RUMOR: YANKEES HAVE CHECKED IN ON YET ANOTHER CATCHER

The Yankees just made a trade with the Twins that brought Ben Rortvedt to the Bronx and kicked Gary Sanchez to the curb. Rortvedt was the bet defensive catcher in the Twins system and after Sanchez that's a huge plus. So....why are the Yankees still interested in other catchers?

It's a fair question. I'm not surprised by it but Twitter has been buzzing about it. Even if you overlook that Rortvedt has an oblique injury that Aaron Boone confirms will not be healed by opening day there are other reasons why the Yankees are making calls.

I love that Rortvedt is strong defensively, the Yankees need more of that behind the plate and I hope he develops more and turns into the strong catcher the Yankees believe he will be. He's got a lot of promise, but Rortvedt and Kyle Higashioka are the only catchers on the 40 man roster. After that the Yankees have Rob Brantly and he's not a viable option. The Yankees need depth.

It's also hard to overlook that Rortvedt is only 23 years old, has played in 39 games and has a .169BA. A tandem of Higashioka and Rortvedt is not a safe bet for an entire season. The Yankees need more depth and proven, reliable catcher. The Yankees aren't willing to trade good defense for lackluster offense and they shouldn't. We already know how challenged our offense is, so the Yankees need a catcher who can give some offense.

So that's why the Yankees have checked on Willson Contreras availability with the Cubs, read more HERE. If I were the Cubs, I would wait for an overwhelming offer because when it comes to Contreras, they are in the drivers seat. The Cubs may be in rebuild mode, but their catcher is probably the best piece they have left and he's a pretty damn good catcher. He's a free agent at the end of 2022 and he has been rumored to be on the trading block all winter.

I like the idea of Contreras in pinstripes, it definitely makes us stronger but even if he is available, I don't think the Cubs move him right away. If I were the Cubs I would sit back and wait until summer. If they are far out of the postseason picture then it makes sense to sell to the highest bidder. 

I don't think Contreras will be as affordable as some people think. Yes, he's about to be a free agent BUT he's also a good high in demand catcher and there just isn't a lot of supply out there. I wonder what the Yankees would be willing to give up to get him....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE RIDICULOUS YANKEE CATCHER SAGA CONTINUES

Source: The Athletic

I am just sick of it. Sick of Gary Sanchez. Sick of mediocre. Sick of the Yankees investing in a catcher that simply will not get better; at least not here in the Bronx. So as the saga of Yankee catching continues the Yankees made another bonehead move, that makes me think that they are just okay with keeping things the way they are—having an exposed weakness, Achilles Heel, behind the dish.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees signed 32-year-old veteran catcher Rob Brantly to a minor league deal. Brantly will likely start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre come this spring. He offers a lefty bat which could provide some diversity to a prominently righty lineup. 

Source: MLB.com

"Brantly has played in nine different organizations in the minors. He’s also played in parts of seven seasons in the majors, hitting .224 over 134 games. He played six games in the bigs with the Yankees last year," reported NJ.com. 

Are the Yankees serious? I realize there are not a lot of catchers in this year's free agency class or up for grabs if you will but I have written about a potential Yankees-Cubs trade, enabling Wilson Contreras to come to the Bronx in 2022. But on Tuesday, the Cubs tendered Contreras, which could keep him from the Yankees. Too little too late seems to be the mantra for the Yankees this off season. 

Source: Miami-Herald

According to The Athletic on Friday, "They don’t have another starting option right now, they likely feel there is value for him on the market (he seems like a great change-of-scenery candidate), and there’s a lot of uncertainty about player movement post-lockout in general."

That is a good explanation but not one I was hoping for. But what value does Brantly bring to act as a transition for the Yankees as more catching becomes available? 

"While Brantly swings a light bat, the Yankees like that he’s a solid pitch framer and overall defender. He’s also considered good in the clubhouse. He hit .289 with nine homers and 43 RBI in 68 games at Triple-A last year for the Yankees. The Yankees carried Brantly on the taxi squad for their AL Wild-Card loss to the Red Sox," reported NJ.com.

The Yankee saga behind the plate continues. One glimmer of hope is that they are at least prioritizing defense in considering Brantly. I guess I just wish they would go after someone great instead of good, if I could call Brantly that. Everyone deserves a chance I suppose, but Sanchez has had more live than a cat. Time to phase him out and maybe the Brantly move accelerates that journey.

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

STEINBRENNER DECLARES WE NEED TO GET BETTER, PERIOD.

Source: CBS Sports

With the lockout in full throttle, the Yankees will be in the spotlight once the new agreement goes into place, whenever that will be. The New Post calls this the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2 where the Yankees have no choice but to be active instead of their dulling silence amidst some of the biggest signings in the history of the game. We need to get better, period. Yes, thanks Hal. How we are gunna do that?

"The Yankees haven’t answered their questions at shortstop or center field, and they could use another starting pitcher (they offered one year and $25 million to Justin Verlander, who accepted two years and $50 million from the Astros) plus some more bullpen depth," reported the New York Post. And on the Yankees radar are guys like Trevor Story and yes Carlos Correa. But their failure to pull the trigger in Act 1 really makes me feel uncertain about this team and the vision for the future. 

As SB Nation reminds us, "Roughly $1.7 billion was spent in the free agent frenzy that preceded the expiration of the previous CBA, but the Yankees were conspicuously absent from the headlines. Despite clear needs at multiple spots on the roster, New York’s only piece of business before the transactional freeze took effect was the re-signing of reliever Joely Rodríguez to a one-year, $2 million deal."

I think the biggest blow for me was the Yankees tendering Gary Sanchez last week. I guess I am not surprised but I am just sick and tired of Sanchez and his inability to quite frankly, get better. I know that the Yankees are considering division rival Kevin Kiermaier but what about his teammate and catcher Mike Zunino? He is up for free agency in 2022-2023 and unfortunately for the Yankees, the Rays locked Zunino for a one-year 7-million dollar option. By the way, the Yankees are paying Sanchez 7.9 million. Frustrating. Last week, I mentioned the idea of the Yankees going after Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras, which is still a possibility.  

So the Yankees have not moved on a center fielder, shortstop or starting pitching and the Winter Meetings are now a minor league event with the lockout in progress. How are the Yankees going to get better? How are they going to make up for lost time? These are the questions that keep me up at night. Good thing I have my new Purple sheets and comfy LL Bean pajamas to help my slumber, because the Yankees are down right aggravating even when they are not playing. 

 

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

COULD WILSON CONTRERAS DISPLACE GARY SANCHEZ?

One of the last remaining players of the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs is catcher Willson Contreras. Word on the street is that Brian Cashman is interested in bringing the 29-year-old catcher to the Bronx. Would that move displace Gary Sanchez or provide a platooning opportunity of catchers that would include the Yankees carrying three catchers during the 2022 season? 

According to SI.com, "Contreras, 29, isn't perfect for the Yankees—he's another right-handed bat that strikes out quite a bit—but he hits for power, plays solid defense behind the dish and has produced better numbers recently than Sánchez."

Defense would be nice to have behind the plate for a change of pace. Sanchez just isn't athletic and has given up his share of ball games because of his poor defense and appearingly lackadaisical performance behind the plate. Plus perhaps Contreras could ignite this team and provide assurance to Yankee pitchers who tend to prefer backup catcher Kyle Higashioka to Sanchez.

The Yankees will have to be prepared to give up some prospects for the veteran Cub catcher. "Weeks ago, The Athletic's Jim Bowden created a trade proposal for New York to acquire Contreras, sending pitching prospects Deivi García and Yoendrys Gómez along with Sánchez to Chicago," reported SI.com. I don't think they will add Sanchez to a trade like that but instead keep him to DH and fill-in for Contreras if the Cub catcher can make things happen early.

Source: NY Post

Could this be the last stand for Sanchez? I really hope so. He has had more chances than anyone in the league and has not proven himself. He doesn't hustle, he makes the team vulnerable and he can't hit consistently. Time for the Yankees to make room for someone else and that someone else could be Contreras. 

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