A TEAM THAT MAY NEED THE SERVICES OF MARCUS STROMAN

The never-ending question swirling around the Yankees right now—what's the deal with Marcus Stroman? Is he staying? Is he going? And if he is going, where? The rumor mill is working overtime, and the latest buzz suggests a potential move to the Atlanta Braves.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently pointed out a scenario that could be a win-win for both teams. The idea? Ship Stroman to Atlanta, free up some cash, and let the Braves handle the rest. Simple enough, right?

“If the Yankees get a fringe Major Leaguer or lower-level minor league piece with some upside back for Stroman, great. But shedding $10-plus million is the most important objective here,” Kelly wrote.

And there’s the key—money. The Yankees have their eyes on bigger upgrades, and Stroman’s $18 million salary for 2024 is something they’d rather not be tied to. But here’s where it gets tricky: his contract includes a clause that triggers an extra year if he reaches 140 innings pitched. The Yankees really don’t want to be on the hook for that in 2025.

So, could Atlanta be the answer? The Braves just lost Max Fried and Charlie Morton this offseason, meaning their starting rotation has some gaps to fill. Stroman could slide right in, and the Yankees could breathe a little easier financially.

This idea originally popped up from New York Yankees on SI, shoutout to Nick Zeigler. Now, the only thing left to do is wait and see if the Yankees make the move—or if Stroman is here to stay. Stay tuned, because this saga is far from over!

LET'S GO WITH FOUR & SEE WHAT THE SPRING BRINGS!

With the Yankees being bit by the injury bug only a few weeks before spring training, I have to wonder do the Yankees need to decide who slides into the fifth spot now? In case you are unaware, the Yankees stated late last week that their fifth starter, Frankie Montas will not be ready for the start of the 2023 season—leaving that slot wide open. I don't like the obvious choices of Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German to fill that void—sorry skipper aka Robert Casey. Not a fan of Schmidt and honestly he has been given dozens of chances last season alone and he has underperformed. And German, I have no desire to even see him in pinstripes any further. So my question is this: Can the Yankees go with four and see what the spring brings before naming their fifth starter?

Competition does a lot for a team. It brings out the best in people as they work to be their best selves. Personally, on Tuesday mornings right at sunrise, you can find me at a local track, running 200 repeats to increase my speed and endurance for an upcoming 10-miler this spring. Putting in the work, hard work, is humbling and reminds you what you are going for, what you want in your goals and aspirations. Spring Training does the same thing—giving players an opportunity to perform at their best, showing the coaches and scouts what they can do and pushing themselves to their threshold of power. All this to say, why not let the spring play out, bringing the best of today's youth to the mound, throwing for their spot in the rotation.

"Almost all of the time since the Yankees did last win the Series, they haven’t had enough pitching. They never had the starters to drag them across the finish line the way Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez did against the Phillies when the ’22 Series was two games apiece, and the way Lance McCullers Jr. and Charlie Morton did against the Yankees in that ’17 ALCS," reported Mike Lupica in his recent post on MLB.com. The Yankees have four great starters: Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino. When healthy, they can be lethal to the batters they face. Are they akin to the Yankee starters of 20 years ago? Andy Pettitte: 21-8, Mike Mussina: 17-8, Roger Clemens: 17-9 and David Wells: 15-7 were those starters and the answer to the question, why not?

Source: NY Post

"The best starting rotations are the ones when you have a deep talented staff, and every day, yesterday’s starter hands the ball off and the competitive spirit to his teammate and says, ‘Now top that.’ If you can get a collection of talented pitchers that have that type of capability and makeup, that’s when some magical things have a chance to happen," said Brian Cashman when he introduced the Yankees newest starter Carlos Rodon.

This brings me back to the point of competition. Healthy competition can put you and your team in the best position to reach your goals. So, let the pitchers compete for a spot. This spot could be permanent or temporary as Montas continues his rehab to full strength. We really have not seen a healthy Montas pitch and perhaps the almost 30-year-old needs to see a youngster in his slot to empower him to get better and take his spot back. The Yankees have one of the best farm systems in the majors. So, let's see them compete. And go with four and see what the spring brings.  

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

DID THE RAYS MAKE TRADES THAT BENEFIT THE YANKEES?

Now this could make for a good debate.

I came across an interesting piece from Dan Martin at the New York Post HERE, and I can't say that I feel the same way necessarily. I always look for the positives in life but I don't share in this enthusiasm. I don't like complacency at all so I don't get excited by his theory that the Yankees "get better" due to the Rays trading away Blake Snell and Charlie Morton signing with the Braves. I can't get excited that the Yankees improve only because the Rays got rid of their big game pitchers. The Yankees only improve when they make changes that take the team to the next level. In this case they did nothing.

And what about this thought:
"The Yankees, if they bring DJ LeMahieu back, seem set to go with a similar roster to the one they had last season, which wasn’t good enough to get past the Rays in the playoffs, but looks more formidable compared to how Tampa Bay is currently constructed."

IF the Yankees bring DJ back they look more formidable to the NEW Rays team as it stands. That's a big IF at this point because the Yankees and DJ are still pretty far apart in their negotiations. So IF we get him back, we keep our best bat in the lineup against their weaker rotation which again doesn't make me confident or excite me. 

And let's not lose sight of the rest of the division. Even the New York Post mentions them:
"And perhaps Toronto will make one of the significant moves they’ve been tied to — from stealing LeMahieu away from the Yankees to signing Trevor Bauer or George Springer. So far, though, the Blue Jays have been quiet."

Yes, the Rays won the division last year and made it to the World Series - but that doesn't mean they are the only competition. They might be a pain in our side again, or they may not be. I don't think the Yankees should disregard any team at this point, especially when the Blue Jays are anxious to spend some money. I think Toronto is going to be very good this year. They gave us a run for our money towards the end of the season and there's no reason to believe they can't do it again, especially if they make significant moves.

There's a lot of time left for any team to make changes. The AL East might not look so tough right now, but a lot will change between now and the start of the season. The Yankees won't get better by doing nothing. We have some holes to fill. 

We only get better when we make improvements. Once we do that, then we can really debate about if we are in a better place in the division.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS & BASEBALL WISHES AS WE LOOK AHEAD

First and foremost, I want to wish all of you a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving! This year has been stressful on all of us, but we press on and we persevere. I've learned to appreciate a lot of things that I previously took fore granted because I thought they would always be around. 

Sports is a great example of that. It's been routine for many of us, so when we didn't have any to watch for months I suddenly appreciated them a lot more. I missed them A LOT. I missed the distraction from the unfamiliar world we live in. It's the simple things in life that I now appreciate even more.

So I hope as you read this and you are spending time with your family that you are healthy and focusing on what you are grateful for. The world looks very different right now. I yearn for pre-covid days and I hope to watch baseball inside of a stadium again. I hope that is in our future, and will continue to remain optimistic and wish for what comes next. Who knows, maybe those wishes will manifest and turn into reality.

One of my wishes would of course be to re-sign DJ LeMahieu. I think that is on every Yankee fan's wish list this winter, but my wish goes beyond the obvious. This season we were reminded how hard it is to stay on top. The Rays are the new pain in our butts while the Red Sox were far less threatening. I want to get back to the top just like every other fan....and this week there was one important detail to help us get there. The Rays lost an important piece to their division winning team, so that's good new for us.

Maybe the Yankees are starting to close the gap. There's a long way to go of course. The Yankees need to make improvements even if the Rays lose more of their big names BUT Charlie Morton is no longer a Ray and has left for Atlanta. The Rays declined Morton's $15 million club option for 2021 and the Braves were willing to pay it. The Rays wanted to keep Morton but at a lower price. The Rays made a mistake, Morton's salary was too much for their payroll, but so is the cost of his departure.

But on top of that, the Rays are also rumored to be willing to trade Blake Snell for a hefty return just like they did in 2016 when they traded Chris Archer. Now IF this is true and not just a baseless rumor, a trade that involves getting Snell OUT of the AL East would be HUGE for the Yankees. I wouldn't mind the idea of Snell in pinstripes either behind Gerrit Cole in our rotation, but to me that sounds like a wish that just isn't realistic. It is a nice thought for sure. I realize this winter will be challenging for free agent signings. Owners will probably pinch pennies so IF the Yankees big splash is bringing back LeMahieu I am happy with that if the Rays help us close the gap by making more notable subtractions. Sometimes you need to get a little creative and improvise and 2020 has definitely taught us this.

So as we sit around the table today and give thanks for the small victories and celebrate 2020 coming closer to an end I also celebrate the possibilities for 2021 ahead....baseball related or not.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I am truly thankful that all of you continue to come here and support us.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

UP NEXT: THE ALDS, THE RAYS & THE BUBBLE!

It feels good to beat Cleveland, really good. It was a short dramatic series and I'm just glad it's over. Game One was an explosion of offense and game two had its own drama with Mother Nature meddling with the start of the game. MLB really messed the start of yesterday's game up. 

There's nothing like calling a rain delay when it ISN'T raining and then starting the game when it's pouring. Not sure who exactly messed that up but that's just bizarre. At least when the bad weather finally passed and the game got started it was entertaining. I was glad to finally get the win and move on but....you know what that means, right?

The RAYS are waiting for us. Yeah, those guys. The new pain in our butts that really made us look stupid during the regular season. The Rays also just made a sweep of the Blue Jays. Both of us are running on momentum....but I am willing to bet that they feel even better than we do right now.

Maybe it is weird that I am not upset about the Rays winning the AL East this season. Maybe if this weren't a shortened 60-game season it would hurt a little more. They can have the division title....I am more bothered that they beat us during the regular season series 8-2. The Rays have been beating us all season, so playing against them in the postseason is a scary thought. We already know what the Rays are capable of but....did you see them against the Blue Jays?

Here is what the Yankees should study up on:

1. The Rays outfield is dangerous in the field and in the box

During the offseason, the Rays traded for outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe and both guys did some damage against the Blue Jays. Margot hit a two-run home run in game one, and Renfroe hit a Grand Slam yesterday. They also have another outfielder on the bench named Randy Arozarena who also had four hits in eight at-bats and two of those were doubles.

2. The Rays have power arms in the pen

The Rays have a good closer and they have good arms to bridge to their closer. There's not one person that Kevin Cash will rely on, but many. The Rays have used 13 different pitchers this season to close out games. The 12 different pitchers they used during the regular season tied a major league record. The Rays know what to expect at the end of our games, but Kevin Cash could literally throw just about anyone at us.

3. Strong, steady starters are waiting

Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both pitched good games. Snell held the Blue Jays to one hit and no runs and Glasnow struck out eight over six innings. They also have Charlie Morton who did not have to pitch, and is dealing with some recent shoulder inflammation. If Morton is in fact healthy and pitches effectively, the Yankees will have their hands full with three good pitchers. 

The Yankees will need Gerrit Cole and Masahiro Tanaka to be dominant and keep the Rays off balance. As good as their pitching will be, ours needs to be better and our bats need to the do their part. The Rays lost to Gerrit Cole last year in games 2 and 5 of the ALDS, we need that trend to continue. Cole is the key, and Tanaka's proven postseason record is crucial to our success.

The Yankees offensive showed up against Cleveland, but it can't go to sleep against the Rays. The difference between the Indians and the Rays is night and day...and the Yankees will need to rise to the occasion. They need to play better than the team that was 2-8 in the regular season series. 

The bubble is waiting for us in San Diego, and so are the Rays. This won't be easy....but it can be done. What do you think the Yankees need to do to beat the Rays? Comment and tell us.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

CHARLIE MORTON FEELS THE PRESSURE TO COME CLEAN

Ex-Astros pitcher Charlie Morton admits of the team's wrongdoing in the sign-stealing scandal... speaks freely and wishes he did more to stop it.  This means one thing... guilt is everywhere with this Astros team… and Major League Baseball and the player's union better get together quick and figure out a way to overrule their closed investigation of not punishing Astros players....AND IN FACT PUNISH THEM. Pathetic.

Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has this:

"...when Morton learned of the scheme his Houston teammates were using to steal signs and tip off their hitters to what pitch was coming, when he heard the actual banging on a trash can to relay the info, he didn’t say or do anything.

And that, he said Saturday in addressing the cheating scandal for the first time, is his primary remorse. “'I was aware of the banging. … Being in the dugout you could hear it. I don’t know when it dawned on me, but you knew it was going on," Morton said. “Personally, I regret not doing more to stop it. I don’t know what that would have entailed. I think the actions would have been somewhat extreme to stop it. That’s a hypothetical.”

Extreme because it was widespread, some of his Houston players and coaches actively participating, others complicit by allowing it to continue, all the way to a World Series championship. Extreme because it felt like more than one man could do anything about. “I certainly have thought about it a lot because it negatively impacted the game, and people’s perception of the game, the fans, opposing players. And that doesn’t sit well with me,” 

Morton, 36, said during the Rays Fan Fest at Tropicana Field. “Where I was at the time, I don’t know where I was. “Because what’s wrong is wrong. "

WRONG IS WRONG. Remember those words Rob Manfred. You are so afraid to do the wrong thing with punishing these players, so you do nothing... AND THAT'S WRONG TOO.

And Tony Clark. What the hell happened to you?  You have players doing bad stuff and you sit on your hands and don't try to right the game? You were a player yourself! This isn't protecting players for bad contracts. This is protecting cheaters that made it to the biggest stage and baseball to win it all by cheating!!! Take a stand... do something. Punish them.

I don't know what will happen with the Astros moving forward, but I can tell you what I think I know.... they can and will never be trusted. If they go on a winning streak, they will be questioned. If they are losers, then people will wonder if they can't play without cheating. I do know this... it's a God damn shame, almost as bad as the Black Sox scandal... and the league and player's union did... NOTHING!

Incredibly disappointing. I applaud guys like Charlie Morton and Mike Fiers. They are heroes speaking freely.

PICK YOUR ALCS POISON: RAYS OR ASTROS?

Today is an important day, folks and I will definitely be glued to the television tonight. We will FINALLY get to see who the Yankees will take on for the ALCS. No matter who the Yankees play, it is going to be a tough series unlike what we saw against the Twins.

So who are the Yankees going to play....the Rays or the Astros? Or maybe the better question here is...which team would you PREFER to play? There are a few things to consider.

If the Yankees play the Rays:

1. The Yankees get home field advantage for the best of seven series. The Yankees had an 8-1 record against the Rays at home this season. They also play well at home and had the third best home record this season behind only two other teams: the Astros and the Dodgers.

2. More importantly, the Yankees have had success against the Rays this season, they won 12 of 19 games against them. The Rays 12 losses to the Yankees were its most to a single opponent in any season in which it reached the postseason. The last time the Rays lost 12 games to a division rival was in 2013 against the Red Sox, who also beat them in that year's ALDS.

3. Yankees would avoid Rays big arms early on

Since Tyler Glasnow will start opposite Gerrit Cole his next turn in the rotation wouldn't be until game three. The Rays are not as likely to start Glasnow on short rest (unlike other teams) after he missed four months earlier this season due to a right forearm strain. That injury was in May of this season at Yankee stadium where he gave up three earned runs. Charlie Morton also may not be available in Game 1 either because there is a very good chance he will pitch in relief tonight considering tonight's "win or go home" finale. If he pitches tonight the Rays are likely to give him two days rest. Also important, two of Morton's worst starts during this season were against the Yankees in the Bronx where he gave up five runs in both games.

BUT If the Yankees play the Astros:

1. Redemption!
I'm still thinking about 2017. Fans are still thinking about 2017. Oh and Aaron Judge is still thinking about 2017 against the Astros, "Any year you're not the last man standing, the season is a fail. You can win every single game in the regular season, but if you lose in the postseason it doesn't matter. Each year, it left a bad taste in my mouth, especially Game 7 in Houston, never a good taste going into the offseason. But for a lot of guys, that keeps us hungry," read more HERE. It won't be easy, but if the Yankees play the Astros and play their best game they could be the winner this time.

2. Yankees would avoid Astros big arms early on

Cole is starting today, so we won't see him early on, his next time in the rotation would lineup for Game 3. Could the Astros push his start up? Maybe, but Cole has never pitched on short rest before. He's also never pitched in relief before so it is unlikely they would use him in relief in place of his bullpen day. Then there is Justin Verlander, who did pitch on short rest on Tuesday and had his worst start of the season. The Astros are highly unlikely to pitch him again on short rest. If you like stats like I do check out fangraph's latest piece HERE, it gives some very interesting insight considering Verlander on short rest and stats show his body likes pitching on schedule. There is still Zack Greinke of course who is a good pitcher, but Cole and Verlander are the more intimidating arms.

Hopefully the extra rest does the Yankees some good and at the same time, the extra playing time hurts our soon to be opponents. The ALCS won't be easy, both of these teams are very good but you have to pick one to play.

Pick your poison....do you want the Rays or the Astros? Comment and tell us why.

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

ARE THE RAYS OUR NEW NEMESIS?

The Yankees bats go "quiet" according to Aaron Boone during their latest series against the Rays. It may not seem like these games matter since the team clinched, but the home-field advantage is slipping away from us and moving closer to the Astros.

Source: NJ.com

"I don’t know. Just a weird couple of days for us" said DJ LeMahieu. "We just battled, had the same mindset we had all season. It was just a weird couple of days with us offensively. They have such a good staff. I don’t know if it’s the building or the pitchers or both but like I said, overall, it’s a weird couple of days for us offensively."

Rays' right-hand pitcher Charlie Morton shut the Yanks out, throwing six shutout innings.

Source: Newsday

"If you’re not really on top of your game up and down the lineup they can have nights like this. Especially when they turn to Charlie, who really been their ace. When he’s on top of his game, but no question these two games, they kept us quiet," said Boone. 

Coming up, we have our final series in Texas. We also have our playoff rotation ready with James Paxton, Luis Severino, and Masahiro Tanaka started in the AL Division games, with JA Happ and CC Sabathia coming out of the bullpen. 

What's left is to get our lineup back intact and keep morale high.

“We know we’ve got a really good team. Personally, I feel like a little bit struggle at the home plate. The ballpark too is a little different. Two games we lost, we’ll continue to the next series and prepare mentally for the playoffs,” Gleyber Torres said.

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

OPENING DAY IS HERE!

Finally! It's been a crazy long winter. It's a long time to miss baseball and think about how close we've come the last two seasons. Now, it's time to finish the job. The third time is the charm and the Yankees have the team to get the job done.

It's not easy accepting that after a 100 win season it's not enough to win the division. That's crazy, actually. That was good for second place and a wild card spot. Aaron Hicks had it right when he said he's tired of losing and Aaron Judge is already thinking beyond Opening Day. He's thinking about winning the division and then the World Series, read more HERE. I like the hunger and determination.

So here we are, Opening Day and the start of winning that division title. I hope Judge hits the ground running with that intensity and desire to get back on top right away. Sure, it is early and you don't win a World Series in April but if you fall behind early you can lose it. The Yankees have a good team, but what does the rest of the division look like?

Toronto Blue Jays

The most interesting thing about the Blue Jays are some of their young guys that will contribute throughout the season. They aren't built to "win now" and they lost their star power now that Marco Estrada and Russell Martin are gone. They don't have great hitters, defenders or pitchers. On paper they look boring. The only exciting names here are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who will be up at some point  after he recovers from an oblique injury and Elvis Luciano. The Blue Jays got Luciano in the rule 5 draft this winter, he just turned 19 years old, never pitched above rookie ball but made it on to the Opening Day roster!

Tampa Bay Rays

It will be interesting to see what happens to the Rays this season. After winning 90 games last season you would think they would look to make some moves, add some payroll and be more competitive but they didn't do that. They added Charlie Morton to their rotation and he gives the Rays a strong top three in the rotation now, but they still don't have the bullpen or bats that the Yankees and Red Sox do. The Rays will be pesky as always, but it would take a perfect storm for them to take the division at this point.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles lost 115 games last season with big names like Manny Machado, Zack Britton, Jonathan Schoop and Adam Jones. All of those guys are gone now. The Orioles are just starting a long term rebuild that started this offseason with a brand new manager and GM because after 115 season loss you definitely cant keep them around. It's going to take some time to rebuild. The Orioles are starting with changes to organizational leadership, not the players. There's really nothing exciting to watch here, except maybe some easy wins when they play the Yankees.

Boston Red Sox

Its weird that the defending World Series Champions didn't have much of an offseason. All they did was re-sign Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce which is boring. They should have re-signed Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly. They still could but to be starting the season without them is a bold decision and makes it seem unlikely. The bullpen is the biggest weakness this team has and Kimbrel is an elite closer so it seems dumb on Boston's part. They will still score a ton of runs with their potent offense and they still have a very competitive starting rotation. They will eventually make improvements to that bullpen, but until then the key is to keep the games close and knock the starters out as soon as possible. The defending World Champs can't be crazy enough to have the highest payroll in the game and a weak bullpen, right? I mean....we wouldn't do that but if the Red Sox want to gamble let them! They may have an advantage with their starters, but our offenses are both definitely stacked but anyone can see our bullpen is far superior. I don't think the Red Sox win 108 games again this season but they are still going to be a thorn in our side.

I think the Yankees have what it takes to take the division this year and get back to the World Series. We're also hungry. Now we just have to be hungrier than everyone else and win series to get there. It's going to be a LONG season, but let's start it off right with a series win over the Orioles! Thank goodness baseball is back.

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

YANKEE PITCHING UPDATES & MISHAPPS!

MisHAPP....get it?

Photo: New York Daily News

Happ likes it. In this picture he's smiling at me.

Anyway... last night Ken Rosenthal took a rare swing and a miss with J.A. Happ. It was reported that Happ signed a three-year deal to return to the Bronx, but later he retracted his statement. It happens, even Rosenthal is human. No biggie.

I've seen multiple reports out there that Happ is holding out for a third year, and is willing to sign with the first team to offer it to him. It is rumored that he has a few two-year offers on the table from other contending teams.

Photo: Yahoo Sports

Happ did pitch well last season, especially against the AL East so him holding out for a third year isn't hard to understand from his point of view. The real question is, should the Yankees feel comfortable giving him that third year he's looking for or are the Yankees just being cheap?

Some sources believe a Happ deal can still happen even without that third year.

I am not eager to give Happ a third year, but then again I am not eager to miss out on another starting pitcher either. The Yankees already missed out on deals with two of the top two starters this season due to ONE year. It's odd to see the Yankees get outbid on a guy, especially over one extra year, but it has already happened twice in this young offseason.

Photo: NBC Sports

The Yankees maxed out their offer on Patrick Corbin at five years but he signed for six. The Yankees didn't want to go beyond three years on Nathan Eovaldi, but Boston gave him four. It's only December, but one year has been a deal breaker for the Yankees so far....will it continue? The Phillies are also in on Happ, too. Will they give Happ the third year? They also lost out on Corbin, so maybe they are feeling extra aggressive.

Photo: New York Post

I guess we will have to wait and see what happens with Happ, and if Joel Sherman is right. One thing we know definitely won't be happening is a reunion with Lance Lynn. He just signed a three-year deal with the Texas Rangers.

I'm surprised Lynn got a three-year deal....and that he got $30 million after his struggles last season. I was thinking Lynn might get to years at $15-16 million. Lynn struggles (a lot) and gets three years, but Happ hasn't yet. Did the Rangers out-bid themselves or is a three-year deal just going to be the minimal going rate?

Photo: USA Today Sports

Oh and in case you liked Charlie Morton, he's no longer an option either. He just signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, so we'll be seeing a lot of him.

So if the Yankees do miss out on Happ, who is next? Dallas Keuchel? We already know THE BRAVES WANT KEUCHEL. DO THE YANKEES? It's a good question. The big names are disappearing, and after Happ the list gets shorter. It would be nice to not have to bat against him anymore. He's willing, he's able and he's proven in the postseason. I think more teams should have shown more interest in him by now.

Can't forget the bullpen either. There have been a lot of rumors out there, and if there is any merit to some of these a reunion with Zach Britton or David Robertson could be bleak.

The Yankees did meet with Adam Ottavino's agent last night. He's a local boy that would be dynamite to help strengthen the bullpen. Oh and he says he would strike Babe Ruth out "every time," read more HERE. Hey, at least he doesn't lack confidence.

It's definitely early, but if the Yankees want to make the necessary improvements to win a championship we NEED the pitching. It sucks losing a guy, especially over one-year. I don't think it becomes a pattern though, at least I hope not. If it does the list gets way too short and names like Gio Gonzalez rise to the top, and that scares me.

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