A STANTON INJURY UPDATE YOU NEED

The Yankees are winning games, and that's great. But let's not pretend they're blowing the doors off anyone. There's a difference between stacking wins and looking like a team built to steamroll October, and right now, this club falls into the first category.

It's hard to dominate when Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton are all wearing street clothes instead of pinstripes. That's three of the biggest bats in the lineup sitting on the shelf. No trade deadline pickup is replacing that kind of production.

That's why adding Luis García helps. He can chip in, lengthen the lineup, and take some of the pressure off everyone else. But let's be honest: García isn't the story. The Yankees' postseason hopes still hinge on getting their stars back healthy.

There is finally a little good news on the Stanton front.

According to reports, Stanton is expected to face rehabbing left-hander Carlos Rodón in a live batting practice session Monday, followed by Clarke Schmidt on Tuesday. Aaron Boone confirmed Stanton is getting close to that stage, though he stopped short of saying whether Stanton will actually swing the bat or simply stand in the box and let 95 mph fastballs whistle by. Baby steps, apparently. Boone doesn't really know anything anyway. 

Judge's update? Not nearly as encouraging.

There's still no date for new imaging, meaning Judge isn't doing strength work, upper-body workouts, or baseball activities. Translation: don't expect him back anytime soon.

So yes, Stanton may beat Judge back to the Bronx. But neither player's timeline should've changed Brian Cashman's deadline plans. The Yankees had to act as if both were unavailable.

The Yankees deserve credit for hanging around. They've found ways to win while missing the heart of their lineup. But surviving August isn't the goal. 

If this team wants to make noise in October, Luis García can help—but Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton have to be the ones carrying the orchestra.

ARE THE YANKEES LYING ABOUT CAM SCHLITTLER'S INJURY?

I'm trying not to think the worst here, but we are talking about the Yankees here. Something doesn't feel right about Cam Schlittler's ailment. First, it was minor back inflammation but now there's also lat discomfort. I have alarm bells going off....and I REALLY want my skepticism to be wrong.

The Yankees have a horrible track record when it comes to diagnosing and treating injuries, Aaron Judge with his fractured rib and partially collapsed lung always be the example that sticks out for me. The Yankees say they aren't worried about Schlittler, read more HERE but Aaron Boone gives his words of encouragement which only makes it worse for me.

"I expect him to be good (for the start of the season) now," Boone said. "I don't think he'll be at 80-90 pitches yet, but short of that....I think he'll two ups, 30-something (pitches) in four days and then fall into his five days. And then that next one will probably be in the game, three (innings) and 40 (pitches) or whatever."

That sounds like a load of Baboonie crap to me because it's very unconvincing. Lat discomfort is tough, and it is very rarely minor. I'm thinking back to Luis Severino back in 2019 and 2023, that was a big blow. What about Clarke Schmidt? He missed time from May to September 2024 with a partial tear. These injuries are not ones you bounce back quickly from. They are very slow to heal and if you try to rush back before they properly heal setbacks are common, especially if players don't understand the cause of that injury and don't make adjustments. This is what concerns me the most.

Last year was a heavy workload for a rookie that throws hard. I love that he can throw a fastball up to 98 mph and it fooled a lot of batters last year. While he was wowing all of us on the mound, he also pitched himself to a career high of 146 innings pitched between the big league stage and down in the minors. That's a lot for a hard throwing rookie pitcher. It's also hard if he didn't rest it enough over the winter. Call it a rookie mistake.

But it could be a costly rookie mistake. I don't know if the Yankees have done enough testing on this. Even if they have....could they honestly identify any bigger problems like a tear? Our medical staff is a joke. The Yankees already have enough to deal with pitching wise. We are already starting the season without Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole, we can't afford to lose anymore pitching.

It's early in spring....but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to be following this storyline like a hawk. I just hope the Yankees aren't lying to us.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES ALREADY HAVE STARTING PITCHING PROBLEMS FOR NEXT SEASON!

We may not be strategizing for the World Series, but the Yankees brain trust already has a problem to solve in the offseason. Since the Yankees have a real problem exercising their smarts sometimes (I'm being generous) they better get started now.

The 2026 starting rotation already has too much uncertainty. There are still unknowns with Gerrit Cole's timeline for a return. He's set to start throwing off a mound this week and if all goes well he should be back around May. There's even more uncertainty with Clarke Schmidt who had Tommy John surgery back in July. He could be back late in the year, but that is still a big if. That could be around August of next season. That's a lot of uncertainty to have, even before the latest news with Carlos Rodon. 

Rodon underwent an elbow scope Wednesday to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur. He will be shut down for the next eight weeks and will also miss the first few weeks of the regular season. That's three starters starting the season on the Injured List at minimum. Now the Yankees need more depth.

The Yankees need a veteran starter with experience, so they are looking for the 2026 Carlos Carrasco but one with better results in the regular season. Not just the guy that pitches well in Spring Training to get the gig and then fall flat. HERE is the free agent list, it's a lengthy one and if I am being honest, the starting pitchers don't have me jumping out of my seat.

But, neither did Carrasco or Marcus Stroman this season, and they didn't single handedly bring us down. The Yankees need depth, they need someone serviceable to get us through the first few weeks while Cole and Rodon ramp up. Two names that I keep seeing in the rumor mill are Merrill Kelly and Chris Bassitt and while I am not loving either option, I must admit the idea of adding depth to the Yankees while making the Blue Jays weaker doesn't suck right now. They could be the new Carrasco but...there's another interesting option.

There is a real strategic option with a guy like Nick Martinez. The Reds have used him as both a starter and reliever this season with 20 of his 40 appearances as a starter. His 4.45 ERA doesn't look pretty but he had better success in a reliever role. He could help some stability while our starters are out but be a reliable arm out of the bullpen also, which the Yankees need. His 2.87 career ERA as a reliever is what should intrigue the Yankees the most.

The Yankees need to add some arms because right now the start of 2026 is already in jeopardy....in October. The Yankees brain trust needs to find an answer to this that the analytic geek in the front office isn't capable of fixing. They have a long time to start fixing it but they better get started now.....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

NO "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" THAT I CAN SEE

Mission Accomplished? How about "Mission, who's starting Game 3?"

So, let’s just say it out loud: The Yankees don’t have a new starting pitcher. You can dress it up in Pinstripes and slap a hype video on it, but facts are facts. They’ve got closers. Lots of closers. Enough closers to start a whole separate bullpen league. But a starter? The thing they actually needed? Nope. Not one. Not a single real-deal, innings-eating, rotation-stabilizing starting pitcher.

And yet, somehow, Brian Cashman stood in front of cameras with a straight face and dropped the words:

“Mission accomplished.”

What is this, a bad sequel to Moneyball? Except this time, it’s Funnyball — and the punchline is us. Sure, Cashman also said,

“I know we’re better today than we were yesterday.”

Cool. But saying we’re better is like putting whipped cream on a trash can. Still garbage underneath.

Let’s review the receipts, shall we?
Gerrit Cole: still out post-Tommy John.
Clarke Schmidt: same surgery, same fate — toast.
Luis Gil: M.I.A. since February with a lat issue.

Marcus Stroman: Um
And that’s your top-end depth, folks. Behind them? A collection of “openers,” “bullpen games,” and desperate finger-crossing.

We have Max Fried and Carlos Rodon and I'm thrilled with that. But that's not gonna help anyone in a short series and the Yankees are not thinking ahead. And what’s worse — nobody in the front office seems remotely panicked about it. The Boone-Cashman tag team continues to operate like a malfunctioning GPS: absolutely convinced they know the way, ignoring every single “WRONG TURN” alert.

Enter David Samson. Now, listen — I don’t like the guy. He’s a smug little troll who used to run the Marlins and was bad at it. But unfortunately… he's right.

“They act like everything’s fine,” Samson said. “But it’s not.”
On Volpe’s defense? “No, he’s not [good out there]. You know that.”

This from a guy I’d normally dismiss as a human mosquito, but at this point, I’d rather hear him than another Boone soliloquy about grit and “playing the game the right way.” Enough already.

Volpe’s defense has been brutal. We’re past the point of “rough patch.” It’s a liability. But Boone just smirks and spins it like he’s selling timeshares. And the fanbase? We’re not stupid. We know what we’re seeing. And what we’re seeing is a front office that’s perfectly fine settling for kinda okay.

We’re 3.5 games back. Could we make a run? Absolutely. But this isn’t about just sneaking into October — it’s about winning a championship. And right now, this roster isn't built for that. 

Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners — a team with actual vision — loaded up with Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez to thicken their lineup, and Caleb Ferguson to reinforce the ‘pen. All without coughing up elite prospects. That’s how you win a deadline. That’s how you push chips in without flipping the table. The Yankees? They scrambled like it was a fantasy league draft and Cashman got auto-picked eight middle relievers.

And don’t even get me started on Michael Kay. This man — sitting high on his YES throne — tried to sell us the idea that Boone “got to the World Series” and you have to give Boone credit for that? Um, no we don't. This tool actually suggested that Boone got there with two guys who don't even have jobs this season: Anthony Rizzo and Alex Verdugo.

Excuse me? Let’s talk numbers:

 
Verdugo had 8 RBIs, and 6 runs scored in the postseason.  Rizzo? .267 average in 10 playoff games. That’s production, not irrelevance. So why is Kay acting like they were lucky fans who won a raffle to be in the lineup? They did their job last year's post season.

Kay is defending the indefensible. He’s gaslighting Yankee fans into believing that this mess is part of a master plan. He also gets paid by the Yankees, so see how that works? He's actually suggesting that Boone is a misunderstood genius and Cashman is some modern-day baseball Mozart. But it’s garbage. All of it. The Yankees front office picks wrong, sticks with wrong, and then tries to convince you that wrong is the new right. Just look at Volpe.

Let’s make this simple: You don’t win rings with vibes. You win with starters.  You don’t build a championship roster around hope and “he’s trending up.” analytics. You build it by addressing obvious, gaping holes with urgency — something the Yankees have lacked for years. But remember fans, the money’s still pouring in, so why change?

Well, here's why: fans aren’t stupid. We’re fed up. This deadline wasn’t bold — it was bizarre. It was Cashman filling a wine cellar when the roof is caving in.  So yeah, we might still make the playoffs. But what then? Another flameout while Boone shrugs and says he “liked our compete”? No thanks. I’ve seen that movie — and spoiler alert — it doesn’t end well.

This team, as constructed, isn’t winning the World Series. They aren’t built for a parade — they’re built for a press conference. And once again, us fans are left with the bill and the empty trophy case in Loserville.

YANKEES NEED A STARTER & THIS GUY'S ON THE LIST

Nearly halfway through the season, the Yankees are sitting in second place—and no, this isn’t an early April prank. With the offensive firepower this roster has, you’d think they’d be bulldozing teams. But here we are, wondering if anyone in the dugout has read the Baseball Managing for Dummies manual lately. Yes, we won 6-5 tonight, but all Volpe did was run home. He was 0-4 again.

Max Fried has been dealing for the Yanks, no doubt, but the rotation needs more than one reliable arm to survive October. And let’s not forget—Clarke Schmidt just punched his ticket to Tommy John land. Brutal.

So now the Yankees need to go shopping—and no, not for another outfielder that’s just going to rot on the bench. We’re talking pitching. MLB insider Jon Morosi tossed out a juicy little nugget: a “number of teams” are keeping an eye on Twins starter Joe Ryan. He didn’t drop the Yankees name directly, but come on. You think Brian Cashman isn’t poking around? Please.

Joe Ryan’s stats look like something cooked up in a video game: 8-4, 2.76 ERA, 3.25 FIP, and 116 strikeouts in just over 104 innings. Plus, he’s on a team-friendly deal at just $3 million this year and locked in under control until 2028. Basically, he’s a unicorn.

Minnesota doesn’t have to deal him, but they’re sitting in third place in the Central. And if the Twins want to retool a bit, maybe Cashman can sweet talk them with someone like—oh, I don’t know—Everson Pereira? I’ve said it before, the Yankees don’t seem that serious about keeping the kid long-term. Could be the perfect trade chip. My opinion of course.

Bottom line: the Yankees have to beef up if they want to avoid another faceplant in the playoffs. Pitching should be priority one. Priority two? A third baseman—something that should’ve been handled back when people were still returning Christmas gifts.

Whether Ryan’s really on the Yankees’ radar remains to be seen, but something’s gotta give. Stay tuned, folks. The Hot Stove's just starting to simmer.

HOLY SCHLITT!

Dayum! Okay, seriously Cam Schlittler did his job in his first Yankees appearance. THAT was an impressive start of 5.1 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, SEVEN strikeouts and a 99 mph laser ball, err I mean fastball. I don't think anyone could have predicted that. The Yankees needed a pick-me-up and good morale boost....and they got it. Now, can we get some more, please?

I have to admit I was pretty frustrated after hearing Clarke Schmidt was lost for the rest of this season and likely next year, too. It was like a punch to the gut. We already lost Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery and now a second Yankee starter is gone. Luis Gil is pitching again and working his way back, we won't see him until next month. We've had enough bad news lately.

But then comes Schlittler, rated the Yankees Number 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline. In 76 2/3 innings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset this season, he posted a 2.82 ERA with 99 strikeouts and now he is on the big stage and he just made a strong case to stick around. Here's a reminder - in case you want to watch it again.

Schlittler looked good, damn good. He had a live arm, and I liked how he changed speeds with a curveball, but it needs fine tuning. He will need to develop another secondary pitch to keep lefties off balance. A change up or splitter would be preferable, but a cutter would also do the trick. He just needs another plus pitch to get hitters out. He gave the Mariners a run for their money, but eventually the league will catch on to him or the Yankees will misuse him and those pitches won't be as fast. This is the majors, you can't just rely on the fastball.

Now the question becomes, can the Yankees help develop that secondary pitch this season? I honestly don't know. This is the Yankees we are talking about. Analytically driven (too much) and Aaron Boone manages to screw up anything he touches....or even looks at. So hopefully Matt Blake can develop him instead of tear him down.

Speaking of that over analytically driven bullpen....What the hell was Boone thinking? He took him out with 1 away in the 6th after he blew away a guy with a 99mph fastball. Then he plugs in Jonathan Loaisiga of all people to throw a cookie on first pitch to give the Mariners two runs? Typical Baboonie move. It's a good thing the lead wasn't blown. What a doofus!

It's a win. A well-deserved (and earned) win. Not for nothing.... how can you not LOVE the reaction of Schlittler's family in the stands? That was a moment 15 years in the making, and it should be savored. 

Today was a GREAT day. We need more of these. Way to go, kid. I can't wait to see more.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

TELL ME THE YANKEES ARE OK & I'LL TELL YOU YOU'RE WRONG

Let’s cut the crap: if you can’t beat the Mets, the alarm bells should be deafening.

But for the Yankees, the sirens have been wailing for years—and somehow, the people in charge are either deaf, in denial, or just straight-up dumb. At this point, Aaron Boone should be managing a buffet line, not a Major League Baseball team. The Yankees cannot win with him. Period. End of story. I have been writing this, not for months, but for YEARS. 

We’ve said it a hundred times here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, and we’ll say it a hundred more if we have to—Boone is not a leader. He’s a yes-man with a clipboard. The dude manages like he’s picking random names out of a hat. Every game feels like a blindfolded dart throw: bad bullpen choices, baffling lineup cards, zero feel for the moment. And now, the team is free-falling while Boone sits in the dugout with the same tired expression he’s had since 2018—completely clueless.

Need proof? Let’s talk Anthony Volpe for the 15th time.

The golden boy. The so-called spark. The kid who was supposed to change the franchise. Well, let’s just say the spark never lit. As of July 4, 2025, Anthony Volpe has left 152 runners in scoring position. One-hundred-and-fifty-two! That’s not bad luck—that’s statistical malpractice. He’s officially the worst in all of Major League Baseball in that category. And yet, there he is, day after day, still trotting out of the dugout like nothing's wrong.

Boone keeps penciling him in the lineup like we’re all supposed to pretend this isn’t a massive issue. But it is. It’s killing the Yankees. You can’t have a black hole in the middle of your lineup every game and expect to win in the American League East. But hey, don’t blame Volpe entirely—blame the guys keeping him in the lineup.

And that brings us to Brian Cashman.

The so-called architect of the Yankee Empire has been building with toothpicks and Elmer’s glue for a while now. The Yankees just got swept by the Blue Jays, fell out of first place, and look absolutely lifeless. That’s not all on Boone—it’s on the guy who built this roster.

Cashman assembled this mess, held onto dead weight, passed on real talent, and doubled down on mediocrity. And then he had the nerve—the actual gall—to go on record in 2023 saying Volpe would “break out” offensively in the years to come. That aged like shit.

It’s 2025. We're still waiting. And instead of a breakout, we got a full-blown breakdown. TALK ABOUT STUPID.

And while we’re on the topic of roster mismanagement, let’s revisit Gleyber Torres.

Cashman botched that one too. Let him walk out the door, burned the bridge, and now acts like the team’s better without him. Spoiler alert: they’re not. Torres was never a Gold Glover, sure—but he could hit. And in a lineup this flat, that matters. Torres took the high road when asked about his former team. Good for him. We won’t.

We at Bleeding Yankee Blue have been screaming about this for years while other media outlets just shrug their shoulders. Why? Simple. Access. They don’t want to lose their credentials. They want their clubhouse quotes, their player podcasts, and their press box seats. So they stay quiet. They call it a “rough patch.” They say the team is “struggling.” Struggling? No. The Yankees are flat-out awful—and it’s leadership, stupid. Jomboy Media? MLB.com? Even the bigger beat guys? They won’t touch this with a ten-foot pole. Because going hard on Boone or Cashman risks a phone call from the top. So instead, they sugarcoat it. “They’re grinding.” “It’s just a phase.”

Give us a break.

Clarke Schmidt knows the truth. His recent comments basically screamed it without saying it: “We're in the thick of it… every year, around June and July, we kind of grind a little bit.” Translation? Same old Yankees. Same old collapse. And it starts at the top.

Boone can’t rally this team. He never could. And Cashman? He’s lost his fastball and refuses to admit it.

Until this organization wakes up and makes real changes—**firing Boone, holding Cashman accountable, building a real roster instead of praying on prospects and worn-out veterans—**this team is going nowhere. Not to the playoffs, not to a World Series, and sure as hell not to a championship.

We don’t care who gets mad. We don’t care who calls us “too harsh.” The Yankees are broken. And we’re not gonna sit back and write fluff pieces while the house burns down.

Boone’s gotta go.
Cashman’s time is up.
And if you can’t see that, you’re part of the problem.

COULD SANDY ALCANTARA TO THE BRONX BE A REALITY?

Look, credit where credit's due—the Yankees have been making some solid moves lately. They’re not a total mess. The vibes are trending in the right direction, and when you’ve got someone like Max Fried leading your rotation, life gets a whole lot easier. Fried takes the mound and, more often than not, the Yankees walk away with a W. That’s what an ace does—he gives you a real shot every five days. But hey, you know what would make things even better?

More pitching.

Yep, I said it. Starting pitching is baseball’s version of real estate: location, location, location… and a little depth wouldn't hurt either. Which is why the latest buzz around Sandy Alcántara is worth turning up the volume on.

FanSided’s Zach Pressnell tossed out the idea this week that the Yankees should make a serious run at Alcántara before the trade deadline. And frankly? He might be on to something.

“New York needs to go out and get a starter before the trade deadline and it seems like it's only a matter of time before the front office gains a sense of urgency and pulls off a deal," wrote Pressnell. “The first name at the top of their wish list should be the aforementioned Alcántara.”

He’s not wrong. Alcántara may not be a sure thing right now, but his ceiling is skyscraper-high. Remember, he inked a five-year, $56 million deal in 2022 and immediately turned around and won the NL Cy Young that same year. The man was untouchable.

Now yes, 2023 was a disaster for him. Tommy John wiped out his season, and 2024 didn’t exactly start off hot either. He’s currently sporting a rough 6.69 ERA—but let’s pump the brakes before we panic. Since June started? He’s rocking a 2.74 ERA. He’s stopped giving up crooked numbers, consistently getting into the sixth, and slowly looking like the Sandy we remember.

So, let’s dream for a second. Picture this rotation in September: Max Fried, Luis Gil, Sandy Alcántara, Ryan Yarbrough, Clarke Schmidt.

That’s not just depth—that’s October fuel.

And let’s not forget, we at Bleeding Yankee Blue were already on the Alcántara train. Back on March 7, we wrote about the bold call:

“If the Yankees are serious about making a deep October run, they need someone who can dominate in the playoffs and take the pressure off Cole.”

It was ESPN’s Eric Karabell that predicted this conversation here—Sandy pitching a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game and then slipping into pinstripes 10 days later. Far-fetched? Maybe. But we’ve seen stranger things. Remember David Cone’s arrival? 

Bottom line: the Yankees are trending up, but if they really want to go from good to great, the next move is obvious. Go get Sandy. Add one more horse to the stable, and this October might look a whole lot more promising.

Stay tuned—Brian Cashman’s phone better be fully charged.

THE BEST YANKEE NEWS YOU'LL READ THE REST OF THE WEEK IS RIGHT HERE!

I guess the dog days of summer have come early for this team. It hurts to watch this team "play" and freefall against lowly teams like the Red Sux and Angels. There's nothing "good" to report on the field right now, but it is coming soon....

The only bit of good news I am really holding onto right now is that Luis Gil is making one more step toward returning. On Saturday, Gil will face hitters on Saturday, it will be the first time he has done this since Spring Training, read more HERE.

It's an important first step, but Aaron Boone is optimistic about it. "It's still going to be a while," Boone said. "The good news is he seems to be in a really good spot. He's responded from this whole rehab process really well. Every step, whether it's once he started throwing and once he started long tossing, now getting on the mound, it's gone really well. I know he's felt really good throughout it, so hopefully that's a good sign."

So now we hope Gil continues to progress and there are no setbacks. We need another impactful arm to get us through the tough stretch and as much as I like Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren they are inconsistent, and there are too many unknowns surrounding Ryan Yarbrough's ability to remain a starter. Although I must say, I'd rather take a chance on those guys than Marcus Stroman if I HAD to.

There's no timeframe established for Gil's return but if he continues to progress a return mid-July after the All-Star break is possible. It's a piece of good news we need right now. Not much is going right in Yankeeland right now, so I will take what small nugget of good news I can get.

Getting Gil back would be a nice boost to the pitching staff and add some versatility....and we definitely need that as we get closer to the dog days of summer (and lots of wins, especially series wins). 

Fingers crossed.....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

CARRASCO IS GONZO

Well, that didn’t last long.

The Yankees officially ended the Carlos Carrasco experiment on Tuesday, designating the veteran righty for assignment in a move that was both necessary and about three weeks overdue. Carrasco, 38, gave it all he had, but with a 5.91 ERA and all the signs of a pitcher hanging on by duct tape and guile, the Yankees finally said enough.

The twist? Aaron Boone, in his never-ending quest to say something so painfully useless it makes your brain cramp, decided this was the time to break out one of his all-timers.

“What a phenomenal human being that Carlos is,” said Boone.

Ah, yes. Thanks, Aaron. The Yankees are in a pitching crisis, they just DFA’d a guy with a WHIP that made fans duck for cover, and the best you can muster is a Hallmark card. Not one word about Carrasco’s performance, not a single honest reflection on why the team couldn't make it work—just that he's a nice guy. Cool. Maybe Carrasco can help the team with hugs now that he’s gone.

Let’s be clear: Carrasco didn’t pitch well. He earned this DFA with six starts and two relief outings that felt more like sacrifices than appearances. His 7% walk rate was fine, but when you’re only striking out 17.6% of batters and leaving fastballs over the plate like offerings at a buffet, it’s going to catch up with you. It did.

To plug the gap, the Yankees brought up right-hander Yerry De Los Santos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He joins a bullpen that’s been run ragged, partly because Clarke Schmidt’s Saturday start got scratched due to side soreness. Carrasco had eaten three innings of mop-up work Sunday, so his arm was toast for the time being—and apparently, so was his spot on the roster.

But before we completely close the book, credit where it’s due: Carrasco came to camp on a minor league deal, worked his way onto the Opening Day roster, and handled everything like a pro. He’s been through far worse than getting DFA’d—he beat cancer, after all. That kind of perspective matters. And yes, Boone’s quote may be a broken record of empty platitudes, but Carrasco really is a phenomenal human being. Just maybe not a major-league pitcher anymore.

Still, there’s something tragic about watching the Yankees fumble this. Maybe Carrasco ends up across town with the Mets and turns into the next Clay Holmes—a guy the Yankees also misused until the Pirates and then the Mets figured him out. Wouldn't be the first time another team made better use of Yankee spare parts.

At the end of the day, the Carrasco story in the Bronx ends not with a bang, but with a Boone-ism: dull, cliché, and totally missing the point. Carrasco is a phenomenal human being. That's obvious.  Talk about his service and grit. That's what is most important. That's the story.  Cookie deserved better than his results, and fans deserved better than that stupid Boone quote.

Godspeed, Carrasco.  

WITH SCHMIDT COMING BACK, WHAT COMES NEXT?

The New York Yankees are winning some games thanks to a lineup that can mash baseballs into orbit — not because there's a well-oiled machine humming beneath the surface, but because the front office keeps duct-taping over a rotation built on hope, hunches, and injury reports. 

As Bob Klapisch says: "Between Carlos Rodon (5.19 ERA), Will Warren (6.00), Carlos Carrasco (7.71) and Stroman (11.57), Boone’s starters aren’t just mired in an early-season slump, they’ve been a liability."

Once again, we’re watching talented pitchers get thrown into the fire while the suits upstairs play fantasy baseball with real lives and real stakes.

Clarke Schmidt is the latest name in the rehab parade, and — good news! — he actually looks sharp. After dealing with shoulder tendinitis to start the season, because of course someone did, Schmidt shoved in his second rehab start: four innings, four strikeouts, no walks, and barely a blemish. That should be great news, right? But this is the Yankees we’re talking about — so naturally, this beacon of health just creates another roster conundrum the front office seems uniquely unqualified to handle.

Because when Schmidt comes back — likely around April 15 or 16 — someone’s got to go. Now, if this were a team that made sensible, merit-based decisions, Carlos Carrasco would already be polishing his plane ticket. The veteran just got thumped by the Tigers and hasn’t shown much to hang his hat on. But don’t be surprised if the casualty ends up being rookie Will Warren instead. Why? Because logic rarely lives in the Bronx anymore. My opinion of course.

Warren, by the way, just notched his first major league win yesterday with a very respectable five-inning, two-run, six-strikeout effort against the Giants. He didn’t reinvent the wheel, but he gave the Yankees a chance to win — and they did, once the offense finally woke up in the fifth. It was the kind of gritty, steady start you love to see from a rookie. Which, of course, means he’s probably being fitted for his Triple-A uniform as we speak.

It’s maddening. Carrasco and Warren both pitched well enough in spring to earn their spots, but the Yankees front office treats their rotation like a game of Jenga: keep pulling blocks at random and act shocked when it all collapses. There’s no vision, no long-term thinking, just reactionary shuffling and the constant whiff of panic perfume.

You can’t help but feel for the players. Warren is being asked to prove himself with every pitch, knowing that even his best efforts might not be enough to hold off the front office’s next whim. Carrasco, bless his veteran heart, looks like he’s surviving on fumes. And Boone? That dope is left managing a staff held together with chewing gum and crossed fingers. It always feels like a struggle with this team. Why is everything a struggle? Well, you know me. I blame the manager and front office.

Maybe Warren’s win bought him a little time. Maybe the Yankees pull the plug on Carrasco’s experiment before it gets even more embarrassing. But with the way things have gone in recent years, expecting the Yankees front office to make the right call is like expecting a cat to fetch. We’ve seen this movie before — and it’s always the player doing everything right who gets the boot.

So here we are. The bats are bailing them out, the rotation’s a mess, and the front office is — as usual — fumbling through decisions like a sleepwalker in a minefield. The players deserve better. And frankly, so do the fans.

HELLO SCHMIDT & BYE BYE CARRASCO!

Well, Carlos Carrasco had his chance, but he may have just pitched his way out of a job. Spring Training he looked better than he does right now, which earned him a big league contract and a new opportunity. It hasn't taken long for the Spring Carlos to fall back down to Earth.

The Yankees took a flyer on Carrasco. Let's face it we were desperate and it looked like he MIGHT have still had some of his former magic left in the tank. After two appearances of 11.2 innings, 16 hits, 4 home runs and three walks he has an abysmal 7.71 ERA. He's not fooling anyone in the batters box. He's not blowing anything past hitters or deceiving them with movement on his pitches. He's just throwing batting practice.

His blunders come at a dangerous time as Clarke Schmidt is ramping up and almost ready for Major League action, read more HERE. A rehab stint is coming at Double-A and he is predicted to be ready to go by the series against Kansas City April 15th or 16th. That's good news for Schmidt (and us) and bad news for Carrasco, since that lines up with his next potential start. When Schmidt is back the Yankees have every reason, they need to reconsider Carrasco's role on this team....if he gets one at all.

The "if" he gets one isn't so farfetched, either. The old saying goes "you can never have enough pitching" but is Carrasco a safer bet as a starter than say younger blossoming talent like Will Warren? Both Warren and Carrasco had outside shots to make the team in Spring, but there's a difference. Carrasco is past him prime and looks like he doesn't have anything left in the tank, while Warren is also not perfect, but he is younger and has had moments to justify he's ready for the big leagues. Carrasco isn't showing he has enough to keep him on the big-league stage....at least not here.

I will be the first to admit Warren isn't perfect. He is a work in progress. He looked good against the Diamondbacks but rough against the Pirates. He's young, hungry and he has a lot of upsides to him. He just needs more time to be developed. He has potential and that is something the Yankees should prioritize unless they pull of an entirely different move bringing another pitcher in by trade (not likely right now).

The Yankees are in a pickle. They are going to need to make a decision. Do they go with the veteran starter who has experience but will be a risk to try and squeeze five innings out of? Or do they go with the younger guy who has more upside now and can give the team long term value? I think it's an easy choice.

The Yankees are going to have to make the tough decision. Do they demote Carrasco or just DFA him all together? Either way something has to change. Schmidt coming back means the Yankees have better options coming....and this Carrasco is not going to help a team with World Series aspirations.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

IT'S OFFICIAL! WILL WARREN IS SET TO PITCH IN THE BRONX!

It's been such an emotional roller coaster ride this Spring, and that is especially true for Will Warren. He had zero expectation of earning a starting spot in Spring Training, and then bad luck struck (because I am convinced we are cursed) and opportunity knocked on Warren's door.

And he answered. The 25-year old fifth overall prospect pitched to a 4.19 ERA over six appearances and now he will pitching in the Bronx. Aaron Boone broke the news yesterday and now Warren has to get ready for not only his first start of 2025, but it will be in the Bronx against a revamped Arizona Diamondbacks team. 

His last appearance against the Baltimore Orioles wasn't the prettiest, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against another team with high expectations this season. Warren will need to show the Yankees the pitcher from his first five appearances if he wants to keep his starting position long-term and that may not be as easy as it sounds.

Supposedly, Clarke Schmidt's injury is not serious, and the Yankees are anticipating him to be ready for big league action soon. He will his time on the disabled list to increase his stamina and build up his pitch count to around 70-80 pitches. That would be the best-case scenario that Boone believes is possible. Nothing is official, but that is the hope. The Yankees need to do whatever is best for his health and stamina long-term because we have already been sucker punched with the loss of Gerrit Cole all season and Luis Gil out until June as a best case scenario.

Even if Schmidt is back soon, if Warren impresses, he could still keep a rotation spot. We have already seen how inconsistent Marcus Stroman is. He is sitting in a number three spot right now, but that is based on his veteran status only, not based on his proven ability to help this team. The Yankees were trying to get rid of him early in spring, especially before Cole had Tommy John surgery. If he can't do his part and help this team the Yankees could still look for a way to move him....especially if another team suddenly becomes desperate.

I'm also not sold on Carlos Carrasco, who has a starting job for now, but he has had rough seasons since 2022. I think he is going to get lit up in Yankee stadium especially. He's not the pitcher he once was, and while I want to see anyone pitching for us succeed, I just don't think he will be able to hang in the Bronx. He's here now because the Yankees are desperate. The Yankees need him for now. He could easily pitch his way out of a job....which could keep Warren around.

If Warren can stay consistent and pitch, he has a shot to stick around. It won't be easy....but Stroman and Carrasco aren't exactly showstoppers, either. He gives me more hope than the others. He's also made it this far by seizing opportunity and he can do it again.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj