CLEAN HOUSE. LOSER CASHMAN’S YANKEES ARE A FAILURE.

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Brian Cashman built this mess. Aaron Boone keeps explaining it. And Yankees fans keep getting charged championship prices to watch an organization congratulate itself for coming up short.

Enough.

The 2027 Yankees need a demolition crew. Start with the front office’s arrogance, work through the manager’s office, and stop treating disappointing players like priceless family heirlooms.

Austin Wells needs to be a backup catcher. Period.

A .186 batting average. A .624 OPS. Fourteen home runs and 32 RBIs. Those were his 2026 numbers. Somewhere along the way, the Yankees apparently decided an everyday catcher’s bat was an optional accessory.

Nobody is watching those at-bats and seeing Thurman Munson. They’re watching another Yankees development project whose reputation keeps arriving at the ballpark before his production does.

His defense has value. Fine. Make him the backup. A good glove should earn consideration; it shouldn’t grant lifetime immunity from hitting .186.

Cashman needs to find a starting catcher who can contribute offensively without requiring a presentation explaining why the contribution is secretly happening.

Anthony Volpe? Trade him. Immediately.

The Yankees sold fans a cornerstone. Four seasons into his major league career, the offensive foundation still looks like wet cardboard.

A career 83 OPS+ through 542 regular-season games is a substantial body of evidence. League average is 100. How much longer are we supposed to applaud the possibility that he eventually gets there?

The hometown story was lovely. The marketing department must have loved it. Unfortunately, the opposing pitcher doesn’t care where you went to high school.

My assessment of Volpe now? A reserve infielder. A guy backing up second base in Cincinnati. That’s an opinion about his role, not a report about a Reds trade.

The Yankees presented him like a destination when he was still a question. Then they made questioning him feel like a violation of team policy.

Fans deserved an honest evaluation. Instead, they got a sales pitch with pinstripes.

Trade him while another organization still believes it can unlock what the Yankees keep insisting is in there.

Then fire Aaron Boone.

No farewell tour. No discussion about how much the players love him. No more treating clubhouse approval like the final score.

A manager can have good relationships with his players and still demand excellence. With Boone, the reassurance is easy to find. The consequences are considerably harder.

From the outside, he looks like Cashman’s preferred spokesman wearing a uniform. The puppet criticism survives because the arrangement keeps producing the same spectacle: the roster fails, Boone explains, Cashman remains above the wreckage.

What, exactly, would constitute failure serious enough to change this?

The Yankees dismissed Joe Girardi on October 26, 2017, after an ALCS Game 7 loss. Cashman cited problems connecting and communicating with players.

Apparently, the organization solved the communication problem by hiring someone who can explain disappointment indefinitely.

Chicago moved on from Joe Maddon in September 2019 after a collapse cost the Cubs a playoff berth.

Accomplished managers lose jobs. Boone keeps getting another opportunity to tell us how close this group is.

Fire him. The Yankees need leadership with enough authority to make standards matter.

Jazz? Gone. We're done with the antics. We're done with the BS.

Trent Grisham? Pack up.

His 2026 salary was $22.025 million. His production: .211, 18 homers and a .703 OPS.

Twenty-two million dollars bought the Yankees another hitter fans needed to be talked into appreciating.

Cashman’s ability to spend enormous money and still leave obvious holes should be studied. Every winter brings another complicated explanation for why something underwhelming was actually clever.

Let Grisham walk. Stop paying for the memory of a better season.

David Bednar? I’d move on—but the numbers deserve an honest hearing.

He recorded 35 saves in 39 chances with a 2.47 ERA. That’s good pitching.

It also doesn’t obligate the Yankees to make him another expensive attachment while the lineup needs repairs.

My preference is to spend elsewhere and build a replacement plan. A good closer can protect a lead. He cannot manufacture a functional offense or repair Cashman’s judgment.

The closer’s entrance music should not be the most dependable part of the organizational plan.

Giancarlo Stanton? Confront reality already.

The healthy version of Stanton has been tremendous entertainment. The problem is that the healthy version has become somebody the Yankees keep expecting to visit.

Three calf strains cost him more than five months in 2026.

You cannot keep reserving a central place in the offense for a player whose availability requires crossed fingers and a medical briefing.

His contract makes an exit difficult. Releasing him would still leave money owed. Cashman has to deal with that reality instead of using it as permission to repeat the same gamble.

Stanton’s body has repeatedly failed him. The front office fails the roster when it keeps budgeting for a version of him it cannot reliably put on the field.

And that brings us to the man who should be answering for every inch of this:

Brian Cashman.

He evaluates the talent. He constructs the roster. He chooses the manager. He oversees the system that is supposed to develop the players.

Yet somehow, whenever the finished product disappoints, responsibility gets scattered until nobody can find it.

A player didn’t develop. Somebody got hurt. October is unpredictable. The roster looked good on paper.

Who keeps buying the paper?

Cashman cannot claim credit for the organization’s sophistication and then act like its recurring flaws are unfortunate weather.

If the same weaknesses keep surviving different rosters, examine the person assembling them. If the same excuses keep surviving different seasons, examine the people accepting them.

That includes Hal Steinbrenner. Ownership enables this comfort. Cashman has room to keep defending the process because the man above him keeps accepting the explanation.

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge keeps getting older.

That is the unforgivable part.

The Yankees have a player whose greatness should define an era. They are burning through his championship opportunities while debating whether another disappointing season really warrants an uncomfortable decision.

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have publicly questioned the organization’s approach. CC Sabathia has joined the criticism of its leadership and direction.

These are men who understand what winning here requires. The Yankees would be wise to spend less time defending themselves and more time considering why those voices are dissatisfied.

This franchise should be embarrassed.

Embarrassed by the excuses. Embarrassed by the complacency. Embarrassed that fans can identify the problems and still expect the offseason press conference to explain why most of them are coming back.

Change Wells’ role. Trade Volpe. Let Grisham leave. Make hard decisions about Bednar and Stanton.

Fire Boone.

And stop pretending Cashman deserves permanent protection from the results of his own work.

Because if Judge finishes his Yankees career without a championship, the organization will have plenty of time to celebrate his individual achievements.

It will also have to live with the fact that he gave them greatness—and they kept handing him this.

GIAN-GONE-LO! IT'S TIME FOR THE YANKEES TO SAY GOODBYE TO STANTON

It's time to blow everything up and start from scratch....and I mean everything. Say goodbye to dead weight in the front office, players and coaches on the field and that means some big names. I'm talking about Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman, but not just them. It's time to do it and do it right....

Aaron Judge deserves a legit chance at a championship and he isn't getting any younger. The idea of "running it back" with the same team and giving it another shot is just stupid. The insanity must stop. Some tough decisions need to be made, and one of those is his good friend Giancarlo Stanton. It's time.

Cutting someone isn't easy. The Yankees had to do it with DJ LeMahieu and Alex Rodriguez only to name a couple. It happens. They aren't easy decisions to make and they becomes especially difficult when they are still obligated to pay those players but, sometimes it is what is best for the team and that is the case here.

Stanton has been a Yankee for nine seasons now. Out of a possible 1,356 games he's only played in 764 (the 2020 season was shorted to only 60 games due to the Covid pandemic). He's been plagued by injuries over the years and this year was no exception. When Stanton is on, he's on. He's a force to be reckoned with but like Judge, he's not getting any younger and I am tired of tying up a roster spot with a guy that can't stay healthy. It doesn't get easier as anyone ages but Stanton is too focused on his heavy lifting instead of mobility and stretching. It's a problem the Yankees just can't afford anymore.

It's time to cut our losses and release Stanton. A long lockout is coming, and whenever we come out the other side of this and are ready to play Stanton just doesn't have a place on this team. I've had too many people tell me it makes more sense for the Yankees to keep him and I couldn't disagree more. All I keep hearing about is how Stanton's power is still there and with only one more season the Yankees might as well bring him into whatever Spring Training looks like next season post lockout and see if he can contribute anything, even if it is just as a DH.

But why should that be enough? The only way Stanton contributes is by staying healthy because it takes him for freaking ever to get his timing back when he does return from IL stints and he hits .250 because occasionally he runs into one. He tempts you with power occasionally otherwise he just clogs up the bench and the bases with no ability to run the bases. The whole idea of keeping him to see what he has left in the tank is the exact philosophy that got us into this mess. We have the data, it ain't good and it's not going to change.

A roster is valuable and has limited space. If the only thing Stanton can do is DH and go to the IL, that's not worth $15 million. If he had a proven track record of 500-600 productive at bats a season, it might be different. But he hasn't so he is a waste of a spot on the bench. Stanton can’t even run to first without tweaking something. My grandmother runs faster than him.

Not to mention, I am tired of tying up the DH spot with one person. The Yankees would greatly benefit having that spot more available so they can give guys a partial rest. It would help the Yankees avoid the infinitely long IL list. It's called smarter baseball.

So as much as some people may hate it, it's time to dump Stanton's dead weight. Bench space is too valuable to carry a guy who really lives on the IL. There's no convincing me otherwise!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

SOME PEOPLE DO STICK UP FOR BOONE! THEY MUST BE STUDIED.

We've spent 9 seasons criticizing Aaron Boone. I think the only way we stop is when he is finally gone. That has to happen sooner or later, right? No one can live forever. That's what science has told us anyway. So since Baboonie isn't immortal and the Yankees aren't smart enough to fire him we can pretty much count on Baboonie doesn't go away because the Yankees finally fire him.

At this point, I can't imagine ever defending Baboonie. If I ever did, someone needs to have me examined because something is wrong with me. There's always at least one that goes against the grain though, right? Well NJ.com is defending Baboonie, you can check it out HERE. The closest I will ever get to defending Baboonie is to say that he did not hand pick Austin Wells to be the catcher of this team. He is stuck with him. Wells definitely screwed up game one, but given his track record it isn't a surprise.

Baboonie even went so far as to admit he screwed up. He gave him some tough criticism in his own Baboonie way so there is that. But why defend him at all? He doesn't need or warrant defending. If he actually won a championship the criticism would at least come with one gleaming moment of accomplishment that matters to all of us.

Instead, we have to listen to him defend dead weight like Wells and then strangely justify decisions not add Aaron Judge to the ALDS roster. I say strangely because he tried to use science to ssound smart and defend the thought process but it just falls flat. NJ.com went as far as to say Judge isn't close to being 100% yet....but one more week not rehabbing could get him there.

Come again? Seriously, am I the only one who thinks one week could be a difference maker? We've seen Giancarlo Stanton battle with an epidemic of strains for years now. One week never brought him close to 100% in the nine seasons he's been here. He's a constant walking strain! Baboonie has an example of the exact opposite thought process but the aging captain is somehow going to be different. It's Baboonie logic.

A Grade 2 strain takes 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal for all other professional baseball players not named Judge. When the ALCS starts on October 12th, Judge's rehab will be on day 26. That's not even four weeks IF the Yankees can even get there. I'm not against wishing for that once in a lifetime miracle....I just don't trust that Baboonie or the Yankees would recognize it happening.

So while anything is possible, I just don't understand defending Baboonie for anything, really. Anyone who does needs to be studied and possibly committed.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WELLS PLAYS HERO, BOONE’S OFFENSE PLAYS DEAD

The Yankees lost Game 1 to Tampa Bay, 1-0, wasting five innings of one-run pitching from Gerrit Cole. Jonathan Aranda’s third-inning homer supplied all the scoring. Drew Rasmussen supplied the humiliation: eight innings, 10 strikeouts and one lousy hit.

Then Austin Wells decided he was trying to be a hero. With two outs in the eighth, he finally broke up the no-hitter—and promptly got thrown out stretching a double into a triple. He saw Luis Rojas’ stop signal after passing second and kept going. Congratulations: you rescued the Yankees from one embarrassment and drove them straight into another. Stay at second and give the next hitter a chance. That’s October baseball, not an audition for a highlight reel.

And Aaron Boone deserves scrutiny, too. He stacked the lineup with eight left-handed hitters, and Rasmussen carved it up. The supposed matchup advantage produced 23 swings and misses. At some point, having right-handed alternatives means actually considering a different look while there are still outs to work with.

Then Boone chose Giancarlo Stanton to pinch-hit for Ryan McMahon leading off the ninth—Stanton’s first plate appearance since April 24. He struck out. I understand betting on his October power, but asking a guy sidelined for five months to rescue a one-run playoff game is a hell of a gamble. Boone afterward said he liked the at-bat. Wonderful. Put that on the scoreboard.

Monday’s Game 2 has Cam Schlittler lined up to start. The Yankees need to give him actual run support and bring this series home tied. Expect pressure immediately: another loss means facing elimination in Game 3.

Boone needs better answers. Wells needs better judgment. And this lineup needs to remember that beating Boston didn’t finish the job.

BABOONIE CAUGHT LOOKING SILLY....AGAIN!

There's so much to think about, and hell even worry about as we wrap up the regular season. The Wild Card series is waiting for us where we will probably be playing the Red Sox again and we don't even know who is gonna be able to play!

That's because Aaron Boone is talking crazy again. It happens all the time, I just didn't think we would get an extensive sneak peak into his insanity. The Yankees are preparing their postseason roster, and Baboonie is living in an alternate universe, read more HERE and HERE.

Let's start with Aaron Judge, arguably the heart and soul of the team. He's the guy that is the difference maker for anything and everything. The Yankees suffered without him for three months and now they suffer again because they rushed him back to action without a minor league rehab assignment and now Baboonie has said "we're planning on him not being a part of " the first round. But then it gets dicey.....

The Yankees and Judge are clearly not on the same page. We all know is going to rush back. He's already done that. No one believes that he wouldn't push to be in a wild card series against the Yankees biggest rivals. We know what is on his mind, he's going to "try to get my body ready so I'm ready to go" because we expect no less from Judge. Baboonie says he will not be an option, and Judge tells a different story. "We've done a lot of talks, but I can't control what people say," Judge said. "So you'll have to talk to them about that."

Judge-less against the Red Sox is not the only challenge though. This one is a real head scratcher though because Giancarlo Stanton is "knocking on the door" of a return. Yup, after Stanton has been out since April with not one but three different calf strains. Oh and two of those strains happened while he was running the bases and ramping up for a return to the team. The guy is a rotation of chronic reoccurring calf strains but Baboonie thinks this time it's all gonna work out! Stanton is coming back everyone! He took a few at bats recently and hit a home run so it's a sure fire sign he's ready to come back!

So history be damned, everyone. Baboonie even admitted that he wasn't sure if Stanton returning during the first round was realistic but "anything's possible" so there's hope (I guess). Of course, IF Stanton is ready to play it's "looking more at a pinch-hit scenario. We'll see if that's even a realistic option. I don't know yet," Boone said. It must be exhausting being this stupid.

So there we have it. Let's completely rule out Judge but talk about crazy fantasies about Stanton that just don't make any sense. Logic does cease to exist in Baboonie's world. If we are going to live in an unrealistic world, I'd rather live in the world where Baboonie no longer manages the Yankees!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

STANTON LIVES!

Everyone's waiting for Aaron Judge to return, but apparently Giancarlo Stanton isn't completely dead for 2026 either. Wild.

Aaron Boone says Stanton is hitting and gave us the always-informative “we’ll see.”

Thanks, Aaron. Pulitzer stuff.

Look, Stanton hasn't played since April 24 because his calf apparently has the structural integrity of wet toilet paper. At 36, expecting him to suddenly become Cal Ripken Jr. is ridiculous.

But here's the funny part: I still want him.

Because if October comes and I need one gigantic human being to walk to the plate and scare the absolute hell out of a pitcher, give me Big G.

Judge and Stanton back for October?

I'll believe it when I see it.

But I'm certainly not deleting Stanton's number yet. Interesting.

GIANCARLO STANTON SHOULD RETIRE. THERE, I SAID IT.

I hate writing this because I actually like Giancarlo Stanton.

The guy has never bothered me. He works. He doesn't make excuses. He has delivered some monster moments for the Yankees, especially when the lights get brighter. And when he gets a hold of one, it's still one of the greatest sights in baseball.

But enough. Giancarlo Stanton should retire.

Not because he's a bad player. Not because he's a bad teammate. And certainly not because I'm blaming the guy for getting hurt. I'm saying it because at some point your body gets a vote.

And Stanton's body has been voting NO for years. Since coming to the Yankees, we've seen injuries involving his biceps, shoulder, knee, quad, ankle, Achilles, hamstrings, elbows and enough calf problems to make you wonder if the Yankees should just bubble-wrap him between at-bats.

That's not being cruel. That's the history. In 2019, Stanton played just 18 regular-season games. Then came more calf trouble in 2020, along with a hamstring strain. The quad followed in 2021. Ankle and Achilles issues arrived in 2022. Another significant hamstring injury cost him nearly two months in 2023. Another hamstring strain cost him 28 games in 2024.

Last year? Both elbows. Stanton missed the first 70 games of 2025 dealing with tendon problems. And somehow, 2026 has topped all of it. Stanton hurt his right calf in April. He spent nearly four months trying to get back. He had already suffered a setback with that calf earlier in the process.

Then, finally, he reached what was essentially the last major hurdle before beginning a rehab assignment: running the bases.

And he fell. And strained the other calf. You can't make this stuff up. The Yankees announced yesterday that Stanton suffered a moderate strain of his left calf while working his way back from the right calf injury. Aaron Boone acknowledged that, this late in the calendar, getting Stanton back this season has become extremely challenging.

He has played 24 games this season. Twenty-four. That's where my opinion changed. This isn't about waiting for Stanton to get healthy anymore. We've been waiting for Stanton to get healthy for most of his Yankee career. It's about reliability.

The Yankees are supposed to be building a championship roster, and you simply cannot construct that roster while repeatedly reserving an important spot for a player you have absolutely no idea will be available.

That's not roster construction. That's roulette. And before somebody tells me Stanton can still hit — I know. That's what makes this sad. There is still serious power in that bat. There are still moments when Stanton looks like the most terrifying guy walking toward the batter's box. This isn't Willie Mays stumbling around with the Mets. Stanton can still punish a baseball.

The problem is getting him into the batter's box in the first place. He's 36 years old. He's under contract through 2027. And after this latest setback, the Yankees are once again discussing whether he'll even make it back onto a baseball field this season.

How many more times are we going to do this? Injury. IL. Rehab. Running. Setback. Aaron Boone update. More rehab. Hope. Another body part.

Stanton has had a hell of a career. MVP. Five-time All-Star. One of the premier power hitters of his generation. He has carried himself professionally in New York and given Yankee fans some unforgettable postseason moments.

That's how I'd rather remember him. Not as a 37-year-old trying to coax one more season out of legs that have been screaming at him for years. There is dignity in knowing when it's time. And for Giancarlo Stanton, I think we've reached it.

Retire, Big G. It's the right move as much as I don't want to see it happen. Retire.

Not because you can't hit anymore. Because the Yankees and us fans can't keep waiting to find out whether you'll be healthy enough to try.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO GIANCARLO STANTON?

At some point, somebody needs to explain what the hell happened to Giancarlo Stanton.

Stanton has been out since April 24 with a right calf strain. Then he suffered another setback in that same calf in June. Now, while finally working his way toward a return, Stanton fell while running the bases and strained his left calf. Aaron Boone called it a moderate strain, and with the calendar sitting in late August, his season is suddenly in serious jeopardy.

Unbelievable.

And yes, Stanton has an extensive injury history. Nobody is pretending otherwise. But I have questions for the Yankees, too.

What exactly is happening with this organization's training, rehabilitation and recovery operation?

This isn't some guy who rushed back after two weeks. Stanton has spent nearly four months rehabbing. The entire purpose of that process is to carefully rebuild the body so the player can eventually handle baseball activities again. Yet here we are: Stanton was rehabbing one calf and somehow injured the other one running the bases.

How?

Maybe this is simply terrible luck. Maybe Stanton's 36-year-old body just isn't cooperating anymore. But the Yankees have had enough injury and rehabilitation headaches over the years that their process deserves scrutiny.

Because Stanton played just 24 games this season, and now there's a legitimate possibility we won't see him again in 2026.

That's not just disappointing. It's ridiculous.

Somebody inside that organization needs to start asking harder questions about why getting important players healthy — and keeping them healthy — continues to feel like such an adventure.

FRIED AGAIN? YANKS CAN’T KEEP ANYBODY HEALTHY

Just when you thought the Yankees were finally getting their rotation together, Max Fried is back on the injured list. Again.

Fried was placed on the 15-day IL just a short time ago with a left elbow bone bruise — the same injury that cost him nearly two months earlier this season. Seriously, why the hell can’t the Yankees stay healthy?

We literally just got finished talking about how exciting it would be to finally see Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón healthy and pitching in the same rotation. That's the kind of three-headed monster that can carry you through October.

And right on cue, Rodón is ready to return Tuesday after dealing with his own elbow inflammation and Fried goes down. You can't make this stuff up.

At some point, I think it's fair to start asking questions beyond simple bad luck. Should the Yankees be taking a serious look at their medical staff, training staff, strength and conditioning programs and the way they manage player health?

I'm not accusing anyone of causing injuries. Pitchers get hurt. That's baseball. But when you're constantly waiting for Judge, Stanton, Bellinger, Rodón, Fried and others to get healthy, eventually somebody needs to examine the bigger picture. The Yankees' current injury list includes several major pieces, and Fried's latest setback only adds to it.

Because this is getting ridiculous.

The Yankees have spent a fortune assembling a championship-caliber roster. It would be nice if we could actually see the damn roster on the field at the same time.

IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT I AGREE WITH AROD, BUT IT JUST HAPPENED!

Ten years ago yesterday, August 12th, 2016, Alex Rodriguez played in his last game as a Yankee against the Rays. Oh how I look at that and think about the irony. Now he just sits back and talks about them and the strategy the Yankees should've taken to chase down the Rays in the AL East.

It's funny because he's been doing a lot of talking lately. I don't always agree with him. His idea that the Dodgers are good for baseball this week is one I don't agree with. However, the idea that the Yankees should've gone "all in" at the trade deadline I do agree with. If you missed it, check it out HERE. 

"The issue that you have with the Yankees, it's a tale of two stories," Rodriguez said. "They have the best pitching in baseball. They've collected some of the best pitchers, and by the way they haven't even been healthy all year but this is a championship-caliber pitching staff. I would've loved to see an extra arm or two because the by-product of not having a good offense, especially without Aaron Judge, they're pretty much 30th in every offensive category. What's gonna happen is you’re gonna play in a lot of tight games, you're not gonna blow anyone out. That means you're gonna tax your bullpen. You're gonna be the belly of your bullpen most of the year, and by the time September comes, their arms are gonna fall off. So that's my biggest concern."

We have wasted so many good, productive years in Judge's career. Next year he will be 35 and let's be honest, he's had some gnarly injuries. That's not going to get easier for the Yankees to manage. He's not going to be the young spring chicken anymore. Our starting pitching hasn't been this strong in a long time. Why waste that with an anemic offense that doesn't show up when Judge is out? It's even worse considering Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are still out with their own injuries. It's like they are giving up without actually selling off the team.

Why not go "all in" as Rodriguez said and get some impact bats and upgrade your weaknesses that clearly aren't working? If you aren't going to sell, then don't just stand pat and make Band-Aid fixes! Cut the dead weight! Cutting Anthony Volpe wasn't enough. George Lombard Jr. getting his promotion needed to happen (it just wasn't an option not to), but they should've done more than just that. They needed to upgrade Austin Wells too!  That line from Brian Cashman about having "limited options" at catcher was a load of crap! Our rivals did it. That doesn't fix the Yankees but it sure is an addition by subtraction just getting rid of Wells who can't even hit his weight.

The Yankees needed to do more. They needed to be hungrier. The rest of these teams are looking at our starting rotation wishing they had it. They are envious for a moment, and then they realize all their offense has to do is 'keep them in the game' because they are likely to win those close games because our bullpen is not at the same level. A one run lead isn't as hard to protect for our rivals as it should be. You can't just rely on your starting pitching....the offense and bullpen need to also execute.

As Rodriguez said, "It's amazing how the whole fan base knew exactly how this was going to turn out and it did." That shouldn't be okay. That shouldn't be accepted and swept under the rug. Judge deserves more. The team deserves more. The fans deserve more. We deserve a front office with balls. We deserve a change from the top down. 

What a disgrace.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

SOX ON FIRE, YANKEES ON EDGE!

Almost 4 months ago, the Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora and it looked like Boston was done for. All of Yankee land was laughing as we enjoyed looking down at Boston all the way at the bottom of the AL East. They were deflated, we were in first place and that what we want to see. 

My how times have changed. Since then, the Yankees have lost heavy hitters in Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger. Add in pitcher Carlos Rodon and it is doomsday. The Yankees have been trying to tread water and the Red Sox literally lit a fire underneath everyone and went on winning streaks of 26-3 and 32-5 while the Yankees continue to stagger and stumble. Now the Yankees are literally feeling the Red Sox breathe down the necks. Suddenly a slip to third is very possible.

And I sit here and hate it all while being in amazement of George Lombard Jr and be pleasantly surprised at times by Spencer Jones. Those bright moments have come too late though because we are now as uncomfortable as it gets. What was once a 15 game lead over the Red Sox is now down to a game and a half.

I always say never underestimate the Red Sox. You never count them out....ever. They just reminded us of this. Months ago it looked like a minimum of a first Wild Card spot was likely. The American League is curiously weak compared to the National League. If the Yankees couldn't catch the Rays, we would at least have the first Wild Card spot. But....that the reality is, that might not be what happens here.

Not unless the Yankees start playing like their hair and asses are on fire! Rodon should be back soon, and Judge is progressing. Hopefully we also have Bellinger back by the time we see Boston again but that's not a guarantee. No doubt our injuries have hurt us, and we are missing our star power but both teams feed off of their starting pitching. The Red Sox have still found a way to win with a lineup that is not exactly loaded with big names or contracts.

The difference between these two teams is heart. The Yankees have shown we have that recently, but we need more of it to get us to the finish line. This is going to be a dog fight to the very end, and it's not going to be easy. 

Just in case you need a reminder.....NEVER underestimate the Red Sox.....EVER!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

STANTON IS FINALLY RUNNING, BUT DO THE YANKEES REALLY NEED HIM RIGHT NOW?

We finally have a little Giancarlo Stanton news, and this time it involves something other than swinging a bat.

Stanton has reached one of the more important stages of his recovery from a right calf strain: running.

Aaron Boone said Stanton jogged in the outfield Friday and has started easing into some baserunning work. That might not sound like some gigantic breakthrough, but with Stanton, it matters. Hitting has never really been the biggest concern during this rehab. It's whether that calf can hold up when he has to actually move.

Running the bases puts a completely different kind of stress on the body. Stanton has to accelerate, stop, turn, push off and react naturally without worrying about protecting that calf. That's the real test, and that's why the Yankees have been waiting to see him reach this point.

There is still no firm timetable for his return, and quite frankly, I'm not losing sleep over it.

Do the Yankees really need Stanton back right now? No. Look at what this team has been doing without him, especially this past week. They're playing good baseball, they're producing offensively and they're finding ways to win. That's what matters.

I'm not saying a healthy Stanton can't help. Of course he can. When he's locked in, he can still change a game with one swing. But the Yankees shouldn't be rearranging everything or rushing him back just because his name is Giancarlo Stanton. If the current lineup is clicking, let it click.

Stanton needs to prove he can run the bases, recover the next day and eventually handle everything that comes with playing in an actual game. Until then, there's really no reason to get overly excited about a few jogs in the outfield. So, we'll see what happens.

For now, at least we finally got a little update on this dude.

He's running. The Yankees are winning. 

In my opinion there's absolutely no reason to rush anything.

A STANTON INJURY UPDATE YOU NEED

The Yankees are winning games, and that's great. But let's not pretend they're blowing the doors off anyone. There's a difference between stacking wins and looking like a team built to steamroll October, and right now, this club falls into the first category.

It's hard to dominate when Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton are all wearing street clothes instead of pinstripes. That's three of the biggest bats in the lineup sitting on the shelf. No trade deadline pickup is replacing that kind of production.

That's why adding Luis García helps. He can chip in, lengthen the lineup, and take some of the pressure off everyone else. But let's be honest: García isn't the story. The Yankees' postseason hopes still hinge on getting their stars back healthy.

There is finally a little good news on the Stanton front.

According to reports, Stanton is expected to face rehabbing left-hander Carlos Rodón in a live batting practice session Monday, followed by Clarke Schmidt on Tuesday. Aaron Boone confirmed Stanton is getting close to that stage, though he stopped short of saying whether Stanton will actually swing the bat or simply stand in the box and let 95 mph fastballs whistle by. Baby steps, apparently. Boone doesn't really know anything anyway. 

Judge's update? Not nearly as encouraging.

There's still no date for new imaging, meaning Judge isn't doing strength work, upper-body workouts, or baseball activities. Translation: don't expect him back anytime soon.

So yes, Stanton may beat Judge back to the Bronx. But neither player's timeline should've changed Brian Cashman's deadline plans. The Yankees had to act as if both were unavailable.

The Yankees deserve credit for hanging around. They've found ways to win while missing the heart of their lineup. But surviving August isn't the goal. 

If this team wants to make noise in October, Luis García can help—but Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton have to be the ones carrying the orchestra.

STRATEGY OR PANIC?

If Brian Cashman's trade deadline strategy is "wait and see," Yankee fans have seen enough.

The latest name connected to the Bombers is Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, and honestly, he makes a ton of sense, but where did this come from? 

He's a right-handed bat, mashes lefties, can hold down the outfield while Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton try to get healthy, and he's under team control through 2029.

In other words... exactly the kind of player the Yankees should already be making a serious run at.

But this a strategy or panic? 

Remember, the Yankees watched Lane Thomas become a Brave because Atlanta actually did what contenders are supposed to do—they identified a need and pulled the trigger. While Cashman was probably still "gauging the market," their GM was introducing his newest outfielder.

That's the difference.

The Yankees don't lose out on players because they don't know who they want. They lose out because someone else wants them more and the Yanks are too slow to the take.

Now they're pivoting to Ramos, but it feels like "Well... who's left?" rather than a Plan A. Like a roll of the dice. I don't know, I don't feel great about it. Also, that's not a strategy on how you win a division.

Let's be honest about the situation. Judge is hurt. Bellinger is hurt. Stanton is working his way back. The outfield has become a revolving door, and the infield still finds new and creative ways to turn routine double plays into adventure films. Just ask Volpe.

Every GM in baseball knows the Yankees need help. That's exactly why sitting on your hands is the worst strategy imaginable. Cashman has always loved the bargain aisle. He wants to make the trade where everyone says, "Wow, he really stole that guy."

Sometimes you don't steal the player. Sometimes you just pay the price because your team needs him.

Heliot Ramos is worth pursuing yes, but if the Yankees spend the next two days "checking in," "doing their homework," and "remaining engaged," don't be surprised when another team beats them to the punch... again.

At some point, Brian Cashman has to decide whether he's trying to win the trade...

...or win the World Series.

Right now, it doesn't look like he's doing either.