RAB Thoughts

May 8th, 2020: Restart Plans, Injury Updates, 2020 Draft, Mailbag

Hi everyone. I hope you're hanging in there. To make a baseball analogy, we're in the dogs days of quarantine, only there's no promise of the postseason to liven things up in a few weeks. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe. Now for today's thoughts.

1. Latest restart plans. In recent days it has been reported MLB will present the MLBPA with a plan, likely within a week, to start the 2020 season. It will be only the first proposal, and there will be counter-prop...

May 5th, 2020: Britton, Rodgers, 2020 Draft, Judge

Good news: ESPN will broadcast six Korea Baseball Organization games per week starting today, so it's live baseball on an easy-to-find channel. The games take place at odd hours seeing how they're on the other side of the world, but there will be replays throughout the day. Don't forget to set your DVRs. Now let's get to today's thoughts.

1. Britton's option. Three important Yankees will become free agents after this season (DJ LeMahieu, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka) a...

May 1st, 2020: What We've Missed, Exception Player Rule, 2020 Draft, Mailbag

PSA: The Yankees have announced you can get refunds or credit on tickets purchased for games in April. Here's all the info. It's basically the bare minimum given the circumstances, but it's better than nothing. Hope you're all staying safe (and sane). Now let's get to today's thoughts as the calendar flips to May.

1. What we've missed: March and April. Accordi...

April 28th, 2020: All-Time Bench, Rule 5 Draft, Field of Dreams Game, 2020 Draft

Shameless self-promotion: I wrote CBS posts on righties with sweet swings and ways MLB can experiment in 2020. The latter expands on what 2020-04-28 13:54:15 +0000 UTC View Post

April 24th, 2020: Red Sox, Hub Plan, KBO, Minor League Contraction, Judge, Mailbag

This Sunday will be the one month anniversary of what was supposed to be Opening Day. The Yankees have already lost 26 games to the pandemic -- they were scheduled to open a three-game home series with the Indians tonight -- and it'll likely be much more than that when it's all said and done. Hope you're all staying safe. Here are today's thoughts.

1. Red Sox punished. I wish I was surprised. Earlier this week commissioner Rob Manfred disciplined the Red Sox for their s...

April 21st, 2020: Wheeler & Familia, CBA, Loaisiga, Warren

Make sure you check out Bob Klapisch's piece on Giancarlo Stanton and day he took the Mike Fiers fastball to the face. The impact pushed Stanton's teeth through his cheek and part of his face is permanently numb from the nerve damage. Pretty crazy stuff. How a guy can get back in the box after something like that, I'll never...

April 17th, 2020: Hank, Shutdown, 2020 Draft, Hicks, Mailbag

If you're jonesin' for baseball, I recommend the Chinese Professional Baseball League. I'm not joking. The games are streamed online, some with English broadcasts (here's this morning's), and the baseball culture in Taiwan is lotsa fun, even without fans in the stands. Well, no fans except for the mannequins and cardboard cutouts (for real). The home run celebrations are over the top a...

April 14th, 2020: Realignment Plan, Old Yankee Stadium, 2020 Draft, Chapman

I've enjoyed Kyle Higashioka's shutdown diary. In the latest entry he wrote about doubting himself when he was a minor league backup catcher stuck behind Gary Sanchez and John Ryan Murphy, among other things. Higashioka turns 30 next week and he's finally in position to have a set big league role. Pretty cool. Been a long road for him. Anyway, let's get to today's...

April 10th, 2020: 50-Man Roster, Cole, 2020 Draft, Mailbag

In an alternate universe, the Yankees will open their regularly scheduled West Coast trip in Oakland later tonight. In reality, we've already lost 14 Yankees games to the shutdown and it will be many more than that when it's all said and done. I hope you're all staying safe and thanks as always for your support. Let's get to today's thoughts.

1. Building a 50-man roster. Earlier th...

April 7th, 2020: Arizona Plan, Prospects in 2020, Non-Roster Players, 2020 Draft

Fun fact: Gary Sanchez hit three home runs one year ago today. Here's the video. Hitting a zillion dingers against the Orioles is one of the many things I miss about baseball and there are days I feel like it will never return. I know it will eventually, but days feels like years, and it's hard not to be discouraged sometimes. Anyway, here are today's thoughts.

1. MLB's Arizona plan. Lat...

April 3rd, 2020: Lindor, Paxton, Hale, Opening Day, Mailbag

The Yankees were supposed to play their 2020 home opener yesterday. It was a gorgeous day in New York -- chilly, but gorgeous -- and that made me miss baseball even more. I hope y'all are hanging in there. Sitting at home sounds great until you're forced to do it. Anyway, here are today's thoughts. I look forward to the day we have actual baseball to discuss.

1. The Expos and the Indians. MLB and the 30 teams are going to lose a lot money during the shutdown and some te...

March 31st, 2020: MLB-MLBPA Agreement, 29-Man Roster, 2020 Draft, Qualifying Offers, Mattingly-Clark

I did not expect to watch as much baseball as I have during the shutdown (by "watch" I mean have on in the background as I do other things). Since what was supposed to be Opening Day, I have rewatched the 2017 AL Wild Card Game, Game 1 of the 2019 ALDS, the Gleyber Torres walk-off home run against the Indians game in 2018, last year's crazy Yankees vs. Twins game (the Aaron Hicks catch game), and 2020-03-31 13:16:57 +0000 UTC View Post

March 26th, 2020: Opening Day, Shutdown Plans, Injuries, Abreu, Mailbag

PSA: You can watch every 2018 and 2019 game on MLB.tv for free during the shutdown. Sign up for a free MLB.com account and stream away. Here's my viewer's guide to the best games of the last two years. Also, pretty much every game since 2009 is on...

March 24th, 2020: Judge, Ottavino, Sale, Shortened Season, Stanton

In a world without COVID-19, the Yankees would be preparing for tonight's exhibition season finale against the Blue Jays in Montreal right now. Instead, they're hunkered down at home waiting out the virus and wondering when the season will begin like the rest of us. Soon, I hope. Here are today's thoughts as Gerrit Cole plays catch with his pregnant wife Amy to keep his arm in shape.

2020-03-24 13:03:48 +0000 UTC View Post

March 20th, 2020: Stanton, Sanchez, Tanaka, Shutdown, Draft, International Free Agents, Mailbag

Picked up a new show this week: The Outsider (HBO). Bit of a slow burn but it's really good. If you're looking for stuff to binge while remaining socially distant and sans baseball, television guru Alan Sepinwall has you covered. Now let's get to today's thoughts. (FYI: 2020-03-20 13:19:25 +0000 UTC View Post

March 17th, 2020: COVID-19 Shutdown, Abbreviated Season Ideas, Draft, German

How's everyone doing? Hanging in there? As someone who mostly works from home, the whole social distancing thing is familiar to me, but it's a big adjustment for a lot of people. It's important though. We Americans are pretty great at staying home and doing nothing. Do that for a few weeks and we'll get through this. This weekend I watched Uncut Gems (A+) and started Bob's Burgers. I love that show, but I'd only seen scattered episodes. The other night I started with Season 1, Episode 1, and ...

COVID-19 shutdown: What happens now and what does it mean for the Yankees?

Along with pretty much every amateur and professional sports league around the world, Major League Baseball is on indefinite hiatus due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Spring Training has been suspended and Opening Day will be delayed at least two weeks. The minor league season has been delayed as well.

The shutdown has created a lot of questions (about baseball, about the virus, about a lot of things) and I looked for as many answers as possible for my own sake. As someone with an outlet, I ...

March 13th, 2020: COVID-19, Grapefruit League, Torres, Kahnle, Prospects, Rule Changes, Mailbag

I don't know how to put together an intro for today's post given everything that's happened in the last 48 hours or so. The sports world has shut down and our daily lives are trending that way too. It's all very surreal. Let's jump into today's thoughts.

1. COVID-19 outbreak. I love baseball very much and I will miss it dearly, but the sooner we shut things down, the sooner things can go back to normal. Major League Baseball (and Minor League Baseball) is on indefinite ...

March 10th, 2020: Judge, Outfield Trade, Fifth Starter, Roster Check-In, Sanchez, Reviewing Offseason Ideas, McHugh

The worst part of vacation is the end and transitioning back into work mode. I'm home now and ready to get back in the saddle with Opening Day only two weeks and two days away. Here are today's thoughts as Aaron Boone becomes the longest tenured manager/head coach in New York.

1. Judge's rib. 2020-03-10 13:42:06 +0000 UTC View Post