THE WORD "OFFER" IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KILLING MOMENTUM & EXCELLENCE

Bryce Harper is one of the most injured guys around.  But yet, he's a star player always making things happen for the Phils. I found this headline super-interesting and I wanted to delve into it a bit with my thoughts on managing and trusting abilities and momentum killers and all of that.  First, see what I grabbed from Facebook just a short time ago:

Now I don't know what the Liberty Line is, and I'm reading this story, but I was taken by the part on top.  "Rob Thomson offered Bryce Harper a rest day today."

Now I want you to think about Aaron Boone and the Yankees and for this exercise, Aaron Judge will be part of this example.  

Day after day we'd have a guy on a hot streak and then out of nowhere... Boone decides to rest the guy.  Here are just 3 headlines of Boone resting Judge... without offering, without asking... just doing it... even during hot streaks, even when the team needed him.

And so, lets get back to that word OFFER.  For me, it comes down to bad personnel decisions by Boone. He never offers, he just does it. To me, I observe Boone as a guy that doesn't think big picture... that doesn't understand the true dynamic of a hungry ballplayer, or trust of talent and the irony is that is WAS a ballplayer.  Now this is the best part... Bryce Harper's answer:

"Absolutely not. We're in the middle of this thing. Trea's not here. We've got to go."

Do you know what happened next? Rob Thomson played Bryce Harper.  Why? Because he offered with the idea that he trusts his players, understands momentum, ability and the hunger to want to go out there and win.  

We have Aaron Judge on our team, in many regards the leader of the team like Harper is to the Phils.  They both get hurt a lot yes, but they both mash the ball and lead their respective teams.  But the difference is the manager, isn't it?

Aaron Judge can try and back Aaron Boone all he wants.  But that's because he's got a friendship with the guy. It's not because he's a good manager, trust me. Boone isn't a true manager or baseball guy, is he?  You don't shut guys down for rest if they don't want to rest.  Thomson gets it... why doesn't Boone?

Offering star players rest is much better than making them rest.  It allows streaks to be extended... momentum to continue.  Making players rest during hot streaks kills momentum.  I mean... it's common sense. What's he missing?

IF RODON DOESN'T PAN OUT, THE BRONX WILL CRUCIFY BRIAN CASHMAN

Did Brian Cashman make another bad move?  Carlos Rodon has not been as advertised. Couple that with the fact that he started his Yankee career injured and was on the IL another time this season already, he just either hasn't found his rhythm or he's hurt, or both.  Who the hell knows. I do know this, I love the guy, but I can't for the life of me figure out if this is a mental of physical thing.  I really want him to succeed, but nothing's really happened yet. It bothers me. Here's one thing I know... Rodon is passionate about playing good baseball and winning. Oh yea... and he understands what Yankee fans want.

Klapisch writes:

"Rodon understands the flip side, too. “The fans here want to win. They care. They care a lot,” he said, which is in sharp contrast to passive vibe on the west coast.

“Giants fans are invested, but not like in New York,” Rodon said. “Win or lose, you’re not going to get booed in San Francisco.”

Brave man. Choosing the Bronx will be an asterisk on the back of Rodon’s baseball card. He wants the pent-up anger that awaits in 2023. He knows the Yankees are starting year 13 of a championship drought. He gets it that patience ran out long ago on River Avenue.

The Bombers will be on trial this summer. All of them. Rodon included."

You have to go back to how Cashman picks his players. You really do. I mean if Rodon proves to be a bust in the Bronx, the Yankee fan base will literally crucify Cashman. His track record is horrendous.  

Empire Sports Media writes:

"Making matters worse, General Manager Brian Cashman may have committed a $162 million blunder with Carlos Rodon. The pitcher’s 2023 performance has been nothing short of dismal...Rodon’s monthly ERA tells a sad tale—5.75 in July, 6.23 in August, and a staggering 9.35 in September...With Rodon under contract until 2029, the Yankees have a long road ahead. He’ll be 35 by the time he hits free agency and is already grappling with recurring injuries and plummeting consistency. While the team hopes for a renaissance in 2024, this contract increasingly seems like a gamble that may not pay off."

This is not what Yankee fans were expecting to get.  And I understand adjustments in a new city with the greatest fan base in the world, but the truth is no one wants to recognize that Brian Cashman may have messed up again and we really and truly need to start beating that drum loudly if Rodon doesn't pan out.

Rodon has something to prove to us fans, this is true.  And he has to.  But will he? Look, at this point we have given up on 2023.  Maybe a rest and a reset will turn this guy around. One can only hope... but if he doesn't fix this, Cashman is over.  He has to be.

AARON JUDGE IS TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT THIS ONE

I think by about now everyone who reads Bleeding Yankee Blue kind of knows how I feel about Aaron Boone being a failed leader.  All you need to do is type in Boone in the search bar on BYB or see our Top 10 list.  The readership is high, the fans feel the same and even go further wanting Brian Cashman removed too.  

The best thing the Yankees did as of recently was bring the kids up to have some fun and win some games. But that was Hal's decision... don't get it twisted. That recent winning streak has nothing to do with Brian Cashman and definitely nothing to do with Boone.

Now comes word that Aaron Judge came to the defense of Aaron Boone and him wanting the Bozo to return in 2024.  I'm not kidding.

A site called the Messenger writes:

"...Judge has played for manager Aaron Boone in six out of his seven MLB seasons, and he wants it to stay that way.

"I've been with Boonie all the way since 2018. He's the guy....He has been there for us in good times and bad times. The guy shows up and supports his players. You can probably tell by the amount of times he's been thrown out of games that he always has our back."

Now look, Judge doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He's also the Captain so he knows his words hold weight.  If Boone does come back, it will be based on Judge's opinion. That's really no way to run a baseball team, but that's what will happen.  I also have news for you... Aaron Judge is wrong.  

Boonie is an actor.  Yelling at umpires is not leadership. It's not "fighting for the team" as some will suggest. It's theater. He's compensating.  Now if Judge and Boone have a friendship, which I suspect they do and Boone probably does with many on the team, I wish Judge would just say that. It's one of those things where you see things playing much differently in public but just feel like you're getting lied to through the media. It's annoying. It's the world we live in.

Aaron Judge can have his opinion... it will probably save Boone's job, but it shouldn't.  Hal needs to stand tall and make hard decisions.  The idea of the New York Yankees is the win championships, not hang out with friends.  Sure, Boone has been there in good times and bad, Judge... but that's because he has to. He's supposed to be in charge. But here's what we should be asking; Can you guys win with Aaron Boone? That's the real question.  My answer is no.

We need to move on you Big Tree.

THE YANKEES NEED A LOT OF FIXING, BUT THEY NEED TO START HERE....

There is so much that is 'wrong' with this team. Fans have ranted about it all season, we've written about it all season, but there is one thing that has really been eating away at me the last few days. It absolutely needs to be fixed for next season....and I am not confident it will be.

I am not talking about awful Aaron Boone or Brian Cashman. I still want both of them to go, and maybe you do too.... but I don't think that is what will happen. I am talking about the Yankee medical staff though. That 100% has to change and it is an easier change to make than a new manager or GM so there should be no excuses.

So if Hal Steinbrenner is really serious about this "deep dive" he wants to take within his organization he needs to start here. I studied journalism and Public Relations in college, so I am no doctor, but I think we can all see one of the biggest sports markets in the country has one of the worst (if not THE worst) medical staff in all of sports. A franchise that is worth SEVEN BILLION dollars has a medical team advising them that is as competent as the average person who can look up symptoms on Webmd.com. It isn't working.

I am highly disturbed by the latest debacle with Anthony Rizzo, who is now out the rest of the season. The Yankees need to find out how the Yankees medical staff determined he was good to play after that scary collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. The average fan could tell he was struggling, and he had tell-tale signs of a possible concussion. He hasn't looked the same since then. The medical staff did not do their due diligence.

Maybe the medical staff didn't run all of the necessary tests or maybe they didn't know what they were looking for but the Yankees can't afford to make this mistake. I can appreciate Rizzo's desire to return as soon as possible and maybe that is what caused the Yankees to rush him back to game action, but something was obviously missed. 

The scariest part is Rizzo's injury isn't the first one that has been mishandled. I am still haunted by Aaron Judge's injury in 2020, you can refresh your memory HERE.

"Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his top right rib two weeks ago -- he suffered the injury last September and was having shoulder and pectoral issues in spring training -- and, on Friday, he had his two-week checkup. He told the Associated Press the bone is healing as expected, and he revealed another injury: a collapsed lung."

The collapsed lung was found AFTER the stress fracture in his ribs. How do you miss something like a collapsed lung? The only answer is: it shouldn't happen when you do the right testing and know what you are looking for. One of the most valuable sports franchises in the world has a medical staff that has as much medical smarts as my eight-year-old nephew. It's pathetic.

So if Hal really wants to take a deep dive, it must include the medical staff too. I wouldn't keep ANYONE they are currently using. Time to clean house in more ways than one. According to the Athletic, the Yankees will likely finish in the top third for time spent on the injured list for seven seasons in a row. It's unacceptable. A team with high expectations to win, needs to keep their athletes healthy and in optimal shape. We expect our team to win, but for too long now we also expect them to suffer injuries. It just doesn't work.

FIX IT, HAL! That's a must in your deep dive.... otherwise, you are just doggy paddling again next season.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

ANOTHER YANKEE PLAYER HEADS TO THE IL... THANKS CASHMAN!

Brian Cashman collects damaged goods.  

There has to be something within the Yankee organization player selection process that is wacky and wrong and flawed, because everyone who comes over to the Yankees gets hurt... and be that a Frankie Montas who just lied to everyone, or our latest casualty... Keynan Middleton.  Yup, you heard that right.

A brand-new Yankee is hurt.  How convenient.  Give me a break, Cashman.  Are these players vetted?  I am so glad that Steinbrenner is going to do a deep dive into every department the Yankees have... because we need to get to the bottom of this garbage.

The New York Post writes:

"Middleton landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday, with right shoulder inflammation...It marked the second time in the last four days that the Yankees have lost a reliever to the IL, with Ian Hamilton suffering a groin strain over the weekend."

Lovely.

Look, there is no way to know if this guy was hurt before he came here, but then you have to question how we train and work with these players in New York... because it's just how many new guys come over... only to be played on the IL.

THE SUN HAS NOT SET ON THE YANKEES YET!

Maybe it is the ocean air, or beach hair don't care, but the Yankees have been on a tear this September. Hard to believe that they are not mathematically out yet, but it is true. If they can continue to play consistent and take on the role of spoiler, they could potentially squeak into the Wild Card. Now I know it is not ideal, but truthfully speaking the sun has not set on the Yankees yet.

Source: NY Post

"On an aging and injury-prone club with an inability to put together much offensively, the too-often dull 2023 Yankees received a jolt of energy -and a reason for optimism - by the addition of two promising rookies," reported Northjersey.com. Austin Wells and Jasson Dominguez have met the challenge and honestly, exceeded it, providing much needed youth and talent to this fading baseball club.

"On Sunday, the switch-hitting Dominguez, 20, batted third for the second straight night (the youngest Yankee to do that previously was Bobby Murcer in 1966) and his two-run shot off Christian Javier made it 3-1. With nine games of Triple-A experience, Dominguez has a chance now to make center field his job to lose next spring," reported Northjersey.com.

Source: Newsday

And Wells has brought incredible maturity behind the plate, offering pitchers confidence because of his preparation and ability to be flexible during the game. As Michael King, the Yankees newest starter from the bullpen pitcher said about Wells, "knows how to handle a staff and calls a really good game."

So what does this all have to do with the Yankees and Wild Card series? Well, the door is still open, albeit ajar slightly, but it is open and that is enough for me. Watching the Yankees sweep Houston, the baby bombers killing it and Gerrit Cole  hunting for the Cy Young has made September feel like June. And maybe, just maybe the Yankees can squeak into the Wild Card and keep playing into October.

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

THE RIZZO SAGA CONTINUES

We all knew it was coming. The key for the Yankees however is to tell the fans through the media when the time was right.  Well... with the Yankees suddenly locked in like they're going to the World Series... the timing was perfect! 

The plan? Reveal to the fans that Anthony Rizzo isn't coming back this year. But do it when the team looks really, really good. This will soften the blow and maybe the media won't blow it up.  Well.... we will here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  

This comes from MLB Trade Rumors:

"The Yankees are shutting down first baseman Anthony Rizzo for the rest of the season...The three-time All-Star has spent the past month on the injured list while battling post-concussion syndrome.

According to Boone, Rizzo has made recent cognitive progress. With less than a month to go before season’s end, however, the Yankees have decided not to push for a return."

And here's the thing; it makes sense to not play Rizzo the rest of the year. The Yankees are playing for nothing. All the Yankees are doing now is showcasing their young stars so they can sell some merchandise for the rest of the season and hopefully salvage something this year.  

Bringing Rizzo back this year would have been important if the Yanks were playing for something and these kids weren't raking... but they are... and so, let the old man rest.  

Rizzo in 2024? You bet! I can not wait!

BOONE: YANKEES RELATIONSHIP WITH ESTEVAN FLORIAL IS "COMPLICATED"

I feel like we have suddenly dumbed down to a social media relationship status. I bet Estevan Florial does too, and if by some miracle he doesn't, well he should.

I knew the writing was on the wall before the season started when we wrote THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR ESTEVAN FLORIAL. He had potential that the Yankees loved, but no clear path to the big leagues and his trade value was tarnished. I hated to see the Yankees stash Florial down in Triple-A while they started useless dead weight like Aaron Hicks before finally releasing him in May. Holding onto Hicks for so long was a huge mistake, and now we get to wonder if hiding Florial was also.

Here we are in September and the writing is still on the wall. Florial won't get a shot, and Aaron Boone knows it too. He just won't come out and speak the truth. He won't say anything right now, especially if it could mean saving his job even though he sucks at it. He was asked by reporters why Florial wasn't called up when Hicks was released, and this was his weak answer:

"Yeah, he definitely deserved it. I don’t think any of us would question his talent and it’s been good to see him go out and really put together a strong season," Boone said HERE. "Look, he’s been in the conversation honestly for a long time now because he has had a strong year. Some of it’s been complicated by not being on the 40-man anymore."

I stand by what I said before, WEAK. Weak manager, weak puppet, weak everything so this shouldn't surprise anyone. The Yankees could've given him a shot. The lack of a 40-man roster spot is just hot garbage because Willie Calhoun, Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney were non-roster outfielders who were added to the 40-man roster. Boone's "it's complicated" answer is just hot garbage.

Don't be fooled by it. Florial's one stand-out weakness this season has been his strikeout rate. His .280 average, 24 homers, 69 RBI, 23 steals, and 63 walks in 94 games were all upgrades for the Yankees, especially when you compared his stats with what the Yankees were doing every game. They didn't love his 30% strikeout rate. I don't love it either, but if the guy in your system is succeeding in Triple-A, why not give him a shot? Only answer is they gave up on a 25-year-old kid. They didn't believe in him.

They didn't believe in him. That's all it comes down to. Instead, they believed in Hicks for 8 years and held onto him for so long stupidly. This organization has no intelligence or logic. I don't think Florial was the answer to our prayers, but he could've helped more than Hicks and that I am confident in.

Florial will be a minor-league free agent at the end of the season, and he will sign with another team. This new team will give him more of an opportunity than the Yankees ever did. When he gets that new opportunity, I hope he succeeds and shoves it in the Yankees face. He deserves it.

Florial will be "the one that got away" all because the Yankees screwed up. That's the truth, Boone. It's not complicated.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

NOT A JOKE: OHTANI LINKED TO THE YANKEES

Source: Associated Press

The Yankees of September look very different than the Yankees of July and August. They have rookie talent and cut loose dead weight. I almost don't know who is playing where and even who is who. But when I think September, at least this September, I think, what can we do in the off season to recover, restore and build a team that can win in 2024? Shohei Ohtani might well be impressed by the Yankees Baby Bombers giving Houston a tough time in Minute Maid Park. Maybe impressed enough to consider a cross country flight to the front office to talk turkey and make a new home in the Bronx.

Source: Associated Press

"Ohtani -- when fully healthy -- would fill both of the Yankees' biggest holes on the roster. The superstar may not be able to pitch in 2024 but even if he can't, would still be a massive lift for the Yankees. Ohtani has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season and has slashed .307/.411/.661 to go along with a league-leading 44 home runs, eight triples, 26 doubles, 86 walks, and 95 RBIs," reported Sports Illustrated.

The Yankees look like a different team in Space City. Is it the youth? Is it that they don't have the pressure on them to perform? I have no idea what is happening, but I wish this could have happened two months ago. It's this kind of persistence that we need to have in place if Ohtani is going to be enticed to spend the next part of his career in New York.

"New York likely will be one of the busiest teams in baseball this offseason. The Yankees currently are in last place in the American League East with a surprising 66-69 record but are a solid move or two away from moving back toward contention in 2024. New York has dealt with a plethora of injuries and inconsistent play this season, but is loaded with talent and now has some of the most exciting prospects in baseball getting a shot at the big-league level," reported Sports Illustrated.

The contenders will be fierce for Ohtani with the Yankees' crosstown rivals very much in the mix with Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners. But if Ohtani wants to be a part of something special, like Aaron Judge chose, and if he sees possibilities in New York, he could be in pinstripes come fall. 

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

FINALLY! STEINBRENNER BLAMES CASHMAN FOR HIS LOUSY TEAM BUILDING STRATEGY!

Do be a good leader, you need to admit the organization's shortcomings.  Gaslighting and lying and acting like bad stuff didn't happen when the entire baseball world can see it is no way to run a baseball team is no way to win. 

Admit failure, look at the big picture and come up with a strategy to build a future.  Hal Steinbrenner is not his father, this is true, but what he does have is a demeanor about him where he can sit back, assess the situation and come back with an honest assessment and potential fix. Cashman is not good at this, but talks a good game to the press... kind of like his puppet Boone.  Alot of words... no solution. 

The Yankees sucked a week ago, this is true, but the tide has turned and that's a testament to the guys we did NOT trade. And for that, he throws Brian Cashman under the bus. The guy who want's instant fixes and relies too much on big names with no talent.  Guys like Joey Gallo. Guys like Frankie Montas, a hurt pitcher before he even came to the Yankees organization, but a pitcher we took anyway due to no one paying attention in our organization.

The AP writes:

"We’ll learn a lot in September and we’ll learn a lot in the spring,” Steinbenner told The Associated Press as he left the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa on Thursday. “That’s why I didn’t want to trade these guys away at the trade deadline. We’ve traded away too many guys the last few years. So, I think it will be exciting.”

What does this tell you? It tells you that Cashman's on notice. Whether the guy gets canned is another story, but for now, Hal is saying "Cashman blew it. I acknowledge it, and I like the way I feel right now as the Yankees leader seeing these kids bring an energy I haven't seen since 1996."

The AP also quoted Cashman:

"“I think we’re all going to be evaluated, including myself,” Cashman said."

Cashman needs to be the dog with his tail between his legs these days.  He needs to worry about losing his job. As Empire Sports Media writes:

"Take Frankie Montas, Joey Gallo, and Josh Donaldson as prime examples of these failed transactions. Montas hasn’t thrown a single inning for the Yankees this year. Donaldson was just cut loose after posting a meager .142 batting average and a .225 OBP across 34 games. Meanwhile, Gallo, who was expected to bring some serious power to the lineup, was shipped off to the Los Angeles Dodgers after accumulating a troublingly high strikeout rate during his stint in the Bronx."

The bottom line is things need to change, and with new life, young energy and a winning streak from the New York Yankees right now with the kids... Dominguez and company... one thing is for certain.  Take a page from the late Stick Michael... "stick" with the youth, DEVELOP THE FARM and let's go win.

BABY BOMBER IS AN INSTANT SENSATION IN YANKEES SEPTEMBER CALL UP!

At least for the moment, we have forgotten how horrible the Yankees season has been.

Last night was fun. It was fun for a change as the Yankees won, but more than that, the Martian, Jasson Dominguez showed us all why he was called up.  Yes, part of the reason was that the Yankees have sucked and he was replacing Harrison Bader who was claimed off waivers by the Reds, but the other reason was because of his raw power.  The Yankees won 6-2 and Yankee Twitter went crazy.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW, JASSON DOMÍNGUEZ‼️

1 swing, 1 homer 😤

(via @Yankees)pic.twitter.com/QucVHxfewo

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 2, 2023

Wild!

And ESPN writes:

"At 20 years, 206 days old, Domínguez became the youngest Yankees player to homer in his first career game. He was the first Yankees player to go deep in his initial big league at-bat since Aaron Judge on Aug. 13, 2016.

Additionally, it was just the second time a player homered off a reigning Cy Young Award winner in his first at-bat, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The other was Marcus Thames -- also for the Yankees -- on June 10, 2002, off Randy Johnson."

That's a lot of information but this is the next Yankee generation, folks. Let's hope he doesn't disappear like Kevin Maas when all the teams figured out that he couldn't hit anything but a fastball.

Congrats the Jasson.  Congrats to the Yankees. Now just keep it going so we can salvage this season!

MIGUEL ANDUJAR GETS ANOTHER SHOT IN THE BIGS!

It's a small story, but an important one only because it's just another guy that the Yankees had down on the farm and got rid of.  It's Miguel Andujar who's with the Pittsburgh Pirates now.

Fastball on Fan Nation writes:

"As rosters expand to start the month of September, the Pittsburgh Pirates are giving former New York Yankees young star Miguel Andujar another chance in the big leagues...

The 28-year-old has hit .338 in Triple-A this season with 16 home runs and 86 RBI. He's certainly worth the flier for a Pittsburgh team that is 61-73 and in fourth place in the National League Central."

If anything, you have to admire his courage and resilience. Never give up baby!