YANKS NEED TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH, BUT WE'RE NOT AS PRESTIGIOUS AS WE USED TO BE

When the Yankees were good, they were great.  But the Yankees aren't good and anyone that's been reading the papers knows that it has everything to do with the front office, the manager and the analytics department, who should be renamed "Amateur Hour Office".  Sure, blame some players for not stepping up, but it was even Aaron Judge that took a shot at the front office saying that the players were probably given the "wrong numbers".  That's bad.

Bruce Bochy is a player's manager just like Aaron Boone, but Bochy is also a baseball man. He is wise and manages with his eyes, his heart, his gut. He doesn't use analytics as the law on the field, he uses it as a guide and that's the difference.  Boone uses the numbers for what it is and doesn't factor in many different other factors on any given day... weather, player error, the elements, the different days, the matchups, etc. Boone's a clown. 

The point is at the end of the day, when players are looking to get a big pay day and you see a team like the Texas Rangers and a loser team like the New York Yankees... who are you going to sit down at the table with the negotiate?  

The Yankees should and need to make a big splash this off-season. It's a must.  Here's the problem; Who the hell wants to come to the Yankees these days? This team has been crucified by the press and their own fan base is leaving in flocks.  Do you know a friend of mine received an email from the Yankees ticket office to re-up for the 2024 season? You know what he told them?

"Sir, with all due respect, I will not step foot in Yankee Stadium again until Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are fired."

And you know what? That's a fan... that's fair.  If the front office doesn't want to try and fix things to give their team the best chance to win, why the hell would the fans want to be there? Look, the Mets suck too, but at least Steve Cohen's trying to figure it out. 

There are 3 names out there that the Yankees are continually connected to, but I just don't know if they can get them.

Jordan Montgomery for one. Now let's cut through it right now. The Yankees never gave this guy a fair shake. They didn't believe in him and they didn't allow him to find his groove. The Yankees front office was impatient. But you know who did give Jordan a shot? The Rangers.  So, while the rumors are that the Yankees are going to try and pursue him, what makes you think for a second that JoMo wants to come back to New York?  I think this rumor, while fair to speculate, may be the most ridiculous of them all.  

Cody Bellinger is another guy, but this guy I see coming to New York.  Cody had a great season with the Cubs.  His father Clay played for the organization.  As far as I know there is no bad blood.  Now, would the Yankees be willing to bring this guy in? Would Cody want to be in the Bronx?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A Japanese pitcher that's lights out.  Now look, there are many players from Japan that pan out and many that do not.  For the Yankees, it's a mixed bag between guys like Hideki Matsui, Kei Igawa and Masahiro Tanaka, but at the end of the day, Matsui is the anointed ambassador for the Yankees when it comes to Japanese players and I do believe with some help, Yamamoto could end up in pinstripes.

But look, at the end of the day, it really comes down to the Yankees cleaning up their camp.  The front office is a mess, the direction they give their players is amateur and while money fixes a lot of stuff, it has not fixed this team at all.

Yankeeland needs leaders... and we are not seeing that, especially in 2023.  Who knows what will happen in 2024, but I'm not hopeful.