GREG ALLEN'S STILL GOT IT

Greg Allen is proof that baseball careers aren’t always a straight line — sometimes they’re a pinball machine. The newest stop? Baltimore. After the Orioles shipped out Cedric Mullins at the deadline, they decided to patch up their outfield depth by handing Allen a major league contract for the rest of 2025.

It’s a well-earned chance for a guy who’s spent the past few years as the Yankees’ favorite boomerang. Allen’s first tour in the Bronx began in January 2021, arriving from the Padres in exchange for pitcher James Reeves. By spring training’s end, he was DFA’d and shipped to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — but he clawed his way back to the majors that summer, posting a .270/.417/.432 line in just 15 games.

Two years later, after a minor league pact with Boston in early 2023, Allen was back in pinstripes by May. In 22 games that season, he put up a .217/.333/.478 slash before closing out the year in Milwaukee’s system. January 2024 brought yet another Yankee reunion — though that time, he never got the call, spending the season between Scranton and Double-A Somerset, batting .223/.335/.351.

So here we are. The Yankees may have treated him like an afterthought, but Allen clearly hasn’t lost the itch to play. 

The Orioles aren’t chasing a playoff berth, but Allen is chasing something more important — another shot to prove he belongs. And for that alone, you’ve got to respect the guy’s grit.

MAYBE THE YANKEES ARE REALLY GOOD HITTERS?

God forbid the Yankees start the season on a tear without the baseball world losing its mind. We all knew they had a powerhouse lineup—no surprises there. But now, instead of tipping their caps, people are blaming their success on the new torpedo bats. Suddenly, it’s not talent; it’s “suspicious.” And of course, the cries for an “investigation” have begun.

The Yankees are loving their new bats. The Brewers? Not so much. Trevor Megill didn’t even pitch against the Yankees on Thursday, but that didn’t stop him from chiming in.

“I think it’s terrible,” Megill told the New York Post. “We’ll see what the data says. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I feel like it’s something used in slo-pitch softball. It’s genius: Put the mass all in one spot. It might be bush [league]. It might not be. But it’s the Yankees, so they’ll let it slide.”

Wait—what’s “terrible,” exactly? That the Yankees can hit? Last I checked, crushing baseballs isn’t a crime. The Sporting News even cleared up the legality debate:

“Are torpedo bats legal? Yes, despite fans — and opposing pitchers — wanting to call out the Yankees for cheating, the bats are perfectly legal. All bats are checked before games, and the New York bats passed inspection. Even with the particular styling of the logos, the bats are within the size requirements from MLB. Now, the league could see how the Yankees obliterated the baseball against the Brewers and pass new legislation, but for now, they are legal.”

That should be the end of it. Keep playing. The Yankees are absolutely mashing right now, and if you’ve watched this team long enough, you know they’ll cool off. Right now, it’s just adrenaline and momentum. Why can’t baseball fans just enjoy the show? It’s a great story—not because of some grand cheating scandal, but because the Yankees are locked in at the plate.

Even Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins has checked out a torpedo bat, though he hasn’t swung one himself. He told The Baltimore Banner that the concept was introduced to the Orioles’ clubhouse this spring. “Mullins said the modification is ‘very legal,’ and a Major League Baseball spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic he is correct.”

MLB’s own rulebook backs it up:

Rule 3.02: “The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.”

So where do I stand on this? Simple. People love to hate the Yankees. When they struggle, nobody cares. When they dominate? It’s a conspiracy. At the end of the day, the Yankees have an elite lineup—whether they’re swinging torpedo bats or regular ones. If the league changes the rules down the line, fine, let’s talk then. But until that happens? Everyone else can cry about it while New York keeps raking.

A NEW TEAM JUST TOOK A CHANCE ON HITLESS HICKS

Breaking news... kind of.

Aaron Hicks has just signed with a new team.  Look, I don't care who he signs with, as long as he's not on the Yankees, I'm good.

Well, with the Orioles recently putting Cedric Mullins on the IL, they needed someone to replace him. It appears to be Aaron Hicks.

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"The Orioles announced that they have signed outfielder Aaron Hicks to a major league contract and placed fellow outfielder Cedric Mullins on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain...

Hicks’ performance fell off, as mentioned. That caused the Yanks to cut bait, even though there’s still more than two years remaining on the contract. He’s making $10.5MM this year, with roughly $7MM left to be paid out, and a $9.5MM salary in each of the next two years. The Yanks will remain on the hook for almost all of that, as well as a $1MM buyout on the 2026 club option.

That will allow the Orioles to bring Hicks aboard and pay him only the prorated league minimum salary for any time he spends on the roster, with that amount being subtracted from what the Yankees pay."

Hicks is a hack. No doubt about it. No doubt he may have a few shining moments in Baltimore, but the big story is he's not in New York. 

We wish Hicks well.