CLEAN HOUSE. LOSER CASHMAN’S YANKEES ARE A FAILURE.

AI Generated

Brian Cashman built this mess. Aaron Boone keeps explaining it. And Yankees fans keep getting charged championship prices to watch an organization congratulate itself for coming up short.

Enough.

The 2027 Yankees need a demolition crew. Start with the front office’s arrogance, work through the manager’s office, and stop treating disappointing players like priceless family heirlooms.

Austin Wells needs to be a backup catcher. Period.

A .186 batting average. A .624 OPS. Fourteen home runs and 32 RBIs. Those were his 2026 numbers. Somewhere along the way, the Yankees apparently decided an everyday catcher’s bat was an optional accessory.

Nobody is watching those at-bats and seeing Thurman Munson. They’re watching another Yankees development project whose reputation keeps arriving at the ballpark before his production does.

His defense has value. Fine. Make him the backup. A good glove should earn consideration; it shouldn’t grant lifetime immunity from hitting .186.

Cashman needs to find a starting catcher who can contribute offensively without requiring a presentation explaining why the contribution is secretly happening.

Anthony Volpe? Trade him. Immediately.

The Yankees sold fans a cornerstone. Four seasons into his major league career, the offensive foundation still looks like wet cardboard.

A career 83 OPS+ through 542 regular-season games is a substantial body of evidence. League average is 100. How much longer are we supposed to applaud the possibility that he eventually gets there?

The hometown story was lovely. The marketing department must have loved it. Unfortunately, the opposing pitcher doesn’t care where you went to high school.

My assessment of Volpe now? A reserve infielder. A guy backing up second base in Cincinnati. That’s an opinion about his role, not a report about a Reds trade.

The Yankees presented him like a destination when he was still a question. Then they made questioning him feel like a violation of team policy.

Fans deserved an honest evaluation. Instead, they got a sales pitch with pinstripes.

Trade him while another organization still believes it can unlock what the Yankees keep insisting is in there.

Then fire Aaron Boone.

No farewell tour. No discussion about how much the players love him. No more treating clubhouse approval like the final score.

A manager can have good relationships with his players and still demand excellence. With Boone, the reassurance is easy to find. The consequences are considerably harder.

From the outside, he looks like Cashman’s preferred spokesman wearing a uniform. The puppet criticism survives because the arrangement keeps producing the same spectacle: the roster fails, Boone explains, Cashman remains above the wreckage.

What, exactly, would constitute failure serious enough to change this?

The Yankees dismissed Joe Girardi on October 26, 2017, after an ALCS Game 7 loss. Cashman cited problems connecting and communicating with players.

Apparently, the organization solved the communication problem by hiring someone who can explain disappointment indefinitely.

Chicago moved on from Joe Maddon in September 2019 after a collapse cost the Cubs a playoff berth.

Accomplished managers lose jobs. Boone keeps getting another opportunity to tell us how close this group is.

Fire him. The Yankees need leadership with enough authority to make standards matter.

Jazz? Gone. We're done with the antics. We're done with the BS.

Trent Grisham? Pack up.

His 2026 salary was $22.025 million. His production: .211, 18 homers and a .703 OPS.

Twenty-two million dollars bought the Yankees another hitter fans needed to be talked into appreciating.

Cashman’s ability to spend enormous money and still leave obvious holes should be studied. Every winter brings another complicated explanation for why something underwhelming was actually clever.

Let Grisham walk. Stop paying for the memory of a better season.

David Bednar? I’d move on—but the numbers deserve an honest hearing.

He recorded 35 saves in 39 chances with a 2.47 ERA. That’s good pitching.

It also doesn’t obligate the Yankees to make him another expensive attachment while the lineup needs repairs.

My preference is to spend elsewhere and build a replacement plan. A good closer can protect a lead. He cannot manufacture a functional offense or repair Cashman’s judgment.

The closer’s entrance music should not be the most dependable part of the organizational plan.

Giancarlo Stanton? Confront reality already.

The healthy version of Stanton has been tremendous entertainment. The problem is that the healthy version has become somebody the Yankees keep expecting to visit.

Three calf strains cost him more than five months in 2026.

You cannot keep reserving a central place in the offense for a player whose availability requires crossed fingers and a medical briefing.

His contract makes an exit difficult. Releasing him would still leave money owed. Cashman has to deal with that reality instead of using it as permission to repeat the same gamble.

Stanton’s body has repeatedly failed him. The front office fails the roster when it keeps budgeting for a version of him it cannot reliably put on the field.

And that brings us to the man who should be answering for every inch of this:

Brian Cashman.

He evaluates the talent. He constructs the roster. He chooses the manager. He oversees the system that is supposed to develop the players.

Yet somehow, whenever the finished product disappoints, responsibility gets scattered until nobody can find it.

A player didn’t develop. Somebody got hurt. October is unpredictable. The roster looked good on paper.

Who keeps buying the paper?

Cashman cannot claim credit for the organization’s sophistication and then act like its recurring flaws are unfortunate weather.

If the same weaknesses keep surviving different rosters, examine the person assembling them. If the same excuses keep surviving different seasons, examine the people accepting them.

That includes Hal Steinbrenner. Ownership enables this comfort. Cashman has room to keep defending the process because the man above him keeps accepting the explanation.

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge keeps getting older.

That is the unforgivable part.

The Yankees have a player whose greatness should define an era. They are burning through his championship opportunities while debating whether another disappointing season really warrants an uncomfortable decision.

Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have publicly questioned the organization’s approach. CC Sabathia has joined the criticism of its leadership and direction.

These are men who understand what winning here requires. The Yankees would be wise to spend less time defending themselves and more time considering why those voices are dissatisfied.

This franchise should be embarrassed.

Embarrassed by the excuses. Embarrassed by the complacency. Embarrassed that fans can identify the problems and still expect the offseason press conference to explain why most of them are coming back.

Change Wells’ role. Trade Volpe. Let Grisham leave. Make hard decisions about Bednar and Stanton.

Fire Boone.

And stop pretending Cashman deserves permanent protection from the results of his own work.

Because if Judge finishes his Yankees career without a championship, the organization will have plenty of time to celebrate his individual achievements.

It will also have to live with the fact that he gave them greatness—and they kept handing him this.

BURN IT DOWN. THE YANKEES HAVE TO REBUILD.

The Rays swept the Yankees, celebrated in their ballpark, and blasted “New York, New York” in the visiting clubhouse.

They took the series. Then they took the soundtrack.

Want to stop another team from turning your stadium into a punchline? Beat them. Tampa Bay earned its celebration. The Yankees earned another winter of uncomfortable questions that somehow never seem to produce meaningful consequences.

Start with Brian Cashman. Then Aaron Boone. This operation needs a complete overhaul, and another offseason of rearranging the same furniture isn’t going to cut it.

Fire Boone. Move on from Cashman. Burn down this approach and build something that actually works in October.

Look at the offense against Tampa Bay:

• Game 1: One hit. Zero runs. A 1–0 loss.

• Game 2: Two runs, both on solo homers by Ben Rice. A 5–2 loss.

• Game 3: Three runs. A 4–3 loss that ended the season.

Five runs in three games. That’s 1.67 runs per game, calculated from those scores. Gerrit Cole gave them a chance in the opener, and the lineup responded by practically disappearing. Austin Wells finally broke up the no-hitter, then got thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple. Their only hit became another mistake.

This wasn’t merely an offense going cold. It was a team failing to execute when every out mattered.

Four errors in Game 2. Then, with elimination staring them in the face, Boone moved Wells up to sixth. Wells went 0-for-3 before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Trent Grisham went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the finale. Those are the results of the lineup Boone trusted to save the season.

And Boone’s Game 2 decisions deserve scrutiny.

Against left-hander Ian Seymour, he let Luis García Jr. and Spencer Jones hit in the sixth, then stayed with Jazz Chisholm, Grisham and Wells in the seventh. Seymour retired all five. Boone had right-handed alternatives sitting on the bench. His explanation was that Seymour’s numbers made him a relatively neutral matchup, and that he was waiting for baserunners before deploying those alternatives.

Waiting for somebody to reach base while the offense keeps making outs is a hell of a rescue plan.

Yes, there was a statistical argument for staying with the lefties. That doesn’t make the decision untouchable. A manager has to recognize when his plan is producing nothing and decide whether another approach gives his team a better chance.

Boone watched the outs accumulate.

Then came the elimination-game shuffle. Jazz and Ryan McMahon sat. Anthony Volpe and José Caballero started. Asked about choosing Volpe, Boone offered: “Just felt like it.”

Volpe actually contributed in Game 3. Give him that. But the Boone’s explanation still deserves more than a shrug. With the season on the line, fans are entitled to hear a coherent baseball reason.

That’s my problem with Boone’s constant tinkering: What is the governing principle? Matchups? A hot hand? Defense? A feeling? Players need defined responsibilities, and fans need some evidence that all this movement serves a purpose. We cannot prove that lineup changes caused the offensive collapse. We can absolutely judge Boone by the collapse he failed to stop.

He is a failed championship leader. Fire him.

And Cashman doesn’t get to hide behind the manager he keeps endorsing. He built the roster. If the available choices keep leaving Boone searching for a spark, the person assembling those choices belongs in the firing line, too.

Then there’s Jazz, questioning the boos:

“So you’re booing a guy that’s playing, trying to help the team win, and you’re hearing boos instead of trying to hype guys up.”

Jazz, nobody owes you a standing ovation for trying.

You finished the regular season with 19 homers, 41 steals, a .231 average and a .711 OPS. The 19/41 club. Not the 50/50 club. Those steals have value. Your athletic ability has value. But the swagger needs more consistent production behind it. Play cleaner. Play better. Give the fans something to cheer about.

Fans paying real money to watch another October collapse are allowed to express disgust. Millionaire players treating the crowd’s frustration like the central problem is pathetic. The boos didn’t construct this roster or make those errors.

Do not bring back Jazz. Do not bring back Grisham. Get a dependable everyday catcher. Shop Volpe and make a trade that improves this team.

That doesn’t mean giving Volpe away for nothing. It means ending the attachment to what everybody was supposed to become. Evaluate what they are, what they can realistically become, and whether someone else makes the Yankees better.

Judge is asking the front office to address the holes and go all in. He’s right. His message is especially pointed because he also acknowledged that a winning team alone isn’t enough in New York. For accuracy, he backed Boone’s return; the demand to fire Boone is mine.

Build a complete roster around your captain. Stop asking one superstar to cover every organizational weakness.

Get hitters who put together competitive at-bats. Get defenders who finish routine plays. Establish roles. Hire a manager who communicates clearly and demands execution. Make every department answer for whether its work produces a better baseball team.

The greatest franchise in baseball history cannot keep selling its past as an excuse for its present.

I haven’t paid for a ticket to that ballpark in four years because I’m done financing the same bad movie. Be a fan however you want. But ask yourself what incentive this organization has to change if disappointment keeps selling just as well as ambition.

The fans want a championship.

Stop asking us to accept less while charging us more.

Fire Boone. Move on from Cashman. Revamp the roster.

Burn it down and build it back up—because this version of the Yankees has exhausted its excuses.

It is absolutely pathetic.

HEY BOONE, DON’T SCREW THIS UP

The Yankees swept Boston, and I enjoyed every second of it. Now comes the harder part: beating Tampa Bay without turning their own dugout into the Rays’ greatest competitive advantage.

These Yankees—the misfits as I call them, the guys I’ve questioned all summer—have given us something worth rooting for. They handled the Wild Card round without Aaron Judge. Austin Wells contributed. Spencer Jones contributed. Suddenly, a lineup that too often looked like a collection of separate problems started playing like a team.

I want these misfits to win the whole damn thing.

That doesn’t mean Brian Cashman gets a summer’s worth of criticism erased by two October victories. I’m still tired of roster construction built around gambles, injury recoveries and the assumption that somebody will eventually figure it out. I still question the evaluations, the patience afforded certain players and the habit of selling hope as a strategy.

But the players have an opportunity now. Let them take it.

Tonight starts with Gerrit Cole. Game 1 begins at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with Cole facing Drew Rasmussen. Tampa went 55–26 at home, so walking into that building and expecting Boston’s surrender to carry over would be a mistake.

Cole brings a 10–9 record, a 3.61 ERA and 131 strikeouts. Rasmussen counters with 16–5, a 2.67 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Those numbers should get everyone’s attention.

Cole is rested. Now he needs to be sharp. There’s unfinished business after Tampa eliminated the Yankees in the 2020 ALDS, but revenge doesn’t retire hitters. First-pitch strikes, command and keeping the ball in the park do. Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda cannot be allowed to turn every inning into traffic.

And against Rasmussen, the Yankees need useful at-bats. Make him work. Move runners. Take the available run instead of waiting for the three-run homer that might never arrive.

Then there’s Wells. I’ve criticized him plenty, and his regular-season bat earned those questions. I really don't think he's good, but maybe he's on a hot streak. He had a good Wild Card series, and he deserves credit. In Game 1 alone, he delivered two hits, drove in a run and scored another while helping the Yankees pitchers overwhelm Boston.

Trent Grisham? I appreciate what he can provide offensively. I’m still watching him in the field. Does he take the right route? Make the clean play? Keep an extra base from becoming an extra run? October defense has to withstand scrutiny, especially against a team willing to pressure every small mistake.

And is Aaron Judge even necessary in this series?

It’s a provocative question, but the roster decision deserves one. A healthy Judge makes this team better. A limited Judge returning from a strained right calf presents a different calculation. Entering today, his availability remained uncertain, with a possible pinch-hitting role under consideration.

If he can help, use him. If he cannot run or defend effectively, don’t rearrange a functioning lineup simply because the biggest name is available. The misfits just showed they can win together. Respect that.

Ryan Weathers’ potential addition to the ALDS bullpen presents another test. I’ve questioned the Cashman gamble there, too. Making the roster is one thing; being ready for a tight October inning is another. Boone needs to know the difference.

Behind Cole, Cam Schlittler is slated for Monday’s Game 2, with Carlos Rodón and Max Fried the likely options when the series reaches New York. Those Bronx assignments remain unconfirmed, but there is enough pitching here to make this a real fight.

Which brings us to the question every Yankee fan eventually asks:

Will Boone mess this up?

Will he recognize when his starter is finished? Choose the reliever suited to the inning? Let productive players play? Or will we spend tomorrow discussing a decision everyone could see going wrong before it happened?

Manage the game in front of you, Aaron. Give these guys their best chance.

I’m rooting for Wells to keep hitting, Grisham to make every play, Cole to own the opener and the kids to keep bringing life into this team. But, Rasmussen is tough... and the Rays are home.

Let the misfits win.

I’d love nothing more than to spend November explaining how they proved me wrong.

NEVER ROOT FOR AN INJURY… BUT SOMETIMES YOU THINK IT

You never want to see a player get hurt. Ever. Let me get that out of the way before somebody comes after me with a pitchfork.

Trent Grisham is headed to the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain, and the Yankees have recalled Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A.

That's bad news for Grisham.

But for the Yankees?

Forgive me... maybe not.

Because suddenly Aaron Boone doesn't have to perform advanced calculus trying to figure out how to squeeze everyone into the outfield. Spencer Jones has been earning his playing time, and with Grisham down, Jones should get a legitimate opportunity in center. Meanwhile, Dominguez is back, and perhaps—crazy concept here—the Yankees can actually find out what these young guys can do by playing them.

Jones has already shown flashes that scream, Don't send me anywhere. And Dominguez? I've been waiting forever for the Yankees to stop treating "The Martian" like he's classified government property.

Grisham hadn't exactly been forcing the issue lately, either. He was just 4-for-44 over his previous 14 games before landing on the IL.

So no, I'm not celebrating an injury. I hope Grisham heals quickly.

But baseball has a funny way of making decisions for organizations that refuse to make them themselves.

The Yankees have young outfielders who need at-bats. Spencer Jones needs to play. Jasson Dominguez deserves another look.

Now they have their chance.

Sometimes opportunity knocks.

Sometimes it grabs its hamstring.

Forgive me.

CAM SHOVES AS YANKEES TAKE THE SERIES

The Yankees beat the Angels 6–3 in 10 innings Wednesday night, taking the series and escaping Anaheim with another important win.

Cam Schlittler was magnificent. Eight innings. Two hits. One run. Nine strikeouts. No walks. He retired 20 of the first 21 hitters he faced and lowered his American League-leading ERA to 2.04. Schlittler didn’t merely give the Yankees a chance—he carried them until the offense finally woke up. The kid is becoming a great major-league pitcher right before our eyes.

Then came the 10th inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Austin Wells slapped a two-run single into right field to break the tie. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice followed with RBI singles as the Yankees hung a five-spot on the Angels.

Tip your cap to Wells. It was a clutch hit in a big moment. But let’s keep the parade under control. Wells is still batting an awful, horrendous .190. One big hit doesn’t suddenly turn him into Jorge Posada or Thurman Munson. Those were championship catchers who produced when it mattered over entire seasons—not once every few weeks.

Celebrate the hit. Praise the moment. Just don’t confuse one clutch swing with greatness. Write that down.

This game belonged to Cam Schlittler. That’s a series win. Pack the bags and keep moving.

RICE, RICE BABY! YANKS KEEP ROLLING!

What a difference a day makes.

After getting embarrassed by Toronto pitching on Saturday, the Yankees came back Sunday and actually looked like a team with some attitude, beating the Blue Jays 8-3 and taking another important step forward.

Ben Rice continues to impress me. With the bases loaded in the sixth and the Yankees needing a big hit, Rice battled through a full count and ripped a two-run single to right. No panic. No trying to hit a six-run homer. Just a professional at-bat from a kid who keeps showing he belongs in the middle of this lineup.

And how about Jazz Chisholm Jr.? He helped manufacture the rally with a bunt single and then decided subtlety was overrated, launching a two-run homer an inning later. That's Jazz — energy, swagger and the ability to change a game in about five minutes.

Spencer Jones chipped in with an RBI double and a terrific diving catch, Trent Grisham reached base for the go-ahead run and later homered, and suddenly the Yankees had themselves an 8-3 win.

That's six wins in seven games, folks.

There are still things to clean up, but right now? I'm enjoying this. The Yankees are playing with some life, the kids are contributing, Jazz is bringing the juice and Ben Rice just keeps looking better.

Keep winning. Keep pushing. This is getting fun.

GRISHAM, RODÓN & LOMBARD GIVE ME SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

Well, look at that.

The Yankees won a baseball game Tuesday night, 3–1 over the Orioles, and for once I don't feel the need to immediately locate the nearest wall and bang my head against it.

I'm calling that progress.

And while this wasn't exactly Murderers' Row reincarnated—the Yankees managed only five hits—there were actually several things to like about this one. So yes, I'm going to enjoy it. I don't get to do this nearly enough.

Let's start with Trent Grisham, because apparently he decided the rest of the offense could take the night off. Grisham drove in all three Yankee runs, blasting his 17th homer in the third inning and then delivering the biggest hit of the night, a two-run single in the seventh that broke a 1–1 tie. Even better, that single came after Grisham fell behind 0–2 against left-hander Josh Walker.

That's called a professional at-bat. Remember those?

Then there was Carlos Rodón, back from the injured list and looking pretty damn good considering he hadn't pitched in the majors since June 28. Rodón went four innings, allowed one run on 2 hits and gave the Yankees exactly what they needed in his first game back. The lone damage was a Coby Mayo solo homer.

Was it vintage Cy Young stuff? No. Did I need it to be? Absolutely not. Get Rodón healthy. Get him comfortable. Get him stretched out. If the Yankees are going anywhere meaningful over the next two months, they're going to need this guy.

And then there's George Lombard Jr.

I don't want to get carried away with a young player after a couple of weeks, because we've seen how dangerous that can be around this organization. But the kid keeps giving us reasons to watch.

Lombard went 2-for-4 with a run scored, but the play everyone will remember came with the glove. He ranged deep to his right, planted himself however the hell he could and fired across the diamond to rob Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Rodón's reaction on the YES broadcast pretty much said it all.

Grunt Baseball here. These Yankee pitchers are WOW'd with what it's like to have an ACTUAL shortstop behind them.  That should tell the Yankees front office everything they need to know.

The interesting part is that Lombard isn't just surviving at shortstop. He's looking comfortable there. Since his August 4 call-up, he's provided athleticism, defense and some life to a lineup desperately needing it.

That's refreshing.

And finally, give the bullpen some credit.

After Rodón departed, Yankee relievers covered five scoreless innings. Yerry De Los Santos earned the win, Fernando Cruz helped escape trouble in the seventh, and David Bednar closed it out for save No. 28. Baltimore finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

That's how you win when the offense isn't exactly setting off fireworks.

Pitch. Play defense. Get the big hit. Go home. It doesn't have to be complicated.

The Yankees are now 70–55, they've won two straight, and Tampa Bay lost Tuesday, pulling New York to five games back in the AL East.

Am I planning the parade? Relax. This team still has problems. Five hits isn't exactly something you frame and hang over the fireplace. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are still out, and there are plenty of questions surrounding this roster.

But Tuesday night wasn't about complaining. It was about Grisham coming through when they needed him. Rodón returning and looking healthy. Lombard continuing to show us something. And a bullpen protecting a lead instead of lighting it on fire.

That's a good Yankee win. I'll take it. Hell, I'll even smile about it. Just don't make me regret saying that Wednesday night.

COLE DESERVES BETTER... AGAIN

The Yankees lost 3-1 to Toronto Friday night, and once again, the story wasn't complicated: they couldn't score.

Gerrit Cole gave them six strong innings, allowing two runs — only one earned — and kept the game exactly where an ace is supposed to keep it. The Yankees rewarded him with one lousy run, a Trent Grisham solo homer.

That's becoming a serious problem. We have  talked about it all last week. The Yankees have scored just one run over their last 18 innings and two runs or fewer in nine of their last 14 games. This isn't April. It's August. You don't stroll into October hoping the offense eventually wakes up.

Meanwhile, Aaron Boone found another battle to fight — with an umpire. No one cares Aaron, you're a fool.

Boone was ejected after arguing a low strike called on Luis García Jr. Was it low? It certainly looked that way. But here's my question: maybe Boone should worry a little less about winning arguments with umpires and a little more about winning baseball games.

Getting tossed isn't managing. Screaming at Vic Carapazza doesn't drive runners home. Somebody needs to explain why this lineup continually disappears.

The sixth inning was a mess, including the scary collision between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Lombard Jr. near third base that resulted in Guerrero being evaluated for a possible concussion. Nuts.

But none of that changes the biggest problem. The Yankees scored one run. Again. Cole deserved better. The pitching staff deserves better. Us fans certainly deserve better.

October is coming.

You can't win if you don't hit. And apparently, no amount of Boone yelling at umpires is going to change that.

 

ANOTHER YANKEE RALLY & MORE LOMBARD MAGIC!

The Yankees won again Tuesday night, beating the Mariners 4-1 for their third straight comeback victory.

That's the good news.

The other news? Can we please stop making “comeback” part of the nightly game plan?

Ryan Weathers deserved better than another night of waiting around for the offense to show up. He carried a one-hit shutout into the sixth and stretched his scoreless streak to 23 innings before Randy Arozarena finally got him with a solo homer. Weathers went 5.2 terrific innings, and the Yankee bullpen was spotless again.

And yet, there were the Yankees, trailing 1-0. Again. Thankfully, the bats eventually received the memo. In the seventh, Ryan McMahon delivered a two-run single and Trent Grisham followed with another two-run knock. Just like that, 1-0 became 4-1, and the Yankees had another win.

I love the fight. I love three straight comeback victories. But eventually, how about throwing the first punch? You can't keep spending six innings wandering around offensively and expect to flip a switch every night. Score early. Give your pitchers a lead. Maybe even make a game comfortable once in a while.

Crazy concept, I know.

But the moment I can't stop thinking about wasn't a hit.

It was George Lombard Jr.

In the first inning, a ground ball up the middle ricocheted off the second-base bag and changed direction. Lombard adjusted instantly, grabbed it with his bare hand and fired to first for the out.

Beautiful.

And here's what made it so impressive: it wasn't showboating. It was instinct. Lombard didn't barehand the ball because he wanted a highlight. He did it because his baseball brain immediately told him that's how the play had to be made.

You can't teach that. You can practice footwork, throwing mechanics and positioning. You can take 10,000 ground balls. But that internal clock — seeing something unexpected happen and reacting correctly without hesitation — is something special.

Lombard has it.

And I'm going to ask the question because every Yankee fan watching that play had to think about it:

After all the errors, misplays and routine grounders that somehow turned into adventures, do you think in a million years Anthony Volpe makes that play?

Come on. We've spent years being told how “elite” Volpe is defensively. Now we're watching Lombard play shortstop, and seemingly every game there's another defensive highlight. Great range. Smooth hands. Difficult throws made naturally. And now he's barehanding a ball that ricocheted off second base like somebody forgot to tell him the play was supposed to be difficult.

We're getting spoiled. Actually, maybe we're not. Maybe this is simply how a Yankee shortstop is supposed to operate. What was Yankee management doing force feeding Volpe on us? What a waste of time!

There's a difference between being told someone is an elite defender and watching someone whose instincts practically jump through the television. Lombard doesn't look frantic. He doesn't fight the position. He just plays it.

That's what makes this kid so impressive. The Yankees won 4-1. Weathers was terrific. McMahon and Grisham delivered. The bullpen did its job.

Three straight comeback wins. I'll happily take them. But tonight, maybe score before the seventh inning. And please, keep hitting the ball toward George Lombard Jr.

I want to see what the kid does next.

LOMBARD JR. HAS CHANGED THE FEEL OF THE YANKEES IN JUST 2 GAMES

The Yankees lost 3-1 to the Cardinals. They stranded 11 runners. They went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The stadium lights quit on them twice. It was one of those nights where everything that could short-circuit did.

Everything except the shortstop.

And that's exactly why this loss felt different. George Lombard Jr. has been the Yankees' starting shortstop for exactly two games, and somehow the entire organization already feels lighter. Maybe it's because we're finally watching baseball instead of a science experiment that everyone knew had failed except the people running the lab.

For years, Yankees fans were told to ignore what they were seeing. Anthony Volpe just needed more time. Then more time after that. Then some patience. Then another season. Somewhere along the way, "development" became code for "please stop asking questions."

Finally, it was enough.

Lombard showed up, homered in his Major League debut, followed it up with another hit, stole one away on defense, and suddenly the most important position on the field looks... normal.

You know, the way it's supposed to.

Will Warren probably summed it up better than anyone. "I made a joke with him earlier: 'He's everywhere.' It's nice to have that behind you."

Read between those lines. Pitchers don't hand out compliments like Halloween candy. They know when the guy behind them can erase mistakes instead of creating new ones. The comfort level is obvious. The confidence is obvious. The energy is obvious. It's almost as if having a legitimate shortstop playing shortstop is good for baseball. Revolutionary concept, I know.

Meanwhile, back in Scranton, Anthony Volpe is getting regular at-bats while rotating between shortstop and second base. Good. That's exactly where he needs to be.

The problem is the Yankees still can't seem to let go of the fantasy that Volpe is somehow their long-term answer at shortstop. That ship didn't just sail—it filed a change-of-address form. Just watch Lombard for a few innings.

The first step. The range. The instincts. The athleticism.

It's simply reality. Some guys have "it." Others spend three years convincing an organization they might eventually find it. George Lombard Jr. already has it. Personally? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Volpe's best chance to carve out a Major League career is probably at second base... with another organization.

Because this isn't really about Anthony Volpe anymore. It's about what happens when the Yankees stop forcing a narrative and let talent speak for itself. Even the clubhouse feels different. We actually have a chance to win it all.

Trent Grisham talked about believing the offense will eventually come around, and maybe it will. But confidence is contagious, and so is competence.

For the first time in a long time, the Yankees look like they're playing with both. Fans aren't holding their breath every time a routine ground ball is hit to short. Pitchers aren't wondering if they need four outs in an inning. And perhaps best of all, nobody has to spend the postgame explaining why what everyone just watched wasn't actually what they watched.

That's progress. George Lombard Jr. has been in the Bronx for two days.

Two.

And somehow the Yankees already feel like a team trying to win baseball games instead of trying to win an argument. That's the biggest difference of all. Brian Cashman may still be clinging to the Volpe dream like it's the last life raft on the Titanic.

The rest of us have already climbed aboard the Lombard ship. And judging by the reaction inside that clubhouse, the Yankees and the Yankees social media has too.

Wow. 

Volpe who?

BYRON BUXTON ON THE YANKEES RADAR...

Allegedly!

The Yankees' outfield problem went from concerning to critical in a matter of days.

Cody Bellinger's strained left hamstring couldn't have come at a worse time. Already without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees are now missing another key piece of an offense that's been hanging on by sheer determination. They've managed to keep winning, but anyone watching this team knows the margin for error is getting smaller by the day.

That's why Brian Cashman can't afford to sit back as the trade deadline approaches.

The Yankees have been connected to several outfielders in recent weeks, but one name continues to stand above the rest: Byron Buxton.

ESPN's Buster Olney and other baseball insiders have identified the Minnesota Twins' All-Star center fielder as an ideal fit for a Yankees club desperately searching for another impact bat. It's easy to understand why.

Buxton is putting together one of the finest seasons of his career, hitting .271 with 25 home runs, 45 RBIs and an OPS north of .850. His production earned him a starting spot in the American League All-Star Game, but his value extends well beyond the numbers.

He brings athleticism, speed and elite defense to center field—qualities the Yankees desperately need. While Trent Grisham has done an admirable and Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones are still adjusting, Buxton would immediately elevate the position on both sides of the ball. He changes games with his glove, creates havoc on the bases and adds another dangerous right-handed bat capable of lengthening a lineup that has become far too dependent on role players.

That dependence has become impossible to ignore. The Yankees know it. Their front office knows it. And the rest of us fans know it too.

The biggest obstacle isn't determining whether Buxton would fit in New York. It's convincing Minnesota to move him. My opinion of course. I like this alot.

Buxton holds a full no-trade clause, giving him complete control over his future, and Twins officials have publicly stated they have no plans to part with one of their franchise cornerstones. If the Yankees want to make something happen, it would almost certainly require a significant package of prospects and Buxton's willingness to waive his protection.

That's a difficult conversation.  But championship-caliber players rarely become available without difficult conversations. Can we ship out Volpe?

With the August 3 trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Yankees have reached a difficult spot. They can hope their stars return quickly and their current roster continues to outperform expectations, or they can aggressively pursue an impact player capable of changing the trajectory of their season.

History has shown that standing still at the deadline rarely wins championships. Just look at the Yankees.

If the Yankees truly believe this roster is built to make a deep October run, this is the moment to act boldly. Whether Byron Buxton ultimately becomes available remains uncertain, but one thing isn't.

The Yankees don't just need another outfielder. They need another bat and athlete. They need someone who can change the conversation.

BLOW ONE LAST KISS GOODBYE WITH YOUR BLOW POP, JAZZ!

I'm just over it! I mean all of it. Jazz Chisholm is a trainwreck. He's a circus side show that's nothing but a distraction and a disappointment. Then there is that pathetic excuse of a manager in Aaron Boone. This team is nothing but a laughing stock. 

It's bad enough we just dropped a series to the Cincinnati Reds, now we have another embarrassing follow up with Jazz playing second base with a blow pop in his mouth on Monday, and then flaunting it in the dugout again on Tuesday, read more HERE. Oh wait, that's after there was confusion of whether it was a blow pop or a piece of gum because there was a can of Dubble Bubble. Is this really what the New York Yankees have become?

I guess so. Jazz doesn't care. I mean we are talking about the guy who doesn't understand basic rules in baseball. He did botch a play in April with one out and the bases loaded in a tie game that cost himself a chance at a tag-and-throw double play. Then he admitted he didn't know the basic rule and Trent Grisham had to jump in and try to save him in front of the media, read WHEN JAZZ'S BLUNDER ISN'T ENOUGH - BOONE MAKES IT WORSE! I thought that was bad enough, especially when he thinks he is worth $35 million a year for his next contract!

So should I really be surprised that the clown had a blow pop in his mouth as his team is LOSING a game? No. I'm not surprised....but I am PISSED! Who the hell does this? Someone who doesn't give a sh*t that's who. Meanwhile, Baboonie claims he is pissed but who really buys that? He's soft and doesn't hold his players accountable. He's more like an emotional support puppy than he is a manager of a storied franchise trying to get back to winning a championship.

But really, how can Boone be pissed after he admits he didn't even see Jazz with the lollipop in his mouth on Monday? I think Baboonie is a braindead bonehead and I'm sure he's oblivious to many things in his small world....but how do you miss THAT? He claims he did. Only a completely absentee manager misses that and then admits he didn't even see it. He's a bigger dumbass than I thought he was and that's saying A LOT.

Where is the leadership on this team? The manager is clueless and doesn't hold his players accountable. All he can do is coddle them and be their friend. What I wouldn't give for Billy Martin to whip these guys into shape right now. The manager is useless, Captain Aaron Judge is sidelined, and mediocrity rules the world as long as Hal Steinbrenner's pockets remain full of cash. This just isn't how a team should be run!

Jazz is a disgrace to this team. This isn't going to be his last blunder either, there will be others if the Yankees stupidly decide to keep him around the rest of the season. This guy is a detriment to the team and the franchise and the sooner he's gone the sooner I can't stop writing these stupid stories about both of these clowns!

I'm over all of it. It's time for Jazz to go away and it's time for the Yankees to grow a brain and get rid of their dumbass manager too! Take your Blow Pops with you, Jazz!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE INTERNET'S BUZZIN' WITH TRADE RUMORS TO REPLACE INJURED JUDGE

I don't even want to think about this, but after being asked about this constantly at work and now seeing rumors on the internet with every click I make....it feels impossible to avoid. Aaron Judge is sidelined and it's going to be a while. Now the Yankees moved back in first place over the weekend and everyone is asking how the Yankees are gonna keep it, without Judge playing.

If I am being honest, I am asking the same thing too. There are two very different versions of this team. There's the version with Judge playing that averages more runs score per game and then there is the version with no Judge and about two runs less scored per game. Not pretty splits to consider in a very right race with the Rays for the AL East.

And now we have to worry about exactly how long Judge is going to be out. The Yankees expect him to be back this season, but we do not know when. There's still a lot of baseball left so that's a lot of time that he could still be out. So now, the internet is abuzz with who the Yankees could trade for to fill-in for him until he does return.

That Judge fill in could be Seiya Suzuki, read more HERE. The Cubs are in a tough spot, they have been dropping games and the possibility of the Cubs becoming sellers at the deadline is becoming stronger. The Cubs have not played well since May 7th and unless they turn a corner, there is no reason for the Cubs to become a buyer by the deadline when they are 7.5 games back in their division.

And that makes the Cubs likely to trade away some of their impending free agents and that could easily mean Suzuki. He's a free agent at the end of the season and even though he had a rough stretch in May he's rebounded nicely in June with a .383 average, five home runs, and seven RBI's.

Suzuki is currently considered day-to-day after jamming his right knee after diving for a ball on Saturday. Initial reports are fine, the Cubs don't seem concerned but....time will tell. It's an option, and one the Yankees could consider with the injury bug still biting with Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham. Confidence isn't as high as it should be with Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones so the Yankees will sniff around. But the question is where and around who?

The Yankees may need a rental. I don't like to think about it because we NEED Judge, but it might be a harsh reality.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

STANTON OUT SINCE APRIL, YET HAS A BETTER BATTING AVERAGE THAN VOLPE

The Yankees keep piling up wins, but the bigger question is whether they can keep this train rolling while so much of their firepower remains stuck on the injured list.

The latest concern centers around Giancarlo Stanton, whose road back to the lineup just hit another pothole. After spending months recovering from a right calf strain, Stanton reportedly felt a slight tweak while running the bases at Yankee Stadium. That's never the kind of update a team wants to hear from a player with a lengthy injury history, and it could force the Yankees to revisit his recovery timetable and order additional testing.

According to reports, Stanton was taking part in on-field hitting drills and running exercises when he felt discomfort on his final sprint. The setback immediately slowed what had finally looked like positive momentum in his rehab process.

The timing couldn't be much worse. The Yankees are already trying to survive without Aaron Judge, who is sidelined with a rib stress fracture, while Trent Grisham remains out with a hamstring strain. That's a lot of missing production for a lineup that has somehow managed to keep winning games.

Before landing on the injured list, Stanton was quietly putting together a respectable start to his season, hitting .256 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 24 games. He's been on the IL since April 28th. In 64 games... Volpe is batting .194. 

For now, the Yankees continue finding ways to win. The concern is obvious, though. Winning without your stars for a week or two is one thing. Doing it for months is an entirely different challenge. At some point, the lineup will need some of those big bats back if the Yankees expect to remain a serious threat when the games matter most.

RAMBLINGS OF AN 82 YEAR OLD YANKEE FAN: WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Interacting with our Bleeding Yankee Blue readers is something I love, especially if everyone is respectful in the conversation.  I want to introduce you to Len Ferrara who reached out to me and had a few things to say.  So, I asked that an article be written. Here you go, folks, enjoy. And thank you Len.

-Casey

Every once in a while, on Facebook, an ad pops up for people to show that they are the oldest Yankee fan. I have put my name in, but I am obviously not the oldest because every Wednesday I have breakfast with a bunch of guys, three of whom are Yankee fans and are older than I am. Thus, age is just a number.

Since I’m rambling, I thought I would share some Yankee Stadium experiences.

My first trip to Yankee Stadium happened when I was seven or eight. I can’t really remember how old I was. You have to understand that was 75 years ago. It was a bus trip from Saint Anne’s Church in Newark, New Jersey. Basically, most of my family went.

Since I was an insignificant seven-year-old, I got to sit directly behind one of the vertical girders in the original Yankee Stadium. I can't recall how little of the game I saw, looking back and forth on either side of the girder. Since the year would have been 1950 or 1951, let me list some of the people who would’ve been playing in that game: Berra, Mize, Coleman, Rizzuto, Brown, Woodling, DiMaggio, and Bauer.

Now let me jump forward to when I was in the eighth grade. I was a school crossing guard. The reward for eighth graders who got the crossing guard assignments was a trip to Yankee Stadium. We sat in the bleachers. It was a sunny day. We roasted.

I remember telling the chaperone, my history teacher, that we had “found our place in the sun” (you have to dig back into your history book to understand that reference). The highlight of the day was my favorite player, Andy Carey, who played third base. He hit a home run right in the direction where we were sitting, but it didn’t quite reach us, proving you can’t have everything in life.

Some 25 years later, in the “new” Yankee Stadium, I was able to grab a foul ball that came into the upper deck at the weirdest angle I could ever imagine. I never thought you would get a foul ball sitting in that section, but I did.

That brings us to the latest and current iteration of Yankee Stadium. The best thing about it, I find, is the steak sandwich.

Was I there for Mariano’s last game? Yes, I was.

Am I crying now as I write about it? Yes, I am.

We, as Yankee fans, are so spoiled by players of that caliber, and I guess it’s just that we demand excellence, which is so hard to come by at this point in time.

As far as the current team is concerned, I don’t think it’s difficult to point to the holes. I don’t think you can win a championship when you have three guys batting below .200, or close to it. I also don’t think a hitting coach can take a .210 hitter and make him into a .250 hitter, but I have been known to be wrong a few times in my life.

Does the bullpen need help? Absolutely.

What I don’t understand is why we seem to have excellent prospects in the minors who stay in the minors while we get to watch relievers give up runs every time they come in.

The Yankees are worth $7 billion, or something like that, and Hal Steinbrenner thinks salaries are out of control. He's in favor of a salary cap that may cause him to cut $70 million in payroll. How is that going to happen?

Did the fans vote to give Trent Grisham $20.2 million for the year?

Will he be on the team next year?

Why do the owners vote in favor of selling teams to guys or groups that have absurd amounts of money and then complain when those same people give out absurd contracts?

Why did the league allow the bankruptcy sale of the Dodgers, and now they have a ridiculous financial advantage? Excuse me, you didn't see that coming?

When Stanton is healthy, will Boone put Rice in at catcher so the lineup would include Goldy, Rice, and Giancarlo? Or are they worried that his legs are not in shape to catch? Has Boone noticed the increase in Rice's size over the last two years?

Will Volpe playing second help with his hitting or mental gaffes? Or do we have to settle for a shortstop with less range?

You know Hal does not want to pay Jazz.

What is it about Yankees prospects that causes them to flame out in New York and then succeed elsewhere?

I still have my 1959 and 1960 Yankees yearbooks. I have a scrapbook with a newspaper clipping from April 18, 1948. That should tell you who I am.

Do you think I bleed Yankee blue?

I love the Yankees, but sometimes they just tick me off.

I am an observational scientist by occupation, although you can tell by my age that I am retired.

These are a few of my observations and concerns.

--Len Ferrara