can't hit... let's keep it real.  Read this:

He spoke to the Athletic and this is what he said:

"I get the defensive strategies. I do. I am 100 percent not against that… But I think at some point, you have to fix the game a little bit…" Gallo said. "I don't understand how I'm supposed to hit a double or triple when I have six guys standing in the outfield."

Look, the shift does suck, but you ever hear the expression, "Hit em where they ain't?" You still need to go up there and try and do the job. The other team? They'll do whatever it takes to keep you from getting on base. It's just the name of the game. I hate hearing people complaining about not getting on base and yet, that player won't make adjustments. It makes no sense to me. You have to adjust. It's just part of the game. 

Now I'm not telling Joey to hit the ball the other way, but for God's sake, make some kind of adjustment to build some confidence and help the Yankees. Example... my kid in college has been drilled to go opposite field in practice. Every single day. He's a lefty and he is working on hitting ropes left center. All that is good, but as he says to me, "Dad, it's great for practice, but depending on what the guy's throwing, you just can't do that automatic... you have to make adjustments and many times it just doesn't go to the left center gap on a hard liner. Sometimes it's a flare, sometimes I really need to pull it because it's where the ball is placed. It's the game. It's the battle. It's the count. It's where the ball comes in. It's what I guess the pitch will be. Do anything you can to get on base."

Is my kid smarter than Joey Gallo? I'm not saying that. I am simply saying adjustments need to be made in the box no matter what. 

I leave you with this, from the great Fred Lynn who put this out on Twitter:

I believe they shifted on Ted Williams and didn’t he hit 406? https://t.co/WQ6U5U5H71

— Fred Lynn (@19fredlynn) February 24, 2022

Think about that.

Adjustments.

THE INFIELD CONUNDRUM—HOW GLEYBER TORRES' PERFORMANCE MAKES ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE

Source: John Minchillo/AP

You've heard of the domino effect, right? If one falls just right, they all fall, in complete precision. It starts with all of the pieces upright and ends with all of them leaning forward. Well, that is how it is with Gleyber Torres and his performance at shortstop. His performance impacts the rest of the infield, where they play and how they will potentially need to cover for him should he fall. It is the great infield conundrum, and it starts and ends with Gleyber Torres and his ability to step up or fall forward.

The New York Daily News wrote, "Torres had a breakout season playing almost half the year at shortstop in 2019, hitting a career-high 38 home runs and slashing .279/.337/.535 with an .871 OPS. That power was enough for the Yankees to overlook his defensive woes and let Didi Gregorious walk as a free agent and move ahead with Torres as their shortstop. But it disappeared." His bat stopped making up for his lackluster performance and his inability to perform at shortstop displaced DJ LeMahieu at second, caused the Yankees to use Gio Urshela at shortstop and basically disrupted the flow of the entire infield.

To date, the Yankees have done nothing to plug the shortstop issue. And as a result, will be in the same situation they were last season. Recall that Torres put up abysmal numbers last season at the plate and committed 18 errors over 43 total in his career. Unacceptable. In 2020, Torres showed up to spring training out of shape. A shortened spring training will certainly impact Torres and his teammates, putting the Yankees at even more of a disadvantage.

“We’re just getting work in where we can,’’ Luke Voit said last week. “It’s a little bit harder not being able to use the [team] facility, but we don’t want to get too far behind for whenever we do start," reported the New York Post. With an unstable middle infielder, the Yankees chemistry is unsettled, which includes Voit who needs to try and "clean up" bad throws by his shortstop. And if the Yankees trade Torres, the team needs to get to know their new shortstop whether they go all in with big name or settle for an in between guy as they ready their farm for shortstop.

Source: Sports Illustrated

Will Torres play second? Will Torres play short? Will Torres play for another team? These are all questions that plague the Yankees who's shortened off season has certainly hurt their chances to build a championship team. Gleyber Torres is a pinnacle position player that holds a lot of weight in where other players play and even how they perform. The infield conundrum is real—just another domino in the Yankees free fall in the American League East.  

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

GOSSAGE IS A BAD ASS & MANFRED NEEDS TO STEER CLEAR!

Rich Gossage is pissed, and I love it.  This is a guy that was larger than life back in the Yankees hey-day, a sometimes 3-inning closer with arms and legs coming at you on any given night to close out a game. And he doesn't take shit. He's a competitor. And now... as an old man, that hasn't changed one bit. Rich Gossage is pissed about the MLB Lockout and has a lot to say about it.

This comes from Fansided, who got the story from USA Today. Love this! You Go Goose!

"Gossage went into detail for his disdain for Manfred, revealing that he’s been wanting to punch Manfred since last year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “I hate that mother (expletive)” Gossage told USA Today. “You know how much I hate him? I called (Hall of Fame chairman) Jane Forbes Clark before the induction last year and said, ‘Jane, I don’t know where you stand with this guy, but I may punch Rob Manfred right in the (expletive) nose and spatter his (expletive) nose all over his (expletive) face right in the lobby of your hotel.”

The man Gossage holds responsible for this and for literally stopping the game with the lockout is Rob Manfred. Although Gossage held back during his Hall of Fame ceremony, if Manfred continues to ruin the game, Gossage may be the only hope of ending the lockout with a knockout."

I happen to agree with Gossage when it comes to who is responsible for the lockout. In the MLB right now, the game has changed, much of it has to do with Manfred. Out of frustration, I know the players are irritated with Manfred too and that's why there is a lockout.  This guy has been terrible for baseball.

The final straw for me was making the DH universal. I mean, the NL was real baseball and now that's ruined.  He's horrible for the game. Gossage is definitely onto something.

I would pay money to see Goose knock this guy out.  How can we make that happen?

RETIRING 21 ON 21!

You cannot beat this event. Paul O'Neill's number will soon be retired and he freaking deserves it!

The Yankees announced it today:

8.21.22

Paul O’Neill’s No. 21 enters Monument Park. pic.twitter.com/6ewcbEDPKj

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 22, 2022

And of course, the biggest O'Neill guy is Mike O'Hara who immediately texted me this right away:

Sounds like a plan!  

The Athletic writes:

"O'Neill, who played in New York from 1993-2001, becomes the first Yankee player since Derek Jeter (No. 2 on May 14, 2017) to have his number retired. Other Yankees from O'Neill's playing days to have had their numbers retired are Don Mattingly (No. 23), Andy Pettitte (No. 46), Jorge Posada (No. 20), Mariano Rivera (No. 42), Bernie Williams (No. 51) and manager Joe Torre (No. 6).

...Over 1,254 games in New York, O'Neill hit .303 with 304 doubles, 185 homers and an .869 OPS. He won the American League batting title in 1994 with a .359 average."

And now he's among the greats! Gotta love it.

Congrats Paulie!

And for all you BYB Freaks out there, we interviewed Paul back when BYB was starting up. He was a huge reason why we love the guy. Check out EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: PAUL O'NEILL!

AN HONEST CRITIQUE OF JOEY GALLO AND WHY HE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IN NEW YORK

Terrific NJ.com piece by Brendan Kuty simply for the fact that he spoke with 2 guys that really understand the game and player development and achievement... Bob Klapisch and Randy Miller.  They got on the subject of Joey Gallo... a guy that I never wanted in pinstripes. People always praise him on his home runs. But this is a career .206 hitter that has struck out more than he's done anything else at the plate. It's like college ball today. All these head coaches are looking at high Velo numbers off the bat, but if these kids don't hit, what's the point of that? You can't be a 1 for 15 guy. It helps nothing.  And that brings be back to Joey Gallo.  And that brings me to some gems in the Randy Miller, Bob Klapisch discussion. Check this out:

"MILLER: Gallo also hit just .181 in 2020. This is two really bad years in a row. Several scouts that I’ve talked to who have seen him a lot question whether he’s mentally tough, I don’t know the answer to that. He does seem like a really nice guy, but he played his whole career with the Texas Rangers before the end of last season. It’s very different playing in Texas. The fans are more casual. The media isn’t nearly as tough. When you struggle there, you don’t hear about it as much, if at all. The Dallas Cowboys are the biggest team in town. Texas Longhorns football is probably even bigger than the Rangers there and Austin is three hours from Arlington. Also, Gallo hasn’t been a clutch player. A lot of sluggers don’t hit for a high average, but when the bases are loaded, they’re focused on putting the ball in play and Gallo is an even worse hitter in the biggest clutch situations. His career average with the bases full is .146. Not good. I don’t know how this is going to pan out. I question whether he’s a good fit for New York. Are the Yankees happy with him? Maybe they’d be fine with Gallo hitting .190 with a lot of homers and a lot of walks. Cashman is all in on analytics, and if you walk a ton and hit a bunch of homers, that’s analytics heaven. Analytics doesn’t care about strikeouts. Joey Gallo is the poster boy for analytics.

KLAPISCH: Even if Gallo hit .200, that would be a 40-point improvement over what he did last year as a Yankee. Hitting .160 is unacceptable in any scenario. I don’t care how many home runs you’ve hit, if you’re hitting .160 you’re part of the problem."

It's really something to think about. This guy is not the answer. Now look, I want to be wrong, but what these guys say is very true... mental toughness needs to win the day and the Bronx is tough. Can Gallo be successful here? Personally, I really don't think so.

CAMERON "RISING STAR" MAYBIN HAS A NEW GIG WITH THE YANKEES!

At last, a reunion I can be excited about. While all fans wait to reunite with baseball as the lockout lives on we finally have something new to look forward to. It's a small piece of good news right now that I think we can all use.

What exactly am I talking about? I'm sure you've all heard this gem by now but in case you haven't you can check all of the details HERE but I'm not going to bury the lead. Cameron Maybin is BACK. Not in pinstripes this time, but he's taking the mic as a YES Network analyst and I am anxious to hear it.

And it sounds like Michael Kay is anxious for all of us to hear it too because Kay says Maybin will be a "star" and "Yes, he's that good." I really can't wait to hear it for myself. I'm still trying to come to terms that Ken Singleton won't be back. My head knows it but my heart does not. Singleton has always been a personal favorite of mine. I will never forget his signature "LOOK OUT!" and I am going to miss that. Times change though, and while I will miss Singleton I wish him a happy retirement and I look forward to what Maybin has to offer.

I think this is a good choice for YES. Now he can see the other side. Maybin used to be a favorite for beat writers everywhere and now he could be a broadcast favorite. He does have some big shoes to fill though but I am sue he will figure that out quickly, especially if he's a natural like Kay says he is.

YES Network should have a flexible rotation now that Maybin is expected to call about 40 games compared to Singleton's 18 and they also have Carlos Beltran calling games too. I love how NJ.com conveniently left that out of their story though:
"Besides Kay and Maybin, the YES broadcast team includes analysts David Cone, Paul O’Neill and John Flaherty, clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits and backup play-by-play man Ryan Ruocco."

Nice to see I am not the only one who isn't giving cheating Carlos Beltran a warm welcome.

Welcome back to the Yankees, Maybin! Can't wait to see what the next chapter of your career looks and sounds like.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

SPRING TRAINING OFFICIALLY ON HOLD

Source: Twitter

The headline is not something I wanted to write. I tried to make is sound sweeter, to dull the pain. But the fact of the matter is, the 2022 official kickoff to baseball is postponed and there is nothing we can do about it, except maybe pray.

“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of spring training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5th,” MLB said in a statement. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands," reported NJ.com. Regret. Postpone. Unified. Desire. Those are the key words of that statement. But what is missing are Greed. Money. Entitlement. More. 

Source: Steve Nesius/The Canadian Press via AP

Let's face it, life today is expensive. Cars, appliances, heat, electric, WiFi, phones. tuition, running shoes...all expensive. And in order to enjoy our quality of life, we have to put up the bucks to support it. But there is also overextension, overdoing it and just down right gluttony. And that is where baseball lands in all of it. Is it the players' fault? Is it ownership's fault? Yes. Film producer Robert Evans said, “There are three sides to every story – yours, mine, and the truth.” The truth is MLB has become inflated—salaries, ticket prices, venue costs, television rights—all too much. America's pastime is no longer grabbing a few buddies to catch a game, buying a few beers and dogs and having a sweet 'ol time. It is expensive; you have to "save up" to go to a game. And this lockout is exploiting just how much.

Beginning Monday both sides have agreed to meet everyday in order to get a resolution in place to start the season ontime. By the way, March 31st is the official start of the 2022 season. Anyone else see a problem with that goal?

"Say sometime late next week the players and the owners agree on a new deal. A March 5 start to spring training games means camps would open maybe a week prior. There’s still a path for camps to open four weeks before the first game of the regular season," reports NJ.com.

Source: Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media

But here is the thing. The Yankees have experienced so many trips to the IL in the past few years, both veterans and rookies alike. A shortened spring training does not give time for players to get ready. Pitchers need time to stretch out and get their form right, guys like Luke Voit and Aaron Hicks need lead time to be in the best shape to prove their worth and stay healthy and rookies like phenom shortstop Anthony Volpe and catcher Austin Wells to get some air time in front to coaches to prove themselves ready for the big leagues. None of these things will happen if the greedy owners expect to shorten spring training in order to get in a full season. 

So for now, Spring Training is on hold. There are a lot of ramifications of this, including the health and fitness of players. I hope there is a full spring training, and the season starts in mid/end of April. Let's not put the players at a disadvantage from the start. We want our guys out there, but we want them to be at their best!

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

BOONE PUPPET BOTHERED BY BEING PERCEIVED AS A PUPPET

Too bad man. You're a puppet.

Hey Aaron... you make front office moves and clearly you don't have what it takes to be a solid manager. Get over yourself.

That's how I'd tell Aaron Boone how I feel about him when he tries to defend himself as not being a puppet for the New York Yankees.  But he is, cause trust me; his moves are amateur.

But Aaron's pissed about it and so, he spoke to Joel Sherman about it.  It was a great article. He called the accusations "Bullshit."  Too bad, bro.

MSN writes:

"He hears the talk that he is considered a puppet for the front office and the analytics staff, who many believe are in charge of lineup construction and in-game management, despite multiple dismissals of that idea by general manager Brian Cashman. He once again pushed back on that narrative ...

Boone told Sherman. “Narratives that get started that maybe have some sliver of truth to it, but in the end are kind of bulls–t. I have a hard time…it bothers me just as a sport, as an industry, as someone who has been in the game forever and loves it...

“You are missing the boat if you are not all-in on all of it and understanding the importance of all of it,” Boone said. “I try to bring that down here all the time. One thing rubbed me wrong, I heard something…they called me a ‘data applicator.’ Like I am not a baseball guy and just some ‘data applicator.’ I have been in this game all my life, bro. I am as baseball through-and-through as anyone. Just because I have been open-minded and grown in the game doesn’t mean I am any more old-school or new-school than I have ever been. You are an idiot if you are not aware of all of it.”

And here's the problem with all of it. He may have been in the game "forever" but it's only because of his father and grandfather. Sure, his brother was there too and that's great, but that doesn't make this guy qualified. And moreover... surrounding yourself with less experienced coaches don't make you better either, Aaron. It just makes you King of the dummies, and no one really likes that, but it's true. 

Boone doesn't play close attention... he doesn't play with a gut instinct. He runs his decisions out of the front office and bases many decisions on numbers. It's very strategic and obvious. Just watch him work.  He's usually late and way too calculated.

Boone can act like he's old school all he wants. He's not. He's one of the newbies who has it all figured out with his numbers and "best friends" in his Yankee team. He's not a good manager... I hate to break it to him. 

One final quote from Boone the Puppet:

“One of the overwhelming reasons I took this job was to win a world championship... So of course, there is that frustration because we have been one of the teams probably, legitimately in the running for that year in and year out. There is frustration in that. I want to be in the parade."

And this encapsulates the entire problem.  You don't wave at the finish line before you win a ballgame. It's one day at a time, one game at a time. This tool took the keys to the castle because he thought it would be a breeze. But little did he know it would require work.  He showed his hand... that's amateur hour all day long.

Win... one day at a time... not all at once before it even got started. That's clown shit dude... rookie.

I leave you with this... hitting a dramatic home run in a series where we advanced to the World Series but lost anyway doesn't make you a baseball great.  All is does is provide a great moment in baseball history.  Remember this... while great, in the end we lost.  And we're losing again... Boone's just in the driver's seat this time.

Doomed I tell you... doomed.

WOULD YOU LET AARON JUDGE GO?

I love Aaron Judge, he's marketable.

The other day with R2C2, he spoke about the Yankees and the possibility of the Yankees NOT extending him. He was very diplomatic about it. He was professional about it. He wants to continue to be a Yankee... but hey, if it doesn't work out, he loved his time in the Bronx:

Yes, we asked @TheJudge44 the question. And if it’s up to him, he’s not going anywhere. Listen to his own words on the latest R2C2. Out now. pic.twitter.com/1ypEgNKCmC

— R2C2 (@R2C2) February 17, 2022

Now look, the New York Post wrote this:

"In November, general manager Brian Cashman said he had not spoken with Judge’s agent about an extension, but added that although the organization doesn’t usually extend players before they become free agents, Judge is “a special player, so it’s definitely a special case.”

Judge turns 30 in April and is coming off his best season since 2017. His future with the Yankees could be tied in part to the outcome of the current collective bargaining agreement negotiations and the competitive-balance tax, since he would almost certainly be in line for a deal that would pay him an annual salary in the neighborhood of Gerrit Cole’s $36 million. The Post’s Joel Sherman suggested a five-year, $189 million deal for Judge, who is set to get around $17 million in arbitration this season."

Here's the thing, he's a great kid, he's smart and he doesn't wanna piss off the Yankees. But he also understands this is business.  The Yankees know he's a solid player for the organization, but they also know it's business too.  Judge gets hurt a lot, but also delivers when they need him and when he's healthy. I happen to suggest that I like the Post's Sherman's offer above. I think that's a good way to go for Judge and then take it from there.

In the end, CC Sabathia said it best in a tweet:

Let's go Cash!

RISING INTEREST FOR THIS YANKEE SHORTSTOP TARGET

At some point the lockout will end.... right? Hopefully sooner rather than later. Whenever it happens, the Yankees will have to address their biggest need this offseason and they may have to jump sooner than they would like. We know teams will be ready to make some deals once baseball comes back, but will the Yankees jump fast enough?

We need a shortstop BADLY and Gleyber Torres isn't it. But maybe big names like Carlos Correa and Trevor Story aren't either. In fact, other teams may be saying the same thing. Rumor has it HERE, that the market for Isiah Kiner-Falefa may be hotter than we realized months ago.

The Yankees have been rumored to be more interested in a shorter-term stop-gap option until one of our young shortstops in the minors are ready. It sounds like several other teams may have the same thought process. The Texas Rangers took a deep dive in the free agent pool before the lockout, and they threw stacks of cash out. Now they have a surplus with Kiner-Falefa who has no clear-cut defined role.

So now the Yankees are paying attention and waiting. Meanwhile the Angels, Astros, Phillies, White Sox and Blue Jays are also fits for Kiner-Falefa on paper. So with high demand the Rangers could wait for the best offer and cash in big time as the market for bigger names may change.

So the Rangers are sitting pretty. They have a nice trade piece that they can sell to the highest bidder while big names Story and Correa sit on the shelf which may be even more nerve wrecking after an already exhausting lockout. Personally, I'd be fine watching Correa get passed over and eventually watching the ASSTROS overpay for his cheating ass.... but I know I won't get that lucky.

The Yankees really don't NEED an overpriced shortstop....but they also don't need to sit out and watch any of these other teams make a big splash either. Kiner-Falefa may not be the big shiny name, but the interest is there and that says a lot.

Go to the pool Yankees, go to the pool. It's fun.
Wake me up when the lockout is over.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE UNPLUGGED

February 15th came and went—the day I wait for every year once the World Series ends. My colleague @JayBilly2 added salt the wound with his comment earlier in the week, "Hate to be a party pooper. No baseball until July." Could the long-awaited Yankees Spring Training Schedule be just a fairy tale? Are we really in for no go for baseball 'til the early summer?

"Tuesday is day 76 of this owners vs. players war over money, the sides still are very far apart and there are no talks scheduled. Not good," reported NJ.com. Despite both sides coming together for quarterly meetings in Florida on Saturday, and Aaron Judge's videos that were filled with optimism, no deals were made, no resolution agreed upon. In order for the season to start on time, a new deal would be needed by the first week of March. Which is exactly two weeks away.

"The sad thing is the talks are going nowhere. Baseball is lost in the desert with no resolution in sight. The last play in the Super Bowl is usually when the NFL passes the stage to baseball and it’s a rite of passage every year. Baseball fans look forward to the beginning of another season, and here we are with no idea when spring training is going to start and a strong likelihood that the season is going to start late. It’s a sad day for baseball," said baseball writer Bob Klapisch.

What is the fight about? Shared revenue, base salaries, free agency and minor league positions and salaries. And they are no closer to a resolution than they were when the lockout began. Which means that the Yankees and all spring training schedules are virtually unplugged. I wish we all could share with you more optimistic news. But there's nothing. Do you believe in Miracles? Yes. But they are reserved for the Olympics, which have filled some of the void, but will soon come to an end too. 

So we are left with binging, NHL, March Madness, NBA...and then, maybe baseball. 

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

ROB MANFRED'S GROWING LIST OF FAILURES CONTINUE

I'm sick and tired of hearing about the MLB lockout. I'm tired of writing about it. I'm tired of thinking about it. But when in the middle of a lockout, it can't be avoided when you write a blog.

So I had a terrible lapse of judgement on Thursday and Rob Manfred gave me false hope. I wanted to believe what he was selling. We all do, but I really hoped for that miracle. He made a nice pitch that you can read HERE but here's what gave me some hope:

"That's the art of this process. Somebody makes a move. And that's why we'll make additional moves on Saturday that creates flexibility on the other side and what seemed like a big gap on this topic or that topic isn't such a big gap anymore."

He made it sound like owners were ready to play ball and the gap could be bridged....but that didn't happen at all. In fact, negotiations lasted approximately an hour and then Jon Heyman tweeted this:

That's frustrating for me to read. There hasn't been nearly enough time at the negotiating table to get this deal done. Saturday's meeting between MLB and MLBPA was the first in 11 days. Both sides didn't even meet to START negotiating until 43 days after the lockout started. Neither side knows the art of negotiation at all and no sense of urgency.

So Sorry, Manfred's follow up comment of  "I believe we will have an agreement in time to play our regular schedule" is nothing but a bunch of crap. We are in the middle of February so to think that both sides are going to light a fire under their asses and agree to a deal by March 31st feels like a wild fantasy.

If and when March 31st rolls around and the season hasn't started we should all remind Manfred of this. He's a lying clown and he's killing this sport. #FireManfred!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj