NOW WE'RE JUST THROWING CRAP AGAINST THE WALL TO SEE IF IT STICKS...

And I'm the moron who falls for it.  Look, I love the rumor mill like anyone, but some of the crap that's coming out are just ideas, some provocative ideas and many have no legs at all. But of course we read about it. And that's why this latest one sparked my interest even though I know that it is not going to happen and there is no real story here... it's a guess, it's click bait... it's bullshit.  Let's have fun anyway.

Fansided’s Christopher Kline floated the idea that Jacob deGrom could become the Yankees’ next high-profile science experiment. According to him, the Yankees might actually consider a rotation headlined by Gerrit Cole (fresh off the Tommy John Spa & Wellness Retreat), Max Fried, and Jacob deGrom. Sure—and I might wake up tomorrow as the Sultan of Brunei.

Kline basically asks: Are the Yankees willing to foot the bill? Spoiler: this is the same franchise that still pretends the luxury tax is some kind of mythical, fire-breathing dragon. Theoretically, the Yankees could use another ace to stabilize their rotation—mostly because their current “stability” is held together with athletic tape and crossed fingers. Cam Schlittler’s breakout might convince them not to completely torch the payroll, but you never really know with this front office. They love shiny objects, even when those shiny objects come with warning labels.

Yes, deGrom did his best work in New York—just across town with the Mets, which would make this a particularly painful plot twist for Queens. And sure, his 12–8 record with a 2.97 ERA this past season looks nice if you don't read the medical file attached.

And oh, that medical file. Folks, this man has spent more time in operating rooms than most actual surgeons:

• Oct 2010: First Tommy John surgery

• Sept 2016: Season-ending ulnar nerve surgery

• 2021: Elbow inflammation, forearm tightness, shoulder trouble—the injury trifecta

• 2022: Stress reaction in the right shoulder—missed months

• June 2023: Second Tommy John, because why stop at one?

Look, deGrom is incredible when healthy… which is basically whenever Halley's Comet passes by. And yes, Brian Cashman is desperate. We all know it. He’s operating like a man trying to plug leaks on the Titanic with decorative napkins. So on paper, this is exactly the kind of move he’d talk himself into.

But in reality?
No. Nope. Not happening. Not even close...in my opinion of course.

The Yankees desperately need improvement, but that improvement starts in the front office—not the dugout. Until the front office stops playing Mad Libs with the roster, nothing changes.

Will a gamble like deGrom ever come to life?
I don't see it.
But stick around—this is the Yankees. They always find new and creative ways to surprise and disappoint us.

Stay tuned.

JACOB DEGROM & THE RANGERS GET THE BOOT!

WHAT...A...GAME! Seriously, everything is bigger in Texas, right? That's at least the saying. I guess that changes when the Rangers leave Arlington and roll into the Bronx because the Yankees just pulled off the unthinkable. 

I'll admit, I was nervous about Wednesday's game. Jacob deGrom may not be the same pitcher he used to be but he's still pretty damn good post two Tommy John surgeries and I was worried about how Ryan Yarbrough was gonna match up against him. There's nothing more nerve wrecking than a veteran pitcher like deGrom who is no stranger to New York expectations facing off against "the new guy" that Brian Cashman picked up form the bargain bin. 

No surprise, but deGrom looked sharp, only Anthony Volpe had luck against him in seven innings. The Yankees didn't crawl themselves out of a 3-1 hole until after deGrom was pulled. Then everything changed, Cody Bellinger extended his fifteen game hitting streak with a home run, Aaron Judge got an RBI and Jasson Dominguez capped it all off with a win. The Yankees made a comeback late in the game, this is the Yankees team we all need to see after watching a lot of blunders over the years. It was nice to see.

Even nicer to see was Yarbrough. He's really surprised me. I will be the first to admit, I was skeptical especially pitching against deGrom but he had good command, he switched speeds on his pitches and he dotted the corners. He kept Texas off balance and struck out eight over five innings. He dueled against a veteran starter and held his ground. This is what the Yankees need, he and his 3.38 ERA are doing everything the Yankees have asked for so far.

There's a lot to like about Wednesday's game. The Yankees used SIX different pitchers to piece together nine innings....and still pulled off a victory. That's five straight series wins now and still accomplished that with a roster so different than what the Yankees entered Spring Training with. 

Good teams find a way to win. We're doing it....even in games where we are the underdog. That's called getting the job done. Now they just need to keep doing it.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THAT JOSH SMITH RUMOR IS BACK AND MAKES PERFECT SENSE

The Yankees’ infield rumors this winter have been like a game of Whac-A-Mole—just when you think one name sticks, another pops up. But here we are, circling back to a name we tossed around on Bleeding Yankee Blue not too long ago: Josh Smith of the Texas Rangers.

FanSided’s Jacob Mountz recently floated the idea that instead of splurging on Nolan Arenado, the Yankees might just take a more practical route and trade for Smith. But will they actually pull the trigger?

"One unexplored option belongs to the Texas Rangers," Mountz wrote. "Utility infielder/outfielder Josh Smith served as the Rangers' third baseman last season, filling in for the injured Josh Jung. Set to make $800,000 this season before becoming arbitration-eligible, he is easily affordable to any interested team."

Smith, a 27-year-old lefty bat, came out swinging last season, hitting .293 with 10 home runs in the first half. Sure, a mid-season injury cooled him off, but he still snagged a Silver Slugger, wrapping up the season with a respectable .258 and 13 homers in 523 at-bats.

This isn’t our first rodeo with floating Smith. Back on February 1st (HERE) we proposed a trade on BYB that would send Smith to the Bronx and finally cut ties with Marcus Stroman. At the time, we wrote:

"For the Yankees, this would finally put an end to the Stroman saga while helping to patch up their infield depth, an area of concern heading into spring training. As for the Rangers, it’s not the worst idea—they're heavily relying on Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle, two talented arms who combined for just 23.1 innings last season due to injuries. Adding Stroman as an insurance policy, especially if the Yankees eat a chunk of his salary, could be a decent low-risk move."

Let’s face it: if the Yankees are hunting for talent that won’t break the bank, Smith might be their guy. He’s the anti-Arenado—cheap, controllable, and full of potential. The question is, will the Yankees make a move, or is this just another episode of "Rumor Mill: Bronx Edition"?

Stay tuned, folks. You know how these plot twists go.

I HATE AARON JUDGE SPECULATION, BUT HERE IT GOES

You have a guy that just broke one of the most coveted records in baseball, the single season American League Home run record.  Judge bet on himself and is now in what is considered the biggest free agent market for him.  All eyes on him. He deserves that. He will get what he wants, within reason.  And the speculation about where he will go and what people think he will do is annoying and tired at this point. Read SPECULATION OF AARON JUDGE'S TEAM, YEARS IS ANNOYING & TIRED ALREADY, you will understand exactly how I feel.

But with that in mind, understand this; when it comes to common sense, you have to see how this should really shake down. First off, the home run record.  Think about this; in our lifetime and for some of you not, the home run record was broken by three New York Yankees.  

While the stadiums have been different over the years, and not all home runs are in our home stadium of the Bronx, Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and Aaron Judge are the guys.  That's historic, but part of Yankee history.  One would ask, "Why leave Aaron? You are part of that rich history.", while others will say, "Leave Aaron, you already broke the record. Time to move on."

Then think about this; What are Aaron's personal feelings about the Yankees organization?  Does Aaron Judge want to be there? You can suggest that he was slighted by the Yankees. You can suggest that they didn't believe in him before the season and low-balled him. That would be accurate because let's be honest, before this season Judge was not consistent and got hurt a lot.  

2022 was a fluke when it came to Aaron's consistency and health.  Now you will ask "Is this 2022 player the player the Yankees always wanted?" Of course, he is. But they made an initial offer at the beginning of 2022 to Judge pooling all the data from before this season began. THAT WOULD BE FAIR AND ACCURATE.  And so, we go back to his feelings. Is Judge butt hurt by that?  Maybe.  But did Judge make an argument for himself after that? Yes, he did.

Then, we need to think about what he really wants. Does Aaron want to move on? Change of scenery, more challenges?  You have some MLB exec telling Jon Heyman: "He's going to leave the greatest market to go across the country to a team where it's hard to hit homers? Come on."  Well, what does an MLB Executive really know about what an athlete wants? Think about that. 

You have a rich baseball player playing a kid's game.  He can come and go as he pleases; he can challenge himself in new ballparks, with new fans. OR... he can stay safe, appear complacent with his giant contract and be a Yankee till the end of his career and just get paid.  By the way, challenges in a new uniform or staying in the Bronx... this guy is STILL going to get paid.  And so, what does it matter where he goes?  Now if he loves New York and his heart is in New York, that's a different story, and I guess that's where we are.

I'll tell you one thing; Jacob deGrom didn't want to a be in Queens.  There have been rumors about that for years. The Texas Rangers came up with a good number for a guy that hasn't exactly been healthy in his career, but when the guy was on, he was on. But in the end, this was about deGRom getting out of Queens.  He was done with the Mets... it wasn't for him.  Last night Twitter was in a tizzy because people claimed the Mets didn't get a chance to make a final offer to deGrom before he signed with the Rangers.  2 things to think about knowing what you know now about deGrom's decision; The Mets don't HAVE to get that courtesy. Secondly, deGrom made up his mind.  When it comes to free agency, while the courtesy is sometimes extended to their home teams, it's ultimately up to the player, and in this case, deGrom wanted out of New York. Again, new challenges, new scenery, new fans.

We don't know what Aaron Judge is feeling. 

What we do know is his season in 2022 was historic. But at the end of the day this is a business.  The Yankees made a pitch at the beginning of 2022 based on Judge's inconsistency and injury report as a Yankee but took into his account his accomplishments as well. That low-ball number as some would call it believe it or not, was pretty damn accurate because 2022 didn't even happen yet. My opinion is it was not a low-ball, it was business, and it was totally fair.  

But what happened next was historic, and it catapulted Aaron into another payment bracket. And so, the Yankees made their reported offer of $300 million and 8 years. Totally fair.  Now, the Giants can come back with $310 and 8 years and if I'm the Yankees, I quickly counter with $314 and 8 and an maybe even figure out a 9th year with incentives. Maybe it's a coach, player gig. Maybe they add Captain to his resume as well, but if I'm the Yankees, that's my limit because there is no way Judge can stay as good as he was in 2022 for the rest of his career. Sure, that's a guess, but I'm right. 

If the Giants go higher than that... I will suggest the Yankees say goodbye.  Why? Because it's business, The Yankees are in it to win it, but they're not stupid. 

Now if Aaron Judge deep in his heart wants to break down in San Fran, go for it. If Judge wants to be beloved in the Bronx for the end of his career, at least he will know he's safe. Why? Because he came back home. Trust me, his first home game in the Bronx in 2023 will be a thunderous standing ovation. That will surely feed his ego.  

But this is what has been in the back of my mind for months. The booing and the lack of class from our fans.  Now, you're going to think I'm crazy, but this stuff matters.  Remember something about Judge. The Home run record gets broken, historic and outstanding right? But this guy goes into the playoffs and struggles and was literally booed out of Yankee stadium for his performance.  If I'm Aaron Judge, I'm thinking about that every day.  

Now he's not the type to be like "Well I broke the record, and you treated me like shit", but it will be in the back of his mind.  Now you can say "He's big boy, he makes millions, he can take it." But my point is, you just don't treat someone like that.  I mean if this guy just sucked all year and continued to suck in the playoffs, all bets are off. He's impersonating Hicks at that point.  But he didn't. He had a monumental season, and we still rode the guy for a bad playoff.  Hitting home runs is hard.  He did something heroic. Yankee fans are often stupid. The game's brutal sometimes and he no doubt knew he was blowing it in the playoffs. But booing players is RIDICULOUS, and trust me, that is in the back of Judge's mind throughout this entire process.

But look, this is all speculation and guesses, the thing I hate the most.  Yet, this is where my head's out today.  I know, I know, I'm speculating. Well, it's hard to not do, but it buys me another week so we don't have to write about this every single day on Bleeding Yankee Blue.  If I'm going to bring you my thoughts, I might as well bring it to you just once a week, right?

Final note, don't forget to do your Christmas shopping at the BYB store. Low prices, great quality, and right now still guaranteed for Christmas. I currently own a Harrison Bader fan club shirt and a Bleeding Yankee Blue throw back. Both t-shirts, but I'm gonna buy myself the G.O.A.T. 3 gray hoodie next!  Do some shopping, support BYB! Thank you. 

SHOULD THE YANKEES TAKE A CHANCE WITH JACOB DEGROM?

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

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

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

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

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

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

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

MLB WINTER MEETINGS MAKE THE JUDGE CONVERSATION EVEN HOTTER!

Last year there was this sense of urgency around signings during Thanksgiving week because of the impending strike looming MLB. This year, the off-season signings have been at a calmer pace, unless of course you are us—Yankee fans waiting for notification that Aaron Judge will return to pinstripes. With the Winter Meetings ready to kick off next Sunday, we will likely see some big deals get done. It is the week before the storm, my friends, as the Winter Meetings make the Judge conversation even hotter.

“A lot of stuff doesn’t kick in until the winter meetings in December,” Aaron Judge said earlier this month after winning the AL MVP Award," reported the New York Post. Now, all eyes are focused on the meetings which will be San Diego beginning December 4th.

Source: NJ.com

According to the New York Post, "Judge’s free agency did receive some juice this past week, when he took a two-day visit with his hometown Giants, though it remains to be seen whether he will take meetings with other teams before he makes his decision. The Dodgers are expected to be another suitor for Judge while Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently said the team has an offer on the table for the star outfielder." The pacific coast time zone will provide news on signings to New Yorkers at different, perhaps weird times. But reporters will be hot to post as soon as Judge and even Jacob deGrom camps make their move.

Source: FanSided

"The two-time Cy Young award winner is looking to become MLB’s highest-paid pitcher. Max Scherzer and the Mets reset the standard last year with a record $43.3 million average annual value (three years, $130 million). The Mets believe deGrom wants to stay in Queens as long as there isn’t a significant discrepancy in offers elsewhere, The Post’s Mike Puma reported last week."

Besides the Mets and the Yankees, this trip to San Diego is going to quite expensive for clubs seeking to furnish their clubhouse with key signature players. There is a long list of players on the market, that with a new team, could make them more likely to go far in the playoffs next fall.

Source: NJ.com

As much as I want to just hold my tongue and not jinx our chances of getting Judge, the Yankees need more than AL MVP in their clubhouse to go deeper in the playoffs. Consistent pitching, hitting and staying healthy are keys to winning. Yet signing Judge may also be the catalyst for the Yankees to build around him, with resources that can put the Bombers over the edge and into the World Series. It will be an interesting two weeks, fans. Let's hope it bows well for the Yankees. 

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

NEW YORK TEAMS FACE A WINTER BATTLE

Source: Nathan Hunsinger for The New York Times

The timeline to opening day is filled with milestone dates, awards and a lot of money. March 30, 2023 is the scheduled start of the baseball season. According to CBS Sports who also listed all of the key dates leading to Opening Day 2023, "all 30 clubs will be in action on Opening Day, with nine of the 15 games featuring intra-division matchups." Will the matchups include Yankee franchise player Aaron Judge and Mets franchise player Jacob deGrom in their familiar New York uniforms? So difficult to say, but if I was betting, I would place a bet on Judge signing with the Yankees over deGrom with the Mets. Without a doubt, the New York baseball teams face a fierce winter ahead- one could say it will be a battle.

Source: John Minchillo/Associated Press

On the heels of the General Manager Meetings which concluded in Las Vegas on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal suggested that: "the broader story of this offseason is shaping up to be about player retention, with a number of stars potentially departing clubs that have expressed an interest in keeping them." Kicking things off for the official baseball offseason were the Los Angeles Angels who explicitly stated in a formal attestation their desire to keep their superstar Shohei Ohtani, "the two-way superstar whose contract expires after the 2023 season, will not be traded, according to general manager Perry Minasian. “The goal is not just to keep him for this year—it’s to keep him long term,” Minasian said. “This offseason, unless something drastically changes, I don’t see any reason not to say he’s going to be an Angel.” 

With this announcement, even more of a focus will be on sure-to-be American League MVP, Aaron Judge. It is likely that teams will look closer, if they have not already done so, at their resources to acquire Judge who will likely decline his $19.65 million qualifying offer on or before the deadline to do so which is November 20th. The Yankees have made it clear that their first priority is to sign their franchise player, but that contract will be in one word "expensive."

“He certainly will clear $300 million,” an MLB executive said, according to Jon Heyman. “But is he closer to $400 million than $300 million? Maybe. He’s that important to the wealthiest team,” reported NESN. Probably the most profound quote I read over the last few days is this one by the Wall Street Journal, "The Yankees, considered baseball’s financial powerhouse, would infuriate their fan base by not re-signing their best homegrown player since Derek Jeter. The Giants, in contrast, would hope to re-ignite the passion of their own fan base by making a commitment to a star player as they did with Barry Bonds in 1993."

Meanwhile the New York Mets will have a more difficult road to resigning their ace Jacob deGrom. Yet the organization has not been as vocal about their desire to sign deGrom, making me wonder if they let he walk, perhaps all the way to Texas. "According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, deGrom has let the Texas Rangers know he is interested in signing with them. SNY reported this week that the Rangers and Atlanta Braves are the two biggest threats to sign deGrom away from the Mets."

The Mets and Yankees are about to embark on the financial battle of their lives. The investment in their franchise players won't come cheap and the clock is ticking. The next milestone date is the announcement of Rookies of the Year followed by managers of the year and then Cy Young and MVP recipients. Soon after that, the likely battle will begin. All hands-on deck for this dog fight. And may Judge and the Yankees win. 

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

COULD YANKEES AND METS STEAL EACH OTHER'S FRANCHISE PLAYERS?

Source: New York Post

Well, how's that for a headline? It's an interesting idea but I am not so sure how real it is. I mean anything can happen—it is Hot Stove season after all. But could the Yankees and Mets swap their greatest modern day franchise players? Jacob deGrom just entered the free agency market joining Aaron Judge who wasn’t thrilled with the Yankees’ $213.5 million offer in spring. deGrom officially opted out of his current contract on Monday. Events leaving me and many others to question: Could the Yankees and Mets steal each other's franchise players?

According to the New York Post, "The belief is that the Yankees will be willing to top Judge’s $36 million a year asking price from back in spring, before he became the AL single-season home run record holder, and if deGrom wants to top Max Scherzer’s record $43.3 million Mets salary, as some suggest, the strong indications are that it will not be with the Mets." But would the Yankees buy deGrom over Judge? Would they even be given that choice?

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

The Mets locked up their trumpet-themed closer Edwin Diaz earlier this week. The Yankees picked up Luis Severino's $15 million team option for 2023. The Mets now seem focused on keeping their center fielder Brandon Nimmo a Met and the Yankees, well keep Judge a Yankee. So is the idea of franchise swapping futile?

According to the Post, "The speculation that either New York team may try to steal the other team’s marquee franchise player — i.e. the Mets signing Judge, the Yankees signing deGrom — has no noticeable legs. There’s an era of good feeling between our local teams, and while that may not last, it seems very evident right now. Neither side seems up for an intracity war. " Well that's good. But are the Yankees willing to let Judge sign his career way to the San Francisco Giants? And what will happen to deGrom? 

Hot Stove and others predict Judge will receive a big offer from the Giants while deGrom could be a welcome addition to the pitching staff of the new manager of the Texas Rangers, Bruce Bochy—ironically a three-time World Series manager for yes, the San Francisco Giants. Irony is everywhere.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Stealing franchise players could well, cause a riot in New York. And truthfully speaking, not good for the sport. The Yankees need to be focused on signing Judge and keeping Anthony Rizzo. And if the Mets let deGrom walk, they need to think about who they are replacing him with on a pitching roster that was very unforgiving at the end of the 2022 season. The Hot Stove is heating up with more interesting trade concepts coming in over the next few weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings in December. 

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

HELLO, YANKEES— IS ANYONE HOME?

Here's what I have to say. The Houston Astros are not that great, but they have a great manager in Dusty Baker. They have taken advantage of the Yankees' bad decisions, bad offense, bad leadership and overall bad baseball. If I am honest, the Phillies, who are the likely winner of the National League Championship Series, will steam roll right over the Astros as the more dominate team. And if not the Astros, then certainly the Yankees, if they could come back after what has been the most disappointing set of losses in the postseason since 2004. Recall that the Boston Red Sox came back from an 0-3 deficit to beat the Yankees and claim their first World Series since 1918. Yeah, that was bad. This performance is equally bad. 

To hear the words, desperate, outmatched, and lifeless as the unfamiliar TBS analysts frame the Yankees to the postseason audience is embarrassing. I want to call the Stadium and see if someone, anyone can find the Yankee team that started off 2022. That team is clearly not this team. And it does not appear they are coming back.

"Even in the latter half of October, manager Aaron Boone is scrambling to adequately fill in the lineup around Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. In Game 2, he moved Harrison Bader, the club’s hottest hitter, into the leadoff spot and bumped Gleyber Torres, batting .148 in October, to the No. 5 slot. Bader and Torres helped create the Yankees’ runs and opportunities for more, but if anything the shuffle accentuated just how unsettled the bottom half of the lineup remains," reports Yahoo Sports.

Even in front of the media the Yankees don't have a united front—not having each other's back, pointing fingers, and making excuses. The biggest offender is the Yankees' skipper Aaron Boone and guess what he looks like the biggest jackass of them all. Sure, the Yankees look terrible on the field, but Boone makes it worse with bad decisions and even worse excuses. Fans have taken to Twitter to share their disappointment in this Yankee team.

Even with their Ace on the hill Saturday, the Yankees could not back him up with proper defense or God forbid, hits. And this is the game that was supposed to turn things around for the Yankees, well, according to ESPN in their article "4 reasons not to count the Yankees out yet."

"The series starts anew in Game 3. No, you obviously can’t wipe away that the Astros are up 2-0 in the series, but there’s nothing the Yankees can do about that right now. All they can do is focus on what’s next, and the truth is this: Houston just used their best two starting pitchers, and the Yankees are about to use their two best starting pitchers." Doesn't matter how well you pitch. If your team doesn't back you up with offense, you don't win. Ask Jacob deGrom. He knows that story all too well.

The facts are these: the Yankees struck out more than 38 times and only drew five walks in this entire series. Their defense has not done them any favors in the Bronx last night. And they have not had any offense at the DH position nor has their leadoff batter done anything to help them. The Yankees injury-ridden team has been exposed and unless they can somehow wake up and get fired up, this series, and this season is over for them. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

YANKEES GRAB A NEW CATCHER FOR MORE DEPTH

Source: Paul J. Bereswill NY Post

And just like that...the Yankees make another deal with the Texas Rangers. This time they pick up another catcher to add more depth to the position. Jose Trevino, a 29-year-old from the Rangers, heads to the Bronx in exchange for once-promising right-hander Albert Abreu and minor league lefty Robert Ahlstrom, a 2021 draft pick. I can't argue with more depth in a position where this team had none, but with Kyle Higashioka playing the way he is and Ben Rortvedt in tow, should we have invested in this kind of trade when we really need starting pitching?

"Trevino and Higashioka are both right-handed hitters, making for more of an imperfect platoon fit than the Higashioka/Rortvedt combo, yet the first priority still seems to be defense considering Trevino’s lack of offensive pop. Over his 516 career plate appearances with the Rangers, Trevino has batted only .245/.270/.364.  Framing-wise, Statcast considered Trevino to be among the best in baseball last season," reported MLB Trade Rumors. Rotvedt is out with an oblique strain and will likely start the season in Triple-A with a trajectory toward the MLB Club. As far as starting pitching, where are the Yankees in that camp?

According to SI.com, "There's still a possibility that New York could make some sort of trade in the next six days, addressing their pitching staff. Boone said he is focused on this organization's internal options, though." The Yankees standout pitching-wise this spring has Manny Bañuelos. Bañuelos was stellar against the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, throwing three scoreless innings. In addition, the confident 31-year-old is up to six scoreless innings this spring with seven strikeouts, giving up only two hits.

Aaron Boone said that pitcher Michael King with also be with the team as they head north in just about a week as spring training wraps up. He has been having a good spring as well. With Luis Severino still not 100% it will be interesting to see how the team handles the first week of the season. 

Source: NY Daily News

So the Yankees addressed the catching and shortstop positions this offseason with trades with the Texas Rangers. It is still are unclear how their starting rotation will play out. I mean everyone is sort of in the same boat. Even the team across town who has a stacked rotation has seen the likes of uncertainty as Jacob deGrom suffered a stress injury in his right shoulder, making him questionable this season. We will see new faces and hopefully exciting baseball this coming week. Let's hope the moves are enough to give the Yankees a chance to make some positive noise early this spring. 

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