Spring Training is a little more than two weeks away and players are already filing into Tampa. Erik Boland says Mike Ford, Yoendrys Gomez, Aaron Judge, Mike King, Nick Nelson, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, Gio Urshela, and Luke Voit were among those spotted at the complex earlier this week. Severino (T...
2021-01-29 13:54:05 +0000 UTC View PostOnly two weeks and six days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, people. Keep your fingers crossed and hope the pandemic cooperates. Here’s what I wrote about the Jameson Taillon trade and here are today’s thoughts.
1. Ottavino traded. To the Red Sox?!? Can’t say I saw that coming. It is the first Yankees-Red Sox trade since the Kelly Johnson-for-Stephen...
2021-01-26 13:56:47 +0000 UTC View PostTwo former Pirates in the rotation is better than one. (Getty)
The Yankees have brought in another boom or bust starter. Sunday afternoon the Yankees announced they have acquired righty Jameson Taillon in a five-player trade with the Pirates. Righties Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure, infie...
2021-01-25 00:49:33 +0000 UTC View PostSeven years ago today the Masahiro Tanaka race came to an end and he agreed to join the Yankees. That was a happy day. It was a long pursuit -- it wasn’t clear he would even be posted earlier that offseason -- and the Yankees paid him handsomely, and it was well worth it. It’s a damn shame they couldn’t get him a World Series ring. Tanaka deserved it. Maybe in 2021. Anyway, let’s get to today’s thoughts as 2021-01-22 14:53:29 +0000 UTC View Post
Pitchers and catchers are due to report to Tampa for Spring Training four weeks from yesterday. We’re inside a month, people. Hopefully the pandemic cooperates and MLB and the MLBPA put their differences aside and begin Spring Training and the regular season on time. Here’s what I wrote about the Corey Kluber and DJ LeMahieu signings, and here are today’s thoughts.
1. Hot stove ru...
2021-01-19 14:49:59 +0000 UTC View PostLook, he already shaved. (AP)
The Yankees finally joined the offseason yesterday. In the span of 14 hours the Yankees agreed to re-sign DJ LeMahieu and sign Corey Kluber. LeMahieu received six years and $9...
2021-01-16 15:23:13 +0000 UTC View PostDavid Laurila has a great interview with certified pitching nerd Clarke Schmidt. Among other things, Schmidt discussed the origins of his ultra-high-spin curveball -- it has slider velocity but it’s a curveball -- and how the differences between the Major League ball and minor league ball led to him throwing more two-seamers than four-seamers. Also, 2021-01-15 14:59:32 +0000 UTC View Post
Quick reminder: Friday is the open of the international signing period and also the deadline for teams and their arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures. I’ll preview both events Friday. Just know there’s actual baseball news on the way, not that those are the most exciting events in the world. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. Latest hot stove action. I...
2021-01-12 14:43:32 +0000 UTC View PostThe Yankees are scheduled to play their first Grapefruit League game in seven weeks and one day. That’s good news, right? I have my fingers crossed hoping Spring Training and the regular season will begin on time. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. The Francisco Lindor trade. In one fell swoop, Cleveland traded their franchise player and the Mets made the blockbuster move we’ve been waiting for them to make all offseason. Lindor and Carlos Carrasco went to Flushi...
2021-01-08 14:42:12 +0000 UTC View PostTwo important dates are coming up. Well, one date with two events, really. Next Friday is the start of the 2021 international signing period and also the deadline for teams and their arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures. I’m planning previews of both events next week, so I’m just putting them on your radar now. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. Hot stove actio...
2021-01-05 13:50:22 +0000 UTC View PostWelcome to 2021. New year, new beginnings, still the same old Yankees. They’ll get around to make some moves this offseason eventually. Here is today’s mailbag heavy post (you folks are always good for content, plus I kinda wanted to milk the holidays a little longer).
1. New Year’s resolutions. It is Jan. 1st and that means today is the day we begin to enact the plans we’ve made to better ourselves this year, only to fail. No judgment here. I’ve botched more ...
2021-01-01 14:35:03 +0000 UTC View PostWelcome to the final RAB Patreon post of 2020. It was a pretty crummy year from top to bottom, but I sincerely thank you all for sticking it out with me, and I hope I was able to provide a little escape twice a week. 2021 will be better. It almost can’t be worse. Let’s get to today’s thoughts as friend of the blog and all-around good dude Jay Jaffe casts his first Hall of Fame ballot aft...
2020-12-29 15:14:31 +0000 UTC View PostQuick reminder: Barring breaking news, there will not be a post this Friday because of the whole Christmas thing. I hope you all are having a good holiday season. 2020 was a pretty crappy year for many reasons but better days are ahead. Let’s get to today’s thoughts as the NHLPA gets full salary for a shortened 56-game season (players did agree to defer 10% of their salari...
2020-12-22 13:46:40 +0000 UTC View PostFun story I read this week: David Schoenfield looked at the biggest star traded away by each team. He went with Rickey Henderson for the Yankees, which is a fine pick, especially since Fred McGriff was traded as a prospect. Derek Jeter (+71.3) is the all-time leader in WAR among Yankees draft picks and Andy Pettitte (+60.7) is second. No. 3? McGriff at +52.6...
2020-12-18 14:30:34 +0000 UTC View PostQuick note: I’m planning to skip next Friday’s regularly scheduled post. Sorry for the short-ish notice, but Christmas snuck up on me. I will happily cover any breaking news, otherwise I’m going to lay low that day. Christmas morning is no time for baseball blog posts. Thanks as always for reading and your support. Let’s get to today’s thoughts.
1. On Gleyber Torres. The last few days have brought some Gleyber discourse and I figure it’s time to chime in. Le...
2020-12-15 14:32:47 +0000 UTC View PostThe Yankees have made two major trades on Dec. 11th. On this date in 1959, the Yankees acquired Roger Maris (still the American League’s single-season home run king) from the Athletics for a package that included Hank Bauer and Don Larsen. And, on this date in 1975, the Yankees acquired Willie Randolph from the Pirates. Randolph, Doc Ellis, and Ken Brett for Doc Medich. I didn’t get to see Randolph’s prime but I reckon he would’ve been one of my all-time favorite players. Let’s get ...
2020-12-11 14:08:20 +0000 UTC View PostOn this date in 2009, the Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson in a three-team trade with the Tigers and Diamondbacks. The Yankees got Granderson, the Tigers got Max Scherzer, and the D-Backs got Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson. Granderson is one of my all-time favorite Yankees. He was a fun player and a likable dude. Hard to believe it's been 11 years since the trade, isn't it? Man does time fly. Let's get to today's thoughts.
1. Gio’s surgery. The “why didn’t he hav...
2020-12-08 14:42:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe Winter Meetings are next week. Did you know that? Really snuck up on me. The Winter Meetings will be held virtually this year, so I’m a bit worried it’ll feel like every other week of the offseason because executives aren’t meeting face-to-face. Then again, the rumor hounds will probably make it feel like the Winter Meetings because chasing rumors is what they do. We’ll see. Here are today’s thoughts.
1. Love me non-tender. The non-tender deadline came and...
2020-12-04 14:52:56 +0000 UTC View PostDid y’all have a good Thanksgiving? Hope so. I’m out of leftovers already but I did put up my Christmas tree this weekend, which is definitely a record. I've never had it up this early. I had nothing better to do Saturday and figured I might as well get it out of the way. Anyway, here are today’s thoughts.
1. Non-tender deadline. The non-tender deadline is 8pm ET tomorrow and in the interest of self-promotion, 2020-12-01 14:38:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy Thanksgiving Eve, everyone. I have an inbox full of mailbag questions gnawing away at me, so I figured I’d throw them all together in an old school RAB-style mailbag post for today. These are questions I planned to answer at some point but kept pushing back for whatever reason. So here I am cleaning out the inbox.
George asks: I never thought I'd even consider a Judge trade and I don't think it's likely, but in a "get my mind off Covid" minute, who do you think he could ...
2020-11-25 14:52:50 +0000 UTC View PostReminder: I am skipping this Friday’s post for Thanksgiving. If there’s breaking news, I will happily cover it, otherwise I’m going to lay low around turkey day. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading.
Gonna start you off with a must-click link: Adam Ottavino documented the COVID-19 season with his camera and spoke ...
2020-11-24 14:47:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe 2020 Yankees Sporcle quiz is out. They sure did use a lot of random players in a 60-game season, huh? I got 40 of 43 but quit with five minutes to go because I’m impatient. I missed three pitchers, one of whom spent most of the year on the MLB roster. Might’ve gotten all three had I stuck it out for the full 10 minutes. Anyway, good luck. Here are today’s thoughts.
1. Cano susp...
2020-11-20 14:12:54 +0000 UTC View PostThe Dominican Winter League season began Sunday and Domingo German struck out seven in the first four innings of a combined no-hitter in his first game action in over a year last night (Sunday’s game was postponed due to wet grounds). Here's some video. Miguel Andujar went 0-for-4 with a walk in that game. I'd link you to the box score but 2020-11-17 15:13:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Awards season is over and now we enter what is traditionally the busiest few weeks of the offseason. Teams like to get their major business handled before the holidays (and free agents like to sign before then too) so they can focus on arbitration and fine-tuning the roster in January and February. Hopefully the action picks up soon. Now here are today’s thoughts as I keep trying and failing to order a PS5.
1. Hot Stove rumors. Hark, some hot stove rumblings involving...
2020-11-13 13:35:20 +0000 UTC View PostThe 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. ...
2020-11-10 14:56:20 +0000 UTC View PostJust a heads up: I am planning to skip the regularly scheduled post on Friday, Nov. 27th. That’s three weeks from today. It's the day after Thanksgiving. If there’s breaking news, I will happily cover it, but I have family obligations for the holiday and would like a little break. Thanks for reading and thanks as always for the support. Here are this morning's thoughts as the 2020-11-06 15:11:22 +0000 UTC View Post
In case you missed it, my 2020-21 Offseason Plan went live yesterday. Hope you enjoyed it, or at least used it to help pass the time. Before we get to today's thoughts, let me just implore you to get out and vote today, if you haven't already. You can still register to vote in many states. It's not too late. ...
2020-11-03 15:24:33 +0000 UTC View PostOffseason Plan update: It will be published Monday. I want to see the options decisions around the league (most are due tomorrow) as well as free agent contract predictions from MLBTR and FanGraphs crowdsourcing just to make sure I’m in the ballpark. Thanks as always for reading and your support. Now here are Friday morning's thoughts Thursday night (I'm going to be busy tomorrow and did want y'a...
2020-10-29 22:50:28 +0000 UTC View PostThe Dodgers are the 2020 World Series champions and the 2020-21 offseason begins today. Gotta say, after the shutdown this summer, I’m not looking forward to another long stretch without baseball. Feels like we were just doing this, you know?
Anyway, now that the offseason has begun, it’s time to put together the offseason calendar, and look at what each date means for the Yankees. Let’s get to it.
Today, Oct. 28th: Free agency begins, kinda
Eligible play...
