November 10th, 2020: Minor League Restructuring, Top 10 Prospects, Garcia, LeMahieu

The Dodgers won the World Series two weeks ago and the dominant MLB headlines at the moment are an ex-GM suing his former team* and a recently hired manager getting his second DUI. Someone sign a free agent or make a trade and save us all from this already. Here are today’s thoughts.

* I'd love the Jeff Luhnow thing to go to a trial so we could get a look behind the scenes at MLB's sign-stealing investigation, but there's basically no chance that happens. MLB would settle before letting commissioner Rob Manfred and others be deposed.

1. Minor league restructuring. Over the weekend the Yankees became the first Major League organization to announce their new minor league structure, and there was more change than I expected. Here's what the farm system will look like beginning in 2021:

• Triple-A: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
• Double-A: Somerset Patriots (replacing Trenton Thunder)
• High-A: Hudson Valley Renegades (replacing Tampa Tarpons)
• Low-A: Tampa Tarpons (replacing Charleston RiverDogs)
• Rookie: Gulf Coast League Yankees and Dominican Summer League Yankees

Been a tough two weeks for me. First I was wrong about J.A. Happ’s vesting option not also being a club option, then I was wrong about the Somerset rumor being a bunch of nothing. Clean it up, Axisa.

Anyway, the short season leagues are gone. The Appalachian League has already been converted into a collegiate summer league (so long, Pulaski Yankees) and the NY-Penn League is expected to do the same (so long, Staten Island Yankees). The Yankees are also losing one of their two GCL teams, so they’re down to six minor league affiliates, like everyone else.

“Restructuring our minor league affiliations -- especially with the additions of Somerset and Hudson Valley -- gives us greater continuity to streamline and improve the development of our minor league system,” Brian Cashman said in a statement. “The relationships we have formed with all of our teams will allow for a more consistent application of training with similarly aligned facilities in terms of structure, quality and ease of travel. We are confident that these changes will greatly benefit our players and Yankees fans for many years to come."

Before we get into the individual levels, there’s a few things to note. One, the Yankees’ press release confirms the minor leagues will be contracted from 160 teams to 120 teams (120 teams is explicitly stated in the press release). That has been the rumor for months and now it is official. Also, this confirms the Florida State League has indeed been reclassified from High-A to Low-A. That’s official as well. Let’s break this down by level.

Triple-A Scranton

No change here and that’s no surprise. The RailRiders are a first rate Triple-A organization and the PNC Field is state of the art following the 2012 renovation. They pretty much tore the place down and rebuilt it. Also, Scranton is about as close as a Triple-A team can get to the Bronx. The Yankees can make a roster move at 4pm ET and have the call-up in uniform that night. No reason at all to change things up at Triple-A.

Double-A Somerset

Somerset, a founding member of the independent Atlantic League, gets a huge promotion and becomes Double-A affiliate of the Yankees. This has been rumored for a few weeks now, but I assumed the Yankees were using Somerset as leverage to get Trenton to make ballpark upgrades or whatever. Wrong I was. Here is the Patriots’ New England-y logo:

“This is a dream come true for everyone in the Somerset Patriots family,” chairman emeritus Steve Kalafer said in a statement. “... I’ve always looked at the Yankees as the gold standard in baseball and sports as a whole. It is how we’ve modeled the way we’ve conducted our business at the Somerset Patriots since day one. We are forever grateful to Hal Steinbrenner and the entire Steinbrenner family, as well as the management of the New York Yankees. Our ‘call up’ to join one of the most recognizable and prestigious brands in the entire world is a milestone for us.”

In their statement the Yankees added: “We thank the great city of Trenton and the Thunder owners for 18 years of collaboration and we wish them well, but this decision was made strictly on the basis of what we believe to be the best facility to develop our young players … (Somerset) possesses outstanding facilities for players, a commitment to fan engagement and strong attendance.”

I’ve never been there but I’ve been told TD Bank Ballpark in Somerset (Bridgewater Township, technically) is lovely and easily accessible via NJ Transit, so much so that it’s possible to hit a home run onto the train tracks beyond the right field wall. The place opened in 1999 and it can seat up to 6,100 with enough standing room capacity to get to 8,500 fans. Here’s the best aerial shot I can find (photo via RBI Solar):

It’s 317 feet down the left field line, 402 feet to center, and 315 feet down the right field line, so I guess it has a short porch? The gaps look pretty large though. Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton is 330/407/330 from left to right, and the breeze coming in off the Delaware River makes it play even bigger to right field. Lefties have to really get into one to pull a homer in Trenton. I reckon we’ll see some better hitter performances at Double-A moving forward.

(Matt Eddy ran the numbers last year and found Arm & Hammer Park suppressed offense to 92.2% the Eastern League average. I have no idea what that number was for Somerset. Good luck finding independent league park factors.)

It must be noted Sparky Lyle, a Yankee from 1972-78 and the 1977 AL Cy Young winner, is an institution in Somerset. He was the Patriots’ very first employee and he managed the club from their inaugural season in 1998 until stepping down to take on a less demanding role following the 2012 season. Lyle has spent the last few years as a club ambassador, something I have to think will continue given his history with the Yankees and status in Somerset.

As for the Thunder, the Yankees’ press release says they will be offered Somerset’s spot in the Atlantic League, though it’s possible they will hook on with another MLB organization (Phillies?). The Yankees are the only team to announce their new minor league structure. There are spots still up for grabs with the other 29 teams. Meanwhile, Thunder owner Joe Plumeri ripped the Yankees in a statement over the weekend. From Brendan Kuty:

“The Yankees' actions are nothing short of despicable,” he said.

…

“(Friday night), we learned through the media, that New York Yankees management has made the calculated and ungracious maneuver to leave the urban setting of Trenton for the affluent confines of Bridgewater Township, leaving one of the finest facilities according to Major League Baseball without an affiliate,” Plumeri said. “For the last 18 years, Trenton has served as the Yankees' AA affiliate with many of the contributors to the Major League team’s recent success, having first worn the Thunder’s navy and gold, and had their Louisville Sluggers picked up by Rookie, Derby, and Chase – our team’s bat dogs, on their way to the Bronx.”

Kuty says the Yankees have had some issues with Trenton’s facilities in recent years, including with the mound and the infield. The Yankees had been affiliated with Trenton since 2003 and the relationship seemed solid from where I sit, and I thought it would continue. Shows what I know. The Thunder are out and the Patriots are in. I’ll miss the bat dogs.

High-A Hudson Valley

The NY-Penn League may become a collegiate summer league but a few of their franchises will remain affiliated minor league teams, and that’s what happened here. Hudson Valley joined the NYPL in 1994 and were affiliated with the Rangers (1994-95) and Rays (1996-2020) before hooking on with the Yankees and jumping up to High-A ball. Their logo is pretty sharp:

Hudson Valley also has a raccoon logo and I assume it will stick around. The franchise has rebranded with fresh looks every few years (here are two older logos) but they’ve always kept the racoon. It’s their hallmark. I assume the Renegades will be part of the brand new High-A Mid-Atlantic League that is reportedly in the works.

“(Hudson Valley) is proud to join the long, illustrious history of the New York Yankees as host of a minor league affiliate at our own Dutchess Stadium, beginning next season,” county executive Marc Molinaro said in a statement. “The next generation of Yankee stars -- ballplayers who will look to etch their names in Yankees history alongside legends like Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle and Jeter -- will take the field as professionals right here in Dutchess County.”

The Renegades play at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York, and it is a turf field. That’s never great for knees and hamstrings and whatnot, but Hudson Valley is just a stop up the ladder, not a permanent home for players. The ballpark opened in 1994 and seats just under 4.500 fans, and the club perennially ranked among the NYPL attendance leaders. Here’s an aerial view of the ballpark (photo via Poughkeepsie Journal):

Dutchess Stadium is 325 feet down the lines and 400 feet to center. Looks symmetrical to me. With Hudson Valley joining the organization, the top three minor league affiliates are all in close proximity to each other, making promotions (and demotions) easy. Also, Hudson Valley is another close to the Bronx rehab option for big leaguers whenever Scranton’s and Somerset’s travel schedules don’t cooperate. That’s an obvious plus.

(Eddy found Dutchess Stadium inflated offense to 112.4% the NYPL average in 2019. George M. Steinbrenner Field was at 105.3% in the FSL, so odds are the High-A affiliate is in a more hitter friendly park now.)

Low-A Tampa

The Tarpons were never in danger of leaving the organization (the Yankees own the team) and the move to Low-A is sensible. Not just for the Yankees but the entire Florida State League. FSL clubs all call their MLB parent team’s Spring Training complex home. Now when players are promoted from Extended Spring Training or rookie ball to Low-A, they just have to report to a different part of the complex. In the Yankees’ case, that means going from the Himes complex across the street to George M. Steinbrenner Field. Hooray for common sense.

The addition of Hudson Valley and demotion of Tampa means the Charleston RiverDogs are no longer part of the organization. They’d been affiliated with the Yankees since 2005. Trenton is pretty miffed about being dropped by the Yankees. I reckon that is not the case with Charleston seeing how principal owner Marvin Goldkang also owns Hudson Valley (and a minority stake in the Yankees.) J.J. Cooper (subs. req’d) reports the RiverDogs are expected to land an affiliation with another MLB organization. It’s a great city, a fine ballpark, and they always draw well.

“The determination was made that Hudson Valley would be best for our players, especially given the long term and tremendously beneficial relationship we have had with Marvin Goldklang, who is a longstanding partner and associate of the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees,” the Yankees said in their statement.

(As noted, George M. Steinbrenner Field inflated offense to 105.3% the FSL average in 2019. Eddy found Joseph P. Riley Park in Charleston suppressed offense to 94.9% the South Atlantic League average. Guess that means another affiliate is moving into a more offensive ballpark. Those poor pitching prospects.)

Staten Island is out of the organization after the Yankees “carefully considered” the team for their High-A opening before going with Hudson Valley. “(We) did not have the confidence that the organization could continue to allow us to develop our players in the best possible way, especially since the team would have to transition into a full-season Single-A affiliate,” the Yankees said in their statement. The Staten Island franchise is not happy about it.

“The Staten Island Yankees made every effort to accommodate MLB and New York Yankees requirements, including securing a commitment from New York City for ballpark upgrades,” team president Will Smith said in a statement. “However, MLB and the Yankees choose not to engage in any discussions with us. We were unaware of the final decision and learned about it by reading the statement on Yankees social media … We are shocked at the developments from this past weekend, and we believe what has happened to our organization is unacceptable. The Staten Island Yankees will evaluate all of its alternatives and make choices based on what is best for the community.”

If the Yankees did not inform Staten Island (or Trenton) about their decision and made them hear it on social media, it’s pretty crappy and unprofessional. It’s unclear what’s next for the Staten Island franchise -- the press release says they will be offered a spot in the independent Atlantic League -- and man on the scene Robert Pimpsner has a Twitter thread detailing some of the problems the Yankees had with Staten Island, including issues with uniforms and ballpark maintenance. This breakup isn’t nearly as surprising as the split with Trenton.

Rookie ball

Not much to see at the rookie level. The Yankees had to drop one of their two Gulf Coast League affiliates -- they picked up the second GCL team in 2013, when the Mets dropped out of the league to cut costs -- to meet the “four full season affiliates and one rookie ball affiliate” mandate MLB has apparently put in place. The Yankees will also retain their Dominican Summer League affiliate. They had two DSL teams from 2002-16.

The Yankees typically sign a small army of international players each year -- they signed 57 (!) international prospects in 2015 and have been in the 40-ish range since -- and sort them out in the DSL and GCL. The international hard cap and looming international draft makes that pretty much impossible now. You can always find players to fill out a second GCL team (undrafted free agents, etc.) but the direction baseball is heading discourages it. C'est la vie.

2. Baseball America’s top 10. Baseball America (subs. req’d) has started their annual look at the top 10 prospects in each organization and they hit the Yankees late last week. The top 10 is all over social media, so I don’t feel too bad about sharing it here:

1. OF Jasson Dominguez
2. RHP Deivi Garcia
3. RHP Clarke Schmidt
4. RHP Luis Gil
5. C Austin Wells
6. SS Oswald Peraza
7. RHP Miguel Yajure
8. RHP Alex Vizcaino
9. RHP Yoendrys Gomez
10. RHP Luis Medina

SS Anthony Volpe (No. 6), RHP Roansy Contreras (No. 8), and RHP Albert Abreu (No. 10) drop out of last year’s top 10 (subs. req’d) with Wells, Yajure, and Gomez joining this year’s top 10. Also, Garcia and Schmidt flipped spots from last year, which we can probably chalk up to Deivi’s very promising big league debut. Now a few thoughts on this year’s top 10 and the Baseball America write-ups.

One, we’ve all seen the videos, but now we have some information on Dominguez’s workouts during the minor league-less season. The scouting report says he “spent part of the shutdown hitting off pitching machines that throw breaking balls in order to help him get used to making better swing decisions,” among other things. As always, the scouting report sounds too good to be true. The write-up says Dominguez has Clint Frazier bat speed and “(all) five of his tools show plus potential, with his power and speed garnering double-plus grades.” Lordy.

Two, Garcia and Schmidt both used their time at the alternate site to make adjustments. Deivi shifted his position on the rubber, as we’ve noted, and the scouting report says the Yankees had Schmidt work on a four-seam fastball because they want something “that played better against lefthanded hitters as well as an offering that rode up in the zone to pair with his signature curveball.” Schmidt's two-seamer runs all over the place (video link) ...

... and roughly 40% of his big league fastballs this year were four-seamers, and 70% of those four-seamers were to lefty batters. I wonder what that split was in the minors?

Three, Gil revamped his arsenal at the alternate site. The write-up says the Yankees helped him add a slider, replacing his curveball, and the slider “ranges from 82-88 mph while showing average promise with more development.” The curve was said to be a high spin pitch but spin rate isn’t everything. There’s always been reliever risk with Gil given his injury history, his lack of a third pitch, and his career-long walk issues, and I can’t imagine the lost minor league season helped matters. We may see the 22-year-old as a fastball/slider short reliever soon-ish.

Four, the Yankees tweaked Vizcaino’s delivery slightly at the alternate site and the adjustments “helped him land his slider more consistently and play as an average pitch.” Vizcaino has big velocity and a great changeup -- his changeup might be the single best pitch in the system -- but his breaking ball has been a non-factor throughout his career. Given his fastball and changeup, Vizcaino doesn’t need the slider to be anything more than a usable third pitch. He’s Rule 5 Draft eligible (again) this offseason and the decision to put him on the 40-man roster may come down to how much the Yankees believe in this summer’s delivery tweaks.

Five, in the chat Josh Norris (subs. req’d) notes the Yankee say Estevan Florial hit 12 home runs at the alternate site this year and … yay? I guess? A dozen homers in two months is a lot, but we have no idea how many other players hit to provide context, and Florial was facing the same dang pitchers day after day. I’ll take 12 homers over two homers, but yeah, not sure that little nugget means much.

Six, I did not realize this, but Norris notes in the chat that Josh Breaux spent some time in an independent league this summer. The 2018 second rounder went 4 for 16 (.250) with a home run in five games with the Eastern Reyes del Tigre of the Constellation Energy League. Their manager? Former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland. Anyway, MLB allowed minor leaguers to play in indy leagues this year and some games are better than no games. Breaux has power and a rocket arm. I think he can be a Miguel Olivo type down the road.

And seven, Norris says Volpe dropped out of the top 10 simply because it’s hard to get a clear read on the guy. He came down with mono last year, cutting short his pro debut, then the minor league season was lost this year. The top 10 is heavy on alternate site guys and it’s only natural to run the guys you have the most information on up the rankings. Just keep in mind all this alternate site info is coming from the Yankees because no scouts were allowed. Of course the team is going to pump up their guys.

3. Blue Jays sign Ray. The offseason has been slow-moving to date -- there has been nothing but idle speculation involving the Yankees thus far, not a single legitimate rumor -- though things kinda sorta started to pick up in recent days. Most notably, the Blue Jays re-signed lefty Robbie Ray to a one-year contract worth $8M. It was the first (and still only) Major League free agent signing of the winter.

Toronto signing Ray is relevant to the Yankees because a) they’ll have to face him next season, and b) it takes a pitcher off the board. I can’t imagine Ray was near the top of their priority list -- he had a 6.62 ERA (6.50 FIP) this past season and is very much a “he had a great year once and maybe he’ll do it again!” guy -- but they’ve had interest in the past, so who knows. Doesn’t matter now. One fewer free agent starter available.

I can’t tell whether the Ray signing is good news or bad news for the free agent market. Or, rather, good news or no news. It’s definitely not bad news. Kevin Gausman and Julio Teheran each received a one-year contract worth $9M last winter, and Ray is in that tier of free agent starters (talented, young-ish, enigmatic), so his deal makes sense from that standpoint. A player getting 2019-20 offseason dollars during the 2020-21 offseason is a good thing, right?

That said, the Blue Jays are better positioned to overpay (or simply pay market value) than most teams because they’re owned by Rogers Communications, which is like AT&T and Verizon and T-Mobile put together, and Rogers hasn’t taken the financial beating other companies and MLB ownership groups have taken during the pandemic. That isn’t to say business is booming, just that they’re much better positioned to absorb any losses.

Also, the Blue Jays have a ton of payroll flexibility because their core is so young. They have a little more than $50M on the books in guaranteed contracts next year and their arbitration class projects at $10.7M. If Travis Shaw gets non-tendered, it’s $6.2M. The rest of their roster is pre-arbitration guys. There’s a reason I ranked the Blue Jays No. 1 in my 2021 payroll flexibility rankings earlier this year. They’re in position to pay a little extra to get their guy quickly.

And keep in mind Toronto may have to overpay to get players this offseason. They’re an up and coming team, sure, but are they actually going to play in Toronto next year? Canada’s quarantine laws and border restrictions are still in place and there’s no guarantee they’ll be lifted (or MLB will be given an exemption) come Opening Day. Free agents who sign with the Blue Jays will do so knowing they may get stuck playing in Buffalo next year, and that’ll be baked into their asking price.

Ultimately, Ray is one data point, and it seems good that he landed 2019-20 offseason dollars this offseason. The Blue Jays are one of the few teams with real payroll flexibility this winter though, plus Ray may’ve asked them for a little more given the border situation, so there are some other factors to consider. My guess is the free agent market won’t really heat up until after the Dec. 2nd non-tender deadline and teams see the entire free agent pool.

4. Remembering a random Yankee: Erik Kratz. Our next random Yankee is a fan favorite who recently announced his retirement as a player. Here's the random Yankee archive. You can find links back to everyone we've covered there.

Before becoming a professional journeyman, Kratz was a megastar at Division III Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. He hit .507/.563/.993 with 14 homers and a Division III record 25 doubles as a senior in 2002. The Blue Jays selected him in the 29th round that year, making him the first (and still only) player ever drafted out of EMU.

Kratz spent seven years in Toronto’s farm system, then signed with the Pirates as a minor league free agent Jan. 2009. He made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh the following year, then bounced to the Phillies (2011-13), Blue Jays again (2014), Royals (2014-15), Phillies again (2015), Astros (2016), and Pirates again (2016). Among others, Kratz was traded for Brad Lincoln (No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft) and Liam Hendriks in his career.

The Yankees acquired Kratz, then 37, for the first time in Aug. 2017. It was a cash trade with Cleveland and they brought him in because Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine were awaiting their suspensions following that huge brawl with the Tigers, and because Triple-A catchers Kyle Higashioka and Wilkin Castillo were hurt. Kratz got into four September games with the Yankees after the trade, went 2-for-2 with a double, and traveled with the team as an extra catcher during the postseason, which led to this photo following the ALDS comeback (photo via Getty):

The Yankees re-signed Kratz that offseason and he started 2018 with Triple-A Scranton. He triggered an opt-out clause in his contract in May, forcing the Yankees to either put him on their MLB roster or release him within 48 hours. Kratz had an MLB deal lined up with the Brewers and the Yankees were able to trade him to Milwaukee for infielder Wendell Rijo.

Kratz spent the rest of that season with the Brewers and wound up starting seven of their 10 postseason games, going 7-for-24 (.292) and driving in three runs. That postseason was probably the highlight of his career. Milwaukee signed Yasmani Grandal that offseason, so Kratz was a man without a roster spot. They traded him to the Giants in Spring Training 2019, then the Giants traded him to the Rays in May. Tampa released in June.

The Yankees signed Kratz a few days later and he spent the rest of 2019 with Triple-A Scranton, hitting .299/.375/.500 with seven homers in 46 games. The RailRiders played an absolutely bonkers tiebreaker game for the final postseason spot against Syracuse that year -- seriously, look at the line score -- and Kratz had the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth. It proved to be the game-winner.

“With (Higashioka) and with Kratz, those two guys are the heart of the team right now," then-manager Jay Bell told Kelsie Heneghan after the game. "You lose some guys and you really appreciate the fact that our oldest guy on the team in Erik Kratz and with Higgy, they stepped it up and they led the way."

The Yankees re-signed Kratz once again in Feb. 2020, bringing him to camp as a veteran alternative to Higashioka for the backup catcher job. Kratz remained with the Yankees through the COVID-19 shutdown and started the shortened season at the alternate site in Scranton. He was called up on Aug. 8th, after Higashioka hit the injured list with an oblique strain.

Kratz started seven of 17 games while Higashioka was out and went 6-for-20 (.300) with two doubles. The highlight of his time as a Yankee came not at the plate, but behind it. Kratz caught Deivi Garcia’s big league debut on Aug. 30th and joked he was old enough to be his father, and later revealed he goes out of his way to watch out for young Latin American players. From Mark Feinsand:

“Some people forget that they want it just as badly, and there's people at home that want it just as badly for them,” Kratz said. “They're not around them; they're not around their family, they're not around the people there. Being older, hopefully I can be somebody that can step in and help that relationship and not everyone sees it.

“My Spanish isn't that great, but it's something that I try, and I want it to be good. Now I get to cry on Zooms, because I’ve got kids, too. I hope somebody would treat my kids that way.”

“I never caught some guys in the big leagues that I had connections with in the minor leagues, and it doesn't mean any more or any less just because I didn't catch their debut,” Kratz added. “To then also get to catch Deivi’s debut, it just made it that more sweet.”

The expanded 28-man roster allowed the Yankees to keep Kratz around as a third catcher after Higashioka returned, though he didn’t catch much. Kratz made as many pitching appearances as starts behind the plate in the season’s finale month (two each). He also played first base a few times. Not the greatest use of a roster spot but hey, it kept Kratz around.

All told, Kratz went 9-for-28 (.321) with two doubles as a Yankee in 2020, and 11-for-30 (.367) as a Yankee overall. He was on the Wild Card Series roster but did not play, and was dropped from the ALDS roster in favor of an extra pitcher. Kratz, now 40, released a video this past weekend announcing his retirement as a player.

“My next season will not be as a player. That’s for sure,” Kratz said. “I am deciding to not play. I don’t really know how to say it. I feel like if I say I’m retiring, that’s conceited, to announce my retirement. I feel like the guys who get to retire are the Hall of Famers, the fringe Hall of Famers, the franchise players.”

“There’s no way that I could ever thank everybody that helped me in my career,” Kratz added. “Every single person that’s been in my life throughout my career has been an integral part. I just want to say thank you to everybody who followed my career. I’m excited to be home and figure out what my next stage is.”

Kratz suited up for nine Major League teams and appeared in the big leagues every year from 2010-20. He played for 17 different minor league teams (plus more in winter ball) and he often worked construction in the offseason to make ends meet. Here are the career stats:

• .209/.256/.355 with 31 homers in 951 MLB plate appearances
• .259/.336/.446 with 134 homers in 3,870 minor league plate appearances
• .266/.344/.466 with 92 homers in 2,489 Triple-A plate appearances

You don’t hang around that long with those numbers unless you’re a beloved teammate and a genuinely good dude. Playing the most demanding position on the field doesn’t hurt either. Kratz has said he wants to coach and given how many times the Yankees brought him back these last few years, it could very well be with them. I know he lives in Eastern Pennsylvania somewhere, so a spot with Triple-A Scranton or Double-A Somerset could be in the cards. Where it goes from there? Who knows.

5. Rapid fire thoughts. MLB announced the Rookies of the Year last night and Deivi Garcia did not receive a single vote (Kyle Lewis and Devin Williams won). The Rookie of the Year ballot is three players deep and I was hoping Garcia would steal a stray third place vote so he could try to join the ultra-exclusive “received Rookie of the Year votes in two seasons” club, but no luck. It’s happened a few times throughout history, most recently Greg Jefferies with the 1988-89 Mets. This is the first time the Yankees have gone back-to-back years without a player getting a Rookie of the Year vote since 2012-13 … Tomorrow is the deadline for free agents to accept or reject the $18.9M qualifying offer and, according to Jon Heyman, DJ LeMahieu is indeed planning to reject it. He is in line for a much larger payday and the qualifying offer rejection entitles the Yankees to a draft pick after the fourth round should he sign elsewhere. Not much, but better than nothing. I’d call it 75/25 that the Yankees re-sign LeMahieu, though I base that on nothing more than hunch. I think re-signing LeMahieu is the most likely outcome but not a stone cold lock.

(Send your requests for Tuesday's random Yankee series and questions for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com.)