STOP BLAMING CABALLERO. THE YANKEES COULDN’T SCORE

I’m seeing a lot of attention being thrown at Jose Caballero after the Yankees got embarrassed by the Angels Monday night.

Yes, Caballero made an error. Yes, it was ugly. But can we please tell the whole story?

When Caballero botched the potential double-play ball in the sixth inning, the Yankees were already losing 6-1. His mistake allowed another run to score and made it 7-1.

So, explain something to me. How exactly did Jose Caballero lose this game? Were the Yankees suddenly going to score six runs if he fielded that ball cleanly?

Because they didn't. They scored one run the entire night.

One.

Spencer Jones hit a solo homer in the fifth inning. That was it. The Yankees finished with six hits, didn't draw a walk and went quietly against Angels rookie Walbert Ureña, who gave them seven innings of one-run baseball.

And let's remember what happened before Caballero's sixth-inning error.

Elmer Rodríguez had already put the Yankees in a 4-0 hole. The Angels made it 5-1 in the fifth. Then Michael Fulmer's errant pickoff attempt helped another run score.

It was 6-1 before Caballero made the error everybody wants to talk about.

That's context. Caballero deserves criticism for playing sloppy defense. Absolutely. He'd probably tell you the same thing. But blaming him for a 10-1 loss is ridiculous.

The Yankees didn't lose because their shortstop booted a ball while they were already getting blown out.

They lost because they couldn't hit. They couldn't score. And they couldn't give themselves even the slightest chance to win.

You don't beat anybody scoring one run.

Stop looking for a convenient scapegoat. Jose Caballero didn't lose this game. The Yankees offense did. Get over it.

YANKEES HAVE INTEREST IN ANOTHER CATCHER

Oh to have a new catcher on this roster. What a nice thought, right? Because Austin Wells sucks and his .153 batting average isn't going to help fix anything. I'm just sick of thinking, talking, blogging about or watching him. I'd just like to dump him and be done with it.

The Yankees have this bad habit of falling in love with all of these guys that score well on their crazy evaluations. Then they get excited and dub him the guy for the job, the guy that helps lead the Yankees to the promise land of a championship. Then, it doesn't take long to see him not live up to their great expectations and he falters and the Yankees spend more time defending their screwup rather than fixing the problem.

We've been in the last stage for too long. He sucks, the Yankees defend him and he sucks sucking and we keep losing. Meanwhile, the Yankees are sniffing around for another catcher. The Yankees have been tied to Ryan Jeffers, and he would be a fine upgrade (anyone would honestly), but the Twins are a competitive team. They have a real chance to make the postseason, so the Twins moving Jeffers seems extremely unlikely.

And then there is Hunter Goodman. He's also someone that might be hard to move but for a different reason. The Rockies stink. They are 24 games back in their division and in last place. Keeping Goodman doesn't help them contend but it does allow the Rockies to build around him. He's under team control for the next three seasons. There's no real reason to get rid of him unless another team gives the Rockies something that they just can't refuse.

Which will be hard for the Yankees. They don't exactly have a ton of blue chip prospects to give up and the ones they do have, they don't want to. The Rockies are going to start by asking for George Lombard Jr, Dax Kilby, Elmer Rodriguez, and possibly even Ben Rice. It would be not be an "affordable" move for the Yankees. The Yankees would have quite a challenge to outbid other suitors (because there will be several) and have enough attractive chips to get it done. It certainly wouldn't be easy.

But boy is it necessary. He is everything Wells isn't. He's a tight handed bat and productive offensively and maybe not quite as good defensively but...who cares! He's not bad behind the plate and we need guys that can hit the ball. We need that idea of 'see the ball, hit the ball and put it in play,' and he can do that. Wells can't hit the broad side of a barn with the world's biggest bat. It's time to fix the problem that has been ignored for too long.

Wells needs to go....the Yankees need to pick a replacement. Pick anyone, seriously....choose the "eeny meeny miny moe" method for all I care but it's time to fix this wrong!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE BLIND LEADING THE CLUELESS

Brian Cashman is out here trying to convince Yankees fans that nothing has changed — that the organization has always operated with urgency and that this current “must-win” energy is just another normal Tuesday in the Bronx. Please. Yankees fans have watched this movie for years, and we already know how it ends.

This front office has spent season after season forcing bad decisions down our throats, defending underperforming players like they’re family heirlooms instead of liabilities. Fans are constantly told to “trust the process” while overpriced veterans and struggling favorites drain the life out of the lineup night after night. Meanwhile, hungry young players with less hype and smaller contracts routinely outperform the “core pieces” everyone keeps protecting.

And this year? The Yankees’ smartest move was the one they didn’t make: handing the shortstop job to Anthony Volpe out of loyalty and marketing hype. Instead, Jose Caballero actually earned it. He brought energy, production, and looked like someone who understood the assignment. He's also just a better shortstop than Volpe... that was obvious last year. Of course, now that Caballero is hurt, Volpe magically reappears in the majors — only for Max Schuemann to step in at shortstop last night and somehow look more reliable too.

But don’t worry. Boone’s favorite "boy toy" Volpe will be back in the lineup soon enough. Count on it. And here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we’ll be watching every at-bat like it’s game footage from a criminal investigation, because we know he should not be there.

In the meantime, here’s Brian Cashman attempting to explain that the Yankees have always been urgent. This comes from his interview with The Athletic:

“I know there’s this narrative that all of a sudden we woke up and smelled the coffee... and we know it’s a must-win year — that we’re making roster moves that reflect that, and we’ve almost found a different gear. None of that is true…

“We’re not all of a sudden acting more desperate now or with more urgency... The urgency has always been there. In this current window, we have a lot of the younger players really surging. (Caballero) is obviously surging, but we still have guys like Volpe, and obviously, Elmer Rodríguez is emerging. So if Luis Gil falters, we have a legitimate alternative that allows us to say, ‘Hey, do you just want to keep going with this?’ We felt the profile that Elmer was putting forth made it make sense to make the move. It’s kind of simple. When you have the kind of depth (we have), you can play that decision-making game easier than if you didn’t.”

The problem is Cashman sounds completely detached from reality. Yankees fans aren’t blind, and they’re definitely not stupid. We’ve watched too many seasons of the same nonsense: overhyped promises, stale leadership, bad roster construction, and October disappointment dressed up as “a process.”

This team has to win this year. Frankly, they should’ve won several times already. But as long as Aaron Boone is steering the ship like a guy using Apple Maps in a tunnel, the Yankees keep finding new and creative ways to underachieve.

Think about this for a second: Boone has piled up over 700 managerial wins and still can’t deliver a World Series title. That’s not impressive in the Bronx — it’s embarrassing. In Yankee history, banners matter. Parades matter. Rings matter. Nobody hangs a “Pretty Good Regular Season” flag over the Stadium.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth Cashman needs to hear loud and clear:

THE YANKEES USED TO BE THE STANDARD.

Now? They’re just another franchise talking about “windows,” “depth,” and “internal options” while other organizations actually win championships.

Fans are exhausted. Until this organization shows real urgency — not press-conference urgency, but actual baseball urgency — nothing changes. That means cutting ties with dead weight, admitting mistakes, and stopping the endless protection of underperformers like "Mr. .180" Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe. It also means finally acknowledging that Aaron Boone is not the guy to lead this team to a title.

So, Brian, spare us the speeches. Yankees fans don’t need another corporate spin cycle about urgency. They need results.

Because for the better part of the last six years and many more by the way, this front office has delivered a whole lot of excuses and exactly zero championships.

And people in the Bronx are done buying it.

DO BETTER.

BIG NEWS! IT'S ELMER TIME!

Yeah, I am excited and I am gonna write about it and follow this and hype this just as much as some other prospect that I refuse to name. It's Elmer Rodriguez time, y'all! It's a big deal.

I've been talking a lot about Elmer recently and for good reason. He has been damn good down in Triple-A and he has earned this opportunity. Today, we get to see Elmer make his major league debut in Arlington, Texas! Twitter at least shares my enthusiasm, this video was all over my feed.

The timing couldn't be more perfect. The Yankees decided to pitch Elmer in front of other starters because playing today keeps him close to his planned Triple-A start Tuesday. He stays close to schedule, the Yankees get an off day on Thursday and the stars align for an exciting debut. Aaron Boone thinks Elmer will get at least two starts as the Yankees wait on Carlos Rodon's return to the team. He made his first rehab start last week so now we get to see what the Yankees best pitching prospect.

Ever since the Yankees acquired Elmer from the Red Sox in a December 2024 trade for catcher Carlos Naravez, the Sox have been bragging about how good their new catcher has been doing. This trade has turned into a bigger trade than either side expected now that Narvaez has become Boston's primary catcher and finished sixth in the American League Rooking of the Year voting last season. Equally impressive, Elmer was once considered to be a mid-tier prospect knocking on Double-A's door and he has quickly climbed the ranks with an improved pitching arsenal that gives him a MLB opprtunity.

I like Elmer because he has a developed pitching arsenal. He doesn't rely on just one pitch and he can throw multiple pitches with conviction. His fastball isn't overpowering but he has good command and mixes them in with a changeup, slider, curveball and an occasional cutter. Scouts have also given good scouting reports on an above average sinker that induces a lot of ground ball action that I really would like to see for myself. He is no stranger to fooling hitters into hitting some ground balls and that talent in Yankee stadium would be a HUGE plus. 

It's been a long time since I have been this excited about a pitching prospect. In fact, if you may remember the Killer B's who were in the Yankees system from 2010-2011....it's been that long. We don't have a great history of developing pitchers. I am hoping Elmer changes that....

In fact I am hoping Elmer could be the glue that keeps this team together in the future. OKAY, no more corny jokes I promise, but I am really excited to see what this kid's got!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES MADE A BIG DECISION ABOUT LUIS GIL!

Another disappointing outing for Luis Gil yesterday. It's really unfortunate, because I really wanted to see him thrive and transform and find a way out of this long slump he's been in since 2024. His last start wasn't it. Gil gave up six hits in four plus innings with a lot of hard contact. It left the Yankees with no choice....

After the series ending loss to the Astros yesterday, the Yankees have optioned Gil back down to Triple-A. He was already on a short leash, but he showed us more of the same and just forced the Yankees hand. It's been a tough road for Gil since his rookie season. He hasn't been a MLB viable starter for more than a full season now. I hope they can get him back to that viable starter again but it is going to take a lot of hard work and the faster they get him back down in the minors and working on it, the better off they will be.

After Gil was sent down, the Yankees quickly made a corresponding move by calling Jasson Dominguez back up (again). This could have more to do with Giancarlo Stanton and an incoming trip to the Injured List for his calf. The Yankees are going to need another person in the outfield, and quite honestly I would like to see Aaron Judge get a partial day off by giving him a day as designated hitter against the Texas Rangers. Something else to think about though....if the Yankees want to avoid the platoon situation again and allow him the consistent at bats they need to let him play against lefties and righties. They cannot platoon him again. He needs to play everyday like he was in Triple A to allow him to get better.

So I am concerned the Yankees are going to screw that up, because let's face it they don't learn from a lot of their mistakes. But that still leaves the question of IF the Yankees are going to add another pitcher. Rolling with 12 pitchers is very risky. The Yankees don't need to add another starter right now thanks to their schedule. Honestly, they can get by until middle of May without a fifth starter but they should add another bullpen arm for some depth. Gil was going to be sent down when Carlos Rodon returns here in a couple of weeks, but unfortunately his poor performance sped up the timeline and now the Yankees need to prepare for the next best option.

So here it comes, last week I said I was focused on Elmer Rodriguez and now he could have an opportunity.... maybe. This is no way a guarantee, it fact it could be a long shot but his sinker, changeup or slider arsenal could be much more effective than Gil's changeup and flat fastball that everyone and their brother was making contact with. It's not a bad idea to give our third ranked prospect a trail run here. It feels like a smart option to give the kid the next three or four weeks to see where he is at. If we don't, it could be a missed opportunity. We need to be playing our best options and right now he could be it!

Something isn't right with Gil. The move needed to happen. Now Gil and the Yankees need to figure it out and put us in a better position in the future....with or without Gil.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

THE YANKEES PROSPECT YOU SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO!

No, I am not talking about Spencer Jones. It's no secret by now I am OVER that guy. Casey digs him, I don't. NEXT.

So who is next? I'm watching Elmer Rodriguez. If you don't know who he is, he's the Yankees number three prospect who opened eyes at spring training. It was easy to watch that other guy who is overhyped. The real story just might be Elmer!

In all my time here, I have a history for getting excited about pitching prospects and Elmer is my latest. I am anxiously awaiting his next start to see how he builds upon his impressive start of the season. In three starts, he has pitched 15.2 innings, struck out 13 and has a ridiculous 1.15 ERA. In his last start he threw first pitch strikes to 17 of the 21 batters he faced. Yes, that gets me excited. 

Another thing that gets me excited, is when we can stead some good talent from Boston. We did that with Cam Schlittler and Elmer could be another good pick up. Schlittler popped on the scene in a big way last season and Elmer had a good season in the minors. In 27 games last season, he struck out 176 batters and held opponents to a .192 BA. He's got a good sinker in his pitching arsenal and all good things that give me tingles. Boston drafted him in the fourth round in 2021 and traded him to us in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez and that could pay dividends in the future.

It's early in the season, and he has more to prove in Triple-A but you never know what the Yankees may need later in the season. If he continues to progress, he could force the Yankees hand and make it impossible for the Yankees not to give him a call up. Right now a lot has to go wrong with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon getting closer to return but there have been question marks with Luis Gil and his ability to be a reliable starter after he has regressed since his 2024 rookie season.

The Yankees have proven they are not shy about calling young studs up. We saw it last year with Schlittler, and if Elmer keeps pitching the way he is now the Yankees would be stupid not to give him a shot to help this team win the division.

Elmer's not ready yet, but he's getting closer and I like what I am seeing.
All eyes on Elmer!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THREE STARTERS ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH

All offseason I kept saying the same thing. Actually, scratch that—I said it last season too. The Yankees needed one more legit starting pitcher to sit next to Max Fried. Just one. Then when Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole come back, suddenly the rotation looks nasty. Add Cam Schlittler into the mix and you’ve got the makings of something serious.

But nobody wanted to hear it.

Instead, the Yankees went out and traded for Ryan Weathers, wrapped the move in a nice little bow, and Yankee social media tried to sell it like they’d just discovered the next ace hiding in a clearance bin. On top of that, everyone just assumed Luis Gil would magically snap back into Rookie of the Year form, like there’s some kind of “reset to dominance” button you press every March.

Fast forward to now—just weeks from Opening Day—and the Yankees rotation looks… shaky. And honestly, that’s not fair to Max Fried. The guy can only carry so much of the load.

Sure, Will Warren is opening some eyes this spring, and Cam Schlittler looks promising. But let’s be real for a second: promising isn’t the same thing as ready. And right now, ready is exactly what the Yankees need.

Fans love to point to the eventual returns of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole, and yes, that will help. But the team actually has to stay afloat until they get there. If two of your five starters are consistently struggling before those guys return, things can spiral quickly.

Even Sports Illustrated writer Jordon Lawrenz is sounding the alarm with a wrote that “Three Quality Starters Isn’t Good Enough.” Funny… that sounds awfully familiar. Oh right—I’ve been saying that exact thing right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Lawrenz points out that the Yankees know they have prospects like Carlos Lagrange waiting in the wings, but it’s way too early to start calling those names over Gil and Weathers. Early spring struggles happen, sure—but when it’s multiple starters, that’s when the concern meter starts flashing.

But this is the Yankees’ pattern. They don’t act before problems happen. They wait until the problem is staring them in the face… and then they react.

Let’s call it what it is: Ryan Weathers was never the answer. It was a questionable move from the start. And simply waiting around for Cole and Rodón to return is basically handing wins to your opponents and hoping you can play catch-up later.

If the Yankees want to be contenders—hell, if they want to talk about being 2026 World Series champions—the front office needs to get its act together.

But will they? Probably not.

And hey, why would they listen to me over here at Bleeding Yankee Blue?

I only called it months ago. Losers.

DEVELOPING OR WASTING? SPENCER JONES TO THE MINORS AGAIN

The New York Yankees made their first meaningful spring training cuts, and one of the names heading back down the highway to the minors was outfielder Spencer Jones. Along with him went right-hander Elmer Rodríguez.

The official explanation? A crowded roster, some plate discipline that still needs polishing, and the ever-popular phrase used by front offices everywhere: long-term development strategy. Ah yes… that phrase. The baseball equivalent of telling someone “we’ll circle back.”

Let’s start with the obvious. Jones didn’t exactly embarrass himself this spring. The 24-year-old went 6-for-18 in Grapefruit League play with three home runs, a double, and three stolen bases. He walked four times and struck out six. In other words, he looked exactly like what he’s been advertised as for years now: a massive power threat with some swing-and-miss baked into the recipe. Sound familiar? It should. The Yankees employ a rather large gentleman named Aaron Judge who built an MVP career doing something pretty similar.

Yet despite the loud spring showing, Jones was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he’ll begin the season once again waiting for the call that never seems to come. And that’s where things start to get… weird. Because here’s the thing: Jones has been in the Yankees’ system for four years now.

Four.

At some point, you stop developing a player and start aging him like a fine bottle of cabernet that nobody ever opens. If you listen to the Yankees’ front office, the reasoning makes perfect sense. The big league roster is crowded. The outfield already features Judge, former MVP Cody Bellinger, and defensive specialist Trent Grisham. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton has the designated hitter spot locked down like a parking ticket on a New York windshield.

So where exactly would Jones play? That’s the practical argument, and on paper it’s fair. Jones was never realistically making the Opening Day roster unless somebody showed up to camp with a pulled hamstring and a doctor’s note. But here’s the bigger question: if there’s never room for him, what exactly is the plan? Because prospects don’t exist in a vacuum. Development is great, but eventually development has to lead somewhere other than Scranton.

Jones isn’t some fringe organizational player quietly putting up decent numbers in the shadows. The guy has legitimate thunder in his bat. We’re talking about the kind of power that makes scouts start using words like “towering” and “prodigious,” which are baseball code for “that ball may still be traveling.”

At Triple-A last season, Jones flashed that power repeatedly. But he also showed the same issue that followed him throughout the minors: strikeouts. And yes, the Yankees want him to improve his plate discipline. That’s fair. But again… let’s not pretend the Yankees are allergic to strikeouts. They all strike out... a lot!

Judge strikes out. Bellinger has had swing-and-miss periods. Stanton practically has a reserved seat in the strikeout column. Modern baseball accepts strikeouts as the cost of doing business when the power is real.

And Jones’ power is very real. So when the Yankees say this is about “refining his approach,” some fans understandably hear something else:

“Let’s keep him parked in Scranton until we absolutely have no other choice.”

The organization insists patience is part of the process. Maybe they’re right. Maybe Jones truly needs another stretch of Triple-A reps to tighten up the swing decisions and lower the strikeout rate. But here’s the problem with patience in baseball.  Sometimes patience turns into paralysis. And let's talk about contradiction when it comes to the Yankees. Anthony Volpe was NOT ready for the major leagues, but he zipped through the minor leagues.  So, give me a break Cashman.

We’ve seen it before with the Yankees — prospects hovering just below the majors for years while the big club patches holes with veterans and statistical experiments. Meanwhile the clock keeps ticking.

Jones is already 24. That’s not old, but it’s not the age of a raw teenage prospect either. Plenty of star players are already establishing themselves in the majors by that point.

Which brings us to the real, unspoken truth. Jones will probably get his shot. Just not because the Yankees planned it. It’ll happen the way these things usually happen in the Bronx: someone gets hurt. A hamstring pops. An oblique complains. Suddenly the phone rings in Scranton.

“Pack your bags, kid.”

And then we’ll finally see what Spencer Jones actually is. A future star? A flawed slugger? A guy who needed just a little more seasoning? Right now, nobody really knows. Because after four years in the system, the Yankees are still treating one of their most exciting prospects like a concept rather than a baseball player. And if you’re a Yankees fan watching this slow-motion waiting game unfold, you can’t help but wonder:

Are they developing Spencer Jones…

or are they quietly wasting him?