ALL EYES ON SPENCER JONES!

I don't dabble on X much these days, but for some reason I decided to go on and just see what the latest buzz was, exactly. I really should've known better. It just frustrated me more than I already was which is saying a lot.

We all know Aaron Judge is on the shelf, and hopefully back in the lineup sooner rather than later. Losing Judge means the sky is falling basically....because it is. Judge is the only heartbeat on this team. So now what do we do? The trade deadline is Thursday. The Yankees could make another move, but if this is "only" going to be closer to a 10-day miss, a trade won't be for a Judge fill in.

The easy answer for most people has been Spencer Jones, but here is why I got frustrated by my X feed. So many "experts" weighing in with different takes. Everyone wants to know what is going to happen with Jones. Some will defend him and demand he stay. Any trade talk means they will chase you with a pitchfork and hunt you down. Then you have some people who are open to it IF the price is right. I'm in this camp.

Then you have "experts" posting all kinds of takes. Like Bob Nightengale, after scrolling all the way down on THIS article, you find the Yankees are "open" to trading Jones according to rival GM's. Gee, that is mind boggling. Player gets traded sometimes. Wow. The Yankees aren't against the idea of trading someone if the price is right. Such a huge breaking news headline, yet X was all in a tizzy.

Then there's Jon Heyman who goes from Jones not getting called up to, also not getting traded.

Then last but not least THIS feeding more flames into the "Will Jones or won't Jones" get called up?
I'm honestly just tired of seeing all of these headlines. I get it, but the Yankees are in a big enough jam as it is between Judge and massively underperforming, I just don't want to read more. No, I don't think Jones is going to get called up nor do I think he SHOULD. Yes, he is on a tear down in Triple-A and just had a three-homerun game.... blah blah blah but the kid just got there and has concerns. He has an UGLY strike-out rate and he needs to work on that before he can get called up to the show. He has potential, but he's not ready. He has a lot to do before he can convince me he is ready for the big leagues. We have a roster full of guys that strikeout like he does and can't put the ball in play and score runs OR practice fundamentals. 

If Jones WAS to get called up, the Yankees have a log jam as it is and he's not going to be playing every day. He needs to play every day. He doesn't need to be called up to sit on the bench and be cold. He's not ready. You don't get promoted in these circumstances, it's not good for him or the Yankees.

So if Jones stays so be it, let him play every day in the minors and continue to progress. Honestly though, if the Yankees can get a solid pitcher for him I won't be mad at it either. Can we just stop with the Jones is gonna get called up to replace Judge party? It's not time yet, and not in this chaos, please.

I need a break from X....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

CASHMAN'S "AGGRESSIVE" LOOKING FOR A RIGHT-HANDED BAT APPARENTLY

You ever notice how every time you read about the Yankees—whether it’s in the paper, on a blog, or scribbled on a napkin at a Bronx deli—there’s always this obsession with “upgrading”? Like it’s some kind of annual tradition. Fire up the trade machine, cue the mystery sources, and panic about right-handed bats. Meanwhile, the Yankees? They're actually doing just fine. Even with injuries, even with Boone as their manager, the team’s humming along like a well-oiled pinstriped machine. It’s almost... refreshing.

But of course, here comes USA Today’s Bob Nightengale to shake the snow globe. In a May 25, 2025, report, he declared that the Yankees are “aggressively” hunting for a right-handed bat. Aggressively! You’d think Brian Cashman was on a safari.

Look, Bob Nightengale’s been around forever, and he’s got a knack for drama, but he’s also got a résumé of rumors that read like a choose-your-own-adventure gone wrong. 

If his scoop turns out to be nonsense, no worries—he just tosses out the ol' “anonymous source” shield and skates off untouched. It's the media equivalent of ghosting your fantasy league after drafting six injured players. You see where I'm going with this?

Anyway, on to some names being thrown into the Yankees’ hypothetical shopping cart. Nick Deeds of MLBTradeRumors.com chimed in with some “could-be” options: Otto Lopez (Marlins), Lenyn Sosa (White Sox), and Amed Rosario (Nationals). Deeds notes that right-handed infielders are slim pickings this year, which sounds about right—like looking for WiFi in a tunnel.

• Otto Lopez is slick with the glove at second base—no doubt. But guess what? We already have a second baseman. This isn’t musical chairs.

• Lenyn Sosa is hitting .280 with a .696 OPS, which is perfectly fine if you’re looking for “decent” infield depth and not a lineup-changing force.

• Amed Rosario is batting .303 with two home runs and one stolen base as of May 31. Nice numbers, but are we really sprinting to the phones for that?

These are plug-and-play types, sure. But the million-dollar question remains: Do we even need this right now? The team is rolling. The vibes are good. The wins are coming even though last night sucked. Even with some guys down, the roster is answering the bell.

Look—I love rumor season as much as the next baseball junkie. It’s like hot stove Christmas. But let’s be real: a lot of these stories are clickbait sugar highs. They’re fun for a day or two, then disappear faster than a SnapChat from Hal Steinbrenner. No trade. No truth. Just smoke, mirrors, and someone hoping to spike their engagement numbers.

That said, we report everything here. Rumors, speculation, trades, tantrums—you name it. But we also give our thoughts, and more importantly, we trust our eyes. 

The Yankees are getting the job done. So BYB freaks, keep your heads on straight. Do the research. Dig into the facts. Don’t get played by a headline.

You’re smarter than that.

THE YANKEES & RED SOX ABOUT TO FIGHT FOR MAX FRIED

As you know, Max Fried’s time in Atlanta is looking as over as a fried chicken sandwich at lunchtime. Braves fans, brace yourselves—your ace is packing his bags, and his next stop is likely in a city where $200 million contracts flow like sweet tea in the South.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports put it bluntly:

“They haven’t thrown a pitch in more than two months, but their stocks have soared thanks to the contracts given to pitchers whose resumes pale in comparison. When Matthew Boyd receives a 2-year, $29 million contract without throwing more than 79 innings since 2019, when Luis Severino is getting $67 million over three years and Blake Snell is making an average annual salary of $36.4 million, Burnes and Fried should top $200 million.”

Translation? Fried is about to get paid. Like, Scrooge McDuck diving into a vault paid. And why not? His resume is pure gold. Over 168 appearances (151 starts), he’s put up a dazzling 3.07 ERA, a tidy 1.16 WHIP, and racked up 863 strikeouts. Toss in two All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves, and a couple of Cy Young votes—one as the 2022 runner-up—and you’ve got a pitcher who’s not just good. He’s elite.

The Braves? Well, they’re not the Yankees or Red Sox when it comes to free-agent spending sprees. And let’s face it, Fried’s not sticking around for pocket change and a nice thank-you note. Nightengale didn’t hold back here, either:

“Fried priced himself out of Atlanta, but is expected to sign with the Yankees or Red Sox. If Soto goes to the Mets, Fried could find himself in a nice bidding war between the Red Sox and Yankees.”

Bidding war? You better believe it. The Yankees reportedly had a Zoom call with Fried that went “very well.” Translation: they’re already envisioning Fried carving up lineups in pinstripes. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have been hot on his trail from the jump, ready to throw Fenway-sized money at the lefty ace.

For Braves fans, this is a gut punch. Losing Fried stings. But Atlanta’s hands are tied here. Thanks to an offseason market that saw guys like Luis Severino and Blake Snell cash in big, Fried’s price tag rocketed into another stratosphere—one the Braves can’t afford.

Now, if it were up to me (and let’s pretend it is), I’d love to see the Yankees pivot to Corbin Burnes. Why not Burnes, you ask? He’s every bit as good as Fried and would add a Milwaukee-style kick to that rotation. But hey, what do I know? I’m just here for the drama.

For now, all eyes are on Fried and where he’ll land. Yankees or Red Sox? Either way, Braves fans will be watching through their fingers, wishing they could hold onto their ace just a little longer. Meanwhile, Fried is about to dive into a pile of cash that would make even his curveball jealous. Stay tuned.

RUMOR: YANKEES HAVE A "CAP" ON WHAT THEY WILL OFFER JUAN SOTO

Sometimes, I spend too much time looking for those intriguing sound bites on Youtube.com and X. Now that we are inching closer to the trade deadline I am probably doing more searching than normal. In my search, I found a video on the Yankees top priority this winter, Juan Soto himself.

So Bob Nightengale did an interview with Sportsnaut.com and believes "there is a price demand Juan Soto could make that would be too much for the organization to pay." Even Hal Steinbrenner has said the Yankees current payroll is "not sustainable" and changes will be made, you can read more HERE. We get it payroll is high, Hal doesn't want to carry that cost going forward blah, blah, blah.

So what is the likelihood Soto remains a Yankee? According to Nightengale the Yankees probably would've walked away from Aaron Judge if he demanded a contract in excess of $400 million. "I think there's a point there [where it becomes too much]. Let's be honest. If Soto was doing what he's doing in New York in San Diego, San Diego would have kept him. [He] underperformed there. Put up big-time numbers when they were out of the race, but was very disappointing in his time there. Which Juan Soto are you getting? A lot of guys put up being numbers in their walk year," said Nightengale.

I don't always agree with Nightengale, but he is right that a lot of guys put up big numbers in their walk year. Those numbers are what make teams pay at a premium and it's normal. We aren't halfway through the season yet and Soto's .313 BA, 55 RBIs and 18 home runs look really attractive to every major league team. Every team wants that.

But which teams can afford him? It's an honest question. "Beside the Yankees and Mets, who's going to bid on this guy? Could the Giants? Maybe, but they don't want to be used. I don't see anyone else," Nightengale said. "If you're the Yankees, are you going to give him much more than $360 million? That's Aaron Judge's contract. The face of the franchise, arguably, the best player in baseball. The Mets could come in for a higher figure. It's not a bidding war. Only a couple of teams will be involved. It's like having a mansion in a midsize neighborhood. How many people can afford this thing?"

We all know the Yankees can afford whatever they want. Hal isn't hurting for money, but he is protecting his precious profits. So how high should the Yankees go? There's a lot of baseball to go before that has to be figured out but he's not getting Shohei Ohtani money no matter how hard Scott Boras tries.

So how much is "too much" and what should the Yankees cap be? Hal is either going to be a very loved owner or an even more unpopular owner come winter. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

ADD MOROSI TO THE "BASEBALL NON-INSIDER" LIST

If you read Bleeding Yankee Blue, ya'll know I can't stand bad info and the fact that over the years we have noticed a shift in the MLB when it comes to reporting and getting information out there. This new title of "Baseball Insider" was invented for guys that are "in the trenches" and knew sources and were "getting the inside scoop". But as we have seen, other than guys like Jeff Passan and Jack Curry... the actual baseball insiders aren't that at all.  Put it this way, their one job is to get the info, right? I mean they are the ones with the sources, and we are so relying on them for good information. Their info is supposed to be air-tight.  That's what a "BASEBALL INSIDER" is. Oh my, how we have fallen. 

I look at all the mistakes that are made over the last few years... they're laughable and irresponsible. It's like they are fumbling over each other to get the story out first, but they are not doing one important thing when they report... they aren't getting it right.

It's better to be right than to be first. That's my rule of thumb.  I also would never self-proclaim myself a baseball insider even if I could proudly wear the fake title, because, let's face it, with all the recent mistakes... why would you want to be known as that?

Bob Nightengale's was one of my favorites:

Trevor Bauer would eventually go to the Dodgers.  We all know that time Jon Heyman said that Arson Judge was going to the Giants. 

Clearly he meant Aaron, but he was wrong anyway... and the Yankees even made fun of him a few days ago when they signed Juan Soto.

Jon Soto appears headed to Yankees

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) December 7, 2023

The latest comes from Jon Morosi of MLB.  Now Shohei Ohtani is one of the biggest off-season acquisitions of our generation, and I guess feeling the need to get it right didn't matter to Jon, as long as he was able to get it first.  

Yardbarker writes:

"On Friday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that Ohtani was on a flight to Toronto, hinting that an agreement with the Blue Jays was either done or close. That was not the case..."

Well, that proved catastrophic... I would even suggest embarrassing. Morosi apologized:

I'd love to know Jon's source, because clearly he needs new ones.

Meanwhile, what I think was more embarrassing was that the already-exposed "baseball insiders" that were wrong before him for Bauer and Judge were the guys trying to straighten it out for everyone. 

Comedy at it's best.  

I guess to get back in our good graces maybe? I guess they wanted to act like they were still considered "baseball insiders"? How very noble of you Bob and Jon. Seriously, you're already not followed by me.  

Look, who knows... but let's face it, the whole thing's embarrassing. All these guys are out there trying to get the story first... but let's face it, when it comes to baseball insiders, and if you REALLY AND TRULY watch their actions online, the really good ones are air-tight and have to correct information.  This is journalism whether they want to believe it is or not.  You gotta be right... so why not wait!  

Hats off to guys like Passan and Curry, and my guys Pete Caldera and Eric Boland... these guys are tops in the industry.  Thorough and eager to follow some journalistic integrity.  

I no longer follow Heyman, Morosi or Nightengale.  Why would I? Why would you?

Let me also state that my opinion on this is probably different than yours.  That's what makes opinions fun.  I take no offense to readers who won't read me because they don't agree with me. I know that sometimes I come off harsh or rotten or even complimentary to fellow writers.  But one thing I will always believe in is having an opinion, sharing that opinion and following standards of journalism.  I don't expect to be the best every day... but what I do expect of me and my writers at BYB is that we do it with a presentation we can be proud of.  If I didn't believe that, Bleeding Yankee Blue wouldn't be here since 2010.  

Like us, hate us, I don't care.  Respect us? You must.  I'm sure that goes across the board to certain "baseball insiders."

HOW DOES THIS "BASEBALL INSIDER" ALWAYS GET IT WRONG?

I find Bob Nightengale to be the guy that is just outside to circle. The guy that wants to be part of it, but he just doesn't have the stuff to get in.  Not a cool kid, more like an outcast.  Passan, Rosenthal, Caldera, Boland, Curry... they're all exchanging good info. Nightengale and Olney are scrambling trying to find the cool rumor just to be excepted. 

I know, that's mean, because I'm sure he's a nice man, but for the love of everything holy, he is never right when it comes to trades or potential moves teams make in the MLB.  You may remember one of his most famous debacles that brought Bauer to the Mets, according to him... Read BAUER TO THE DODGERS & BOB NIGHTENGALE BLOWS IT for more on that.

Now comes the latest mess up... he's so ridiculous:

I don't know what to say other than the world knew Bryant was going to the Giants before he did. And it was all because he didn't realize it was a non-registered Jeff Passan account. I mean, attention to detail is find of important right? Look at this:

Now look. People will say I'm hammering Nightengale. Well, I am, but you need to understand why. THIS IS HIS JOB. You can't get this stuff wrong, but that's all he does.

pic.twitter.com/56pt03Tdt3

— Coach Joe Thornhill (@CoachJThornhill) July 30, 2021

pic.twitter.com/V1rx6fzYuL

— rick steves STAN account (@____Aubree____) July 30, 2021

I'm so tired of the mis-cues, false info and guys being called "baseball insiders" but they ain't inside anything baseball until players actually trade hands. Being a baseball insider is a guess job. Face it.  Guys like Jeff Passan, I mean the real ones are legit.  Bob Nightengale should stick to recaps... you can't get that wrong.

Finally, let me state for the record that guys like Eric Boland and Pete Caldera are NOT characterized as Baseball insiders... same with Jack Curry. But what they do have is integrity. They will double check sources and facts before putting anything on the air.  So kudos to them.

BAUER TO THE DODGERS & BOB NIGHTENGALE BLOWS IT

Trevor Bauer goes to the Dodgers. But don't ask Bob Nightengale. Because when all of the negotiation was going down between Bauer and the Mets and/or Dodgers, Bobby decided to call it early.

Maybe it was out of stupidity, maybe because it was 50/50. Maybe because he just likes to shake stuff up. But I'll tell you what he really did. He lost all credibility.

Day 37 of me asking @BauerOutage to leak me info on his free agency so Jon Heyman has to credit me when I break the news.

🎵 it's the final countdownnnnnnnnnn🎵 pic.twitter.com/tU4cer6NT0

— Greedy Pinstripes (@GreedyStripes) February 5, 2021

Even Greedy Pinstripes was closer on predicting Bauer going to the West coast as he was eagerly trying to get Trevor to tell him before everyone else.  Maybe that was a gimmick, and pure twitter comedy, but the truth is, Bob Nightengale isn't a baseball insider... not even close. Greedy Pinstripes has it on lock before that dude any day of the week.

Anyway, Bauer is a Dodger. Here's the story. MLB Trade Rumors has it:

"The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with top free agent starter Trevor Bauer, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal with opt-outs after year one and year two, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds that Bauer is guaranteed a total of $102MM on the deal, which includes a $40MM salary in 2021 and a $45MM salary in 2022. Both marks establish new records for the highest single-season salary, though the contract’s overall $34MM average annual value is still a bit shy of Gerrit Cole’s record $36MM. Bauer himself has confirmed the signing on YouTube."

And you know why that snippet is interesting? Because they put the story together with legit tweets from guys that took the time to NOT get it wrong. Nightengale is no where to be found, because HE'S NOT CREDIBILE.

Good luck in LA,Trevor. I would have loved you in the Bronx, but some times things don't always go a person's way... just ask Bob Nightengale.

NO ONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT DISGRACED DALLAS KEUCHEL'S FAKE APOLOGY

Someone has finally come out from hiding! It's about damn time ladies and gentleman. These players have been running and hiding for too long. It's come to come out and face the music, cheaters! We have our first "apology" and it comes from cheating former Cy Young Dallas Keuchel.

Multiple sources are reporting this so-called "apology" but I am going to go with MLB.com HERE. All news outlets are reporting this as an "apology" but I heard no apology. I heard a "sorry not sorry" and here is how I interpret some of his quotes:

"I think first and foremost, apologies should be in order ... for everyone on the team. When stuff was going on, it was never intended to be what it's made to be right now."

Literal translation: I am ONLY SORRY THAT I GOT CAUGHT. Now that I am with the Chicago White Sox I don't want to be a distraction. My new team probably expects this from me. Oh yeah...Jim Crane said he expects me to apologize too even though I don't play for his organization anymore. I'm trying to not make people hate me forever. The cheating was only supposed to be a temporary thing but we just couldn't stop. I didn't think I would be part of a huge baseball scandal!

"It’s just what the state of baseball was at that point and time. Was it against the rules? Yes, it was. I personally am sorry for what’s come about, the whole situation. But it is what it is, and we have to move past that. I never thought anything would have come like it did, and I myself am sorry. We have to move on.

Literal translation: This is how the game is played now. I only helped contribute to that. I disgraced the game. I AM a disgrace, but that's how the game is played now. I am not sorry for what I did, only that I got caught. I don't want to talk about this anymore so can we change the subject? K Thanks!

"But during the course of the playoffs in ’17, everybody was using multiple signs. For factual purposes, when there’s nobody on base, when in the history of Major League Baseball has there been multiple signs? You can go back and watch film of every team in the playoffs. There was probably six out of eight teams using multiple signs."

Literal translation:  My gosh, stop picking on the Astros! It's not like we were the only ones cheating. Other teams were doing it too! I just can't say anything that will take the focus off of my team cheating...but you should go check it out, k? Everyone cheats, you just want to focus on the Astros!

"I could tell you, not every game there was signs being stolen, not like every game we had everything going on."
Literal translation: Oh my gosh, shut up! It's not like we cheated EVERY GAME. It was only A LOT of them. I mean, we only did it at home AND for big match-ups AND for Sunday Night ESPN games, AND against division rivals. That's all I swear!

"You are pushing 185, 200 games, and it sucks to the extent of the clubhouse rule that was broken. I mean, that’s where I’ll go with that. I don’t really have much else to say about Mike."

Literal translation: DUDE, Mike Fiers broke "the code" and now since he opened his big mouth I have to try and run damage control. You suck, Fiers! We aren't cool anymore. You should know better and thanks to your big mouth I am in trouble!

You get the point. But honestly....Keuchel you are a pathetic human being. So is Bob Nightengale again too because he was stupid enough to try and defend you after he tried to defend Carlos Beltran. This only proves....you can't make some things up!

Of course, I had to respond:

Do we want to take bets on who "apologizes" next? Bottom line here is Keuchel is a pathetic, cheating human being and he can keep his fake-ass apologies to himself. Oh and Bob Nightengale wears egg on his face again for his stupid tweet!

I'm all for someone standing up, admitting fault and accepting consequences for their actions....but that is not what Keuchel did. No respect for this circus show. Will anyone give a sincere apology? You know there is more to come....and we won't stop covering this.

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

SOMEONE OUT THERE IS DUMB ENOUGH TO DEFEND BROKEN BELTRAN

I hate cheating with a passion. I also hate it when people make a mistake, and don't own up to it right away. That is EXACTLY what Carlos Beltran did and it irritates me that someone out there is stupid enough to sit there and try to defend not Beltran and disgrace the New York Mets organization. It's beyond stupid! Yet, someone is....

I found THIS article here on USA Today that irritated me. I agree with Bob Nightengale's headline. Beltran's "ousting was completely bungled" but for very different reasons. The headline is the ONLY thing we agree on in this case.

Does Nightengale even understand the magnitude of this scandal? Does he not understand that this affects ALL of baseball? This isn't just a Astros and Red Sox problem, it has damaged the sport!

"Carlos Beltran wanted to stay, pleaded to stay, and told the New York Mets he could handle the torrent waves of scrutiny headed his way. Sorry, but the Mets couldn’t take the heat."

First of all....WHY should the Mets have to take that heat? They don't have to! They had no involvement with what happened in 2017. What organization in their right mind wants to be connected to this scandal? It's vile, untrustworthy and brings disgrace to the game. ANY affiliation with it only would make the Mets look bad too. They would be under a microscope for all of Beltran's tenure with the Mets. It would suggest that they have no standards or integrity. Once you lose your integrity, what do you have left? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The Mets maintaining Beltran's services would be catastrophic to their reputation. Obviously, Nightengale doesn't get that at all.

"The Mets could have stood behind Beltran and argued that he was simply part of the mob mentality in Houston. Players under investigation during  the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal were offered immunity, so he wasn’t going to be suspended. Beltran argued he could handle it. He wanted to apologize in a press conference. He spent 20 years in the game of baseball, and told them the Mets’ ownership and front office that he had plenty of experience persevering storms."

Again, who wants to stand behind a cheater? They could have, and did at first. It took Brody Van Wagenen a lot time to figure it out, but eventually he did. Back in November he said at Winter Meetings HERE:

"Anything that happened, happened for another organization with Houston, Major League Baseball," Van Wagenen said. "I have no idea if anything did or did not (happen). But at this point, I don't see any reason why this is a Mets situation. ... I'll let Major League Baseball dictate the next steps and try to gather more information in the coming days."

Here we are in January and Beltran is gone. The Mets realized it WAS a Mets situation. More importantly, the cheating scandal was a situation that Beltran CHOSE to be a part of. No one FORCED him to help Jose Altuve and company CHEAT. He knew it was wrong but made the decision to participate anyway. Instead of standing up like a TRUE leader (like someone who is going to in the future manage a baseball team!) and standing up and saying "NO this is wrong!" He just went with it. No 20 years of baseball experience is going to hep him persevere that storm. He helped create that storm....a storm we have not seen to this magnitude. He created the perfect storm but he wasn't going to come out of this on top and neither would the Mets if they stood by him.

Nightengale goes on to say "But the Mets had a choice here. They could have saved Beltran. Instead, they folded."

The Mets did have a choice. At first they stood by him, but as the facts continued to mount and painted a picture of guilt the Mets FINALLY made the right decision to cut Beltran, because they HAD to. Nightengale doesn't understand that at the end of the day baseball is still a BUSINESS. Like any business, you have to make tough decisions that are ultimately put the business in the best possible position. The best possible position meant the Mets distancing themselves from Beltran and let him face the music. There was no SAVING Beltran here. He already made his choice, and it was the wrong one. He chose to cheat. The Mets can't go back in time and change that.  Now all they can do is walk away and make sure they didn't bring a key person from this cheating scandal into THEIR organization. 

I've never had an issue with Nightengale's stories until now. So yeah, okay I agree Beltran's "ousting was completely bungled" but only because the Mets should have done it sooner. I guess it is better late than never. Maybe Nightengale should watch Baretta! Some of you out there know this American detective television series from the 70's.... "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." 

It's not rocket science, Nightengale. You have egg on your face.

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

RUMOR: YANKEES MAKE RECORD SETTING OFFER TO GERRIT COLE

Will Gerrit Cole be under the Christmas tree for Yankee fans this year? We sure hope so. Rumor has it that interested teams are submitting offers to Cole early this week. The top free agents could move fast, maybe some exciting news before the end of the Winter Meetings. That would be nice!

So I am still hopeful about Cole. Other teams are just as hopeful, but the Yankees have this history of chasing after Cole. It would be nice to see the Yankees finally get Cole in pinstripes. So I am still sticking to the idea that A FOUR HOUR LONG MEETING MEANS SOMETHING, and maybe it did. There are conflicting reports out that the Yankees MAY have already made an offer. We'll have to watch these rumors and see what happens, but here are two rumors posted to twitter.

So I wonder which Bob is right here. If Bob Klapisch is right and the Yankees made a seven-year offer, will the Angels or Dodgers add an additional year or more money to try and sway Cole back to the West Coast.

If the Yankees did make a seven-year, $245 million offer it would exceed Zack Greinke's average annual value and it sounds like any deal Cole signs will surpass David Price's $217 million contract that he signed with the Red Sox in 2015.

So this may be the start of a bidding war. It will be interesting to see if the Angels will try to outbid the Yankees, or if being closer to Cole's home in Southern California will ultimately win out. The Winter Meetings kick off today, it will be interesting to see what other rumors come about Cole.

I hope Hal Steinbrenner wasn't bluffing about what he said and he is ready to be active in the free agent market. Cole is the ultimate prize, and could be the answer to get back to the World Series. It's been 10 years....it's time to stop chasing for an ace and it's time to finally get one.

Stay tuned everyone and cross your fingers that we finally get our ace.

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