COULD DEREK JETER REUNITE WITH THE YANKEES?

Oh please, let the stars align and bring Derek Jeter home. That would be a bright spot for baseball and the Yankees with whatever this season may bring. It could happen....

Picture it, a Derek Jeter homecoming but not as the face of the Yankees on the field. No, now he would be the face of the front office and why not? In case you missed it (and I don't know how you could), Jeter and the Miami Marlins have parted ways, read more HERE. He is no longer CEO and shareholder to the team and he is looking for a job. 

So please...let this man come home. He wants to be in the baseball world and he could do that back home in New York. Here's how it could happen....

There could be a new job opening soon, and if the Yankees are smart they should consider Jeter to be the Yankees next General Manager. I said it and it's possible. The Yankees should walk away from Brian Cashman when his contract expires at the end of the season (whenever that season starts). If the Yankees come up short again this season they shouldn't even blink an eye. They should just move on. We are in a long drought and 2009 feels like a different lifetime. Working in New York comes with high expectations which Cashman has not met. It's time to stop sticking with Cashman out of loyalty, it is time for a change.

And Jeter can bring that change and he has already proven that. He has sent four seasons rebuilding the Marlins after making some very unpopular decisions. It was crazy to watch him trade away Giancarlo Stanton the face of the Marlins and then dump Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto but the Marlins have rebuilt and are poised for a brighter future. Well, they were who knows what happens to them now. Either way, after four seasons Jeter's decisions helped the Marlins make the playoffs in a Covid-shortened 2020 season and even won a postseason series. They even finished 2020 with a 3.96ERA ranking the as the 11th best pitching staff. The Marlins also have a healthy farm system with several promising prospects and are ranked as the fourth best farm system.

I'm not a big Cashman fan and I know I'm not the only person with that opinion. I believe everything happens for a reason and I think this is that sign. The baseball gods are telling Hal Steinbrenner to bring Jeter home....it's time.

Make the move, Hal. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

I LOVE WHEN MICHAEL KAY GETS ANGRY!

Source: Twitter

The NY Post headline "Francisco Lindor trade makes Michael Kay finally lose patience with Yankees" had me hooked. I mean, I miss baseball terribly and with the loss of another baseball icon in Tommy Lasorda, this void is even deeper. But Michael Kay getting impatient about the Yankees feet dragging is something I can get behind.

Source: NY Post

"I’ve always been very, very honest when people were saying, ‘Why aren’t they signing LeMahieu?’ I said, ‘Well, what’s the rush? The great (free agent) players are still out there. Trevor Bauer hasn’t signed. George Springer hasn’t signed. J.T. Realmuto hasn’t signed. And DJ hasn’t signed.’ Very slow-moving market. But if this slow-moving game of chicken that the Yankees and LeMahieu are playing with each other cost them the chance at Lindor, that’s a bad job,” said Kay on his radio show on Thursday via the New York Post. 

He's absolutely right. Francisco Lindor was Plan B for the Yankees and now that this plan is no longer relevant thanks to cross-town rivals the New York Mets, the Yankees have to move quickly before, well you know. 

“You can’t sit here until February and allow DJ LeMahieu to make a decision,” said Kay, who started his Thursday show an hour early to discuss the breaking Lindor news. “And if you’re DJ LeMahieu, you can’t sit there and let the Yankees play their game. They both have to come together: ‘What’s your best offer for me right now?’ reported the New York Post. 

Source: Corey Sipkin

The Yankees and LeMahieu are about 25 million dollars apart as Joel Sherman of the Post shared back in mid-December. He went further to say, "If LeMahieu wants to go, teams like the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants and so many more will line up. He can play three positions well, hit like a batting champion and provide zero headaches in a clubhouse. Add that all up and why in the hell would the Yankees let go a player who has finished fourth and third in the AL MVP voting in his two years with the team? Money," Yep, drop the mike! 

Bottom line, does Kay getting fired up do anything for us as fans? Yes. What about the Yankee front office? Maybe. And LeMahieu? Eh. This game of you want and we want needs to end. The Yankees need to sign LeMahieu. Them's the facts. Let's see if they can get this done by mid-week. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

RUMOR: YANKEES GIVE DJ LEMAHIEU A CHEAP OFFER

We all know this is a perfect match. The Yankees want DJ LeMahieu back in a Yankees uniform, and DJ wants to be back in a Yankees uniform. It's a fact, so let's get it done already. It's the Christmas gift all Yankee fans are waiting for.

But it sounds like we are going to have to wait just a little bit longer, even though we really don't want to. Jeff Passan was on Michael Kay's show this week, you can listen HERE. Passan confirms that the Yankees have reached out, "the first offer that was made last week by the New York Yankees to DJ LeMahieu is not going to get it done. It was….underwhelming is the word that I was told."

Underwhelming. That's not what Yankee fans want to hear right now, but I don't think it is time to panic yet. It's just a good example of a negotiation and this isn't unusual. The Yankees and DJ have a mutual interest in each other. I still believe that at the end of the day DJ will accept an offer from the Yankees.

I also believe that DJ will be the first big free agent to sign this winter instead of J.T. Realmuto or Trevor Bauer and I think this will happen before Christmas. It's just a gut feeling I have. Baseball is in a tough holding pattern right now. We sill don't know what 2021 will bring as we still deal with this pandemic. Will we have fans in the stands this coming season? I hope so, and so do all owners. When DJ signed his 2-year deal with the Yankees he waited until January to sign. I don't think he wants to wait that long again. I think he wants to sign early, especially with how slow the market has been so far.

The Yankees will have to outbid other teams, and right now The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets are also very interested in DJ. Both teams are more willing to spend money this winter compared to other teams, but I'm not going to stress. The Mets are supposedly close to a deal with James McCann, and the Blue Jays have options for DJ at either second or third base but at the end of the day I'm not going to stress too much.

The Yankees know how important DJ is to this team and I don't think they will let him go easily in this market. You don't let a talent like DJ just walk away. The Yankees may be more conservative with their money this winter, but they know just how valuable he is. Smaller budget or not, the Yankees don't want to be outbid for their MVP.

DJ said no the first offer, and the Yankees didn't start with their best and final offer....so this "no" does not mean that the Yankees are being cheap and it doesn't mean that DJ isn't coming back. Don't panic yet.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

CATCHER JAMES MCCANN ON YANKEE RADAR

Nice little nugget coming from baseball insider Jon Heyman. I'm not a fan of Heyman as he's rarely right until after the fact, but that being said, this is a good one and one Yankee fans should take seriously considering Gary Sanchez may be on his way out.

This is interesting because for about 2 weeks now the Yankees were allegedly in on JT Realmuto.  Look, I don't need some high level catcher. You know what I want? A catcher that can catch, call a good game and hustle and trust me, there are plenty out there that can do that. James McCann is one of them.

James Kelly from Elite Sports NY writes:

"McCann is a good catcher. He’s not a superstar...He didn’t get a lot of run in 2020 behind Yasmani Grandal, but in 111 plate appearances, he slashed .289/.360./536 for an .896 OPS. ...

Defensively, McCann showed drastic improvements in 2020 in framing. He posted a career high in framing strike rate at 51.4%, a marked improvement over his 2019 performance at just 45.0%."

Oh yeah... and he will hustle.

Anyway look... it's just something to think about. It's the rumor season. Let's have alittle fun here.

A NEW NAME THAT COULD REPLACE GARY SANCHEZ FOR 2021!

I think the writing is on the wall for Gary Sanchez. I just think "time's up" for him in pinstripes. This weekend we asked WILL THE YANKEES CONTINUE TO INVEST IN GARY SANCHEZ? And I really hope that the answer is NO. I don't say NO because I have ill feelings toward him, but he's had a lot of opportunities and it just hasn't worked out. It's time to move on.

I think Brian Cashman and the Yankees might finally be realizing that. I know Cashman can be hard to read sometimes and the Yankees can be unpredictable but the Yankees have unwavering confidence in Sanchez....until now.

That sounds a lot different then recent years. I think the Yankees are ready to move on but maybe not to some of the names we've talked about. As much as I like the idea of J.T. Realmuto or Yadier Molina, the Yankees sound like they are not going to be big spenders this winter. If they are looking to get under the luxury tax, they might not have room for either of them....or want to save any room for Sanchez.

According to George A King III HERE, "Dec. 2, which is Sanchez’s 28th birthday, is the deadline for teams to offer pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for next season. Any player who isn’t tendered, and there a lot of industry types who believe Sanchez won’t be, is a free agent."

I don't see the Yankees trading him by December 2nd. Even if teams do want him, they will likely get a better deal on him if he does become a free agent. So the Yankees are really in a tough spot there. But if they did just let Sanchez become a free agent....there's another name they could consider.

Here's a new name to watch, James McCann. The 30 year old played last season for the Chicago White Sox and some baseball enthusiasts called him an important part of one of the best catching tandems in baseball. He was an All-Star back in 2019 with a .273 BA, 18 home runs and 60 RBI's.

It's harder to get excited by his 2020 numbers thanks to the shortened season but he finished with a .289BA, 7 home runs and 15 RBI's. He may not be the same slugger than Sanchez is but he still has a good bat and is definitely a defensive upgrade. He allowed two passed balls with a .985 fielding percentage and threw out 33% of runners. He has some defensive concerns also, he ranked third in the AL in 2019 for errors but he showed better numbers this season and could still be an upgrade the Yankees want and would still cost less than Realmuto.

I think the Yankees know that Sanchez is no longer the answer. Maybe McCann isn't the answer but he's worth a look. Honestly I don't hate the idea of McCann and Kyle Higashioka, it certainly looks a lot better on paper than any combination with Sanchez right now. 

I'm willing to look at all possibilities right now, and right now I'm willing to bet the Yankees are too. Right now it sounds like Sanchez may not get the birthday gift he's hoping for....I guess we will wait and see what happens.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

WILL THE YANKEES CONTINUE TO INVEST IN GARY SANCHEZ?

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

COVID-19 did a number on many families, small businesses and big box stores. It took people's lives, it took people's livelihoods and it took away a number of activities we all loved to be a part of including baseball. This stark reality makes this year's off-season even more complicated for players and teams alike. All the more reason for us to bring this discussion front and center: Will the Yankees continue to invest in Gary Sanchez?

According to the New York Post, "Dec. 2, which is Sanchez’s 28th birthday, is the deadline for teams to offer pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for next season. Any player who isn’t tendered, and there are a lot of industry types who believe Sanchez won’t be, is a free agent." With the Yankees in need of more pitching and more DJ LeMahieu why would they even consider investing in a guy who is a liability behind the plate and batted .147 last season? And Sanchez would make more money next year if the Yankees do sign him, and honestly, he just doesn't deserve it.

Source: NJ.com

"With the Mets needing a catcher, and if they fail to sign J.T. Realmuto, would the Yankees have to hold their breath should Sanchez move to Queens as a free agent? That’s likely to happen more so than the Phillies having an interest in Sanchez should Realmuto not return to Philly, even though Sanchez played for Joe Girardi in 2016-17," reported the Post. 

So if Sanchez goes, then what? 30-year-old Kyle Higashioka becomes the Yankee number one catcher unless they can sign someone else. I know you laugh, but Yadier Molina has been linked to the Yankees and could be a good gap year veteran to slot into that spot. 

The Yankees would be foolish to continue to put their faith in Gary Sanchez. Maybe he can be productive somewhere else. Maybe he needs a new experience, a new city? Maybe he will head to Philadelphia or go play for Derek Jeter in Miami. Either way, he likely will not be in Pinstripes come December and the Yankees will need to regroup to see who can come in and reclaim a position that has been a deficiency for the last couple of years. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

IS THE POSSIBLITY OF JT REALMUTO A REAL THING FOR THE YANKS?

I don't know what to believe any more. I mean, we literally just had an election but no President was determined yet because the votes weren't all counted. Meanwhile, our president says he won.  But that's not how democracy works and I had to let Aubrey Huff know that...

Republican or Democrat, I don't care what you are.  When it comes to common sense and Democracy, all votes need to be counted. And so what's my point? Understand common sense and run with it. Read EVERYTHING, not just 1 thing and make up your mind. Read a headline sure, but read the article attached to it. That's the problem with society... in our world of Twitter, no one reads for information anymore. They just read a headline and make something up to sound intelligent. But you don't come off smart... you come off looking like a fucking idiot. Hence, Aubrey Huff.  OK, I'm getting off track.

I just read this headline about JT Realmuto, a solid catcher and choice for the Yankees, assuming we are getting rid of Gary Sanchez, but I wanted to see what Mike Rosenstein had to say about it. Check this out:

"...there will be at least a few nine-figure contracts signed this offseason. MLB Network Radio’s Steve Phillips thinks one of them will go to Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto.

"J.T. Realmuto is a quiet, humble leader who plays his a** off every single pitch, and lets his athleticism, his hitting and his catching ability do the talking. Realmuto is the best catcher in the game. His free agent value is boosted by the fact that he is a great fit for both the Yankees and Mets. He will get over $100 million."

It’s no secret the Yankees aren’t happy with Gary Sanchez, so Realmuto could definitely be a good fit in the Bronx."

Now, a few things here.  Steve Phillips is probably the worst person to judge anyone's talent. He was horrible as a GM for the Mets and is never right.  That being said, the idea of Realmuto to the Yanks is intriguing. But how will the Yankees get him? Who will the Yanks trade Sanchez to? What will the exchange be? My point is... this is just an idea and nothing more.  

The rumor season can be fun and this idea is fantastic... but we need more.  That's all I'm saying.

Fun rumor. Read everything. And if there is more to this Realmuto story... I want more information, something Rosenstein lacks here. 

AS 2020 BEGINS, WHAT'S LEFT FOR THE YANKEES TO DO?

Source: USA Today

As the clock struck 12, and New Years revelers popped open champagne to ring in 2020, there's another group of guys who are looking forward to ringing in a new era, and perhaps dynasty in 2020.  The New York Yankees have been in 40 World Series, winning 27 of them, and as they embark on the journey to toward 41 and potentially 28, I ask this question, "What's left for the Yankees to do before spring training 2020?"

Source: Newsday

According to Bryan Hoch via MLB.com, "General manager Brian Cashman said that he remains open to anything that makes sense, but after adding Cole, the Yankees’ heavy lifting appears to be done. If Torres begins the season as the everyday shortstop, as anticipated, the Yanks may look for someone capable of pushing Thairo Estrada and Tyler Wade for the backup infield role."  If I am being honest, I have no interest in Wade and if I am being really honest, the Yankees need to be in the hunt for a catcher.

As Eli Manning said good bye to the NY Giants this past weekend, he said very bluntly to the media, "I don't want to be a back up."  Perhaps that is what Austin Romine said, as he exited that role earlier this month for a chance as starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers.  But I cannot feel comfortable without having a serious back up and potential replacement for Gary Sanchez, who is simply not fit enough or agile enough to stay healthy for an entire season.

Source: NY Times

"Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman believe Kyle Higashioka can fill the vacant position with ease, and he did impress at times in 2019. Still, the depth at the position isn’t substantial, and Sanchez, when battling through inconsistent play, is a different player entirely," reported Empire Sports Media last week.  I think the Yankees are taking a tremendous risk going with Higashioka as their primary backup.  There are no real standout catchers available (peruse the list if you will), but they did pass on JT Realmuto last year, which could have helped them immensely, particularly when Sanchez's bat went cold and he visited the injured list multiple times in 2019.

What's left for the Yankees to do?  Sign Josh Hader and somehow groom a catcher to take on the reigns as needed when Sanchez goes down and he will go down.  He will head to the IL at least twice next season and I guarantee you that his bat goes cold or does not warm up all that quickly as the Yankees begin their 2020 season in Baltimore on March 26th.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

STANTON YAPS GUMS

Giancarlo Stanton takes a shot at the Marlins... and Derek Jeter I suppose.

It's just that that organization down there was going through the motions and they had some pretty good players in Stanton and Christian Yelich and Bour and JT Realmuto. The problem was they could never gain traction, like ever in recent years. And that's why Jeter cleaned house.  But will it work for that organization? Probably not.

The fan base is now gone and I personally think that while Jeter is doing the right thing by trying to "start over" and striping the Marlins down to studs, it's not a house. Him wanting to run that team wasn't about the team at all.  It was about convenience for him and where he lived geographically.   But now you have guys like Stanton coming out ripping that organization... and he's not wrong by the way.

Bryan Hoch has this nugget:

"Asked for the biggest takeaway of his first season in Yankees pinstripes, Giancarlo Stanton offered a not-so-veiled swipe at his former employer, noting how his new expectation is to keep the Yankee Stadium lights burning throughout the month of October. 

'It's more just playing games that matter; games when you're in it past May 7, which I'd never done,' Stanton said. 

'That's the biggest difference. Every single game, win or loss, is huge -- for a season.'"

Look, one could argue that the team had the tools and just couldn't get into a rhythm which is fine, I guess.  But you gotta wonder if this Marlins team was getting the support they needed at all.  Say what you will about Jeter, and trust me, I rip him often as a Marlins owner, but he's trying to figure out that combination to find a winning team.

Unfortunately winning a bunch of championships with the Yankees can't instantly bring success to the Marlins.

We shall see.

WHAT'S THE CATCH?

Spring training has officially begun for our New York teams and with the 2018 season officially behind us, we can all dream for a better season this year. One thing that needs to improve for both teams is catching, an extremely important position offensively and defensively. So I ask all of you, what's the catch for NY catching?

Source: The Athletic

If you ask the front office in Yankeeland, the catch is Gary Sanchez.  The J.T. Realmuto deal slipped through the Bombers fingers or maybe wasn't ever anything really but we all know he landed in Philadelphia. Realmuto seems to be the real deal and a great catch but, Aaron Boone is “excited” about Gary Sanchez and what he can contribute to this 2019 season.

The manager and the catcher spent some time together during the offseason in the Dominican Republic and according to NJ.com, Boone found “a guy that frankly is very hungry to go out and show the world how good a player he is.'' He also said Sanchez has a desire to step up this year. Could Sanchez be “that guy” and a real catch for the Yankees this year?  We will have to wait and see but his passed balls' history and his lackluster performance in the batter's box needs to improve to make me a believer that the Yankees putting all their faith in Sanchez was the right move versus going all in with Realmuto.

Source: Sporting News

As far as the Mets are concerned, there was definitely potential for a catcher upgrade, as former first-round draft pick Kevin Plawecki, who was traded to the Indians during the off season, and Travis d’Arnaud is coming off of the DL. Unfortunately, d’Arnaud has had a streak of injuries, including having to have Tommy John surgery, and Plawecki turned out to be not too good of a hitter. Neither of them are great offensively with Plawecki only throwing out 10 of 60 base stealers and d’Arnaud only 11 of 66 during the past season. Not very impressive.

Source: MLB.com

Luckily during the off season, the Mets made some great moves including acquiring Wilson Ramos from the Phillies. Ramos will provide the Mets with what the lineup was missing in the past; a quality hitter as well as a great catcher. The only concern with the new catcher is his past two knee surgeries, but he says he is ready to go. "I want to be behind the plate as much as I can. That’s what I’m working right now," Ramos said via NJ.com. "I’m working to be healthy and help my team behind the plate.” With a healthy Ramos and Travis d'Arnaud, it looks like the Mets could have their catching in order.

The catchers in New York are warming up for what we all hope will be a great 2019 season and an even better inter-league battle between the Yankees and Mets.   Here's to much warmer days and competitive catching in New York.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

JETER'S REACHED A NEW LEVEL OF CRAZY

It took some time but Derek Jeter finally traded away his highly valued toy out of his toy box, J.T. Realmuto. He held on to him long enough to get something that he liked. But did he get the best haul possible for him?

Back in December we heard about THIS possible three-way trade between the Mets, Yankees and Marlins but it never really went anywhere because the Marlins were insistent on getting Amed Rosario from the Mets. Sure, the Yankees supposedly would've gained Noah Syndergaard but we didn't hear too much what the Marlins wanted the Yankees to give up.

Until now that is. According to Joel Sherman, Jeter was asking for a King's ransom to make this all happen. That random would've included Gary Sanchez and Miguel Andujar going to Miami.

Anyone out there laughing yet? I am. Sanchez has his fair share of criticism especially after his major sophomore slump this past season but where would that put the Yankees at as far as catcher goes? The Yankees would've had another serious void to fill with not a lot of great free agent options out there.

But let this one sink in. If the Yankees would've been dumb enough to say yes their two young, rookie of the year finalists with major promise for a talented but injury prone pitcher who hasn't been able to stay healthy. Looking back on this idea now is even more mind boggling.

If it did happen, it makes you wonder if that would've greatly changed the way the Yankees approached the rest of the offseason. If the Yankees did deal Andujar would Manny Machado be a higher priority? Would Machado still be a free agent right now? There's a lot of what-ifs right now.

So now Realmuto is a Philly and while he Jeter didn't get a haul similar to what he wanted from the Yankees he still did pretty well. Jeter now gets MLB's 27th ranked pitcher, another starter and a catcher to replace Realmuto with. I just wish I could've been a fly on the wall to hear someone laugh when they heard Jeter's request.

So Realmuto gets a fresh start away from Jeter's circus, we get to keep our young superstars and Jeter gets to figure out how to fix his horrible league worst attendance. No one wants to play in Miami (except Curtis Granderson apparently) and fans don't want to watch games their either.

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