WILL THE DOMINOES FALL THE YANKEES WAY?

Source: AP

Mathematically, the Yankees still have a chance of making the playoffs. Very slight chance, but there is a chance. I feel obligated to watch the Yankees even though they are the same old, same old team—win some games, lose just as many. I guess I just want them to wake up and go on a tear. So the big question is, "will the dominoes fall the Yankees way?"

"According to baseball-reference.com, the Yankees had a 0.1 percent chance of making the playoffs Monday morning. ESPN liked their chances three times as much: 0.3 percent. And FanGraphs — in a clearly shameless play for more Yankee-fan subscribers — had them all the way up at 0.4 percent," wrote The New York Post before Tuesday night's loss against Toronto. 

And in grand Yankee fashion, they face an AL East rival at home and lose. They can't manufacture runs. And honestly if I could have three Isiah Kiner-Falefas on this team, I would take them. IKF works hard, plays every position and never gives up. But even his efforts are dimming as the Yankee's season slips away.

"The math is what the math is. They’re still going to play games for 13 more days. So here is a look at what the Yankees almost certainly have to do with the 12 games they have left:

1. Go 5-1 against the Jays.

2. Take two of three from the Diamondbacks, in town this weekend.

3. Sweep the Royals, who still have a good chance to lose 110 games.

That’s 10-2. That’s hard. But that’s the kind of streak the Yankees need now, minimum," reported The Post.

The Yankees have had their bout of bad luck this season, hard knocks if you will. Unfortunate injuries, long stints to the IL, quiet bats, pitching woes, and mismanagement of players pretty much sum up 2023. And Tuesday's 9th inning just shows you that the Yankees are incapable of helping themselves. So, no the dominoes won't fall the Yankees way. They simply don't have even pieces to level up and beat the odds.

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

DON'T SLEEP ON THE "LEFTY AARON JUDGE"

Spencer Jones is gonna be something in the Bronx.  Add him to the mix of the youth movement and 2024 will be spectacular.  He's working his way up the farm system pretty quickly!

Now I hate comparisons, but that's how the Yankees do it, they find ways for the Media to help in their marketing and phrasing and the next thing you know, we're all saying things like he's the next Lefty Aaron Judge. But the fact of the matter is this guy is a stud on his own. He doesn't need the label. How about he's just Spencer Jones, the stud?

Empire Sports Media writes:

"Jones has generated so much buzz that some experts are already ranking him as the Yankees’ top prospect despite the rapid ascent of Jasson Dominguez. Currently, Jones is fine-tuning his skills in Double-A with Somerset, where he has played 17 games. Over this limited sample, he boasts a .261 batting average, a .333 OBP, three home runs, 10 RBIs, and eight stolen bases."

This September the kid's been on a surge too. The Bottom line... if this kid can stay healthy, we are gonna see him by mid-season in 2024 adding him to the mix with the rest of the youth movement, led by Aaron Judge... and damn that will be fun.

2023 sucks right now folks, but don't sleep on Jones... big things coming!

THE YANKEES NEVER LEARN, DO THEY?

In an unusual story by Empire Sports Media (and many others), there's an idea out there that the same player that lied to them about his health, and the same player the Yankees brought over to the team without truly doing a real physical of any kind, might be considered a player that could return to the Yankees in 2024 when the season's over in 2023. I'm not kidding.  That's right, slug Frankie Montas may still have a career with the Yankees... it's something the Yanks are mulling over according to reports.

Read this:

"There’s a compelling case to be made that the Yankees could benefit from re-signing either Severino or Montas to a budget-friendly, one-year contract. While letting Severino test free agency could offer him a much-needed change of scenery, the Yankees might be looking to salvage any lingering value in Frankie Montas....

Montas recently began a rehab assignment and made quite an impression, surrendering just one earned run and one hit over an inning while striking out two batters. He was efficient, needing only 17 pitches and landing 10 strikes. If Montas can string together a few more promising rehab performances, the Yankees might be willing to offer him a cost-effective extension to bolster the tail end of their rotation."

What happened to integrity, Mr. Cashman? What happened to holding grudges when guys lie about their abilities? Montas is trash.  Look, you want to re-sign Luis Severino to one year, a home-grown guy who just had a bad season, I can see that. Milk him for everything he's got. I can't see bending over and offering Montas anything.

But we will see what happens.  Look, the Yankees will need a 5th starter at this point.  A one-year deal is all it would be... that's a handful of starts.  The Yankees are big when it comes to trying to find lightning in a bottle.  Why they are choosing the Montas bottle is beyond me, but let's see what happens next.  Ultimately, I feel like it would be a huge mistake.

BADER IN A FAMILIAR PLACE AGAIN & IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM

Quick note, but one we heard about a lot when Harrison Bader was with the Yankees. Bader, who is now on the Cincinnati Reds, has been placed on the IL.

Rotoballer writes:

"The Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder Harrison Bader (groin) on the 10-day injured list on Monday with a right-groin strain. ... Bader injured himself on Sunday against the New York Mets and will most likely miss the rest of the regular season. ... If Bader's season is over, he'll finish 2023 with a disappointing .232/.274/.348 slash line with seven homers, 40 RBI, a career-high 20 steals and 44 runs scored in 98 games with the Yanks and Reds."

Get well soon buddy... we're still Bader fans over here at Bleeding Yankee Blue!

THE YANKEES HAVE THEIR EYE ON THIS STARTING STUD PITCHER THAT EVERYONE WANTS!

The Yankees better start thinking about next season, because the Yankees have some big holes and not a lot of top end talent available. Hal Steinbrenner has promised to take a "deep dive" and really study how the Yankees operate. IF he plans to use new resources to spend money, he won't have the cream of the crop to choose from.

The Yankees have been awful offensively for a long time. They definitely need to balance out their lineup and that means adding some left-handed hitters in the lineup for sure. That has to get done for sure but.... what about the pitching?

The Yankees have at least two starters they need to replace. The writing is on the wall, Luis Severino isn't coming back and neither is Domingo German. It's time to move on but there isn't a lot of great free agents out there, assuming Hal wants to trust Brian Cashman to just throw more money into a free agent and hope it magically fixes the problem.

Every team is going to be checking in on Shohei Ohtani, regardless of the fact that he won't be pitching in 2024. The Yankees will check in because we check in on every big-name free agent, but I feel confident saying Ohtani will not be wearing pinstripes. That is the motherload of all longshots. It's out there.... he doesn't want to play for the Yankees, and he prefers to stay on the west coast. Mark this off the list.

So who is available? The other names on the list aren't super exciting, check it out HERE. Some of the biggest names out there are Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray. Let's just cross Gray off the list (been there done that) and I'm not excited about Snell. Nola has finished top five in Cy Young voting twice in his career, so that top end starter potential the Yankees need is there. He was a big reason why the Phillies were able to make it to the World Series, and he could be an instant upgrade to our rotation. 2023 hasn't been a great season for him, but he is still a workhorse and should get plenty of attention this winter. The Yankees will check in on Nola too but....is this it?

No, there's another option. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the new Japanese superstar that is on every MLB team's radar right now. The Orix Buffaloes will reportedly post their ace this off-season, and several teams are getting ready to pounce, read more HERE. There's a lot to like about Yamamoto's resume: 

"He was Japan’s Pacific League MVP in 2021 with a 1.39 ERA, including 206 strikeouts in 193.2 innings. In 2022, Yamamoto lowered his ERA to 1.65. And this year, his ERA is down to a ridiculous 1.26 as of last week, while averaging a strikeout an inning."

He could be the game changer in the rotation that the Yankees are looking for. Sure, the Yankees signed Carlos Rodon last winter thinking he would fill that role, but he hasn't yet. Maybe Yamamoto can and maybe he will. Oh and, considering that Cashman and advisor Omar Manaya flew to Japan to watch him pitch a no-hitter on September 9th, the Yankees may decide the other free agents are Plan B and go all in on Yamamoto.

Will the Yankees take another splash on a Japanese pitcher? Maybe, and maybe their success with Masahiro Tanaka could help steer Yamamoto to wear pinstripes. I hope that could be an advantage, but the Red Sox are also interested, and they have their own Japanese success stories to brag about.

I don't know what the Yankees are going to do.... but the Yankees need pitching depth and Yamamoto looks pretty enticing. Now the challenge is, can the Yankees persuade him to land here after this disastrous season? That's a real and scary question.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WILL THE YANKEES SAY GOODBYE TO DJ LEMAHIEU IN 2024?

Source: AP

So, many will say, DJ LeMahieu is the glue on this team. I would agree that statement two years ago. But now, there is no glue on the Yankees. One could argue that Aaron Judge or perhaps Gerrit Cole hold that spot, but not LeMahieu. So this begs the question, will the Yankees part ways with DJ LeMahieu next season.

"It would be a tough departure for the Yankees organization and fan base should they lose their two-time silver slugger. LeMahieu has been around for several playoff runs and has been a clutch hitter in that time. However, it is clear that his career is on the decline and his best days may be behind him. Waiving LeMahieu would be hard to justify unless there’s a plan for a replacement, but trading the 35-year-old for a substantial package to a World Series contender may be the best route for Cashman who will be looking to squeeze as much value out of this roster as he can," reported Sports Illustrated.

Source: NY Times

LeMahieu is batting .243 with 15 home runs and 43 RBIs this season. That is a far cry from his stand out season in 2019 when he hit 26 home runs, 102 RBIs and batted .327. He has sustained a long term injury to his toe which has impacted his playing time in 2022, and one could say he is still laboring with it today. 

"Based on his production over the last three seasons and the 45 million still owed to him over the next three seasons, it is fair to say that LeMahieu won’t command the same return that he may have once commanded. A young prospect, a depth piece and some cash could be the package that New York would receive for the star," reported Sports Illustrated. 

The Yankees may have missed the opportunity to trade LeMahieu at the trade deadline this year. According to NJ.com, "The Yankees probably could have moved DJ LeMahieu, a .220 hitter at the All-Star break while insisting he wasn’t hurt. The two-time batting champ was following a down season with his worst ever, but his infield play at third, second and first was still above average. Also, a change of scenery perhaps could have sparked better hitting from an old pro who has been a beloved teammate everywhere he’s been."

Bottom line, as evidenced by the strong line up Baby Bombers, the Yankees need to get younger. Guys like LeMahieu have added value, but it may be time for them to move on if the Yankees are going contend in 2024 and beyond. It may be time to part ways with our beloved DJ and other aging players for the good of the team. It may be the only way they have a chance to win again. 

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

IF RODON'S MAKING A STATEMENT TO FALL IN FAVOR WITH YANKEE FANS, I'M ALL IN!

I'm a Carlos Rodon guy.  I am not one of these people that get butthurt when he blows Yankee fans a kiss.  I know this guy's a gamer. I know he can handle New York.  You have to cut the guy a little slack because he was hurt coming into the season and then hit the IL again during the season.  But one thing is for sure, if we all saw him in Fenway, he's coming into his own as a bad ass in the Bronx. And speaking of that... how about that uniform he wore in Fenway... with no Starr Insurance Patch on it.

I have to tell you, I didn't notice at all, until I saw and article by Thomas Carannante from Yanks go Yard.  Turns out his uni didn't have the patch on it.  And it appears that it was Bryan Hoch that blew the lid off it.

Carlos Rodon is wearing a throwback Yankees jersey tonight. Throwback to pre-All Star break 2023, that is. No Starr Insurance patch.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) September 13, 2023

Now of course this will probably be some kind of fine or something, but apparently it wasn't the first time he's messed with it. Yanks go Yard writes:

"Back in late July in a start against the Mets, Rodón kept pulling up his sleeve, which covered up the patch. After the veteran caught wind if what everyone thought he was doing, he claimed he had no idea he was covering the patch."

Now here's the thing, if these are subtle olive branch moments he's using to communicate with Yankee fans as if to say "I'm with you guys, this patch sucks!", I'm all for it. He's a rebel, a tough guy... a dude that doesn't take direction from the man... whatever. I like it.

Look, the rules when it comes to sponsorship is pretty strict, not sure if he's been approached internally or if no one's noticed, but for us fans who hate the Starr insurance patch on that beautiful uniform, it's a breath of fresh air.

There's one thing he could try... to simply say that it rubs on his arm and it's uncomfortable when he pitches, or it feels different on delivery or something.  Yanks don't want to mess with this guy on the mound so maybe they could make an exception.  Maybe, maybe not, but it's worth a shot.  But for now, keep using the throwback Carlos... cause whatever you're doing, it's working.

THAT ALEK MANOAH VS GERRIT COLE FEUD JUST GOT INTERESTING AGAIN!

You don't have to be a Yankee fan (or a hater) to be drawn into this story, you just need to be a baseball fan. Do you remember the Alek Manoah and Gerrit Cole drama from last season? Well, it's back and Cole just might have the last laugh....maybe.

In case you forgot, in an interview Manoah was asked who the worst cheater in baseball history was, and his response was Cole, you can read more and even listen to his interview HERE. If you don't want to listen to the whole clip or even read about it all you really need to read is one sentence:

“He used a lot of sticky stuff to make his pitches better, and he kind of got called out on it." --Alek Manoah

Okay, Manoah you have the right to your opinion but for the record you were asked who the worst cheater is in baseball history and your answer just sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. There are some much bigger names that cheated in baseball's extensive history. Cole doesn't even crack my top 10 names. I guess he forgot about Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez and Jose Canseco just to name a few. What about the 2017 Houston Astros? Talk about a large-scale cheating scandal.

But I digress. I was looking forward to 2023 because I was really hoping to watch these two try and outpitch each other in a division race this year, but that never happened. Even if the Yankees did not tank this season and let's pretend the Yankees were in the hunt.... we wouldn't see Manoah take the mound because he quit!

Manoah has left the stadium ladies and gentlemen, read more HERE. Manoah has regressed since last season, and his 3-9 record and 5.87 ERA has earned him two demotions this season down to Triple-A Buffalo. He was demoted to Triple-A after his last start on August 10th and failed to report for two weeks. He had physical testing done before returning to Buffalo to make sure he was healthy, but then had some additional testing done last week. No concerns were found in any of his tests, but he has not been throwing since his last start. With only 2 weeks left in the Triple-A season, he will not be able to ramp back up again and be available, if he were to be called back up to Toronto.

So basically, homeboy quit. He quit on his team. He had a lot to say last year when he was on the top of his game. So after one year of success, he is back down in Triple-A and can't handle it. Typical. The guy who finished third last season in Cy Young voting has crumbled, while Cole could very well be this year's winner. Funny how that works out.

I wish we would've had the pitching duel I mentioned earlier, so we could see this play out where it mattered but I guess we will have to wait for next season. The baseball fan in me wanted to see two potential Cy Young candidates settle this on the mound. It would be more enjoyable to see though with Cole as the reigning winner.

So, Manoah... you quit, and you definitely got called out on it. You can think about that as you sit and watch from your couch.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE 2023 YANKEES ARE SIMPLY CURSED!

Seriously. Michael Kay just said if the Yankees can pull out a victory in the second of two games against the Red Sox, the Yankees will be tied for last place in the AL East. Is that what we are striving for these days? Not being last? It is that bad. We have reached rock bottom. We just need to cruise into the October and move on. There is nothing else to do because the 2023 Yankees are simply cursed.

As a friend shared with me in text message Tuesday afternoon, "It is not safe to wear a New York uniform." And I know he was referring to more than just the Yankees. Just in the last couple of days, The New York Football Giants got blanked 40-0 on national television by the Dallas Cowboys, The New York Jets quarterback and future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in less than five minutes into Monday's game against the Buffalo Bills and we lost our favorite Martian, Jasson Dominguez to a UCL tear, requiring season ending surgery. The phrase "out for the season" is likely the most common phrase used to describe the New York Yankees this year. 

In fact, the Yankees lost 4 impact players to season-ending injuries in a week. Guys like Luis Severino, and Jonathan Loaisiga just joined the IL and are listed as out for the season status, but they are part of a laundry list of players who won't see beyond the dugout until next spring. You can see the entire roster of Yankee IL players here. 

Aaron Boone sounded off his frustration with the latest injury to Loaisiga who has chronically visited the IL over the last several seasons. “Every season has been interrupted,” Boone said after the Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Red Sox in Game 1 of their doubleheader. “When he’s going well, it’s as good as there is because he’s efficient, he’s got great stuff, he can get both handed out, he can go one-plus [innings] for you, he can fill any role, whether it’s closing out a game or in the biggest spots. When he’s going good, I don’t know if there’s much better in the league, frankly. But his seasons have been interrupted pretty much every year,” reported NJ.com.

But if not him, you can go down the laundry list of IL offenders and get more and more frustrated. Are the Yankees actually made of glass? It seems like when you hustle you pay dearly as we saw with Aaron Judge in the early part of the season. Then there are those who visit the IL every season consistently, quite frankly Anthony Rizzo is an offender there as well. 

I have to say, this season, above all of the others has been the worst for the Yankees. Unless something changes with their strength and conditioning, or whatever is causing this curse, the Yankees are doomed. You can blame the front office for many things, but injuries fall on bad luck, not being fit enough to sustain innings across a long season, athletes overextending themselves, poor conditioning, we can keep going. An athlete's body sustains a lot of impact night after night on the field, flight after flight, and many sleeps in different places and spaces. Unless there is good recovery protocols and opportunities to maintain healthy routines, injuries are more prone to happen. Seems fixable, but why isn't the team listening?

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

RODON COMING INTO HIS OWN!

Carlos Rodon has hardly been dominant this season for the Yankees. And starting the season on the IL and then visiting it again during the season doesn't exactly help his chances to fall into good graces when it comes to us Yankee fans.  New York Fans in general want success and dominance out of their players. It's just the way it is.  Rodon knows this, and he's talked publicly about it.  He knows we want wins.  He also knows that he started off terribly blowing a kiss to us early on. Yankee fans hold grudges. He learned that the hard way. He wants us to love him again.

Now last night against the Red Sox he proved dominant. Gotta give this guy that!  He showed us all the reason why we wanted him in the first place. He's coming into his own... right at the end of the season mind you, but he is.

There's some speculation that he made another gesture and of course fans that hold grudges can't let go.  He made a shush gesture and then appeared to make a gesture to suggest the player or teammate or ump or fans to "stop it". Check this out:

rodon lays an egg and wants to shush people after a strikeout. he’s becoming so unlikable lol pic.twitter.com/3PDF9kDT27

— Aaron Cornielle (@AaronCornielle) September 12, 2023

Now look, Let's be honest here. The "egg" he laid according to the tweeter was giving up a homer to the Red Sox early on.  What happened next was Rodon settled in, struck out 9 and the Yankees won 2 against the Sox. That tweet didn't age well. The video however is gold.

Look, this is not a pennant race... it's just a game at this point, but the fact of the matter is that was the Rodon we have all been waiting for.

And so, the gesture? Who cares.  

What we need is players that stay healthy and win.  If we can have that consistently from our guys, I don't care what gesture they make. 

Way to bring it back Carlos!

DEEP DIVE THAT YANKEE TRAINING STAFF, HAL! ANOTHER PLAYER TO THE IL!

Really! What is happening with the Yankees and their injuries?  And I will ask this question again... Is anyone keeping an eye on how these players are playing the game? Anyone checking in on them?  Anyone know why the injuries keep on piling up?  

The latest injured player is Jonathan Loaisiga.  Inside the Pinstripes writes:

" Loaisiga was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. This will likely knock him out for the rest of the season.

This news comes after the Yankees placed fellow relievers Ian Hamilton (groin) and Keynan Middleton (shoulder inflammation) on the IL, which will also likely keep them out for the rest of the season."

What blows me away is how often the injuries occur. Within days of each other.  

Now Steinbrenner has mentioned he wants to do a deep dive in every Yankee department this off season and I can't wait for that to begin.  Will it actually happen? I think it will. Look for a hot second the Yankees were thrilled that the kids came up and won a handful of games. it made everyone forget about all this garbage. But once Dominguez got hurt too, they were suddenly like "Well, back to reality. We suck and a lot of guys are still hurt."  Reality set in.

And so... a lot of work needs to go into improving the Yankees this off season.  Alot of personnel needs to be fired. Alot of new, smart people need to come in and do a better job.  And most importantly, that medical and training staff of theirs needs to be revamped.  Why? Cause it's a major problem, that's why.

Get well soon Loaisiga. We need you big guy.

SEEING HOW THE YANKEES IMPLODED THIS YEAR, THE LAST THING WE NEED IS THIS GUY!

I liked Mike Trout as a young player, but these days he's just hurt all the time and seems older than 31 years old. Don't get me wrong, I know the Yankees need an outfielder, but taking a chance on Mike Trout when we are riddled with injury already would be absolutely ridiculous.  Yet, it's being floated out there a lot, mostly because it's Mike Trout and because the Yankees stink.  Click bait here we go...

Inside the Pinstripes writes:

"Los Angeles Angels superstar outfielder Mike Trout reportedly could become available through trade this upcoming offseason if he asks to be dealt, according to USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale.

"The Los Angeles Angels, perhaps for the first time, are open to trading All-Star outfielder Mike Trout if he indicates to them that he wants out," Nightengale said. "Trout has exclusive no-trade rights and said recently that he wants to have a private conversation with the front office and ownership about their direction."

If Trout actually were to become available, he would make plenty of sense for New York. The 11-time All-Star is one of the best players in and is just 31 years old. Although he has dealt with injuries in recent years, when he is healthy, he still arguably is the best player in baseball. He still has over $240 million left on his contract over the next seven years, but that deal could be somewhat comparable to what Bellinger will receive this offseason."

With all due respect, the idea of Trout on the Yankees with that money attached to him and the idea that he could be hurt every moment scares the hell out of me.  The writer loves the idea of Trout in pinstripes, but have we not learned anything with guys like Giancarlo Stanton or DJ LeMahieu or Josh Donaldson.  Sure Trout is only 31, but he still gets hurt... A LOT. I mean, look at Aaron Judge? We just signed him to that enormous contract, but do you really think for a second that he will fulfill his commitment putting up great numbers for all those years? I love Judge, but it's just not realistic.

To be honest, I like the idea of Cody Bellinger on the Yankees instead. A .317 average right now... 25 home runs and he's turned it around from the Dodgers years where he stalled after his MVP season of 2019.  He's a solid, energetic player that would be useful on the Yankees and he's 27.  The price tag would be big, but this is where Cashman needs to earn his paycheck and make the right deal.

Look, the Yankees need to fix a lot, but I have to say, it's not the players as much as it is the management and front office.  We have the right guys, we just have bad leaders, a terrible coaching staff and a horrendous medical staff.  If you don't give your players what they need to perform, they're not gonna do too well. I firmly believe this, I do.

We will have to see how the month of September shakes out, but trust me, change is coming to the Bronx. Strap in.