DJ LeMahieu continues to make progress in his recovery from a foot fracture, and based on the infielder’s offseason workouts, “it looks like there was never a problem,” Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson said. Though LeMahieu has yet to face live pitching, Lawson told the New York Post’s Dan Martin that the infielder is “able to do everything he needs to do, whether [the pitch] is inside, outside, up or down,” whereas when LeMahieu was battling his injury late last season, “sometimes when he came out there for batting practice, he’d have to come off his back side and couldn’t really rotate into the ball.”
Assuming LeMahieu is healthy and productive, the Yankees will pencil him into the lineup every day, whether at third, second, or first base. It is also possible that if the team is entirely confident LeMahieu is healthy, another infielder might be traded to make some extra space in the infield picture. Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that in addition to trying to trade Josh Donaldson and his hefty contract, the Yankees also at least explored trying to move Gleyber Torres or Isiah Kiner-Falefa, though obviously no deals transpired. Kiner-Falefa is expected to compete with star prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe for everyday shortstop duty, while Torres is expected to be the starting second baseman. If Torres was dealt, New York could cover second base with some combination of LeMahieu, Peraza, Volpe, Kiner-Falefa, and Oswaldo Cabrera.
More from around the AL East…
- The Orioles have interest in acquiring “a defensive-minded corner outfielder who can be trusted in left field,” Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are slated to be the starters in the corners for Baltimore next season (with Hays in left field and Santander in right) and defensive metrics are somewhat split on the glovework for both players. The Defensive Runs Saved and UZR/150 metrics like Hays’ left field work quite a bit, though he is rated as a subpar defender by Outs Above Average. Presumably the Orioles are looking for more of a veteran glove-first player for their outfield mix, which also includes such less-experienced names as Ryan McKenna, Kyle Stowers, and top prospect Colton Cowser. Franchy Cordero and Nomar Mazara will also be in camp on minor league deals, though neither are known for their glovework.
- Earlier this week, Triston Casas said the Red Sox hadn’t yet broached the subject of an early-career contract extension, but he would be open to discussing such a deal. The same is true for another up-and-coming Sox star, as Brayan Bello told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and his representatives and the Red Sox “haven’t had that conversation yet, [but] I would definitely listen.” Like Casas, Bello is 23 years old and made his MLB debut last season, with the right-hander delivering a 4.71 ERA over his first 57 1/3 innings in the Show. Bello doesn’t have Casas’ status as a staple of top-100 prospect lists, but he is still a well-regarded young pitcher, and perhaps even more important to Boston’s long-term plans given the organization’s recent struggles at developing homegrown arms. Though a long-term extension might limit Bello’s earning potential if he grows into being a consistent big league-caliber pitcher, he might also have interest in locking in the first guaranteed payday of his pro career, as Bello received only a $28K bonus as an international prospect in 2017.
I applaud the decisions to not give contract extensions to Casas and Bello at this time. Give it a bit longer, 3 years prior to free agency is the ideal time IMO if the player proves to be a solid ML’er by then.
Yeah so then it’s not news right. Is reporting that nothing happened news worthy ?
This site is based upon baseball rumors. Some of those rumors involve questions and discussions that local media sources have with players within the organization, such as Casas and Bello.
Silly to feel that this needs to be said, but seeing mlbtr adding more content, more analysis and more rumors and whispers and rumblings at what is now a very slow time of year is a good thing rather than something that needs to be nitpicked incessantly.
Sure – much of it can be a rehash of things past, and not all speculation rises to the level of being newsworthy. But…newsflash here. We are on a baseball rumors site, and we check in every day in the middle of winter to see what is going on. We are not spending all of our spare time freshening up rocket surgery skills. Frankly, the level of writing and research and analysis on here has been increasing quite a bit in the last couple of years – my guess is that they simply have enough market share at this point to be able to afford to pay more writers that can spend more time digging a bit deeper into the game.
I don’t think that most that are on here seem to grasp how hard that is in the media marketplace of today when writers are starving, editorial oversight has been abandoned and real journalism is becoming an endangered species.
For me…kudos to Tim and his entire team…
The people that complain about rumors on a site called MLB Trade Rumors never cease to astound me.
I mean, didn’t you read the label?
@CarverAndrews, I want as much baseball content, large and small, that they can deliver, so agreed. I don’t question MLBTR for reporting it; I find it funny that at least one media member is asking prospects if they’d like an extension. I’m pretty sure in a vacuum prospects on every team will say yes. Regardless, it’s worth noting, even if for the humor that it’s being asked.
mmmmmm nothing burger
CarverAndrews23 mins ago
This site is based upon baseball rumors. Some of those rumors involve questions and discussions that local media sources have with players within the organization, such as Casas and Bello.
==================
But it wasn’t really ever a discussion. Ask 100 minor leaguers if they’d like an extension, about 100 will say the exact same thing, They might as well ask if anyone wants a winning lottery ticket.
And it isn’t a rumor either. A rumor is if the RS FO was discussing it.
Or put another way, it is:
“Joe, would you be interested in a $5M contract with the RS to take Bloom’s place.”
@CurtisRowe
It saddens me I can only give your post one thumbs up.
Agreed. The “news” is an eyeroll. OMG someone wants to listen to an offer of security and/or more money. OMG ownership has not offered a totally unproven talent just beginning their major league career an extension! It’s out there however so MLBTR might just as well note it.
@JB – I guess that I don’t feel the need to delve too deeply, on a baseball rumors website, into what constitutes a newsworthy rumor or not. Certainly not enough to kvetch and moan about anything that is posted on here.
I do understand their reasoning however:
* Smart organizations all over baseball are looking at doing team friendly early extensions with a very select group of prized prospects and rookies
* Casas and Bello kinda’ fit that profile for the Sox.
* Hence, they have been asked about it.and it is a topic of interest for some of the fanbase.
They are not reporting that Niko Kavadas has not been offered an extension, as that would be ridiculous. But at a time of year where teams are talking about this stuff…and indeed completing very early career extensions it is hard to fault them for talking about two that might at least be in the mix for the RS.
If it wasn’t a rumor before it is one now.
Agree as long as there’s a foundation for the rumor.
Curtis ….Common senses is not common !!!!! Couldn’t agree more its RUMOURS.
Joe – I completely agree with you!!! Why are people trying to say these non-extension player quotes are rumors? They are not, they are direct quotes. If Casas or Bello say they haven’t been approached about an extension, it’s not a rumor – it’s a FACT!
This place may have started out as a “rumors” site, but it has evolved into so much more. They do an excellent job of gathering information and explaining things that casual fans don’t understand. If it’s baseball related, I’m confident I’ll be able to read about it here before most other sites.
One thing I have to point out again about some of the newbie writers, they clearly don’t follow the game as closely as many of us do. I’ve seen them write far too many articles where they are basically just regurgitating word for word or number for number what can be found at FG or BR.
Want evidence? The Brock Holt retirement article failed to mention at all his historic postseason cycle. The Matt Buschmann leaving the Jays article failed to mention anything about him catching Judge’s 61st homerun ball. These are just two examples of interesting anecdotes that absolutely should have been included in articles, and I’m guessing would have been if the writers had known about them.
People arguing semantics about whether something is a “rumor” or not is rather amusing.
IMHO, Yes, you said it right R-U-M-O-R-S, but for turning one side’s expectations into a rumor, there should have been a signal from the other side for this to become a possibility, not just wishfull thinking, and between those situations are a vast ocean of difference.
Curtisrowe – Why must you always comment about others rather than baseball. That shows a very small mind for a guy with such a big ego!
“Is reporting that nothing happened news worthy ?”
Actually, there are many times that it IS newsworthy. For example, I would like to report that the orange swirl still lost the 2020 election, the same as yesterday and the day before.
CarverAndrews12 mins ago
“Is reporting that nothing happened news worthy ?”
======================
It’s like me asking you if you want to run for president, and MLBR follows up with a story about Carver maybe running for president. It ain’t news and it ain’t a rumor.
Actually JB, it would be incredibly newsworthy if ANYONE asked me if I planned to run for president.
Carver, don’t sell yourself short Look at some of the recent candidates. Whe he’s not the president, the Santos situation is an embarrassment for America. Thank God, he’s not in my district on Long Island (sorry folks for adding political content but I’m not perfect…).
It’s content, Joe. Don’t overthink it.
I was talking to a retired WaPo journalist this morning about the very subject…the demise of journalism.
His comment – “As soon as I heard the publishers talking about “content” as opposed to “news”, I knew that the end was in sight.”
Carver – I knew the end was in sight when stories no longer needed to be confirmed. None of these so-called “reporters” give a damn about accuracy anymore, all they care about is being first. No different than the losers who hang around here and rush to grab the first comment by posting “Wow” or some other useless nonsense.
And it doesn’t help when MLBTR makes it a point to give guys like Heyman “credit” for reporting something first when it’s true.
Just once I’d like to see MLBTR include a footnote that reads “Jon Heyman was the first to report something about this story that turned out to be total crap.”
Carver – Uh oh, let’s not bring politics into baseball please. You know how most baseball fans detested when MLB did just that by pulling the All-Star Game from Atlanta. We use baseball as an escape from the political nonsense.
Correct. Two weeks in a row there’s been a story about how Red Sox prospects would love an extension but the Red Sox haven’t approached them. Of course they haven’t. Not yet.
Rob – Quite honestly I think it’s because anything related to the Red Sox gets a ton of views and comments here.
I don’t recall seeing any non-extension stories like this about Rutschman or Kwan.
And I’m pretty sure the Marlins are quite happy they didn’t give Rogers a longterm extension after the 2021 season.
Haven’t seen one on Torkelson, Greene, or Manning, yet, for Detroit either.
Fans only remember the ones that are good. There’s been a few swing-and-misses on these extensions, as well as some near misses. Think the Mariners are upset still that Kelenic didn’t sign his extension? Didn’t I see just yesterday that Jon Singleton was cut yet again? I feel good for Singleton. Not because his MLB career failed, but because it seems like he beat the owners at their own game!
And don’t forget Scott Kingery. Unless you’re a Phillies’ fan, in which case I understand that you’d like to forget about Scott Kingery.
Kingery…I really thought that he had a terrific shot at being the 2B for the next decade. Loved what I saw of him at Reading and LHV. Hated what that sabernerd Klentak did to him, and then the shoulder injury which derailed his path back.
I don’t know if the shoulder injury and surgery took enough away that he is beyond hope, but if healthy I know that they have revamped his swing back to much closer to what it was, and we might still see him back in the majors this year…even if elsewhere. Great kid.
Even though the extension didn’t work, I think that it was a smart deal at the time.
Let’s not forget the early, failed extension of former Mariners 1B phenom-to-be Evan White (and 2020 Gold Glove winner)…yeah that one may have been a bit premature. Absolutely phenomenal first-baseman but can’t hit a lick…there may still be hope for him, but likely not with the M’s.
AAA players discussing hypothetical extensions crack me up. Unless they’re talking about AAA extensions…
Exactly. How much more do the owners have to give? Now they’re half-expected to extend a guy who hit .197 and a guy who went 2-8? Let them earn the extension.
@mp – Umm; owners only extend players when ownership thinks that it is in THEIR best interest as an owner. What is this “how much more do the owners have to give” nonsense?
@Fever, I think they need to extend a fee A-ball players too. : -)
*few*.
Need that edit button.
@LordD99- Yes I don’t like this assuming DJ is healthy. Yes, exactly we don’t know if he is. My guess that toe isn’t 100%, and that could be a big issue come late March. Gleyber is still here, Yanks probably hoping he’s “knocking the cover off the ball” to trade him for a leftfielder by the trading deadline. So if Torres is really good expect him to get traded, especially if Volpe’s coming up to play 2nd after the all-star break. As always keep the fans in the dark about D.J smh.
Hey Captain,
If D J is truly healthy then no question Torres is traded, probably for a LF or a depth SP. Yanks have too many infielders. Someone is gone by the trade deadline almost for sure. I would sign Peralta and/or Wacha for the right price and hope things work out right and trade someone later and still remain under the next tax limit. Actually I think that’s what Cashman will do.
Hey Mick,
I agree with you. I definitely think Torres will be traded if DJ is healthy. Bryan Reynolds would be perfect maybe in a 3 way trade, but thinking Ian Happ is more likely then Reynolds. Happ would definitely be a lot cheaper then Reynolds. At this point I would even think about dealing German or Schmidt for Max Kepler, once Montas or if Montas gets healthy. A big if that is. Yes Peralta or Wacha could definitely be options if Schmidty or German are dealt for Kepler now.
The trade off is the player will then certainly want and demand more guaranteed money, especially the closer to free agency they get.
Fever,
The team needs to see what both do this season. If they shine, discuss with both. The longer you wait, the more expensive it will be. Fair contracts have risk for each side. Also as for the O’s, why not bring in JBJ? He’s not played left but he certainly can play any OF position and if you’re bringing in Franchy on a minor league deal, I’d rather have JBJ if you’re truly looking for a glove first. I doubt absent injuries either have much chance but at least JBJ truly has that glove still.
Agree with you Fever. Low income teams mostly have and do speculate on players very early with long extensions, not ones like Boston and rarely the NYY. Pedey comes to mind as the last who got big dollars and he had an MVP trophy before getting his. C-Vaz got around 30m over 4-5y and that’s about it as far as long ago history, Whitlock for current players and he had 1 and a half very solid seasons.
Teams with financial clout can afford to wait for a guy to prove it for a year or so.
I originally figured Torres was headed for a long term extension but I guess he’s gonna be a mid budget plug in.
I also remember when we all thought DJ could and/or should get 5 years/$100M and now we hope he’s simply not a complete waste of 6 years/$90M…
I thought the consensus was 4/72, or a 5/90? No matter. The Yankees did what more teams did this off season, which was stretch the deal over more years for a lower AAV. DJLM had a 139 wRC+ and was on pace for a 6 WAR season entering August. He then went to a complete zero at the plate with the foot issue. As long as his foot’s healthy, he’s a significant help because of his multi-positional capability, all at or near gold glove level. It wasn’t a coincidence the Yankees offense tailspinned in August when DJ was injured. There were other factors, but he was #1 on the list.
My guess is LeMahieu transitions to 3B full time once they give Donaldson a month to prove his bat is toast. IKF will be traded before Opening Day. Gleyber will be traded next off season, once they’re sure Volpe is ready. Let’s see how close I get on my predictions!
The Yankees – DJ deal really set the tone. Pedroia’s deal really was the first prominent one but then there was no traction. Then came the Harper contract but again not many followed. Now, it seems to be more common.
This website had it at 4/68.
mlbtraderumors.com/2020/11/mlb-free-agent-predicti…
Yankees got him for $2 million less AAV, but 2 more years.
BWAR Is junk & Torres is not a top 6-7 2B.
Fangraphs pegged him at 1.2 fWAR in 2021 and 2.7 in 2023.
That’s much closer to his true value & why all these Yankees fans want him out the door.
So what you are really saying is your opinion is junk?
fWAR uses UZR as its defensive component for WAR. That is based on zones. In the age of the shift, its useless. Maybe down the road it will start to bee useful again, but not today.
OAA only takes into account the batted ball and not anything else that happens on the play. It is extremely accurate at that one thing.
DRS takes into account the entire play including advances by baserunners, hitting the cutoff man, and 26 other factors that g into defense. That is why Baseball Reference uses that defensive metric in WAR.
Torres is a 4 WAR player using the only metric that matters. Only a spoiled Yankees fan would try to argue that point.
But hey, you be you and I will mute you so I don’t have to be subjected to your junk opinion.
If Donaldson could just do the Jays a favor and stink up the joint so we can get out to a comfortable lead, give the Yankees zero trade value in the process
Pay the fans back for the wasted MVP season. And just being greedy, not wanting to give a discount or put in the effort to stay “healthy” while we lost games and could have recoup some value in a trade…..anyway
Yankees bought damaged goods (Rodon) and paid for a decade and will get half of one (you be the JUDGE). Didn’t improve any areas of weakness just kept up with the SP “Jones’s”
Jays are taking the AL east, don’t @ me lolZ
Torres is bad. Always was. Don’t get sucked into his 2019 season when tge balls were juiced. He did most of his damage against bad teams and his OBP was only .337. Since then he’s proven to be a terrible fielder, doesn’t work the count, doesn’t draw walks, is a see the ball, hit the ball hitter. Last year, he was total garbage before having a torrid September when Judge was getting pitched around and Torres was seeing good pitches to hit. Casas hits left, draws walks, and has shown great power whe he faced tge Yankees in YS. He also is plays 1B which is a bat first position. Torres was failure at SS and had to move to 2B, another bat first position and he fails at D in that spot too. DJ, despite his age and injuries can still play D at a high level and maintained a .350 OBP. Yes, one of them is a waste but it’s not DJ. As for Bello, he posted a 2.94 FIP with Boston in 2022.
Did you start drinking early today Bright Side? I’m not the biggest Gleyber fan these days but he did have a 114 OPS+ and played quality defense last year. Gleyber is a far cry from the projections he had as a prospect but he’s still a productive player
Ronk, I got lost when he started talking about Torres, and then inserted an AB for Casas in September and a FIP for Bello in September, as he was dismissing Torres’ entire month of September, while trying to convince us that we must overly accept Torres’ bad August as the real him, but yet ignore the entire season when he hit 24 HRs, had a 4.1 bWAR with a 114 OPS+. He played his hand poorly. His argument is lost when he started playing that game.
I’m sure the comment made sense in his own head
Torres though is clearly not the player most expected. A change in scenery might be what he needs. I don’t think Yankee fans will ever be happy with him but they then may regret it if he’s traded or moves on in free agency.
4.1 WAR, 114 OPS, 115 wRC+, 9 DRS. Top 6-7 of everyday 2B.
Bright Side & Ronk325 — Well, as a Giants fan, I appreciate your closer look at Gleyber as a potential trade candidate. From what you both say, he doesn’t seem that much of a quality addition—either moving Estrada to super-utility or giving up a starter. Thanks.
@Dewey, I agree with your sentiment. Gleyber is good, but many fans won’t love him, although he’s not hated either. A lot of fans actually love him and believe he has another gear and can be better than he even was last year. Fans just want more from him.
I don’t believe the Yankees have any intention of extending him because they have multiple infield prospects coming and LeMahieu under contract. They’ll save money be moving Torres eventually, especially if Peraza and Volpe show they are worthy.
I’m a Yankee fan and agree with Bright Side almost entirely. I wouldn’t say Torres is a terrible fielder at 2nd , but he can be lazy/ lackadaisical and most of us have zero hope with him up in a big postseason spot.
I’m all for analytics, but it’s difficult to statistically evaluate some of the things missing from his game.
Gleybar in the postseason: .281/.365/.456.
Seems decent.
You’re right , Gleybar career postseason not as bad as I thought, but he’s also 6 for his last 38
I couldn’t understand why DJL only managed a 2 year deal when he first hit FA. He was a high contact hitter then and several teams could have benefited from his skill set. Had he gotten the 4 year deal he should have back then they wouldn’t be on the hook now. Not sure why they gave him the deal they did. 6 years coming out of his prime was too much. Cashman likes to shoot himself in the foot too often. He should have let Judge walk too. Remember how good Stanton was a few years ago? Do you think he is worth $40m now? Judge will follow the same career path.
DJL was a below average hitter coming out of Colorado which is why he only got two years. Cashman signed him again to six years to reduce his AAV to $15M. Stanton is not making $40M/yr. Are you always this grim?
According to BR, Stanton’s salary is $32M, not $40M. The first four years, the Yankees paid $25-$29M and Stanton got an OPS of 130-145. Well worth it IMO. Last year was an exception.
Meant OPS+.
Last year was $29M for an OPS+ fo 113. A bust.
This year the salary bumps to $32M.
Stanton will always be a risk due to injuries and his streakiness but if healthy, he’s one of the few who can carry a team to a championship.
This is an (almost) perfect trade situation for the Giants who could insert Torres into their lineup and free Estrada to roam a little. The Yankees are looking for (a) a LH outfielder or (b) another starter.
I would guess SF can’t give up Yaztremski without creating another massive hole, and Wade Jr. might be too much of a gamble for Torres.
But the Giants are stacked with starters, and with Montas unlikely ready till mid-season or later, wouldn’t one of the Giants starters (not Webb or Cobb or Harrison) be enticing for NY?
Sorry Pete but there should never be a Yastrzemski in a Yankee uniform. The old club lost their chance to get a Long Island kid over 60 years ago when Tom Yawkey was the one to pony up. If I recall, it was a $100k bonus + a willingness to pay for college.
Well, I realize Yaz in pinstripes would give Yankee fans something to ponder, but you’d love him in he outfield. If he can right himself this year with a respectable average, he is an excellent ballplayer, not one the Giants would easily give up. And judging from the Yankee an comments above, Gleyber has a lot of warts.
The Orioles have interest in acquiring “a defensive-minded corner outfielder who can be trusted in left field,”
Well, JBJ of course!!!!
It should have been Joey Gallo, but the Orioles Poo Pooed that
They absolutely should sign JBJ for a backup outfield role. He’s always rakes in Baltimore. .796 OPS, .479 slugging, and 12 home runs in his career there (he’s only hit more in Fenway).
Orioles fans laugh at me about JBJ, but I would love to see him
I don’t care about his hitting, he still is terrific defensively
@duffyscliff – Pretty sure he has hit well in Baltimore because he was facing Baltimore pitching.
Love Vavra. Had more than a “cup of coffee” last year in Baltimore and the bright lights of the Show didn’t seem to faze him. Healthy OBP at all levels. “Odd man out” on the infield; get him some corner outfield reps?
I want an official outfielder
I do not want a converted infielder
There are lots of converter IFers in the HOF.
Oh like who?
Hank Aaron was a MI in the minors and even played 2b when he was first called up to the Braves. Biggio, Yount, Molitor, all played both OF & IF as needed by their teams. Of course Pete Rose and Gary Sheffield would both be in the hall based on their MLB stats alone.
Lefty, do you remember Chris Davis toward the end with his 39% K rate? That’s been Gallo for the last year and a half. It actually went to 41% with the Dodgers. I believe there might be a comeback in Gallo, because I believe in sunny days, puppies and Santa Claus, but he can be exhausting to watch.
Point taken Lefty. In hindsight, yep, go with an outfielder before experimenting with a conversion guy. That said, I hope there’s room on the roster for Terrin somewhere. Maybe plays a super sub utility role. Cheers!
Adam Frazier has 201 games in the OF at the MLB level, does that count?
Frazier in LF, Vavra at 2B, Hays in RF and Santander DH (at least against RH pitchers)
Sunny days and puppies can’t be over rated..
Sunny days are overrated, much would prefer clouds (no rain) and chilly.
Shawn michaels and Brett hart have entered the chat
Volpe is overrated. He’s website click bait inflated to the max. He’s not going to be the Yankees answer to much this season.
He definitely feels as overhyped as possible at this point. It’s like he’s poised to be the greatest infielder of all time but also he’s not good enough to get called up.
“We don’t want to rush him. We figure 20 years in the minors might be just enough for him to maybe be ready if we run out of every other option and we simply need to add someone to the active roster but every other player in the world is spoken for. But also he’s the future.”
Every Yank prospect is overhyped. I heard a TV announcer claim, “The Yankee farm system is so good, their 30th ranked prospect would be #3 on most teams!” JFC, talk about stupid. At the time their 30th ranked prospect was Cody Carroll, who has posted a 13.74 ERA with a WHIP of 2.526 in 19 IPs. Last year as a 29 year old he posted a 7.62 at AAA,
@Ra, sounds made up, or exaggerated, but I’d love to hear that just for laughs this afternoon. Who said it and when?
As for overhyped, almost all top prospects get over hyped, which has little to do with being good or not. Casas right now is way over hyped, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be good. It comes with the territory of being a top prospect with the Red Sox or Yankee or a few other high-profile teams. Derek Jeter went all the way to the HOF with Red Sox fans screaming he was over hyped at first, then overrated. Aaron Judge started out as over hyped and overrated according to fans. They’re meaningless terms used by those who want to argue against a player by using emotional words without substance.
Anyway, back to my first question. Who is the announcer and when? That will inform us.
That’s not only overhyped, it’s hilarious. Only Yankees fans would believe it. The Yankees have 3 players in the top 100 prospects. The dodgers have 6 or 7. Other teams also have at least 3. See for yourself.
mlb.com/prospects/top100/
Let’s take that a step further, Rob. In today’s game, the coverage of prospects is almost nauseating, beginning when they’re teenagers. Most fail. It’s a tough game.
It was a national sportscaster in 2018. I did not write down who said it. But it is a verbatim quote. It immediately led me to look up who the 30th ranked yank prospect was.
I have no motivation to relay falsehoods nor to exaggerate.
I could make up a name and you would not be able to check whether the person actually said it. But, again, I have no motivation to do so.
So you can just keep calling me a liar if that is what motivates you.
Well, the quote was from 2018.
“Anthony Volpe is the only player since @fangraphs started tracking minor league stats in 2006 to hit 20 homers and steal 50 bases in a season”. Sounds overrated
He also only hit in the .230’s in AAA and had a ton of K’s
Power and SS is def there but hes going to have to show he can hit better Pitching also
He was 21 in AAA and it was 90 ABs
Opposite of a Yankees fan but if that’s your he’s overrated/not that good proof, it doesn’t really work
Junior, he hit in the .230s because he got off to such a bad start to the season.
He only played 22 games in AAA last year, so those stats are meaningless.
He also got to AAA as a 21 year old which is no small feat.
not a yankees fan either, though i agree nyy prospects are heavily overrated, but if an athletic 21 year old with defensive chops at short showed the kind of in-game power at the levels he did last year i would be excited. hitters become more mature and grow with age and experience, and it isnt insane to hope the avg and obp rise as he rounds his profile out
The pundits in the media center exposes their parochialism when it comes to overhyping Yankee prospects. Then they rely on the echo chamber as proof their analysis is beyond reproach.
Ra;
I agree with you that the national media pushes Yankees and Red Sox prospects (now Mets as well). But players are individuals.
I don’t get a feel for player until I see them play. CarverAndrews wrote below that he saw Volpe play this past year. He’s one of many posters I trust on here (more that scouting publications or national writers).
The young man will be 22 years-old in April – and it appears he’ll be called up this season. We’ll have a better idea of his potential when we see him play.
Will say this – I was skeptical about the pub on Oswald Peraza. Don’t know about his hitting yet, but the young man already plays a superlative SS.
P.S. There are an overwhelming number of extremely good SS prospects that have just begun to hit the majors. Many teams have more than 3. These ridiculous 10-12 year contracts for the FA SS’s this past offseason will look terrible within the next 3-4 years. There will be glut of quality SS’s that play for a fraction of the money and will play just as good if not better.
Prospects also tend to regress in BA and OPS when they reach the majors. The more the reliance on power, the greater the regression.
Volpe could still turn out to be a great SS, but his performance at AA and AAA last season should give everyone reason to be concerned.
Outinleftfield – I’m not sure players regress necessarily when they face a higher level of competition. I think it’s safer to say that their number adust to the better competition and then as the player conquers that level their numbers improve. Volpe played ball at an over hyped HS program so he got drafted in the 1st round. Was he a valid first rounder? I don’t think so because his competition in HS wasn’t that good. Did he find that out quickly in ROK ball that year? Yes. In 34 games he hit .215. He then skipped a year for COVID and in 2021 he would have been a junior in college if he had gone that route. Was he facing DIV I type competition at A and Hi A ball? Not really. He did well and hit in the high .200s with power against weak competition for his age. In 2022, he started at AA at age 21 because the Yankees were pushing him. He hit .251 in 110 games suggesting he didn’t really master AA ball BUT the Yankees moved him up anyway. At AAA in 22 games he hit .236 with less power than he has shown but he was playing up so it’s not terrible. If the Yankees start him at AA and he thrives then jumps to AAA in 2023 he has a good chance to be called up at age 22 to play for the Yankees. He projects to be at least a league average player based on his minor league numbers but as a 1st round pick he needs to be more than that. 2023 will be a key year because he must conquer AAA before being promoted or the Yankees will be doing something Boston is notorious for, bringing up their players too soon and then giving up on them too soon.
I hope Volpe is allowed to develop properly so he can prove his value immediately when he makes the Yankees and doesn’t have to be sent back to the minors like so many have been. A good development program can do wonders for the kids confidence and progression.
Doesn’t really matter what you think. Its a fact. Players regress when they go from facing lesser competition to a higher level of competition.
Any pro ball level is a higher level of competition than college ball. The BEST 5% of college players are in A and A+ ball.
That you don’t know those simple facts and still choose to write tomes on the subject is why most ignore you.
@outinLF
Prospect growth & player development is not in anyway a linear process. Broad generalizations aren’t really useful.
Aaron Judge never hit as well in the high minors as he did in the majors. He was in fact, a worse AA player than Volpe at an older age.
Coaching and the player’s ability to make adjustments impact their ultimate outcome. Many more prospects have been ruined than properly developed.
I’ve seen some of Volpe. Peraza is their LT SS, IMO. That glove is miles better but Volpe has the traits to be an impactful everyday 2B so long as he’s able to make the necessary adjustments. I think he needs some seasoning Down there and there’s no reason to not give him that.
Torres is a good enough placeholder with Cabrera also there to soak up some PT at 2B.
BStrohman this is something I have preached forever about prospects these are 18-25 year old kids and young men. They all have talent otherwise they wouldn’t but it’s impossible to 100% predict who will maximize that talent. There is a wide variation in these kids maturation process and especially how they deal with adversity. A lot of these guys have never met adversity and how they deal with that when they inevitably do can make or break a prospect. If it was as simple as looking at a kids talents on the field then everyone could rate prospects but let’s face it it’s impossible to know how an offensive prospect is going to react when he sees that first high end breaking ball. Let’s face it some never come back after that.
Players regress as they face higher level competition. It happens in something like 99% of cases. There is even an algorithm that will give you the amount that it happens at depending on the prospect hitting and power grade.
Judge is the 1%. He is the exception that proves the rule.
Volpe is an incredible physical specimen that grades out as an incredible hitter with plus power. That has not revealed itself yet. He grades out as average on defense.
Peraza is a slick fielding player. Grades out as a plus fielder with a plus arm. His stick grades out as a 50 or MLB average for both hit and power.
I agree with you that Peraza is the kind of SS that should be the starter, but power plays and Volpe has that in spades.
Torres is a 4 WAR player. That is not a placeholder, its borderline All Star. Until Volpe proves he can hit at the MLB level or at least the high minors, Torres is the starter at 2B.
triston casas has never hit 20 hr’s in a minor league year, and volpe the highly rated defensive minded 22-this-year-old was able to do that. he profiles as a pretty good prospect, he seems destined to get a shot to prove himself an mlb regular or more, but he should have a solid floor even if as a backup somewhere regardless
Poole that’s factually incorrect Casas did actually hit 20 homers in 2019 as a 19 year old. Still I do like Volpe I think he will be a good big leaguer.
good catch, some bad quick math, only time will tell but good luck to all teams and players
I love when fans on here call a prospect overrated, having barely seen him and without any evidence to back it up besides a 21 year old hitting for a low average in AAA as if that’s some rarity for even great players.
You hate the Yankees, we get it!
I never said that DogDays in fact I said I like Volpe and think he will be a good big leaguer.
Volpe grades out as a 50 on defense. That is MLB average.
mlb.com/prospects/top100/anthony-volpe-683011
His hitting and his power are what set him apart.
I saw Volpe this past fall in Durham…he was a man among boys. Crushed 2 HR, and his hardest hit ball was caught partway up the wall in right center. Looked pretty smooth at SS…everything that I saw said that this guy has a great shot up there.
No prospect is a sure thing, but he is the type of prospect that I would only sell dearly in trade.
@Big W Except when they call him up in the second half of the season.
@Big whiffa- If Volpe isn’t overrated are you going to comeback on here and say you we’re wrong? I doubt you will. We definitely got to see, not expecting him to start the season with the Yankees, but definitely expect him playing with the team sometime after the all-star break if he’s doing well in the minors.
Go read the mlb write up on #52 peraza. They got him pushing Volpe off his position. Over rated.
That’s your reason for calling him overrated?
Wow
O’s should really snag Profar he fits the mold and is insurance in case Mateo or Frazier struggles.
Profar is no longer an infielder due to his throwing yips. Do you really want to give out a multi year, $10MM per contract to anyone as “insurance in case…?”
The Orioles would never play Profar in the infield. Well, maybe in the 15th inning, if need be,
Also man these guys being asked these context extension questions after a few appearances in the majors.
Let’s be real. The question is:
“Would you like a $35M to $65M winning lottery ticket now or are you gonna hold out in the hopes of a $100M to $200M winning lottery ticket later, after you’ve already won a $30M ticket and are set to get that extra big ticket win, but currently none are guaranteed to actually happen so what if someone offered you tens of millions tomorrow, for real?”
The Red Sox reporters asking rookies about extensions should start their own TV reality series. “Sports Reporters Being Stupid.”
Exactly. Why would anyone even think about extensions for players who haven’t actually done anything at the major league level?
It’s weird how all guys have the same answer when it comes to potentially receiving millions of dollars.
I asked the guys in the mail room if they’d sign a CEO contract. Each said they were open to it.
Its sadly not that uncommon a practice anymore. Scott Kingery, Evan White, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Wander Franco, lots of young players are getting locked in early
as a yankee fan it hurts me to say that both casas and bello are for real. they’re going to be pains in our butt for years
I find hard to believe that NY Yankees would difficult time to trade Josh Donaldson.
I could name 10-12 clubs that would welcome him on their team
Really?
Are the Yanks paying his entire Salary?
What about his antics on/off the Field?
His contract is way to big to be an easy trade.
In real life or just MLB: The Show?
Name them then….name the 10-12 teams that would welcome him
Philadelphia Phillies St Louis Cardinals New York Mets Baltimore Orioles Kansas City royals Seattle Mariners Houston Astros
Chicago White Sox Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers
I will only comment from knowledge of the team: The Orioles have absolutely no use for Josh.
Now you are down to 9.
Phillies…nope. Not even sure if the Yanks paid almost all of the contract. They need to see if Bohm can continue to up his game, and JD is on the downward slope and already been arguably surpassed by the guy on the upward slope.
Take into account the fact that so many folks seem to think that JD is not a terrific clubhouse guy and it is easy to say no.
White Sox have Moncada at 3B and Eloy Jimenez will see the majority of DH AB’s
Cubs have Wisdom, Morel, and McKinstery at 3B and Trey Mancini will be the regular DH
Brewers have Urias and Brian Anderson at 3B and Jesse Winker is expected to DH, plus Yelich will likely see a fair amount of DH AB’s
Cardinals have the best 3B in Baseball in Nolan Arenado and Donaldson probably doesn’t out produce Juan Yepez at DH at this point
Phillies have Bohm at 3B and Harper/Castellanos for DH
Mets have Escobar/Baty/Vientos at 3B and Vogelbach/Ruff/Pham to DH
Astros have Alex Bregman at 3B and Michael Brantley/Yordan Alvarez/Jose Abreu to DH
Mariners have Suarez at 3B and seem to have Teoscar Hernandez/A.J. Pollack to DH
Orioles have Gunner Henderson at 3B and while they don’t have a regular DH they wouldn’t pay for Donaldson and wouldn’t gift the Yankees prospects for the privilege
The Royals would never pay for Donaldson regardless of need (which they really don’t have)
I will only comment from the standpoint that the Yankees are paying Donaldson’s entire salary
Donaldson – 2.4 WAR, 94 OPS+
About average WAR, below average hitter.
Phillies – Bohm – 0.8 WAR, 100 OPS+ (Maybe, but not likely)
Cardinals – Arenado – Don’t even have to look up the stats, that’s a NO!!
Mets – Eduardo Escobar – 1.2 WAR, 106 OPS+ (Maybe, but not likely)
Orioles – Ramon Urias – 3.1 WAR, 103 OPS+ (NO)
Royals – Bobby Witt Jr – (NO)
Mariners – Eugenio Suarez – 3.9 WAR, 129 OPS+ (NO!!)
Astros – Bregman – Dont even have to look up the stats (NO!!)
White Sox – Yoan Moncada – 0.9 WAR, 76 OPS+ (Maybe?)
Cubs – No clue who will start at 3B, so a maybe
Brewers – Luis Urias – 3.1 WAR, 110 OPS+ (NO)
So that is 4 Maybes and 6 NOs with the assumption that the Yankees are picking up his salary.
Lololol I think the Cardinals made me chuckle the most. Sorry logistics I thought you were being serious upfront about teams looking to bring him aboard. Had no idea it was all a giant joke.
St Louis Cardinals
=====================
Oh man, Arenado was so close to the HOF, and now he is being replaced by Donaldson. Oh well….
Logistics Guy
Philadelphia Phillies St Louis Cardinals New York Mets Baltimore Orioles Kansas City royals Seattle Mariners Houston Astros Chicago White Sox Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers
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For the record, I don’t think the NYY should trade Donaldson. He’s overpaid, but not terrible. Just stick with him for another year and be done with it. There is always a chance he could rebound.
OTOH, some of the teams you listed are a pure fantasy.
If the Yanks paid nearly his entire salary maybe
His power is gone and still owed 27mm
He would likely just be released. BTV has his value at -20 yanks would have to pay roughly 21 million to make him an even asset and that seems unlikely.
All I know is Donaldson is a perfect example of why you should never listen to fans. Had the jays listened to fans, they would be saddled with Donaldsons 54 year calves.
I believe there is also a 6 million buy out next year but could be wrong.
I noticed you also invent a lot of scenarios up, what fans were ever vocal about locking JD ? Most fans appreciated that it was time to turn the page and build around a youth movement.
Every person who ever called into the fan 590, or had a twitter account. If you polled people shortly before the Donaldson trade or that spring training every fan was saying lock him up to a blank cheque. I don’t invent anything. I listen to what the fans are saying and say the opposite so in 5 years down the road, I search Twitter for everyone’s bad takes. Anyone who thinks that Donaldson trade the jays made was bad thinks the jays shoulda signed him to 6,7 years too. It’s easy to use hindsight and for people to forget they’re terrible takes, it’s hard to make tough decisions on players when they’re good or popular but brilliant baseball people like myself and the gms do that.
All Donny has to do as this point is play really good defense, this isn’t a long term contract, and he’s gone at the end of the season anyway.
Yankees will win their division, clearly the best team in their division. Their division is pretty weak despite almost all the teams finishing with above .500 records last year. In my opinion the BlueJays got a bit worse, Rays and Orioles are the same as last year but neither team stands out, and the Redsox look awful going into this season. Yankees win about 95-96 games but they will win a majority of their in-division games
Varsho is an upgrade over Teoscar Hernandez. Belt as a DH should be able out perform Tapia and what Gurriel gave them last year. Varsho/Kiermaier/Springer is a superior defensive OF to any of the other teams in the division. Starting pitching is solid too. Not really sure how the Blue Jays “got a bit worse”
You may be shocked how well the ALE does with the balanced schedule.
Yankees were an average team last year for the majority of the second half of the year. They also had an unbelievable year from Judge, that is most likely not replicable.
jays have become more well rounded, much better D and run prevention, orioles are stacked with young talent and made some moves that will help bring some stability around the youth movement. Anyone sleeping on the rays is hilarious, wander and glasnow didn’t give them much last year, those are 2 potential game changers for them this year, heck even everyone sleeping on the Red Sox, they lost some key guys but also added some scrappy vets and some top end talent, they are far from a push over.
AL east is easily the deepest division in baseball, no chance Yankees run away with it. They have a shot at winning for sure but it’s far from ‘clearly’
Yea LFG I couldn’t disagree more the Blue Jays look real good and should give the Yankees all they can handle. The Rays are the Rays they will be tough as well. Baltimore is looking up and they have Rutschman. The Red Sox will have a better season then most people realize especially now that they don’t have to play the AL East teams all season. I could easily see all of the AL East teams be over .500.
LFG, do you realize how stupid that sounds? The ALE was mostly above .500 but its a weak division? You realize that means they were beating teams outside their division, right?
@Metsin7.
A few people already stated this, but the Jays certainly got better.
Let’s start with probably the biggest upgrade, Springer getting out of CF, he’s better suited now and actually prefers to play RF, the dimensions around him shrunk and his arm plays there.
Kiermier is arguably the best CF in baseball the past half decade or so. His bat didn’t play as a prototypical CF but found value in bunting and slapping other way, walking, SB. Now that the shift is eliminated he’ll see a slight bump in Average, maybe 250 ish with a decent OBP at the bottom of the lineup, that can be tolerated when you might get 40 HR and 125 or so WRC+ from the C spot, the weakest supposed offensive position
Varsho was statistically the best LF/CF in baseball last year, can supplant Kiermier if needed and almost hit 30 HR and probably add 5 just because Roger’s center is now extremely LH friendly.
Speaking of LH friendly, Belt going to benefit from 81 games of hitting sliders and curves 360 for a HR. Biggio might pop 25 if he’s given staring 2B duties with the new Dimensions
I swear if kickuchi somehow pitches half decent and we get a power LHP for the pen that’s solid. This teams gonna be hard to beat.
It’s not a matter of everything has to go well, everything just has to go “normal”
Let all these players have “good” but not great seasons
Vlad 50 HR, good but not great
Bo 40 HR good but not great
Chapman and Springer 35 HR, good but not great
Varsho 30 HR good but not great
Jansen and Belt 25 HR good but not great
Kirk and Biggio 15 HR good but not great
That’s 270 HR right there. With good, not great seasons. Kiermier might run into 10, Merrifield will hit at least 5, Espinal got 10 in his bat. Couple of kids could hit a few a peice
Man you’re looking at 300 HR unless a few people under perform and no one over performs. And I don’t even want to put the worst out in the universe with freak accidents or injuries. Fingers crossed
The BP and starting pitching is improved. Toronto owns Cole and Manoah looooooves pitching against NY. Berrios is the only real question mark. Worrying about a 5 starter will be alleviated if the bats just power through the season.
Yankees are going to struggle to 100 wins if everything goes perfect.
Jays are going to be disappointed if they don’t win 100.
Mattingly mustaches will be on display at some point I’m sure!!!! We have your kryptonite
Strange since the Yankees basically won 100 last year and Judge aside, nothing went “perfect”.
@Jayafan1981 Honestly I’m not the biggest believer in WAR and I think that defensive metrics are too critical. In my opinion, Lourdes Guriel, Teoscar Hernandez, and Moreno are combined much better than Varsho and Belt. I think that hitting is more important over defense as long as the player is only slightly below average on the field. I don’t see Varsho as a big upgrade. I also think his hitting stats are a bit inflated in Arizona. The bullpen is mediocre, didnt really make any upgrades. The starting rotation is headlined strong with Manoah and Gausman but they are with Ryu, Kikuchi and Berrios were some of the worst pitchers in the game last year. Springer will probably miss 70% of the season like usual as well
Lol “good but not great”
Vlad’s never hit 50 and Bo has never hit 40.
That would be a combined 34 more home runs from the 2 of them than they hit last year.
All your projections are best case scenario there.
The AL East was historically good as a conference last year. Boston, who finished last in division, went 26-50 against the tough AL East. They were 52-34 against the rest of league being the AL East crushed Boston last year. The more balanced schedule should allow Boston have a better record this year as well as all the AL East teams still easily the toughest division in baseball.
Bruin, in theory that would be correct. But the team itself got worse.
Their division is pretty weak despite almost all the teams finishing with above .500 records last year.
=========================
This must be Met Fans’ logic. All the teams are good, but collectively, they are pretty weak. The ALE was by far the best division in BB, and not even close.
@JoeBrady um you know you could have the exact same team one year as the next year and finish with completely different records right? Orioles and Rays overachieved last year. They will be worse this year. Redsox are much worse this year losing their second best hitter and their longtime DH. I mean just look at the SF Giants who had the best record in baseball in 2021, same team but their record was horrible by comparison this year. There are years where teams win close 1 run games and years where they lose a lot of them. For example, 2021 Mariners won almost every 1 run game. 2022 Mariners team was much much better and their final records were arounf the same due to the Mariners not being as lucky as they were the year before
While i follow the Redsox religiously,I am not positive on when they extend Petey and Youk(turned out to be sound thinking ) but it was early their careers… while I’m all for it with tris/Bello , I feel I would need to see more than the first 5 minutes of the movie before I give it a Oscar……
The Yankees were never finding a taker for Josh Donaldson. If they want the roster spot then one way or another they will have to eat his contract or just let it play out and hope he can be productive. Not finding takers for IKF or Gleyber isn’t surprising either as there always seems to be more middle Infielders available than jobs for them
The Yankees should just keep Donny for the year, no reason to eat his contract with only one year to go on his contract. I feel his play will be better this year then last. If DJ is healthy he can get most of the reps at 3rd base anyway, with Gleyber playing 2nd. If Gleyber has a great year he could always be moved with Hicks for a leftfielder at the trading deadline. You don’t need an all-star player at every position.
Jays need a backup 3B, we’ll give you absolutely nothing for Donaldson to come home and win a WS with Toronto like he should have 6 years ago
I would bet on Casas. He’s not Evan White. At this point your leveraging 3 min years a 3 arb years so the overall value would not be outrageous. I love Casas.
Dearest, O’s,
Meet Aaron Hicks.
You’re welcome.
Signed,
Your pals the Yanks.
@Salzilla- Yes, if the Yankees pick up $15 million out of the $30 million owed to Hicks I can definitely see the Yankees getting a mid level prospect(10-15)from the Orioles. That does make sense. Great call.
If the Yankees pick up 95% of his contract you might get a top 25 organization pick from Baltimore.
After year two in the bigs they should be approaching. Year two is when teams will adjust to them and that’s when you can see how they adjust. Baseball success is about making adjustments
I thought Josh Donaldson would be traded away from NYY by now. It’s getting close to Spring.
There’d be no great difficulty in trading Donaldson if Hal were to eat enough salary, but I doubt that Cashman has even asked him to do that because Cashman would then have to admit that trading for him in the first place was a boneheaded waste of his employer’s money.
If DJ is healthy and can contribute, that could be very big for the Yankees and Wood ranger having Donaldson and Hicks still in the lineup less problematic. Would definitely improve the offense
Nobody wants him he’s a cancer in the clubhouse and shell of his former self. Plus owed a lot of money. A bad combination.
I don’t know if Josh Donaldson acts the same off field as he sometimes does on the field. He just doesn’t demonstrate the class we expect from a Yankee.
Rob refsnyder for an extension! (Sarc)
Yankee organization ” Yeah DJL looks great, you would never know he had an injury”
DJL shows up to camp wearing a prosthetic leg.
Haha. Sad, but true.
Brayan Bello is a potential candidate for an early long term contract but that should happen after the 2024 season if he has proven he can pitch well at the MLB level. Bello has four years of Pre-Arb and 3 years of ARB so he’s a free agent in 2029. The pre-arb years will cost roughly $1MM so after 2024 he will have used 2 of his 4 pre-arb years leaving 5 years of control. That’s a great time to pay him for 2 years at $1MM plus another then 3 years of salary upgrades while under control and then 3 more years of FA pay. If he’s exceptional, he could get 8 years for $120MM. It would take him through age 32 as a SP. Boston would get his prime years at $15MM per season since 5 of the 8 are controlled years. He does well and Boston has an inexpensive #2 or #3 SP locked up for years.
In other headline grabbing news, both Jeter Downs & Connor Seabold have said they would be open to a long-term contract.