AROLDIS CHAPMAN IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE YANKS GIVING UP ON THEIR GUYS

I keep coming back to one question: why did the Yankees give up on Aroldis Chapman so fast? Sure, the guy had his rough stretches in pinstripes, but let’s not kid ourselves—Chapman was a force. A tough competitor, a fireballer with a presence few relievers in baseball history could match. Not a Devin Williams, not a David Bednar—Chapman was better. And yet, the Yankees couldn’t wait to show him the door.

Yes, there was the 2016 suspension, a messy chapter in his career. A girlfriend accused him of choking her and firing off shots in his garage. Prosecutors dropped the charges for lack of evidence, though Chapman admitted to the gunfire (which, let’s face it, was reckless but not exactly the same as the headline-grabbing allegations). MLB still dropped the hammer with a suspension—more about Rob Manfred flexing faux authority than proven wrongdoing. That was the start of the Yankees distancing themselves. They didn’t want to deal with the bad PR, so they quietly framed him as a headache and moved on.

And yet, George Steinbrenner once made second chances a cornerstone of his Yankees. Doc Gooden. Darryl Strawberry. Guys with real demons, who George embraced and who rewarded him with production and redemption arcs. Chapman and Hal Steinbrenner? Chapman didn’t get the same grace. Instead, the Yankees basically shrugged and said, “Go scratch.” Eventually, Chapman felt disrespected, and the marriage fell apart.

Now? The guy’s still shoving 100 MPH fastballs past hitters. He’s bounced around—won a title with Texas, now thriving with Boston of all teams. The Red Sox signed him, liked what they saw, and just extended him. They’re paying him $13.3 million next year with an option for 2027. Meanwhile, Yankee fans are watching him close games at Fenway while our bullpen situation looks like a coin flip. That’s not irony—that’s organizational malpractice.

And here’s where it burns: this isn’t just about Chapman. This is a pattern. The Yankees always seem to cut bait too quickly. Caleb Durbin? Gone. Now thriving in Milwaukee in their infield. Gleyber Torres? He’s torching pitchers in Detroit while we cycled through second basemen like they were scratch-off lottery tickets. At third base, we finally land Ryan McMahon—.217 hitter, hardly terrifying. And in the bullpen? Don’t get me started. They already had Luke Weaver proving himself, but Cashman couldn’t help himself—he had to overcomplicate things by bringing in Devin Williams, who has been, frankly, a disaster in pinstripes.

The truth is the Yankees operate from a place of confusion. They panic, they shuffle, they tinker, and they give up on their own too soon. Chapman is the poster child for this mess. The Red Sox gambled and are laughing their way to wins. The Yankees? They’re juggling four guys for the closer role and still can’t decide who should pitch the ninth. That’s not strategy—that’s indecision.

Yes, the Yankees are on a seven-game winning streak right now. That’s nice. But when October rolls around and the margins shrink, fans won’t forget how badly this team manages talent. And if the postseason ends early, maybe—just maybe—it’s time the Yankees give up on Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone the way they’ve been so quick to give up on everyone else.

Because let’s be clear: Aroldis Chapman is still out there blowing hitters away. The Yankees are still out there pretending like they’ve got a plan. And us fans? We see right through it.

THE YANKEES ARE CARRYING BOONE ON THEIR BACK...

Cause it's clear that he can't help them.

The Yankees did it again. Yes, you read that right. They won another game. I know, I had to double-check too (I'm kidding!) Suddenly, they look like an actual baseball team and not some weird lab experiment gone wrong from the analytics department. Seven wins in a row. That’s not just a streak, that’s a pulse.

Sure, they beat the White Sox—but hey, let’s not nitpick. A win is a win, and when the opponent is basically a minor league club in major league uniforms, you take it, smile, and pretend it was hard.

Aaron Judge launched his 42nd home run because that’s what he does—carry this team like he’s moving furniture by himself. Cody Bellinger chipped in with a bloop single in the 11th that gave the Yankees the lead, and suddenly people are whispering that Bellinger is actually better than Juan Soto. And honestly? They might not be wrong.

I mean, if you’re one of those spreadsheet-loving nerds who talks in acronyms like fWAR (seriously, it sounds like a bad video game), Bellinger is outpacing Soto this season. He’s hitting, running, fielding—and unlike Soto, he doesn’t look like he’s allergic to defense. At this point, Soto is just a guy who swings really hard, while Bellinger is giving you the whole package. Hot take? Maybe. Correct take? Absolutely.

Meanwhile, Austin Wells homered (still batting .210), Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled in another run, and even Anthony Volpe managed to look competent for a moment, driving in one more. Miracles everywhere. The Yankees are now just two games back of Toronto.

So, here’s the deal: keep winning, take the division, and ride that momentum. Because let’s be honest—the Wild Card is for teams that like participation trophies. The Yankees should be aiming higher... meanwhile all Boone talked about weeks ago was hoping to "squeak into the wildcard"... the dude was already giving up. But not us fans. 

But to win the World Series? That requires Aaron Boone to somehow not mess it all up. And if history tells us anything, Boone has the magic touch of turning a contender into a postseason pumpkin. Seven wins in a row or not, the only question is: can the players keep saving this team in spite of him?

THE YANKEES ARE COMING!

The Yankees, believe it or not, are alive. Six wins in a row, suddenly breathing down the Blue Jays’ necks, only three games out in the division. This is what baseball is supposed to feel like — clawing, chasing, surging. Forget that Wild Card nonsense. That’s just Major League Baseball’s way of selling participation trophies. The division title is what matters. That’s the ticket to October with actual momentum.

Now, before anyone starts handing out halos, let’s be clear: Aaron Boone didn’t magically flip a switch. The guy still pencils in his golden child Anthony Volpe like he’s Derek Jeter’s long-lost cousin. Yes, Volpe hit a home run last night. Yay, balloons. He’s also hitting .209, so let’s not suddenly start sculpting a statue outside Yankee Stadium. The kid still sucks. I would have rather have seen Jose Caballero playing short.

This win streak isn’t about Boone’s managerial genius (spoiler: he doesn’t have any) or Volpe’s rare connection with a baseball. It’s about the team finally waking up. Carlos Rodón was locked in again, and the Yankees have now won each of his last five starts since August 6. It feels like Rodón might have remembered why the Yankees pay him all that money.

Then there’s Trent Grisham, who decided to uncork a grand slam — his second of the year — because why not? The craziest part? Boone barely used him last season, as if burying decent talent on the bench was a hobby. Now Grisham is producing like a real difference-maker, and you just know he’s going to cash in during free agency somewhere else next year. Good for him.

Jazz Chisholm put it best: “We want the division.” That’s the energy. That’s the kind of swagger this team has been missing.

The Yankees are now 11-3 in their last 14, with the only losses coming against the Red Sox (because of course). Critics will point out that this run has come against the bottom-feeders of the league — but newsflash, those bottom-feeders are on everyone’s schedule. Beating them is literally part of the job description.

The real test starts Tuesday when Houston comes to town. That’s when we’ll find out if this is a temporary sugar rush or the beginning of something real.

BOONE DOESN'T GET TO CHOOSE IF VOLPE GETS SENT DOWN!

Can we all finally admit that nothing Aaron Boone says carries an ounce of weight? The man’s press conferences are basically baseball’s version of a puppet show—except with worse punchlines. Everyone knows Boone doesn’t set the lineup, he doesn’t decide who goes to Scranton, and his creepy fixation on Anthony Volpe is… well, let’s just say it makes Yankee fans more uncomfortable than a rain delay with Dave Sims stuck in the booth.

And yet, here we are. It’s late August, Volpe is still out there putting together the kind of offensive résumé that makes Mario Mendoza look like a middle-of-the-order slugger, and Boone’s still out here calling him “elite.” Elite at what, exactly? Standing in the on-deck circle? Looking lost at the plate? Boone acts like Volpe’s OPS from high school wood bat tournaments should earn him lifetime tenure as the Yankees’ shortstop.

Let’s rewind: way back in April, Bleeding Yankee Blue (shoutout to us for being ahead of the curve) was already saying what needed to be said—ship Volpe to Scranton. He wasn’t hitting, he wasn’t showing fundamentals, and the fanbase could see it with their own eyes. I even had a conversation with my coffee guy in the city—a die-hard Yankee fan—who said, “They gotta ship Volpe to the minors. He doesn’t know how to hit!” And honestly, my coffee guy sparked this conversation. Read CALLS FOR VOLPE TO BE SHIPPED TO SCRANTON for more.

Fast forward to now, and finally, someone in the media asked Boone about sending Volpe down. Boone’s response? Comedy gold. He actually said:

“What planet does that guy get sent down? I don’t know that planet.”

Aaron, buddy, that planet is called Earth. Here. Right now. It’s the same planet where players who can’t hit above the Mendoza Line get demoted.

But Boone isn’t just wrong—he’s predictable. He doubled down with the usual “he’s mentally strong, he’ll get through this” bullshit. Boone’s always got this weird mix of dad-coach clichés and fantasy land projections, like he’s reading from a Hallmark card instead of managing the New York Yankees. Meanwhile, fans are left watching Volpe flail at the plate night after night while being told he’s secretly great. And Boone sits there saying "He's trying."

Here’s the bottom line: Volpe isn’t cutting it, and the fans know it. Boone can fight for him all he wants, but the reality is simple—when a player stinks, they get sent down. That’s how it works everywhere else in baseball. The only reason Volpe’s still here is because the front office (and Boone, the analytics department’s ventriloquist dummy) want to keep pretending their golden boy is about to “turn the corner.” Spoiler alert: he isn’t.

So, Boone can keep making googly eyes at Volpe, preaching patience and painting a picture of a player who doesn’t exist. But the fans? We’re done. We don’t care about mental toughness, emotional maturity, or OPS projections from four months ago. We just want a shortstop who can hit a baseball. Is that too much to ask when a guy’s making millions?

Apparently, in Boone’s world, it is. Meanwhile Jose Caballero is doing everything right. But Boone calls him utility.

WHY IS BOONE CELEBRATING HIMSELF BEING A CLOWN?

 

Aaron Boone has become the embodiment of everything wrong with the Yankees’ so-called “leadership.” I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: he’s a bad manager. Not mediocre. Not “just inconsistent.” Bad. The man doesn’t understand leadership, motivation, or even how to speak in a way that inspires a clubhouse. Instead, his idea of managing boils down to yelling at umpires over balls and strikes, as if throwing tantrums is a tactical strategy. It isn’t. It never has been. No umpire in history has ever overturned a strike call because a manager screamed loud enough. Boone thinks he’s protecting his players when, in reality, he just makes himself look like a clown.

And speaking of clowns, the latest revelation might be Boone’s most embarrassing yet. YES Network reporter Meredith Marakovits recently discovered a bobblehead in Boone’s office—one that depicts him mid-tantrum during his stupid argument with umpire Laz Diaz in 2023. 

You remember the one: Boone flailing his arms, pantomiming a strikeout, looking like a Little League dad who’d had one too many brews before the game. The best part? Replay showed the pitch was a clear strike. 

Boone wasn’t standing up for his players; he was putting on a performance. A bad one.

This is what Boone apparently finds worthy of commemoration—a tantrum so ridiculous it got him roasted across the league. And yet, there it sits, proudly displayed in his office, like a trophy. The problem is, it is a trophy. Not for success, not for championships, not for anything that matters to Yankees fans. It’s a trophy for being ejected. For being wrong. For being the biggest fool on the field.

Boone has already been ejected 45 times in his managerial career. That’s in just, what, eight years? Compare that to Bobby Cox, who holds the all-time record of 162 ejections—but did it over nearly three decades. Boone is racking them up at a breakneck pace, almost always for the same thing: whining about balls and strikes. That isn’t managing, that’s self-indulgence. And when your defining skill as a manager is getting tossed out of games, you’re not leading—you’re wasting everyone’s time.

The bigger question, though, is why the Yankees allow this nonsense to continue. Why would any serious franchise let their manager not only celebrate such a pathetic moment but make it part of his office décor? Once upon a time, the Yankees measured themselves by championships, by ruthlessness, by demanding excellence. Now, their manager is literally decorating his office with a reminder of how much of a buffoon he looked like. It’s the most unserious thing you could possibly imagine.

This is who Aaron Boone is. Not a leader. Not a motivator. Not even a strategist. He’s a guy who mistakes arguing with umpires for protecting his players, who mistakes tantrums for leadership, who mistakes bobbleheads for trophies. The Yankees, by enabling it, are no longer a serious franchise. And if Boone thinks being immortalized as a bobblehead clown is an honor, then maybe he’s finally found the one role he was born to play.

Do you want me to lace in more historical jabs—like how Steinbrenner would’ve had that bobblehead smashed to pieces by the seventh inning stretch?

THE JONATHAN LOAISIGA UPDATE NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR

Jonathan Loáisiga’s season is officially over — and honestly, it feels like another chapter in the Yankees’ “How Not to Build a Pitching Staff” handbook. The 30-year-old reliever has been sidelined most of the year, and now Aaron Boone confirmed Thursday that Loáisiga won’t throw another pitch in 2025 thanks to a right elbow flexor strain.

The only “good” news? No surgery… at least for now. Loáisiga met with elbow guru Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week, and Boone explained, “He’ll be done for the year, but nothing they have to go intervene on right now.” Translation: the knife stays on the shelf, but we’re not exactly in the clear.

And here’s where it stings: the Yankees really, really needed him. Brian Cashman went all-in on his “bullpen solves everything” philosophy this offseason, but forgot one tiny detail at the trade deadline — we actually needed another starter behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. Instead, we ended up with a warehouse full of closers like it was a Costco sale and the hope that we would have someone like Loáisiga to go multiple innings if we needed. Unsurprisingly, that plan has aged about as well as week-old sushi.

Even worse, this might be the last time we ever see Loáisiga in pinstripes. Injuries have chewed up his prime, and at 30, with a medical chart that looks like a CVS receipt, his future in the Bronx is anything but certain.

Bottom line: the bullpen’s thinner, the rotation’s still a mess, and Cashman’s master plan continues to look like a group project where nobody did the homework. Let's hop home runs get us into the post season, because that's literally all we are relying on right now.

DO THE YANKEES ACTUALLY HAVE A SHOT AT WINNING THE AL EAST?

The Yankees are four games back, folks — but don’t panic just yet. Somehow, despite Anthony Volpe playing like he’s auditioning for “Worst Player in Baseball,” the Bronx Bombers are actually making this thing interesting. Winners of five straight, they’re suddenly playing good baseball, and Jazz Chisholm is out here speaking it into existence: Yankees. AL East champs. Book it.

And honestly? I kind of believe him.

“We want to win the division,” Chisholm said, per Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch. “We don’t just want to get to a Wild Card spot. … Right now, it’s just like, we’re going to go out there and win that, and then we’re going to go and win the World Series.”

That’s not quiet confidence — that’s Jazz confidence. The man just smacked his seventh homer of August in Thursday’s 10-4 win over the White Sox, tying his season high for any month. The Yankees are finally swinging the bats, pitching like their lives depend on it, and somehow making fans think, “Yeah… maybe this team isn’t dead yet.”

But here’s the catch: if New York wants to win the East, they can’t keep dragging around dead weight. And yes, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells — I’m looking directly at you. Harsh? Sure. But if these two keep flailing at the plate and booting balls in the field, they’re going to turn this playoff push into a slow-motion car crash.

Chisholm gets it. He’s not talking about backing into October baseball through some sad, participation-trophy Wild Card slot. He wants the crown. He wants the flag. He wants the damn parade.

“We’re never satisfied with second place,” he said. “We just lost the World Series last year. That’s second place, and we still weren’t satisfied. I don’t think we’re going to be satisfied coming in second or third in the division. That would be even more upsetting than losing the World Series. Right now, we’re going to go out there and win (the division) and then we’re going to go win the World Series.”

This is exactly the swagger the Yankees have been missing. None of this “just get in and see what happens” nonsense. Wild Cards are for teams that ran out of gas — not the Yankees. You win the division. You plant the flag.

Now all that’s left is for Volpe and Wells to… you know… remember how to play baseball.

Because if Jazz is right — and somehow, I think he is — October in the Bronx is going to feel like old times.

CAM SCHLITTLER LOOKS LIKE AN ACE NOT A ROOKIE!

I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day. We were talking about Bleeding Yankee Blue and what was new with the blog and I told her "nothin" because let's face it....it's been nothing but complaining about Aaron Boone and Anthony Volpe. I am tired of ranting....so right now I am gonna pause.

This season has been one to forget, honestly. There has been one big bright spot for me though, and that is Cam Schlittler. In two short months he's a pleasant surprise and a reliable staple of the rotation, and thank god for that.

He was at Double-A Somerset until June and got called up to the Yankees just over a month later. Isn't it amazing how both Schlittler and Volpe were accelerated in their journeys and one of them is succeeding while the other has been a massive bust? Okay, I said I wasn't going to rant and I won't....but at least Schlittler is giving results.

We just watched his second straight start in which Schlittler pitched at least six scoreless innings and has only allowed one run over 17 ²/₃ innings. It shows nice growth after allowing six home runs in his first five outings. He's adapted well. He has the makeup of a gamer than can pitch in the New York spotlight unlike some of Brian Cashman's other dumpster dive specials. He looks comfortable on the mound, he doesn't get rattled and maintains control. We've seen his success with his fastball but if he continues to improve on his off-speed pitches he's going to be an even bigger force on the mound.

I think this kid could be a staple in the rotation for years to come if the Yankees don't mismanage him, which is always a possibility. This kid has all of the tools to be an elite pitcher. He can throw high heat, even with his 6'6" frame he has a short stride that looks effortless and he's not overthrowing. He doesn't have a big snapping arm before he throws. I do like that about his form, less hurky jerky movements that can lend easier to injuries. If he can just keep the good form and mechanics, it makes it easier to stay healthy.....if the Yankees don't screw it up.

He may be a rookie, but he's pitching more like an established ace with each outing. If the Yankees get lucky and they make a postseason run (BIG IF) then he could be a key piece to the Yankees success. The Yankees really got lucky with this unexpected stability in their rotation. He's the bright spot in a season of sarcasm and short comings.

Finally a post where I didn't complain the entire article (only took a tiny detour) ....it's about damn time.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

STANTON, RICE & CABALLERO THE KEY TO THE YANKEES PLAYOFF DREAMS

The Yankees have officially done it — three wins in a row. That, my friends, is called a winning streak. Don’t get used to the rarity; just enjoy it while it lasts. And today? Another shot at the Nationals. If they don’t sweep this team, cancel October.

Let’s talk Giancarlo Stanton. The man is on fire — volcanic, even. In 19 games this month, he’s hitting a blistering .404 with 21 hits, nine homers, 23 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. This isn’t just hot; this is Stanton putting the team on his back and saying, “Follow me or get out of the way.” And while Aaron Judge has been a bit sluggish lately, you can’t exactly rip the guy. He’s been carrying this franchise all season, and even legends get tired. That’s why Stanton stepping up right now feels huge. This is leadership. This is clutch. This is the guy we thought we were getting when they first brought him to the Bronx.

Momentum? Yeah, they’ve actually got some. They snagged the final game of the four-game set against the Red Sox and have started chipping away at Toronto’s division lead. Make no mistake, though — this “push” wasn’t the plan. The Yankees are in this spot because of bad baseball and worse management. And speaking of bad…

Anthony Volpe. Look, I’ve tried to be patient, but enough is enough. The kid can’t play right now. Zero impact. Zero consistency. Zero reason he should still be out there. Jose Caballero? He may not be a household name — I literally wrote that weeks ago before ClutchPoints swiped it (read CABALLERO IS NOT A HOUSEHOLD NAME, BUT EVEN BOONE KNOWS HE'S BETTER THAN VOLPE) — But Caballero is better than Volpe. Period. The Yankees’ energy is different with him on the field. Volpe, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 last night, extending his hitless streak to 19 games. Nineteen! He’s in a 1-for-32 nosedive, and Boone is still feeding us his “development” nonsense like it’s 2023 all over again. It’s gross.

Volpe’s numbers earned him a benching against Boston and in Monday’s win over Washington, but it hasn’t done a thing. He looks cooked. Worse than cooked. This whole situation is flirting with Jacoby Ellsbury territory — except Ellsbury was at least injured. Volpe’s just bad and still getting every chance in the world.

And Boone? Oh, Boone. After another rough night for Volpe in a 5-1 win, he said:

“Hits one 106 [mph] to the wrong part [of the ballpark] the last at-bat… He had some good swings, got out in front of some breaking balls. He was OK.”

Translation: “Nothing to see here, folks. Trust the process.”

No. Stop. Enough with the exit velo excuses. You don’t get postseason berths for hitting “loud outs.” The guy blows right now — there, I said it.

The solution is simple: sit Volpe. Give Caballero the keys to shortstop and let him cook. Between Caballero locking up the infield, Stanton demolishing baseballs, and Ben Rice quietly saving the catching position, the Yankees actually have a shot at October. Without those pieces clicking? Forget it.

This isn’t just about today’s Nationals game. It’s about survival. And if Boone keeps clinging to his “Volpe will figure it out” fantasy, the Yankees’ playoff hopes will be toast.

That’s the bottom line.

JAZZ TRIES TO DEFEND VOLPE... FALLS FLAT

Jazz Chisholm finally cracked his 100th career homer the other night, and honestly, good for the kid. The guy plays like someone set his cleats on fire and told him the infield dirt was lava. He’s electric, he’s got swagger, and when the Yankees snagged him, his stock shot up.  But I'm not here to talk about Jazz and his bat... I want to talk about the middle infield.

It is my opinion that Volpe is like the unwanted third wheel on what should be a smooth double-play machine. Jazz is out here trying to make magic, but Volpe’s sloppy glove work muddies everything up this year. Don’t believe me? Watch what happened last night when Jazz teamed up with Jose Caballero. It was silky, it was seamless, it was… baseball the way God intended. With Volpe, it looks like two guys trying to pass a watermelon through a revolving door.

And yet, Jazz — bless his optimistic heart — tries to defend Volpe in public. He recently told The Athletic:

“It's hard to be a New York Yankee, especially when you're struggling a little bit because the fans are kind of rough out here. They let you know they want to win… I feel like he's handling it like a grown man… He’s only 24… He’s got 18 home runs as a shortstop. That’s sick.”

Cute speech. But here’s the reality: saying someone is “handling it like a grown man” doesn’t earn bonus points when, newsflash, you are a grown man. That’s literally the job description. And sure, 18 homers from a shortstop sounds nice… until you look at the .208 batting average stapled to it like a scarlet letter.

Eighteen dingers don’t erase the fact that Volpe couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. He leads the league in errors, he’s killing double plays, and his bat’s allergic to contact. This isn’t “development,” this is malpractice.

Meanwhile, Caballero is over there flashing leather, sparking rallies, and actually doing the job. Last night proved it beyond debate: he’s the better shortstop, the better defender, and frankly, the better Yankee right now.

So here’s the solution: keep Caballero at short, let Volpe find himself somewhere far away from the Bronx, and allow Aaron Boone to stand on the dugout steps staring blankly into the abyss like a man who just lost his dog.

Because, honestly, Caballero might be the only thing standing between the Yankees and a total collapse at this point. This team doesn’t need more “development projects” in late August. It needs players who can actually, you know, play.

First, Austin Wells lost his catching job to Ben Rice. Now, Volpe’s circling the drain. And if Boone keeps clinging to “potential” instead of production, the Yankees’ playoff hopes will go up in smoke — just like the front office’s reputation already has.

Bottom line: put the best players on the field. Bench the dead weight. Save the season while there’s still something to save.

VOLPE CAN'T HIT OR FIELD, BUT BOONE'S "BREATHER" IS GONNA FIX HIM!

The Yankees continue to publicly defend Anthony Volpe, while the rest of the world shakes their head. Fans continue to lose their tempers and it's just a constant cycle of insanity on repeat. The facts are there for everyone to see but the Yankees refuse to bench him. He's a liability the Yankees continue to accept and it's infuriating!

After the Yankees rolled over and played dead on Saturday Aaron Boone came to the conclusion that maybe....just maybe...Volpe should get a breather now that the Yankees have Jose Caballero, read more HERE. It had crossed his mind previously but "Especially with Caballero, I gave him one the other day," Boone said. "Those can be in play here, but I wasn't going to do it with a lefty today."

It doesn't matter that Garrett Crochet is a lefty. What matters is Volpe has a .208 batting average and has been on the struggle bus all season who can't field and has no confidence at the plate. His 17 errors bode no confidence at all and in a big game against the Red Sox he shouldn't have been playing, it doesn't matter if it is a left or right handed pitcher. It's time to say screw the analytics and try something different because they aren't working. 

So great, Baboonie benched him yesterday....but it's just not enough and it could be too little too late. Volpe's breather should be a reassignment down to Triple-A. He is NOT a major league shortstop. He can't field, we've seen it for three years now with no progression. His failure is due to the organization mismanaging his development. Volpe should never have been rushed to the majors. He needed at least one solid year at AAA, and then he may have developed correctly. If he didn't develop in that time frame, then he should have stayed there. The Yankees did a real disservice to him and he's paying the price. It never should have gotten to this point....but here we are.

And now we are stuck with him because the Yankees won't move on without him. It's clearly not working, but they are living in delusion land. At some point the Yankees need to stop selling optimism and face reality....permanent changes need to be made.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

OSWALD PERAZA WILL BE THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Oswald Peraza should have never been traded. Ever. But the Yankees, in their infinite front-office “wisdom,” doubled down on Anthony Volpe — and one day soon, they’re going to regret it.

Here’s the reality: someone in the Bronx decided Volpe was “elite” before he ever proved it. High school stats don’t win you games in the big leagues, and Major League Baseball isn’t some Disney Channel coming-of-age movie. Us fans are finding that out the hard way.

Peraza worked his tail off for years. He earned his shot. But the moment Volpe walked in, somebody upstairs decided his face was more marketable and his “story” was shinier. And just like that, Peraza — the better player — became expendable. The Yankees basically traded him away for a bag of baseballs. That’s front-office malpractice.

Now Peraza’s speaking out — and he has every right to.

“When it comes to wearing the Yankee uniform, it’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also a lot of responsibility,” Peraza told reporters. “All I could do was play baseball. It all comes down to opportunity. In the minors, I played every day, saw pitchers over and over, made my adjustments. Up here, I never had that chance.”

Translation? The Yankees never gave him a fair shot.

Peraza deserved better. He was signed, developed, and groomed by this organization… and then left to rot on the bench while the Yankees shoved Volpe down our throats as “the future.” He wasn’t valued. He wasn’t trusted. And eventually, he was tossed aside.

 
Now, here’s the kicker: Peraza has better tools than Volpe. Scouts rave about his plus defense — smooth actions, soft hands, a strong arm, and elite instincts. He’s fast, he’s smart on the bases, and his bat has real pop. Multiple evaluators have said Peraza’s physical tools are “louder” than Volpe’s, meaning the ceiling is higher. And so if you are listening to anyone in the Yankees organization saying that Volpe is better, they're lying to you.

Even Aaron Judge basically hinted earlier this season that if Peraza had been allowed to play consistently, we’d have seen a breakout year. But did the Yankees listen? Of course not. They were too busy polishing the Volpe hype machine.

And that, right there, is the Yankees’ downfall.

Volpe’s a likable kid, sure. But he hasn’t proven he can be an everyday difference-maker. Meanwhile, Peraza’s out the door — and you know what I hope happens? I hope he torches the Yankees every chance he gets. Not out of spite, but because it’ll expose just how badly this front office fumbled the bag.

The Yankees didn’t just trade away a top prospect. They traded away their own common sense.

VOLPE BENCHED FOR CABALLERO!

I didn't want to be the guy that clearly understood how this was going to play out... but I am and I'm glad about it.

Reports are Boone is not playing Volpe in this Sunday night finale against the Red Sox.  And sure...Aaron Boone didn’t want to bench Anthony Volpe tonight — but the fans didn’t exactly leave him a choice. The boos have been loud, the errors louder, and at some point, even Boone has to stop pretending this is all part of some “long-term plan.” So, on Sunday Night Baseball against the Red Sox, Volpe’s out, José Caballero’s in, and honestly? It’s about time.

The Yankees have been treating Caballero like a glorified spare tire when, in reality, the guy might be their best defensive player. He’s got the range, the glove, and the instincts — and yet somehow he’s been stuck playing musical chairs while Volpe keeps turning shortstop into a defensive disaster zone. This isn’t calculus: find the biggest defensive liability on the roster — hi, Anthony — and put Caballero there. Done. Simple. Should’ve been done weeks ago.

Now, will Volpe somehow still sneak his way into a “big moment” tonight? Probably. Because Aaron Boone loves nothing more than forcing redemption arcs down our throats when it comes to his boy toy. I can already hear the postgame presser: “Anthony needed that moment, you know, it’ll be great for his confidence.” Spare us. If I’m the Yankees, Volpe doesn’t see the field again until at least Labor Day — and even then, only if Caballero decides to go on a two-week meditation retreat in Bali or something.

Here’s the reality: it’s late August. There’s no more time for “development,” no more patience for “growing pains,” and absolutely no justification for trotting out your worst player night after night in the middle of a playoff race. The best players need to play. Period. Volpe hasn’t been one of them. Caballero has.

And if we’re being honest, the best-case scenario here is for Caballero to channel his inner Lou Gehrig, lock down shortstop, and Wally Pipp Volpe straight into permanent bench duty. No more experiments. No more excuses. Volpe sits. Caballero shines. Boone stays out of the way.

For once, the Yankees made the obvious call but only because it was glaringly obvious and the fans have had enough. 

Let’s just hope they don’t undo it by the fifth inning. Remember, Boone's been known to be stupid.

DEAR HAL STEINBRENNER, STOP HIDING & START LEADING!

When a team loses its fan base, there’s only one person who can change the temperature of the room—the owner. The man who signs the checks. The man who’s supposed to set the tone. That means you, Hal Steinbrenner. And right now, you’re nowhere to be found.

You’ve ducked behind closed doors while the Yankees collapse under the weight of their own incompetence. Radio silence. No leadership. No statement. Nothing. And let me tell you, Hal: it’s sickening.

Meanwhile, we’ve watched Aaron Boone suck the life out of this franchise year after year, handing him extensions like participation trophies while he delivers absolutely nothing. Boone’s in-game management has bled this team dry of millions, and in return? Smiley faces on the lineup card and excuses in the postgame pressers. He should be thanking you for his job security every day, because the fans sure as hell aren’t.

Then there’s Brian Cashman. Oh, Brian. The man who strutted out of the trade deadline acting like he just cracked the code to baseball itself, only to deliver a worse team than the one we had before. His grand plan? A spit-and-duct-tape rotation that can’t get past the fifth inning. A Frankenstein pitching staff that collapses nightly. Even Max Fried—when he’s on the mound—looks exhausted from carrying this circus. I wonder if this poor guy wishes he never came to the Yankees.

And so, my question is what’s the approach here? What’s the strategy? Because from where the fans sit, there isn’t one. It’s pathetic.

And again, where the hell are you, Hal Steinbrenner? Do you even care?

This is the Yankees we’re talking about. The franchise of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Jeter. The pinstripes that once struck fear into opponents. And yet, we just dropped three straight to the Red Sox. We are 1-8 against Boston this year. Let that sink in: one win, eight losses. These are games you absolutely must win, and instead, we’re getting humiliated.

Yesterday’s loss was maybe the worst I’ve seen in 15 years of covering this team. And the most insulting part? Nobody in that clubhouse seemed angry. Nobody smashed a bat, nobody flipped a table, nobody even looked ticked off. No fire, no edge, no pride. Just another day at the office for these guys.

You know it’s bad when even the broadcasters can’t hide their disgust. Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill could only sit there and watch in horror as the Yankees melted down in real time:

“It can’t get much worse than this,” Kay said.

“Every once in a while, you get embarrassed on the field and this game has just snowballed…” O’Neill admitted. “The Yankees have absolutely fallen apart here in the last couple innings.”

“Quite frankly, the Yankees are getting schooled by the Red Sox…” Kay jumped back in.

That’s your brand right now, Hal: embarrassed on national television. Schooled by the Red Sox. Fallen apart.

A few weeks ago, I did something I never thought I’d do: I wrote, HEY HAL STEINBRENNER, WE HATE THIS TEAM RIGHT NOW. Guess what? Nothing’s changed. In fact, it’s gotten worse. I’ve reached a point in my 15 years of Bleeding Yankee Blue where I flat-out don’t give a damn anymore. That’s how far this has gone.

I haven’t been to Yankee Stadium in almost two years—and it’s not because I don’t love baseball. It’s because I refuse to spend a dime on this embarrassment. Not on tickets. Not on food. Not on merchandise. Nothing. Why should I? Why should any fan bankroll this clown show while you sit in silence?

Hal, you need to speak. You need to act. You need to care. Because right now, Yankee fans are losing their minds as they watch the team they love sink deeper into mediocrity while Cashman counts his job security and Boone happily sharpens his pencils for tomorrow’s lineup card.

We’re furious. We’re exhausted. And yes, we HATE this team. Not because we’ve stopped being fans—because we are fans. Because we know what this team should be, what it once was, and what it’s failing to be now.

This? This ain’t it.

Fix it. Fire someone. Light a fire. Make a statement. Do something. Because if nothing changes, then what’s the point? What the hell are we even doing here?

We are the Yankees. Start acting like it.

And here’s the thing, Hal—it’s not even the roster. On paper, this team should be stellar. It’s not the players, it’s the philosophy. The Yankees have become slaves to numbers, strangled by analytics, blinded by spreadsheets. They’ve let computers replace common sense and they’re dying by their own algorithms.

Clint Hurdle once described what’s missing in baseball these days: “guts and nuts.” The intangible traits that actually win games. He’s right. You can’t measure heart, toughness, or ice in your veins on an Excel sheet. You need guts. You need balls. You need a front office willing to trust its instincts instead of its calculators.

But guess what? We’re running out of time. The postseason is slipping away fast, and honestly? I don’t see this team making the playoffs. And maybe—just maybe—that’s exactly what needs to happen.

Maybe missing October is the only wake-up call that’ll force you to fire Boone. Maybe it’s the only thing that’ll make you finally show Michael Fishman and his analytics cult the door. Maybe it’s the only thing that’ll burn this failed philosophy to the ground and let real baseball people take over.

Because right now, Hal, this isn’t baseball. This is an embarrassment. And it’s happening on your watch.

So, I’ll ask it one last time: Where the hell are you, Hal Steinbrenner?

THE AUTOMATIC OUTS

Austin Wells played in just 13 games this August — and two of those weren’t even real starts, just late-game defensive substitutions. Translation: he’s been demoted to backup status. Why? Because he stinks. Let’s call it what it is. The guy’s hitting .209. That’s not just bad, that’s “why are you even in the lineup?” bad.

And listen, I hate ripping on Yankees players because I bleed pinstripes, but enough is enough. When you keep trotting out Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe every single day — two guys who’ve been automatic outs all month — you’re not just hurting the lineup, you’re throwing away the season. That’s on Aaron Boone. That’s on Brian Cashman. And that’s on the analytics nerds who convinced everyone that these guys were “projected stars.”

Spoiler alert: the projections are garbage. Those spreadsheets aren’t helping us win now. This isn’t Moneyball, this is Miseryball.

Meanwhile, Ben Rice has literally had to take the reins at catcher because Wells has been so underwhelming. That alone tells you everything about why this team is in chaos. The Yankees are confused, misguided, and inconsistent. The players can’t find a rhythm, the lineup changes daily, and the season’s spiraling.

And yet, here’s Wells — the guy hitting .209 — telling NJ Advance Media this week:

“If we’re looking at the catching, I’m one of the best catchers in the league.”

I mean… what? No, Austin, you’re not. If you were one of the best, you’d be hitting .280 and starting every day. You wouldn’t need Rice splitting your workload in August. You wouldn’t be whining about “wear and tear.” And you definitely wouldn’t have had that brutal baserunning blunder in July when you literally forgot how many outs there were. You’re not running the show, you’re slowing it down.

Here’s the thing: if we’re just talking framing pitches, sure, Wells is solid. But a big-league catcher has to be well-rounded. Ask Yogi Berra. Hell, Wells isn’t even Dale Berra right now.

Meanwhile, Ben Rice — at just 26 — has quietly emerged as a real asset. The guy’s got 18 homers, 21 doubles, 45 RBIs, and an .807 OPS in his first full season. He’s hitting .242 — which might not be elite, but compared to Wells’ .209? It’s Babe Ruth numbers.

I don’t care what Billy Beane or Bill James tries to sell you — batting average matters. And Wells doesn’t have it.

If the Yankees actually want to win games, they need to bench Wells. Honestly, bench Volpe too while you’re at it. Both are black holes in the lineup, and their defense isn’t bailing them out either.

It’s August 24th. We’re on the verge of getting swept by the Red Sox. The Blue Jays are looming. The season’s circling the drain. And yet, Boone keeps rolling out Wells and Volpe like it’s a science experiment.

It’s not working. It hasn’t worked. And unless something changes fast, this team’s going to miss the playoffs because they trusted the wrong numbers, the wrong players, and the wrong manager.

The Bronx deserves better.

GET RID OF THIS VOLPE BUM. HE'S NOT MAJOR LEAGUE READY

Can we please, for the love of baseball, stop pretending Anthony Volpe belongs as the Yankees’ everyday shortstop? The guy’s been dreadful. And yes, I said it. When we wrote CABALLERO IS NOT A HOUSEHOLD NAME, BUT EVEN BOONE KNOWS HE'S BETTER THAN VOLPE, it shot up the Google charts because—guess what?—the world knows it’s true.

Instead, the Yankees are wasting José Caballero, a scrappy, reliable player, by letting him rot as a utility guy while a wide-eyed high school project with zero confidence bumbles around short like it’s still JV tryouts. Fans see it. Hell, they screamed it last night—those boos weren’t polite Bronx murmurs, they were full-on “get this bum off the field” roars. Boone, of course, stood there clueless as always, staring into space like he’s trying to solve a Sudoku puzzle instead of managing a baseball team.

The final straw? Top of the ninth, one-run game. Jarren Duran’s on second, Ceddanne Rafaela hits a routine grounder to Volpe. What does our “franchise shortstop” do? Instead of tossing it to first like a functioning major leaguer, he forces a throw behind the runner to second. Everyone’s safe. Everyone’s shaking their heads. It goes down as a fielder’s choice, but let’s call it what it is—error number 16, most in the league. And then Boone shrugs it off like it’s fine. No, Boone, it’s not fine. It’s a mess.

And don’t even get me started on Volpe’s bat. Ten strikeouts in his last 25 at-bats. 

Fans booed him when Garrett Whitlock made him look like a Little Leaguer in the eighth. At this point, his at-bats are just automatic outs with some extra swing-and-miss flair.

Look, this isn’t personal—it’s reality. Volpe skipped college ball, got fast-tracked to the majors like someone greased the wheels, and here we are. How his hype balloon inflated this much out of high school is beyond me. He wasn’t big. He wasn’t a power hitter. Yet suddenly he’s the golden boy? Something doesn’t add up. Meanwhile, countless college stars with more accolades are still grinding for a chance and others didn't even get picked in the draft this year. Weird doesn’t even begin to cover it.  It almost feels like a closed-door deal was struck long ago: no matter how bad he looks, no matter how many errors pile up, Anthony Volpe plays shortstop. End of story. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you want, but answer me this: how exactly did Anthony Volpe, of all people, get rushed to the majors and crowned the future of the Yankees? Until someone explains it, I’ll keep asking. Because something smells rotten here

And then we get reporting like Chris Kirschner’s gem: “The Yankees are all-in on Volpe at short. Caballero’s success in a small sample won’t change that.” Translation: we’re sticking with the wrong guy no matter how much evidence screams otherwise. Typical Yankees logic.

Fans aren’t dumb. We see the errors, the strikeouts, the deer-in-headlights look. We also see Caballero hustling and making plays whenever he gets a shot. But sure, let’s keep riding the Volpe fantasy while Boone gaslights us into thinking it’s all fine. It’s not fine. It’s maddening.

Bottom line: Volpe’s got to go. Not to the bench. Not to “figure things out.” Gone. Dump him and give Caballero the keys to shortstop. At least then, the Yankees might actually have a shot at clawing into the playoffs instead of watching the season implode with “High School Harry” botching grounders in crunch time.