RUMOR: YANKEES ARE "UNLIKELY" TO PURSUE BIG NAME THIS WINTER

Relax, this has nothing to do with Juan Soto. We know the Yankees are "in" on Soto because they would be stupid not to. Brian Cashman would be burned at the stake if he didn't chase Soto. There is another big name out there that is being floated as a hard pass and I'm laughing at it.

Let me explain. Back in June we wrote ASSTROS PLAYERS COULD BE PERFECT FIT IN THE BRONX SAYS SHERMAN and I was firm that I had no interest in Joel Sherman's idea of Alex Bregman as a Yankee. I STILL feel that way. Thankfully, his idea never came to fruition and I didn't have to toss my cookies. Next.

So fast forward two more months and now SI.com also thinks Bregman in the Bronx won't happen, read more HERE. Now we are talking about what happens in the winter. I agree Bregman isn't a likely target but not for the reason given of his involvement in the sign stealing scandal. Do I think the Yankees like the idea of being associated with that? No, but.....they've already proven they can look past that.

The Yankees signed Marwin Gonzalez to a minor league deal worth $1.15 million once he was promoted to the majors. It doesn't sound like a big deal but in 2022 I said MARWIN GONZALEZ COMPARISON OF THE YANKEES & ASTROS RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY because of one important detail. We know the ASSTROS were only as good as they were on paper because they cheated and Gonzalez was no exception of that. In fact, he was the poster child for how much the Astros benefited by their cheating ways. If he didn't have a trash can signal to tell him a fastball was coming his .303 BA wouldn't have happened. Instead, he would've looked like the more down to earth .252 career hitter he was. His 2017 batting average was such an outlier, it sticks out like a sore thumb....and despite that the Yankees still gave him a contract.

Sure, the name notoriety is a big difference. You cant compare Marwin Gonzalez and Alex Bregman and their fan appeal to the game. Bregman has been an everyday star in Houston and Gonzalez was a utility guy but the Yankees looked past the integrity issue once. They did it for a guy that benefitted more than any other ASSTRO cheater. They could do it again for anyone if they feel like the player is a game changer also.

I wouldn't put anything past the Yankees. I don't think Bregman is likely, but that's because the Yankees have been dedicated to Anthony Volpe and they have other arms they can use as a shortstop. A shortstop is not the Yankees biggest need this offseason so I don't see them spending big bucks on Bregman who is also a Scott Boras client. The Yankees are going to be more focused on Soto....as they should be. We know Boras will aggressively try to sell the Yankees on both of his clients though.

So basically, don't let the sign cheating scandal fool you. Bregman is a tool....but that's not the ultimate reason why the Yankees would pass. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

MARWIN GONZALEZ GONZO!

 

Alot of Yankee guys are gone lately.  It doesn't mean I want them all gone. I mean, I didn't want Lucas Luetge gone... but I'm glad Marwin Gonzalez is gone. What a waste.

I have never been a fan of Marwin Gonzalez.  I probably like him a tiny bit more than Aaron Hicks, but then again who am I kidding. Hicks is the worst.

Anyway, Gonazlez is gone. He's going to Japan. Here's the news about that from NJ.com:

"...the utility player signed with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball....

In March 2022, González signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees and made the Opening Day Roster.

He made the Yankees Opening Day roster for the 2022 season. He batted.185/.255/.321 with six homers in 207 plate appearances over 85 games."

Good. Maybe he can break .200 in Japan. Good luck to him.

WHO'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON ON THE YANKEES INJURED RESERVED?

Source: NJ.com

Watching the Yankees on YES last night, I heard David Cone say, "Who's the most important person on the Yankees injured reserved right now?" I paused. Just as Marwin Gonzalez answered with a 2-run homerun in the top of the 3rd inning. Now recall that Gonzalez has been asked to step into a big hole in the infield, a position he has not played before as a utility player. That position first base—where both our regular position player, Anthony Rizzo and back up, DJ LeMahieu have left absent for the last couple of weeks. So that most important person on the Yankees IL—one could argue both Rizzo and LeMahieu collectively.

According to YES reporter Meredith Marakovits, Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit off a tee on Tuesday in Boston and is hopeful to return for the Brewers series in Milwaukee or the Pirates series at home—which is likely more probable. As the New York Daily News reported, "The first basemen has been recovering from headaches he suffered after receiving an epidural to relieve back pain. Rizzo underwent a blood patch procedure that immediately relieved his symptoms."  

Source: Mark J. Terrill/AP

The Yankees have been plagued with injuries again this season. Rizzo has been out of the lineup since August 30th ironically when he hit his 30th home run against the Los Angeles Angels. He has played only 117 games this season, with multiple games missed due to his re-occurring back issues. And Rizzo's back up at first base, DJ LeMahieu has been on the IL on and off dealing with a lingering toe inflammation. The toe injury has been impacting LeMahieu’s performance at the plate, where he was hitting an abysmal 10-for-78 (.128).

Source: N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

“It just got to a point where I wasn’t even rotating at all [on my back foot],” LeMahieu said. “I can deal with that [in the field]. That’s manageable. It is what it is. But when I can’t be myself and can’t hit, I’m not doing anyone any favors by just being a body out there,” reported The New York Post.

Sure one could argue that not having their pitching staff at full strength is the reason why the Yankees are underperforming, but I actually think Cone is onto to something. Having that first base hole there disrupted the infield synergy, bringing up rookies to "fill-in" for veterans and compromising the consistency the Yankees had in the first half of the season. 

Source: Robert Sabo/New York Post

According to the New York Post, "Whenever Rizzo returns, it would be a welcome addition for a Yankees lineup that has missed his left-handed at-bat while also dealing with injuries to DJ LeMahieu, Andrew Benintendi and Matt Carpenter. “The fact that I think we have the [back] problem behind us and he feels really good physically and we’re going to hopefully get that healthy version back is huge,” Boone said. 

Let's hope that both LeMahieu and Rizzo make their way back into the lineup by our next home stand against the Pittsburgh Pirates schedule for next week. And that this brings back consistency, energy and yes big bats to this much needed Yankee offense as they move toward the home stretch of this long baseball season in hopes of extending it even longer. 

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

THERE ISN'T ANYONE GOOD ON THE YANKEES ANYMORE

Winning 2 in a row isn't great, but it's something. That being said... nothing's going right. 

Aaron Judge is doing his job, and yes, he's doing a great job right now. He needs to be paid and extended, but I gotta tell you something... Why the hell would he want to stick around in this new Yankee environment where no one knows how to play?

What happened with the Yankees earlier in the season was a feel good story of inspiration and dramatics. They were playing out of their shoes.  If you thought for a moment it would translate to a World Series win, you are not a true baseball fan and do not understand the highs and lows of this game. Stories about teams like that are rare. At the time, there weren't injuries and slumps and inconsistencies. Now however we have all of the above and it's a problem. How Judge can play in this environment is mindboggling.

The other night, Michael Kay went right down the list of the staring lineup and basically demolished the whole team with the problems they all have and this was just the other day. By the way, nothing has changed.

In fact the lineup that went out yesterday had Gleyber Torres leading off and Marwin Gonzalez batting 9th. I'd rather put my mom and dad in those spots, because they're essentially automatic outs.

Jesus please tell me why you are batting Gleyber Torres leadoff? @ThisIsSteveAzul @JayBilly2 @Carbs_ @BleednYankeeBlu pic.twitter.com/vG0UJN0jPv

— Suzanne (@suzieprof) September 5, 2022

You got to be kidding me. Everybody is happy when your team is playing well.  Everyone is quiet when you're not. And that goes for the players too.

NJ.com writes this about Torres:

"Gleyber Torres spoke softly at his locker in the back of the visitors clubhouse at Tropicana Field. He paused to collect his thoughts before answering each question.

“Thank God August is done,” he told NJ Advance Media. “It’s September right now. Just, really, mentality-wise, I’m staying really positive to (make) an adjustment really quick and try to hit better.”

But I've said this for years and I'll say it again. Limping into the playoffs is no way to go.  Winning the wild card is a failed season. Not hitting when it's your job is pretty horrendous.  And Aaron Boone replacing bad hitters or hurt ones with other players who don't hit is no way to manage.

Boone is the manager. I've said this a thousand times, it's worth sharing my tweet from the other day. When the Yankees are good, it's the Yankees. When the Yanks are bad, it takes a good manager to find the right combo to find wins, and that's where Boone fails. That's why he's a terrible manager.

Lots of peeps bitching about the @Yankees. Teams are good & teams are bad. It’s a chemistry thing and right now things are off. But when things are bad, player switches and lineup shake ups sometimes fix things. But that must come FROM THE MANAGER. Boones useless on dark days

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) September 1, 2022

So what needs to happen? Find ways to win. It's pretty simple. We have to tools, we just don't have the direction and leadership. And so, it's up to the players.  Judge is a player and leader but not the manager. He can only do and say so much. It takes the guy in charge of the team, Boone, to right the ship. 

Otherwise it's just another year of BS in the Bronx.

 

HOLY CARP! MATT CARPENTER'S STILL GOT IT!

I still can't believe what we saw yesterday. I woke up this morning and reminded myself that yesterday wasn't a dream at all. The Yankees just annihilated the Chicago Cubs and ran a football score thanks to one unexpected star.

In a season that has been all about Aaron Judge so far....for once, it was not about Judge. Yesterday was all about Matt Carpenter and it was exciting to see. I will admit, I didn't expect it and I'm sure I'm not alone because Carpenter has had a rough couple of years recently.

But maybe a change in scenery will do him some good. The last 2 seasons were not good for Carpenter, and is a contributing factor to why he's no longer playing in St. Louis and also why the Rangers released him from Triple-A after he requested back in May. 

It's nice to see Carpenter making the most of his new opportunity. So far, he's 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double and seven RBIs. In 10 games since signing with the Yankees in late May he has 8 hits and 6 of those are homeruns. It's a small sample size, but nice to see.

Carpenter says he has found his swing again and has embraced critics saying he is "washed up" and recent success will just be a flash in the pan but he is determined to keep playing and contributing, read more HERE. 

I guess we wait and see what he can contribute to going forward, but I like his determination. I will always stand behind the guy that says he wants to keep playing "until they tell me I can't," compared to a guy like Marwin Gonzalez who cheated and doesn't deserve to wear pinstripes....granted that last part is my opinion.

I would like to ask the Yankees to make sure he has just enough time to make his magic salsa. If there is a track record proving his success with it then get that man the ingredients and have him share it in the clubhouse. 

Oh and the mustache seems to work too. The Yankees are on a roll right now, let's hope they keep rolling and Carpenter can continue to roll with them.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

MARWIN GONZALEZ COMPARISON OF THE YANKEES & ASTROS RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY

I will be fully transparent here... I am still having a hard time embracing Marwin Gonzalez in a Yankee uniform. I don't have to like this reality and I also don't have to accept his comparison between the Yankees and the 2017 ASSTROS. In his mind it is a compliment but I'm not buying it.

The Yankees 11 game win streak just came to an end, and his base running miracle on Tuesday may have impressed Aaron Boone and Aaron Judge, but I am not ready to sing his praises. Judge and Boone can continue to do that, and you can catch that HERE if you missed it. Judge may want Gonzalez to teach him a few things, but I don't. Gonzalez caught a lucky break, it played in the Yankees favor and I will agree with Gonzalez when he called that kind of outcome in the situation as "rare" but there isn't much more that we will agree on.

The other part of his assessment is what I will never agree with. Gonzalez was asked to compare the talent of the 2017 Astros and the 2022 Yankees. Do the Yankees compare? "It’s a really good team," Gonzalez said. "I would say yes." Too bad he's wrong....

Gonzalez can keep telling himself that these two teams and rosters compare. I'm sure he's brainwashed and actually believes it to be true and that makes him look even dumber than I thought he was. The ASSTROS were only as "good" as they were on paper because they cheated and compromised the game. Gonzalez benefitted the most out of anyone on that cheating squad. If he didn't have a trash can signal to tell him a fastball was coming that .303 BA doesn't exist. The cheating scandal of 2017 inflates his stats and is the only reason he has a career average of .256 BA. So he's a lying, cheating fool. No trash cans or buzzers needed here.

He's right about one other thing....this Yankee team has been 'a really good team' so far. It's only May and there is a lot of baseball left but so far this team is living up to expectations. There is a lot of talent on this team, but this is a BETTER team than the 2017 ASSTROS. They can do everything the ASSTROS did without stealing signs, using trash cans and cheating. Their tainted championship is something the ASSTROS felt they couldn't achieve without cheating. If they believed they had the talent and could win it all they wouldn't have had to cheat to give them a competitive edge. It's plain and simple and he's WRONG.

At the end of the day I want to see Gonzalez do well because he wears our uniform. He needs to be a smarter player for us then he ever was as an Astro. Even if I forgive what he did before he was one of us that doesn't mean I forgive or accept his comparison. We are better than the 2017 ASSTROS could have ever hoped to be. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

HOW THE YANKEES DEPTH WILL SERVE THEM WELL.

Source: New York Post

Yes. The Yankees have depth. I know. Right. I am complimenting the stack the Yankees are piecing together in an intentional way. Let's take a deeper look at how the 2022 Yankees have the depth that will serve them well.

The Yankees will carry 16 pitchers into the first series of the season with longtime rivals The Boston Red Sox. Besides the obvious ones, the Yankee pitchers will include right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Ron Marinaccio and lefty JP Sears. The Yankees will likely drop back to 13 pitchers when the expanded roster ends on May 1st. This expanded roster gives teams some flexibility due to the shortened spring training.

"Schmidt, 26, went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this spring. He led all Yankees pitchers with 11 strikeouts and 9 1/3 innings pitched. Schmidt is a former first-round pick (16th overall) of the Yankees in the 2017 Draft," reported MLB.com

Schmidt will likely be used in a variety of roles this season. He could be a long reliever, a starter. [Maybe] a day where he gives us some serious length," Boone said. "But there may be a scenario where he is in an inning-plus situation as well. You never know how the games unfold."

In addition to the talent and versatility in the Yankee pitching, there are the hard-core utility players. The standout is switch-hitting Marwin Gonzalez. "Gonzalez will be part of the three-man bench after hitting .375 (9-for-24) with three home runs and 10 RBIs this spring. However, his ability to play several positions in the field will be even more useful to the Yankees early in the season than his bat," reported MLB.com

"Marwin's versatility gives up pretty good coverage everywhere," Boone said before an exhibition Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. "Just early on, got to make sure we protect and build up the arms properly. We'll make it work, and if we have to change on the fly a little bit, we'll do that," reported ESPN.

The Yankees were scheduled for a 1:05 PM start on Thursday at the Stadium, but Mother Nature is not in agreement. Game 1 of 162 is postponed to Friday as the rains won't let up enough for the start of the much anticipated 2022 season. Better for our pitchers honestly, but I know we all were looking forward to having baseball back. On the bright side, the Bombers' depth could serve them well this season. Let's hope they can really use this depth as an opportunity to rise above rather than a stop gap for injuries. 

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

INTEGRITY BE DAMNED, THE YANKEES SIGNED A CHEATER!

The Yankees wanted versatility and they got it in the form of a cheater. Sure, not everyone agrees with me on this one but I really don't care. The Yankees desire for versatility comes at a price and I'm not talking about the amount of money in his contract.

The Yankees saw endless possibilities with Marwin Gonzalez because the cheater can play all over the infield and also play all three outfield positions. Sure, that sounds nice but it comes with the price of integrity which some people may not care about but I do.

Sure, the Yankees got him on the cheap at a minor league deal for only $1.1 million if he reaches the major league roster but what about the stigma that goes with it? He's part of the 2017 cheating ASSTROS team that knocked the Yankees out of the postseason. He's not worth a penny.

That .199 BA last season is less than what he weighs. He's useless. Love how good his stat looked in 2017 when he was cheating. He was one of the ASSTROS that benefited most from their trash can banging and then as soon as he is exposed for the cheater he is he can't hit the broad side of a barn. To say he's in a decline is an insult to almost every other player in the league.

And what about his terrible "apology" he gave two years ago, we wrote about it in THE LATEST DIRTY ASSTRO APOLOGY IS BEYOND STUPID! What about when he said "that's how it is unfortunately. It's how it is, they're going to get booed. Hopefully they can get through that." That's what he said about the bad reputations his former teammates were going to have to deal with as they traveled to other stadiums. Easy to say when he was a Minnesota Twin....but he's not anymore. 

So no, I won't give Gonzalez a "Welcome to the Bronx" because he's a loser and now he hopes to stay in the show and have a chance with the team he cheated against. He doesn't deserve the uniform at all. Giving him one to wear would be a tragedy as far as I am concerned.

I hope his own words about being booed haunt him.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

PITIFUL EX-ASTRO PLAYS THE VICTIM CARD AFTER CHEATING

One thing that I really haven't liked about this Astros cheating scandal is that ex-Astros who are now playing for news teams are getting off easier than others who are still playing in Houston since 2017. I mean, sure we are watching Jose Altuve get booed everyday and George Springer is being humiliated at the plate as he strikes out...but ex-Asstros need to face the humiliation too, and they aren't.

Guys like Ken Giles, Dallas Keuchel, Marwin Gonzalez and now Collin McHugh get off easy...and they shouldn't!

We've covered what the other ex-Asstros have said but now Collin McHugh is finally talking and he sounds like he is playing the victim card, and that isn't going to fly.

"Looking back, I don't know what we could have done as pitchers," McHugh said. "It wasn't really our territory. Maybe we could've gotten together and somehow tried to stop it. Yeah, it was tough watching that. You feel for guys out there who are working their tails off, whether they're on
 your team or against you."

That's a load of bullshit. Your "territory" is to protect the integrity of the game and play it the right way....and you didn't. You knew what was going on and you still kept quiet. That's not a leader or a person with integrity.

This is 100% NOT a quote. It's BYB mocking the crappy Astros team.

"You've got to be willing to stick up for what you believe in and what you believe is right and what you believe is wrong.  And I think a lot of the guys on that team, including myself, are looking back now and wishing we had been as brave in the moment as we thought we were beforehand."

So the guy also has no balls, great. What a fantastic rolemodel!

Newflash: If you don't try to fix the problem, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM! McHugh is full of crap.
He had no moral dilemma in any of this. I'm sure the pitching staff was heartbroken over getting more run support too, right?

He should've reported the cheating, but he couldn't because he didn't have the power to stop anything. Gimme a break. He wants us to believe that he is a victim, just like all of these guys do. All of these guys who played for the Asstros in 2017 are insufferable and I am sick of it. McHugh could've
reported the cheating, but he didn't....and since he CHOSE not to then he is no less guilty than Carlos Beltran is for his mastermind scheme. It's called guilty by association....not powerless victim. You do
not get a "pass" and a giant bowl of sympathy for this.

Now McHugh can try and move on with another cheating team, the Red Sox. Because that's another good place to try and move past a cheating legacy. No one is buying your "victim" speech McHugh, you should've had the balls to come forward.

I am tired of this. These are the guys that disgraced the game and made a ton of money in the process. They've also disrespected you and I as fans and they just continue to get away with it. Especially guys like McHugh who now play for new teams so they can hide in the background. NO! They may not get booed everyday but we will remind them of what they did.

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

THE LATEST DIRTY ASSTRO APOLOGY IS BEYOND STUPID!

The Houston Astros "We are sorry we got caught cheating" apology tour is about to ramp up. We heard the first fakeass apology from Dallas Keuchel, read NO ONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT DISGRACED DALLAS KEUCHEL'S FAKE APOLOGY and we have many more "apologies" to come. We asked who was going to be next and we finally got our answer.

It's Marwin Gonzalez ladies and gentlemen and he had a lot to say HERE! He is apology number two with more to come after ASSTROS cheating owner Jim Crane meets with the rest of his team today to discuss strategy according to the latest report HERE.

So we know more apologies will be coming. I want to give him credit for his apology coming BEFORE the team meeting today but I just can't. I feel like he is more sincere then dumbass Keuchel's PR stunt, but if these guys were truly sorry they would've owned up to this a lot sooner.

"I’m remorseful for everything that happened in 2017,’’ Gonzalez said, “everything that we did as a group. And the players that were affected directly by us doing this and other things. That's what I feel the most regret over, and I am remorseful."

This man should feel incredible remorse and GUILT too. Have you looked at data that Astros fan Tony Adams was able to verify? Check it out HERE. The data is compelling, and you can see he benefited from the Astros cheating methods more than ANY OTHER PLAYER ON THE TEAM! It's disgusting really. The infamous trash can banging was verified on 147 out of 776 pitches when Gonzalez was batting at home, so 18.9% of the time he was tipped off about which pitches were coming next. Oh and because of that Gonzalez had the best year of his career with a .303BA, a career-high 23 homers and 90 RBI's. Much easier to hit the ball when you know what is coming, huh? Congrats, your career year is TAINTED.

I don't understand cheating at all....on any level. The Astros have a ton of talent on that team and will likely win the AL West again. He even KNOWS how talented they were. So why the cheating? They had the talent to still win with integrity! He even said "I still think we have one of the best teams in the last decade. A great talent." So when you have such great talent and you are confident in your skills and you work hard you don't NEED to cheat. The Astros great talent and one of the best teams in the last decade as he put it, now is remembered for their controversy, not their accomplishments. They are known for a title they did not earn. They disgraced the game.

It's all famous last words. Gonzalez also said that he realized that his former teammates were going
to have to deal with their bad reputations following them on the road. He said it's going to be rough but "that's how it is unfortunately. It's how it is, they're going to get booed. Hopefully they can get through that." 

Notice it's THEY as in his old teammates but not him because he is a Twin now....or so he thinks. The baseball world does not forgive and forget so easily. He should and will get his own fair share of boos. He deserves them. This isn't going away. This scandal is still going to be hovering over his head and all other current and former players. He will have to deal with this next week in Spring Training, next month, their first road trip and for a long time to come.

Play stupid games and win stupid prizes, Marwin....but thanks for the "apology." Which tainted and dirty cheater is next on the ASSTROS apology tour?

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

COLLUSION IN BASEBALL?

No, I am not talking about the conspiracy between President Trump and Russia. We breathe baseball here, not politics. That being said, does collusion exist in baseball?

There are WAY too many free agents still on the market right now. Spring training is here and there are far too many big names out there still with no job. Thankfully J.A. Happ isn't one of those names and he was smart to sign in December, but you can still hear some of his frustration:

"It’s surprising and it’s disappointing. I know we're [the Players Association] working on ways to change this, but it's frustrating for sure to see all the quality guys out there that can help teams win not being signed this close to spring. It's a bummer," read more HERE.

Last winter was slow, but it also didn't have the same star studded power as this free agent class, so many didn't expect another slow market. Big names like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado usually create a slower market for others until they sign but....they both still don't have jobs. How can two young guys with infinite talent still be on the market? This wouldn't even be possible three years ago.

And what about Dallas Keuchel, a Cy Young Award winner three years ago? There's no reason why he does not have a job. Or Craig Kimbrel, who led the NL in saves for four straight seasons and was the closer for the defending World Champion Boston Red Sox who is the best reliever on the market. Adam Jones does not have a job, nor does Mike Moustakas or Gio Gonzalez.

How about Doug Fister or Marwin Gonzalez? I mean, Gonzalez is extremely versatile. Teams salivate over a guy they can plug in multiple positions. You can't convince me that a guy with his versatility doesn't fit on one of the 30 MLB teams. I'm not buying that one.

There are approximately 70 experienced free agents still unsigned with Opening Day less than two months away. Quite a few of these players would be major game changers to a team, especially contending teams like the Red Sox who haven't addressed their bullpen and the guy that helped them win their championship. Side note, I am VERY okay with not seeing Kimbrel pitch against the Yankees.

So should fans and players be mad at the owners? It's easy to say that owners are trying to be strategic with how they are spending their money and don't want to sign those big money long term deals. They are in it to make money, but fans are in it to see their favorite players. Without their favorite players there is no reason to buy the expensive jerseys, MLB extra inning packages, game tickets or outrageously priced beers at those games.

Long term and big money deals do have a bad stigma attached to them. We tend to remember the bad deals like Bobby Bonilla, Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and Alex Rodriguez and understandably so. I know I can't wait to get rid of Ellsbury.

But not all long term deals are remembered as a disaster. I'd say CC Sabathia's seven year deal was a good investment. He's been reliable and it helped us get an immediate championship. Oh and Derek Jeter's 10 year deal back in 2000 was one of the best investments any team could make.

More than half of Major League teams haven't signed a free agent this winter. That's a startling number. So far, the only player to get a payday of over $100 million is Patrick Corbin. Many teams (like the Yankees) CAN afford guys like Harper or Machado, but yet they have chosen not to. Are MLB owners behind this?

I love baseball, but it's not easy to make it here. Yeah, there is a potential to make BIG money here.....but it's a long road to get there and maybe it is scaring some guys off. Maybe guys like Kyler Murray who just chose the NFL over baseball (read more HERE) are more interested in the guaranteed money than a gamble in MLB free agency. At this point, can you blame them?

So who is to blame for these last slow winters? Are players just greedy and have they ruined free agency....or are MLB owners colluding to change the game? It makes me wonder if a salary cap is the only thing to get baseball back on track.

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