LUKE VOIT'S STILL GOT IT

Remember that brief but brawny blast of Luke Voit in pinstripes? Yeah, for a minute there, it felt like we were watching Shane Spencer 2.0 or channeling the ghost of Kevin Maas. Voit had that magical moment where he was launching bombs in the Bronx, and Yankee fans thought, “Hey, maybe we found something here!” But then... injuries crept in, the Yankees cooled on him faster than a leftover hot dog at a rain delay, and just like that, Big Luke was out of sight and out of mind.

Honestly? I kind of forgot he was still playing. Until now.

Voit’s been doing his thing south of the border in the Mexican Baseball League, where he rediscovered his power stroke and started turning heads again. After slugging 23 home runs in 2024 with a .270 average and 57 RBIs, he turned it up even more this year—batting .324 with 25 RBIs and a ridiculous .432 OBP. Oh, and don’t forget the 11 homers that gave him an OPS north of 1.000. That’s not just good—that’s “wait, should we be paying attention again?” good.

Now, the next chapter: Japan. Reports say Voit has signed on with the Rakuten Eagles, joining the parade of ex-big leaguers who’ve gone east and found new life (or at least a solid paycheck and some sushi).

Let’s be real—Voit probably isn’t on anyone’s MLB radar right now. But if he keeps mashing in Japan like he did in Mexico, who knows? A non-roster invite to spring training next year isn’t out of the question. Baseball has a funny way of circling back.

So here’s to Luke Voit: Bronx bomber for a hot minute, world traveler, and still swinging for the fences.

CHASEN SHERVE IS ON THE MOVE!

In a move that feels like finding a twenty in an old pair of jeans, Chasen Shreve is heading to the Atlanta Braves. Why? Cause I always like Shreve and I wish him the best!

Jon Heyman of the New York Post broke the news on January 20, tweeting, "Chasen Shreve to Braves. Minors deal. $1.3M if in Majors. Spring invite." And just like that, the Braves scored themselves a solid bullpen veteran.

Shreve, a left-handed reliever with a knack for clutch performances in my opinion. He was the Yankees' secret weapon from 2015 to 2018. Over 180 appearances in pinstripes, Shreve posted a 14-6 record with a 3.92 ERA, racked up 201 strikeouts, and even snagged a couple of saves. He was the guy who quietly got the job done, making him a real asset to the Yankees’ bullpen arsenal.

But as baseball stories often go, Shreve's time with the Yanks came to an end on July 29, 2018, when he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Luke Voit and future cash considerations. While Voit blasted his way into the spotlight, Shreve kept doing what he does best—being that reliable arm every team needs.

The Yankees couldn’t quite shake their fondness for Shreve, though. They brought him back on minor league contracts not once, but twice—first in August 2022 and again in June 2024. Unfortunately, the reunion didn’t result in a big-league comeback, but the love story was still there.

Shreve has since been the baseball equivalent of a well-traveled passport, pitching for the Mets, Pirates, Tigers, Rockies, and Reds. Now, he’s packing his bags for Atlanta, where the Braves are ready to give him, yet another shot at the majors. And why not? Shreve’s a seasoned pro with the grit and grace to give any bullpen a boost.

So, here’s to Chasen Shreve, the bullpen journeyman who’s always ready for the next challenge. From being a quiet hero in New York to chasing new dreams in Atlanta, he’s the kind of player who reminds us that baseball is as much about resilience as it is about talent.

Good luck, Shreve! The Braves just got themselves a gem.

VOIT TO FILL THE RIZZO VOID?

Anthony Rizzo will be missed while he's on the IL.  But with Luke Voit saying buh bye to the Mets and opting out of his minor league deal, you gotta wonder if a reunion is even possible or in the works. I know that Voit would want it... he loved being a Yankee. I just wonder if it's the right fit with Rizzo eventually coming back and raking for New York. 

NJ.com writes:

"Before the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Astros on Thursday night, NJ Advance Media asked manager Aaron Boone if his club had interest in Voit.

His response was response was very interesting. Smiling from ear to ear, Boone answered, “We’ll see, we’ll see.”

Hmmm.

When a group of media chuckled at how giddy Boone appeared to be, he chimed in again

“No, no, no! You misread that answer.”

Look, there's no question the Yankees can go out and get whomever they want. Voit actually makes a ton a sense, but only for a short time.  Does Boone really know anything? Look, I'm sure the Yanks have talked about it, and the reunion would be an easy one. Very smooth... not to mention, We need offense!  But I'm being honest here... I am not sure I see this happening only for the fact that I really do expect to see Rizzo be back soon.

BUT! Rizzo may in fact have this residual concussion situation longer then 10 days and honestly, you can't mess with head injuries. If that is really what is going on with Rizzo, then of course seeing Voit in pinstripes again does work for sure.

I guess we just need to see what Cashman will do next.  And based on how much anger Yankee fans have to Cashman these days... maybe he is willing to pull the trigger to bring back fan favorite Luke Voit. It will take some heat off him a bit.

Hey... at least it would be fun with Voit back. Am I right?

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHERE LUKE VOIT ENDED UP

Crazy how things go. 

Clutchpoints writes:

"Voit was recently released by the Milwaukee Brewers after struggling in a brief stint with them where he hit just .221 with no home runs and 4 RBIs in 69 at-bats. Ever since he led the MLB with 22 home runs in the shortened 2020 season, Voit has struggled to figure things out again, leading him to bounce around the league a bit after the Yanks moved on from him."

Now there is no question that when team's struggle offensively, you start to sniff around and see who's available. There was a moment there that I thought that maybe the Yankees would pick up Voit for a reunion, but it's clear now that they are happy moving on from him.

Voit craves the spotlight and no question loved playing for the Yankees. That being said, it didn't work out there way at all, instead... he's headed to Queens. Voit just signed a minor league deal with the Mets. 

This makes sense with Pete Alonso on the shelf.  Will it work out? Hey, I wish Voit nothing but the best.  That being said, I am not a Mets fan and never will be.  So... I have that going for me.

Anyway... best of luck to Luke. Hope things turn around, brother.

WHY THE WARRIOR SHOULD BE THE YANKEES HITTING COACH

Source: The Canadian Press

The Yankees have been awful to watch. Well, I don't have to tell you that. After Friday's loss against the Blue Jays, the Yankees have lost 13 games in a 16-game span in a single season for just the third time in the Wild Card Era (May-June 1995, Sept.-Oct. 2000). Saturday's loss made it 14. But, today is Paul O'Neill Day at the Stadium. If anything or anyone can wake up these corpses it has to be the Warrior. What is more interesting is listening to O'Neill diagnose the Yankee hitting woes from the booth. It got me thinking. Why isn't he the Yankee hitting coach? 

Paul O'Neill was the American League batting champion in the strike-shortened 1994 season batting .359. O'Neill spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Reds where he was a World Series champion in 1990 and an All-Star in 1991. Over his career, O'Neill batted .288 with 2,105 hits, 281 home runs, 1,269 runs batted in and an OPS of .833 over 2,053 games played.

About a year ago NJ.com interviewed O'Neill as if he was the manager of the New York Yankees.
"If O’Neill had Aaron Boone’s job, he’d be making a few hitters drastically change their approach to reflect who they should be at the plate.  Says O'Neill: “If you were a manager and you take this team, I’ll have (Luke) Voit, Stanton and Judge in my office, ‘You guys, I need you to hit home runs.’ “Then I’m going to take LeMahieu, Torres and Urshela and say, ‘Guys, I need you to be .300 hitters. I need you to drive the ball all over the place and keep the ball in play.’ Fast forward to today, you will hear the Warrior diagnose Aaron Hicks' hitting mechanics, and replace Urshela with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Voit with Anthony Rizzo. He knows hitting. Maybe he needs to step out of the booth and into the clubhouse. 

"The worrying Warrior figures if you give Yankees hitters specific roles, there’d be more guys on base for the big boys, and they’d probably be putting crooked numbers up a lot more often.“If you break it down to that, I think you’re going to have a much more balanced team than everybody going up with the same approach,” O’Neill said. “Does that make sense?” reported NJ.com. I would say absolutely. 

Balance. Everyone has a role. And just better managing. I just don't understand how Aaron Boone makes his choices? A computer makes the lineup. He pinch hits players when no one is on base. And he runs his pitching staff down to nothing by having a new pitcher every inning. I mean, if the Yankees tied the game in the 9th, I often wonder who would pitch the 10th? Aaron Judge?

Guys like O'Neill call the game straight. They use their wisdom from many years of playing to provide color and perspective. I would love that wisdom to get to the guy who needs help at the plate. Every team goes through slumps. But this team has a systemic issue that starts in the manager's seat and ends in the bullpen. Let's get the Warrior in to work with the hitters and CC Sabathia in to work with the pitchers. I will save that perspective for next time. For now, let's see if the Warrior's presence at the Stadium can motivate this team to turn the corner and start winning again. 

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

MOUTHY VOIT GONZO

It was only a matter of time. Luke Voit was a solid player for us.  We needed some personality; we needed some ego, and we needed a first baseman right around the time that Greg Bird was really sucking the life out of the team.  And so, Luke Voit showed up and showed promise. 

But then Luke Voit got hurt. And then it happened again and again.  And when he was healthy, he was good and when he was not, we waited. And then he started feeling alittle comfortable and blabbing and when he talked about (and I'm paraphrasing here) "I just want to play" and "I don't know what the Yankees are thinking" and "Maybe I should go to another team", well, the team you're on doesn't really like that. And so, when he made his latest comments "I'm going to stay positive" right after Anthony Rizzo got signed to his deal... you knew it was time for Voit to go.

Luke Voit was traded today... and he was traded for literally nothing.

Bleacher Report writes:

"The Yankees announced Friday they are trading Voit to the San Diego Padres for right-handed pitching prospect Justin Lange.

New York signed Rizzo to a two-year deal Thursday. He hit .249/.340/.428 in 49 games with the Yankees after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs prior to the trade deadline.

Bringing Rizzo back added to a crowded infield rotation for the Yankees. They also have Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu. Giancarlo Stanton is likely to be the primary designated hitter in the Bronx this season."

Does Voit hate the Yanks for that? I'm gonna be honest, I always thought the Yankees were using Voit so I'd be pissed if I'm Voit. But tomorrow, I'd be thrilled to turn the page.  The Padres will use this guy and he's gonna go off for San Diego.  

The bottom line is... it was time.

Good luck Luke. You're gonna do great things and San Diego seems like a city that will suit you just fine!

SPRING TRAINING OFFICIALLY ON HOLD

Source: Twitter

The headline is not something I wanted to write. I tried to make is sound sweeter, to dull the pain. But the fact of the matter is, the 2022 official kickoff to baseball is postponed and there is nothing we can do about it, except maybe pray.

“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of spring training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5th,” MLB said in a statement. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands," reported NJ.com. Regret. Postpone. Unified. Desire. Those are the key words of that statement. But what is missing are Greed. Money. Entitlement. More. 

Source: Steve Nesius/The Canadian Press via AP

Let's face it, life today is expensive. Cars, appliances, heat, electric, WiFi, phones. tuition, running shoes...all expensive. And in order to enjoy our quality of life, we have to put up the bucks to support it. But there is also overextension, overdoing it and just down right gluttony. And that is where baseball lands in all of it. Is it the players' fault? Is it ownership's fault? Yes. Film producer Robert Evans said, “There are three sides to every story – yours, mine, and the truth.” The truth is MLB has become inflated—salaries, ticket prices, venue costs, television rights—all too much. America's pastime is no longer grabbing a few buddies to catch a game, buying a few beers and dogs and having a sweet 'ol time. It is expensive; you have to "save up" to go to a game. And this lockout is exploiting just how much.

Beginning Monday both sides have agreed to meet everyday in order to get a resolution in place to start the season ontime. By the way, March 31st is the official start of the 2022 season. Anyone else see a problem with that goal?

"Say sometime late next week the players and the owners agree on a new deal. A March 5 start to spring training games means camps would open maybe a week prior. There’s still a path for camps to open four weeks before the first game of the regular season," reports NJ.com.

Source: Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media

But here is the thing. The Yankees have experienced so many trips to the IL in the past few years, both veterans and rookies alike. A shortened spring training does not give time for players to get ready. Pitchers need time to stretch out and get their form right, guys like Luke Voit and Aaron Hicks need lead time to be in the best shape to prove their worth and stay healthy and rookies like phenom shortstop Anthony Volpe and catcher Austin Wells to get some air time in front to coaches to prove themselves ready for the big leagues. None of these things will happen if the greedy owners expect to shorten spring training in order to get in a full season. 

So for now, Spring Training is on hold. There are a lot of ramifications of this, including the health and fitness of players. I hope there is a full spring training, and the season starts in mid/end of April. Let's not put the players at a disadvantage from the start. We want our guys out there, but we want them to be at their best!

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

I FEEL LIKE THE YANKEES JUST USED LUKE VOIT

Greg Bird was sucking... and all the sudden this guy Luke Voit comes off the bench and the Yankees started playing him. And you know what? It worked. Voit busted his ass, showed promise and started to really open eyes. This guy was a beast, a competitor, a home run hitter... everything.

And then... out of the blue, and maybe because Voit kept getting hurt, the Yankees brought in Anthony Rizzo as if to suggest that Luke Voit's job wasn't safe. Is it fair? Hey... it's baseball. But one would suggest that the Yankees used this guy to get over the hump and did... and now that is why there is so much talk about Luke Voit being traded.

Couple that with the fact that the MLB is in the final days on instituting the DH rule for the National League too (which is so outrageous, I can't even tell you how much Manfred sucks), and it's very possible that the National League will be blowing up Cashman's phone right now in an attempt to get Voit to come to the National League as a DH over there so they can keep his bat in the lineup.  

Whatever it is, know this Yankee fans. Luke Voit loves New York and wants to be in the Bronx. I love that!

The New York Post writes:

“I want to play first base for the Yankees,’’ Voit said. “If that happens, great. If not, I’ll go somewhere else.”

When asked if he expected to stick with the Bronx Bombers, Voit responded, “I expect to. I’m the only first baseman on the depth chart right now.”

That’s because Anthony Rizzo, who took Voit’s job last year after a July trade from the Cubs, is now a free agent.

General manager Brian Cashman announced prior to the MLB lockout that first base was among the areas of need on the roster. That will still be the case whenever the work stoppage comes to an end ..."

This stoppage has changed the paths of a lot of player's careers, and it has shown me the true nature of the MLB, especially since Manfred came in... this is business. Money needs to be made and it saddens me because these athletes just wanna play and enough is enough.

Voit is a Yankee right this second. We need to respect that. Will Cashman trade him off if he has the opportunity? Only if he finds a first baseman, but even that means that Voit is still valuable as a backup or even DH. 

But time will tell. The one thing I do know is that Voit has proven himself in pinstripes. Injuries are plentiful yes... but when this guy's healthy, he's an animal, and you have to admire that.

Stay tuned...

WILL LUKE VOIT BE PART OF THE 2022 YANKEES?

Source: Associated Press

I have been a fan of Luke Voit since his infectious personality served as a catalyst in what appeared to be a lifeless team in 2018.  He pours his heart and soul into the game, but sometimes he does get a little too carried away and even takes too much of risk when he really didn't need to, which has not served him well in recent seasons. Voit took one too many trips to the IL triggering the Yankees to look elsewhere for a big bat and first baseman. Now as 2022 stares Voit and his teammates in the face, will Voit be a Yankee this season?

Source: Barstool Sports

According to his trainer, Llewellyn “Yo” Murphy, Voit has been putting in some extra work this winter to hopefully keep himself healthy and ready for the season ahead. "Before the lockout, Murphy consulted with the Yankees’ training staff on a plan to strengthen Voit’s foundation and focus on adding lean muscle mass. Voit has also worked with mobility guru Dana Santas, who has ties Eric Cressey, the Yankees’ director of player health and performance," reported NJ.com. 

Although Voit led MLB in home runs in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, 2021 had not been kind to the infielder, playing in only 68 games. In 2019, a year after he sparked the Yankees with electricity, he played 118. Voit known for his muscle, has been doing more mobility, agility training along with running to ensure he is lean and in position for a full season of baseball in 2022. 

“His conversations are very focused on him really being in a position to stay healthy the whole season, stay strong,” Murphy said. “We all know he has that pop. We know what he can do. But when your body breaks down from the ground up, there’s issues with that. I know he’s really focused on just getting a strong foundation that can just make sure that he’s in a good position for 162 games," reported NJ.com.

The Yankees have been focused on improving their roster, including first base with talks buzzing around Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman. Taking another chance on Voit might not be in their best interest given his track record, but at least he has identified his deficiencies and is addressing them head on. The 31-year-old could also find himself in a trade before the offseason ends, so however you slice it, he needs to get healthy regardless of his future with the Yankees. 

Will Voit be a part of the 2022 Yankees? The answer is it depends. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees proceed with their acquisitions once the lockout lifts. There is so much to do and many deficiencies to address. First base is one of them, but perhaps the bigger concern for the team overall is the training. Maybe Voit's performance program is in place for other IL offenders too and we can expect a stronger, fitter and more sustainable Yankee roster in 2022. 

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

SANCHEZ SURVIVES YANKEES FIRST CUT

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

If you have not heard the news, the Yankees parted ways with Clint Frazier, Tyler Wade and Rougned Odor on Friday. But somehow, Gary Sanchez was spared. Yet as the New York Post points out, "The Yankees clearly recognize they need to mix up their pool of position players, with Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit joining Sanchez on the endangered species list between now and the Dec. 2 non-tender deadline. Sanchez stands out because, as a catcher, he is the hardest to replace." Will the Yankees part ways with Sanchez? I hope so, but if not him than who?

Here is an interesting and innovative way to address the problem: What if the Yankees take the opener strategy in pitching and apply it to catching; meaning why not have an arsenal of catchers, well not an arsenal but carry three or four, who can play other positions as well. This idea is not that far off base.

"The thin free-agent group of catchers includes Roberto Perez, who performed poorly for Cleveland last season, and old pal Austin Romine, whose health and performance struggles the past two seasons validated the Yankees’ decision to keep Kyle Higashioka over him. Romine might have to settle for a minor league deal. The Yankees should make Higashioka a co-starter behind the plate and deploy their trademark arbitrage skills that just last summer unearthed Nestor Cortes Jr., Clay Holmes and Lucas Luetge to locate the other co-starter, be it one of the aforementioned free agents or someone else," reports the Post.

Source: Associated Press

Interesting. Right? Co-catchers which might give the Yankees more confidence in moving away from Sanchez slowly. Also part of the free agency is Yan Gomes from the Oakland A's who on paper is not much better and in some cases worse than Sanchez. "Gomes, 34, tallied a .723 OPS, seven points lower than Sanchez, as he split his 2021 season between the Nationals and A’s. His July (1.078) actually topped Sanchez’s June, if with far fewer plate appearances. More to the point, while his April (.556) ranked lower than any of Sanchez’s months, he exceeded .694 in three of the six months, adding a fourth (.646 in August) that surpassed Sanchez’s third-best month, April," reported the Post. 

Source: NJ.com

The most important takeaway from the Gary Sanchez saga or experiment is this: The Yankees need to pledge more of their resources toward player development than trying to fix a deficit that was clearly theirs. Home growing your players is the best bang for your buck and if you can't do that well, consistently than you will continue to "buy" your way into the playoffs, or just be ok with how things have been. 

The Yankees lack of synergy, athleticism and chemistry has been their undoing. So really this conversation isn't about who Sanchez has become but rather it's about who he could have been had the Yankees dedicated the time and resources necessary to help him realize his potential. Now we are left with platooning him with two or three other catchers and see what fits. 

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

YANKEES WILL MAKE A "BIG PUSH" FOR FREDDIE FREEMAN

Freddie Freeman is the flavor of the winter. Who am I kidding, he's been a flavor for as long as he's been in the big leagues. Everybody loves this guy and that's because he's just likable and a dynamic player and a true clubhouse guy. And now... according to Fansided, the Yankees are gonna push for this guy.

"The Yankees can't sign everyone, but the meetings make two things clear: the Yankees are serious about getting the best that's out there, and Freddie Freeman just got even more leverage in trade negotiations with the Braves."

Jon Heyman also agrees, but sees another avenue for the Yankees in Olson and tweets this:

But there is one thing that is important... money. 

How much can the Yankees actually spend and still be under the luxury tax? Fansided also points out that "While the Yankees will take meetings to address their need at the position, paying for Freddie Freeman and most likely Aaron Judge in the near future means that it would be unlikely for the Yankees to take Freeman. Still, the New York team is at the center of several trade rumors in the offseason, including a Carlos Correa move to NYC."

Look, as far as I'm concerned the way the Yankees get better is simply Freeman, one starting pitcher, whomever that may be, and making Aaron Judge a Yankee for life. And yes, shortstop is also a concern, but I'm not quite sure Correa can also be part of this scenario. I'd rather have Freeman's personality and bat in the lineup than Correa's trash talking mouth and attitude.

Everything else we can trade way and replace with important pieces to support them... trading Luke Voit... cutting some dead weight and picking up some pieces kind of like they did in 2009... like Nick Swisher for instance, an add on when they signed Teixeira, Burnett and Sabathia. That worked out well.

Look, the Yankees need to win. It's been a long time and this is the year we get the pieces we need. Will the Yankees push for Freeman? I think they will make a big push and I believe it will be their top priority. Let's see what happens.

 

IF OAKLAND WILL SELL MATT OLSON, THE YANKEES MUST BUY!

There's a big shakeup happening in Oakland right now. There should be just as big of a shakeup here in the Bronx, but that didn't quite happen. Something big still could happen though if the Yankees and the Oakland A's start talking.

Did you see what happened last week in Oakland? After 11 years Bob Melvin has left Oakland to manage the San Diego Padres. You may be asking "so what?" because that move alone isn't a big deal. However, right after that the A’s declined their team option on lefty reliever Jake Diekman who had a 3.86 ERA in 67 games. Even with a much smaller payroll, he's still "affordable" to Oakland at $4 million. So is this a sign that Oakland is looking to sell and maybe bigger names like Matt Olson are a trade chip that Oakland could use to rebuild again. Maybe....and if they are the Yankees need to go all in.

Olson is a perfect target for the Yankees and would help strengthen the infield. He's 27, gives the Yankees another left handed bat that they need and can run into a few home runs. He hit 39 last season, was an All-Star and and is a 2021 Silver Slugger AND Gold Glove finalist. 

He's the guy I get excited about. Honestly Luke Voit hasn't been healthy recently and his defense is subpar. I'm also not crazy about using DJ LeMahieu at first when his best position is second. The Yankees need to retool their roster in several positions, and that includes first base.

But what would it take to get him? I think the conversation STARTS with Voit, Domingo German and Gleyber Torres. I don't see that as enough to get Olson, but it's where they can open and see where it goes. I don't like the idea of including Torres to be honest, but he doesn't have a good home if the Yankees are going to use LeMahieu at second and Oakland will like that he is young and won't be a free agent until 2025. At this point, I'm open to any possibilities with this team....even trading away a young Torres.

Olson is the type of player and bat that the Yankees need to transform this roster. He's a hot name that many other teams would love to acquire. If the Yankees can get Oakland to bite, they need to move fast. Olson is a dream catch right now. If Oakland is willing to sell, the Yankees need to get it done.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Senior Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

IS ANTHONY RIZZO IN THE YANKEES OFF SEASON PLANS?

Source: MLB.com

A crowded infield. Average athleticism. And a need for a shortstop. These are all elements of the current Yankee situation. This is also a situation that poses an interesting opportunity. Do the Yankees shop Luke Voit and invest in Anthony Rizzo or seek other options at first base which likely will include a platoon with DJ LeMahieu? Is Rizzo top of mind for the Yankees offseason plans?

Source: MLB.com

According to MLB.com, "Rizzo earned $16.5 million last season and reportedly turned down a five-year, $75 million extension from the Cubs. Rizzo’s left-handed bat adds balance and he fits the bill of what Cashman desires as far as an athletic contact hitter, but if his asking price has not budged, does he fit into a crowded infield that already has DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit as viable options at first base?"

Rizzo fit in pretty quickly with the Yankees rhythm but an early exit to the COVID IL likely kept him from being as effective as he could have been early on. He snapped back fairly quickly but the Yankees and Rizzo ran out of time to demonstrate his full value to this team. Could 2022 provide a opportunity for Rizzo to be the kind of consistent athletic hitter the Yankees desperately need? 

Source: NJ.com

Rizzo represents leadership and a veteran player who younger players would look up to in addition to having a much needed lefty bat providing balance to the Yankees lineup. 

And then there's his defense which is also very appealing to an infield that struggled mightily this year. According to a scout interviewed by SNY in October, "He’s a Gold Glove first baseman. There are not many first basemen who are better than him. The Yankees and their fans hadn’t seen that. He makes all these plays that everyone has trouble with. He takes a lot of balls out of the dirt, saves errors on bad throws. "I know he’s getting older, but he does a lot of positive things."

Look the Yankees need positivity, and consistency—two key attributes missing from this team. He could provide stability and I like him, but Aaron Judge needs to have his payday too, and there is that need for a shortstop, both good enough reasons for the Yankees to pause or even pass on Rizzo. Yet, the Red Sox showed interest at the trade deadline and we all know we don't want to let a guy like Rizzo go to a division rival, particularly the Sox. 

Is Rizzo in the Yankees offseason plans? Yes. Will they need to consider other options given other priorities. Absolutely. But this could all work out so that Rizzo stays with the Yankees, which would be a great future investment for a team that needs to make something happen in 2022. 

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