Brian Cashman addressed reporters, including The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, for the first time following the Yankees’ ALCS defeat to the Houston Astros. Cashman’s future was among the topics discussed, but the GM also took time to provide some insight on various areas of the playing roster.
Aaron Judge’s future with the organization will be the biggest question heading into the off-season, and Cashman says the team would ideally get a deal done soon if they’re to re-sign him. Judge is a strong favorite for AL MVP after hitting 62 home runs and posting a .311/.425/.686 slash line. A worst case scenario for the Yankees would be for them to miss out on Judge after his free agency drags long into the off-season and likely replacements have since signed elsewhere, so it makes sense that Cashman would prefer business to be completed swiftly.
“He’s gonna dictate the dance steps to his free agency because he’s earned the right to get there,” Cashman said. “We’ll see how it plays out. He’s the most important. If he came in here today and said, ‘I’m signing up. Let’s go,’ there’s still work to be done.”
Cashman wouldn’t offer much insight into the process, offering a “no comment” when asked if the Yankees and Judge had engaged in discussion since the end of the season. He also noted it’s more of a decision for Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner as well. Cashman’s clearly stated he wants Judge back, but the ultimate decision will land at Steinbrenner’s feet as to how big of a contract he’s willing to hand out.
DJ LeMahieu struggled with a foot injury late in the regular season and wound up missing the entire post-season. The Yankees haven’t settled on a path forward for managing that injury in the off-season, but surgery remains on the table. LeMahieu posted a .261./.357/.377 line with 12 home runs this season, well short of the MVP-level offensive output he produced for the Yankees during 2019-20. The Yankees will hope a full recovery from the injury will allow LeMahieu to post better offensive numbers, but he’ll also turn 35 in 2023 and it’s perhaps unreasonable to expect much bounceback for the veteran. With four years and $60MM remaining on his contract, he’ll certainly be back in pinstripes though, but just where he fits in is up in the air and may depend on how the off-season plays out.
LeMahieu’s played plenty of first base with the Yankees, but that’s become less of a need since Anthony Rizzo joined the team last season. It’s already been reported that Rizzo is expected to decline his $16MM player option for 2023. It’s not much of a surprise given Rizzo had a strong season and is expected to benefit from shift restrictions next year. Cashman stated the Yankees will seek to re-sign Rizzo if he opts out. That could come in the form of a qualifying offer, but it seems likely Rizzo would decline that in favor of a multi-year deal.
The left side of the infield drew plenty of criticism throughout the season, and particularly during the playoffs, but Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are both controlled for 2023. Donaldson is owed $21.75MM while Kiner-Falefa is into his final year of arbitration and is predicted to make $6.5MM per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Donaldson ranked eighth among qualified third basemen in Outs Above Average, but scuffled with the bat, hitting just .222/.308/.374 with 15 home runs. Kiner-Falefa was never expected to be a major offensive contributor, but defensive metrics were mixed on his glove work at shortstop, ranging from 28th in Outs Above Average to seventh in Defensive Runs Saved. While a change at third might be tricky given Donaldson’s significant salary, Cashman’s left the door open for change at shortstop, particularly given the impressive showing rookies Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza made down the stretch. The Yankees also have top prospect Anthony Volpe getting close to the majors.
“I think Kiner was along the lines of what we expected,” Cashman said. “It gave us an opportunity to bridge the gap while the kids continued to develop because everybody in the industry, fans and teams alike, recognize that we have some pretty impactful prospects that we’re developing and needed some more time.”
In other bits of info from Cashman’s press conference, he said he wouldn’t discuss trading players but noted that outfielder Aaron Hicks would be back and that the team felt he still had something to offer. Hicks hit .216/.330/.313 in his age-32 campaign, and has $30.4MM and at least three years remaining on his contract. It’s worth adding here that manager Aaron Boone said today he wants to utilize Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield a couple of times a week next season. Stanton has largely played as a designated hitter of late, but factoring him into the outfield depth chart more regularly would affect Hicks’ playing time.
The Yankees are also hoping to bring back pitching coach Matt Blake. Hired out of Cleveland after the Yankees parted ways with Larry Rothschild in 2019, Blake is out of contract. The Yankees ranked third in the majors in team ERA with a 3.30 mark this year, behind only the Dodgers and Astros.
Waiting for Yankee Clipper and YBC’s predictions/take on the Yanks for next year…
No comment!
Trumbo: My concerns rest in Cashman’s belief that the Yankees are good enough as is. There two major problems with that sentiment:
1) Aaron Judge carried this team and needed a once-in-a-lifetime season to do it; not to mention he may be gone next season, and
2) Yankees, even with DJ and Benny, are not as good as the Astros.
The Yankees keep trying to be “just good enough” so they can be the best team while saving as much money as possible, and it’s a formula that doesn’t work. They need to just go for it, address their weaknesses, and put themselves in the best position to win.
As they sit, if they acquire who they want with Judge, Rizzo, Sevy, they will be good, but not good enough. The Astros & Blue Jays will be better than the Yankees. The Rays will compete with them & the Guardians *almost defeated* the Yankees (and not by luck*
So, what the Yanks classify as bad luck, we see as poor roster construction and planning. Bottom line: Cashman is a good GM but out of touch with reality. Boone is a disaster and should be nowhere near the manager position. But next year will be a recycled, older, not as good version of ‘22’s team, imo.
Amen, Brother!!!
Cleanest version of “They Are Going To Screw The Pooch” I’ve ever heard.
With all due respect to your glass is half empty Yankee Clipper, a little perspective;
-The Astros got major contributions from their entire roster across the board this season…..especially with both their starting and relief staff….they all had career years……we all know that relief pitching is a fleeting thing so lets see how those same guys stack up next year before hailing them as the next juggernaut in baseball……
– They got very lucky with a rookie at short….lets se what he does next year before hailing him as the next Arod
– As far as the BlueJays, they’ll have to prove they can shore up their weaknesses before vaulting them in front of the Yankees…..young and athletic just isn’t good enough in the AL East.
– The offense can’t rely solely on Judge, and there certainly is a question as to whether the Yankees will be able to re-sign him.
– The elimination of he shift next year will help both clubs offensively and put more emphasis on defense which the Yankees can match, especially with Peraza at short
– They’ll need more more contact driven offense going forward which might be helped by signing Beni etc.
– The Yankee bullpen will need some re-construction, but Cash has always proven to be pretty good at finding essential pieces to
– Overall, the Yankees have some work cut out for them especially considering the possible changes not signing Judge will force, but take away Verlander, Gurriel, and have that bullpen come down to earth, while the Yankees sign Judge, Beni, Rizzo, Taillon, make the change with Peraza at short and come up with a bullpen piece here and there…..you’ve got a pretty competitive series competition wise……my glass is half full scenario.
As fans, maybe we just don’t understand how GM’s posture and really negotiate…..would it help for Cash to get in front of all of us and declare that he’s in panic mode….no, much better to deal from strength than declaring the Yankees are in Titanic mode and need major changes to compete……Boone, well I’ve never been a fan but considering the alternatives…..until there is something obvious here, why not…..
Rocky7: I hope you’re right. Gradually, I have become more pessimistic in my outlook on the Yankees with Cashman running the roster construction under Hal’s self-imposed budget.
You bring up a lot of valid points and it may very well play out that way – I sure hope it does. I’m thankful for the optimistic Yankee fans because it’s easy to see where the failures are and focus on those. I do think the Yankees can do a lot more than what they are though. I appreciate the convo.
Rocky7 – I agree. And appreciate the optimism. The team was the absolute best in baseball for the first 2 months nearly half of the season. They collapsed in August and still had the best record in their division.
You didn’t finish the bullpen conversation, but agreed, Cashman does well constructing a bullpen, you can’t plan for a Chapman or all of the injuries.
The elimination of he shift next year will help both clubs offensively
================================
The Yankees don’t really have any LH that are being penalized by the shift. They have Rizzo, but he just opted out. They have Hicks, who is a SH, and probably not a starter. The BJ have no lefty starting hitter.
Yanks with DJ and Benintendi in the line-up might have won, along with King, Effross, Marinaccio and others. The fact is the Astros were the best team at the end of the year, and the Dodgers were the second best team. The Mets and Braves were close. If you look at all these teams, the Astros played agains’t the weakest competition and had less injuries, and rested their pitching. All these teams should be in the mix next year, while others are not a shoe in to make the playoffs.
Slider: Yeah, their competition is something to consider, and that is going to change next year too. I agree that those guys could’ve made a difference, so I didn’t mean to imply they were useless. But, I believe even with Benny & DJ the Astros are still a more complete team. I guess a big part of that for me is history too: the Yankees have yet to show they can beat the Astros in the past…. 7 or 8 seasons.
If Judge goes I am curious what the backup plan is though. They aren’t getting a SS, which is clear.
Teams change so much every year, how you did in past years really doesn’t mean much. Baseball has 5 new teams on average making the playoffs every year. Many young players know nothing about the past 8 years. I’m sure Cashman has a good plan if Judge goes elsewhere. They might go get a big SS, and add another pitcher like Rondon!
No, we wouldn’t have won. Benintendi and DJL aren’t huge difference makers.
If we had signed Harper, maybe.
Judge is 30 and has already had a few seasons of missing significant time. The Yanks are already paying a king’s ransom to Stanton, another chronic misser of time. Anybody that opens the vault for Judge is really taking a huge gamble. That said, I do think the Yankees will try hard to keep him and hope he and Stanton might actually have some simultaneous healthy seasons.
Pretty much agree.
Cashman just hasn’t been good enough, putting up winning teams that consistently fall short.
This season, just not enough offense outside of Judge. Too much money wasted, particularly on Donaldson and Falefa.
Judge shocks the world, signs with the Royals for league minimum.
I would be shocked if judge isn’t on the west coast and I would bet it’s SF
Giants won’t bid that high. Too many holes on that team and they don’t really do the uber contract thing. I don’t think there’s any real chance he’ll leave NY, but if he does it will be the Dodgers. Had LAD won this year I’d think differently, but I think now that they’ve lost again they’re gonna go for either one of the SS or Judge. They can fit either under the tax with a little creativity.
Giants are a poor choice for Judge. They’re far removed from their last WS team from 2014, their farm is weak, and they have to deal with the Padres and Dodgers within the division. The money should be expected. If I were in his shoes, my goal would be to help a team win. That is what’s missing from his career. Sadly, I don’t think he can win with the Yankees and I don’t think he does either.
“They’re far removed from their last WS team from 2014, their farm is weak, and they have to deal with the Padres and Dodgers within the division.”
The Yankees’ last championship came in 2009. The Giants’ farm is ranked 13th by Fangraphs. The Yankees’ farm is ranked 14th. The Yankees have to deal with the Blue Jays, the Rays, the Red Sox and a surging Orioles team.
“If I were in his shoes, my goal would be to help a team win.”
That’s exactly what he’ll be doing wherever he signs.
Judge is from SF and grew up a Giants fan. Well u personally might find them to b a bad fit. It is hard to ever discount ones hope to play for their childhood team and live year round close to family and friends. The Giants also have not been afraid to spend $ when they felt the time was right.
I 100% agree. Anyone who says the Giants won’t bid that high, must be smoking something. They know what it’s going to take to land a stud like that and have already stated they’re ready to outbid, it’s going to be up to Judge where he wants to play. As far as the farm for the Giants, they are in top 10-15 farms. Great kids coming up soon. And that’s with a step back in some performances in the farm.
Judge showed that he can’t handle postseason pressure so the Giants make sense.
DCar…maybe if Judge didn’t have to carry the team to the postseason he would’ve had some fuel left in the tank. The team is to blame for not winning this year. Not Judge.
And maybe if Judge didn’t feel he had to carry the team with 3 HRs per game in the postseason he wouldn’t have struck out so much.
Judge showed that he can’t handle postseason pressure
================================
What was his post-season OPS prior to Houston series?
From 2017 to 2022?
.831
35 hits, 18 singles, 4 doubles, 13 HR, 24 BB, and 1 SF in 155 AB.
Adding Judge to today’s Giants doesn’t make them competitive with the Dodgers. The Dodgers are the gold standard in the game!
If you’re going to San Francisco Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
Look, one player doesn’t make a team, Trout and Ohtani are a great example. I love Judge, but his new contract will be a bad one on the back end like all the others.
The press conference was a big nothing burger. Nothing we don’t already know. And what they actually do, who ends up playing where, who knows. It will largely depend on which contracts they can unload, and if the Yankees are finally willing to stop manipulating service time, and play the kids that have been so highly touted. Of course, most importantly, do they resign judge, and does that leave them in their minds room to do anything else significant. Hopefully Benintendi and Rizzo return, but these things alone are not going to close the gap with the Astros. Let’s
not forget, they are also improving their team as well at the same time, and they’re already significantly better than us. did the Yankees finally recognize if they process, is not working. I doubt it. Since to them it is working. It gets into the postseason every year and after that it’s just a crapshoot. Of course if that theory was correct, the Astros wouldn’t be advancing every year and the Yankees are not advancing.
It’s certainly alarming if the Yankees were quite willing to waste another year of the shrapidly shrinking championship window, if there is one anymore, on waiting for the kids to develop. That makes absolutely no sense at all, while they put an inadequate shortstop in as a placeholder. The results were pretty much as anticipated. He was inadequate, and Blew some important plays in the postseason that significantly contributed to our early exit. But obviously they gambled, and lost. But didn’t care because as long as they get to the postseason they make plenty of money and that’s been their prime concern for many years now under the Hal Steinbrenner regime. And guess what Yankee fans, it will not change.
I understand what Hal Cashman are trying to do.
Sort of a form of retrofitting.
But as I mentioned elsewhere, when they plug “holes” in one area and go to work on another, the earlier area springs leaks again. They’re forever plugging holes – like rotisserie league players that comment on MLBTR and want never-ending trades.
I rooted for them through the Jeter years, and to some degree beyond that. But as time went on I saw this version of the Yankees treating their non-long-term-contract guys crummy – pulling the plug on them not even after a season, but oftentimes in-season. They don’t believe in their minor league players – which tells me that their scouting, player acquisition, and coaching areas are terrible….and they are.
They spend enough money to compete to some degree each year. But take Judge off the position player roster and that’s an overpaid, mixed-up, dysfunctional roster. Matt Blake has saved their behind by squaring away the pitching staff. He’s the only thing the Yankees have going for them.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM….
For most of the people on their roster playing for the Yankees is NOT FUN. It’s a grind. The youngest team in MLB took them to 5 games in the playoffs. On paper that’s absurd. But the thing about watching the Guardians play is – they enjoy one another, enjoy being in the organization, and will do anything necessary – play any role – to help the team win.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM….
===========================
I hate to have to defend the EE, but their biggest problem is Houston. I’m not a fan of Cashman, but this wasn’t the butcher job he did in 2021. Houston is simply better.
Dr2022;
I’d worry about more than the Astros…..
Start with the Orioles and Guardians…and the Rays will reload quickly.
You would think teams would know better than sign these long term contracts by now. They rarely work out. The Yankees see it in there own club house with Donaldson. Why would any team give a 30 year old player 10 years and over $300 million dollar contract? Beyond me.
As Cashman has alluded to, Judge is a huge draw. Several former Yankees including CC Sabathia has mentioned annointing him as the next Yankees captain. He’s more valuable to this franchise than any other. Surplus value upfront, liability towards the end. Keep the fans coming through the gates.
The Yankees are like the Cubs, they sell out even with Chico Walker in center.
Chico Walker.. HAHA.. I could tell some… Good stories.. of his days and another guy named Eddie rose when they played for the old Winter haven Red Sox many a year ago…
John – I agree, Chico was a character. Not sure why he was brought up in a Yankee conversation as he never played for them, but a good mention nonetheless!
On a side note … I wonder why the name Chico is no longer common as a first name? There’s been 9 Chico’s that have played MLB, and Walker was the last of ’em.
RIP Freddie Prinze.
Jeter was captain material because he always showed up in the playoffs, Judge is good against the Orioles. No knock against the guy, he’s amazing, but to receive the captain title, he needs to prove he’s worthy of it by helping his team not just during the regular season
There is a whole lot more that goes into captaincy than individual postseason results. Don Mattingly had played in only one postseason game in a loss in his career and he’s a Yankees legend.
You obviously don’t remember yankee stadium in the early 1990s. I remember in 1994 they had the best record in the AL and would draw 20k fans most nights
rob – We don’t even have to go that far back. Shortly after the new Yankee Stadium opened, there were always thousands of empty seats. Part of it was overpricing, but the lack of star power will always impact attendance and ratings.
With the Red Sox, they had a bunch of wildly popular and entertaining players. Watching a Pedro start was an event. Fans planned their beer runs and bathroom breaks around Papi at bats. We were always tuning in to see what Manny and Damon would do next. Now? Not so much. Xander and Devers are good players, but they don’t have the appeal that draws fans when the team is losing.
@FPG Part of the new YS with empty seats were by design. They sold a bunch of them to corporate entities and also over=priced most of them. They don’t aim to fill every seat but priced them accordingly to reap the most profits. It’s bad for optics and makes me a bit sad as someone who as a kid paid $5 for bleacher tickets often. Kids these days can’t afford to go to games on a whim anymore.
makes me a bit sad as someone who as a kid paid $5 for bleacher tickets often. Kids these days can’t afford to go to games on a whim anymore.
==============================
The Yanks v the Phillies on 4/4/23, section 430, row 5, $13 each.
I use to go to YS when it was less than $5, but tickets today are still affordable.
“Obstructed view?”
Declining 213.5m/7 years isn’t the characteristic of a Yankee captain. It means he cares more who the next GM is that will pay him 500m
YBC – Absolutely right. A while back I posted how Judge is more than just a player, he is a revenue machine. His 99 is just as massive a seller as 2 was for decades.
Every team needs a player like that to keep fans coming even when the team isn’t doing well. That’s one reason why Tampa draws so poorly despite their success, they haven’t had a player like that since Longoria. Franco could be that player, provided they don’t trade him.
Common sense says if they didn’t work out, teams wouldn’t do them. Every. Single. Year. Teams sign players to long term deals. What does that tell you?
Out in Left: I responded to your inaccurate restatement of my comment on the other thread. Do better.
You are almost always wrong Clipper. Why should anyone else “do better” when you are the one needing to?
BaseballisLife: Another unsurprisingly poor attempt at an insult when you simply can’t accept facts and misinterpret statements. Unlike you, Out in Left has credibility here.
Clipper,
As always thanks for your intelligent, perceptive, and articulate thoughts. I do not always agree with your opinion, but I always respect it and consider it.
Keep up the awesome job!
Your Friend,
Mick
I think you are looking at 8/300, I wonder is they would be better off just giving a piece of the team!
Rogers Hornsby owned a piece of the Cards! You need approval from the Comish now!
It is almost as though from a business sense adding a player with huge name recognition as the face of your works quite well… Everyone mentions the “back half” off these contracts as though they are simply about production. These long term contracts to star players makes franchises more valuable and increases revenue. On field production is a bonus. It might surprise some people, but these men became GMs of billion $ sports teams cus they know what they are doing.
Who would the Yankees sign to replace Judge if he walks?
Shohei
Don’t jinx your team. Moreno may actually sell and you get to keep him and go out and get some damn arms.
I know. I shouldn’t have said that.
TrumboJumbo;
Very much doubt he would go there.
Would be going from one bad situation to another.
Sam, It was mostly tongue in cheek. I agree. I don’t see him leaving Anaheim. Ever..
Othani won’t leave the West Coast.
My guess as a FA in 24 8yrs $400mil ($50per)
1. Seattle
2. Padres (Yu/Snell and Hader $$ expiring = Othani $$ and he DHs too)
3. Giants
Don’t think Othani likes LAD at all
Ben Gamel
No predictions, just preference. Nimmo. Statcast loves him in YS.
All the other elite bats on the market are shortstops. But the Yankees are trying to keep the position clear for one of their prospects. So… deGrom?
Rondon, Benintend, Nimmo, Bogaerts, Bassett, Conforto, Jansen all would be good options. I would sign Rondon, Bogaerts, Nimmo, and Martinez. Move Stanton to LF, Bogaerts to SS, Nimmo to RF, and Jansen to closer. I would package one of the young SS, Donaldson, IKF, and prospects for young pitching.
Age is becoming a real factor with the Yankees. Donaldson will be 37, DJL will be 35 and still has 4 years left on his deal. Stanton is 32 and has 4? years left on his deal. Cole is in his 30’s and still has another 5 years left at top dollar and if they re-sign a 30 year old Judge to an 8-9 year deal, that contract will age poorly as well. Now they are talking about a multi-year deal for 32 year old Rizzo as well. The Yankees need a major injection of youth into their lineup and they don’t appear to have young players ready to contribute except in the middle infield and maybe a couple of bullpen pitchers. They are going to be one of the oldest teams in MLB next year and for the foreseeable future unless drastic measures are taken. I don’t see an easy way to turn this around either, so they are stuck in ‘geriatric’ mode for years to come.
They already have oldest lineup in 2022.
baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2022-misc.sh…
Thanks YBC for the link. What jumps out at me here is that the St. Louis Cardinals were 2nd overall in MLB fan attendance at 3.3 Million, yet they are still considered a small market team by MLB and get extra draft picks every year because of this. Something needs to be done to fix this as it is unfair.
From my years of playing OOTP, total attendance can be manipulated if you set costs low enough enough for fans. I think MLB categorizes markets based on revenue. Even if the Cards are drawing well and have the support, the average fan spend may be low coming through the gates. I could be wrong.
The Cardinals are a “small market” with a massive fan base and wide net.
When baseball came up with their formula for competitive balance picks, St Louis snuck in with their small city size even though they out draw most teams in larger markets and are a team that pays into the profit sharing program. It’s laughable that they are in the competitive balance lottery
Age definitely should b a concern to them. However they could also double down and make a hard push on veterans for the next 2-3 seasons and deal with or eat the ensuing 2-3 seasons after that. It will b interesting to see how Cashman goes about it, especially if Judge were to leave.
Oldest batters. Not oldest pitching staff. Their pitchers are 12th in age at 29.2. The Mets are oldest at 31.2 and the Padres are 2nd oldest at 30.3. With 6 pitchers over 30 being FA, the Yankees may actually get younger.
Startiing pitchers can have success well into their 30s. Degrom is 34. Scherzer, Verlander still got game.
@Outinleft, pitchers generally age better than batters. Obviously both are susceptible to injury. Batters tho are more impacted by the adverse effects of aging. Loss of bat speed and speed in general hurts both at the plate and in the field. Throughout the history of the game many more pitchers have had huge years in late 30s and even early 40s compared to batters.
Dorothy_Mantooth;
Hal Cashman are trying to counter that by brining having 75 SS’ s in their minor league system that are beginning to come up. But the problem there is what it’s been for years now – most of their minor league players wash out The guys that stay are the one’s with long-term contracts that aren’t playing up to the salary being paid to them so the FO can’t move them.
I appreciate your post. I didn’t realize how many more years some of those veteran Yankees have on their contracts. That is really bad. And if Judge does signs – I believe he too will be heading downhill.
Most teams today that win the world series or are contenders get the most players through trades first, prospects second, and adding top free agent players last. Nobody uses only prospects.
slider32;
You mean like the Astros, Braves, Dodger, Nationals?
Yes, Alverez, Verlander, Scherzer, Corbin, and Pederson, Rosario, Ozuna, d’Ardnau!
@Slider, u might wanna look at how the last 2 championship teams were built. They re rosters are largely built through prospects they developed. Sprinkled in with trades and free agent signings. Constructing a 40 man roster obviously will always b a mix of ways players were acquired, but year in and year out the core of most championship teams are prospects drafted or acquired through trade. The most successful franchises build around young controllable talent, it is the most sustainable way.
the thing is they are pretty much stuck even in a rut for this year and probably next even if they just dont go big and sign judge and/or rizzo. I was thinking maybe get an infusion of youth maybe this year reset the tax cap but outside of donaldson you arent really losing that much salary. Severino contract is up but they would be spending just as much if not more to replace him or resign him and the last year arbitration is not assumed to make that much this year.
I think their only choice is to resign judge. if you sign one of the shortstops you basically stunt your star prospects because donaldson is at third and torres is 2nd unless you make trades of them or torres to free up a regular spot.
You could sign nimmo and a left fielder and be stuck with hicks as your 4th but then you lose a spot on the bench for one of the 3 top infielders if you wanted to use them in utility role. or switch out ikf for one of them.
Is there any other real option for them?
I did happen to look up Hicks against the shift. Left-handed Hicks was the 8th most shifted against player in MLB. He could benefit from the new rules.
A lot of dead-pull hitters will. And when there is a big uptick in offense and longer average game times, MLB will deaden the ball again… or pump helium in it. I can’t keep up.
Yanks rotation right now is Cole, Montas, Sevy, they picked up his option, and Nasty Nestor, and either German or Schmidt. They might resign Taillion or add someone else. They did win 99 games, and one in the playoffs. The Astros are probably the champs. Contending teams are looking to have 2+ WAR players at every position, which the Yanks have right now. They will be fine! The Braves and Phillies have reinforced the fact that the playoffs are a crap shoot. In the old days, it would have been the Dodgers and Astros in the world series.
of those 99 games how many did judge basically be their entire offense especially down the stretch also who in your outfield right now is 2+ WAR? Hopefully Bader comes back to his 2021 form and it was the injury causing it but 30% SO rate is rough and really hurts the value especially if hicks is your other of. tremendous def but not much with the bat.
Trevino is a bit scary in the 2nd half which he became more a slugger in those walks dropped strikeouts went up and HRs became doubles. Could it be he wore down halfway through or is really the 1st half guy. Defensively i still love him as a C though.
Rotation i agree with to a point but Cole just slowly seems to be falling and with the shift helping batters who know if it will help or hurt him.. I may even say Nestor should be opening day starter ace of staff. Montas has been pretty bad since the yanks picked him up and definitely not get what they expected he would probably be a low 4 or high 5 as is right now. Maybe he rights the ship yr 2. I wish they would have kept montgomery as that pushes Montas down the pecking order. Severino is just a wildcard and not sure you can expect a full year from him. Reminds me of Syndegaard
the infield definitely looks solid not amazing but definitely solid. Torres and IKF or prospect up the middle. Cabrera being your superutility and being zobrist type letting everyone get day off and rotate around between of and if and Donaldson which is atleast league averageish with bat (that huge decline plus age does scare me though). I can see this team dropping very easily under 90 wins if not more without judge and/or rizzo not there. Especially with the FA market this year not really fitting where the yanks need to plug holes.
I’m not worried about their age, they player well last year and they have position players like Peraza, Volpe, Cabrera, Dominquez, and Jones on the way. In todays game prospects hit the majors even with the Yanks much faster. They will try and move both Donaldson and Hicks if they can, but it isn’t like they never make the playoffs. Cashman will do what he can to keep them in the playoffs.
Beauty of being the Yankees (or Dodgers) is that none of this is a real problem. When they want to go young they’ll just go young … while they’re still wrapping up paying those guys. They could double their payroll and still not lose money.
Seamaholic;
The problem with your post is that teams that pay out astronomical salaries don’t just DFA those players. They take roster spots, and over time develop attitudes. In order to “go young” they need quality players in the farm system that are being coached well. We see that in the Dodgers farm system. We don’t in the Yankees. And when teams stay in the luxury tax for years, the penalties affect where they can draft and who they can sign…..meaning their lifeline to quality young prospects is seriously curtailed.
ARod was released with over a year left on his contract. While they don’t DFA players under contract lightly, they have done it.
Seam – Your clueless post is like the average voter saying, “Why can’t the government spend TRILLIONS more than it takes in…. They can just print more.”
CBT rules cause LOST draft picks and LOST dollars for international signing!!! That increases the problem of an empty farm system!!!
I don’t understand why the Judge decision is so hard. They’ve got to let him walk while making it look like they made a legit attempt to sign him. I’ve been a diehard fan for over 4.5 decades and letting Judge go seems like one of the easiest decisions to make in any offseason.
The glory days of the Jeter years relied on guys who made contact, worked the count and had the ability to stay on the field. These are things Judge hasn’t shown consistency in throughout his career. Sure he’s been healthy for a couple seasons, but he’s on the other side of 30 now. He couldn’t keep up with the power arms when it mattered in the postseason.
We need to stop relying so heavily on advanced metrics and just look at foundational stats. I want to see this team put a lineup together that have guys 1-9 that know how to grind at bats, hit the other way and put pressure on the opposing pitcher/defense by slapping singles and doubles with the occasional clutch home run. In other words give me more of a Paul O’Neill than Judge.
Everyone knows strong pitching wins in October and November- it would be great to put more dollars there and to continue getting stronger defensively. Get a guy like Trea Turner who checks a lot of boxes then package one of the middle infield prospects to fill another need and maybe attach Donaldson or Hicks in that deal. Let Rizzo go too- will miss him but 32 year old cranky back first baseman don’t age well either.
100% their offer to judge at the start of the season was an over pay imo. Judge is not going to age well.
They short changed him this season and last season. He was worth about 55M this season and got less than half of that. 213.5M for 7 years is not an underpay
I think Judge made his decision before the season started.
Which is?
Five out of the last eleven articles about the Yankees. DURING the World Series. Thanks.
It’s good fun reading about them.
Don’t worry, when the RS rebound, you’ll get plenty of articles, too. Impactful teams beget impactful transactions beget impactful articles. It’s all related. The NYY, NYM, LAD, SDP, Atlanta Braves and, to a lesser extent, the Houston Astros, get the coverage for a reason: impactful transactions. DFA’ing a player or picking up someone off waivers is not going to get the attention a blockbuster FA signing or trade is going to get before, during, and after. The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t get the same coverage as the NYY or LAD. Makes complete sense. Don’t know why so many are so confused (and upset) by this. Would you rather have five of the last eleven articles reprising the DFA’s of the season??? Hmmm???
I know, I know. But how many articles have there been about Ryan Weber for gosh sakes?
I’m not confused nor upset, just annoying. 😉
Judge is alway hurts even in is 20 So immagine this guy in the 30 whit a garantie contract for 10 years
Waste of cash
Yanks were the best team in baseball last year until injuries set in to DJ, King, and the rest of the relief pitching. Judge is first priority, and maybe Rizzo as long as his ask isn’t too high. He had a 2.4 WAR last year, which puts his contract value of 15 even a little high. DJ had a 3.0 WAR in less games., could play first. Rizzo has great intangible, in that he is a leader, well liked, hits big homers, and saves a lot of errors with his defense.. Yanks should bring him back. The pitching situation is the best it’s been in 5 years. They should get a starter to replace Taillion, and add one relief pitcher.
I like Rizzo… but his health won’t get better with time.
Agree 100% with your comments with the exception of Taillon…..why would you let a pitcher walk away who has gotten his game back, and has proven that he can effectively pitch in the AL East and in NY……foolish to let these guys walk away….if anything move Montas as quickly as Cash can……and make Cash stay away from Billy Beanne as a trading partner because he always gets fleeced!
A healthy Montas is the second best pitcher on the Yanks after Cole.
I think Montas is going to have a bounce back season next year. I have faith in him
Let Judge walk, sign Turner for SS and trade Gleyber for Lopez.
Better Team
Thoughts?
I would be surprised if Turner leaves the Dodgers, Judge leaves the Yanks, or Swanson leaves the Braves.
Let Judge walk, sign Turner for
SS and trade Gleyber for Lopez.
Better Team
Thoughts?
I like Turner, but it doesn’t sound like a Yankee type move… well, maybe a George Steinbrenner move but not a Brian Cashman move.
Too late on these free agents, guys like Turner, Judge, Correa, Boegarts, deGrom, Verlander and Kershaw will all cost over 30 million a year.
I would like that as a huge fan of T. Turner, but I agree with Bob Gibson Fan.
nyy42;
LOL
The 2 top Yankee prospects are SS’s.
You want them to sign a SS that will turn 30 next year to an expensive long-term contract.
No offense, but this is the solution most Yankee fans – and their FO – seem to have year-after-year……then at the end of the season they say that the Yankees would have won but look at the injuries to all their old guys…..like no other team in MLB had injuries.
They have had record years with injuries in the not so distant past.. Record-setting. By definition not the same as other teams. This year, injuries decimated the bullpen, a key feature of the record-setting first-half team. Yes, other teams had injuries, some even more, so you can’t lay their failure solely on injury. That would go to the team coming down to earth, pure and simple. With Gallo, Donaldson, IKF, and Montas the team was poorly constructed. Judge, Stanton, Rizzo, Cole, Cortez, Sevy couldn’t carry the whole thing after the bullpen evaporated.
Hi Suzie, I mean Samuel
IKF is the type of player Detroit should have targeted last year; unlike Baez and ERod. Signing enormous contracts for a team who couldn’t sniff. 500, with a younger core, was bad business.
It seemed inevitable Avila was likely to be let go season’s before. Why you would give him a blank check seemed silly.
With that being said, if I was a Yankee fan I would be disappointed to see someone other than Correa or IFK next year. SS is seems too volatile right now.
Yankees have plenty of roster problems, I don’t think they should add SS to that list.
SS is the best place for the Yanks to save some money in the next few years. They might have 2 good ones in Peraza and Volpe. I would play one at SS and one at third or second.
Baez and ERod were fine signings… they both have opt outs after 2023. They won’t want to be on a team that’s tanking and they can make more money somewhere else.
Baez $25, $25, $24, $24 M in ’24 -’27
ERod $18, $16, $15 M ’24-’26
Both are 29 years old, so plenty of playing time left in them.
I disagree. Sure, I think Baez is a good complimentary piece. But to be the front and center- leader of the team, I don’t know. I hope you are right.
He has a lynch pin factor to him that can bring a fire to a team. IMO, It can be the best or worst thing for a team. Last year seemed like the latter.
Quite frankly, I just thought the length on both were unnecessary. Then again, that might’ve been what brought them there. I hope the best for both, and ERod is good to go every 5 next year.
Remember when the LeMahieu and Hicks deals were “team friendly”. LOL
Grab the popcorn… watching the Yankees implode is always a treat.
What they should do…
Let Judge walk.
Sign Josh Bell 1B
Start Peraza at short
Start Donaldson at third. (eat the rest of that contract)
Use Oswaldo as utility
Use DJ and IKF as utility
Infield of Bell, Torres, Peraza and Donaldson
Outfield of Stanton, Bader and Hicks and pick up someone off the waiver wire Bellinger?.
Pitching will have to carry the team in 2023 until some hitting comes in. Maybe move Sweeney to 3B… Dominguez could be promoted in October… Volpe?
Ohtani is a free agent after 2023 as is Machado and Devers for 3B.
Also DFA Donaldson
I’m not opposed to that concept though I would prefer trading him and eating $20M of the last $29M owed to him, maybe more. So that’s not cheap. Also, who plays in his place?
I don’t like Bell, I like both Peraza and Vople in the line-up next year as starters at some time. I think they try and move Donaldson, Hicks, and IKF this winter. Dominquez and Jones could be starters as early as 24. Cabrera is a utility, Sign Judge and Rizzo, if not add Rondon, Bogaertss, and Jansen.
Never heard of Jones
I’m not a big fan of Bell either. There’s not much to choose from this year. He could be a short term option at low cost.
Last year I was pushing for signing Freeman for 1B and picking up Chapman for 3B. Yankee fans loved them some Voit and Urshela.
I’ve spent my entire life rooting for the Rangers. My dislike of the new ballpark coupled with blackout restrictions on MLB.TV led me to follow a different team this past season. I settled on the Yankees and enjoyed it immensely.
The YES broadcasts are so much better than other RSNs. There’s actually a coherent plan to roster construction. The players are clean shaven rather than the cavemen looks from some on other teams. They have a winning record every season and make the playoffs most years. It’s a great product.
Maybe some of you Yankee fans should spend a season watching the Rangers instead…that would give you better appreciation for your team. 😉
Fubo is your friend, brother. MLB has me blocked out from Astros and Rangers games. I’m near Austin. With Fubo, I can watch all the Astros regular season games. Maybe it’ll work for you next season for Rangers games
Thanks for the tip. I’m probably better off not watching the Rangers though, LOL.
You guys ought to watch the Orioles or Guardians.
They’re the near and intermediate future. And unlike the Yankees, play strong fundamental baseball.
The Yankees had twice the revenue of the Mets last year. Hal does not care. Cashman still believes he’s the smartest guy in the room and a thirst for winning has been replaced by contentment for process.
Use to call myself a Yankee fan, now I’m simply a fan of baseball.
Yankees get a bad rap, everyone who knows baseball knows the Dodgers are the new gold standard. They have the best TV contract.
I wouldn’t use the Dodgers’ lucrative TV deal as an excuse for the Yankees’ penny-pinching ways. NYY was the first to create their own regional sports network in YES. The fact that the Mets have surpassed them in payroll is pretty telling. The Yankees should’ve signed Verlander and gave him the extra option year. They’re the same team which took a cheap gamble on an unknown Corey Kluber. Didn’t trade for Castillo and sign him to a below market rate extension. Didn’t sign a top SS last year. I know it’s easy to say in hindsight but their process does suck. I miss the days when they went all out to pursue their targets ie Jose Contreras and became known as the Evil Empire.
I would respect the Yankees more for NOT signing Aaron Judge right away and letting him look elsewhere. He wants what you can get an entire team for.
Of course, no one can make players sign but trade for Ian Happ, re-sign Benny, Bader in cf, let Rizzo walk and sign Abreu, sign Rodon, bring back Robertson.
You lose some power but add a lot of contact, gold glove quality defenders across the outfield, improve the rotation and the bullpen.
Give the something good for Happ but make them take back Donaldson I’m return. At least have them take back the 10.5 owed to Happ.
Better off signing Soto
SIX articles of the last 16 within 24 hours have been about the Yankees
But there’s no Yankee bias…
The last 24 hours have been unusual. Happens maybe once a year, if that. Outside that the NYY get no more coverage than the NYM, LAD or SDP. Teams with big transactions and weighty consequences get a bit more coverage. Teams like the 2021 Orioles do not. No surprise.
They move the needle don’t they!
I know, I was going to ask the same thing. WHY SO FEW?!
Ha!
Yankees should sign Soto and not Judge,,,Soto is lefty and more contact, puts Donaldson and IKF in a blender and flush to the toilet.
Why not both??? There needs to be another Yankees article written about the potential impact.
Except that there is already a pitchfork brigade forming over the plethora of Yankee articles recently published.,. 🙂
I am a Yankee fan who went to ASU, we have Sparky!
Let Rizzo let in go and DJ to 1st base dosen,t Hurt his foot and make more contact. Stanton flush to the toilet with Hicks they are already lost money, Yankees will never beat anybody because the lock of contact hitter.
Five more years of Stanton… that right there is rough.
62 home runs 131 rbis.
59 home runs 132 rbis.
One cannot at least be a little nervous about the similarities between the two. Big body guy, high strike out rates, history of injuries, career year in games played, considered a quality defender.
Lets go with as rotation with Severvino who never been healthy since 2018,Tallion who wasnt good, Montas who had two shoulder injuries, Corets who had two groin injuries even though he barley pitched 160 Innnings and German who never pitched more than 90 Innings good.
Lets go Judge who is injury prone, DJ who has been hurt and hasnt hit in two years, Rizzo who is only hits good in back of Judge, Donadlson who hasnt hit in 4 years, IKF who sucks at SS and Stanton who gets hurt even playing DH and SS who are gonna be blocked by players like DJ and Josh who best years are behind them.
Also this BP sucks Cole isnt a closer and all these others guys are 7TH Inning RH pitchers are arent great.
We lucked out The Jays And Rays were worse this year and unhealthy and the AL sucked besides the Astros. If The Guardians and Mariners add some bats, they easily could beat us. We have High Risk, Middle of the road players and DJ and Benny wasnt gonna win us the series anyway look at their numbers. Rays had more injuries than us like the Astros who lost many players yet replaced them easily. Excuses from Yankees and some fans who have lowered the bar.
A rotation of Five Innings guys, hitters past their prime and BP arms who arent even great and a farm still years away.
Yo Adriann, I quess you don’t like making the playoffs every year!
Just turned off the World Series after Rob Thomson overmanaged himself into a probable loss. No reason to pull Wheeler at only 70 pitches, but he brings in Alvarado, a lefty, to face Alvarez, who hits lefties better than righties. Boom. A one-run lead turns into a two-run deficit.
Some headlines are so ridiculous:
“Yankees’ Brian Cashman Endorses Aaron Boone: ‘He’s Really Good'”
Gee, what a surprising sentiment. “The guy I hired is really good. I didn’t make a mistake hiring him.”
Yeah, man. Obviously they can’t come out and say they suck. What angers me more is the hyperbolic statements about performance that insults the fans. One example is the tripling down on IKF being one of the best SS in the league. Another is Cashman saying Boone’s postseason decisions were good. Know he said that because Boone was probably lockstep with Cashman’s Nerd Dept, I get it. But he made some poor choices, stats notwithstanding.
What really pisses me off is the “No excuses” mantra at the beginning of this season, that’s followed up by nothing but excuses for losing. Boone is an incredibly weak leader. Everything is justified, nothing is their fault. It pervades the players minds too because they repeat it. I mean, this dummy actually complained about the air in Houston – THE AIR!
He’s weak. He shouldn’t be a manger or lead young men because he’s the antithesis of a winning mentality, ie, the ‘98 Yankees. It’s shameful that it’s supported. He tripped all over himself trying to lie his way out of questions in the press conference. As Pete Simonetti calls him: Boone the Cowardly Lion….
I think Boone’s a good person. How the players relate to him as a leader, I honestly don’t know. I’d have to know them personally or be inside that clubhouse to know that. And he’s an adequate manager during the regular season. But he was bad in this postseason. He was indecisive and seemed to fall into panic mode and what looked like magical thinking, expecting bad relief pitchers to somehow rise above their normal level of performance in crucial situations.
The excuse-making business is just shameful. Boone might be towing the party line because that’s why they hired him. He might’ve been given to understand that covering for his boss was part of the job description. Cashman just strikes me sometimes as a double-talking, self-serving BS artist, and not a very good one.
Oops! Meant “toeing the party line,” dang it.
Cashman had ample opportunities to get a deal done with Judge. I think he’s gone.
Rizzo to the Cubs!
How about the Yankees signing Tyler Anderson? Do you think he’s a one-year wonder or did he figure something out at age 32? I like that he’s a southpaw and was good at keeping the ball in the park.
Wasn’t is you who was big on him prior to this season, Fink, for the Yankees? I seem to recall you recommending the Yankees sign him. Would’ve been a really nice add to their rotation.
No, Clipper, that wasn’t me. But I’ll gladly take credit!
I kid.
Dang, one of our guys did, and I can’t recall who. Could’ve been Ducky, he was borderline clairvoyant.
Maybe he used inducktive reasoning.
(sorry!)