THE FACE OF THE YANKEES ANALYTICS FLOP HAS NO ANSWERS

Maybe that's because he doesn't know much about anything.  Am I right?

Meet Michael Fishman.  He's the guy we can blame for the "wrong numbers" that Aaron Judge referred to when the season ended and what Zack Britton said was where there was a rift in the clubhouse.  So, this is the guy who got it wrong, even though the New York Post calls him the Yankees' stat guru, I'm hoping that nickname is sarcastic, because he sucks.

The Post writes:

"...Fishman said the Yankees have continued to try to adjust their analytical processes over the years, even though the recent results have not been up to snuff... “When we develop a model and we’re having success and relying on it, we don’t just say, ‘All right this is great, let’s keep using it,’ ” Fishman said Monday at the winter meetings. “We continue to test that model and see if there are adjustments that need to be made to it. Even some models we’ve had success with, there have been tweaks over the years to make that a little better.”

Asked if that model now needed tweaks or overhauls, coming off the Yankees’ 82-80 season and a number of recent transactions that have not worked out, Fishman hedged.

“I think there are some cases where tweaks are needed and some cases where overhauls are needed,” he said, though he declined to provide specifics on what might need an overhaul."

Being cagey is no way to lead, but that's what he does, Cashman does, Boone does.  It's all the same business model. "Don't reveal anything to the fan base... in fact, just keep doing what we're doing and if we land a big free agent or big bopper like Juan Soto, the fans will forget."

But fans won't forget. Last season sucked.  Players are now calling out the Yankees analytics system.  Cashman is super defensive.  Clearly there is a problem in their front office.  And the biggest disappointment right now has to be Hal Steinbrenner who has really said NOTHING... and he drives the ship.  

I leave you with this... Fishman said this about the whole audit mess and it's very telling:

"Fishman clarified Monday that the Yankees won’t be opening their books for Zelus to audit, but that the Yankees will examine the company’s statistical models and compare them to their own.

“It’s an outside perspective, unbiased opinions, unbiased approach that may approach things in a different way than we did,” Fishman said. “A chance to get a different look. "

Zelus is the outside firm that was set to do the audit on the Yankees Analytics mess... the same mess that Hal said they would fix.  But the Yankees aren't offering them to help make the changes... instead, they are asking for their opinion without showing them the books... without showing them the full scope of the problem.  And so I ask you... WHAT THE HELL ARE THE YANKEES ACTUALLY DOING?

Yankee fans? Get ready for another crap season of non-confidence, ill advised, unsure and unreliable fixes to the 2024 season.  It's an FU sandwich to us fans.  It's pretty unbelievable.

SO ANALYTICS WERE THE PROBLEM, HUH MR. CASHMAN?

Why does Brian Cashman try to gaslight us?  I'm so glad Zack Britton came out to reveal that there were actually issues with the analytics in the Yankee clubhouse and front office.  Very telling, isn't it?  Cashman will continue to act like it's no problem, but clearly there was one.  The athletes know.

Terrific nugget and it came from Britton's mouth.  I love this so much.  Inside the Pinstripes writes:

"Britton revealed that there was a "rift" in the team's clubhouse over the organization's over reliance on analytics.

"So I don't really know what discussions are going on. I just know that, as a player there, a lot of times in the clubhouse it felt like there was this disconnect between some of the things we were presented with, and what we were seeing on the field as players... Sometimes that creates a rift, which is not what you want. You want from a clubhouse culture standpoint everything to mesh well together — whether that be the communication from the front office, to the play on the field, and I felt that sometimes the two just weren't connecting well.

"What the players were saying, like, 'Hey, we should be doing this,' and 'This has been working well,' and then sometimes the way that was implemented through the data didn't line up, and I don't think I'm the only player who feels that way."

By the way, the quote came when Britton did an interview with the New York Post.

But damn... How amazing is that? And if you remember after the season ended, it was Aaron Judge who came out and said that maybe they were getting the wrong numbers.  That's a direct link to think observation by Britton and of course, all of that goes against what Brian Cashman was trying to do a few months ago being defensive and trying to deflect that there was a problem. Bottom line, there was a problem and it was reflective in the Yankees season. Sad.

I love this nugget.  Cashman should be ashamed of himself.  More so, what changes have the Yankees implemented since Hal came out and said they were gonna do a "deep dive"? I've seen none.  Have you seen any?

Cross your fingers folks, we need big time signings and big-time changes... and right now this off season feels like more of the same.  Sad.

Also read: YANKEE PLAYERS MOST LIKELY GIVEN "WRONG NUMBERS" FROM ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT

METS ARE SNIFFING AROUND A STILL RELIABLE FORMER YANKEE PITCHER

The Mets are still "Just the Mets".  They still don't impress me; they still have the same vibe that they always do, and they still have fans that run around talking about how they have the "Nice" George Steinbrenner in Steve Cohen.  And me? I find it all pretty ridiculous.

The biggest hit they took recently was Edwin Diaz getting hurt in the WBC. It was a freak accident and you gotta feel bad for Diaz.  But now with Diaz out, the Mets are searching for a way to fix their problem on the field, knowing good and well that they need that closer until Edwin Diaz is able to return.  And it just so happens that Zack Britton may be that guy.

Britton's time in the Bronx was decent, but as we all know he made a brief return in late September after doctor's determined that his ulnar collateral ligament had suffered damage and then he had Tommy John.

That September performance was awful and ended up leaving injured again.  But now he's back, meaning, he's looking for a home. In March, Britton was in California and played a simulated game and the Mets were in attendance.

And the Mets are interested. Clutchpoints writes:

"The Mets have shown continued interest in Zack Britton.... Despite the interest, there is still a gap in talks between both parties. New York is a bit hesitant to give Britton a major commitment with his sinker still sitting at 91-92 MPH.

Still, New York has Britton on their radar. With Diaz out, the Mets know they need to make improvements in the back end. Britton may not be the pitcher he was in his prime. But he’s a veteran presence who would give the Mets’ bullpen a much needed boost, assuming he is fully healthy. "

Whatever happens, know this; Britton is a guy I root for. Hard worker, good work ethic and the ability to really make things happen on the field. No, he's not a superstar pitcher any longer, but for the Mets needs, it could be the perfect fit.

YANKEES LOSE RELIEVERS AHEAD OF WHAT WILL LIKELY BE A TOUGH POST SEASON

Source: NY Post

Starting pitching just got even more important for the Yankees who will finish up their final home game against the Orioles this afternoon and head out to Arlington for the last regular season series with the Rangers. The Yankees need three reliable starters to get them through six innings before handing things off to an equally consistent bullpen. We saw Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes and even Jameson Taillon pitch some great baseball over the last couple weeks, making them seemingly a critical part of the rotation anchored by Gerrit Cole. Having all four of those pitchers in que will help the Bombers significantly as they will likely not see Clay Holmes or Zack Britton on the hill anytime soon. It is going to be a tough postseason and pitching will be key to the Yankees' success.

Source: CBS Sports

"Boone announced Friday that All-Star closer Clay Holmes is dealing with a shoulder issue and is unlikely to pitch the rest of the regular season. He received a cortisone shot but will not go on the injured list, because it would make him ineligible for the ALDS," reported CBS Sports. Furthermore, the Yankees likely saw the last of Britton who "exited Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, his former team, with left arm fatigue, the Yankees announced. He was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday, ending his season." 

Besides Britton and Holmes there are question marks around whether or not Aroldis Chapman or Wandy Peralta will be part of the roster for the start of the postseason. With all of these guys out or questionable, the Yankees are missing one key ingredient in the bullpen- a consistent reliable closer. 

Now, I am not undermining what Ron Marinaccio, and Lou Trivino have been to this team over the last couple of weeks. They have been stellar—throwing hard strikes and getting key outs for the Yankees. Some are calling Trivino the Yankees' postseason right handed specialist, whatever that means. Bottom line, late in the game, Trivino and rookie Marinaccio have given the Yankees the much needed consistency, showing that likely the bullpen closing role will rotate among them and likely Clarke Schmidt.

Following the Yankees Friday's 2-1 loss to the Orioles, the Houston Astros have clinched the American League No. 1 seed, locking in the Yankees as the No. 2 seed. And after their win on Saturday, New York is 97-60 with just five regular season games remaining. It is going to be a tough postseason for the Yankees, and pitching in the stretch will be key. I hope the current staff can stay healthy and remain consistent both in the starting and closing roles. Otherwise, things will go south very fast for this Yankee team. 

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

SHOULD CHAPMAN MAKE THE POSTSEASON ROSTER?

So the Yankees just sent Aroldis Chapman to the Injured List thanks to an infection from a bad tattoo job. The Yankees have a bad infection too, and what a coincidence it is Chapman himself!

Okay, I won't sit here and bash Chapman but his ineffectiveness really has become a bad infection for the Yankees. He is no longer the elite closer that he was once upon a time. The Chapman from 2022 or even 2021 doesn't come close to comparing the the guy we got in 2016. The Chapman experiment has run its course and it just isn't effective anymore. So I can't help but ask....if this was October, would he still be on the roster?

I guess we will have to wait and see how September goes, because Aaron Boone still believes in him and let's face it Boone is irrational. Oh and we can't ignore the fact that Chapman is a lefty and those are valuable. So there you have it.....Chapman's left hand may save him in the end.

Or maybe the Yankee injuries save him. We do have 12 pitchers on the Injured List right now and hopefully we can remove Zack Britton from that list quickly and he comes back effective. That would be a huge victory in itself but a lot can happen in a month.

A lot of us have lost faith in Chapman, so I know I am not alone in this one. I wish Chapman was the same guy from years ago but he's not anymore. I've had some people tell me that they would only be comfortable using Chapman with a comfortable five run lead but that's not when we see the best relievers come into the game. He's the pitching version of Aaron Hicks....he's an expensive bench warmer who is taking up a spot.

I've come to the conclusion that Chapman should not be included on the postseason roster. Oh and there is NO emergency justifying Chapman pitching in any save situation. He shouldn't be the guy we use in a save situation ever again. How many playoff ending home runs does he have to give up before you end up dropping to your knees screaming and crying like a baby? Oh and the fact that he gave up those depressing home runs when he was having better seasons should make you want to run for the hills.

I can't watch Chapman give up anymore home runs in pivotal game day moments. It's time to move on....and I hope that's what happens when the Yankees make their postseason roster. I hope this upcoming month is Chapman's last HOORAH and I can finally watch him walk off into the free agency sunset.

It's time.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

ZACK BRITTON FIGHTS FAKE NEWS

 I love when public figures call bullshit!

As we all know the lock out is still happening. It's one of those stories that we have to report because it's baseball and it's news... but guess what. I hate reporting it at Bleeding Yankee Blue, because it is literally killing our readership. No one wants to hear about the bitching and moaning. They want a resolution. And the people to blame? Rob Manfred...who just sucks... and the owners.

This story came out today... MLB put it out... and quickly, Zack Britton went on the attack. MSN writes:

"An MLB Network report surfaced that the league and the Players Association is “within striking distance” of making a deal and that an agreement on a new CBA could be done by deadline day — Monday, Feb. 28."

Then this happened:

This is not accurate.

— Zack Britton (@zbritton) February 27, 2022

Now if you remember that last time the MLB was questioned... by Ken Rosenthal, Rosenthal was fired by bitch Manfred and his cronies.  

Hopefully there are no fines coming down for Britton.  I love what he did. Way to call them out!

A BIG BLOW FOR THE BULLPEN

The bullpen can't catch a break right now and it sucks.

Yesterday the Yankees added another name to the Injured list, this time it was Jonathan Loaisiga and as soon as I saw it I felt like someone just sucker punched me. You can read the crappy news HERE, but if you don't want to ruin the rest of your holiday weekend then I recommend skipping that link.

Loaisiga will miss at least ten days with a strained rotator cuff and Aaron Boone is "hopeful" that he will be back before the end of the season but we are all a little nervous. Let's just hope that the cortisone shot helps and we get our guy back because we need him....big time.

There's never a good time for an injury but the bullpen was pretty depleted before this. Loaisiga has never been more important to the Yankees than he has this season. We've always believed in him but he's been the Yankees most reliable arm. He's struck out 66 hitters in 68 innings and only allowed three runs with five saves and a 2.25 ERA. He's been the consistent arm we've needed while other guys like Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman have been the exact opposite.

Loaisiga's workload this season is the highest it's ever been in his career, which is always a concern especially at 26-years old. Boone says the Yankees have been careful in how long and how often they use him but we all know things happen even when you are "being careful" and the bullpen has been inconsistent all year.

Losing Loaisiga is a big deal because he's been a high leverage piece for us so hopefully he's back sooner rather than later especially with less than a month remaining in the season it really is a race against time. Missing ten days means best case scenario is he starts throwing again on the 15th and throws a few bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. There's not a lot of room for setbacks or errors.

I'm bummed about this news, and the Wildcard race is tight. It's definitely not the news I wanted to hear on a holiday weekend. So I will be crossing my fingers and hoping for good news in the days to come.

Get healthy ASAP Loaisiga....we need you for the home stretch!

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

ZACK BRITTON OUT FOR THE REST OF 2021 AND POSSIBLY LONGER....

We are starting to learn more about Zack Britton's injury and we knew it wasn't going to be good....but could it be even worse than we thought? Maybe, but we hope not. The future still has some unknowns, but one thing we do know for certain is that this is Britton's third and last trip to the Injured list for the 2021 season.

To say that I am disappointed for him is an understatement. You can read more about it HERE in case you missed it. So Britton will have elbow surgery on September 8th and what doctors will find in there, no one knows but hopefully it's nothing serious. It's hard to hear that Britton will have ANOTHER bone chip removed. The Yankees lost him in March when we underwent surgery to remove the first chip and he was out until June. When he came back he was pretty awful and now he's going to do it all over again. Britton's season is over, and it wasn't a good one. We know he is capable of more, we've seen it. It's why the Yankees brought him back. So now we cross our fingers for 2022.

And now we hold our breath and hope that he doesn't miss significant time to start the 2022 season, but Britton himself didn't rule that out. He did mention that when Dr. ElAttrache does the surgery he will also be looking at his UCL. "Tommy John’s not the only thing they do nowadays with the UCL," Britton cautioned. "There’s other options. I think we’re all hopeful it’s not severe. Basically the biggest issue is the bone chip. That’s been causing the issue, not the UCL."

So hopefully this is just precautionary and this isn't a bigger issue, but even Aaron Boone was concerned. "I’m hopeful that it’s not something long term that has to take 12-16 months," Boone said. "Hopefully he can start his rehab this winter and be on the mound sometime early next year."

 

Dr. ElAttrache is a very trusted surgeon but he does also do a lot of Tommy John surgeries these days. It just makes me wonder if they missed something back in March during the first surgery. Britton was not himself this season, so it's possible...but not a possibility that I WANT to accept right now.

We all want to see Britton back sooner rather than later, and performing at the level we know he is capable of. We will call 2021 a lost season for him and look forward to his resurgence in 2022. Hopefully Britton's right. It's a bone chip and nothing more.....fingers crossed.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

A LIST OF AWFUL YANKEE LOSSES

This is a classic post. Our guy Doug Solomon with a breakdown of all the awful Yankee losses this year.  Very, very interesting stuff. take a close look.

I don't always post here at BYB... but when I do, I like to share some glaring concerns I have. The latest is this list of horrible losses by the New York Yankees... and it keeps growing. These are the ones that stand out so far this year, although there were others too. Check it out.

April 7th vs. Baltimore: 

After Baltimore scored the Manfred Man in the 11th, the Yankees got theirs to 3B with 1 out for LeMahieu, who hit a line drive to right. But it was caught by Santander, who threw a strike to home and nailed Gio trying to score the winning run to end the game. Any loss to Baltimore hurts.

April 14th vs. Toronto: 

Bo Bichette hits a walk-off dinger off Chad Green leading off the bottom of the 9th in a 4-4 game to end it.

May 28th vs. Detroit: 

The Yanks took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th and somehow were using Justin Wilson to close it out in the 10th. Wilson got the first out and appeared to get the second out on what should have been called strike 3 to Robbie Grossman, but it was called a ball. The next pitch, Grossman hits walk-off homer and the Yanks lose 3-2.

June 10th vs Minnesota: 

The Yanks were going for the sweep of the Twins and took a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the 9th. Chapman entered the game with a 0.39 ERA, but gave up a single and a game-tying HR to Josh Donaldson. Then another single, followed by a walk-off 2-run homer to Nelson Cruz.

June 30th vs. Angels: 

Yanks led 8-4 in the 9th after scoring 7 in the first inning off Ohtani. Chapman walks the leadoff batter, then after a forceout, walks the next 2 batters to load the bases. Boone leaves Chapman in and he proceeds to give up a game tying Grand Slam to Jared Walsh. Chapman is pulled (too late) and Luetge replaced him and he walked the first batter, then gave up a single sending the go ahead run to 3B. After a strikeout for the 2nd out, he gives up a 2-run single to Luis Rengifo and Angels take a 10-8 lead and win 11-8.

July 4th vs Mets: 

The Yankees led 5-4 going to the 7th of a 7-inning game. Despite Chapman’s meltdown vs. the Angels 4 days earlier, he comes in for the save and immediately gives up the game-tying HR to Pete Alonso, then puts the go ahead run on base by hitting Conforto. After a walk to McNeil, Chapman is pulled and replaced by Luetge, who promptly allows a single and (after a strikeout) a go-ahead double to Jose Peraza to essentially win the game (Yanks didn’t score in the bottom of the 7th). Mets win 11-5 with 7 runs in the 7th inning.

July 11th vs. Houston: 

New York was going for the sweep in their first series in Houston since the controversial 2019 ALCS. Yanks had a 7-2 lead going to the bottom of the 9th and tried to allow Domingo German to start the inning after 2 innings of relief. After first 2 batters reached on German, Green was brought in and promptly gave up a 2-run double to Chris McCormick to make it 7-4. Then Abraham Toro doubled in McCormick to make it 7-5 and Castro singled to put runners on the corners before Green got the first out. But with 2 on and 1 out, Altuve ended it with a walk-off HR off Chad Green. Houston had scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 8-7.

July 22 vs. Boston: 

The Yanks took a 3-1 lead to the 9th and brought in Chad Green. After a strikeout, Verdugo singled and Dalbec singled, but then Plawecki flied out, so the Yanks were 1 out away. But Enrique Hernandez doubled off the wall and both runners scored to tie the game. Yanks were able to score the Manfred Man in the top the 10th to take a 4-3 lead, but Yanks (with Loaisiga out due to COVID), had to turn to rookie Brooks Kriske in the bottom of the 10th and Kriske was terrible. He walked the leadoff batter, then threw 2 wild pitches allowing the tying run to score and the winning run to move to 3B and a Hunter Renfroe SAC Fly ended it.

July 25 vs Boston: 

Yanks had a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 8th in this one and Domingo German had a no-hitter through 7 innings (including having struck out 4 batters in the 7th). The no-hitter was broken with a leadoff double by Verdugo and Loaisiga came in and promptly allowed a double to Renfroe, scoring Verdugo to make it 4-1. Vazquez singled --- 4-2. Cordero singled and then Enrique Hernandez doubled to make it 4-3. Britton came in to try to save it and got a groundout, but that scored the tying run 4-4. Bogaerts then hit a SAC Fly to make it 5-4 Boston and they held the Yanks in the 9th to win 5-4.

August 12 vs. White Sox: 

The Yanks have an amazing comeback in Iowa after training 7-4 with 2 outs in the 9th. Judge 2-run HR makes it 7-6, and after a walk to Gallo, Stanton hits a dramatic go-ahead HR into the cornfield off Liam Hendricks to make it 8-7. Britton comes in for the save, but after getting the fist out, walk Danny Zavala after starting out ahead 0-2. Tim Anderson then promptly hits a walk-off 2-run HR for a 9-8 White Sox win.

And why are these losses happening? 2 things... bad decisions & a shaky bullpen.  Think about it.

--Douglas Solomon

   BYB Guest Writer

WORST. MANAGER. EVER. BOONE'S BLUNDER COSTS GERMAN'S NO-HITTER & THE GAME!

I remember back in the day when people used to crucify Joe Girardi for his "binder" managerial methods and now we have Aaron Boone and his bonehead analytics. We weren't happy before, but man who is happier now? Yesterday's loss was a boneheaded error that Boone needs to own.

Domingo German did his job yesterday, and Boone let him down. Instead of believing in his starter, he went the analytical route that backfired horribly. The proof was in front of him. German wasn't the perfect pitcher for this assignment today but guess what....he was getting the job done! He held the Red Sox hitless until his 93rd pitch of the day and then that was the sign Boone needed to Yank him? 

Get outta here with that garbage!!

Boone just had a pitch count in his mind and it was past his magic number so instead of trusting his pitcher to finish the inning at bare minimum, he gave up on his guy and went to his NON managerial nonsense. Boone suddenly lost his trust in German, but felt much more comfortable with the taxed

bullpen.

Why on earth would Bonehead Boone use Jonathan Loaisiga two days in a row after an extended COVID absense? Loaisiga was throttled immediately and then Boone throws Zack Britton in there hoping he can get three outs with runners on second and third. Boone doesn't use his head. It was obvious that Loaisiga didn't have it on the mound. He should've yanked him after the minimum three batters required. Boone had other pitchers to use here that were more rested. What about Chad Green? He didn't pitch the day before and was a very obvious answer, especially with an off day today. Use anyone else on the bench that is rested! Boone just didn't use his brain.

And he hasn't used his brain consistently this season. We can't blame German. You can argue that Britton and Loaisiga also didn't get the job done that was trusted to them....but what about Boone? He's equally at fault for not knowing when his pitcher just doesn't have it and chose not to pull him as

soon as he could. The Yankees didn't have to lose this game and waste German's no hitter....but Boone let it happen.

I'm over this guy. He can't manage and needs to be held responsible just as much as the players. This blunder is on Boone and he needs to OWN IT and find a new job, too!

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES SUFFER FROM THEIR OWN SPENDING BLUNDERS

I'm sure many of us are unimpressed with Brian Cashman's second press conference. Let's face it, his first one in April was bad and this one was even worse in my opinion. The Yankees have resources galore at their fingertips and they don't know what to do with them. They are doing this all wrong.

It's nice to be a big market team with owners who have deeper pockets. It was nice to go out and finally lure Gerrit Cole and outbid anyone and everyone else interested. Deep pockets are nice....but money doesn't solve every problem for a baseball team. Now, it's turned into a problem.

Before I lose you, hear me out. Brian Cashman said on Tuesday that the Yankees were fully engaged and were buyers for the trade deadline. He even used the word "urgently" a few times. All of baseball knows how much we are in a pickle. They see our desperation to try and right the ship here....but what about the luxury tax situation? That's not going away. Cashman said he would present all options to ownership and see if it fits in the budget. As far as we all know, the remaining budget is approximately $4 million. That's not a lot of room for an awful lot of improvements needed.

Cashman says the Yankees are buyers, but should they be? Instead, shouldn't we take this as a sign that we need to do a better job managing our money and developing our talent? I think so. Our minor league systems are very depleted and while we have a lot of needs to address, we don't have as strong of a minor league to feed from as we did when we reloaded our farm back in 2016 when the Yankees traded Andrew Miller. Looking back at 2016, it was strange to consider ourselves sellers, but those moves did benefit us.

I don't like to ever call the Yankees sellers, it's not in our DNA. In 2016 we had more pieces to move. Now, even though I think we need to make some moves we really don't have a lot that we CAN move. Even if we wanted to move Cole (and I don't) he has a full no-trade clause. Then there is Giancarlo Stanton which has his own no-trade situation so good luck there. Even if he agreed, that's an expensive price tag to move.

Honestly, the way I see it....the Yankees two most valuable pieces to move would be Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman. PLENTY of teams would love to get their hands on good left handed relievers, but even they won't get us a franchise altering piece like Gleyber Torres was when we traded Chapman last time. Even if we could move these guys for a good value we are still going to be in the same position in the future if the Yankees are still hellbent on remaining under the luxury tax.

The Yankees are crippled by money. It's nice to have, but our team can't be built primarily with a focus of spending money on free agents. We need an overhaul of our player development team. We need increased emphasis on scouting. It's nice to have money....until you are crippled by it and can only build a team by spending it and then not getting your moneys worth....here's looking at you Aaron Hicks.

The Yankees don't know HOW to spend their money wisely. So here we are....talking about being buyers with no budget and all because Yankees didn't spend wisely. The Yankees wallet is their kryptonite and until they fix it this problem isn't going away.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj