COULD THOR BE THE YANKEES NEW CLOSER?

Yeah, I know it is likely a long shot, but what if the hammer throwing god came to the other New York team? What if the Yankees were to sign Noah Syndergaard as bullpen depth or even try him out in the closer role? The Yankees have shown interest in the former Met flame thrower, and who knows, maybe the theory could become a reality.

According to John Heyman from the New York Post, "Yankees are among about 15 teams that have gone to watch one of Noah Syndergaard’s pen sessions. Their interest level is unknown but he was said to be in the mid 90’s." 

Source: USA Today

Syndergaard was never the same after having Tommy John surgery which kept him out the entire 2020 season. And in 2021, he only had two starts. His injuries and inability to remain consistent bounced him to multiple teams since leaving the New York Mets in 2022. "After once being a huge star early on in his career, Noah Syndergaard has become a journeyman the last few years, struggling to stay in one place due to poor performances," reported SI.com.

Source: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

The pitcher has had gigs with the Angels, Phillies, Guardians and the Dodgers following a 6-year career with the Mets. "Syndergaard massively struggled in 2023, posting a 7.16 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers and a 5.40 after he was traded to the Cleveland Guardians. He was ultimately released, which called into question his future as a Major League pitcher," reported SI.com. 

He's out there pitching for a spot on an MLB rotation somewhere, and why not the Bronx? He likely won't be in the starting rotation as that is pretty much etched in stone, barring any setbacks from the proposed roster, but the closing role or any set up role in the bullpen is fully available and much needed. He could be a long reliever as well, having experience going multiple innings. 

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

The Yankees will have competition from the Pirates, potentially the Mets, the Orioles and possibly the Phillies among other suitors. The likelihood of Syndergaard landing a spot on a team this spring is very high according to multiple sources. He appears healthy and hungry to get back to business- so why not in pinstripes? Hey, you never know- he's been successful here before, why not again?

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

WILL THE YANKEES GO "ALL-IN" BY THE DEADLINE TOMORROW?

And here we are in the home stretch, and it is weird to think about. We went from talking about the trade deadline two months ago and being in a position of "want" versus need and now we are in the final hours before the trade deadline is here. Since then, the Yankees have dealt with some injuries. We've got Andrew Benintendi but....there's more coming, right?

I hope so! I have wish list items that do not include Juan Soto. I'd love to get him, but I don't see the Yankees parting with the top prospects it would take to get him. So, I have two other wish list items that the Yankees will be more inclined to make (fingers crossed). The question is, can the Yankees make a deal happen before 6pm EST tomorrow? I hope these happen....

1. Get Frankie Montas!

Just like the Mariners, Luis Castillo was my first choice but honestly....not at the price the Mariners paid. I think they overpaid for him so hopefully the the Yankees can negotiate a good deal and get it done. Time will tell, the Blue Jays, Twins and the Cardinals are also frontrunners to land Montas but who knows what other mystery teams may be out there. The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported on Thursday that it’s believed the A’s are asking for at least two top prospects and possibly “a currently rostered player with substantial team control remaining,” you can read more HERE if you subscribe to The Athletic. And yes, I would prefer Montas over Noah Syndergaard for too many reasons to list in this story.

2. Find Joey Gallo's new match and send him packing!

Supposedly THERE ARE TEAMS THAT ACTUALLY LIKE JOEY GALLO according to Jon Heyman. Hard to imagine or believe but I am going to hope and pray that for once he is actually right. He doesn't have the best track record but if he is actually right about this one I will give him kudos! I have a hard time believing anything Heyman says but other people like Jack Curry are completely believable and I do believe he is on to something here....

So I hope the Braves come calling and Cashman is smart enough to answer his phone and get a deal done. They had Gallo 2.0 already so Curry has a good point, he can step right in and fill the void. Who knows, maybe he will even be rejuvenated there. If he is, good for him I have no ill will towards Gallo....I just can't watch him strike out anymore or wear a Yankee uniform.

A lot is going to happen by 6pm tomorrow. I hope a lot happens for us, honestly...and Montas and Gallo are just the beginning of my wish list but I am hoping if I am not too greedy this time that the Yankees will surprise us all. I hate to wait and see....but that's what I will be doing....watching social media for the juicy details.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WITH LUIS CASTILLO GONE, WILL THE YANKEES SIGN SYNDERGAARD?

 I read about this and I got pissed.

It's true, the rumor around Yankeeland is that they are looking for bolster their rotation a bit, and in doing so they are looking for that "lightining in a bottle" scenario and Noah Syndergaard could be it for them.

Empire Sports Media's Daniel Cunningham writes:

"Prior to the season, Noah Syndergaard signed a one-year $21 million deal with the Los Angelas Angels. So far this season, Syndergaard is 5-8 and he’s pitched to a 3.83 ERA. Worth noting that he hasn’t gotten his velocity back since recovering from Tommy John.

Syndergaard used to sit in the upper-90s on his heater where as now it sits between 94 and 95. Obviously there is some money tied to Syndergaard, but my guess is that the Yankees would ask for the Angels to cover some of that salary if they were to proceed with their interest.

....Syndergaard is a pitcher the Yankees have liked for a while. However, with him previously being on the Mets, they never had a chance to get him. His price tag was too high in the offseason for their tastes." 

Obviously we will have to see if this really happens. Cunningham is right, this is a guy that has always been attractive to the Yankees and while he could help, Thor's a big pain in the ass and runs his mouth.  Can you imagine him and Josh Donaldson in the same clubhouse? Yikes.

Right now this is just a rumor.  We will see if there are any legs to it.

STRIKE THOR OFF THE LIST FOR THE YANKEES

Source: Bloomberg.com

As the Yankees seek additional reinforcements for their pitching staff, one pitcher is off the list. Right-hander Noah Syndergaard accepted a one-year, $21 million deal to pitch for the Los Angeles Angels, pending a physical according to ESPN. Why would he do that? Maybe he is looking for a second career in the movies? Perhaps. But that move out west leaves Thor off the list of potential pitchers for the Yankees to consider as they continue to choose more assets for their 2022 team.

Source: The Athletic

"Syndergaard, 29, spent the first seven seasons of his career with the New York Mets, making one All-Star team and displaying perhaps the nastiest array of pitches for a starter in the major leagues. Having pitched only two innings since 2019 because of Tommy John surgery, Syndergaard will join an Angels rotation that was among the worst in the big leagues last season," reported ESPN. 

Source: Newsday

The Yankees and division rival Toronto Blue Jays both expressed interested in the flamethrower. But it was the Angels who won him over, giving him a deal he could not refuse. According to ESPN, "All of them saw enough in Syndergaard's late-September return, which included a pair of one-inning outings in which he didn't throw his slider or curveball. Though Syndergaard's average fastball velocity during the outings was down more than 3 mph from his 2017 peak, the promise of plenty more prompted the Angels to pay a premium."

Thor will employing his lightning bolt to blaze the Yankees, potentially twice in 2022. So with Syndergaard spoken for will the Yankees go after another Met pitcher, Marcus Stroman?

Source: The New York Post

"Per Yankees tradition, Stroman would have to cut his hair if he signed a deal to play for them. But that looks like it's never going to happen, as he called out everyone from the front office to the players they've acquired since that 2009 World Series," reported Yahoo Sports. In addition, Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman stated at the 2019 deadline, "We were interested in Stroman but we didn't think he would be a difference-maker. We felt he would be in our bullpen in the postseason."

Source: NJ.com

Many believe the Yankees will not go to bat for another premier starter, so Thor could have been a safe bet. But clearly they will have to look elsewhere as he has been spoken for. So who will the Yankees target next? As BYB reported earlier this week, they need to target younger players to add more energy, and electricity to an already aging team. A guy like Syndergaard would have fit those characteristics perfectly unlike Justin Verlander who is likely passed his prime. Where will the Yankees go next? Ironman? Maybe. 

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

HELP WANTED IN THE YANKEE RUMOR MILL: A WINGMAN FOR GERRIT COLE

Source: New York Daily News

There has been a lot of talk about figuring out the middle infield and center field deficients for the 2022 Yankee team. But, as always, pitching is still an area of growth. Adding a pitcher as a wingman to Gerrit Cole would be a one-two punch for the Yankees. But who are the likely candidates?

Source: NY Times

Noah Syndergaard: Coming off Tommy John surgery, the Mets ace is ready to go in 2022. According to the New York Post, "He might just be a tease, but he is one talented tease. If he takes a multiyear deal, the Yanks should be out. But if Syndergaard were willing to take a big one-year pact to re-establish himself for next year’s market, he becomes more attractive." I mean getting Thor would be an asset but would he be able to keep up? Corey Kluber had a hard time getting acclimated after his injuries, but yet he pitched a no-no. So, Snydergaard may be worth the effort.

How about Sean Manaea? My impression of him in 2021 is he is a tank. And in 2023 he is a free agent. But could the Yankees make a play for him and perhaps some of his teammates in 2022? Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are corner infielders who have a one-two punch. "When those guys are hitting, we've got a good chance to win games," manager Bob Melvin per an interview via NBC Sports. I know we are focused on pitching here but there could more when it comes to negotiating with the A's who have annual payroll restraints that will keep them from keeping all of their premier players. 

Source: USA Today

And Aaron Nola? He's signed through 2022 with an option for 2023 but, if the Phillies want to beef up and contend, they may consider trading him and the Yankees would welcome him with open arms. "Philadelphia has quite a to-do list to tackle this offseason if they wish to improve the team and put them in a position to contend next season, and Nola is far from being at the top of their list of concerns," reported Fan Nation. He had a subpar season but could bounce back in the Bronx. 

All three of these guys are worthy wingmen for Cole. And let's not forget to mention that Corey Kluber could be a full strength next season giving the Yankees a one-two-three punch. Let's see how things play out and surely there could be other contenders albeit I say Justin Verlander? I feel like he had his chance to be a Yankee and now he is just stuck with his sticky stuff in Houston. Something is brewing, just not sure who will be the next Yankee starting pitcher. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

THOR AIN'T NO SUPERHERO

Where the hell is Noah Syndergaard that he can't afford to pay his rent? Come on man, you're a major league baseball player, you can afford it. Do the right thing and pay the rent, bra!

The New York Post writes:

"Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard has struck out with his new Tribeca landlord — failing to pay the rent on the $27,000-a-month penthouse he signed up for, a new lawsuit claims. Syndergaard had signed an eight-month lease for the three-bedroom, 2,700-square-foot duplex at 116 Hudson St. in February, yet has failed to pay anything on it since, according to landlord 600 Street LLC in a Manhattan federal lawsuit filed Friday. 

Syndergaard “treated the binding Lease like an option,” the lawsuit alleges."

Two things have happened here most likely.  Syndergaard knows that New York is a hot zone for COVID19 and just bailed on the property until a later date... or, he's doing exactly what the lawsuit claims. Guess what? If he didn't pay and he is responsible for the rent, shame on him! He's a millionaire.

I really can't wait to see what comes out of this. I'm sure Thor, who is definitely not invincible, nor a superhero will try and come back with some kind of heavy hitting attorney. You know, the same high priced attorney that he could have just taken that money and paid the rent with, but who knows... we will wait and see.

Interesting story, and I'm not a huge fan of this guy, and that's why it kind of caught my eye.

THE YANKEES START STRENGTH & CONDITIONING ON A CLEAN SLATE

Source: Twitter

After attaining not only a franchise record but Major League Baseball record for the number of trips to the injured list in 2019, the Yankees are making significant changes to their strength and conditioning staff, hoping that this will help keep the team healthy in 2020.

Source: The Athletic

"The Yankees have hired performance coach Eric Cressey to oversee their training and strength/conditioning departments, according to a report by The Athletic," posted MLB.com yesterday. 39 stints from 30 players on the IL last season prompted a complete overhaul of the clubhouse.

Source: Twitter

Phew...is what I say.  The Yankees needed change and they got it.  38-year-old Cressey is the real deal.  "Cressey is something of a celebrity in the world of performance coaching. He has worked with high-profile stars like Corey Kluber, Noah Syndergaard and Max Scherzer, helping to popularize the emphasis of kinesiology and biomechanics," reported MLB.com.

Source: USA Today

Maybe Cressey can keep Gary Sanchez on track and provide him a regiment that helps him stay in the lineup and performing at his highest level, making all of us, namely me, a fan of his athletic ability behind the plate and with the bat. New pitching coach Matt Blake has also served with Cressey, at his Cressey Sports Performance training centers, located in Massachusetts and Florida. Brian Cashman has stated that he wants to see if the injuries to key players are preventable, calling his inquiry, "CSI: The Bronx."  

"In October, general manager Brian Cashman said that the club was continuing to investigate underlying reasons for their 2019 injury issues, including rehab setbacks that extended IL stays for prominent players like Luis Severino, Giancarlo Stanton and Dellin Betances," reported MLB.com.

This is certainly great news for the Yankees and their fans.  Let's see if Cressey can turns things around for the Yankees, providing them full-body fitness expertise they have clearly been lacking.  Stay hopeful my friends...more exciting things coming to this team in 2020.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

BEFORE YOU RIP MATT BLAKE, KNOW WHO HE IS

When Matt Blake was hired by the Yankees to be the new pitching coach, some Yankee fans went bananas.  I guess they all wanted David Cone because he was a name that they can recognize.  He's also very smart and a perfect fit for the Yankees clubhouse. But for whatever reason, the Yankees thought that Matt Blake was a better candidate.  By the way... Matt Blake is a GREAT hire.

Now weirdos are out there blasting this guy, I guess because they have no idea who he is.  But trust me, it's a great move.

The New York Post writes of Blake:

"Blake was perhaps a name not heard of outside of those familiar with the inner-workings of the Indians and others who knew his reputation in New England, where the Holy Cross alumnus had come to be thought of as something of a “pitching guru,” according to his old college coach, Craig Najarian. 

Just four years ago, Blake was a pitching coach at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School near Boston, where he was also the owner and founder of Elite Pitching Development and the pitching coordinator at Cressey Sports Performance, a program that has worked with the likes of Noah Syndergaard, Max Scherzer and Curt Schilling, among others.

'He’s ahead of his time,’ said Kirk Fredericks, who brought Blake on as his pitching coach at Lincoln-Sudbury about a decade ago.'"

And Sweeny Murti writes:

"Who is he? Part of the new breed. ...Pitching Coordinator at Cressey Sports Performance, a factory similar to Driveline. And Driveline, coincidentally, is where the Yankees found Sam Briend who they named Director of Pitching earlier this year. Someone who has worked with Blake told me he is

'extremely smart on the analytic side but doesn’t have much actual coaching experience. That might be the challenge, but it might not. He’s easy going, but very smart.'”

And isn't this what we want? Larry Rothschild, God love him, was there too long.  There needed to be a change. Plus, good for the Padres, they just hired him to do the same role.

And sure, it wasn't Coney, but whatever... give Blake a chance.

I like this move a lot.

SYNDERGAARD STAYS PUT...NOW WHAT?

The trade deadline has come and gone and as we know the Yankees did...UGOTZ!

Much to my delight, Thor aka Noah Syndergaard is staying in Queens for the time being. I am not the only one who is happy about this.

Source: CBS Sports

"Five games out and two months left to play in the season," Syndergaard said. "I think technically selling would just be giving up. I think we have plenty of opportunities to make a run at this thing."
There is always buzz about Syndergaard being traded. I even saw a potential trade that said the Mets should trade Edwin Diaz and Noah to the Red Sox for Andrew Benintendi and a prospect. Needless to say, I laughed out loud at that one. If Noah is going to go anywhere, I would want it to be in New York so I can still go see him play.

Although it will be an uphill battle for the Mets the rest of the season I think that keeping Syndergaard and adding Marcus Stroman to the lineup could add something to the team. In the wise words of Home Run Derby champ Pete Alonso...LFGM.

Now, back to the Bronx. What does all of this mean for the Yankees?  It's no secret the Yankees are looking for a new starting pitcher. Maybe it was because Mercury has been in retrograde, but the stars just didn't align for the pinstripes.

“Whether or not a deal would be done would depend on the ask, as far as what players we would have to give up. Brian and his team worked very hard throughout the process. This time, unfortunately, none of the deals matched up,’’ Steinbrenner wrote in an email. “For me, it has always been a balance of doing everything we can to win now, while at the same time trying to not jeopardize our chances the following year or years. If our highest-end prospects are involved, the deal has to be a fair one. Otherwise, no deal is better than a bad deal as far as I am concerned.’’

The pressure is on for our current rotation to keep us above the competition for the rest of the season. Hopefully, the quietness during the trade deadline won't come back to bite us in the butt. 

Coming up, we have the Red Sox coming to us for a four-game series. Hopefully, this one will go better than the last and the Yanks have the momentum to keep this going until October.

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

UGOTZ!

ugotz; pronoun

(Italian slang) for the word 'nothing'.

Brian Cashman didn't make a big move today for a starting pitcher. A starting pitcher we probably needed. A starting pitcher that could have helped the New York Yankees move closer to clinching the American League East division sooner than we are now.  And you know what? He was smart.

Now everyone is gonna get on my ass for backing this guy, but it's backing this guy that I must do. Because if we were all "knee jerk" reaction and flipping prospects and in return getting more mediocre Mets pitchers, we wouldn't be any better. You would have just been satisfied we made a trade... just to make a damn trade and I have to tell you something... that's stupid.

There was nothing stellar out there.  I watched the fan reaction all day on Twitter. Many get this. Others are just as pathetic as the tweets they write. Partially because fans don't get it.  Let me rephrase... smart fans get it. The others don't.  You don't just make a trade to make it at the deadline. You think it through.

Are we really gonna bitch and moan that we didn't get Zack Wheeler? REALLY? The dude's career is practically over.

Noah Syndergaard? No one cares.  I don't want the guy. I don't feel like he'd even give us what we need. The ONLY plus is that Noah pitches in New York and gets it, but Cashman was smart to not flip good young players to the Mets.  But again, Noah is not some golden God.  We've been through this before. Taking chances on pitchers is all fine and good, but in the end, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and we have a good team overall despite the stumble recently.

Think about it... JA Happ was our saving grace last year. This year you all want the guy crucified.

Look at James Paxton.  Anyone else want to make him wear a Sonny Gray mask on his starts from now on? Big Maple? How about Big miss. The dude cannot handle Bronx pressure. Getting a no-hitter once doesn't make you a superstar... it just means you had a good game. And look, that was an offseason deal. I'm not even talking about the trade deadline. So... let me get back to that;

The point is, if Cashman had a deal that he could make, he would have made it.  Everyone needs to shut up!  Love some of these tweets. It just goes to show how divided we truly are as fans:

I can't believe the Yankees just sat there while the Astros added an ace...

— Terry Cushman (@cushmanMLB) July 31, 2019

It’s fucking pathetic the Yankees again did nothing at the trade deadline, but sat back and watched other teams improve.

— Princess (@NYYprincess33) July 31, 2019

People are mad Cashman didn’t make any big moves. The available pitchers had huge asking prices ( Frazier + three prospects for Ray is a lot ), the return for Bauer was huge and the Padres / Reds had more to offer thank the Yankees, Greinke had the Yankees on his no trade list.

— Gel ♥ (@LttleGel) July 31, 2019

This is what I’m talking about. Cashman afraid to lose a deal. You have to make this trade. Have to. If this is true then what the fuck man. It was right there in front of you. https://t.co/j3IkjEy29g

— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) July 31, 2019

And that's just some, there are literally thousands. Everyone's fighting. Why?

By the way… I have to go back to the old 'Madison Bumgarner to the Yankees' rumor.  It's literally been floating around for months.  THAT WAS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN.

Trevor Bauer? Reds.
Zack Greinke? Astros

You know what we got? We got this:

"We have everything we need to be a championship club" - Aaron Boone#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/1wtZrdRaXM

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 31, 2019

And I'm OK with this and I'll tell you why. Confidence.

We have a manager walking out there and telling us fans "We got this". It probably puts a bunch of young players at ease. It probably resets veterans that it's time to get to work and do their jobs.

The Yankees aren't bad. The Yankees hit a bump in the road.  But to all the geniuses that have it all figured out... calm down.

Look, the trade deadline is done, but you know Cashman. Sometimes there are some behind the scenes discussions and moves come after. But if not? I still trust the guy. He and Yankee brass have put together a hell of a team for 2019, and I love it.

Don't agree? Comment.

TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK...

Bauer, Bumgarner, Boyd and Syndergaard, oh my...and now Bauer, traded to the Reds, is off the list as the clock keeps on ticking. What if the Yankees do nothing at the trade deadline? What if they go with what they have for pitching?  Could they still win?

Source: NJ.com

The NY Post's Joel Sherman published an article last night that laid it all out. "I understand Cashman’s hesitance. It took him a long time to convince his bosses to stop building rosters by star hunting, being overly emotional and throwing their wallet at problems. He has constructed a system with scouts and analytics and sports science and psychological and financial breakdowns to avoid the overheated overpay. But this starting market is not going to honor discipline. And the Yankees need a starter."

So, between a mixture of openers coupled with the return of guys like Jonathan Loaisiga, the Yankees could piece it together.  But do they want to take that risk?

"Boone said Severino could throw off a mound within the next week or so. Severino hasn’t pitched all season but the Yankees are hoping he can boost their rotation by at least September," reported the NJ.com.

Source: Yahoo Sports

The bottom line is, with the way our pitchers have performed over the last week and half, do the Yankees beef up their rotations internally or go for another guy who may need a change as much as the Yankees do?   Without giving up the farm, but wanting to add a guy from the outside, what will they decide to do as the clock ticks toward midnight on the last trading day of the year?

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof