MISSION ACCOMPLISHED & THE 'FAKE NEWS' WORLD OF BRIAN CASHMAN

The Yankees had the blueprint for a clean, stress-free win: Max Fried on the mound, a slim lead, and momentum on their side. Naturally, it all went sideways. Why? Because the bullpen once again treated a lead like a polite suggestion instead of a responsibility.

And the wild part? This wasn’t supposed to be an issue anymore. Cue the flashback—July 31, 2025. Brian Cashman steps up after the trade deadline and essentially stamps the roster with a big “Mission Accomplished.” Reinforcements had arrived: David Bednar, Jake Bird, and Camilo Doval. Three arms, one promise—problem solved.

Except… not even close.

Bird’s already been rerouted to Wilkes-Barre like a package marked “return to sender.” The others? Let’s call it aggressively average. Sprinkle in a few more spare parts, and somehow the bullpen still operates like it’s held together with duct tape and crossed fingers.

Meanwhile, yesteday Fried actually gave them a chance. He settled in, found a groove, and carried a one-run lead into the sixth looking every bit like the ace. Then came the turning point—because of course it did. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza ties it with an RBI double, and Fernando Cruz follows that up by turning a crack into a crater with three more runs.

From there, it became a parade of “who’s that?” and “why now?”—Angel Chivilli (I don't know who this is) and Ryan Yarbrough—and just like that, the wheels weren’t just off, they got lost. The offense, for dramatic effect, vanished right on cue.

So yes, they got run over by an Angels team that isn’t exactly a juggernaut. And the question keeps coming back: how does a team that stockpiles bullpen arms like collectibles still end up with a relief corps that can’t close a door, let alone a game?

I’ll give you the short answer—because the guy in charge thought the job was already finished. “Mission accomplished,” remember? That’s starting to look less like confidence and more like the moment the GPS lost signal.

And it’s not just the bullpen. This is part of a longer résumé that raises eyebrows: the Carlos Rodón deal that hasn’t delivered co-ace results, the gamble on Frankie Montas that came with a warning label attached, a roster that seems permanently one tweak away from the injured list, and an offense that lives and dies by the long ball—usually dies when it matters.

At some point, it stops being bad luck and starts being a pattern.

And if you zoom out? Brian Cashman only really has one unquestioned crown jewel—2009. The rest? All of it traces back to the foundation built by Gene Michael. Since then, it’s felt more like maintenance than mastery.

Yesterday was just another episode in a very familiar series: shaky bullpen, silent bats, and a team that looks less complete the closer you examine it.

And the best (or worst) part? It’s only April 17. Plenty of time for things to improve… or for the same script to keep running on repeat.

THE YANKEES "BOLSTER" THEIR ROTATION... MAKING IT MEDIOCRE

Desperate Cashman has done it again.

The New York Yankees actually did something — and somehow, it managed to feel even smaller than nothing. 

They “bolstered” their rotation by acquiring left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins in exchange for a four-prospect grab bag: outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis, infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus. A move happened. Technically.

Weathers now slides into a rotation that currently reads like a spring training split squad: Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Luis Gil, plus Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn lurking around like spare parts. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón aren’t ready for Opening Day, which means this rotation inspires exactly zero fear — unless you’re a Yankees fan afraid of how many bullpen games are coming.

This is the part where the front office wants credit for “addressing pitching.” No. This is rearranging deck chairs and calling it nautical engineering. If the Yankees were serious, they’d sever Brian Cashman’s contract, redirect that money toward an actual impact arm, and stop pretending hope and prayer count as roster construction.

There is nothing about this move that inspires confidence. Nothing about this offseason that suggests a plan. And nothing about the Yankees right now that feels remotely serious. They have somehow become the most embarrassing participant in an offseason where teams are actively trying to win — and succeeding.

And hey, does the name Weathers sound familiar? It should. Dave Weathers pitched for the Yankees in the late ’90s. So apparently, if we’re shopping for sons of former Yankees now, why stop here? If nostalgia is the strategy, how the hell can’t they land Cody Bellinger? Cause Cashman is asleep.

This isn’t roster building. It’s franchise cosplay. 

The Yankees aren’t acting like contenders; they’re acting like an organization killing time until spring and hoping the brand carries the load.

This has been a terrible offseason. And worse — it’s the kind of terrible that suggests the Yankees no longer know how to be anything else.

WEAVER TO THE METS & THE YANKEES STILL HAVEN'T MAKE A SIGNIFCANT MOVE

If this is what urgency looks like in the Bronx, someone needs to check the pulse.

The Yankees have officially sleepwalked into MLB free agency, and the early returns are… Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough. That’s it. Two names that scream “placeholder,” not “contender.”  Meanwhile, the rest of the league is out here shopping like it’s Black Friday, and the Yankees are squinting at the clearance rack like they forgot their wallet.

At some point, we have to say the quiet part out loud: the Yankees do not appear to care about being competitive or even good in 2026.

And yes, before anyone reaches for the PR talking points, this is the same organization whose owner, Hal Steinbrenner, once suggested the Yankees are not a profitable franchise—which we all know is fucking bullshit. This is the New York Yankees, not a roadside lemonade stand. They print money in their sleep. Claiming poverty while fielding a half-asleep roster is insulting, not convincing.

The bullpen situation is a perfect snapshot of the rot. The Yankees desperately need relief pitching, yet somehow managed to sit on their hands while most of the high-end bullpen arms flew off the board. Even worse, several of those signings happened right in the AL East. Translation: the Yankees aren’t just standing still—they’re actively falling behind.

And if you want to see what a serious franchise looks like, glance north. The Blue Jays get it. They’re bringing in top-tier talent, players ready to win now. They look hungry. They look aggressive. Right now, they look like the new kings of the AL East, while the Yankees look like a brand living off past glory.

Then there’s the Luke Weaver situation, which somehow manages to be both baffling and infuriating.

According to Joel Sherman, “The Yankees were not part of the bidding to try to retain Weaver.” Not “they got outbid.” Not “they made an offer but fell short.” No—they didn’t even show up.

This is insanity.

Weaver was a legitimate bullpen weapon for the Yankees in 2025. Even if he wasn’t at the top of their wish list, you don’t just ignore a quality arm who already proved he could handle New York. Not even entertaining a conversation—especially when the contract was two years, $22 million—is organizational malpractice.

And now? Weaver heads across town to the Mets, where he’ll pitch alongside former Yankees Clay Holmes and Devin Williams. That alone should be humiliating.

But here’s the real question: it’s not “Why did Weaver go to the Mets?” It’s why the fuck didn’t the Yankees even try?

The Yankees are the ones who created the Weaver mess in the first place. He was a top closer down the stretch two years ago, and then Brian Cashman brought in Williams and detonated the bullpen hierarchy. Roles vanished. Confidence evaporated. Nobody knew where they stood—Weaver included, Williams included, everyone included. It was the dumbest bullpen decision Cashman made in 2025, and that’s saying something.

And now the follow-up act is even worse: they let Weaver walk without a phone call, without a pitch, without a pulse.

So, what’s the plan?

Nothing.

No replacement. No backup move. No urgency. Just another useful arm drifting away while the Yankees act completely fine with it. That tells you everything you need to know. This wasn’t a tough decision—they were comfortable letting him go.

This is why Yankees fans are furious. This is why the organization feels hollow. The Yankees don’t look competitive. They don’t look gritty. They don’t even look like they want to win anymore.

It’s not just disturbing—it’s embarrassing.

GREAT LEFTY OPTION OUT THERE FOR THE YANKEES PEN!

If the Yankees are serious about pretending 2026 won’t be another season of crossed fingers and press-conference spin, then here’s a wild concept: they might want an actual left-handed reliever in the bullpen. A real one. Not a “we like his underlying metrics” guy. Not a “he can give us multiple innings if the vibes are right” experiment. An actual late-inning, get-lefties-out, make-your-life-miserable southpaw.

Because right now? That cupboard is bare.

Mark Leiter Jr. is gone. Luke Weaver is a free agent. Ryan Yarbrough—bless him—is more of a bulk-innings safety net than a guy you trust when the season is on the line. And Tim Hill and Jayvien Sandridge? That’s not a playoff plan. That’s filler. That’s what you talk yourself into when you’ve done absolutely nothing meaningful to improve a roster and need to convince fans that standing still is actually “being patient.”

Which brings us to a name that’s floating around and, shockingly, makes actual sense: JoJo Romero.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals’ left-hander is drawing interest, and yes—this is the rare rumor that doesn’t immediately make you roll your eyes. Romero checks boxes the Yankees desperately need checked. He’s not theoretical. He’s not a reclamation project. He’s a proven reliever with a nasty slider, a heavy sinker, real command, and an annoying habit of producing ground balls instead of heart attacks.

In 2025, Romero was legitimately good—2.07 ERA, 8 saves, and consistent late-inning effectiveness before some injury concerns popped up toward the end of the year. That’s not perfect, but it’s a lot closer to “reliable bullpen piece” than whatever Cashman has been trying to pass off lately.

Financially? Also reasonable. Romero is projected to make around $4.4 million in his final year of arbitration. That’s not a budget-buster. That’s not some luxury-tax nightmare. That’s the cost of doing business if you actually care about winning baseball games. And with St. Louis widely expected to hit the reset button and reshuffle their roster, there’s very little reason for them to cling to a reliever who isn’t part of their next competitive window.

Meanwhile, back in the Bronx, Brian Cashman has done precisely nothing significant to make the 2026 Yankees better. No bold moves. No statement additions. Just the same old waiting, posturing, and hoping fans confuse inactivity with intelligence. The bullpen, once a strength, is now riddled with question marks—and somehow the front office seems comfortable with that.

Adding Romero wouldn’t fix everything. Let’s not pretend one lefty reliever suddenly turns this team into a juggernaut. But it would be a smart, logical move that addresses a very real problem with an actual solution. Which, of course, is why it feels slightly dangerous to get your hopes up.

Still, if Cashman manages to pull this off, it would finally look like the Yankees are trying to improve the roster instead of just explaining why they didn’t.

Low bar? Absolutely. But at this point, we’re just asking for competence. The Yankees front office sucks!

Stay tuned.

CASHMAN WON'T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE THE YANKEES...

Cheap, cheap, cheap. 

If Brian Cashman were a bird, he’d be a bargain-bin parrot squawking “familiarity!” every offseason. The man treats the free-agent market like it’s a clearance rack at a yard sale: “Who can help the Yankees win—but only if they’re dented, dusty, or someone we already know so I don’t have to, you know… scout?”

Let’s be real: there is no master plan in Cashman’s office. There’s barely a Post-it note. And with Hal Steinbrenner clutching his checkbook like the Yankees are one bad quarter away from holding a bake sale, fans are stuck listening to the same tired sermon: “We’ll be competitive.”
Competitive with who? The Toledo Mud Hens?

We’ve got a shortstop who plays like a malfunctioning Roomba, two top starters rehabbing like full-time hospital residents, and Max Fried stranded on an island staring at the ocean like he’s trying to Morse-code for help. Meanwhile, the Yankees are out here praying Cam Schlittler is the next secret weapon—as if that’s a strategic plan and not blind optimism dressed in pinstripes.

And poor Aaron Judge. The man is aging like fine wine—except the Yankees are storing him in a paper bag under the sink. No rings, no support, just an MVP dragging around a roster held together with discounted duct tape. It’s the biggest waste of generational talent since someone let Mike Trout live in permanent baseball purgatory.

The Yankees franchise isn’t serious. It’s complacent. It’s hesitant. It’s allergic to pulling the trigger on actual stars. And fans? We’re not annoyed anymore—we’re exhausted. The Yankees keep kicking the can down the road, and at this point the can has more dents than their infield.

And now the latest nonsense? Cashman isn’t chasing Sandy Alcantara or Tarik Skubal. No. He’s poking around the idea of bringing back “Old Yankee Face” Michael King because—of course—he’s familiar, and he requires zero imagination.

MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch even laid out the parade of mediocrity: Trent Grisham accepting his qualifying offer, Tim Hill back, Ryan Yarbrough returning… the whole “Cashman Special Value Menu.” Not one superstar. Not one bold move. Just three guys who sound like they’d be great at assembling office furniture.

Hill? Solid. Grisham? Fine. Yarbrough? A science experiment Cashman thinks will make him look like a mastermind. Not one of them moves the needle—unless the needle is pointing to “meh.”

Then there’s King, the latest rumor. Had a nice season in San Diego, sure—3.10 ERA, 277 strikeouts, missed time but still solid. But San Diego is not the Bronx. Coming back to New York and repeating that isn’t a guarantee—it’s a coin flip, and Cashman loves a gamble if it lets him skip paying real money.

Meanwhile poor Max Fried is probably in his living room staring at the ceiling thinking, “How do I escape this roster of bubble gum, thumbtacks, and budget decisions?”

So here we are, careening toward the Winter Meetings, praying that Cashman finally makes a real splash. But we all know how this shakes out: some broken-down bargain pieces, a shrug at the podium, and the annual sermon: “The market was tough… we tried… but we really like our group.”

Yeah. We’ve heard it. We’ve lived it. We’re tired of it.

Cheap. Familiar. Not competitive.
Your 2025 New York Yankees, ladies and gentlemen.

Pathetic.

OUT OF TOUCH HAL STEINBRENNER JUST MADE IT WORSE

Hal Steinbrenner appeared on a video call this week looking like a man who just realized fans know math. He announced, in his signature soft-spoken “please don’t yell at me” tone, that it’s still too early to know the 2026 payroll. But—don’t worry!—he’d like it to be lower than the $319 million spent in 2025.

“Would it be ideal if I went down?” Hal mused, as if he were deciding between yacht sizes. “Of course. But does that mean that’s going to happen? Of course not. We want to field a team we believe can win a championship.”

Believe. That’s the key word with this ownership group. Believe. Wish. Hope. Pray. Manifest. Burn sage. Sacrifice a chicken. Anything but build an actual roster that wins the World Series.

The problem? Belief hasn’t delivered a title since 2009. That was 16 seasons ago. A whole human being has gone from diapers to high school in the time it’s taken Hal Steinbrenner to figure out that pitching depth matters.

Instead of acknowledging the colossal failures of the front office—which fans have been screaming about, writing about, tweeting about, billboard-ing about—Hal chose instead to protect Aaron Boone like he’s wrapping the last candle on a birthday cake.

Boone, Hal insists, is “a good manager at many of the things he has to do.” Translation: he fills out a lineup card and remembers to file an HR report after every ejection.

But the actual losing? According to Hal, that’s on the players. Not Cashman for building another roster with holes you could drive an Amtrak through. Not Boone for managing like he’s trying to win a participation ribbon at a middle school science fair. Not the organization that keeps trotting out the same stale formulas, training methods, and analytics that worked exactly once—eleven years ago.

And this is exactly the kind of thing Bleeding Yankee Blue has been calling out for years. We aren’t a corporate mouthpiece. We’re the bellowing megaphone of the fanbase—the only entity that holds this team accountable because the Yankees sure as hell don’t hold themselves accountable. BYB has ripped into Cashman’s complacency, Boone’s cookie-cutter mediocrity, and Hal’s tone-deaf billionaire logic long before the mainstream media grew the guts to do it.

We’re not writers pretending to be above the fray. We’re fans. Paying fans. Fans who don’t get comped seats behind the dugout—we sit with the people who spend a month’s rent for two beers, a hot dog, and a parking spot.

So when Hal starts lecturing the fanbase about expenses, we’re allowed to laugh right in his face.

According to Forbes, the Yankees raked in over $700 million in revenue in 2025. Hal, however, says that’s “not fair or accurate” because nobody talks about expenses—like the $100 million annual payment to New York City.

Right. Because we were all sitting here thinking, “Gee, I hope the Steinbrenner family is doing okay financially.” Poor Hal. Barely scraping by. Just a humble billionaire trying to keep the lights on and the stadium sushi fresh.

Meanwhile, fans are spending:

-$80 for a nosebleed ticket
-$40 for a beer that tastes like regret
-$150 for a jersey with a player's name who’ll be DFA’d in three months
-$65 for parking unless you want to risk your car in a pothole the size of Mariano Rivera
-And a small fortune for food, merch, and a commemorative cup we never asked for

The Yankees aren’t hurting. They’re swimming in cash like Scrooge McDuck. And yet somehow, we’re supposed to believe they can’t go the extra mile for a roster upgrade?

Then look at the ACTUAL moves so far:

Paid Trent Grisham $22 million—the most expensive “insurance policy” in baseball history.  Added Ryan Yarbrough—because apparently the Yankees just had to get another soft-tossing lefty. Non-tendered relievers like someone cleaning out expired yogurt. And still haven’t fixed left field. Because why fix something that’s been broken since Brett Gardner's first retirement?

For a team that claims it “needs” outfield help and bullpen help, they are sprinting headfirst into February acting like everything will magically come together if they manifest hard enough. Oh, and Cody Bellinger? Hal declined to comment. Which is rich, because he doesn’t seem shy about commenting on everything else.

This is the same owner who said he was “confused” by fan frustration during a midseason stretch so bad it made the 2013–2016 era look like the 1927 Yankees. Confused! As if the booing wasn’t loud enough for him to hear from Tampa.

This is also the same owner who defended Brian Cashman’s job security by saying “he has earned the right to stay.” Earned? In what universe? If any of us delivered the kind of results Cashman has delivered since 2009, we’d be escorted out of our workplaces with a cardboard box and a security guard.

And this is the same owner who blamed a 2025 ALDS exit on the players—never the people who built a roster with:

-No depth
-No stability
-No left field
-No October identity
-And no plan other than “maybe Gerrit Cole saves us again”

So here’s the truth nobody in the Yankees’ front office wants to hear:

Yankees fans are done with excuses. We’re done with lectures. We’re done with tone-deaf billionaires crying poor. And we’re done being treated like we don’t know the difference between a real championship blueprint and the same broken strategy the Yankees keep recycling.

If Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t want to invest in the Yankees like the powerhouse they used to be, then maybe it’s time for someone else to step in—someone who actually cares about winning instead of profits, optics, tax thresholds, and PR spin.

Because right now?

Hal is complacent. Cashman is stale. Boone is overmatched. And the Yankees, the greatest franchise in sports history, are a $7-billion machine being run like a thrift store version of Moneyball.

If Hal wants to keep acting confused, out of touch, and allergic to urgency, then maybe he should finally do what fans have been whispering for years:

Sell the team.

Until then, Bleeding Yankee Blue will keep saying what the front office won’t: Yankees fans deserve better than this. And we’re not shutting up anytime soon.

SEPTEMBER CALL UPS. ARE THEY HAPPENING FOR SPENCER JONES?

It's Labor Day and the Yankees are off. So, I guess I don't have to worry about strategically scheduling my grilling time to miss as little as possible. Now that the calendar has flipped to September the Yankees have been doing their own strategic planning for call ups. This year, it feels much less dramatic because the moves the Yankees are likely to make feel more obvious.

I do kind of miss the old days. Before 2020, teams could add anyone on their protected 40-man roster for September call-ups, but that changed after teams started loading up on some pitchers and it became a hot topic. Now teams get to add two more players and expand to a 28-man roster. It certainly isn't quite as exciting but it does force teams to be more strategic.

I feel like the Yankees moves this year are less sexy compared to other teams. One call up is obvious, and that will be Ryan Yarbrough, who finished his rehab assignment recently and returned to the clubhouse on Friday. He will be available for a long relief role against Houston on Tuesday. He will give the Yankees the extra arm that they will want for the last leg of the regular season. Hell, it's an arm we will need to make the last push.

The other call up is not as obvious. The Yankees will need a position player, and I have seen three names floating around social media. The Yankees will either activate outfielder Austin Slater from the injured list or give another call-up to familiar face rookie catcher J.C. Escarra. Slater has been out since August 5th with a hamstring sprain but began a rehab assignment on Friday. He was scheduled for another game yesterday and will likely get a third game on Tuesday before the Yankees make a decision on who gets the call.

Ideally, the Yankees want Slater's right-handed bat for corner outfield starts against left-handed pitching and pinch-hitting, so if Escarra does get the call up it will probably only be temporary until the Yankees feel Slater is ready for the call up. I do like that Slater can rake against lefties, that's always nice to have. Interesting scenario here, the Yankees are looking for outfield help....but the buzz isn't all about Spencer Jones.

So why are the Yankees considering Slater and not Jones? I think there are a lot of factors. One thing that stands out to me though is the Yankees acquired Slater when Aaron Judge was injured. They needed the additional support and he could fill in temporarily. Jones on the other hand was recently promoted to Triple-A. The first three weeks, he went on a tear. Jones had a .402 BA, slugged 13 home runs and dropped his strikeout rate to 25.5 percent. It's a big reason why the Yankees held onto him at the deadline instead of trading him. They saw more upside to keeping him instead of trading for another big name. Since then, in the last month he has struggled a lot at the plate. His batting average has dropped to .178, he has only hit three home runs and his strike out rate has ballooned back up to 35.8 percent. Jones just hasn't been able to be consistent and put it all together. It's been a concern of mine for a while now.

So it doesn't sound like Jones is in the consideration for a September call-up. Some fans probably won't be happy with that but....the Yankees have made some ground in the AL East. They have a lot of work to do still and I think Jones is just too much of a gamble right now. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

COULD SANDY ALCANTARA TO THE BRONX BE A REALITY?

Look, credit where credit's due—the Yankees have been making some solid moves lately. They’re not a total mess. The vibes are trending in the right direction, and when you’ve got someone like Max Fried leading your rotation, life gets a whole lot easier. Fried takes the mound and, more often than not, the Yankees walk away with a W. That’s what an ace does—he gives you a real shot every five days. But hey, you know what would make things even better?

More pitching.

Yep, I said it. Starting pitching is baseball’s version of real estate: location, location, location… and a little depth wouldn't hurt either. Which is why the latest buzz around Sandy Alcántara is worth turning up the volume on.

FanSided’s Zach Pressnell tossed out the idea this week that the Yankees should make a serious run at Alcántara before the trade deadline. And frankly? He might be on to something.

“New York needs to go out and get a starter before the trade deadline and it seems like it's only a matter of time before the front office gains a sense of urgency and pulls off a deal," wrote Pressnell. “The first name at the top of their wish list should be the aforementioned Alcántara.”

He’s not wrong. Alcántara may not be a sure thing right now, but his ceiling is skyscraper-high. Remember, he inked a five-year, $56 million deal in 2022 and immediately turned around and won the NL Cy Young that same year. The man was untouchable.

Now yes, 2023 was a disaster for him. Tommy John wiped out his season, and 2024 didn’t exactly start off hot either. He’s currently sporting a rough 6.69 ERA—but let’s pump the brakes before we panic. Since June started? He’s rocking a 2.74 ERA. He’s stopped giving up crooked numbers, consistently getting into the sixth, and slowly looking like the Sandy we remember.

So, let’s dream for a second. Picture this rotation in September: Max Fried, Luis Gil, Sandy Alcántara, Ryan Yarbrough, Clarke Schmidt.

That’s not just depth—that’s October fuel.

And let’s not forget, we at Bleeding Yankee Blue were already on the Alcántara train. Back on March 7, we wrote about the bold call:

“If the Yankees are serious about making a deep October run, they need someone who can dominate in the playoffs and take the pressure off Cole.”

It was ESPN’s Eric Karabell that predicted this conversation here—Sandy pitching a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game and then slipping into pinstripes 10 days later. Far-fetched? Maybe. But we’ve seen stranger things. Remember David Cone’s arrival? 

Bottom line: the Yankees are trending up, but if they really want to go from good to great, the next move is obvious. Go get Sandy. Add one more horse to the stable, and this October might look a whole lot more promising.

Stay tuned—Brian Cashman’s phone better be fully charged.

YANKEES CALL UP A TRIPLE-A SURPRISE TO START TODAY!

Fingers crossed, Ryan Yarbrough's right oblique strain is as mild as the Yankees say it is, and hopefully he doesn't miss a lot of time. In the meantime, the Yankees need (another) quick fix to a rotation that has been reeling from hits all season. The Yankees have made a move....

Someone else has to fill a spot in the rotation, and it's going to be Allan Winans today taking on the Reds. The Yankees claimed him from the Braves back in January and has a 7.20 ERA in eight career starts at the big league level. That part sounds scary, but since the Yankees snagged him he has quietly been dominating down in Triple-A with a 0.90 ERA over 50 innings. A 0.90 ERA this late in June is nothing to turn your nose up at. That's pretty impressive, not gonna lie. So, that earns Winans a big league call-up. If he performs well, it's reasonable to see the Yankees giving him a few turns int he rotation until Yarbrough or possibly Marcus Stroman are ready to see game action.

This will be Winan's first opportunity to start. He was called up in April when Stroman was put on the Injured List, but he didn't see any game action. Aaron Boone of course, is salivating over Winan's success down in Triple-A since then, "to be this deep in the season as a starting pitcher and have a sub-1.00 ERA, it's been really, really excellent," Boone said. "Hopefully he brings some of that up here with us (Monday)," read more HERE.

I hope that success translates up in the majors, we need all the help we can get right now. I will say, it is encouraging to hear he's struck out a career-best 10.6 batters per nine innings while limiting walks at 2.3 walks per nine innings and home runs at less than one per nine innings. He's been hot down in the minors, and I just hope he can keep it going against the Reds. At least he's pitching against the Reds and not the Red Sox or Angels right now. Timing is everything.

The Yankees have bandaged a pitching staff all season. It's definitely NOT the way to go, but we've managed so far. Let's just hope the streak stays alive.....and hope Yarbrough comes back sooner rather than later. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YARBROUGH IS HURT, GUYS

In a fresh round of roster roulette, the Yankees have summoned left-hander Jayvien Sandridge from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. After bouncing around the farm system like a guy trying to find a seat at a sold-out concert—Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A—Sandridge finally gets the call to the big stage at age 26.

In the minors this season, Sandridge has been steady: a 1-1 record, a 3.00 ERA, and a couple of saves over 10 outings. Now, he joins a Yankees bullpen that’s less “relief squad” and more “walking wounded.”

With Ryan Yarbrough hitting the 15-day IL thanks to an oblique strain, Sandridge slides in to fill the lefty void. The timing? Well, the Yankees are desperately trying to crawl back into the win column after a faceplant of a losing streak, so reinforcements are very welcome.

Injuries continue to tear through the bullpen like a bad Yelp review, and with the All-Star break looming, the hope is simple: that Yarbrough returns in one piece and this patchwork relief crew can hold things together long enough to matter in October.

THE BEST YANKEE NEWS YOU'LL READ THE REST OF THE WEEK IS RIGHT HERE!

I guess the dog days of summer have come early for this team. It hurts to watch this team "play" and freefall against lowly teams like the Red Sux and Angels. There's nothing "good" to report on the field right now, but it is coming soon....

The only bit of good news I am really holding onto right now is that Luis Gil is making one more step toward returning. On Saturday, Gil will face hitters on Saturday, it will be the first time he has done this since Spring Training, read more HERE.

It's an important first step, but Aaron Boone is optimistic about it. "It's still going to be a while," Boone said. "The good news is he seems to be in a really good spot. He's responded from this whole rehab process really well. Every step, whether it's once he started throwing and once he started long tossing, now getting on the mound, it's gone really well. I know he's felt really good throughout it, so hopefully that's a good sign."

So now we hope Gil continues to progress and there are no setbacks. We need another impactful arm to get us through the tough stretch and as much as I like Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren they are inconsistent, and there are too many unknowns surrounding Ryan Yarbrough's ability to remain a starter. Although I must say, I'd rather take a chance on those guys than Marcus Stroman if I HAD to.

There's no timeframe established for Gil's return but if he continues to progress a return mid-July after the All-Star break is possible. It's a piece of good news we need right now. Not much is going right in Yankeeland right now, so I will take what small nugget of good news I can get.

Getting Gil back would be a nice boost to the pitching staff and add some versatility....and we definitely need that as we get closer to the dog days of summer (and lots of wins, especially series wins). 

Fingers crossed.....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEE FANS WANT CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO CLUELESS BOONE

So let me get this straight. Now Yankee fans are mad at Aaron Boone? Now that the Red Sox handed us a fresh plate of embarrassment? Where were you all when the rest of us were hoarse from screaming about this guy’s managerial brain fog for years? Welcome to the rage parade—nice of you to show up—but honestly, we could’ve used your pitchforks a few seasons ago.

Let’s stop pretending that Aaron Boone’s winning record means anything. Yeah, he's got some regular season numbers. Whoopee. You know who else had a winning record? Every substitute teacher who rolled the ball out in gym class and called it a day. Boone’s record is the equivalent of passing with a C-minus because the test was open book and graded on a curve. If you don’t win in October, it’s all just mediocre window dressing.

This team hasn’t won a championship under Boone. And this isn't the little-engine-that-could Oakland A’s. This is the New York Yankees. Championships are the standard. Mediocrity shouldn’t be tolerated, much less rewarded. And Boone? Mediocrity might as well be his middle name. Aaron "That’ll Do" Boone. It fits.

Let’s talk decision-making. Or lack thereof.

Luke Weaver? Boone squeezed every drop out of him like a used tube of toothpaste. Surprise! Now Weaver’s hamstring is toast. Then there's Ryan Yarbrough—Boone trots him out like he's Pedro Martinez in 2003, and surprise again, the guy gets torched.

The bullpen moves? Don’t even get me started. Ian Hamilton got the call the other night when several better options were sipping Gatorade and blinking in confusion. It was like watching someone grab a fork to unclog a garbage disposal—dangerous, dumb, and entirely preventable.

But the pièce de résistance? The Carlos Rodón debacle. Yankees were up 3-2 in the fifth after a rare DJ LeMahieu home run. Boone, trying to get just one more inning out of Rodón—because apparently learning from mistakes is optional—left him in. Walk. Hit by pitch. Boom. Three-run homer by former Yankee Carlos Narváez. Just like that, the lead was gone and so was any shred of logic in Boone’s brain.

And here’s the thing: as Yanks Go Yard put it, nobody’s buying Boone’s postgame excuse. Rodón had already shown he was teetering—he's the kind of pitcher who goes from dominant to dumpster fire with the grace of a falling piano. So why was he still in the game? Because Boone refuses to trust his gut. Or worse… maybe there’s nothing in the gut to trust.

This is what happens when your entire philosophy is built around spreadsheets. Boone is glued to the analytics fed to him by Michael Fishman—who, let’s face it, should probably be using his data wizardry to simulate wins in The Show instead of meddling with real ones.

Look, I hate to be that guy, but maybe Boone’s just not wired for this job. Something’s off. The game moves too fast for him. Strategy flies over his head like a missed cutoff throw. The Yankees need a manager, not a lab tech with a dugout pass.

This can’t wait until the end of the season. Fire him now. Not after a seven-game losing streak. Not after another playoff disaster. Now. Before we waste yet another year.

Boone’s time is up. The fans know it. The players probably know it. The wins may be there on paper, but on the field? It's mediocrity in motion.

And we’re done watching the same rerun.

BOONE'S LINEUP FIZZLES AGAINST MONSTER DODGERS

The Yankees got their asses handed to them by the Dodgers—plain and simple. 

Friday night’s disaster was, in my opinion, entirely on Aaron Boone. Leaving Max Fried in to face Shohei Ohtani a third time? That’s not gutsy managing, that’s just being asleep at the wheel. And once that blew up, the whole team followed suit. Boone looked lost, like he had no clue how to stop the bleeding. Honestly, it feels like the Dodgers live rent-free in his head.

Then came Saturday, and if you were hoping for a bounce back, you were out of luck. Will Warren got his tits lit up. 

He didn’t even make it out of the first inning cleanly—39 pitches just to escape the first frame. The Dodgers overpowered him, and Max Muncy made damn sure there was no coming back with two three-run bombs that buried the Yankees early. And of course, the offense did nothing. 2 runs all from Judge on 2 solo shots. When you’re depending on Aaron Judge to carry the lineup by himself, you’re already screwed. Final was 18-2. You can stop reading here, unless you want to see profanity and anger.  Then keep reading.

Yes, I get it—sometimes hitters go cold. But this series was hyped as the matchup of the season, and what we got was one team clearly outgunned and outcoached. Boone keeps getting exposed in these big moments. And then to top it off, he drops this gem after the game:

“Obviously a challenge, but that’s what the 162 brings you sometimes... you’ve got to navigate some tough moments.”

No shit, Skip. That’s called managing. You don’t get a cookie for acknowledging that baseball is hard. Maybe try having a game plan that doesn’t rely on wishful thinking and a spreadsheet.

Now we’ve got Ryan Yarbrough on the mound today. Great kid, not intimidating. Sure, he’s been solid lately—but let’s be real: the Dodgers are a juggernaut right now, and the Yankees look like a JV team trying to keep up. LA’s got the firepower, the swagger, and a fanbase that’s fully behind them right now. The Yankees? They’ve got Aaron Judge and a manager who looks more and more like he’s guessing.

Let’s call this weekend what it is: a beatdown. 

And if, by some miracle, the Yankees claw their way to the World Series, they’ll likely be facing this same Dodgers team again. If that happens, you can already pencil in the result. The Yankees aren’t built to beat them—not with Boone making gutless decisions, not with a front office too in love with bad analytics, and not with Hal Steinbrenner asleep at the wheel.

Yankees fans deserve better. Right now, we’re getting screwed.

YARBROUGH IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Yesterday’s headliner wasn’t Aaron Judge launching 4 dingers or anything. Nope, the star of the Yankees' 5–1 win over the Angels was none other than Ryan Yarbrough, the stealth bomber of the Bronx.

While Yankee fans usually flock to see fireballers pumping 99 on the radar gun, Yarbrough rolled in like a wily illusionist with a bag of tricks—none of which involved pure velocity. The southpaw spun six dazzling innings, allowing just two hits, one walk, and collecting seven strikeouts like they were coupons at the grocery store. His only real blemish? The sixth pitch he threw, which Zach Neto deposited into the center-field seats. After that? Silence from the Angels' bats—he ghosted them like a bad date.

And make no mistake: this isn’t just a one-night wonder. Since stepping into Carlos Carrasco’s vacated rotation spot, Yarbrough is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts. Not bad for a guy whose spring with the Blue Jays was so rocky, it ended with him hitching a ride to the Bronx bullpen before being told, “Hey kid, you’re starting again.”

As a whole, the Yankees’ rotation has been dealing straight fire (even if Yarbrough’s version is more campfire than wildfire). In May, Yankees starters have posted a league-best 2.37 ERA—a dramatic drop from April’s more pedestrian 4.25. Credit Yarbrough for doing his part with kitchen-sink finesse: cutters nibbling at the edges, sweepers sweeping up the mess, sinkers sinking spirits, and changeups that confuse hitters like they forgot their glasses.

“I’ve never been the guy to really blow up a radar gun,” Yarbrough said with a smile that said, And I don’t need to be. “It’s about learning how to get guys out in other ways. I guess it’s a different look—something they don’t see every day.”

That “different look” is baseball’s version of a retro flip phone in a world of iPhones—unexpected, functional, and surprisingly effective. Sure, his fastball barely dents the 90 mph wall, and his breaking stuff is more yoga than CrossFit, but it’s working. Call it junkball jazz—rhythmic, offbeat, and occasionally brilliant.

Yarbrough’s journey has had its bumps. He's battled with inconsistent velocity, spring struggles, and a career arc that’s felt more like a sine wave than a steady climb. But now, nestled in the Yankees’ rotation, he’s found his groove.

In a league obsessed with power, Ryan Yarbrough is the changeup—literally and figuratively—that no one saw coming.

CASHMAN IS LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK TO UPRGRADE THE YANKEE ROSTER

On a good day, I am worried about what Brian Cashman can accomplish. Even when conditions are the best of the best and can't get any better I still worry. The Yankees have some holes they want to fill by the trade deadline and this season, it looks very damn difficult.

Remember in Spring Training when Cashman said there wasn't a lot out there for starting rotation help after the Gerrit Cole news dropped? There's always hope that some team is going to turn into a seller after a poor start but...it's not looking so good right now. We've been riding with Ryan Yarbrough and Will Warren but that's not an ideal situation. The Yankees have World Series aspirations, so a proven starting staff is needed. The Yankees are still searching....and I think Cashman is going to keep searching late into summer. He may come up empty handed, or he may go dumpster diving again.

As hard as a starting pitcher may be to find, rumor has it the Yankees are narrowly focused on finding a right handed infielder. If that wasn't specific enough, if that right handed infielder could play third base that would be the perfect scenario. Yup, let's just go from super hard to damn near impossible. That's what's running around the socials though. Cashman may be crazier than I thought he was.

So even if we eliminate the right handed infielder that plays third and just play on the diamond somewhere the pickings are still slim. Otto Lopez of the Marlins, Lenyn Sosa of the White Sox, or Amed Rosario of the Nationals could fill a need, but we are so far from the trade deadline that none of these teams are so far out that they are sellers yet. A lot could happen still.You could look at other teams like the Colorado Rockies or the Baltimore Orioles who have massively disappointed but even that could be challenging. That also assumes that the Orioles would even be willing to engage with the Yankees in a trade, which I wouldn't hold my breath on. 

The Yankees roster flaws have created some very difficult challenges when trying to make meaningful editions to improve it. I guess you can credit that to another Cashman fail, because now he is really looking for a needle in a haystack to fix it. It's going to be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next 9 weeks.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JACOB DEGROM & THE RANGERS GET THE BOOT!

WHAT...A...GAME! Seriously, everything is bigger in Texas, right? That's at least the saying. I guess that changes when the Rangers leave Arlington and roll into the Bronx because the Yankees just pulled off the unthinkable. 

I'll admit, I was nervous about Wednesday's game. Jacob deGrom may not be the same pitcher he used to be but he's still pretty damn good post two Tommy John surgeries and I was worried about how Ryan Yarbrough was gonna match up against him. There's nothing more nerve wrecking than a veteran pitcher like deGrom who is no stranger to New York expectations facing off against "the new guy" that Brian Cashman picked up form the bargain bin. 

No surprise, but deGrom looked sharp, only Anthony Volpe had luck against him in seven innings. The Yankees didn't crawl themselves out of a 3-1 hole until after deGrom was pulled. Then everything changed, Cody Bellinger extended his fifteen game hitting streak with a home run, Aaron Judge got an RBI and Jasson Dominguez capped it all off with a win. The Yankees made a comeback late in the game, this is the Yankees team we all need to see after watching a lot of blunders over the years. It was nice to see.

Even nicer to see was Yarbrough. He's really surprised me. I will be the first to admit, I was skeptical especially pitching against deGrom but he had good command, he switched speeds on his pitches and he dotted the corners. He kept Texas off balance and struck out eight over five innings. He dueled against a veteran starter and held his ground. This is what the Yankees need, he and his 3.38 ERA are doing everything the Yankees have asked for so far.

There's a lot to like about Wednesday's game. The Yankees used SIX different pitchers to piece together nine innings....and still pulled off a victory. That's five straight series wins now and still accomplished that with a roster so different than what the Yankees entered Spring Training with. 

Good teams find a way to win. We're doing it....even in games where we are the underdog. That's called getting the job done. Now they just need to keep doing it.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj