BRAWLIN IN THE BRONX - WILL THE YANKEES SHOW UP?

I am NOT looking forward to this. The Dodgers are coming into town. That means I am going to hear all of the fake, annoying Dodger fans at work become even more obnoxious. Here come all of the jabs about the next three-peat and dynasty. You won't find a bigger pool of bandwagon Dodger "fans" then where I live. This is their breeding ground.

So here we go. First series back from the All-Star break and it has to be against the damn Dodgers. At least it's on our turf, but then again....it's on OUR turf! I still think about how the Dodgers embarrassed us in the World Series. We have been playing some very uninspiring baseball for too long. This could be a disaster in the making. I hope the time off invigorated the Yankees but this team for years has needed a lot more than time off to help them become real contenders.

At this point, we are at the halfway point. Wildcard standings, division races and trades matter more than ever. October is coming and fast. This series could be a preview of what's to come. Some fans are really serious about it, others aren't and that's a lot of what YES broadcasters discussed HERE. I think if you are the Dodgers this series doesn't matter as much, but the Yankees it matters a lot.

I love Paul O'Neill, he's a legend and I like listening to him call games. I just don't know if I share his same thoughts about this series. "I don't think a weekend series in July tells you how you're gonna play a team in the World Series. Everybody looks at that World Series where the Dodgers on paper look like they beat up the Yankees but the Yankees had a couple of games that they could've coulda won and it could've been a seven-game series. I never feel that the Yankees are truly overmatched by anyone. I would assume that the media will turn it up to be a big, big series, but Aaron Judge is not a part of it, Stanton's not a part of it. Ohtani, who knows? He might not even be a part of it, won't be pitching probably. It's gonna be a different scenario if you meet them again in October."

Coulda, shoulda, woulda won....but didn't. There's too many of these. O'Neill may not feel like the Yankees are truly overmatched by any team but they certainly play like they are sometimes. They lack fundamentals, can't hit the broad side of a barn, have circus ringleader Aaron Boone for a manager and are their own worst enemy. Teams don't fear them whether Judge is playing or not. He's only one guy on the field or in the batting lineup. The rest of the team does not compare and all signs point to Shohei Ohtani playing this weekend just most likely not pitching.

Do I think he's right that it will be a different scenario if we meet again in October? It could be. But first we have to get there and it's hard to have confidence that we will. Both teams slumped heading into the All-Star break, but we slumped a lot longer and harder. The Dodgers kick it up another gear once the postseason hits and we just have a hard time finding one that isn't reverse. 

I hope this weekend goes well for us. Hopefully the Dodgers continue their slump, and we find a spark. I think this series matters. Let's face it they all do but second half of the season against the Dodgers is a real test....and I am not sure that the Yankees are ready.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

GOOD THINGS COME IN PETTITTE PACKAGES!

Andy Pettitte was made for pinstripes, and now maybe his youngest son, Luke Pettitte is too! It's another one of those "like father, like son" cliche moments....or is it?

We don't need to talk about how great Andy was. We all know. Luke could be a great pitcher too, but there's some differences. Honestly, much needed differences so he's not living in the shadow of his dad. I keep seeing on  X everyone is talking about how Andy was a one of a kind, and we shouldn't compare Luke to him.

And we shouldn't. That I agree. Andy was a left handed battle tested pitcher with a pick off move that was unmatched. Luke is right handed so he might not have the same pick off move but he's still talented. He's a two-way player that organizations drool over now that some guy named Shohei Ohtani came in and changed baseball as we know it.

But the Ohtani comparison stops there. They both are two-way players but that's it. Luke started playing at Dallas Baptist College as a pitcher, but Tommy John surgery forced him to step away from the mound. Instead of treating his time away recovering as a lost year in his journey he turned his attention to hitting in his junior year where he hit .337, with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs in 42 games. That's nothing to sneeze at. Hell, he would be an instant upgrade to the current lineup right now considering some guys are hitting .150 right now (here's looking at you Austin Wells), sometimes the truth hurts.

It will be interesting to see what happens going forward. Does Luke even sign? There's no guarantee that he will. No matter what does happen, he already has some bragging rights compared to his old man. Andy was picked in the 22nd round of the 1990 draft, but Luke was picked in the eighth round of this years draft. No matter what happens, he gets that for bragging rights. Honestly, Tommy John or not, scouts have a lot to say about his good command, so I like the pick.

The Yankees need to learn how to evolve and honestly, in more ways than one. Their "run it back" philosophy and overly analytical decisions have not helped this team win anything. There isn't a ton of risk with this draft pick, even with a recovery from Tommy John. Luke has something unique to add and we certainly need something.

We've been saying we are tired of "more of the same" and this isn't it. It's about time! Welcome to the Yankees, Luke!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE SPENCER JONES & "OHTANI LIKE" HYPE KICK-OFF SPRING TRAINING!

It was a big spring debut this weekend for Spencer Jones. It came with the expected shiny moment that showcased the enormous potential that Jones advocates would expect. It was also followed by the frustration we've seen on repeat the last couple of seasons. But now, Jones has a new batting approach and a new comparison to live up to?

There's been so much talk about Jones and his enormous potential over recent years. We all salivate over the potential of a new addition to this Yankees team that has five tool potential and can catapult this team to the next level. Now he has worked on his mechanics and a swing that has been called "almost Shohei Ohtani-like," read more HERE. 

The new "Ohtani-like" swing was seen Saturday with a gigantic home run that cleared right field and left the stadium. It was all of the excitement you could ask for in a first at bat of a new season, but it was followed by reminders of the past with two strikeouts in the following plate appearances. As much as I want to see Jones hit those exciting home runs, I want to see consistency. Jones and the Yankees are giving us HYPE with the Ohtani references and the great endorsements from Aaron Judge. We are way past promise of things to come. Now we need to see the high level of execution at the minor league level to earn the nig league call up.

And that's still where I stand today. In four years playing minor league ball, he's had 1,493 at bats and 554 strikeouts. His last two seasons have 379 of those 554 strikeouts. There's still some work there to do. The Yankees outfield is crowded. Even if it weren't crowded, and there was an opportunity to give him a clearly defined role....I'm just not there. He's not in a spot to help the Yankees.

That's a tough reality. I'm tired of watching these high strikeout guys that give us all or nothing. When they come up big it's great, but when they don't it is a massive failure in a clutch moment. It's not enjoyable to watch these high strikeout guys that we know have flaws at the big league level and just hope those flaws don't get exposed. We are at the point where athleticism and performance have evolved, but baseball fundamentals and smart play has become less important or emphasized. For me, Jones is not big league ready. He struggles down in the minors, it's not going to get easier for him when he has to face elite pitching. Giving him a promotion to the big leagues with these stats would only be doing him a disservice because we aren't setting him up for success.

I want Jones and the Yankees to stop giving me hype. The Ohtani reference is just a magical illusion. Stop giving me what COULD be. Jones is going to be 25 soon, so he's running out of time. It's time to stop pretending the same issues he's had the past two seasons aren't there anymore.....because they are. 

Sorry, but I am not buying the hype.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JOEY GALLO THE PITCHER? IT COULD BE HAPPENING!

It's been almost a year since Joey Gallo told the world he intended to continue his MLB career as a pitcher. I laughed (and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still laughing) at the idea thinking it would never happen but he's still trying to make it happen and I'm still paying attention.

I really got tired of talking about Gallo when he played for us. He frustrated the hell out of me so when we got rid of him I was excited to never talk about him again. I guess he has proved me wrong no matter what happens with his new pitching quest because here I am talking (and trying not to laugh) about this. 

Gallo just turned 32 in November, and he is trying to reinvent himself. He's posted enough videos on X of him pitching to garner some attention from not only me but also some scouts. According to Jon Heyman, he's caught the eye of several teams.

So Spring Training is happening, and teams have actually made an effort to go watch him at a showcase. I never thought this would happen, even after seeing some videos but apparently, anything really is possible. His videos were good enough to catch the interest of scouts. I will give him some credit, he did used to have a good throwing arm so maybe he can harness that somehow and reinvent himself? He's posted content, and he's trying. We've all seen worse.

So could someone take a chance on him? Anything is possible. Hell, since the Yankees want to run out the same team they had last season they could be crazy enough to one up it and go back to 2022. I hope not, because as much as we need a stronger bullpen I'm not ready to experiment on Gallo 2.0. If he wants to try to channel his Shohei Ohtani skills and be the once hitter that also pitches then good for him! Just do it away from the Bronx, please.

I will never poo on anyone's goals, so credit to Gallo for trying. However, I'm not sure where this can really go. I did say anything is possible before.....and for me that could include Gallo finding a way to  strike himself out. I guess we'll see if this grows legs and goes anywhere.....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

TATSUYA IMAI IS THE BREATH OF FRESH AIR I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO....UNTIL NOW!

Another Japanese player has posted to sign with a MLB team, that's no surprise. In fact, when the news first broke that it was happening I shrugged it off and didn't even spend ten seconds thinking about it. After all, the Yankees have not had any recent success in attracting Japanese talent to the Bronx. It feels like it has been forever and the idea of trying these days just feels silly.

But is it silly? I'm not going to hold my breath just yet because Tatsuya Imai is still in the middle of a 45-day posting window and even though the Yankees are "in the mix" we have all heard that story before. The Yankees are always tied to every big name on the free agent market and potential trade bait players. That isn't going to change anytime soon, but something else just might....

Right now the Dodgers are the mecca of Japanese baseball players with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki all on their roster. It's an assumption now that any Japanese stud is going to end up in Dodger blue, but Imai would rather play against them and beat them then suit up with them, read more HERE. 

It's refreshing to hear that, honestly. I was in that mindset of "oh he's just going to be a Dodger too" and didn't even entertain the idea of him playing anywhere else, let alone the Yankees. But he doesn't want to be one of them instead he would rather experience "winning against a team like that and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I'd rather take them down."

And isn't that what we all want? The Dodgers have won two championships in a row. They are focused on being the next dynasty.... you know that thing we used to have. I'm focused on not only winning but also making sure they don't get that dynasty they are looking for.

 Imai sounds like he has the confidence on the field and off the field to do that. We've heard a lot about comraderies being important to Japanese stars coming over here. The Dodgers can certainly give that, but Imai doesn't want that. "If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?" Imai said. "But that's actually not what I'm looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them on my own -- that's part of what I'm excited about."

And reading that excites me, honestly. This guy sounds like a gamer. He's not afraid of making it in a new country and culture and figuring things out on his own. I think it is refreshing and actually makes me interested in him now. He sounds like the type of gamer we need on this team. 

So now he's piqued my interest at least. Even if the Yankees don't sign him, the fact that he wants to play against the Dodgers and beat them piques my interest. I wish the Yankees could target these players that have the confidence, attitude and skill....it could be a game changer.

So, I wasn't paying attention to Imai before.... but now I am. Even if we don't sign him, I will just be happy if he stays away from Los Angeles. But seriously, Hal Steinbrenner I know you are paying attention to this.....open up your wallet and go get him! 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES CREEP INTO "FAVORITE" STATUS FOR TATSUYA IMAI

Yankees fans, rejoice—or at least pretend you know what’s going on. Word is the Bronx Bombers have emerged as one of the favorites to land three-time NPB All-Star Tatsuya Imai. And yes, relax, you’re not alone: most of us needed Google to figure out who this guy is, too.

Imai, a 27-year-old righty for the Saitama Seibu Lions, has been lighting up Japan since 2018. He’s made three All-Star teams, carries a career 58–45 record with a tight 3.15 ERA, and he’s officially being posted on November 19. After that, MLB teams will have 45 days to woo him—or he packs his bags and heads back to Japan.

MLB Network’s David Vassegh has already tossed the Yankees’ name into the rumor tornado, grouping them with the Phillies, Blue Jays, Mets, and Padres. Apparently, according to Vassegh’s “Japanese friends”—his words, not mine—the Yankees are right in the thick of it.

The competition makes sense: all these teams desperately need arms for 2026 and beyond. And Imai’s arsenal is the type that front offices drool over. We’re talking a fastball up to 99, a biting slider, and a changeup that makes hitters look like they forgot their glasses. Control used to be an issue, but he’s sharpened that up—so much so that he just posted a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. Not bad… though, let’s be real, NPB hitters aren’t exactly the same beasts lurking in MLB lineups.

The elephant in the room? Kei Igawa PTSD...for me at least. Big, glowing, neon PTSD. Yankee fans don’t need another reminder that not every Japanese pitcher is the next Tanaka; sometimes you get the guy who makes you dive behind the couch every fifth day.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are watching the Dodgers printing money, collecting Japanese stars like they’re Pokémon cards—Ohtani, Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki—and they seem to think they can just… copy-paste that blueprint. Here’s the catch: the Dodgers actually spend money. The Yankees? They talk about spending money and then they get a guy like Frankie Montas. Totally different.

Stay tuned. This could get interesting. Or it could get very, very Yankee. We shall see.

YANKS DESPERATE TO FIX THEIR PLAYERS, BUT NOT THEIR FRONT OFFICE

The Yankees don’t need another star. They need a spine.

I mean seriously, here we go again — cue the offseason smoke machine and all the fake urgency out of the Bronx. The Yankees are “ready to make moves,” the insiders say. Translation: the same brain-dead front office that built a regular-season math club instead of a postseason baseball team is about to make another bad decision.

The Yankees didn’t lose because of talent — they lost because their leadership has the spine of a pudding cup. The front office has turned this once-feared franchise into an Excel spreadsheet that wears pinstripes. The analytics guys sit in their bunker crunching numbers while the product on the field looks heartless, gutless, and soulless. Baseball isn’t a science project — it’s a fight. And the Yankees? They’re built for seminars, not street fights.

Now the talk of the town is Munetaka Murakami, the 25-year-old “Babe Ruth of Higo.” The Tokyo Yakult Swallows are about to post him this winter, and of course, the Yankees are drooling. Murakami’s a beast — 56 home runs in 2022, a .318 average, 134 RBIs, and a .458 on-base percentage. Youngest player in Japanese history to win the Triple Crown. Two-time MVP. A career .273/.394/.550 slash line with 246 bombs in 892 games. This kid mashes.

But let’s ask the real question: what’s the point of buying a Ferrari if you’re just going to let Brian Cashman drive it into a wall?

Cashman’s been running this team for 25 years like a man who’s allergic to accountability. He’s complacent, insulated, and out of touch. Every offseason he finds new ways to overspend and underthink. He hides behind his analytics army like a coward afraid of a gut instinct. The Yankees’ identity used to be power, poise, and pride — now it’s paralysis by analysis.

And then there’s Aaron Boone — the softest manager in Yankees history. A yes-man. A corporate puppet. A dugout mannequin who claps through collapses and apologizes for mediocrity. Boone has no fire, no authority, and absolutely no guts. The man manages like he’s afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. Every time the team crumbles, Boone gives the same glassy-eyed speech about “trusting the process.” Buddy, the process stinks. The process is the problem.

At some point, someone in the organization needs to grow a backbone and realize this isn’t about signing another shiny slugger — it’s about gutting the rotten core. You could drop Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, and Shohei Ohtani into this roster and they’d still fall apart under this spineless leadership.

So yeah, the Yankees might go all-in for Murakami. They’ll flash the checkbook, make headlines, and sell jerseys. But until Brian Cashman gets fired, Aaron Boone is shown the door, and the analytics cult is dismantled, this franchise will keep pretending it’s elite while playing like a mid-market mess.

The Yankees don’t need another superstar.
They need a broom — to sweep out the cowards running the place.

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.

WHEN GAMES GET TIGHT, BOONE FOLDS

The dude is clueless. The dude is unfit to run this team. Everyone on the east coast was yelling into their TV. We all knew that Ohtani was about to crush us. I'd even suggest that Fried knew that Ohtani had seen enough of his stuff to make a dominant swing. You know who didn't get any of it? Aaron Boone.

Managing a baseball team when everything’s going right? That’s easy. Just sit back, spit sunflower seeds, and ride the wave. But managing when things get messy? When tension hangs over a game like a storm cloud? That’s when a real manager earns his paycheck.

So, what does Aaron Boone do in those moments? He takes a nap with the bullpen phone unplugged.

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Friday night in Los Angeles was a statement game—the kind of matchup the Yankees should treat like Game 1 of the World Series. Instead, Boone treated it like a Tuesday in June. The Dodgers came ready for war. Boone brought a wet sponge.

Sure, some fans will try to pin this one on Max Fried. He gave up a solo shot to Shohei Ohtani, then got burned eventually. But if you’ve been watching baseball for more than five minutes, you know the third time through the order is where good pitchers become vulnerable and great managers earn their stripes. Boone didn’t even bother to reach for the Sharpie.

This wasn’t just any hitter, either. It was Shohei Ohtani. You let him see a pitcher three times in one night and expect a miracle? That’s not managing. That’s gambling with someone else’s chips.

Boone froze. Again. Like he always does when the pressure ratchets up. Ohtani crushed another ball into the Hollywood Hills, Freddie Freeman doubled twice and collected three hits, and the defending champs feasted on a manager who clearly didn’t read the scouting report—or didn’t care to.

That once-comfortable 5–2 Yankees lead? Gone faster than Boone’s postgame accountability.

Even after Fried was finally yanked—far too late—the bleeding didn’t stop. The Dodgers racked up four runs in the inning, some before Fried left, some after. Doesn’t matter. The damage was done, and Boone stood there like a guy watching a wine glass fall off the table in slow motion.

And for good measure, Boone decided to pinch-hit DJ LeMahieu in the eighth with two runners on and two outs, even though DJ’s OPS looks like a typo on the back of a Little League card. Predictably, he flied out, threat over, inning dead, hope extinguished. It's fun to try to give guys a chance Boone but do it when the pressure is off and guys like DJ can build some confidence. It was like he pulled his name randomly from a hat. This wasn’t just poor decision-making—it was managerial malpractice.

The Yankees needed a tactician. They got a bystander. Again.

And that’s why this team hasn’t sniffed a championship under Boone. When the lights get bright and the games get tight, he always seems to fold. It's not the first time he's mismanaged a pivotal moment, and it won’t be the last. He’s had years to grow into this job, and yet the learning curve still looks like Mount Everest.

This loss doesn’t land squarely on Max Fried’s shoulders. It lands on Boone's. He didn’t adjust. He didn’t react. He didn’t manage.

And if you’re wondering why the Yankees didn’t win the World Series last year—or why they won’t win it this year—look no further than the top step of the dugout.

Leadership matters. Sadly, we just don’t have any.

Today’s another chance to prove someone in pinstripes actually has a pulse. But if Boone’s holding the reins again… expect more of the same.

GODZILLA: PART 2

Get ready, Bronx. There’s buzz in the air thicker than the garlic fries in Section 205, and it’s not about Aaron Boone’s latest ejection. According to MLB insider and professional rumor wrangler Jim Bowden, the New York Yankees are lurking among six early favorites to snag Nippon Professional Baseball’s next megastar, Munetaka Murakami, when he’s expected to hit the open market this winter. Think Hideki Matsui, but younger, potentially better, and—wait for it—a possible fit at third base. Maybe.

Yes, you read that right. Murakami, Japan’s current Sultan of Swat, has drawn early comparisons to the Yankees’ beloved Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui. That’s enough to make any Yankees fan dig out their old No. 55 jersey and start pricing flights to Tokyo. The lefty slugger, just 25, already has 242 career home runs in NPB, a Triple Crown on his shelf, and the Japanese-born single-season home run record (56 in 2022) in his back pocket. You don’t earn a nickname like “Mura-Mash” by bunting.

Now, before you pencil him in at the hot corner in the Bronx, Bowden did toss a bit of cold sake on the idea—he thinks Murakami is a better defensive fit at first base. That’s convenient timing if you’ve been paying attention, because Paul Goldschmidt, currently holding down that spot in pinstripes, is only signed through this season. If Murakami does come stateside, and the Yankees decide to open the vault (again), he could be next in a long line of Japanese stars to make a home in the Bronx.

But here’s the plot twist: the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ah yes, Hollywood’s favorite baseball team and the unofficial U.S. welcoming committee for international talent. If there’s a global superstar available, the Dodgers are usually first in line—and already printing the jersey. Murakami is expected to be posted after the 2025 season thanks to a clause in his current NPB contract, which means teams will actually have to pay him real, grown-up money. None of that international pool slot magic here. And this deal could be massive—potentially $200 to $300 million massive. The bidding war could make Shohei Ohtani’s free agency look like a flea market haggling session.

Still, if there’s a team with both the money and the mystique to lure Murakami, it’s the Yankees. The legacy. The fanfare. The roll call. The pressure cooker of New York media asking about every 0-for-4 day. Sounds like fun, right?

Murakami could be the perfect bridge between the Yankees' proud past and a reloaded future. A power bat in the middle of the order, some flexibility at the corners, and the kind of international draw that sells out road stadiums. If he hits the market, he’ll be the most anticipated Japanese export since Matsui stormed the Bronx in 2003—and if Brian Cashman has any sense of baseball poetry, he’ll make sure Murakami doesn’t end up in Dodger Blue.

The sequel to Godzilla might be coming. But first, it’s up to the Yankees to make sure he premieres on Broadway, not Sunset Boulevard.

A.J. PIERZYNSKI SLAMS MLB OVER PETE ROSE HALL OF FAME ELIGIBILITY & IT'S HILARIOUS!

It's funny, because I never really imagined a moment that I would agree with A.J. Pierzynski on anything baseball related. I also thought of him as polarizing. He's been very vocal about a lot of issues in baseball and that is especially true about another polarizing name in the sport....Pete Rose.

There's been a lot of chatter about Rose recently. Now that he is reinstated for Hall of Fame consideration it's been a major topic at my dinner table and here at BYB, read PETE ROSE IS ELIGIBLE, BUT WILL THE WRITERS DO THE RIGHT THING? It's a polarizing topic. There are very strong opinions on both sides.

So, what's A.J's beef now? Well, he went on Foul Territory this week and didn't hold back at all. He believes Rose should NOT be reinstated. I know many people who are on both sides of the argument. His argument is that article 21 of MLB's Rule Book prohibits players and coaches from betting on baseball. If that was the argument he wanted to stick with I wouldn't be laughing as I am now. Check out the video clip below.

There's a real hole in this argument for me. As soon as he ran with the "You can't have the integrity of the game questioned at all" is where it went sideways for me. Has he been living under a rock? Serious question because this sport has lost all of its innocence. The integrity went out the window a long time ago. Let's just go back to the steroid era, shall we? Is Barry Bonds so long ago that baseball got a "get out of jail free" pass and I missed the memo? I mean, he and Bonds were playing at the same time from 1998-2007 so it's not like it's ancient history. It happened, while AJ was getting his feet wet on the big league stage and it's a huge part of history. 

Let's fast forward to 2017. It's a topic I will NEVER let go of but the Houston Astros literally cheated their way to a World Series Championship. Trash can signals and buzzers are NOT part of the game, AJ. Integrity went out the window there. To make it worse, after Carlos Beltran is named one of the leaders of this cheating scandal the same time he is in consideration for a Manager role with the Mets? So you cheat, you work your way up to a manager gig. That's the message sent here. If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin? The Mets only "mutually agreed" to part ways with him after details came out which was a horrible message to send. They changed their mind to save their hide. I have despised the Mets more just for that alone. It was completely tone deaf.

And what about Alex Cora? The equally tone deaf Red Sox hired him for 2018 & 2019 knowing he was implicated in the cheating scandal, then took a brief step back to let the dust settle and let Ron Roenicke manage in 2020 and then reunite with Cora again in 2021 and ever since. What a minor slap on the wrist for a guy that was involved in the biggest cheating scandal in decades and then put him in charge of a different team. Integrity gone....

Oh and to make it more disturbing the General Manager of the Astros at that time Jeff Luhnow lost his job after the scandal. He's not back in the baseball world. In fact he is the CEO of Blue Crow Sports Group, which owns several soccer clubs, including Leganés in Spain and Cancún FC in Mexico. The guy with the least amount of involvement with the scandal not even around the team every day like Cora was and he pays the ultimate price. Integrity gone....

And last but certainly not least....you can't talk about gambling without talking about the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal that rocked baseball last year. It was alleged that his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, stole millions of dollars from the star to pay off massive gambling debts. Shohei denies placing any bets or paying off any bookies and it's funny how the money just disappeared without being detected, huh? Because are we supposed to be that nieve to believe the person who is in charge of Shohei's personal finances just didn't notice that massive amount of money just magically vanished into thin air? Apparently, because AJ himself came out in defense of Shohei saying there was no evidence to prove he was in fact gambling. So, it's okay for his money to be used on betting even if he didn't bet himself? Come on....if "you can't have the integrity of the game questioned at all" why is this any different?

If Pete Rose can't be reinstated for betting on games when he was a manager, why is it okay for Ohtani to be accused of it as a player and have no consequences even though his money was used? If the integrity of the game can't be questioned at all then this is no exception and it's hypocritical. By the way, Ippei took the fall for this and in February was sentenced to 5 years in prison over it....but he's not actually sitting in prison yet. His sentence has been pushed back, read more HERE. 

So yeah, A.J and I agree that the integrity of the game can't be questioned at all. If the ban is good for Rose, it should've been good for Ohtani, too but you can't really ban the new face of baseball can you?He brings international draw. Unfortunately, the integrity of the game has been questioned many times, and will continue to be (especially under Rob Manfred's command). 

We agree on the sentiment, but AJ is oblivious to how un-innocent baseball really is. His argument is a swing and a miss. It did give me a good laugh though.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

A LUIS GIL UPDATE & NEW PITCHING RUMOR ALL IN ONE!

Never say "It can't get any worse" because that is a signal to the universe to release more bad luck. We can't take any more bad luck. We need pitching reinforcements and fast. The Yankees will need to get creative.

So, every day I have been scouring every source I have to look for any updates on Luis Gil. Yesterday, we finally got an update with minimal details, but it wasn't "good" news, read more HERE. Gil has been shut down since early last month and the plan was to get him throwing by today, but that's not going to happen. Gil's latest MRI shows healing on the high-grade lat strain but not enough. So, Gil may not be ready to pitch until the All-Star break. Aaron Boone gave an update yesterday and it sounded like typical Boone babble. "It's going as it should," Boone said before the Yankees finished a series against the Royals in The Bronx. "We just need another 10 days."

Needing another 10 days is not "going as it should" when the plan was to start throwing. I just hope this isn't worse than it really is. Starting pitching is everything in baseball and the Yankees need to go get it. We are lucky to have Max Fried right now. He's the only one worth a damn at this point.

The Yankees need to add some quality starters. This is supposed to be a favorite to get back to the World Series and this pitching staff just isn't going to cut it. Carlos Carrasco and Marcus Stroman are not pitchers that are going to get us back to October baseball. We already talked about names that would help us in I'LL BANG THE DRUM AGAIN! THE YANKEES NEED STARTING PITCHING! but a new name is floating around social media.

Lots of rumors out there swirling that by the trade deadline, the Dodgers could have a pitching surplus that they may not need and could move Tony Gonsolin, read more HERE. Interesting idea but that is assuming everything goes right for the Dodgers and their surplus actually happens. Right now they are dealing with their own injury problems. In the coming months, the Dodgers hope to have Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani pitching again. That's three big names assuming the Dodgers will have back if all goes right.

If the stars magically align, Gonsolin could become available but if he is, the Dodgers aren't going to be anxious to do the Yankees a favor and Gonsolin comes with some risk. He missed all of 2024 after having TJ surgery, he hasn't pitched this season due to a minor back injury. What stands out most, is he hasn't pitched a full season since 2022, but he did pitch to a 16-1 record with a 2.14 ERA. 

Does he have that kind of magic in him still? Who knows but knowing that he sounds like the exact ballplayer that Brian Cashman targets. He looks for that lightning in a bottle or dumpster dive type of move as some fans call it that doesn't cost as much. He's more affordable for Hal Steinbrenner at $5.4 million dollars and wouldn't be a free agent until 2027. On paper, he's what the Yankees target.....

Honestly, I'm not jazzed about Gonsolin and it may not even be realistic.... but we've gotta do something. The Yankees can't continue to sit on their hands and say thousands of prayers hoping they get back to the World Series with this pitching.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

COMPLACENT SOTO BUTT HURT BY DEFENSE CRITICISM

You can't make almost a billion dollars a year and go as hard as you can. Why? Because mentality, you know you've made it, and you will not work hard.  That's Juan Soto, who was always bad in the field, and not it just became worse. That's the bottom line.

When he stops hitting home runs... what other tools will work in his favor? Well, he can't run, and as we already know, he can't field.  

And so, it’s official. The microscope is out, the lighting is harsh, and the truth is finally hitting harder than a Juan Soto fastball in a hitter’s count: the man can rake, but when it comes to defense and baserunning? Yikes.

Juan Soto might be baseball’s most complete hitter—he’s a savant at the plate, with freakish vision, Jedi-level patience, and a swing that can ruin a pitcher’s ERA in one pitch. At just 26, he’s already collected enough walks to fill Citi Field twice over and has the kind of plate discipline that would make Ted Williams proud. But here’s the problem: he can’t run, and he definitely can’t field. And now, under the big lights of New York (and a big fat contract to match), the baseball world is finally noticing.

Let’s put it plainly: Soto is a highlight reel at the plate and a blooper reel in the field.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Mets coverage, Soto has accumulated a defensive run value of -32 since his debut. Translation: he's let in 32 more runs than an average right fielder would have at the same time. That's not a “bad day.” That’s a long-term liability. You could stick a scarecrow in right field and get better results, and it wouldn’t trip over its own cleats on the basepaths.

Juan Soto hace un error pic.twitter.com/Ju6sDEtZKf

— RT Universo (@Rtuniverso20) March 9, 2025

Soto, to his credit, seems aware of the criticism. He told NJ Advance Media on April 7, “It motivates me... not that it bothers me or anything,” before going into a detailed explanation of how he’s working on his hip movement, knee mechanics, and other gym-class drills to get better jumps on balls. That’s all well and good. But you’d think someone on a nearly billion-dollar trajectory would have figured that out somewhere between Washington and Queens.

Let’s be honest—this isn't new information. Soto has always been a below-average fielder. Metrics like Outs Above Average (OAA) have been sounding the alarm for years, and his low fielding percentage backs it up. Yes, his reaction time is solid. But his routes to the ball resemble a drunk GPS, and his lack of speed turns doubles into triples and bloopers into heart attacks.

But Steve Cohen didn’t care. He saw Soto’s bat and wrote the check. Maybe he thought he was buying a five-tool player. Turns out, it’s more like one tool—and a very shiny one at that—but still just one.

And let’s not forget the baserunning. Soto runs like he’s carrying a piano. There’s no threat when he’s on first. No spark. No chaos. Just Soto trotting station to station like it's 1978 again.

St. Louis Bullpen—yes, that underrated site full of baseball purists—nailed it the moment Soto inked his deal. Their piece included this gem from John Fleming:

“Juan Soto is a one-dimensional player... Unlike Ohtani, Juan Soto is not perceived as a particularly marketable player beyond his overwhelming talent. He is a mediocre fielder and base runner, and while his plate appearances are about as fun as you’re going to get out of a guy with an 18.8% career walk rate, he isn’t necessarily a human highlight reel. He is worthy of appreciation, if not immediate awe to the casual fan.”

Boom. Roasted.

Here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we've been preaching this sermon for years. Yes, Soto is a phenomenal hitter. Yes, he will help a lineup. But this idea that he’s some flawless diamond? That myth is cracking fast. New York will do that to a player. There’s no place to hide in this town, especially when you're getting superstar money and playing like a designated hitter in the outfield.

So here we are. The truth, finally out there. Juan Soto: master of the walk, prince of the long ball… and a walking, jogging, slow-reacting red flag on defense.

And thank God everyone’s finally seeing it.

BOOMER GOES OFF ON JUAN SOTO!

Juan Soto is not a five-tool player. There, I said it. And frankly, it needed to be said—so thank you, Boomer Esiason, for doing the Lord’s work and calling it like it is. 

Sure, Soto can hit home runs and might even be a clubhouse presence (if we’re being generous), but let’s not kid ourselves: he can’t run, he can’t field, and dare I say... he’s out for himself.

That’s why it was so refreshing to hear Boomer take him to task on the radio after that embarrassing first-game strikeout. If you’re getting paid close to $800 million to play baseball, you better show up like an all-time great. Instead, Soto stepped up to the plate against his old buddy Josh Hader, assumed a fastball was coming (because, well, thinking ahead isn’t really his thing), and got absolutely fooled by a slider. The look on his face? Priceless. And Boomer? He had a field day with it.

Boomer says Juan Soto is not a "needle mover," and the Mets "way overpaid" 😳@WFANmornings pic.twitter.com/q8W6bz6mpG

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 28, 2025

Boomer didn’t just criticize—he buried Soto, calling him “not a needle mover” and flat-out saying the Mets “way overpaid.” And you know what? He’s right. A “needle mover” is a guy who electrifies the game, a guy who fans line up to see. You know who fits that description? Aaron Judge. Shohei Ohtani. Paul Skenes. You know who doesn’t? Juan Soto. He’s a great hitter, but $765 million great? Please.

Boomer laid it out plain and simple: when you sign that kind of contract, you put yourself under the brightest spotlight imaginable. Now, every swing, every defensive blunder, every lazy jog to first will be scrutinized. And Mets fans? They’ll turn on him in a heartbeat. Steve Cohen thought he was making a power move by throwing ridiculous money at Soto, but what he actually did was lock his team into a disastrous deal. The Mets are a big-market team with an even bigger microscope, and Soto is not built for that kind of pressure.

Let’s be honest—he took that deal because other teams were bidding, not because he’s worth it. Boomer even compared him to Ohtani, who literally has networks creating special broadcasts just for his at-bats. Nobody is tuning in just to watch Soto walk to the plate. The Mets didn’t just overpay; they set themselves up for an inevitable disappointment.

Here’s the reality: not all big-money contracts work out. Players get complacent. Players age. And Soto? He’s going to decline, and it’s going to be painful to watch. Homers will come, sure. But a five-tool player? Not even close. And let’s be real—no player, not even a true five-tool guy, deserves an $800 million contract. But especially not Juan Soto.

Boomer was right, and Mets fans better brace themselves. The clock is already ticking.