BOONE CAN'T QUIT OTTAVINO

Adam Ottavino’s second stint with the Yankees didn’t last long. After making just two relief appearances against the Diamondbacks last week, his time in pinstripes has already come to a close.

The Yankees designated the veteran right-hander for assignment earlier this week following the return of closer Devin Williams from the paternity list. Rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A, Ottavino opted for free agency.

It was a short ride, or so it seemed.  Adam Ottavino is making his return to the Yankees once again. With the team needing fresh pitching help ahead of their Monday series against the Tigers, Ottavino is set to rejoin the roster after being designated for assignment last Friday. 

On Sunday night, the Yankees made room for Ottavino by sending left-handed reliever Brent Headrick to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. 

Earlier in the day, Ottavino had chosen free agency rather than accepting a minor-league assignment. SNY first reported his re-signing. What a crazy few days for Ottavino.

YANKEES JUST GOT MORE BULLPEN HELP!

The Yankees are making sure their bullpen stays intact while Devin Williams steps away for paternity leave, and they’re doing it with a familiar face—Adam Ottavino. The veteran right-hander has officially signed a Major League deal and was immediately added to the active roster, bringing some much-needed reinforcement to a pen that’s already been put through the wringer by early-season injuries.

And yes, that’s the Adam Ottavino—the same guy who once boldly declared that he could strike out Babe Ruth if given the chance. Now, while we’ll never know if the Sultan of Swat would have taken him deep or flailed at a nasty slider, what we do know is that Ottavino was lights-out the last time he wore pinstripes. Back in 2019, he was one of the Yankees’ most dominant bullpen arms, posting a ridiculous 1.90 ERA over 66.1 innings and making hitters look silly with his signature sweeping slider.

Since then, he’s bounced around a bit, including a recent stint with the Red Sox—yes, those Red Sox—after signing a minor league deal in February. However, he opted out on March 23 when it became clear Boston wasn’t giving him a big-league spot (which, honestly, is probably for the best for him). Now, he’s back in the Bronx, and the timing couldn’t be better.

With Williams temporarily out of the picture, Luke Weaver is expected to take over ninth-inning duties, while Ottavino slides in as a veteran setup man. It’s a smart, no-nonsense move by the Yankees—one that keeps the bullpen from skipping a beat while also giving fans a chance to once again enjoy Ottavino’s wipeout stuff (and maybe, just maybe, a few more spicy soundbites along the way).

REMEMBER ADAM OTTAVINO? WE MAY BE SEEING HIM AGAIN SOON!

Sometimes, there are random headlines that catch your eye....and this is one of them. Anytime I see Adam Ottavino's name pop up I just have to look. In this case, he's finally leaving New York because he's no longer a Met, but he's not going far.

Mr. I'd 'strike Babe Ruth out every time' is heading to Boston on a minor league deal. This will be Ottavino's second stint in Boston as he looks to reestablish himself as the big reliever he was when he signed with us. He pitched one season with the Red Sox back in 2021 before heading to the Mets for three seasons. His best season was 2022 where he pitched to a 2.06 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings as a setup man for Edwin Diaz.

But years since 2022 haven't been as pretty. Last season was very inconsistent, he pitched to a 4.34 ERA which led to the Mets keeping him on the Wild Card and NLDS roster but not pitching him in either series. So that leads us to where we are now.

So, the guy that once could strike Babe Ruth out every time, is on a prove himself deal, read more HERE. 

"I talked to Boston for a long time. It was a long process," said Ottavino. "Once I was open to the NRI (non-roster invite) situations, I got a lot of offers really fast after that. I was parsing through that, trying to figure out what move to make. I had one MLB offer but I didn't want to take it in that location. I just kept doing my research and talking to the teams, then made this decision last night."

Interesting that there was one major league offer but he didn't like the location. Inquiring minds like mine really want to know who the offer was from and why he didn't take it. Definitely a difference in money, and even nothing in Boston in guaranteed. Masslive reports that he will make $2 million if he makes the Major League roster and he'll have the ability to opt out and test free agency again at the end of camp if he's not added to the 40-man roster.

Interesting new scenario for Ottavino. It will be interesting to see if he can rebound and make the major league roster this year. If he does.... maybe we will see him again. Crazier things have happened. I'd like to see him succeed, just not against us. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

GARDNER MAY BE GONZO!

If you are hoping the Brett Gardner comes back this season, you may be holding your breath right now. I know several people who were hoping that he would be back for the 2021 season and then retire. The latest rumors aren't very good. So if you are one of the ones holding your breath, you may want to exhale.

The latest gossip isn't good. According to multiple sources, NJ.com HERE (subscription required) and MLBtraderumors.com the Yankees and Gardner stopped communicating all the back near
 HALLOWEEN! That's a long time to not communicate at all if the Yankees are interested in bringing Gardner back.

It has to make you wonder what is going on and if the Yankees are genuinely interested. I thought that when the Yankees traded Adam Ottavino that the Yankees could use that money to try and sign Gardy. It made sense, but now maybe they have a different plan.

Is it possible that the Yankees are going to give Greg Allen a shot in the outfield instead? Or now that Eric Cressey said Giancarlo Stanton is "as athletic as I have ever seen him" maybe now he gets another opportunity in the outfield. You can read more on that HERE. Maybe the Yankees are content with what they have or at least feel like they have enough without Gardner until the trade deadline. 

Last week Brian Cashman did make some very non-committed sounding comments in regards to Gardy. 
"You know how we love Brett Gardner," Cashman said on Yankees Hot Stove. "He’s been here for a long time. We’ve bet on him forever. He’s always produced and honored those assessments that we’ve made, so it’s been a great marriage. I’m not saying you know it’s going to continue. I’m not going to say that it’s over. But he’s still on the board and we’re always trying to figure out a way to make ourselves better."

So it's been a great marriage between the Yankees and Gardy, but the Yankees may or may not be in it for HIS long haul. The Yankees may be ready to move on and maybe :figuring out a way to make ourselves better" doesn't include Gardy. I didn't read too much into Cashman's comment at first because this is what we expect from him. But now should we?

I'm not sure if pinstripes is in Gardy's future for 2021. It would be nice to see him retire as a Yankee on his own terms but it might not be the case. That's the tough part about business. It's not personal, but when you spend your entire career in one uniform it can't get anymore personal.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

CASHMAN BAGS ANOTHER BARGAIN FIND!

The Yankees certainly have mastered the "bargain shop" mentality this winter minus the notable exception of DJ LeMahieu. The Yankees got creative to make the budget friendly changes they were looking for and they just made another one. Question now is....will it pan out?

I shop on a budget all the time, but I am glad my name isn't Brian Cashman and I don't have to do it for Yankee brass. His creativity is next level. I shop generic store brands at the grocery store and he shops the low-risk high reward or "nobody wants but we can fix" ballplayers. He's crafty, and he just did it again by signing Kyle Barraclough to a minor league deal.

We wondered if the Yankees would look for another reliever after they traded Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox. Barraclough has an invite to Spring Training and we will see if he can pitch his way back to a major league job. 

Barraclough doesn't look so exciting on paper, but that's where the bargain comes in. He was a hard throwing right hander who overcame some control problems earlier in his career as a Marlin earlier in his career and pitched to a 2.87 ERA between 2015-2017. The wheels fell off after that and pitched to a 5.61 ERA in 2019 where he split time between the Nationals and the Giants. After the Giants cut ties with him he signed with the Padres on a minor league deal last season but elected free agency before the season started and no one else picked him up.

So that's why he's a bargain deal for us. No one else wanted him and Cashman got the deal. Clearly the Yankees pitching staff thinks they can fix him and if it works out then it's a brilliant move and we will all call Cashman a genius (again) later. 

At this point, I'm just glad Ottavino is gone and if it doesn't work out, the Yankees can just stash him down in the minors. 

Random thought, his last name makes me think of a BEAR CLAW donut and I am suddenly hungry. At any rate....welcome to the Bronx, Barraclough!

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES DUMP OTTAVINO TO THE RED SOX

And now it's pretty positive that Adam Ottavino is the best damn reliver the Red Sox have. No question actually. Yup... it's rare, but it does happen. The Yankees and the Sox have made trades before.

In 2014, it was Red Sox receiving Kelly Johnson and the Yankees getting Stephen Drew and cash.

In 1994 the Red Sox got money in the Scott Bankhead deal. 

In 1986, the Red Sox got DH Don Baylor and the Yankees got DH Mike Easler.

And it happened several times before that. all the way back to Babe Ruth.  So yeah... it doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen.  

But the biggest concern I and several others have is that we hope that Ottavino doesn't suddenly become a superstar and this trade screws us down the road. I guess you have to roll the dice on it.

Anyway... NJ.com writes:

"Ottavino was 2-3 with a 5.89 ERA in 24 appearances with the Yankees in 2020. He was stellar for most of the 2019 season, his first in a three-year, $27 million deal, but had a rough September and terrible postseason.

With most of Ottavino’s salary off the books, Cashman will be able to add one or two more significant pieces and stay under this year’s $210 million luxury-tax threshold."

So there you have it... Ottavino... GONZO. And life moves on.

COULD MARK MELANCON BE A FIT?

The Yankees are always looking for extra help in their pen. I didn't think much about this, but recently there was chatter about maybe adding a guy like Mark Melancon. Remember that dude? He was with the Yankees in 2006, but eventually was traded and then he became a journeyman. But something else happened... he became a better pitcher.  

A nice write up by Empire Sports Media appears to put us both in agreement. Check this out:

"Melancon is a perfect fit for the Yankees and Yankee Stadium’s short right porch. Hitters can’t take advantage of the short porch if they can’t get the ball in the air. Mark is a ground ball pitcher, getting ground balls 56% of the time. He has an excellent curveball and cutter and will throw an occasional fastball and changeup.

Because this is a good season to take advantage of the depressed market for free agents, the Yankees could get a good deal on Melancon, particularly on a one-year deal."

Look, I think we can all agree that we were underwhelmed by Adam Ottavino last season. If he can't get back to solid form, we're gonna need a guy like Melancon. Really... it's something to think about.

GUESS WHO'S BACK AGAIN?!

I was convinced that Billy Martin and his five stints as Yankees manager would hold record for most times hired in the organization....but maybe not. It appears Billy has some close competition.

Welcome back Adam Warren for the fourth time. I really wasn't sure what was going to happen with Warren after they had to release him back in July due to the unique constraints of the roster this season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but Brian Cashman did say he wanted to bring him back if possible. Maybe 4th time is the charm for us.

And it could be. I have always like Warren and apparently he has always liked pitching here more than anywhere else. Warren and the Yankees look to be the perfect match. Warren had a rough 2019 season with the Padres and really hasn't had a lot of success outside of his time with us. He's always had some unexplainable magic with us, in 407 innings with the Yankees he has a 3.18 ERA with 8K/9 and a 2.99 BB/9. With numbers like that, it's no wonder why the Yankees were willing to bring him back a fourth time. 

As far as the Yankees are concerned, this is a no-risk signing. We still don't know the financial details of the deal but it costs them no guaranteed money and if he bounces back from Tommy John he will fit in nicely in the bullpen. The Yankees need more depth and he was well-liked by his teammates. Since the Yankees are not looking to spend a lot of money this winter they probably aren't looking to build up the bullpen with an expensive free agent splash an effective Warren could be a HUGE asset to the Yankees. It's low risk and hopefully high reward.

I like the possibilities here, Warren could be a massive upgrade to this team. He's the opposite of the "He can't pitch in New York" argument and maybe he's the rare "He can ONLY pitch in New York" and on a minor league deal, this is a no-brainer. He could be an upgrade to Luis Cessa and this point, I have MORE faith in Warren than Adam Ottavino. This could be really good for us.

So welcome home, Warren. We could definitely use you! You are the modern day Billy Martin but in bullpen form.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

FREE AGENCY BEGINS THE DAY AFTER THE WORLD SERIES ENDS

Source: N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

Enjoying the World Series? More like tolerating it. At least the Dodgers are there and Houston is not, is what I keep saying to myself. But what is more interesting is what happens when the World Series ends in a few days. Baseball refreshes, and a new season begins to ramp up. For the Yankees that can mean a lot of change, which will hopefully get them to the Fall Classic in 2021.

"Free agency begins the day after the World Series ends. Players can’t sign with a new team until five days after the World Series is completed. Trades can be made starting the day after the World Series ends. Contract options can be exercised or not within five days of the World Series ending," reported the New York Post.

For the Yankees that means a number of decisions around who stays and who goes, who they trade for and who they don't and whether or not these shifts can get them to the World Series next year.

Source: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

"The biggest decisions facing the Yankees are whether to re-sign free agents DJ LeMahieu and Masahiro Tanaka, what to do with Zack Britton’s 2022 option, and deciding whether Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez will continue to be their shortstop and catcher, respectively. If they decide Torres and Sanchez are not their best options, the Yankees will be busy filling those positions in a financial climate that has been severely damaged because COVID-19 denied customers entrance to ballparks for the 60-game schedule," reported The New York Post. 

Bold statements but they reflect some of the strongest and weakest links of this team. Pitching continues to be a challenge for the Yankees despite signing Gerrit Cole. He can't be the whole pitching staff and Tanaka seems to have lost his luster in the last couple of years. There is also the option of moving Adam Ottavino and Luke Voit and whether or not Brett Gardner stays or goes. All of this to say that none of this matters if Aaron Boone calls the shots purely on analytics instead of combination of gut and numbers.

Source: Associated Press

According to NJ.com, "Boone says that he has the freedom to make his own lineups and pitching decisions, and that’s the official stance from GM Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner, too. But all parties also agree that the team’s analytics staff factors heavily in lineup and pitching moves." Context here stems from a WFAN interview with former Yankee shortstop Didi Gregorius who compared his current manager, Joe Girardi's style to Boone's leadership. "They’re both good managers. For me, the only thing I see different is Joe goes more with his instincts – that’s what I think – and Boone goes more with analytics.”

It will be a real hot stove leading up to the Winter Meetings in early December. Lots of decisions and moving parts. A few games left in 2020 before all of the hoopla begins. Enjoy the Series and get ready for an interesting off-season. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

RUMOR: YANKEES ARE GETTING OFFERS FOR OTTAVINO

We aren't in the offseason yet, but the rumor mill has already started. There is a lot of chatter about the Yankees looking for ways to shed some payroll to drop below the $210 million luxury tax for 2021, which will be especially important to save money for DJ LeMahieu.

So the The New York Post broke THIS on Tuesday, and it caught my eye. If the Yankees want to shed some payroll, they might be able to move Adam Ottavino. Maybe. A big challenge will be that he is expensive and 2020 Ottavino wasn't as effective as 2019 and teams will take that into consideration.

"According to several talent evaluators, teams would be interested in the right-hander but with the understanding that the Yankees would have to absorb some of the $9 million owed to the soon-to-be 35-year-old Brooklyn native and Berkeley Carroll School product."

"As long as he stays healthy, I am sure he can go somewhere else and re-establish himself in a real season,’’ said an AL scout who was willing to discount the 60-game schedule of this past season due COVID-19 in which Ottavino posted a 5.89 ERA in 24 appearances.

So scouts say teams are interested, if the Yankees are willing to eat some of the contract. Maybe it could happen. Ottavino becomes a free agent after next season, and I can't say I hate the idea. I expected a little bit more out of the guy who said "I would strike Babe Ruth out every time" back in 2018 before we signed him to his three year deal. He looked good in 2019, but he took a big step back this season.

Ottavino was an important asset back in 2019 and he appeared in 73 games, pitched to a 1.90 ERA in 66 1/3 innings and struck out 88 batters. This season, he only appeared in 18 1/3 innings and gave up 20 hits, walked nine batters and struck out 25. In the postseason, Aaron Boone only used him for 2/3 of an inning. Even in a shortened season, that's a significant step backwards.

I guess I had higher expectations with Ottavino. He talked a big talk but he couldn't back it up this season so if the rumors are true and the Yankees NEED to make moves to save money and a trade makes sense, then I would be okay if that means losing Ottavino. 

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

THAT'S 2020 BABY!

“That’s 2020, baby,” as Yankees Manager Aaron Boone has often said throughout the year. Now with just a few more games to go in this coronavirus shortened season, the Yankees face the postseason straight in the eyes. Will 2020 be good to the Yankees who were favorites heading into 2020? Let's take a look at their chances.

“Obviously it’s a little bit different because of no crowd, but in a lot of ways teams are built for their home ballpark,” said Boone, whose batting lineup is adept at taking advantage of the closer wall in right field in the Bronx," reported the New York Times. 

Source: David Butler Ii/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

The Yankees will be in one of the MLB Playoff bubbles with their fate of who they will face to be determined. The lack of time in between games will certainly impact pitching and the amount of rest the position players will receive. This may be too taxing on the Bombers who have been ridden with injuries again this season.

Source: USA Today

Yet on the bright side of things, Luke Voit and DJ LeMahieu have carried this team throughout the month of September, making the absence of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton more bearable. In addition, the starting pitching of J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and Gerrit Cole have also made an impression on this team and their ability to fight off competing offense. 

The Yankees need have the right mindset to go in and take games from opponents, create fear and dominance at the plate and be at their best to fend off any team. "Now we are getting back to being the Bronx Bombers and I don't think anyone wants to play us in the playoffs," said Luke Voit. Adam Ottavino shared this sentiment about clinching a playoff spot this weekend, "Just get your foot in the door and go from there." All the right kinds of statements the Yankees need coupled with staying healthy and focused on winning. 

Could 2020 be the year for the Yankees who have not won a World Series since 2009? They will have to get passed their AL archenemy the Tampa Bay Rays to get there. Let's hope they have enough muscle to get there and Boone's "That's 2020, baby!" will hold even more meaning for the Yankees.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

EX-YANKEE MIKE STANTON MAKES ODD PREDICTION FOR 2020 SEASON

We are about three weeks from the start of a 2020 pandemic shortened season. It's hard to imagine what baseball will look like when it isn't a normal 162-game season, but we are about to find out, hopefully. We always say baseball is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line. This year, our guys are gonna have to adapt and perform well in more of a sprint instead. The Yankees are gonna have to come out of the box running hard and hopefully they can adapt quickly.

A 60 game season leaves little to no room for error. The usual "relax, it's only May and it's still early" argument for a struggling team no longer applies. So the pitching and hitting needs to be ready to go. Too bad it's not as easy as a light switch that can be turned on with the easy flick of the wrist. That's one thing I will be watching closely as Spring 2.0 gets started this week, and ex-Yankee Mike Stanton will be also.

Stanton talked to the New York Post over the weekend HERE, and said "I think this has a chance to be anemic offensively," let's hope he's wrong. But he has a good point. Our guys have half the time to get ready. Pitchers have to get loose and our hitters have had a long break from live game repetitions. I'm sure the Yankees have their own plan but Stanton offered his own, "I would want all pitchers to throw live batting practice, 40 pitches. I didn't want game intensity but pitchers throw that many pitches in bullpens. The hitters should take live batting practice from Day 1. I would want the hitters to see as much live BP as possible."

Not a bad idea as long as they don't over do it in the first week. The Yankees already have a lot of guys coming back from injuries but I like his thought process. Players are creatures of habit and very regimented so this is going to be a challenge but these guys will need to have the stamina and be stretched out enough. We can't afford a slow start. I think Stanton is right, the last week of training camp is going to be crucial.

It will be interesting to see how Matt Blake the Yankees new pitching coach approaches Spring Training 2.0. I wonder if his strategy will be anything like Stanton's and how hard will the Yankees push Gerrit Cole in his last Spring Training start before starting the season in Washington against the Nationals. We know these guys have already been throwing to a certain extent. 

We've seen videos of Cole pitching, those have been floating around social media. Adam Ottavino has also been throwing, but what about Jordan Montgomery? He's coming back from a lost season and will be an important anchor in the Yankees rotation.

And we will wait and see how Aaron Judge holds up now that he is finally starting to hit again. He started hitting off of a tee but hey, it's progress. Hopefully he stays healthy with no setbacks and we get him back in the lineup sooner rather than later. Spring is important to all of these guys, but especially him. The Yankees set their Spring 2.0 roster late yesterday afternoon, here is the list in case you missed it.

I can't wait for Spring 2.0 to start and I hope the Yankees start the season strong. No disrespect to you Mr. Stanton but....we really hope you are wrong about anemic offense. We don't have time to spare and we have all waited too long to be disappointed.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES PLAYERS WILL HAVE TO TAKE A PAYCUT TO PLAY AGAIN

Before COVID-19 hit, the Yankees were set to dominate the 2020 season as one of the favorites to make it to the World Series. Now we don't know when baseball is going to start or if it will ever start. We just know that there are plans being put in place to try and make it happen.

The MLB and the MLBPA have put together a 67-page health proposal that covers limiting the number of players in a dugout to no spitting being allowed. Another issue being faced is pay cuts.

Everyone involved with baseball is losing money this season: owners, players, businesses, employees, etc... This is turning out to be hard to negotiate as players and owners can't agree on what they should get paid. I can understand wanting to get paid for your job, but most of these players would still be getting millions of dollars for only playing a part of the season.

Here are what the players would make after the pay cut:

• Gerrit Cole would go from making $36M to $8M
• Giancarlo Stanton: $26M to $6M
• Masahiro Tanaka: $23M to $5.5M
• JA Happ: $17M to $4.5M
• Aroldis Chapman: $16M to $4.25M
• Zack Britton: $13M to $3.5M
• DJ LeMahieu: $12M to $3.4M
• Aaron Hicks: $10.7M
• Luis Severino: $10.5M to $3M
• Brett Gardner: $10M to $2.95M
• Adam Ottavino: $8.8M to $2.7M
• Aaron Judge: $8.5M to $2.5M
• Gary Sanchez: $5M to $1.64M

These players will be making less than a quarter on their original agreement, yet are only playing on a proposed 82 game slate. On the other hand, these players are now risking a lot more. They are risking getting sick and have to stay away from their families in order to play. Players are most likely going to get the virus between being in the clubhouse, buses, and planes where social distancing will be difficult.

The league has already determined that if a player does test positive, they will not shut down the team unless it is a larger percentage of the team that also test positive. The player will then be allowed to rejoin the team after testing negative twice in a 24-hour period, rather than quarantining for 2 weeks.

What do you think? Is the pay cut fair with of the risk of COVID?

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke