TYLER WADE MADE EVERY INCH COUNT

Tyler Wade announced his retirement Monday, thanking the Yankees for taking a chance on him at 18 and calling them “the best franchise in all of sports.” He also thanked the coaches, staff, trainers and fans who helped him along the way. To his teammates, he wrote: “I’m going to miss the grind, the clubhouse, the competition.”

Yankees fans have a few Wade moments worth keeping. Playing right field during Corey Kluber’s 2021 no-hitter, he made a running catch for the second out of the ninth. A month later, he scored the winning run on Luke Voit’s walk-off hit against Kansas City. And in 2021, his busiest season in pinstripes, Wade hit .268 and stole 17 bases in 103 games.

He wasn’t a superstar. He was the guy who could take the extra base, cover almost any spot, and give the Yankees exactly what they needed that day. He turned a fourth-round draft pick into parts of nine seasons in the majors. That underdog career deserves a tip of the cap.

Congratulations, Tyler. You earned every bit of it.

COULD SHANE BIEBER BE IN PINSTRIPES SOON?

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

I haven't been excited about the Yankees lately. Even the Juan Soto pickup didn't give me goosebumps. But, the idea of getting another strong, young pitcher into our rotation, gets me amped up about the possibilities of real contention. According to SI.com, "Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber is in the final year of team control before hitting free agency next offseason," Kuty and Kirschner said. "The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that the Guardians are considering moving Bieber but could hold off until the trade deadline in the hopes that he builds up his value."

Cleveland is interested in building up some outfield depth and the Yankees are perfect trade partners for that. Now that they have added Soto and Alex Verdugo, the Yankees could part with some of the farm for the chance to pick up a veteran starter in Bieber. 

Source: Reuters

"A package centered around Everson Pereira, who struggled after getting called up, could entice Cleveland, especially with the power he showed in the minors. Attaching a good pitching prospect like Henry Lalane should show the Guardians how serious they are about adding Bieber," reported SI.com.

But as quickly as I get excited, I think about injuries both lingering ones with Bieber and the potential of new ones surfacing as the Yankees move through what will likely be a long, grueling season. Remember Carlos Rodon? How about Frankie Montas? As reported by The Athletic, "Rodón was one of the worst pitchers in the major leagues this season. Out of all pitchers who completed at least 60 innings, Rodón’s 6.85 ERA was the ninth-worst in MLB." Yuck!

Source: The New York Post

And also, "Bieber has lost velocity each year since 2020 and is coming off an injury last season, but he was still effective even though his 3.81 ERA was the highest it’s been since his rookie year. Bieber was at his peak when Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake worked with him in Cleveland, so there’s some familiarity here," reports The Athletic. And honestly, Blake really does not impress me, so there's that.

Source: Forbes

So I went from excited to amped to blah. But I will say this, despite Blake Snell showing great stuff last season, he will only turn out to be a Sonny Gray if he came to New York. Could Bieber turn things around in New York, I mean Corey Kluber did but then he fizzled. Could he do something to help the Yankees win and be in contention? Could he find his way into pinstripes come spring? All of this hype is just that, hype, but the reality is the Yankees need someone to pitch alongside Nestor Cortes and Gerrit Cole. And if Montas and Rodon can't turn things around, and Clarke Schmidt continues to just be okay, all the bats in the world can't win the games on the road to the Fall Classic. 

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

SHOULD THE YANKEES TAKE A CHANCE WITH JACOB DEGROM?

The winter meetings are almost here! That means the market is going to start heating up, and the Yankees are now tied to two of the biggest names in the free agent market. That makes my little hot stove rumor loving heart extra happy. 

The Yankees have made Aaron Judge their top priority, and also add more pitching depth. So while we all sit back and wait on Judge, why not take a flyer out on Jacob deGrom? The Yankees have requested medical records and while that's commonplace in baseball, it will give the Yankees a lot more information so they can decide if the Yankees want to take a gamble on deGrom.

Other teams are doing the same thing and if deGrom is healthy then he could be a dynamite addition to any pitching staff which is why the Braves, Rangers and the Rays are all interested. There is some risk with deGrom, he has an extensive injury history throughout his career. His most recent injury forced him to miss the end of the 2021 season and most of this past season but when he is healthy he is one of the best pitchers in the game. If he is healthy, he's worth a long look.

The Mets know everything there is to know about deGrom, and they are very interested in keeping him in the rotation. The Mets feel confident because they believe they will have the most competitive offer. Other teams will look at deGrom as a real risk, and the Mets are rumored to be "comfortable" offering him a max three year deal, where as other teams are looking at two years. If the Mets have all of the intel on his medicals and are willing to go three years then it makes sense for the Yankees to engage.

I admit, deGrom does come with some risk and the idea of a multi year deal can be a little frightening. It gives me some Corey Kluber flashbacks but if healthy....can't you just imagine a rotation of Gerrit Cole, deGrom, and Nestor Cortes? That trio makes me salivate. THAT should excite every single Yankees fan.

Is this risky? Sure, but it's deGrom....how do you just say NO and walk away to that kind of talent?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

COULD FREDDIE FREEMAN BE A YANKEE IN 2022?

It is no surprise that Freddie Freeman is one of the top, if not the top, free agent in this year's cohort. The 2020 NL MVP and World Series Champion first base man is being pursued by the Yankees and division rival Toronto Blue Jays. Could Freeman be a Yankee in 2022? Why not!

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network's Tweet on Tuesday afternoon, "Teams are trying to pry superstar 1B Freddie Freeman from Atlanta. Some say they still don’t think it will happen but r surprised he’s still free. Dodgers, who lost Seager and could move Muncy to 2B, may have best hope for SoCal product, NYY, TOR (h/t Carlos Baerga) reached out." Would the Yankees even want to bring in another first baseman when they need a shortstop and likely a center fielder, not to mention more starting pitching? Stranger things have happened.

"Freeman is one of the game’s most consistently productive hitters, having been at least 32 percentage points better than average at the plate (by measure of wRC+) in each season since 2013," wrote MLB Rumors. Even though that is an attractive reason to go for Freeman, plus he is an all around great guy and would add amazing chemistry to the Yankee clubhouse, the Yankees need to go after what they need right now: short stop, center field and a starting pitcher. 

MLB Network's Jon Morosi tweeted, "Free agent Chris Taylor is drawing broad interest and could sign by Wednesday. Dodgers would like to retain him. Blue Jays, Mariners, Angels, and Nationals also have been involved over the past week." What about Taylor, who can play outfield, shortstop and second base? He put up great numbers this past year and would be a better choice given the Yankees current needs. 

Could Freddie Freeman be a Yankee in 2022? Sure. Will he be? Not likely. Given the Yankees deficits, they need to stay focused on filling positions of high need. And with Corey Kluber, Clint Frazier, Tyler Wade and other players off the roster and on other teams, the Yankees need to start to fill the void with players who can keep the team competitive and fresh for a fight for the East and eventual World Series run. As much as I would love to see Freeman in pinstripes, they need to pass. 

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

JUSTIN VERLANDER TO THE YANKEES?

He's back, but is he healthy? That's a fair question considering he's been out of the game for a long time now. He had workout last week that 25 teams attended and it looked like the missed time hasn't hurt him....so far. The Yankees were there and are considered to be a favorite to get Justin Verlander. So could this really happen?

The Yankees are always tied to every free agent so it is no surprise that we are tied to Verlander. Question is WHY and is there any legit connection there? Maybe. One thing that stood out to me was the location of his workout. Is it just a big coincidence that the owner of the facility where Verlander’s workout was held belongs to Eric Cressey, who is the Yankees' director of player health and performance? Don't forget, Corey Kluber also had his workout at Cressey Sports Performance as well and he ended up in pinstripes.

And what about the Gerrit Cole connection? Maybe not as big of a connection but it can't be ignored. They were co-aces for the Astros from 2018 and 2019 and the Yankees have been looking for a number two behind Cole since he signed here. He has the experience, and the Yankees have already proven that they like a reclamation project.

And that's where I am not excited at all. We already tried the reclamation project with Kluber and the Yankees should look for a different solution. Verlander was once a great pitcher but he will be 39 when the season starts and he has pitched a total of 6 innings since 2020. Verlander is going to want a multi-year deal after missing almost two full seasons and the Yankees should let someone else take that gamble.

The Verlander signing would've been great a decade ago. Why are the Yankees looking at older, past their prime pitchers? It's time to start looking at some of our younger talent and stop pouring big bucks in a guy like Verlander who just had Tommy John and says he wants to pitch until he is 45. It makes no sense whatsoever....but I can see Brian Cashman taking the risk.

If the Yankees learned anything at all from the Kluber signing they need to say HARD PASS and no to Verlander.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Senior Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

HELP WANTED IN THE YANKEE RUMOR MILL: A WINGMAN FOR GERRIT COLE

Source: New York Daily News

There has been a lot of talk about figuring out the middle infield and center field deficients for the 2022 Yankee team. But, as always, pitching is still an area of growth. Adding a pitcher as a wingman to Gerrit Cole would be a one-two punch for the Yankees. But who are the likely candidates?

Source: NY Times

Noah Syndergaard: Coming off Tommy John surgery, the Mets ace is ready to go in 2022. According to the New York Post, "He might just be a tease, but he is one talented tease. If he takes a multiyear deal, the Yanks should be out. But if Syndergaard were willing to take a big one-year pact to re-establish himself for next year’s market, he becomes more attractive." I mean getting Thor would be an asset but would he be able to keep up? Corey Kluber had a hard time getting acclimated after his injuries, but yet he pitched a no-no. So, Snydergaard may be worth the effort.

How about Sean Manaea? My impression of him in 2021 is he is a tank. And in 2023 he is a free agent. But could the Yankees make a play for him and perhaps some of his teammates in 2022? Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are corner infielders who have a one-two punch. "When those guys are hitting, we've got a good chance to win games," manager Bob Melvin per an interview via NBC Sports. I know we are focused on pitching here but there could more when it comes to negotiating with the A's who have annual payroll restraints that will keep them from keeping all of their premier players. 

Source: USA Today

And Aaron Nola? He's signed through 2022 with an option for 2023 but, if the Phillies want to beef up and contend, they may consider trading him and the Yankees would welcome him with open arms. "Philadelphia has quite a to-do list to tackle this offseason if they wish to improve the team and put them in a position to contend next season, and Nola is far from being at the top of their list of concerns," reported Fan Nation. He had a subpar season but could bounce back in the Bronx. 

All three of these guys are worthy wingmen for Cole. And let's not forget to mention that Corey Kluber could be a full strength next season giving the Yankees a one-two-three punch. Let's see how things play out and surely there could be other contenders albeit I say Justin Verlander? I feel like he had his chance to be a Yankee and now he is just stuck with his sticky stuff in Houston. Something is brewing, just not sure who will be the next Yankee starting pitcher. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

GERRIT COLE CAN SAY 'SAYONARA' TO THE CY YOUNG NOW

I don't put a lot of emphasis on individual awards because I keep my eye on the real prize....a World Series trophy. But even though most of us are super focused on winning the series against the Blue Jays and making it into the postseason, some are also focused on the Cy Young award.

The two favorites for the AL Cy Young are playing in this series and baseball is focused on Jays starter Robbie Ray and our own Gerrit Cole. We watched Cole pitch last night, and we will see Ray pitch tonight against Corey Kluber. If Ray pitches a better game then Cole did....he may be the standout favorite.

It would be nice to see Cole win the Cy Young, but that's something you have to earn and two of his last three starts have been clunkers now. He's struggled in some big games and he did again last night, too. Aside from the stats, here is a good visual for proof.

We could all tell early on, Cole was not on his game and the Blue Jays sat back and capitalized on his mistakes. He did finally settle down after the first couple of innings but by then the damage was done. Cole threw 19 pitches in a two-run first inning and 13 of those pitches were four-seam fastballs. The Blue Jays made contact with 7 of them and put 6 in play including a ball that was right down the middle to Marcus Semien who did not miss. Bo Bichette also had a big night with two home runs including the go-ahead run to win the game. You cannot pitch middle-middle to the Blue Jays and walk away unscathed. They are too good offensively.

Cole's final line for the night looked like this: 6 IP, 5 ER, 6K and 2 HR. Cole allowed 7 extra-base hits last night. He gave up the most extra-base hits on his four-seamer in ANY game he's ever pitched. The Yankees scored 5 runs, that should be enough to win a game. The offense did not fail Cole this time. They have in the past but this time the offense bailed him out when they tied the game and he failed the team by putting them behind in the first place. 

Cole is our ace and we need to rely on him especially in these big games as we fight for postseason berth. He said last night he would be ready to pitch the last game of the season on short rest if needed. The question here shouldn't be "will he be available?" it is "should we trust him and take that risk?" Two of his last three starts have not been good.

We want and need to see Cole pitch well, but that hasn't happened lately and because of that I think he can kiss any hope of a Cy Young award goodbye. Hopefully we haven't kissed the postseason goodbye, because right now that's the ONLY thing that matters and the gap is closer now that the Blue Jays and the Red Sox won last night. 

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Senior Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

BRONXIE COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE

Source: New York Post

The Yankees don't have a mascot. And that's okay. They are the Yankees, not the Mets. But when Nestor Cortes, Jr. talked his team into a team turtle, there was no turning back. After adopting this said turtle, the Yankees went on a seven game win streak which included the powerful, game winning home runs from Giancarlo Stanton in Boston and last night's big 7-2 win in Toronto. Could Bronxie be the different maker? Well let's put it this way, the Yankees will take any good karma they can after this season of ups and downs.

Source: ESPN

"Cortes is very much a proud papa, but others, including DJ LeMahieu -- who is said to just enjoy staring at Bronxie -- are involved and engaged caretakers, as well. This week, Bronxie made his first road trip, joining the team in Boston," wrote ESPN.

Source: NJ.com

The Yankees have gone on a tear. Not the tear the St. Louis Cardinals have—a team that has come back to life to win 17 in a row (franchise record) and clinch an NL Wild Card slot should the season end today. Similar to the Yankees final week of the regular season, they have a somewhat tough last six games against Milwaukee and the Cubs. Both teams were sort of left for dead 8 weeks ago, with their stints to the IL, COVID and just poor baseball. But the Yankees have something the Cards do not—a pet turtle named Bronxie.

"Lucky charm, whatever you want to call it; I know a lot of guys believe there's a connection here," Gardner said before Sunday's game. "At the end of it, it would be great if we could go out and get him a little World Series ring," reported ESPN.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Bronxie needs to provide some good vibes for Yankee pitcher Jameson Taillon who is likely out for the rest of the season after coming out of the third still being bothered by his right ankle. He also has some work to do to keep guys like Stanton and Aaron Judge healthy and fierce while also providing some love for his proud Papa Nestor Cortes, Jr. who will likely need to give the Yankees some good innings to backup Corey Kluber who does not have the endurance to go more than 5 innings and fill in now for Taillon who would have made another start in the postseason if the Yankees make it out of the Wild Card. 

Source: CBS Sports

Wade Boggs was one of the most superstitious players I have ever seen. He was specific about what sock he put on first and what he did in the batter's box. And if Bronxie was a part of the clubhouse back in 1996, Boggs may have rode the horse with Bronxie in tow. So, yeah, this turtle is something special and the Yankees can use anything special to keep their dreams alive in 2021. 

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

DON'T BLAME HEANEY. IT'S NOT EASY TO BE A STARTER IN A RELIEVER ROLE

The best starter to dominate in a reliever role in recent Yankee history that I can remember was Mike Mussina against the Boston Red Sox in the 2003 ALCS. 3 scoreless innings of pure dominance... and the Yankees won that game. 

After that? Plenty have done it... none have dazzled quite as great.  

Why? Well, because it's not that easy. There's a mindset involved with starting pitchers and it's the same as for a reliever much like when a closer comes in to a tie game. It's hard... you feel differently, you pitch alittle differently. The pressure is different... it's just the way it is. You can sit in your stadium seat or on your couch and scream at these guys like "Come on! This is what you work toward! You need to crush the competition!" It's not as easy as turning it on and dominating. It's a mindset. Believe me.

Andrew Heaney is a 5th starter on a Yankee pitching rotation that has struggled most of the year.  He laid an egg today and I would suggest he did because he was put in a spot wearing the most storied franchise's uniform in front of judgy group of Yankee fans that was expecting automatic dominance against a shitty Orioles team.  But you know just as well as I do that Heaney is not a reliever, and the Orioles are not shitty against the Yankees.  So... who you wanna blame? Honestly... who's to blame in that situation?  Heaney? Sure... go for it.  He's a class act, he'll own it because he's a stand up guy. But you can't blame him entirely. Sorry.

I chalk this up to a Yankee coaching staff that just doesn't react as quickly as the underdog.  Did you watch the game today? I mean did you REALLY WATCH IT?  The Orioles knew when there was trouble they needed to stop the bleeding fast.  When a pitcher was getting pounded, they quickly make a change. When things were going well... they kept it the same. Now think about the Yankees. When Andrew Heaney was struggling pretty quickly, nothing was being done. It was a "Wait and let's see what happens." We saw what happened... you waited too long. EVERYONE SAW IT. Everyone.  

We knew what was going to happen and many times you know when you watch a pitcher that doesn't feel comfortable that you need to make a move fast. They didn't. The Yankees were "working through it." The Orioles played today like they were playing for something.  That was the difference with the entire series. Orioles played for something. Yankees played to survive. Duct tape and spit doesn't make a championship team folks, and if this is the way it could be in the playoffs with the Yankees, I can guarantee you we will be timid, slow, run out of pitching options fast and be gone after the Division Series.  We can't play to get by... we need to play for something. We need to play to win like the Orioles did today.

I don't blame Andrew Heaney today. I blame an ejected Aaron Boone, sitting in the clubhouse still making moves on what pitcher should come in next. The Yankees were slow, not dedicated to winning and all about trying to balance a bad weekend against a team 41 games back. Boone and his crew seriously have to learn to manage in tight sitations with the right personnel and stop guessing.  

Heaney coming in in a relief role was a miserable and stupid guess, much like Aroldis Chapman coming into a 3-3 NON-save situation the day before. The mindset is different, pitchers like these are NOT automatic and it's just not that easy to switch it on and off. Boone's never been a pitcher. He's never been a catcher. He does not see this and that is the problem. You wonder why catchers make better managers? The last 2 days is a perfect example of why they are better. Pitchers are wired differently. Catchers know this.

Now Heaney is not well liked in New York these days. And I am not one of those people. I think Heaney was a last minute pick up who's not used to a big market and the pressure of New York City. But he's not a loser either and he certainly is not a reliever. Today was hard on the guy... but I don't fault him. Once again I fault the Yankee manager.  In the game or ejected and out of it, Boone needs makes the decisions.  

Tody on Twitter some dude asked me how I knew Boone was still running the show after he was ejected.  I mean, I thought everyone knew this, but I guess it's worth repeating...

Managers that get ejected are thrown out of the game. It is true that they have to get out of the dugout and go in the clubhouse and be out of site.  But do not think for a second that these guys aren't still pulling the strings.  You think Carlos Mendoza knew what to do today? No... he checked with the manager... Aaron Boone.  Boone sets the day, he sets the strategy or lack there of... and he knows what he wants for his team.  And trust me when I tell you... Boone blew it.

You can wish to DFA Andrew Heaney all you want Bob Klapisch. Kind of irresponsible for a sports writer to root, but whatever.  How about instead the haters give him a few more shots as a starter and see how he does. 

Hell, we gave Corey Kluber a shot today and he laid an egg... but that's OK?  Heaney laid an egg too... IN A ROLE HE'S NOT TYPICALLY UTILIZED IN. Meanwhile NJ.com Boone glosses over Kluber and instead throws Heaney under the bus after the game:

"...In the end, just couldn’t get out of the inning. It’s an important role down there and he’s going to have to share some of that role. He’s going to have to step up."

I mean, of course Heaney is going to have to step it up... but your boy Kluber just replaced him as a starter and he sucked today! Where's that mention? Let me guess, "Kluber's working through things?" The point is those decisions aren't made by a bunch of players in the clubhouse by flipping a coin.

Boone makes them... these are his mistakes. But somehow Heaney has a bad day and ya'll want him gone? Whatever Klapisch... whatever guys.  Give me a break. How about Aaron Boone...  can we DFA him?

WHAT ROLE WILL GIL HAVE IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE YANKEES?

The Yankees recent 13-game win streak proved that this team has the endurance necessary to win ball games consistently. The pitching staff is diverse—they have specialists in the arsenal as well as starters who can not only eat up innings but dominate. With the recent outing of Corey Kluber not exactly a welcome back party, what role with rookie pitching stud Luis Gil have as the Yankees head into September?

"Over three starts in August, Gil posted a pristine 0.00 ERA across 15.2 innings, striking out 18 batters along the way. Going three starts without allowed an earned run wasn't just impressive, it was historic," reported SI.com.

Source: NJ.com

Guys like Nestor Cortes, Jr. and from the bullpen Jonathan Loaisiga have really stepped amidst the injuries that have plagued not only the pitching staff but the entire team. Zach Britton will undergo surgery next month to remove bone chips from his left elbow, so his season is done. The Yankees will need to fill that hole in the bullpen so although Gil has been a starter coming up for the Bombers in recent weeks, there is a possibility that he could come into games from the pen, which he did on Sunday for the RailRiders. 

"One of the reasons we did bring him out of the 'pen, even though it was more of a start an inning and do his starter's workload, was to just give him a little bit of a different routine to keep that potentially in play," Boone added according to SI.com. 

Source: CBS Sports

The Yankees will have a long stretch of 20 games after they come back from the West Coast and play back at the Stadium on Thursday. Pitching will be a commodity given the marathon ahead of them. Luis Severino and Mike King could both be back with a week or so giving the team extra depth, but having Gil in either a starter, opener or long reliever could really add that extra push the Yankees need to finish the regular season with a postseason future. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof