COULD THE YANKEES BE IN THE MIX FOR THE CUBS' NICO HOERNER?

 To be honest, if Jon Morosi is claiming there's a connection, I doubt it... but humor me.

This story comes from him, and while there is always a connection between any player in the MLB and the Yankees at any time, one thing Bleeding Yankee Blue will always do is at least share what's out there, but we're very skeptical about everything.  It's like meeting a new person in my life... I go in not believing much of anything they say.... they gotta earn my trust.  It's backwards, but let's be honest... everyone walks around these days trying to top everyone else, and if they need to throw around a rumor or story that makes them feel like a big man just to get some notoriety of "likes"... they'll do it, cause everyone's a sellout.  Wow... I guess that's another bag of issues about me I need to express to my shrink next week. Anyway... this is what Morosi says this, reported by The Sporting News:

"Jon Morosi of MLB Network named the Yankees as a landing spot for Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner — along with former Yankees outfielder Mike Tauchman.

Hoerner, a 2023 Gold Glove winner, has a .257 batting average with four home runs, 30 RBI and a .686 OPS. He's fared better as of late with a 120 OPS+ over his last 11 games.

He's an elite contact hitter but doesn't provide much juice in terms of barrels and extra-base hits.

Hoerner might not make the offense completely better, but he does have a .730 OPS from the leadoff spot this season. That's a spot in the order the Yankees desperately need an upgrade.

Bringing on Hoerner would likely mean kicking Torres to the bench..."

The Cubs are another potential Yankees trade partner. Nico Hoerner and Mike Tauchman lead the Cubs in starts at the leadoff spot. Either would upgrade the Yankees' lineup. Tauchman played for NYY in '19, '20 and '21.

CHC & NYY have been regular trade partners: Effross '22,… https://t.co/2YupckWg0l

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 25, 2024

Again, I don't believe much of this. Remember Morosi doesn't get it right much. I wrote ADD MOROSI TO THE "BASEBALL NON-INSIDER" LIST back in December. That opinion has not changed. I do however love the trade deadline season and love to see the names thrown around.

Carry on.

SPRING TRAINING: CACTUS LEAGUE UNPLUGGED

Source: X

Well the Yankees are about where I expected as spring training moves into its midway point. With injuries already rearing their ugly head and a lot of growth needed, I am confident the Yankees will be competitive this year. And although I am used to following the Grapefruit League, this year, I had the opportunity to support teams out west in the Cactus League. So, if you bear with me, I will give you my take in Spring Training: Cactus League Unplugged.

Game 1: San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, home of the both the Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Absolutely beautiful ballpark with great energy on a Monday afternoon. An absolute picturesque day for baseball. 

The game had depth, with a ton of back and forth, trading spaces for the lead. What was particularly fun was that the Giants seemed more like the New York Mets with Michael Conforto, and J.D. Davis headlining. Also present was the Panda himself Pablo Sandoval. 

It was a treat to see Kris Bryant at first base. He hit a bomb to give his team the lead for a time. The Rockies did eventually push through with a 12-10 win. And yes, you could not only get a sausage sandwich and a bag of peanuts but a fruit stick- literally just that, fruit on a stick.

Game 2: Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ- aka little Wrigley Field. What a different experience. The field was outstanding giving it a Chicago feel in the middle of the desert. Chicago Dogs and Vienna Beef were plentiful. 

And on deck for all to enjoy was former Yankee Mike Tauchman who launched one out to the fences and gave the Cubs the lead in a tightly matched game. Alson the roster was Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson and former Met Dom Smith. For the Angels, yes, I believe he knew I was coming and performed exactly as I would expect- Aaron Hicks. What did he do you ask- struck out looking. Yep, I heckled. No, I am not ashamed. 

I enjoyed a Chicago Dog, a tour of little Wrigley, including roof top seating and some interesting beers. The staff could not have been more accommodating, thanking me for coming out. 

I drove past a few other parks including Diablo Stadium in Tempe, home of the Angels, which has some charm according to the locals. On the outskirts of Arizona State University, the park totes images of Mike Trout around campus, hoping to drive in some college students to its old school abode.  

Spring Training Cactus League style was a unforgettable experience. And although I wish I was in Florida visiting the Yankees, it was interesting to see how the other half or so lives out west. As we move into the midpoint of spring training, I am getting excited for what's ahead. Will the Yankees jump out ahead? Will they gel? Will they stay healthy? Answers for another time but the anticipation is amazing- I hope this feeling lasts. 

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

YANKEES POSTSEASON IS HARD TO VISUALIZE

The Yankees win some, but lose some more. With just about 8 weeks left in the 2021 season, the Yankees have a long way to go to put themselves over the hump into the postseason. But can they pull this off despite the challenges they are now facing, and the "easy' schedule still ahead of them at home? Your guess is as good as time.

Bryan Hoch's message in my inbox made me reflect on these easier days with concern following the Yankees loss on Monday night to the O's and the recent news of Gerrit Cole testing positive for COVID-19. Hoch says, "As the Yankees attack a softer stretch of their schedule, they have their sights set upon doing more damage, closing ground in the postseason chase. They’re within striking distance for the Wild Card -- and dare we say, the division is not out of the question."

You know when something is hard for you to visualize? You know, you can't see the blueprint or the course clearly in your head? Yea, that's how I feel right now. The lens is a little foggy. Sure they picked up some pieces that should set themselves up for success but with the lack of consistency and the IL growing, the opportunities to jump ahead are dwindling.

Source: MLB Pictures

I love when pitchers like Luis Gil, Yankees No. 6 prospect and starter for Tuesday night's bout against the Orioles, get the opportunity of the lifetime. It is special. But that feeling is short lived given the amount of work this Yankee team needs to put in to even make the Wild Card. 

This season the Yankees simply have not gotten consistent good at bats and the despite what Brian Cashman calls "good coaching" the strategies are just not translating to performance. The Yankees will win a game big like last night and then get beaten 14-0, like they did against Tampa last week. The consistency and rhythm seems to be off track and it is really unclear to me how they can get there, if they can't win games against the Red Sox and Rays and sweep teams like the Orioles. 

I guess at the end of the day, what is the Yankees' plan? They sent Mike Tauchman to the San Francisco Giants for Wandy Peralta, which was just a joke. On Tuesday, they picked up another outfielder from the Blue Jays in Jonathan Davis, but he is batting a pitiful .143 this season. Why not play Giancarlo Stanton and Tyler Wade in the outfield? Or is that not part of the plan? With Greg Allen back in the lineup, isn't he going to get everyday starts? I just don't see the plan, even if I squink. So, if you can comment or enlighten me, I seek your support. But for now, unless I see the blueprint, the Yankees postseason hopes are invisible to me. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

 

THE YANKEE ASSESSMENT YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR BUT REALLY NEED TO!

 

Source: MLB.com

"Oh no, here we go again," said YES Announcer David Cone after the Minnesota Twins scored two quick runs in about 25 pitches against Yankee starter Jordan Montgomery in the first inning of the three game stint. The Yankees have lost 10 of the last 13 games and are rapidly falling in the standings. I think we have all been saying this, but let's repeat it. The Yankees need to do more than rely on lofty home runs and a robust bullpen. Their assessment of fundamentals is Needs Improvement on the likert scale. Let's take a look a little closer at the issues plaguing this team.

Source: Sports Illustrated

I think Bryan Hoch really nailed things down nicely in his assessment of the Yankees in his most recent article in the newsletter Yankee Beat on Tuesday. "Scoring runs was never supposed to be a problem for this team, which was lauded as one of the American League’s most promising offensive juggernauts. The Yankees talked about regaining their standing as “savages” this spring, their code word for controlling the zone and making opponents throw hittable pitches, then passing the baton to the next batter if they didn’t see anything they liked. Any of the recent games serve as evidence that it has not worked out the way we predicted in Spring Training," said Hoch. 

I think we would all agree, that starting pitching and consistency of Aaron Judge at the plate have been the Yankees at their finest for the latter part of May, but June has been nothing short of disastrous. Specifically, Hoch calls out these three shifts the Yankees need to make to turn this thing around.

As much as I hate to say it, there needs to be a change in centerfield. With Aaron Hicks out, Mike Tauchman traded to San Francisco, the Yankees need to bring in a center fielder who can hit with consistency and throw out runners instead of hitters testing Brett Gardner's arm in the outfield. Whether the Yankees bring someone up or trade for someone stronger, the center field position is clearly an exposed weakness for the Yankees.

Hoch is calling for DJ LeMahieu to start igniting his inner Derek Jeter. LeMahieu needs to get that "inside-out, Derek Jeter-like swing that peppers the ball with authority to right-center field" going if the Yankees are going to get going. Currently, the Yankees Le Machine is hitting well below his average for this time of year. He gets going, and the Bombers get going.

Finally, it comes down to laying off the mental errors and getting back to the basics. "We’d love to see the Yankees play a smarter, more fundamental brand of baseball, cutting down on the unnecessary outs on the basepaths – Gary Sánchez has been a principal offender in this recent stretch. The Yanks have made 28 outs on the bases this season, most in the Majors and nearly twice the league average." Add the double-plays, and lack of home runs, the Yankees are set up for disaster. 

This is the Yankee assessment we need to hear, or rather the team needs to hear and start taking the feedback to heart. The Yankees will go nowhere this season if these fundamental changes do not happen. It does not matter if Gerrit Cole wins 20 games or Giancarlo Stanton miraculously hits 50 home runs. If the Yankees do not play good baseball day after day, the anomalies of one or two guys are not going to make up for it. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

NO ONE IS SURPRISED ABOUT HICKS, BUT DOES ANYONE MISS TAUCHMAN?

 

Do you remember this?
"I definitely see myself hitting 30 plus. That's what I want to do and that's what I believe I can do. If I get 500 plate appearances, I'm definitely going to hit my mark with those numbers." - Aaron Hicks

I do and I liked the enthusiasm, but just like we said in CAN AARON HICKS HIT 30 DINGERS? he's never healthy. Here we are in a new season and Aaron Hicks is injured AGAIN. It's a disappointment for sure but, it's predictable. We knew it was coming and we would need a backup plan but now that backup plan that we once had ISN'T predictable.

We always knew that If and when Hicks went down that we had Mike Tauchman waiting in the wings and he could fill in. That is until the elephant in the room finally showed up because while I was PREDICTING THE ODD MAN OUT it became clear that Tauchman just didn't fit on this roster. The Yankees had to make a move, and now he's gone. What's done is done and while some of us may miss Tauchman, it does nothing to help this situation we have now with needing the right person to fill in while Hicks is out. Missing Tauchman right now is pointless and he's not exactly killing it with the Giants, either.

And how long will Hicks be out for? Who knows right now but if Hicks does indeed need surgery for his wrist, read more HERE he could be out for most of the season. That is really hard to swallow right now. I hope that isn't the case, and maybe it's not as it could be BUT....we've seen this injury before. Remember what happened to Mark Teixeira? Yeah, same injury folks. He never came back to be the productive guy we needed him to be. Maybe I am a little haunted by that. I get that everyone's body is different and blah blah blah....

But this is Hicks we are talking about. He's made of glass and doesn't have a good track record at all. The facts don't lie, here are games played per season:
2018 - 137 games
2019 - 59 games
2020 - 54 games (Pandemic shortened 60 game season)
2021 - 32 games so far

And this is the guy that Brian Cashman gave a 7 year / $70 million contract to. He's our new Jacoby Ellsbury. That may be a bit harsh but it's how I feel right now. Sure $10 million average annual value sounds like a decent deal for the Yankees....but at seven years that's a long time to pay for a guy that hasn't proven that he can play 130+ games a season.

And now we have to get creative in the outfield while we play the 'wait and see' game with Hicks and hope for some good news. I hope Ryan LaMarre will be the sparkplug we need but I'm tired of rolling the dice and hoping we get lucky. Do I want to see Estevan Florial play in the Bronx? Absolutely! Problem is I really don't think he is ready. He was just promoted and needs more time in Triple-A.

Hicks latest Injury is just more proof that the Yankees really need to overhaul their player development team because outside of a few small notable exceptions, they have missed the mark. I hope we get good news on Hicks, but honestly....I will never feel comfortable with Hicks in the outfield without fitting him for his own personal suit made out of heavy duty bubble wrap. Even that doesn't make me feel super confident.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

SIGH, SOCKMAN SENT TO SAN FRAN

Source: The New York Times

The news broke just before first pitch and the chatter on Twitter was fierce. But it was all true. I am sad to see Mike Tauchman go across the country as the Yankees appear to be covering for lackluster starting pitching with a middle reliever and a player to be named later.

Yankees pick up Wandy Peralta, a 29-year-old left-handed pitcher who is 2-1 with two saves and a 5.40 ERA in 8.5 innings of play this season. Peralta is the third left-hander in the Yankees' bullpen after closer Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson. Recall that Zack Britton is on the 60-day IL following elbow surgery and is expected back in June. The Giants appear to have gotten the better end of the deal as Tauchman has been a great pinch runner with his speed, plays all outfield positions and began training at first base after Luke Voit's injury. Voit is also expected back in June. 

"The Giants were in search for an outfielder with Mike Yastrzemski -- who like Tauchman also bats left-handed -- dealing with an oblique injury. Yastrzemski had an MRI on Monday, which revealed "a very mild oblique strain," according to manager Gabe Kapler," reported ESPN.

To fill the void left by Tauchman's exit, the Yankees recall Tyler Wade from their alternate site. Wade who can play both outfield and infield positions, has been a great defensive replacement in the late innings. Wade also puts some speed in the Yankee lineup but he simply cannot hit, which has been a liability for the Bombers. 

Source: NJ.com

Well, the Yankees beef up their bullpen but lose one of the good guys, and hard workers. He will be missed, particularly by my son, who always felt that the Sockman got a raw deal and little opportunity to play with Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner splitting time in left field. Good luck, Mike. I hope you do well out in San Francisco and you get a lot of playing time. I look forward to catching you when you play on the east coast against the Mets and the Phils and be sure I am rooting for you from the stands.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE IRRATIONAL ATTACHMENT TO TYLER WADE MUST END

The regular season is about to start and the Yankees bench is a little more clear then what it was a few days ago. A little more clear....not completely. We know the fate of Jay Bruce and Mike Tauchman at this point. The mystery for them is solved for now, but one mystery is still unsolved.

Last week I said THE LAST BENCH CUT COULD BE THE ONE YOU LEAST EXPECT! and I still believe that. We still have a giant question mark looming with Tyler Wade. I said he could be on the chopping block and I still think he could be. In fact, now I will say that he SHOULD be.

I agree that the Yankees need a backup infielder. I don't think the Yankees should or could go indefinitely without one but, why does that backup infielder have to be Wade? Just because he is available shouldn't be the acceptable answer. The Yankees need the right guy for the job. Any "healthy" body shouldn't be the answer even when the Yankees are riddled with injuries. What happened to earning your spot?

That hasn't changed, so what has Wade done to earn his spot? His defense was his most attractive asset and even that is suspect and his bat should be equally as important especially when the Yankees are missing some of their heavy hitters like Luke Voit. A defensive substitute just isn't enough. He's had four seasons with a .190 BA and so far this spring he has a .194 BA with 14 strikeouts in 36 at-bats. Why is this worthy of a roster spot? Maybe it's not.

And if Aaron Boone's comments are any sort of hint, then so be it. We shouldn't be okay with rewarding a spot to Wade just because he fits a need. Does he play the position? Yes, but he's still a square peg in a round hole as far as I am concerned. He makes sense on paper, and that's it.

I hope some things are still in play as Boone said and I hope that is someone else. No offense to Wade, I appreciate his efforts over the last four seasons but it hasn't paid off. The Yankees could in theory option him to the minors and then we just wait for the time that he gets the call and then what? It's kicking the can down the road.

Maybe Boone is just giving me or others that share my opinion false hope, and maybe he isn't. Maybe there is someone else out there that the Yankees are looking at, like maybe a reunion with Todd Frazier? He did recently opt-out of his deal from the Pirates so it could theoretically happen. If it could, the Yankees should entertain it.

Either way, I don't have hope false or otherwise when it comes to Wade's likelihood of contributing to the Yankees. We've tried this already and it hasn't worked. It's an irrational attachment that fans and the Yankees have that hasn't worked out. It's time to cut the cord.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

VOIT STARTS 2021 ON THE IL

Yes, this is real. No, I am not kidding. And man we predicted this...unfortunately. The Yankees starting first baseman, Luke Voit will undergo surgery for a partial meniscus tear in his right knee, skipper Aaron Boone shared with reporters on Saturday afternoon. It should come as no real surprise as Voit had been vocal about the soreness he had been experiencing in his right knee since the start of spring training. Friday, following his MRI, Voit learned the full extent of his knee injury. Voit will start the 2021 season on the Injured List and likely will not return to full time play until June.

Source: The New York Post

"The Yankees will turn to Jay Bruce -- the non-roster invite who made the Opening Day roster -- to serve as the team's starting first baseman in Voit's absence, Boone confirmed Saturday. Bruce exercised his opt-out on Thursday, but the Yankees had 48 hours to make a final decision regarding a roster spot for him," reported CBS Sports.

This news keeps Mike Tauchman and Tyler Wade on the roster for the Yankees on Opening Day. Both could find some time platooning at first base. However, the Yankees will miss more than Voit's big bat in the lineup, coming from a guy who has had spent his fair share on the IL. 

Source: Sports Illustrated

“It’s gonna be tough,’’ Aaron Judge said of losing Voit. “Luke’s a big part of this team, a big part of this offense who hits in the middle of the lineup. He’s a real vocal guy in the clubhouse who gets us motivated and we’re gonna miss that the next month. I know Jay Bruce is gonna do some special things for us,” reported the New York Post. 

Voit is coming off a stellar 2020 season, albeit a short one. He batted .277/.338/.610 with a league-leading 22 home runs and 52 RBI in 56 games. Bruce is a 33-year-old left-handed hitter, who has turned some heads this spring proving he can hit for power. His overall production, and on base percentage is certainly not in line with Voit's and Bruce has only had 50 starts in his 13 year career at first base. 

Source: The New York Post

“I’m confident I can play a very adequate first base, and with more practice, I think I can be good. It sounds like I’ll have the opportunity to be there pretty extensively for the foreseeable future,” said Bruce as reported by The Post. 

Sigh. Let's hope that the Yankees can overcome this set back, that Voit rehabs and can come back well before June and that the Yankees have enough depth in their clubhouse to stay focused and get a good start to the 2021 season. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THAT TAUCHMAN "TRADE INTEREST" STORY

Many of us like Mike Tauchman.  But if there's no room or if it helps the Yankees out to possibly trade him, let me tell you what they're gonna do... probably trade him. Here's the thing though, Cashman is gonna want something good on his return. And so, with whispers of possible suitors for Tauchman, we need to see what's out there. 

Yup, I feel like this story comes out every 3 months. Between him and Clint Frazier, they're always getting traded in the baseball world with rumor... and then they aren't. I do wonder what Tauchman's future brings however. We'll have to see.

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"The Yankees are receiving trade interest in outfielder Mike Tauchman...They’re looking past his 2020 season and valuing him more in line with his 2019 output, per Martino, who adds that it’d take a reliever with some team control or another piece with legitimate value for the Yanks to part with the 30-year-old outfielder."

And Andy Martino of SNY writes:

"The Yanks believe that his breakout 2019 was representative of his ability, and are valuing him accordingly. It would take a controllable reliever or another piece of real value to pry him away from New York."

We will see what happens with this guy. Personally, I like the guy and he's a true contributor, but baseball's funny that way... you never know.

THE LAST BENCH CUT COULD BE THE ONE YOU LEAST EXPECT!

Last week I was torn. I had a lot of different ideas as I was PREDICTING THE ODD MAN OUT! but I have changed my mind. I have a new idea, it may be radical but it could still work. I'm not looking to cut Jay Bruce and I'm not looking to cut Mike Tauchman, either. 

Maybe the Yankees don't have to choose between either of them. You can make good reasons to keep both of them. They both have good value for the Yankees and cutting one of them would be hard. It might be a little easier to cut someone else instead....what about Tyler Wade?

Honestly, he's in consideration for that last bench spot. We already know Brett Gardner isn't going anywhere and Kyle Higashioka is a lock for the back-up catcher spot. So then it comes down to Tauchman, Bruce and....Wade. Nothing against Wade but, he has options remaining. The Yankees can send him down. The infield becomes a little dicey, they won't have an emergency infielder but the Yankees can get creative.

Aaron Boone has already given third basemen Gio Urshela some reps at shortstop. We already know Gleyber Torres can play both second and shortstop. Aaron Boone has new confidence that Jay Bruce can lay first base when needed, read more HERE. Then of course we have DJ LeMahieu who proved he could play all over the infield when he went from no defined role back in 2019 to MVP worthy last season. The Yankees have versatility and can make it work.

Would losing Wade as a backup infielder hurt a little on paper? Sure, one less body for them to use, especially when they are riddled with injuries. It would be challenging, but another important part of this would be to have the RIGHT bodies on the roster. Bruce has proven that he deserves a spot on this team AND he has an opt-out clause that he can exercise today. Tauchman is versatile and likely a guaranteed need considering how often the Yankees are down an outfielder. Oh and the fact that he has no minor league options left is another risk. If the Yankees let him go....another team will be ready to claim him.

                                    

Cutting Wade isn't a great solution by any means....but I don't think cutting Tauchman or Bruce makes more sense either. I think the Yankees need both Tauchman and Bruce, and we will find out if the Yankees think so too....any moment now.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

PREDICTING THE ODD MAN OUT!

Last month I was worried that Brett Gardner was a Yankee casualty. We speculated that his days as a Yankee were over. It turns out I may have been concerned about the wrong veteran's future. As we get closer to Opening Day, it looks like a different Yankee outfielder may be left behind.

I'm struggling to find where Mike Tauchman fits right now, and I think the Yankees are also. I didn't expect Jay Bruce to be this productive in Spring Training. He's looking to rebound after an underwhelming three-year contract with the Mets and Tauchman looked good in 2019, and even with a short 2020 season he regressed.

Aaron Boone says he wants to start the regular season with 13 pitchers and 13 position players. It's safe to assume 12 of those position players are likely set, read more on that HERE. So that leaves one more spot left, and an uncomfortable decision to make.

A week from today Bruce can opt out of his contract. On the same note, Tauchman is out of minor league options and has four years of team control before he can become a free agent. Neither of these players can be sent to the minors without passing through waivers which seems unrealistic so the Yankees will likely lose one of them....unless there is a trade.

Considering the Yankees are giving Bruce a look at first base and he has had a productive Spring, I think that is a good sign that the Yankees like his versatility. Tauchman also has versatility, you can't ignore an outfielder who has the ability to all three positions. As much as we would like to forget, we can't ignore the Yankees have a brutal injury history in recent years especially with Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier so it would be smart to keep him for the extra versatility.

So, who gets the last bench spot, Bruce or Tauchman? Do the Yankees go with Bruce's experience or Tauchman's versatility? Considering that the Yankees are cursed by the injury bug I'd rather keep them both in a perfect world. Of course this isn't a perfect world so.....if you can only keep one, who do you keep?

Comment and tell us.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj