Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees nine games will decide their season, if they fail who should go? Poll results

by
New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees have a day off today to reflect on their whole season and what lies ahead of them. The Yankees rose to the occasion this week and, with great urgency, swept the Texas Rangers, keeping them in the running for a wildcard berth. But what lies ahead is far more daunting and will decide the whole season. After the sweep, the Yankees now hold the second wild-card berth.

In the final nine games of the regular season, the Yankees will face the most challenging situation they have faced all season long. They will only face teams that are statistically better playing teams. Starting tomorrow, they hit the road to face the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. It doesn’t get easier after that when they play the Blue Jays at Rogers Center in Toronto.

Finally, the last three games of the season will be played back at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The problem with this schedule is that the Yankees have not prevailed over these teams all season long and now must be able to do that if they have any hope of a 28th World Championship.

This season the Yankees have won 6 of 16 games against the Toronto Blue Jays. They have won only 7 of 16 against the Red Sox. They have won 7 of 16 against the Tampa Bay Rays. All three of these teams do not have the challenging last nine games that the Yankees have, making it even more difficult to succeed.

There are many things the Yankees can’t control. For instance, all three opposing teams could go on a nine-game losing streak, which is unlikely. However, the one thing the Yankees can control is how they play over the next nine games. If the Yankees win more games, then they lose the whole season could come down to the last three games at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees will be playing the Rays; the Red Sox will be playing the Blue Jays. The Yankees will also have to scoreboard watch the Oakland Athletics that are just 2.5 games back in the wild card standings.

With any team being able to beat any team on any given day and the unpredictable nature of baseball, one thing is for sure. Scoreboard watching will become a new art form in the coming days. Each and every game is so important to every team in contention. It sure will be exciting and hopefully rewarding for the New York Yankees.

If the Yankees fail to reach the postseason, there will be many questions to be answered. In the words of George Steinbrenner, if the Yankees don’t win a World Series, it is a failed season. However, I am not sure Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, and Aaron Boone share that same feeling. As exhibited by manager Boone’s constant praise of the team even when not winning. Boone says he is not worried about his future with the Yankees, but with the season on the line, you can’t but wonder, tucked back in his head if he may wonder if his job is on the line.

Recently I conducted a poll of several Facebook Yankee groups, asking who should be fired if the season does not end well for the Yankees. Getting the pulse of a large group of Yankee fans was eye-opening. The choices I gave were Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman, Gary Sanchez, and Gleyber Torres. I must say the results were not unexpected.

First, a little about the poll, it is certainly unscientific and doesn’t represent the view of all Yankees fans, only of those responding to the poll. There were 1,526 responses, with some only commenting and not voting. All of the responses from the different groups were similar. However, one group really targeted Boone compared to the others, and one group really didn’t believe Sanchez should remain the Yankee catcher. One thing that was universally true was that Yankee fans are not ready to give up on Gleyber Torres.

Aaron Boone: 38% of respondents want Boone gone at the end of the season. Some mentioned his lack of ability to motivate, while others criticized him for not being his own man. Some mentioned his inability to manage the bullpen. A few offered that he can’t win in the postseason. Some said to bring back Girardi or Showalter. Two said to give Phil Nevin a chance. (third base coach)

Brian Cashman: 23% think his time should be over. Several mentioned that Hal Steinbrenner tied his hands; others complimented him on giving the team what they needed this season.

Gary Sanchez: 24% think Gary Sanchez will not carry the team into the future and should be replaced. Some sighted his passed balls and inconsistent hitting, while others praised his arm. A few said he was clueless.

Gleyber Torres: 14% think Torres has had his chance but failed. But most that commented stated that he is still young and will improve.

Marcus Thames: 1% although not on the ballot, 12 respondents added him for his lack of getting a powerful team hitting.

Other comments said all of the above. A few said none of the above. Some had a defeatist attitude and said whatever they do, it won’t make a difference.

After reviewing all of the votes and comments, it leads me to believe that the Yankees win or not need a shakeup or even a complete overhaul top to bottom. However, some suggest the Yankees need a new owner.

The New York Yankees need to clean house in the offseason

by

Heading into this last weekend, the New York Yankees were feeling pretty good. They had a dominant win on Friday night while the Blue Jays lost which put them a half game ahead for the second wild card spot.

The Yankees had Luis Gil and Gerrit Cole scheduled to start over the weekend so you felt pretty good as a fan that they’d win the series. Well, The Indians, who have been no-hit three times in 2021 alone, scored 22 runs in two games.

The powerful Yankees offense which flexed it’s muscles on Friday once again went cold and only mustered four runs total in those two games. Yes, that means that an under 500 club who has been no-hit three times outscored the Yankees 22-4 in two games over the weekend in the middle of a playoff race.

This series with Cleveland was this season wrapped up in one series for New York. One big step forward on Friday and two giant steps back over the weekend. Now, the Yankees have a less than 30% chance to make the playoffs according to the latest odds. Keep in mind, they were near 95% just a few weeks ago.

Yankees Need Change

Aaron Boone looked visibly frustrated after the game and called the two-games, “Terrible.” Outside of that response, we got the same cookie-cutter speech that we’ve seen all year. It was, ‘The players tried hard, the effort was good, the execution just wasn’t there.’

This Yankees team has all the talent in the world, but half the time, they play like they don’t have a care in the world. There is no fire with this team and they play like a team that’s massively up in the division race opposed to a team that’s fighting for their lives.

At the mid-way point in the season, Hal Steinbrenner blamed the players for the inconsistency. Yes, it is the players that are the ones who go out there every single day and play. However, it’s the little things that fall back on the manager and the coaches. The little things are what have killed them this year.

I hate to break it to Aaron Boone, but the effort has not been good with this team. The players don’t look like they try hard all the time. The only player you could say that gives it all in every single game and plate appearance is Brett Gardner.

There is no fire or motivation with this team and that falls back on Aaron Boone. Yes, the Yankees have dealt with injuries and Covid throughout the season. However, when you look at the players that have still taken the field, they shouldn’t be in the position they’re in.

Time to Refresh

A few years ago, the Yankees didn’t bring Joe Girardi back and brought in Aaron Boone. With Boone, you had a completely different managerial philosophy. You had an analytically driven team with a manager that cared more about protecting players feelings than saying it like it is.

Say what you want about Joe Girardi, but if he was managing the Yankees this year, you wouldn’t have had those cookie-cutter press conference responses and I guarantee you that players would be held accountable.

There is no accountability and that’s a massive issue. When there’s no accountability, the players have no reason to worry which has been a big problem for the Yankees. Gary Sanchez is the perfect example of this.

In the last couple of weeks, Sanchez made one of the worst plays I’ve ever seen as a catcher in a game against the Mets. I’m not exaggerating in saying that it might’ve been the worst play I’ve ever seen. Then over the weekend, he drops a crucial pop-up that leads to a seven run inning for Cleveland.

Think the Yankees catcher felt like he was going to get in trouble or benched for that? Absolutely not. When there’s no accountability, players let things like that roll off their shoulders. They know they will be given another chance.

Boone would rather give a million chances to Sanchez than bench him to send the message that this team needed. I’ll say this about Brian Cashman, he did his job this year at the deadline. He gave the Yankees more tools (Outside of the human garbage can Andrew Heaney) to win and they still couldn’t do it.

Boone might be the nicest guy in the world, but it’s time for a new look. They need someone with fire and not occasional fire towards the umpires. They need someone who will lay into his team if they are not playing up to their standards. It’s clear that Aaron Boone isn’t that guy.

Will they do anything?

My biggest fear is that Hal Steinbrenner will not do anything after this season. I have a great fear that they will come out and blame the players and not change anything with the Yankees staff.

Assuming they go on to miss the playoffs, there is no reason to keep Boone as the manager. Could it be slightly unfair considering the fact that he’s not playing? Maybe, but in professional sports, when the players don’t play up to their abilities consistently, the manager/coach is on the hook.

It’s time to send a message. The Yankees are now going to be 12 years removed from their last World Series championship. What they’ve done has clearly not worked and it’s time for some accountability. Enough is enough.

Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman earns glowing trade deadline reviews from MLB Insider

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

The Yankees were very active at the trade deadline trying to solve a major efficiency in the batting order, having too many righties and not enough left-handed hitters.

Looking to add a bit of diversity in the lineup, general manager Brian Cashman executed brilliantly, trading for Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo and first baseman from Chicago, Anthony Rizzo.

Both players bring slugging ability from the left side of the plate, and Rizzo has already hit two homers wearing pinstripes. In the Yankees’ series sweep over the Miami Marlins, Rizzo recorded five total hits as Gallo managed to get on base three times. The first baseman has elevated the offense tremendously, earning Cashman glowing reviews for his moves.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic raved about Cashman’s work at the trade deadline:

Best job of getting other teams to pay players’ salaries: The Yankees. That’s right, the biggest-market-in-baseball Yankees. They got the Rangers and Cubs to pay the full 2021 salaries of Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo, and the Yankees also didn’t have to part with any of their best prospects in those trades. They also received cash considerations from the Angels to help cover some of Heaney’s salary.

The most impressive part is that Cashman managed to get their salaries paid for so the Yankees could stay underneath the $210 million luxury tax threshold. The Steinbrenner’s were reportedly understanding if they had to push over, but Cashman managed to find a way to add great talent without having to pay for it.

Gallo is earning $6.2 million and Rizzo is on the books for $16.5 million this season, accounting for $22.7 million the Yankees managed to displace. A brilliant piece of managing by Cashman to improve the roster, not that it should’ve needed it in the first place. Luckily, both Gallo and Rizzo are traditionally healthy players, so the Yankees can feel confident depending on them and relying on their skills to be available on a daily basis.

As the Yankees crawl their way back into the AL East race, currently sitting seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, their best bet is competing for the Wild Card. They sit 2.5 games back from the Oakland Athletics. They’re within striking distance, and these new additions should provide them the firepower to make a full comeback.

New York Yankees still in on Trevor Story even after acquiring Joey Gallo

by

Yesterday, Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees finally did what the fans were begging for. They went out and made a big splash on the trade market. The Yankees agreed to a deal with the Texas Rangers to acquire lefty slugger Joey Gallo.

The deal is still being finalized and has not been announced yet by either club. However, at this point, the only thing that’s being reviewed is medicals. The Yankees will get Gallo and reliever Joely Rodriguez for four prospects.

Mark Feinsand reported this morning that the Rangers will be paying most of Gallo’s remaining Salary. That gives the Yankees a little wiggle room to go out and make another deal before the deadline which they are planning on doing.

Most reporters were vocal about the fact that the Yankees were not done after acquiring Gallo. He was the big one in terms of the deals they wanted to get done, but the Yankees are still looking to upgrade the team.

Brian Cashman has apparently realized the drastic need to shakeup the club. The Yankees finally have a little momentum and it’s feeling good in Yankee Land right now. While I figured they would focus on pitching, they are apparently still in on a Colorado shortstop.

Yankees still going after Story?

Jon Heyman reported this morning that even after acquiring Joey Gallo, the bombers are still interested in bringing in Trevor Story. While Gallo is controlled through next season, Story will be a free agent after the season.

It’s worth noting that in the Gallo deal, the team didn’t give up a single top ten prospect to make the deal happen. With the Rangers paying most of Gallo’s salary, the Yankees have financial room and still have the best prospects in their system.

Those two things gives the bombers a ton of flexibility in terms of what they want to do next. I’m a bit surprised to hear that they’re still in on Story. It appears that the Yankees are on the warpath and are looking at all options to improve the club.

I was told yesterday and it was also reported that that Giants are serious players for Story. My hunch is that he ends up there, but the Yankees do like him and see him as a big improvement for the infield.

While the Yankees already completed a big deal, they are far from done. This should be a really fun winddown to the 2021 trade deadline.

Sound Off: Do you want the Yankees to get Trevor Story or should they focus on pitching?

Are the New York Yankees targeting Kyle Schwarber?

by
New York Yankees, Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs

We are just a couple of days away from the trade deadline and the New York Yankees are making moves. Last night, The Bombers sent a clear signal that they plan on buying at the trade deadline this year.

The Yankees traded away Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson to the Cincinnati Reds. By trading Cessa and Wilson to the Reds, the Yankees freed up two roster spots and they freed up a little salary space.

It is being widely reported that Brian Cashman is engaged on a number of fronts. However, the Yankees seem to be maintaining that they will not deal the best prospects in their system at the deadline this year.

So forget your dreams of the Yankees potentially acquiring a Trea Turner. Instead, a lot of rental options are in play. Trevor Story has been linked to the Yankees for weeks and Jon Heyman reported that Cashman has made an offer to the Rockies.

Now, that offer was said to be weak and uninteresting to Colorado. However, it shows that Cashman is interested. There’s also been talks of Starling Marte, Max Kepler, and Joey Gallo.

Gallo and Kepler appear less likely to me at the moment because of the prospect premium that it would cost the Yankees. However, there’s a new name that’s generating interest on the market and it’s a name that Brian Cashman knows well.

Will the Yankees finally get their guy?

The Washington Nationals are in full sell-mode at the moment. It’s been reported that nobody outside of Juan Soto is untouchable for the Nats. Max Scherzer is expected to be dealt as soon as today.

Trea Turner could be on the block and despite nursing a hamstring injury, Kyle Schwarber is generating trade interest. Schwarber so far this season is hitting .253 with an OBP of .340. Not too mention the fact that he’s slugged 25 home runs and drove in 53 runs.

Schwarber swings it from the left-side which has been a monumental weakness for the Yankees. If the Yankees were to go out and acquire Schwarber, he would instantly be the team leader in both home runs and RBIs.

Schwarber is signed through this season with a mutual option and a buy-out after this season. Brian Cashman has always loved Kyle Schwarber. When the Yankees traded Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs in 2016, Schwarber was the guy they wanted.

However, they settled for Gleyber Torres in the end. Over the years, the Yankees have tried on numerous occasions to get Schwarber and it never worked out. Perhaps, this year could be the year.

Again, because of the injury, the interest is not known, but I guarantee the Yankees are interested. Schwarber could play in the outfield and he would give them the help they need from the left side of the plate. This is a name I would definitely watch between now and the deadline.

New York Yankees Analysis: A new insight to what may be wrong with the Yankees

by
hal steinbrenner, brian cashman

The big question across all of baseball is what’s wrong with the New York Yankees. The question arises because, at the beginning of the season, most baseball insiders said that the New York Yankees were to team to beat in the 2021 season. It was named a championship-caliber baseball team. Yet, almost two-thirds of the way through the season, the fact is that the Yankees cannot consistently win games and are not the championship team that was advertised.

Even manager Aaron Boone has stopped calling his Yankees a championship team at this point in the season. Instead, he at times hedges that by saying that it is a champion-caliber team that is underperforming. There is no question that that is true, but it remains that the Yankees won’t win the AL East and is fighting for its life to get a chance at a wild card slot. So, getting back to the big question as to why the Yankees stink, the question remains unresolved.

The New York Yankees have had their share of injuries this year. But the bulk of their starting lineup has remained healthy up until the Covid outbreak. For the most part, stars DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton have been able to stay on the field. However, the poster boy for injuries has been Luke Voit, who has missed much of the season with multiple injuries. The Yankees have also had some bad luck with starters. For example, Corey Kluber, after a no-hitter, developed a shoulder problem and pitched his last game on May 25th. But in the end, you can’t say that the Yankees have had more significant injuries than other teams.

The most obvious problem the Yankees have had is not being able to hit the baseball. Only slugger Aaron Judge has been performing as he should. Giancarlo Stanton gets an honorable mention, but beyond that, the hitting has been inconsistent at best, causing the Yankees to lose game after game and deny a good pitching staff any run support.

Yankee fans and industry sources have been wondering all season long as to why this is happening. Why have the Yankees left so many runners on base? Why do the Yankees hit into so many double plays? Why is last year’s batting champion hitting 100 points below his average last year? People just scratch their heads in disillusion bewilderment.

In the past few weeks, a possible answer may be emerging. Yankee fans often sight the dependence that the Yankees have on analytics. That is not a bonified complaint. The teams they can’t beat use analytics as well, if not even more than the Yankees. But it is emerging that it may be the New York Yankees Analytics department, how they interpret facts, and how they use them.

Many Yankees fans feel that the Yankees should throw out analytics and go with managing on the field. However, the fact is that a proportioned mix of what analytics say and what is actually happening on the field has to be taken into account.

First of all, let’s look at what analytics actually is for the sake of those that may not understand it. For the past twenty years, MLB and industry sources have gathered facts from every game and every situation and have created a data bank that stores those facts and predicts an outcome. Like in the insurance industry, they have actuaries that predict how likely you will get into an accident and how long you will live.  Plain and simple analytics work. But how you employ them is more important.

The New York Yankees’ analytics department might be full of the wrong people. Many think this team is worse at understanding the analytics, how to adapt them and communicate them than other teams that lead them.

Michael Fishman is assistant GM and head of analytics in the Yankees front office. He and his team are most responsible for interpreting the data given by analytics and conveying what that data means to the manager. Make no mistake; a computer does not put out the Yankees lineup. There are real people involved that make decisions as to how to apply what they know all the way. People make mistakes, and all too often, too many of them. The biggest mistake the Yankees make is denying what they are seeing on the field at the moment. Analytics is based over time, not what the present trend is. If a player is having the week of his life at the plate, you don’t take him out because analytics say so.

The examples are far too many to mention. Going back to earlier in the season, the Yankees kept Aaron Hicks in the third slot in the lineup even though he couldn’t hit. It’s a case of going by the analytics and paying no attention to what was actually happening. A similar mistake was hitting Brett Gardner second in the lineup. Forget the analytics; if you have to use players that can’t hit, put them late in the lineup.

Analytics does not explain why the Yankee players are not consistently hitting, but it may affect decisions that cost the Yankees to lose games. But remember, the teams the Yankees can’t beat are using the same analytics, but it appears they are using them differently than the Yankees.

 

The New York Yankees face big decisions as the deadline draws near

by
hal steinbrenner, brian cashman

Last night, the New York Yankees had a golden opportunity presented to them. Down seven games in the division against the Red Sox, they held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth with a chance to cut it to six.

Cutting it to six with Gerrit Cole pitching today means you were looking at a real possibility that the Yankees could be down only five games going into Saturday. However, Chad Green imploded and blew the lead in the ninth.

In extras, Brooks Kriske was historically bad and the Yankees lost 5-4 in ten. Another devastating loss in an extremely winnable game. This is the fourth time this season that the Yankees have lost after winning by multiple runs in the ninth inning.

Right when you think this team is building momentum, they find a way to rip your heart out. Now, as mentioned, they have a good chance to bounce back with the ace on the mound today. There is truly no excuse for the Yankees to lose a Gerrit Cole – Eduardo Rodriguez game to Boston.

If they lose?

In my opinion, tonight will be the night where we find out what the Yankees will do at the deadline. If they do not win this game tonight, I truly believe that will be the nail in the coffin in terms of the team being big buyers.

At that point, the team would be nine games out of the AL East and five games out of the Wild Card. This team needs to send Brian Cashman a signal that there’s life and if they lose tonight, the Yankees won’t give off the image of a team with life.

What if the Yankees win?

However, let’s say the Yankees go out there and win tonight like they should. Well, you’re still down seven in the division and possibly four in the Wild Card. You’re not going to be favored in either of the games against Boston over the weekend.

Of course you want to win the series, but realistically, the Yankees wanted to at least split the series. They were in prime position to have that done at a minimum through two games.

At this point, Brian Cashman isn’t inclined to go out there and spend in prospect capitol to make a big move. The team isn’t doing a good enough job of making him truly believe that they are a World Series caliber club.

Yes, they’ve won a few series in a row and yes they are missing a ton of pieces right now. However, that last statement is why you might not see Brian Cashman do anything regardless of what the Yankees do between now and the deadline.

In 2019, Cashman said that the prices were too high. Getting Betances and Severino back was better than any trade they could’ve made per Cashman. Well, If the Yankees are still contender a week from now, Cashman can point to getting Judge, Voit, Urshela, Severino, and Kluber back.

What the Yankees should do

In my opinion, the Yankees should make a move that benefits them not just for the rest of this year, but for next year as well. There has been talk with Colorado about Trevor Story, but in speaking with MLB folks in Colorado, the odds of a deal coming together are slim.

Story is a free agent after this season and it’s not a guarantee that the Yankees would want to dish out a big deal for him. So if not Story, who should the Yankees target? I still love the idea of going out and getting Joey Gallo.

Gallo provides much needed pop from the left side and he’s controlled through 2022 as well. Gallo is a move they can make that benefits both this year and next year. Another guy I would love to see the Yankees get is Adam Frazier.

Frazier is cut from the same cloth as a DJ LeMahieu. Low strikeouts with a lot of contact and he swings it from the left side. Frazier would be a great addition for the Yankees and again, he’s controlled through next season.

Call Kansas City Now

My other picks would be Andrew Benintendi and/or Whit Merrifield. I’m from Kansas City and I know a lot of people in the Royals scene. Dayton Moore is not inclined to sell Merrifield or Benintendi despite the fact that the Royals are in last place.

However, if the Yankees could put together a good enough package, maybe he’d do it. If you could somehow get both of them, that would be a huge deal. Benintendi is proven in the East and Merrifield gives the Yankees another LeMahieu type player.

There are a ton of options for Brian Cashman. I do not think they should sit back and do nothing, however, from what I’m hearing, that’s more likely than seeing them make a big splash. For my sake and the sake of Yankee fans, I hope I’m wrong.

Yankees News, 7/13: Cashman could eye lefty outfielder for cheap, Jasson Dominguez gains gushing review

by
New York Yankees, Jasson Dominguez

The Yankees will start a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday evening after the All-Star break, and with a desperate need for lefty-hitting in the outfield, the trade deadline offers a great opportunity to make a subsequent move. General manager Brian Cashman will likely be active in the coming weeks, and one option that has made himself available is Adam Eaton of the Chicago White Sox.

Eaton is a 32-year-old outfielder who stands at 5’9” and 176 pounds. Traditionally, Eaton has never been known as a slugger but did hit 15 homers in 2019 with the Washington Nationals, averaging .279 over 151 games.

This season, his performance has been less than adequate, serving up a career-high 25.1% strikeout rate, having never cracked 20% over the past nine seasons. Clearly, he’s having an anomaly of a year, which could open the door for the Yankees to make a move for the free agent.

As Mike Rosenstein of NJ.com indicated, Adam Eaton might be running on fumes:

The 32-year-old Eaton actually checks off two boxes for Cashman: he’s an outfielder and he’s a left-handed hitter. But based on his performance this year with the White Sox, it’s safe to wonder how much Eaton has left in the tank. He hit .201 with five home runs in 58 games for the White Sox.

Given his diversity as a lefty with experience, he would be a more affordable option for the Yankees, especially since Chicago was preparing to option him to the farm before granting his release.

The Yankees have another young outfielder climbing the ranks:

Star prospect Jasson Dominguez is climbing the standings, despite going 0-for-3 for the American League team at Coors Field during the MLB All-Star Futures Game.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden ranked Jasson one of his top-10 counted players on Sunday:

A lot of Yankees prospects get overhyped because they wear pinstripes, but that will not be the case with Dominguez. He’s the real deal. He was the youngest player in the Futures Game at 18 years old and clearly was able to hold his own. He looks like a linebacker but swings like a superstar. He’s balanced at the plate, has electric bat speed and can use the whole field with tremendous power. He has to be untouchable for the Yankees, regardless of who they could get back in a trade. He’s a future star.

At just 18 years old, the Bombers have locked in one of the most physically imposing youngsters in baseball. Not only does he have the frame of an NFL player, as Bowden suggests, but he has elevated bat speed and fantastic balance at the plate.

Simply put, he needs more reps and experience, but there’s no question he will make his way to the MLB sooner rather than later. According to MLB.com, Dominguez lined out to third base, but the ball went firing 106 MPH off his bat. Those are Giancarlo Stanton-type numbers, which should raise a few eyebrows.

Yankees News, 7/12: Cashman could be playing dangerous trade game, Yanks give back momentum in one inning

by
yankees, joey gallo

There is no question the Yankees need to be active at the trade deadline this year, considering the need for a lefty bat and outfield support. With Aaron Hicks missing the rest of the season and Clint Frazier dealing with migraines, one option that has been mentioned is Texas Rangers star Joey Gallo, who currently hosts a .239 average with 24 homers on the season.

Gallo is the perfect fit for the Yankees, who’ve been interested in his services for quite some time. Texas will likely be selling at the deadline, but Gallo is in line for a massive payday after the 2021 season ends, as he’s earning just $6.2 million for this year. However, he is arbitration-eligible for 2022, so if the Yankees want to bring him in, he will be pricey but nothing exorbitant for one more year. General manager Brian Cashman is playing a dangerous game, as the Yankees desperately need support; he’s trying to stay below the $210 million luxury tax threshold, which is proving to be difficult.

Per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Gallo is 27, eligible for arbitration in 2022, and the earliest he can be a free agent is 2023. … The Rangers are more apt to either deal Gallo, or give him a long-term contract before he can go through that process. Because his agent is (Scott) Boras, his preference typically has been to allow his high-end clients to become free agents and command the type of contracts players love, and teams eventually hate. We are talking eight years, $200 million plus. Easy.

Hopefully, the Bombers can add a bit more depth in the outfield, but the priority should be a lefty hitter or switch option.

Chad Green blows easy win for the Yankees against Houston to wrap up series:

Enjoying a five-run lead in the bottom of the ninth-inning, relief pitcher Chad Green allowed four earned runs over 12 pitches to give Houston the win. Green currently features a 2.89 ERA, suggesting he’s had a solid season up to this point, but giving this game away changes the momentum entirely for the Yankees, who had won five of their last six games and nearly secured a series sweep against the Astros.

Because of the loss, the Yankees find themselves 8.0 games back behind Boston and 4th place in the American League division. They are 4.5 games back in the Wild Card, indicating they need to string together a few wins ASAP. They have an important series upcoming against the Boston Red Sox, a team they haven’t beaten this year a single time.

The starting pitching is going to need to be adequate, but the Yankees have a few days off until then, as the first pitch will commence on Thursday at 7 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees’ Brian Cashman and Damon Oppenheimer are determined to add value in the Draft

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

The MLB Draft is getting closer, and all 30 major league teams are seeing it as a golden opportunity to add talent to their minor league ranks. The New York Yankees, especially, are embracing the event since they could only make three selections last year: catcher Austin Wells, second baseman Trevor Hauver, and right-hander Beck Way.

Last year’s draft was shortened to five rounds because of COVID-19, and the Yankees forfeited their second and fifth-round picks when they signed Gerrit Cole. Now, they will finally have a chance to add to their minor league collection of talent.

Yankees’ vice president and director of amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer is preparing the draft, while general manager Brian Cashman watches closely. The draft, additionally, is seen as a preview of what’s going to come in the trade market.

“You’re used to things not really happening until after the Draft in years gone by,” Cashman said to MLB.com. “But that was when the Draft was in June. This year, there’s the curiosity of, does that push things back? The closer you get to the Draft, the less likely people will be engaged during that time frame, because they’re really going to be focused on nailing the Draft.”

The Yankees’ first pick is number 20

Day 1 of the event will be Sunday. It will all happen in Denver’s Bellco Theatre, and MLB Network and ESPN will feature the first 36 picks. The Draft will be 20 round long this time.

The Yankees will pick in the 20th spot, then in the 55th and after that, in the 92nd. Those are their first three picks.

Acing the draft would go a long way in improving an already up-and-coming farm system and give the Yankees more options at the trade deadline. Picking at number 20, they have a good chance of adding an impact player.