ANTHONY RIZZO MAY BE IN DEMAND

 As the new baseball season is in full gear, former Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo remains unsigned—though that may soon change. After two injury-riddled years that slowed his production, the 35-year-old veteran hasn't drawn much interest on the free agent market. But as teams across the league start recognizing gaps at first base and the need for experienced leadership, Rizzo’s value may be quietly rising again.

Despite the recent challenges, Rizzo's passion for the game hasn’t faded. Known for his professionalism and deep-rooted love of baseball, he's long been a player who commands respect in the clubhouse—not just with his bat and glove, but with his presence. Younger players look to him for guidance, and he’s never shied away from mentoring the next generation. His blend of pride in his craft and willingness to share knowledge has made him a beloved figure in every locker room he's been part of.

One potential fit for the veteran slugger could be the Miami Marlins. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently floated the idea that Miami—currently lacking in veteran leadership—might be an ideal landing spot. "Colorado (Kris Bryant) could certainly use a first baseman. Perhaps Detroit (Javier Báez), too, although Spencer Torkelson has gotten out to a great start to the year," Miller wrote. "Alternatively, a return to his old stomping grounds in southern Florida could be in order. The Miami Marlins are very much lacking for a veteran presence, as no one on that roster is over the age of 30."

Rizzo, who grew up in Parkland, Florida, could offer more than just defense and occasional pop from the left side—he could provide mentorship and a steadying influence to a young, developing Marlins team that badly needs a guiding voice.

Earlier this offseason, Rizzo was candid about his current crossroads, admitting that he's considered stepping away from the game altogether. Most of the offers he's received have reportedly been for league-minimum contracts—an understandable frustration for a player who once stood among the premier first basemen in baseball. Still, Rizzo hasn’t slammed the door shut. His pride, his love for the game, and his role as a mentor continue to tug at him.

If a team like Miami takes the chance, they won’t just be signing a player—they’ll be bringing in a clubhouse cornerstone, a proven leader who still has more to offer than the box score might show.

RUMOR: CORREA HAS AN INJURY & IS HIDING IT!

Twitter is buzzing and the subject has me glued to my social media accounts. If this true, it is HUGE news and only reinforces how I already feel. What am I talking about?

In case you missed it, there is a juicy rumor out there that Carlos Correa is not being transparent about an injury he has been dealing with. I didn't believe it at first until I came across audio on Twitter. Now social media is convinced that this is a major reason why he hasn't signed a deal and others like Corey Seager and Javier Baez have. Interesting.....

Buster Olney discussed Correa on a podcast and just because it is Correa it peaked my interest. If what Olney is reporting is credible then the Yankees should run the other way. I will be honest, I want them to run away even if he is completely healthy BUT I already think he has no morals or integrity so this only makes me dislike him even more. The idea that his medical records are only accessible with a "significant offer" isn't logical at all but if anyone would actually try to pull this kind of stunt it makes sense it would be a low-life cheater like Correa. It's not the first time he has lacked transparency, and it won't be the last.

And maybe this is part of the reason why the Houston ASSTROS only offered five years at $160 million. Sure they want him at the best price possible but maybe five years is as far as they will go if he does have a concerning injury. It makes sense. The ASSTROS know what Correa is dealing with better than anyone. They love what he's done for the organization and money aside, they offered five years when many insiders were guessing a nine year deal. The Yankees should look at the ASSTROS offer and analyze that some more. ALL teams should.

I've never been a fan of signing Correa. He has a history of controversy surrounding him and now it follows him as he tries to cash in as a free agent. Let Correa be some other teams headache.....and backache in this case.

--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

2 LOSSES STINK, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE NOT THE METS

The Mets have a problem... they stink.

You wanna piss off the same fan base that pays your salary? Boo them back! Javier Baez is a tool.  Yesterday he decided that he would thumbs down Mets fans because I guess he, Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar believed "enough was enough" with the fans being unhappy with their performance. And so, they went back at the fans, "booing them back" with thumbs down symbols.

Now everyone who's anyone knows that if you wanna tick off fans, this is the way to do it. Here's what the Mets don't get. You are paid to play the game as hard as you can to collect the most wins and best statistics you can for the year or years. THAT IS YOUR JOB NEW YORK METS. You know what the fan's job is? The fans job is to tell you if they approve or not. THAT'S IT.

Fans pay alot of money to buy tickets, eat the crappy food and pay alot of money to park for a few hours. Some fans do it more than others spending literally thousands of dollars per month.  And so, if you suck Baez and Lindor... trust me.... the fans are gonna tell you.  

Now... when it comes to the Yankees fans, we will do the same. You all know that Bleeding Yankee Blue keeps it as honest as we can here when it comes to the Yankees... good OR bad. If the Yankees are doing real good, we of course are on board. If they suck, we are the first to tell you that we can't stand them at that moment in time and also suggest what we would do as fans. You wanna know why? Because much like Mets fans, we too have a voice.  

Here's the difference... the New York Yankees never go back at the fans. They are held at a higher standard and they know this. And so, they sit there, they'll take the heat if they suck, and like any mature ballplayer... they will work through it and try to improve. It's alot of pressure, but that's what a ballplayer does. And as we saw, the Yankees found their stride with 13 straight wins.  

Now they are at 2 straight losses, which, isn't a big deal, but to some fans it may be. Fair enough. That's what is so great about being a fan. We all feel differently about different moments on the field. We root the same, but differently depending on who we like out there and what we want out of our team. But again... the Yankees? They don't hammer us back. They get it.

It starts at the top. 

The Steinbrenners have set the tone for wealth and what some feel is almost royalty. The Yankees are the elite, the top, the most pretegious franschise and that is how it trickles down. The Yankees players won't attack a fan like losers Baez or Pillar. Why? Because the standard is different for Steve Cohen, a Mets owner who is as spineless as they come, NOT talking directly to the clubhouse if the Mets are sucking, but instead trying to publicly humiliate them on Twitter.  

You gotta be a real loser to do that.  And you wonder why the Mets are going back at the fans. This guy's low rent.

Look... I'm a fan of the game, but I'll always be a Yankee fan. And Lord knows losing 2 in a row stinks as the Yankees just did to the A's. But I ain't mad yet.  If they keep losing... do you think I'll be mad? Sure I will. Will the Yankees understand why I'm mad? Yup. Can I complain as a paying customer? Yes. Will the Yankees understand that? 1000%. 

Thank god I'm not a Mets fan.  Sewer city... and it starts at the top.

THE CUBS GOT LUCKY

The Nationals should have won that game last night... but the home plate umpire, and I guess the rest of the umps out there blew a huge call, and now the Nationals are going home.  You see, the inning should have ended 5-4, but that wasn't the case. Instead the ball rolled under the legs of catcher Matt Wieters, clearly a passed ball, but how can you snag a ball under your legs, WHEN THERE'S A BAT COMING AT YOUR HEAD!

Javier Baez swung on that passed ball, but the ball rolled under Wieters legs.  Baez hit Wieters in the head with his bat, ran to first because it was a third strike, and Wieters then threw the passed ball into right field. 2 more runs scored, and just like that, the Cubs were up 6-4. It eventually became 7-4. But I love twitter for this reason.  There are amazing smart baseball people there.

Photo: Jonathan Newton, the Washington Post

Rules are interesting... check this amazing nugget out:

I don't want to be an alarmist, but... it would appear they seriously messed that up. pic.twitter.com/0aABJlzGkC

— Jeff Long (@JeffLongBP) October 13, 2017

Unreal.  So, technically, because Baez hit Wieters with his bat, he's out.

hmm pic.twitter.com/j5R8erdrGp

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 13, 2017

If none of the runners can advance on this strikeout, that would have ended the inning 5-4. Instead, Nats end up losing... those umps kind of blew the call.

By the way... who knows if the Nats could have won. I suppose they could have... all I'm saying is that kind of play is a game changer... clearly.

A CHICAGO WORLD SERIES COMING UP!

Was anyone rooting for the Dodgers today? Everyone I spoke to said they wanted to see the Cubs "go all the way".  Well, tonight, the Cubs made history and they are now headed to the World Series where they will play the Cleveland Indians Tuesday night.

Kyle Hendricks was incredible. I gotta tell you, I didn't know much about Hendricks before tonight because I just never thought about him, but the guy is just outstanding in every way.  I mean, the biggest stage and he just delivers with such calmness.  Truly incredible job.

Guys like Rizzo, Baez, Bryant... guys like David Ross, Arrieta, Lester.  It's one of those teams that has such balance and energy young and old.  So much fun to watch. So much excitement for the city of Chicago!

Seeing Aroldis Chapman close it out just gave me goosebumps.  I'd like to think that the Yankees had a part in that and us fans are all rooting for guys like Chapman and Miller of the Indians hard because we know them... we saw them in our colors and now they move on the bigger and better things! How do you not get romantic about this sport??

Watching the post game, seeing the energy from the fans, it is such a relief considering all the aggravation and stress of our Presidential Election.  For the moment, We all stand with Chicago and are excited together!   Thank God!

By the way, BYB will have an incredible piece coming out early tomorrow morning about the Cubs and this season by Suzie Pinstripe. You NEED to read it and you need to share it.  It sums the whole thing up beautifully.

Final: Cubs 5 - Dodgers 0

THE CUBBIES ARE ONE GAME AWAY!

There is no other way of saying it... history is being made.

My oldest kid has been in a pretty grumpy mood lately.  It has nothing to do with his personality. Usually he's a pretty good kid, but for a 14 year old... these hours of watching these late games are killing him.  He wakes up later than he should after going to bed later than he should and, he's a grouch.  He goes to school... comes home, does his homework and then, for hours he reads his phone until game time looking at stats of these post-season players, watches video of highlights over and over and over again and in some instances, recognizes some of these dudes who played for other teams of years past and is just fully engaged to the point where it almost looks like a job for him.  I should have him write for BYB for crying out loud! 

Once these games are over, he's gonna have to go to bed earlier and re-program himself. Are we bad parents? No.  History is being made and he wants to witness it and I love every minute of it. It's all baseball for him, and he's rooting hard to see the Cubs in the World Series.  I'm happy it's clicked for him. He's a good ballplayer and a big baseball fan now to boot. I'm happy to see he really enjoys the game, and I'm not gonna lie; I love the fact that he follows all the players and teams and has no allegiance to 1 club right now. I'm fine with it.

Anyway, last night the Cubs won again, and are now just 1 game away from headed to the World Series which would take place in Cleveland Tuesday night.  Just for kicks I wish they would have Jake Taylor or Ricky Vaughn throw out the first pitch in Cleveland.

Then when they go back to Chicago, have Henry Rowengartner throw out the first pitch before that game.  Yup, I'm a pop culture nerd... what do you want from me?
 

The big inning last night for the Cubs was the 8th when they scored 5 runs.  It was then that the Cubs were just up 2-1 and it was then that my kid was screaming happiness into the TV.  Guys like Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez got hits when needed and when that happened, runs scored, the way baseball is supposed to be played.

Jon Lester was awesome and even though Chapman gave up 2 runs, he was able to shut down the Dodgers.  And just like that, the Cubs now head back to Wrigley field Saturday night for a game that could mean history for Chicago. Good for them. I hope they do it.

Final: Cubs 8 - Dodgers 4

CUBBIE SLAM!

It was a grand slam that beat the Dodgers last night at Wrigley!  It's amazing to think that this may actually be the Cubs team that can win the whole thing... it's amazing and exciting.

The big blow came in the bottom of the 8th. The Dodgers and Cubs were tied 3-3 when Miguel Montero hit a grand slam. The score would eventually be 8-4 with the Cubs winning it.

But the play of the game has got to be when Jon Lester was batting in the bottom of the second inning, and Javier Baez stole home!  That's like old school baseball right there!

In the end, the Cubs are up 1-0 in this NLCS.  Nice work Cubbies!

Final: Cubs 8 - Dodgers 4

BYB PLAYOFF UPDATES & GOODFELLAS

So much baseball today and I had no time to watch anything really except for the end of the Cubs vs. Giants game.  I mean in the end, when everything is said and done, I want the Cubs to be in the World Series this year. BUT... I like the Giants, so this is gonna be tough for me emotionally.

Anyway.  Here are a few things to point out about today...

My kid wants to see the Rangers advance, but today against the Blue Jays, they lost.  That means they are 0-2 in the ALDS. I mean Yu Darvish gave up 4 home runs today.  That is NOT a good situation.  In the end, the Jays won and now the Rangers have to dig out of a hole.

Final: Blue Jays 5 - Ranger 3

The Indians killed the Red Sox, and now they are up 2-0 in this series. As you know, I'm a Yankee fan and not a Sox fan.  Now, I feel for friends like Section 36, but the reality is, the rivalry will forever be in my heart and I cannot watch the Red Sox win. And so, I root for Terry Francona.

 Final: Indians 6 - Red Sox 0

In the NLDS, the Dodgers won Game 1 against the Nationals. Kershaw beat Scherzer, and to be honest, I can get on board with that.  I no longer really root for the Dodgers with Mattingly no longer there, and so, I just wanna see how this series plays out. No biggie.

Final: Dodgers 4 - Nationals 3

The Cubs against the Giants.  I like the Giants this season and I want to see them get through the entire thing winning it all. But to be honest, to see the Cubs in the World Series would be cool for the history of the game.  Here's my problem with the Cubs... I do not like Joe Maddon and his arrogance.  Yes, he's good... but is he that good?  I don't think so.

Bruce Bochy is the man, and I love Posey, Pence and Samardzija, and the franchise itself kicks ass. and so, I want them in and even though they lost tonight... I have faith in the Giants.

The Cubs one 1-0 tonight on a home run from Javier Baez.  Great game.  In the end, it was funny to see Ken Rosenthal ask Baez about getting a curtain call, and it was obvious the language barrier hurt Baez with his answer... "You know... just dealing with it. You can't do anything else."

Yikes...

Final: Cubs 1 - Giants 0

 
And finally... watching the post game with Alex Rodriguez, Pete Rose and Frank Thomas, as much as I love seeing those guys there... it was clear to me that Thomas felt like he was sitting with a bunch of randoms.

I had to tweet this... because it was the first thing I thought of:

Frank Thomas is like "ARod is this way, Pete Rose is this way... and this guy's like 'What do you want from me?'" #Goodfellas #FoxSports pic.twitter.com/Ah1VL9fuKc

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) October 8, 2016

The painting in Goodfellas:


Now don't get me wrong, I love Pete Rose and I appreciate ARod very much... it just felt awkward to me, even though it probably wasn't.

Anyway... more baseball this weekend. #BYB will do our best to bring you as much coverage and interesting stuff as we can.

Stay with us every day!

THE JORGE SOLER TRADE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN

Disclaimer: This is purely speculation and wishful thinking on my part. A friend from a Yankees Facebook group, Scott, would be the happiest man alive if this happened! So this one's for you Scott!

The Cubbies appear to be the favorite to sign Dexter Fowler and after already signing Jason Heyward this off season, a Fowler signing would create a backlog of outfielders on the Cubs roster. Also with one of their top prospects, Albert Almora, who is a defensive stud in centerfield and not far from the Big's, Jorge Soler might not have an everyday position.

So should Brian Cashman make a couple phone calls and see if he can get a hold of Theo Epstein? I say yes. Soler would fit the bill of the youth movement and has a very high ceiling.

Soler will be just 24 when the season begins and has some serious power potential in his bat. Some speculate he could be a 30 home run guy. His downfall is he is not seen as a great defensive player. But if you can hit 30 home runs, an improvement from just 10 in 2015 over 366 at-bats, a couple defensive miscues can be overlooked.

The problem is the Yankees have a ton of money invested in their outfield right now and not much young controllable pitching they are willing to part with. Andrew Miller would likely be the leading candidate Cashman would try and sell.

Besides Miller, Gardner has been a topic of trades as we all know, but the Cubbies would be looking to deal an outfielder, not acquire one.

A three team trade could be plausible and the Rays have reportedly been in contact with the Cubs discussing a starting pitcher for Soler or infielder Javier Baez. Crazier things have happened.

Realistically it would be very difficult to get this deal done at least from a perspective outside of the organization. Obviously Cashman and Hal know better than me.

This is likely just a pipe dream really, but who doesn't enjoy one of those once in a while?

The Yankees seem content on standing pat for the meantime and as much as some of you despise it, I don't. They need to wait until after the 2016 season and 2017 season, free up some payroll, continue getting younger and start filling in the pieces.

So maybe a miracle happens, maybe not. Either way speculation is fun and even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally.

We shall see!


 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia








 
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