Lockout, Day 62: Did you know George Steinbrenner tried to take the Yankees on tour? I knew he threatened to move the team to New Jersey, but Manny Randhawa has the story on Steinbrenner trying to take the Yankees around the country so they could play MLB games in non-MLB cities. It never happened and, frankly, it was a dumb idea, but it is a neat story. Check it out. Now let’s get...
2022-02-01 13:01:03 +0000 UTC View PostLockout, Day 58: Welcome to the second longest work stoppage in MLB history. The 1994-95 strike takes the cake at 232 days, and a week ago the current lockout passed the 1981 strike (50 days) for the second longest. I’m setting the over/under at 99.5 days. I’m feeling optimistic and will go with the under. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. The latest on CBA talks. MLB and the MLBPA are kinda sorta maybe starting to make progress on a new Collective Bargaining Ag...
2022-01-28 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post10 years ago today Jorge Posada announced his retirement. Yes, it has really been 10 years. Posada was the second member of the Core Four to retire (Bernie Williams is the fifth member of the Core Four, I’m not going to ignore him just because a nickname rhymes) and he was a career .273/.374/.474 (121 OPS+) hitter in parts of 17 seasons. 2022-01-25 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Masahiro Tanaka signed with the Yankees eight years ago tomorrow. That was a pretty fun day. I miss that guy. I miss baseball in general. Every year around this time I start getting the Spring Training itch and I felt it the other day, but alas, no baseball in sight. Maybe in a few weeks. Here are today’s thoughts.
1. The future at each position: management. 2022-01-21 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Lockout, Day 48: I recommend Dayn Perry’s exhaustive look at the 1972 season, a season that forever changed baseball. Come for the 50-year look back at that historic season, stay for the Yankees’ pinstriped Datsun bullpen car. Anyway, let’s get to today’s post.
1. The future at each position: pitching. 2022-01-18 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
My current offseason binge watch is The Americans (good show, I give it an 8/10) and an episode I watched the other day gave me the perfect screen grab to describe my lockout mood (not a spoiler, don’t worry):
Sick of the lockout, you guys. Anyway, the international signing period opens tomorrow. Ac...
2022-01-14 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostLockout, Day 41: I can’t believe I was once optimistic there wouldn’t be a work stoppage. How stupid of me. Congrats on somehow making baseball more boring, guys. Anyway, let's get to today's post.
1. The future at each position: infield. The lockout is a dangerous thing because there’s nothing going on and my mind wanders, and I come up with crazy ideas like “I should write about the Yankees’ long-term plan at every position.” So, let’s do that now. Let...
2022-01-11 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostAt some point soon I’ll begin working on my annual Top 30 Yankees Prospects list, though the lockout is throwing a wrench into things. I’d like to know who gets traded (if anyone), who gets added (if anyone), and when pitchers and catchers are going to report, you know? If the end-of-lockout timing allows, it will run the Friday before pitchers and catchers report, as usual. Here’s last year’s li...
2022-01-07 13:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHappy New Year folks. I’m going to start 2022 with a little self-promotion: I wrote about 2022 being a crucial year for MLB’s future, and not just because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. You don’t have to read it. Just give me a click. Thanks. Let’s get to the first post of the year the Yankees win their 28th W...
2022-01-04 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe week between Christmas and New Years is the week time forgets. Everything is a little less hectic, and baseball news typically slows to a crawl. This year there is no baseball news at all because the owners locked out the players. So, I’m taking advantage of this week to cover two topics I’ve wanted to cover for a while. Earlier this week I looked at the role the Yankees played in the 1992 Expa...
2021-12-31 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe final week of 2021 has arrived and the owners’ lockout is ongoing with no end in sight. Baseball news is nonexistent, so during this week between Christmas and New Years, I’m going to switch things up a bit and cover two topics I’ve had on my to-do list for a while now. Today we’ll look at the role the Yankees played in the 1992 expansion draft (think of this as a Retro Week post) and Friday we’ll ...
2021-12-28 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostLockout, Day 22: Are we closer to the end of this thing, or the beginning? I’m pretty sure it’s the latter, unfortunately. I hope you’re all staying safe – I got to play my favorite game the other day: do I have a cold or the plague? (it was just a cold, thankfully) – and the holidays treat you well. Let’s get to today’s post.
1. The new coaching staff. Actual baseball news! The Yankees finalized and announced their new coaching staff earlier this week.
Lockout, Day 19: Has it really only been 19 days? I’ll never take those stray “the Yankees have interest in [random player]” rumors for granted again. A slow offseason is better than whatever this is. Anyway, let’s get to today’s post.
1. On a Judge extension. At some point in the next 11 months the Yankees will either sign Aaron Judge to a long-term extension, or he’ll become a free agent and hit the open market. He could re-sign with the Yankees after beco...
2021-12-21 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostUPDATE: I made two screw ups in the mailbag question about important at-bats and outs. First, the Yankees lost the 1964 World Series to the Cardinals. They didn't win it. That was the end of the Mickey Mantle/Whitey Ford era dynasty. And second, Mariano Rivera got the force out at third on Jay Bell's bunt in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. He didn't take the out at first, so the runners did not advance on the play. My bad. The post has been updat...
2021-12-17 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostLockout, Day 13: I looked at independent league stats the other day just to feel alive. Did you know Alberto Callaspo hit .335/.469/.461 with 85 walks and 30 strikeouts for the Charleston Dirty Birds this year? I don’t know what surprised me more: Callaspo still playing or Callaspo somehow being only 38. Crazy. Anyway, here are today’s thoughts and here is Giancarlo Stanton hitting home runs left-...
2021-12-14 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostSelf-promotion: I was asked to write something about the Yankees offseason at CBS. You will be surprised to learn I think they should sign Carlos Correa. I am also 100% in favor of moving Joey Gallo to center and bringing in a new left fielder rather than keeping Gallo in left and trying to find a new center field...
2021-12-10 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostLockout, Day 6: I don’t miss reflexively checking my phone every few minutes to see whether there’s breaking news. I guess that means the lockout isn’t a total loss. I do miss having some baseball news though. Radio silence is pretty boring. Anyway, let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. New coaches. The lockout has halted roster moves but teams can still build their coaching staff because they don’t involve the 40-man roster. According to 2021-12-07 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
What a week. North of a billion dollars spent on free agents and then baseball shut down for who knows how long. I hope the Yankees enjoyed the view from the sidelines. Kind of amazing how little they accomplished before the lockout and how much they’ll have to accomplish in a relatively short period of time after the lockout. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. The lockout begins. Baseball’s first work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike is officially underway. As ...
2021-12-03 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostI skip one post for Thanksgiving and all hot stove hell breaks loose. At least the lockout is coming tomorrow to put a halt to all the fun. Can’t have fans getting too excited now. Nothing better represents the state of Major League Baseball than teams energizing fans with a flurry of hot stove activity in a way they haven’t in years, only to rip it away and shut the sport down for who knows how long. Just perfect. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. Yankees sit on the sid...
2021-11-30 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostHappy Thanksgiving Eve Eve, all. Turkey Day is two days away and the lockout is eight days away. “Honestly, I can’t believe there’s a single fan in the world who doesn’t understand that an offseason lockout that moves the process forward is different than a labor dispute that costs games,” commissioner Rob Manfred told the Associated Press l...
2021-11-23 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostReminder: I’m skipping next Friday’s regularly scheduled post. It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m going to relax a bit during the holiday weekend. I’ll of course cover any breaking news, but otherwise there will be no post one week from today. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. Latest hot stove news. Thanks to the qualifying offer decision deadline and today’s Rule 5 Draft protection deadline, it’s been a busy few days in the ol’ hot stove league...
2021-11-19 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Reminder: I am planning to skip the regularly scheduled post on Friday, Nov. 26th. That’s next Friday and it’s the day after Thanksgiving. I will happily cover any breaking news, otherwise I’m going to lay low during the holiday weekend. Now let’s get to today’s post.
1. Vasquez and the Rule 5 Draft. Friday is the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline, so the Yankees hav...
2021-11-16 13:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostPSA: The Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game will be on MLB Network at 7pm ET tomorrow. Austin Wells and Elijah Dunham will represent the Yankees, so, if you’re jonesin’ for real live baseball, you can watch some prospects tomorrow night. Now let’s get today’s post. I apologize it is shorter than usual, but the 2021-11-12 13:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post
UPDATE (9:05am ET): Stephen Ridings is not listed on Baseball America's minor league free agent list, so I guess he's not a minor league free agent after all. Huh. He is Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason. That I'm sure of.
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Looks like it’ll be Thursday for the annual Offseason Plan. I still have a good bit to write becaus...
2021-11-09 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostProgramming note: I’m planning to skip the regularly scheduled post on Friday, Nov. 26th. That’s three weeks from today and it’s the day after Thanksgiving. If there’s breaking news, I’ll happily cover it, otherwise I’m going to lay low during the holiday weekend. Let’s get today’s post.
1. Gardner and O’Day options declined. The first moves of the offseason have arrived. Last night the Yankees announced they’ve declined their club options for Brett ...
2021-11-05 12:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostUPDATE: I screwed up some math on the Gardner and O'Day buyouts in the contract options section. My bad. Doesn't really change anything other than a few numbers, but it's fixed now.
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The Braves are the 2021 World Series champions and you'll have to forgive me for tooting my own horn: I totally c...
2021-11-03 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe World Series returns to Houston tonight and, as a fan, I hope we get Game 7 tomorrow, because Game 7s are awesome. One way or the other, the offseason will officially begin in no more than 48 hours, meaning contract option decisions are due at the end of the week and qualifying offer decisions are due early next week. Based on that, figure the middle of next week for the Offseason Plan? I have most of it outlined. Now I just need to write the damn thing. Anyway, let’s get to today’s p...
2021-11-02 12:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe other day I said I don’t really care who wins the World Series. I was wrong. As soon as Game 1 got underway, I found myself pulling for the Braves. I underrated my vindictiveness. I don’t want the Astros to win something that can be considered a legitimate championship with their sign-stealing core. So, go Braves. Don’t barves it up.
2021-10-29 12:01:02 +0000 UTC
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The Dodgers were eliminated over the weekend and that means the 1998-2000 Yankees remain baseball’s last repeat champions. Coincidentally, today is the 21st anniversary of Game 5 of the 2000 World Series. The three-peat is legally old enough to drink. I remember seeing the ball off Mike Piazza’s bat and thinking he just hit a game-tying home run. That was a fun time. Let’s get to today.s thoughts.
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2021-10-26 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post