CASHMAN TAKES RESPONSIBLITY FOR A PRETTY BIG BLUNDER!

Frankie Montas was a bust. Not only did he do terrible for the New York Yankees when we acquired him, he hid the fact that he was hurt, telling us all just recently that he was trying to work through injury. Read DON'T TRY AND BE A HERO, FRANKIE MONTAS for more. 

Now what I don't get is that typically a team as structured and corporate as the New York Yankees would do a big physical with newly acquired players to determine if a player is A-OK. Look at the Mets and Carlos Correa. For a hot second he was a Met and then he wasn't. Medical papers said something was up and they looked into it.  The Yankees appeared to not do a thing when Montas came over and then, now he's out hurt and what a huge waste of time that was.

Well Brian Cashman has stepped forward and accepted responsibility.  He admits, and pardon me for curing... he fucked up.

Yardbarker writes:

"Montas may end up being one of the worst trades in recent memory for this Yankee team, and general manager Brian Cashman knows it.

Prior to being moved, the 30-year-old starter posted a 3.18 ERA across 104.2 innings for Oakland, and while their medical staff cleared him of any issues, Montas recently indicated that he was injured when the Yankees acquired him.

“I was like eh-eh. I wasn’t fully 100 percent,” Montas said. “I was trying to pitch through it. Of course I got traded to a new team, I wanted to show what I can do.

Cashman isn’t even hiding behind his pride anymore but instead admitting that it was a complete dud. The same could be said about the deal that brought Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson to the Bronx.

“You can’t sugarcoat it —the Montas trade didn’t work out,” he said, via Ian O’Connor of the New York Post. “We didn’t get a healthy pitcher, and that’s ultimately my responsibility.”

I respect Cashman more than I did before reading about this development, but here's the thing, now he has to make it right.  

VOLPE PLAYS SHORTSTOP FOR THE YANKEES IN 2023, THE QUESTION IS WHEN?

Anthony Volpe has made spring training fun to follow. Usually I am excited for spring training to start but I am unhappy with the results. Like the season itself, spring is an opportunity to start something new—similar to a new year, new you mantra. This spring training season has been filled with chances—chances for players to show their value, provide the results of the winter prep sessions on the field with coaches and scouts and peer competition. It has been Anthony Volpe that has provided the most wows. He may not be the Yankee starting shortstop on day one, but he certainly will be their shortstop in 2023.

"It is very possible that Volpe could crack the Yankees’ Opening Day lineup. He’s been playing shortstop regularly in spring training games and regularly operates out of the leadoff spot. Volpe has also performed well, batting .297 with a pair of home runs and a .990 OPS in 13 spring training games. But then again, he is 21 and has only played in a handful of Triple-A games," wrote ESNY on Tuesday.

I have been saying all along that the Yankees need to rip the bandaid off and let the kid play. If they waited any longer for Derek Jeter, who knows if he would have been the player he was for the Yankees. When Joe Torre and Brian Cashman decided to take a chance, that was the moment the Yankees turned the corner and became the dominant team in the late 90s and early 2000s. Could this happen again? 

Some predict that Volpe will lead off in the first game of the season for the Yankees on March 30th. It would really send a message to the league if the Yankees took a good risk to make that happen. Imagine Volpe, Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton as the stacked four sluggers in the opening day lineup?

"The Yankees’ open shortstop competition probably will be settled later this week. Oswald Peraza is the favorite with Volpe likely headed to Triple-A and IKF going into a utility role (if he’s not traded)," reportined NJ.com. Peraza has rebounded this spring with his new contact lenses helping him see the ball better. His defense sets him apart from other infielders and he has more reps in the majors and even in Triple A than his peer Volpe.

But it is interesting to note that folks that have Pereza in the lineup on opening day have him in the 9 spot and not lead off like Volpe. I say this: if Volpe gives the Yankees the best shot to pick up some early wins and build confidence for this team quickly, I say play him. Even if he does not have the most experience, he has what the team needs now— that spark, thunder and yes chance to make a difference. That's all it takes is determination and chance. 

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

GARY SANCHEZ JUST FOUND A TEAM!

It's about time.

Gary Sanchez is a perfect example of a player that was overhyped as a young catcher, just to make the major leagues and really not perform to the best of his ability or anything the scouts really thought he was going to be. That why scouting on projections is sometimes stupid. Anyway, Gary's out of the MLB.

Silive.com writes:

"It wasn’t long ago that Gary Sanchez was believed to be one of the premiere catchers in Major League Baseball. Now, at just 30-years-old, the two-time All-Star is out of the league entirely.

Sanchez agreed to a contract with Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic league on Tuesday, the team announced in an Instagram post...

...he’s heading home to the DR, where he hopes to resurrect a once promising career. Over seven MLB seasons, Sanchez hit .225 with 154 career home runs and 401 RBI."

Good luck to Gary. Maybe we see you back in the MLB one day.

TODD FRAZIER MAKES A YANKEES COMEBACK OF SORTS

It's true! But maybe not the way you are expecting. Todd Frazier is returning to the Yankees but his playing days are over. Now, he will join YES Network as a studio analyst and I have to admit that I am intrigued, he's not someone that comes to mind for this opportunity.

When Jack Curry broke the news over the weekend I will admit I had to do a double-take. I blinked to make sure I was reading the tweet correctly and sure enough, my eyes did not deceive me!

I am not sure why I never considered Frazier for an analyst spot, but now that I think about it, this makes sense! Frazier has previously called Little League World Series games for ESPN and recently launched a new streaming MLB show called "Foul Territory" with other former MLB stars. You can check out the show HERE and the shows have interested unfiltered conversations, lively debates and unique player perspectives on the games hottest topics. He's a perfect fit for an analyst role on YES Network.

Not to mention, he's got fan appeal. Frazier wasn't a Yankee for very long, but when the Yankees picked him up in 2017 he made a big difference. He helped the Yankees get to the ALCS and who can forget his "thumbs down" celebration that became a huge rally cry in the Bronx that season. I actually miss that.

We don't know what Frazier's new role will be exactly, but I can already guarantee that he will be a million times better than Carlos Beltran who we thankfully will never have to listen to him announce another Yankee game again. This is already a major upgrade, and I feel confident saying that without hearing him talking about Yankee baseball yet.

Welcome back to the Bronx, Frazier! 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

CONCERNED YET ABOUT YANKEES STARTING PITCHING?

Source: AP

I love all of the banter about shortstops and left fielders swirling around the 2023 Yankees. Infield and outfield depth, impressive rookies pounding the ball and laughable Aaron Hicks nonsense have filled my social media feeds and likely yours as well. But what I am actually most concerned about is Yankee starting pitching or lack of it. I have been underwhelmed by the Yankee rotation so far this spring and guess what, if we don't get that buttoned up, it doesn't matter who the starting shortstop is.

Exhibit 1—Wednesday afternoon slugfest: Luis Severino gives up four earned runs against the Phillies raising ERA to 10.64 in Grapefruit League play.

Exhibit 2—Friday night lights: Domingo German gives up four homeruns against the Tigers

Exhibit 3—Saturday afternoon: Nestor Cortes is not so nasty in his outing against the Toronto Blue Jays giving up home runs to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Whit Merrifield. Analysts calling the game said it looked like they were hitting off a tee.

Source: AP

I point out these three games because we are nearing the end of Spring Training and other than Gerrit Cole, the Yankee starting rotation does not have a look and feel of a championship one. Now, I realize that as I write this, it is early. But I wish I had the faith in pitching that I have in the rookie position players.

"Last time Severino pitched, allowing two home runs against the Tigers in Lakeland, he admitted that his slider “sucks.” On Wednesday, Severino’s slider was better, but his fastball command faltered," reported NJ.com. Severino does not look himself and hasn't for some time. His control has been off and he does not have that swagger that he needs to have to be confident and impactful. Severino is a guy the Yankees will need to lean on especially that Carlos Rodon is on the IL at least until May and Frankie Montas will be out most of season.

"The best starting rotations are the ones when you have a deep talented staff, and every day, yesterday’s starter hands the ball off and the competitive spirit to his teammate and says, ‘Now top that.’ If you can get a collection of talented pitchers that have that type of capability and makeup, that’s when some magical things have a chance to happen,” reported MLB.com. Yea, the Yankees don't seem to have what Aaron Boone was preaching right before pitchers and catchers reported in February.

So now what? How will the Yankees best their competition with the current rotation? As Forbes points out, "The health of those three starters will mean a great deal to the fortunes of the Yankees." Those three starters are collectively: Montas, Severino and Cortes. You can throw Rodon into the mix as well because we have seen nothing from him but the outing nightmare he had before being shut down. 

I think I make a good case for concern for Yankee pitching and if I had the opportunity to ask our manager what he is doing to plan for this, I absolutely would put him in the hot seat. The Yankees will go no further into the postseason as they have done in years past, let alone make the postseason, unless they are preparing their bullpen for the inevitable—low innings for starting pitching that is not quite ready for prime time. 

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

THE UNLOADING OF IKF MAY JUST NOT HAPPEN

The Yankees have tried to trade Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and they have tried to convert him to an outfielder... and then they tried to unload him to another team again. But at this point right now, it looks like we might be stuck with the guy.

In a single line in the New York Post, it appears that their idea to trade IKF to the Los Angeles Dodgers in their pipe dream to help the Dodgers replace Gavin Lux who is out with injury is not going to be reality at all.  Here's the line:

"The Dodgers don’t seem interested in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, as they likely consider him too much like current starter Miguel Rojas."

And if you don't know, Rojas is already on the Dodgers.

And so, for the Yankees, it's back to the drawing board. As the New York Post writes, he has passed his first test in the outfield:

"Kiner-Falefa knocked off his nerves early, catching the first two outs of the game, and proceeded to look pretty natural in center — a position he had not played since a Double-A game in 2017.

On a few occasions, though, his inexperience showed.

“I feel like I got tested in every way today for the most part,” Kiner-Falefa said after an 8-7 loss to the Tigers at Publix Field."

He proved that he could catch easy outs, but now we need to see what happened when he needs to track, back up and dive. We shall see.  

Happy Sunday.

ENDING THE AARON HICKS EXPERIMENT

I really feel like we need to move on from Aaron Hicks. I know that the Yankees would need a trade partner to do it, and I know that they'd have to eat that contract, so it's gonna be pretty tough to do.  But can we all agree? Aaron Hicks is done as a ballplayer in the Bronx right?

Hicks calling off Volpe and dropping the ball. We’re just ok with this going into the season???

pic.twitter.com/8nRbG79ZsV

— Eric Hubbs (@BarstoolHubbs) March 17, 2023

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the latest fielding debacle in left field. He literally calls off Anthony Volpe who is manning short only to miss the baseball.  

Now there are others in the outfield that makes me cringe.

Hicks in mid-season form... he just loves letting fair balls drop lmao #NYY pic.twitter.com/Fq3nKdPvfE

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 12, 2023

The one I think last week was pretty pathetic. And of course, that moment where he just literally gave up on the ball even though it was in play.

And now comes word that even though Jasson Dominguez is tearing it up this Spring, he's gonna be sent down. But have you seen Hick's numbers compared to Jasson?

What makes the most sense right now? Think about it.  

Look, I know the Yankees are stuck with that Hicks contract and will try and play him whenever they can to justify it, but let's face it. We have these new kids crushing it.  We really need to see them in the Yankee lineup come opening day.  It' just makes sense.

And for Aaron Hicks? Bye bye. It's been fun, but now it's over.

THE WBC IS ABOUT PRIDE & FREE BASEBALL & YOUR OPINION DOESN'T MATTER

I'm a huge Portnoy fan when it comes to business. I find his drive to create a product and run with it incredibly inspiring. While I would have loved BYB to be as big as Barstool, I also appreciate the controlled following that we do have. You are our BYB freaks, you read us because you found us in 2010 and you're loyal. We've done our best to bring you opinion, entertainment, laughs, truth and just plain Yankee fandom. And yes, we do get angry and we do rant sometimes too. Listen, Barstool is a monster. I will never compare us to them, but damn I admire it. 

But when it comes to BYB, what we don't suggest here in our stories is that people should get hurt, have harm sting someone or suggest someone should die. I mean sure, we will be harsh when we don't like a player, but let's face it... it's more of a "you just need to get traded, dude", not a "I hope you get injured."

BYB also doesn't womanize, and we aren't racist. Kind of important. We're also don't go political on these pages.  Botton line is we can rant about our team, but we don't hate.

Now that being said, I guess this dude from Barstool thinks being violent in his tweet means it falls into the provocative category.  No, sometimes people tweet stupid shit.  

Now let me state for the record that I am not a big, true fan of the WBC, but yes, I do like free baseball. I watch it here and there, but the idea of players getting hurt is always in the back of my mind. 

The other night it was Edwin Diaz, and while it was a fluke, he getting hurt in turn could affect the outcome of the Mets season since he won't be there to close for them.  But in the end, that decision to play is personal and fans should respect the fact that not only is it free baseball, but it's guys who believe firmly in their ethnic culture and want to represent the country where their ancestors are from. Respect it, it's blood line, pride stuff, not to mention sentimental.

Let me also state that I am no Marcus Stroman fan, but his point back to this guy is pretty important, being that he's an actual athlete, and not a guy typing behind a screen.

Personal choice. We may be fans and this blogger is just butt hurt by the fact that I guess he's a Mets fan and now he's destroyed about Diaz, but it's not his concern actually... I mean is it? The dude appears to be totally unraveling.

I mean is it because his personal life is in shambles that he's going off on this ridiculous WBC rant? It's weird.

And it gets worse. Keith Olbermann who I find to be straight up provocative trash crossed the line too.  

Alot of people went after him, because again, sometimes people think they're funny, but it comes off as idiotic.  Listen, when you piss off Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal, one of the more respected, smart writers out there, you have a problem and clearly idiot Olbermann knows it. 

He apologized, but did he really? And would he have if Lindsey didn't say anything? Probably not. He's a piece of shit.

WBC is not my cup of tea, but let's face it, it gets players amped up and of course, they rep the country they came from and where it's name on their chest. That pride runs deep. You need to respect that.  But again, this Barstool dude, this Olbermann idiot, they just don't get that.

Let's break this down. 

1. These are not points, they are opinions. 

2. If you're asking Edwin Diaz AFTER the injury the likelihood of him saying it was worth it might be NO but could very well be YES, because it's a pride thing.  

3.The WBC is all over my feed and everyone is talking about it.  

And by the way, let me state that all this bullshit is over the WBC. 2 guys out there with really no credibility are screaming till their heads blow up about not having the WBC because guys get hurt.  Meanwhile, today Brendan Nimmo got hurt in a Spring Training game for the Mets.

Brandon Nimmo appears to be injured after a slide in to second base pic.twitter.com/5kQAONWe7T

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 17, 2023

Should we cancel that too?

In Closing and to move to story forward, this was the message from Edwin Diaz about this whole mess:

“To all my beloved fans, especially the Mets fans, I want to let you know that I am doing well and healing. I feel blessed and grateful for your support with messages and prayers, thank you very much,” Diaz tweeted. “I can’t wait to see you guys in NY again and play those trumpets.”

Class act. 

The others? They're clowns.

THE YANKEES ARE CHEAPER THAN YOU THINK!

Something to make you laugh, because I know I sure did. The New York Yankees spend some big bucks. They spent $324 million on Gerrit Cole and $360 million on Aaron Judge and are very close to the last tier of the luxury tax bracket. The Yankees spend money on the field....but not airborne.

I'm sure by now you probably heard the news, but just in case check it out HERE, the Yankees do not foot the bill for in flight Wi-Fi when the team travels. Apparently, the Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds are the only teams that do not pay for in-flight internet for their players. They do however, reimburse the coaches and other staffers for the expense if they buy it.

This makes me think of Moneyball. If you know me, you know that I LOVE the movie Moneyball. I can almost recite the entire movie, that's how much I love it. One of my favorite scenes is when Assistant GM Peter Brand travels with the Oakland A's and he sits next to David Justice on the plane. If you know the movie, you know what happens next:
David Justice: "how come soda is a dollar in the clubhouse?"
Peter Brand: "Billy likes to keep the money on the field."
David Justice: "Soda money? Really?"

Peter Brand: "It's hard to see."

I guess so. Welcome to 2023 and Wi-Fi is the Yankees soda money. It's funny how Yankees partner with Delta, who is technically the party charging the fee offers free Wi-Fi to T-Mobile customers, like Judge. So while he doesn't have to worry about paying the fee, guys like Lucas Luetge would have to pay but found a loophole thanks to Michael King.

So does it seem silly that a sports franchise worth $6 billion won't spring for Wi-Fi? Yeah, considering the less valuable teams in baseball do. But what do I know? It seems silly to me. With as much traveling as these guys do, I don't think free Wi-Fi is an overly extravagant accommodation and it's a drop in the bucket for the Yankees. These days, Hal Steinbrenner says he consults Judge on numerous team-related issues, read more HERE so maybe Judge can tell him if he can afford renovations to the spring training facility, he can pay for an internet bill too.

Maybe then Brian Cashman will walk back his "I think most of our players can afford it" remark. Sure, most of these guys are millionaires, but not all of them. If all of the player quotes in the SI article are true, it's pretty sad....but also funny. I just can't believe the Yankees are one of cheapskates in this scenario. 

HAL DON'T BE A CHEAPO! Even Billy Beane ended up getting enough money so his guys didn't have to pay for it in the clubhouse. Where on the field is the money Luetge had to pay for Wi-Fi?! Spring for some damn Wi-Fi, will ya?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

FREAK ACCIDENT OR NOT, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Edwin Diaz got hurt in a freak accident in the WBC last night.  He was carted off the field. While it stinks for him, it really stinks for the Mets.  But more to that... it's a big eye opener to why the WBC or any off-season sport brings concern when it comes to professional athletes.

Now you can blame a lot of people for all of this. Blame the WBC if you want. Blame Edwin Diaz for deciding to play.  You can blame the Mets for allowing it to happen, or maybe you want to go after clown Rob Manfred for giving us free baseball before the season even starts.  But that's a matter of opinion. The fact of the matter is risk is everywhere.

Bob Nightengale might have put out the stupidest tweet in a while when it came to Edwin Diaz and the WBC:

I mean. This is kind of a silly tweet

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) March 16, 2023

Stop Bob. Trout and Betts aren't an authority of anything. No one cares.  How about you ask Edwin Diaz himself. How about you ask someone connected to the story? That's what journalists do.

Here's what happened to Edwin last night. The New York Post has it:

"Edwin Diaz, the team’s All-Star closer, was removed from the field in Miami in a wheelchair after he was injured during Team Puerto Rico’s postgame celebration following a 5-2 victory over the Dominican Republic.

Diaz had just recorded the final out of the game and was crowded by teammates who began hugging him near the pitcher’s mound.

Diaz emerged from the celebration unable to put weight on his right knee and was helped to a wheelchair.

Diaz’s younger brother Alexis, also a reliever for Team Puerto Rico, was in tears as Edwin was helped from the field."

Careers are destroyed when things like this happen. And many times careers are set back.  Reminds me of Aaron Boone with his ridiculous pick-up baseketball game after the 2003 season. ESPN wrote this story in 2004.

"Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone injured his left knee playing basketball and might miss the season.

Boone was hurt Jan. 16 and may have torn his anterior cruciate ligament. He was examined three days later by Anaheim Angels team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum, and Boone informed the Yankees of the
injury that night.

The extent of the injury will not be known until swelling subsides, and he has not yet been examined by Yankees' doctors.

Boone agreed Dec. 1 to a $5.75 million, one-year contract, and the contract contained language saying it would become nonguaranteed if he played basketball."

Boone's career was never the same after that, until the Yankees put him on a pedestal and made him puppet of the Yankees.  When it comes to athletes, as a fan I have always believed that if you are in a contract, your actions are vital to your contribution to the team.  Boone failed his team. Dare I say Edwin Diaz may have too, although on a much smaller scale than Boone's situation.

My point is these athletes are adults. They make their own decisions. Diaz had a choice, no question, but obviously he and all these MLB players are in contract and so, ultimately, it's a risk.  

It comes down the personal responsibility in my opinion.  Diaz probably feels terrible about what happened. But the worst part was he did nothing wrong but celebrate with his brothers in a moment of excitement. I don't fault him, although blame leans his way.  

But this is why we don't do off season activities when it comes to professional athletes in a contract.  Risks are everywhere.  It's just a damn shame. WBC should revisit when they play their season.

I wish Edwin Diaz nothing but a speedy recovery and crossing my fingers he gets back on track and continues to have a terrific career.  When are we going to see a Edwin Diaz meme of him on the ground and Timmy Trumpet playing Taps? Cause you know it's coming.

Get well soon Edwin. I am not a Mets fan by any means, but I appreciate hard workers and you're it buddy.