The Yankees announced five roster moves prior to today’s game with the Orioles. As expected, Josh Donaldson was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 6) due to a right hamstring strain and right-hander Jhony Brito was called up from Triple-A to make his scheduled start against Baltimore. New York also placed righty Jonathan Loaisiga on the 15-day IL with a retroactive April 6 date, as Loaisiga is suffering from right elbow inflammation. In corresponding moves, the Yankees selected Willie Calhoun’s contract from Triple-A and officially signed him to a big league deal, while Tommy Kahnle was moved to the 60-day IL to create space for Calhoun on the 40-man roster.
Any elbow issue for Loaisiga is of particular concern given that he has a Tommy John surgery in his past, but it doesn’t yet appear as though his current issue is anything more than soreness. Shoulder problems have also hampered Loaisiga over the years, but the 28-year-old has generally been a pretty solid reliever and spot starter over his six MLB seasons (all with the Yankees). Loaisiga has been a full-time reliever for the last three seasons, and he also become much more of a groundball specialist, posting a 60.5% grounder rate since the start of the 2021 campaign.
With an ability to generate grounders and a knack for inducing soft contact, Loaisiga has a 2.95 ERA over his last 122 innings, and he has one of the best chase rates of any pitcher in baseball despite a below-average strikeout rate. This arsenal put Loaisiga in line for more high-leverage innings, and he was seen as perhaps the Yankees’ top set-up option for closer Clay Holmes. Unfortunately, he’ll now be sidelined on the IL along with fellow relievers Lou Trivino and Kahnle, creating another vacancy in New York’s bullpen.
Kahnle was sidelined by biceps tendinitis during Spring Training, and what was initially seen as a pretty minor issue will now keep the veteran right-hander away from the MLB roster until the end of May. Kahnle didn’t start playing catch until earlier this week, indicating that he has quite a ways to go in ramping up his arm strength and making up for the time lost in spring camp.
Calhoun brings a left-handed bat to a New York roster that is loaded with right-handed hitters, and mention of a lefty swinger joining the club merits a mention of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. Calhoun his 21 home runs with the Rangers in 2019, but has otherwise only gone yard 11 times over his five other MLB seasons with Texas and San Francisco. For his career as a whole, Calhoun has hit .240/.299/.404 in 936 plate appearances.
Once a top prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system, Calhoun’s solid 2019 campaign was undone by injury-shortened seasons in 2020 and 2021, and he was openly hoping for a trade away from the Rangers after being sent down to Triple-A early in the 2022 season. He didn’t receive much of a look from the Giants at the MLB level following a June trade, but he’ll now get another chance in the Bronx.
Playing mostly as a left fielder during his MLB career, Calhoun looks to join Oswaldo Cabrera and Aaron Hicks in the corner outfield position. Cabrera might get some infield time with Donaldson on the IL, though New York has third base pretty well covered with DJ LeMahieu getting most of the starting time and Isiah Kiner-Falefa also available to back up. Calhoun’s addition might further reduce Hicks’ playing time, as Hicks already hasn’t seen much action over the Yankees’ first seven games.
Stud.. here’s your answer on who gets called up. I’m surprised. I thought they might just go a man short for a few days.
I guess they really are done with Hicks.
I’m done with Hicks.
Hicks usually don’t flourish in The Bronx.
Send him south.
Brilliant
I am reporting you and you are getting canceled for all human interaction.
J/K-Well Done!
“As of now, you’re on Double SECRET probation!”
They’ll be done with him when he’s off the 40 man roster.
The immortal Willie Calhoun
I’ve never seen Calhoun.
But I’ve seen Kowloon.
Dare I say it?
There are 3 foundational problems with this team. You can debate which of the three is the worst.
1. Hal Steinbrenner who employs the GM.
2. Brian Cashman who acquires the players.
3. The fans who continue to support #1 & 2 by watching and attending games. Since the fans are the source of income for Steinbrenner and his coffers are full he has ZERO incentive to change because the fans will support any product he puts on the field.
Imagine you owned the only restaurant in town. If the people of the town want to go out to eat their only option is your restaurant. You have no need to cater to their needs as you’re the only game in town. The same logic applies here. Hal has no need to change because you’re still going to buy his product.
When the fans revolt and stop attending games, stop watching, and stop buying the merch a change will occur. Until then the fans are the reason why change won’t occur imo.
Not exactly. To use your analogy, the Yankees are one of two restaurants in town.
I’ll weigh in in reverse order…
3. I’m long since priced out of Yankees games. I live out west now anyway. I’ve seen the Yanks in San Diego and Kansas City, a total of maybe 12 times. All told, the 12 games probably cost me $300-400. Good seats. So the NYY get little of my money.
2. Cashman knows how to overpay for aging FA. That’s his only redeeming quality.
1. Hal inherited an ATM that prints Yankee dollars. As long as that happens, he’s good. And since the Yankees are recently assessed at $7.1 billion… Hal’s happy. We’re screwed.
The Yankees have the second-highest payroll in MLB and the best GM. Which organization do wish the Yankees were more like?? Don’t watch if you don’t like it. The Reds and Tigers are looking for fans.
Actually, from a sports/entertainment perspective… 3 hockey teams, two basketball, 2 football, 2 baseball. Yanks have lots of competition for their sport/culinary dollar.
And that doesn’t include the Philadelphia and Boston sports teams accessable by New Jersey, New England and East Long Island respectively.
I’ll watch whatever I choose and critique whatever I want. Take your own advice. Skip my comments.
Your comment is utterly devoid of any sense whatsoever.
So which MLB team did you say you wished the Yankees were more like?? Go ahead and cry. Don’t let me stop you. If you are going to post cry baby sh…stuff about the GM and owner, expect people to respond. You can comment, complain, and cry about anything you want. I didn’t know that my comment would lead to more crying. Sorry about that. For being a fan of a team that has 30 winning seasons in a row, you sure are unhappy. You just cry if you want too!
I’m not crying.
You’re an idiot.
Muted.
I’m not name-calling. You sounded upset. Now you muted me! You are upset. You need a hug, dawg??
Still never answered the question!! Which team should the Yankees be more like??????
@larkraxm: The best GM? What have you been smoking?
Off the top of my head, the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Dodgers, Guardians, Mariners, Orioles, Phillies, and Rays have better GMs than Cashman. That puts him at maybe no. 10.
I’d pick the Astros, Dodgers, Padres, Seattles, Cleveland’s, Brian Sabean…all the guys you picked too… For openers. For the Astros, I’d pick any GM over the last 12 years over Cashman. By a mile.
Which of those teams/GMs have 30 consecutive winning seasons? I don’t think that Cashman is perfect, but I would not rather be the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Dodgers, Guardians, Mariners, Orioles, Phillies, or Rays. I guess I only say he is the best GM because his teams win the most games. If there is another metric, I must have missed it.
@larkraxm: They could have 120 consecutive winning seasons and it wouldn’t make them the strongest organization now. Don’t be surprised if they finish fourth behind the Rays, Blue Jays, and Orioles.
Endar what do you exactly want the Yankees to do? The mlb playoffs are a complete crapshoot which you probably don’t believe but they are and if you don’t think so you’re simply wrong.
The Yankees have made the playoffs and spent past the tax and anyone intelligent knows that spending doesn’t equal winning see the Mets this year and last year for example.
All you can do in baseball is make moves that ensure your team makes the playoffs.
Don’t be surprised if they don’t. I won’t care because you can’t win every year and being in contention for 30 years is more than a fan can ask for. All I know is that the Yankees are the defending AL east champs until they aren’t. Listing off a bunch of teams that they beat last year doesn’t make those teams better. Getting all excited about Baltimore because the Yankees have pitching staff injuries seems silly, but whatever. Go get em Orioles!!!!
The Rays are run far better than the Yanks. From a baseball perspective. Their business side of the house, with that dump of a stadium, is awful.
…And that is why the Rays are defending AL East champs. Because they are “far better than the Yanks”. I thought you muted me because I’m an idiot?? The first thing the Rays are going to have to do is win the division. I’m not trying to be difficult or anything, but one team won, and one team didn’t. The winners are the better team.
Damn… I didn’t think Kahnle’s injury would warrant a 60-day IL.
I would have preferred Peraza but the good news is Hicks is even further on the depth chart. If that was even possible lol
Don’t you just love how some teams spend millions on over the hill players just to watch them get hurt and go on the IL?
@TheMan3 – Donaldson was acquired in a salary dump swap trade from the Twins where the Twins picked up Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela and the Yankees took on Donaldson, the perpetually injured Ben Rortvedt and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
The Yankees were the ones dumped on.
Wasn’t viewed that way at the time. Urshela and Sanchez were considered to be declining players who’d be scrub level and Donaldson was viewed as a guy who would probably have a rebound.
Rortvedt was expected to replace Sanchez providing catching depth with potential upside and Kiner-Falefa filled a big need the Yankees had at shortstop.
Not by me, boss. I viewed Sanchez as a lazy catcher, Donaldson as an aging has been, IKF as the GG third baseman out of position, and Ben the Buff guy as totally unnecessary. This was at the time of the trade. Actually, it’s worse than I thought, which is really bad. Gio wasn’t declining. He’s just not a SS. Neither is Gleyber. Putting a lesser infielder at SS is foolish.
I don’t care how he was acquired, the Yankees are stuck with his $21 million dollar contract
It was a terrible trade.
I almost think the Yanks have an age requirement of 30-35.
Actually 27 million, he has a 6 million buyout too. unless cashman would want to keep him for another year, but I would not be surprised at the way Cashman make some inexplicable moves sometimes.
@NotTheMan- Nobody’s forcing you to stay and watch.
I watch. Doesn’t mean I approve.
No one will force me to do that either.
Ironically enough, you’re constantly offering your 2 cents on every Pirate article, Captain
Turn about is fair play
Meh. Donaldson still had a 2.3 bWAR last year. You’re over-stressing. His performance isn’t going to sink the Yankees.
@JoeBrady Not really. JD plays a premium offensive position for a contending team ranking second in total payroll. The only thing that keeps his bWAR afloat is his defense. Glove-first thirdbasemen aren’t that hard to find.
So the Yankees exchange Johnny Lasagna for Johnny Burrito.
Let’s hope Burrito brings the cheese!
Either way it’s indigestion. Sends you to the John on your knees. Ew.
Donaldson’s hot spring is probably the only thing keeping him from being on the DFA hot seat at this point.
And his big salary
How hype of a prospect is Brito?
MLB has him as the 27th best Yankees prospect. Shows what these rankings are really worth.
Brito’s secondary stuff is considered below average with the expectation he may have to move into a relief role.
At a certain point, the Yanks just have to cut their losses on Donaldson. He’s f-ing terrible.
I agree, but Hal won’t do that. He has never eaten a bad contract, and he never will. But you’re right. The money is spent either way. They’re just wasting a roster spot by holding onto Donaldson. Much better off DFAing him and giving the roster spot to a young guy whose physical tools have not declined.
Jacoby Ellsbury?
He was trying to get out of paying Ellsbury with that move. They disagreed on his medical treatment and rehab.
Yeah. I think the Yankees disagreed with the waterskiing/jetskiing part of the rehab.
Exactly what the Mets did with Robinson Cano at this time last year.
Old old old. This team is so disappointing. They fired their strength
Coach two years ago because of injuries and yet here we are. Strip it down and start with youth and please
Stop signing old
Retreads. Rizzo will be the next problem with his back.
Everyone has been fired…
Except one… One constant in all the old… decrepit… expensive… arthritic ballplayers the NYY keep on hiring… Crashman.
1996-2000 were the core four (five really). A dynasty crafted by Gene Michael and his scout/development team.
Lately it’s been the ‘corpse for’ the NYY.
Yeah, signing old retreads was Steinbrenner’s way of doing business all through the 1980s and into the 1990s until his suspension changed their way of doing things for the better.
Steingrabber would pay based on their past performance and then get bent out of shape if players didn’t perform at what he was paying them. He thought of it as a business and his players were just his workers. Probably lots of owners were like that, but he was the most egregious of them.
Of course……
Can Hicks pitch? About the only use for him now.
He ain’t fit to pitch but he can sure pitch a fit.
Do we need a bat person?
He was never more than a role player. I hated acquiring him, hated the extension, and have hated Cashman trying to justify his mistakes. Hicks, Gallo, Donaldson… the game has long passed him by.
If the Yankees were not so injury riddled, I think Donaldson would be a DFA candidate. Let’s see if they can weather the storm.
Josh is 1 of the most underrated and underappreciated and unthanked players in MLB, so of course the Yankees will mismanage it. Chances then Yankees completely miss the playoffs goes up around 3% every day Josh is sidelined or benched in anyway. Only true competitor on the team, only player on the team even worth having.
Under as in 6 feet under
You know nothing.
Very unfortunate news on Lasagna and Kahnle. I’d have to think this is Calhoun’s one chance to show something in the big leagues. Elijah Dunham is off to a good start in AAA and I would like to see him get a shot in at some point
I agree completely. Loisiga us a big loss, although i am not surprised, he is always injured, and Donaldson, addition by subtraction.
Josh Donaldson…shot by his own troops in Vietnam
I’d like to trade him to the White Sox, and locker him next to ‘Jackie’ Anderson.
How many cents are the Yankees away from the Cohen tax line with Calhoun’s ML deal?
Hal said (I know) in an interview a couple of weeks ago he thought they were over already taking in consideration call-ups and such.
True words. We will never see that mia catcher, which is probably no loss anyway,
And Donaldson is overpaid and over the hill.
Besides Sanchez would not have been an issue if his option has not been picked up by the Yankees anyway.
Pull my hammy.
Go yard, Willie!!!!!!
Go Yard!
Hal needs to step in and make the decision to DFA both Donaldson and Hicks and just eat the contracts for the betterment of the franchise…..keep bringing up the kids…….painful as it is to admit it just wasn’t good choices, he needs to take charge and give Boone the opportunity to manage a team with players on the upswing…not just 2 guys trying to hold on and hope for the best…….come on Hal…..George would have done it…..step up!
So now they have what, six players who could be plugged into left field? Meanwhile the guy they thought was their shortstop hasn’t hit and doesn’t look like he will hit–but he sure can steal bases. If only he got on base. And the guy who could handle shortstop is in the minors. Perfectly played, Cashman.
You’re calling Volpe a bust after seven games?
I like Volpe a lot, but:
1-He had a 30/8 K/W in AAA, and with only 89 ABs. It felt like they could’ve left him in AAA until his K/W settled in at something 2:1 or less. He’s not even 22 yet.
2-Isn’t Peraza the SS of the future? I like both guys, but it felt like Peraza shouldn’t gotten the start at SS with Volpe in the minors. Until such time as they traded Gleyber.
Peraza didn’t have a good ST and Volpe was killing it. It forced their hand. I think either Volpe moves to second or Peraza gets traded. But not until the trade deadline at least and more likely the end of the season when Torres becomes a FA.
I agree. Peraza proved (to me) he can play at the big league level. I believe Volpe has an upside though, and you have to take pains to let kids develop.
Donaldson and Hicks have no upside. They’re on the back side. In every way possible.
I’ll give him credit for patiently waiting until seven games for his deep assessment. It could’ve been three.
Seems like there aren’t enough good players to go around…
Volper has to stop swinnging to the cloud and moon