GODZILLA: PART 2

Get ready, Bronx. There’s buzz in the air thicker than the garlic fries in Section 205, and it’s not about Aaron Boone’s latest ejection. According to MLB insider and professional rumor wrangler Jim Bowden, the New York Yankees are lurking among six early favorites to snag Nippon Professional Baseball’s next megastar, Munetaka Murakami, when he’s expected to hit the open market this winter. Think Hideki Matsui, but younger, potentially better, and—wait for it—a possible fit at third base. Maybe.

Yes, you read that right. Murakami, Japan’s current Sultan of Swat, has drawn early comparisons to the Yankees’ beloved Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui. That’s enough to make any Yankees fan dig out their old No. 55 jersey and start pricing flights to Tokyo. The lefty slugger, just 25, already has 242 career home runs in NPB, a Triple Crown on his shelf, and the Japanese-born single-season home run record (56 in 2022) in his back pocket. You don’t earn a nickname like “Mura-Mash” by bunting.

Now, before you pencil him in at the hot corner in the Bronx, Bowden did toss a bit of cold sake on the idea—he thinks Murakami is a better defensive fit at first base. That’s convenient timing if you’ve been paying attention, because Paul Goldschmidt, currently holding down that spot in pinstripes, is only signed through this season. If Murakami does come stateside, and the Yankees decide to open the vault (again), he could be next in a long line of Japanese stars to make a home in the Bronx.

But here’s the plot twist: the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ah yes, Hollywood’s favorite baseball team and the unofficial U.S. welcoming committee for international talent. If there’s a global superstar available, the Dodgers are usually first in line—and already printing the jersey. Murakami is expected to be posted after the 2025 season thanks to a clause in his current NPB contract, which means teams will actually have to pay him real, grown-up money. None of that international pool slot magic here. And this deal could be massive—potentially $200 to $300 million massive. The bidding war could make Shohei Ohtani’s free agency look like a flea market haggling session.

Still, if there’s a team with both the money and the mystique to lure Murakami, it’s the Yankees. The legacy. The fanfare. The roll call. The pressure cooker of New York media asking about every 0-for-4 day. Sounds like fun, right?

Murakami could be the perfect bridge between the Yankees' proud past and a reloaded future. A power bat in the middle of the order, some flexibility at the corners, and the kind of international draw that sells out road stadiums. If he hits the market, he’ll be the most anticipated Japanese export since Matsui stormed the Bronx in 2003—and if Brian Cashman has any sense of baseball poetry, he’ll make sure Murakami doesn’t end up in Dodger Blue.

The sequel to Godzilla might be coming. But first, it’s up to the Yankees to make sure he premieres on Broadway, not Sunset Boulevard.

HOG DODGERS BAG ANOTHER JAPANESE PHENOM

Well, well, well. It seems the Los Angeles Dodgers have done it again. Just when you thought they couldn’t possibly stuff any more Japanese talent into their overflowing roster, they’ve gone and snatched up Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old Japanese pitching sensation whose fastball casually cruises past 100 mph. Yep, the Dodgers are basically the piggy bank of MLB, hoarding all the shiny coins, and now they’ve added Sasaki to their already sparkling collection. They're hog slobs.

In a move that surprised absolutely no one, Sasaki took to Instagram to announce his intentions to sign with you guessed it the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Sorry, Yankees, Marlins, Red Sox – you guys never really had a shot. The Dodgers, sitting pretty on the West Coast, holding all the cards, are now the undisputed kings of MLB.

Remember those good old days when the Yankees and Red Sox had that heated rivalry, battling it out for the likes of Hideki Matsui, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Masahiro Tanaka? Yeah, that’s ancient history. Back then, the East Coast was all the rage. Now? It’s clear as day – the Dodgers are the new dynasty, and the East Coast teams are left picking up the scraps.

Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and now Roki Sasaki – it’s like the Dodgers have a direct line to Japan, or maybe a magnet that pulls in every top-tier Japanese pitcher. What’s that? San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays were also in the mix? Cute. But let's be honest, they were just there to fill out the roster of potential suitors.

Sasaki’s Instagram post was all humble gratitude, thanking his supporters and expressing his excitement about wearing the Dodgers uniform. He called it a tough decision, but let’s face it, how tough could it really be when the Dodgers come knocking? It's LA, baby! Dammit!

And let’s not forget all that agent chatter about small-market teams – yeah, that clearly went straight out the window. LA is massive, much like NY, but with better weather and fewer existential crises about whether the team will make it past the postseason.

So here we are, with Sasaki joining Ohtani and the gang, setting up the Dodgers for even more domination. They came to win, and they’re here to win for a long, long time. The rest of the league? Well, you might want to start scouting the next generation of international talent, because the Dodgers are playing on a whole different level.

Good for Roki. Good for the Dodgers. But let's be clear, the Yankees have done terrific things this offseason, so it's time to focus on them now that this guy went west.  

Let's go Yanks! I smell a World Series rematch!

YANKEES ARE MAKING BIG STEPS TOWARD ROKI SASAKI

Yankees picked up Paul Goldschmidt on a no-brainer 1 year contract and now have been working it when it comes to Roki Sasaki too. Cashman is on fire.

The New York Yankees are putting on an offseason clinic, flexing their muscles in ways that should make every other MLB team nervous, and now they’re gunning for the crown jewel of international talent: Roki Sasaki. Yes, that Roki Sasaki—the Japanese phenom whose fastball is so electric, it probably needs its own passport.

Landing Sasaki would supercharge an already star-studded rotation, giving the Yankees an embarrassment of riches on the mound. Imagine Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Sasaki all sharing a clubhouse. That’s not a rotation; that’s a Hall of Fame exhibit in the making.

But here’s the twist: throwing buckets of cash won’t cut it this time. Thanks to MLB’s international signing rules, Sasaki can only receive money from each team’s international pool, so the Yankees can’t just flex their wallet. Instead, they’re flexing their charm and savvy—and boy, are they playing the game.

According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees flew cross-country to Los Angeles on Thursday to meet with Sasaki in person. While Japanese players historically lean toward West Coast teams like the Dodgers and Padres, the Yankees have a few tricks up their pinstriped sleeves. For starters, they’ve got a rich history with Japanese stars. Remember Hideki Matsui, the World Series MVP and beloved “Godzilla” of the Bronx? Or Masahiro Tanaka, who dominated for years and became a fan favorite?

Here’s where it gets even better: Tanaka himself is reportedly part of the Yankees’ pitch. As a legend in both Japan and New York, he’s a perfect ambassador to convince Sasaki that Yankee Stadium is where dreams—and championships—come true. Oh, and rumor has it Sasaki is a big fan of Tanaka, so this move could be the ultimate ace up the Yankees’ sleeve.

Sure, the Mets, Dodgers, and Padres are all in the mix, but let’s face it—the Yankees are on a mission to own the offseason and leave the competition eating their dust. With Sasaki in their sights, the Bombers are showing the world that they’re not just contenders; they’re dynasty-builders. And if they pull this off, the rest of MLB better watch out—because the Yankees are just getting started.

YANKS INCHING CLOSER TO ROKI SASAKI!

Cashman is on fire!

Get ready for some big news, Yankees fans! The Bronx Bombers are officially in the hunt for a future ace, and it’s none other than Japan’s young phenom, Roki Sasaki! That’s right, the Yankees have secured an in-person meeting with the 23-year-old sensation, and they’re the FIRST team to make a move. How exciting is that?

Sasaki, a rocket-armed right-hander who can top 100 mph with ease and has a splitter that leaves batters shaking, is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in baseball. And here's the kicker—he’s still considered an international amateur! That means no team can outspend the others with big bucks; all they can offer is a few million dollars from their international free-agent pool. So, it's not about the cash—it's about the opportunity!

Yankees GM Brian Cashman couldn’t contain his excitement about the possibility. He said, “He’s obviously a tremendous talent. It’d be nice to have Yankee Stadium be his home, but the decision will be up to him. All we can do is share everything and anything that we can about ourselves and what we provide.” The Yankees are doing everything they can to make a great impression, but the ball’s in Sasaki’s court.

Now, will the Yankees land Sasaki? Well, no one really knows. It’s too early to say, but they’ve got a real shot. Cashman did mention that even though the Yankees are doing their best to make a case, they’re not sure what Sasaki values most in choosing his next team.

And here’s a fun little wrinkle—while it’s unclear if former Yankee Masahiro Tanaka will be part of the recruiting process, Cashman didn’t rule it out. Tanaka just signed with the Yomiuri Giants, so his availability could be a bit tricky, but who knows? Maybe Matsui?

Bottom line? 

The Yankees are all in on this one, and they’re ready to roll out the red carpet for Sasaki! Keep your fingers crossed, because the Bronx could be home to yet another electric arm!

ALL EYES ON DODGERS VS YANKEES - GET READY!

Even if you won the whole $468 million jackpot this weekend, Shohei Ohtani wins more and takes a bigger pot. He has 700 million reasons why and has the baseball world buzzing. Now, I just can't wait to see how this shakes down.

Get ready, the Dodgers come to Yankee stadium June 7-9th next season and it is going to be a must watch event. Ohtani and the Dodgers rolls into town to play against Juan Soto and the retooled Yankees, you couldn't imagine this any better... or could you? Actually, I think you can.

The Yankees are going ALL IN this year. Soto was just the start. The next "need" to address is going to be the pitching and it's coming. Even the foolish present-day Yankees know you can't lose as much pitching as they did in both the Rule 5 draft and their trades and NOT replenish it. Pitching is coming, but now we just wait and see who.

The Yankees are ALL IN on Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He's the next target, and if the Yankees get him that old Death Star is officially waxed and no longer dusty. We all know Hal Steinbrenner is NOT like his dad George, but even he knows this is a business. The faltering Yankees needed to rebuild their brand. The Yankees aren't just a baseball team, they are an attraction in one of the brightest cities in the world. These aggressive moves are long overdue.

So, Yamamoto is the next piece of the puzzle, and we will see what comes from his visit on Monday. There are rumors that Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka might help with recruiting efforts. This is a big deal; the Yankees are pulling the big guns out. I just hope it works.

So back to that summer series against the Dodgers....it could be even bigger. Can you imagine Ohtani and Soto in the lineup AND Yamamoto pitching for the Yankees? This has HUGE profitability written all over it. Those bleacher tickets are already pricey enough, but get ready the price for that series would be higher without a doubt.

By the way, anyone who thinks baseball is a dying American sport... just look at the details of Ohtani's deal. Baseball is a alive and well, his new contract proves it. Bobby Bonilla is jealous! Get ready folks, the Dodgers and Yankees series is going to be epic!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

JUDGE SAYS YANKS AIN'T DONE WITH BIG SIGNINGS, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ANALYTICS AUDIT?

I'm thrilled about getting Juan Soto in pinstripes.  I actually even feel good about Alex Verdugo believe it or not. The entire outfield has transformed for the better.   Now, we do need pitching, but there's time.  In a recent quote from Aaron Judge, the Yankees do not appear done.

“We’ve made some big moves the past couple of days and looking forward to making a couple more, but it’s gonna be a fun season I think for Yankee fans,” Judge said Thursday morning on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.

Now Yankee fans? It's true, we deserve it.  2023 sucked. We're mad... many of us cannot stand Aaron Boone at the helm, so grabbing Brad Ausmus was a great idea for a bench coach.  Obviously, Soto in pinstripes for 2024 is amazing, but what happens after 2024?  In other words, are we extending this guy? Is he gonna leave? Did we trade away Drew Thorpe for nothing?  Look, we want a great 2024 season this is true, but we want many years of competing at the highest level and actually winning a championship.  That's the goal.  

Yamamoto will be a big piece the Yankees cannot mess up.  The Mets are going after him hard, but we have the numbers, meaning, guys like Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka are giant past acquisitions and they have to help in this venture.  We need this guy. 

I am happy that Aaron Judge can hint as he is. It seems that he's happy and of course that eases the minds of us Yankee fans, but let's keep our eye on the prize... we have to get these guys and win.  It's literally the biggest goal of a professional team.  We as fans finally forced Cashman's hand to make changes with our players... he is, but let's face it, it means nothing if they don't fix the problems in the analytics room, which, as I stated the other day NEVER HAPPENED.  

If you don't know what I mean, read THE FACE OF THE YANKEES ANALYTICS FLOP HAS NO ANSWERS.. Analytics nerd Michael Fishman revealed nothing, except for one very important piece of information that Yankee fans need to be angry about.  Remember when the Yankees were supposed to have an audit by Zelus to look into the Yankees books on how they operate with their players better? Well, there was no audit. The Yankees did not offer to open their books. In other words, the New York Yankees are not taking a "deep dive" into what went wrong. They aren't doing anything but flashing shiny things in our faces in the images of Soto and Yamamoto so we all forget that the Yankees front office was horrible last year.  That, my friends is the most offensive thing of this entire off season.  All of us Yankee fans know we need big players, but we also need to fix the front office.  Hal said we would, but we're not, aren't we?

I want you to think about this if the Yankees are sucking the life out of us in 2024. Because this was the most important fix of them all, but it was ignored.  Sad.

I am thrilled to welcome Soto and Verdugo to the Yankees, it's gonna be fun.  I hope we snag Yamamoto and a few more solid arms.  We need them. But none of this works if we're not given the right numbers from our analytics department, and right now it appears that isn't happening.

Be Skeptical. Ask these questions. We deserve answers.

YANKEES WILL LOSE OUT TO THE RANGERS FOR HADER

The way the season has gone, and now the off-season being slow and the Yankee front office being defiant and not accepting responsibility, I don't see a lot that's gonna happen to better this team.  

I mean, I know what they're doing right now... they waited for Yoshinobu Yamamoto to post, and he did, and Cashman is now in some back room seeing how much money they have to try and get him in pinstripes. They will wheel out Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka to speak fondly to Yamamoto of the Yankees organization and then they will make a pitch, hoping to not be out bid.  

And if they can get him, that would be great. If they can't, we wasted a ton of time.  Oh, and also, one Yamamoto does not make a successful Yankee off-season. They still have a ways to go to please the Yankee fan base, trust me. Remember we can't hit!!!

But hitting help is for another post. This post is about Josh Hader, a guy that the Yankees should absolutely go after, but a guy that they will not get because of non-aggressiveness and them putting all their eggs in the Yamamoto basket.  Inside the pinstripes writes:

"The Rangers should be prepared to pay. Reportedly, Hader and his agent are seeking to beat the five-year, $102 million deal that New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz signed last offseason."

And in that same article? Not a mention of the New York Yankees. Why? Great question.  By the way, if the Rangers are interested and they have the team they have and they can show Hader the money, there is no question that deal is sealed.  Hader to the Bronx will not happen.

Feels eerily like every other offseason in the Bronx, don't it?

YANKS NEED TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH, BUT WE'RE NOT AS PRESTIGIOUS AS WE USED TO BE

When the Yankees were good, they were great.  But the Yankees aren't good and anyone that's been reading the papers knows that it has everything to do with the front office, the manager and the analytics department, who should be renamed "Amateur Hour Office".  Sure, blame some players for not stepping up, but it was even Aaron Judge that took a shot at the front office saying that the players were probably given the "wrong numbers".  That's bad.

Bruce Bochy is a player's manager just like Aaron Boone, but Bochy is also a baseball man. He is wise and manages with his eyes, his heart, his gut. He doesn't use analytics as the law on the field, he uses it as a guide and that's the difference.  Boone uses the numbers for what it is and doesn't factor in many different other factors on any given day... weather, player error, the elements, the different days, the matchups, etc. Boone's a clown. 

The point is at the end of the day, when players are looking to get a big pay day and you see a team like the Texas Rangers and a loser team like the New York Yankees... who are you going to sit down at the table with the negotiate?  

The Yankees should and need to make a big splash this off-season. It's a must.  Here's the problem; Who the hell wants to come to the Yankees these days? This team has been crucified by the press and their own fan base is leaving in flocks.  Do you know a friend of mine received an email from the Yankees ticket office to re-up for the 2024 season? You know what he told them?

"Sir, with all due respect, I will not step foot in Yankee Stadium again until Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are fired."

And you know what? That's a fan... that's fair.  If the front office doesn't want to try and fix things to give their team the best chance to win, why the hell would the fans want to be there? Look, the Mets suck too, but at least Steve Cohen's trying to figure it out. 

There are 3 names out there that the Yankees are continually connected to, but I just don't know if they can get them.

Jordan Montgomery for one. Now let's cut through it right now. The Yankees never gave this guy a fair shake. They didn't believe in him and they didn't allow him to find his groove. The Yankees front office was impatient. But you know who did give Jordan a shot? The Rangers.  So, while the rumors are that the Yankees are going to try and pursue him, what makes you think for a second that JoMo wants to come back to New York?  I think this rumor, while fair to speculate, may be the most ridiculous of them all.  

Cody Bellinger is another guy, but this guy I see coming to New York.  Cody had a great season with the Cubs.  His father Clay played for the organization.  As far as I know there is no bad blood.  Now, would the Yankees be willing to bring this guy in? Would Cody want to be in the Bronx?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A Japanese pitcher that's lights out.  Now look, there are many players from Japan that pan out and many that do not.  For the Yankees, it's a mixed bag between guys like Hideki Matsui, Kei Igawa and Masahiro Tanaka, but at the end of the day, Matsui is the anointed ambassador for the Yankees when it comes to Japanese players and I do believe with some help, Yamamoto could end up in pinstripes.

But look, at the end of the day, it really comes down to the Yankees cleaning up their camp.  The front office is a mess, the direction they give their players is amateur and while money fixes a lot of stuff, it has not fixed this team at all.

Yankeeland needs leaders... and we are not seeing that, especially in 2023.  Who knows what will happen in 2024, but I'm not hopeful.

THE REAL PROBLEM THAT NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT

It's time to start asking the tough questions here. We've tackled a lot of tough subjects this week everything from I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE SECOND STRING YANKEES to NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE PEN. Both emotionally charged subjects and important.

But honestly, I want to know why aren't more people asking questions about all of these injuries? It's time to start asking the tough questions here and possibly make some unpopular decisions.

As of the writing of this post, we have twelve guys(!) on the Injured List with a possibility of growing to 13. Anyone else ticked off by how freaking INSANE this is? Word has it that Giancarlo Stanton had a setback and is expected to be out until around May 10th. Again estimated, but he definitely won't be back until after this long west coast swing. His biceps strain is healed but now he has a barking shoulder and got a cortisone shot.

Now my biggest fear of all could be coming true....Clint Frazier's "precautionary" day off on Tuesday may be more than just a conservative day of rest. He went for an MRI and may have a sprained ankle, read more HERE. He could be the 15th guy the Yankees place on the Injured List this season. 15 folks and it isn't even 30 days into the season! This is stupid!

I get it, injuries happen. All athletes get them but look around major league baseball.....no one has the same problem we do. No one has a Triple-A roster like we do. Anyone else remember the last time this happened? I sure do!

Let's turn back time, shall we? Prior to 2007 the Yankees hired Marty Miller as the team strength and conditioning coach. Injuries piled up within a month of the season beginning and it proved to be Miller’s undoing and he was let go early in the season. Do you remember all of those hamstring sprains? I do! Hideki Matsui, Mike Mussina and Phil Hughes had some bad ones, and that's just a few that I can remember. Johnny Damon had a bad calf strain and Andy Pettitte worked through back stiffness after a weight lifting mishap that never should've happened.

Photo: Marty Miller, right

Cashman never publicly blamed Miller or Dana Cavalea his assistant back then but he said players declining to participate in a team’s strength and conditioning program could have been a contributing factor to all of those injuries. Think about that one....players DECLINING to participate in the team's conditioning program leaves a bad perception. It's probably what led to Miller's dismissal. It's at least a safe assumption.

Photo: Dana Cavalea

Back in 2013 we also had issues with injuries and Cavalea was the strength and conditioning coach. We said in YANKEES STRENGTH & CONDITIONING NOW IN QUESTION that while the Yankees started to look at which coaches should be cut that the Yankees strength and conditioning coach at the time, Cavalea should not be excluded. There was too much going wrong for the Yankees to just let it slide. That was a much older team, so some people argued that some "concessions" could be made but somehow with all of Cavalea's experience and tenure with the Yankees there was still a disconnect. The Yankees had to go a different direction and parted ways with Cavalea after he was in the organization for nine years.

So here we are, new leadership since then. But something just isn't right here and even though it is taking some time to finally wake up and realize it....people other than just US here at BYB are starting to notice. According to NJ.com HERE, Brian Cashman is starting to get a lot of questions about the medical staff. Even Yankee ownership has gone to Cashman seeking answers. If the boss were around....you know heads would be rolling. If the brass is finally asking you KNOW something is brewing, but is it too late?

Cashman has always been the master of deception. He has a great poker face and he tends to give answers to questions that don't truly answer the question, and leave you wondering. One quote that always stuck with me was his reasoning behind the dismissal of Miller. Just one sentence, HERE.

"It got to the point where the perception is there's a problem here."

That was valid back in 2007....so what about 12 years later? You can't ignore 12 or 13 guys on the Injured List. Three of our guys have torn UCL's (Didi Gregorius, Ben Heller and Jordan Montgomery). Four of our opening day starters have various strains (Aaron Judge, Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Troy Tulowitzki). You can argue that again perception here is there's a problem. It was true back in 2007, and again in 2013....history could repeat itself in 2019.

Cashman called this "bad luck" in his interview on WFAN. You can't call this bad luck. Poor offseason conditioning and lack of proper training lead to muscular issues and strains. The pitching injuries are likely caused by the repetitive unnatural motion but also poor mechanics. There are enough injuries here to make it reasonable to question the Yankees training and medical staff. The Yankees have some of the best resources you can ask for, I'm sure other teams are not nearly as fortunate. It's time to fix the problem!

We have to start to question the strength and conditioning as well as the medical staff here. They are the common denominator and history shows there have been problems before. The only way to get to the bottom of these issues is to look at every possibility. If this isn't the problem then so be it but it's time to be proactive here, and not reactive.

Something just doesn't add up here. I'm sorry Cashman, this isn't bad luck. You may have another perception problem on your hands. So what are we going to do about it?

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

GREAT PICKS FOR THE HALL OF FAME!

I love this Hall of Fame class!

There will be some great players named to the Hall of Fame this year, and these guys deserve it! Honestly.

The Associated Press simply writes the following:

Photo: Tim Umphrey 

"Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame."

Now, I am not lucky enough to vote for the actual Hall of Fame. But myself and the BYB writers are members of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and we do vote every year for who we think should be in the Hall of Fame.  Here is my ballot:

It also should be noted that Vladimir Guerrero and Edgar Martinez had already been honored in previous IBWAA elections, which is why you don’t see their names listed here. 

And if I was thinking clearly at the time, I would have marked Vlad on my ballot.  That's my bad.  It's good to see that I was in line with the baseball writers on the others.

Photo: CBS Sports

And yeah, I voted for guys like Matsui and Huff in my picks.  Those were guys I respected as players, maybe they don't necessarily deserve the honor right now, but still, it's my vote, I can do what I want with it.

Anyway... congrats to the winners this year.  It's pretty damn exciting.

DECEMBER HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A GREAT MONTH FOR THE YANKEES

Source: Sporting News

So far this December, we have had a good run.  We signed a new manager, we signed Giancarlo Stanton and we are taking our rightful post as best team in baseball from the farm upwards.  Historically, December has been a great month for the Yankees and it all started in 1919.

"In the winter of 1919, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee did the unthinkable: In need of funding for a musical he was trying to produce, he sold Babe Ruth -- deemed "more spectacular than useful" -- to the rival Yankees for $100,000. Four World Series titles, the all-time home run record and an 86-year curse later, it's one of the most significant moments in baseball history," reported MLB.com

Specifically, it was December 26th as the Twitter post boasts.  And there was no going back for the Yankees.  Now, almost 100 years later, the Yankees are sitting above the rest, building, sculpting a new dynasty filled with promise and excitement.

"With the December trade for reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees believe they have assembled a modern-day version of the fabled Murderer's Row, stacking their lineup with the right-handed power of Judge, Stanton and Gary Sanchez," reported MLB.com.

Source: New York Times

The leader of this newly assembled lineup is Aaron Boone, whose fit seemed unlikely to many who thought someone with managerial experience should take the helm.  But at the start of this great December, he was the candidate the front office believed could carry the Yankees to their next championship.

Source: NJ.com

 “Joe was great for the last 10 years, like Joe Torre was great before him. But the game is changing at such a speed that you’ve got to be able to not only jump on and go with it, but relate it to this generation of young stars," reported the New York Times earlier in the month.

Source: Newsday

Other Decembers where we made favorable "blockbuster-like" moves include 2014 when we picked up Didi Gregorius and Andrew Miller, Mark Teixeira in 2008, Hideki Matsui in 2002, Rickey Henderson in 1984, Catfish Hunter in 1974 and Roger Maris in 1959.

Source:  Getty Images / Elsa

In December 2008 we signed CC Sabathia for the first time and for the second time, Sabathia officially signed his new 2018 contract the day after Christmas.  Will he be the last signing before the New Year, topping off another great December?  Perhaps but there are several hours left for the Yankees to snag another pitcher in Gerrit Cole or Patrick Corbin?  Or another?  No doubt, that the Yankees have a little more room on their roster to make some further additions.

We will keep our ears and eyes open and report it out.  Happy December everyone!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof