hot stove

Are the New York Yankees targeting Adam Frazier?

by

The New York Yankees were feeling good entering yesterday’s game against the Rays. The Bombers had won two games in a row and seemingly had snapped out of their funk. Confidence was growing and Gerrit Cole was on the mound looking to give the Yankees their third straight win.

However, the game didn’t go according to plan. Cole never seemed comfortable on the mound and he was getting squeezed the entire start. The calls were frustrating Aaron Boone so much that he was eventually thrown out of the game for barking at the home plate umpire.

Cole allowed five earned runs and the Yankees were spanked 9-2. Despite taking two games from the division leading Rays, it still doesn’t feel like the Yankees are where they need to be. They continue to struggle with a lot of the fundamentals and it’s becoming a major issue.

There was a lot of confidence in this club before the season started. While some Yankees fans will always have faith in their team, I believe the majority do not see this club as a serious World Series contender at this point. With that in mind, they need to make some upgrades.

Yankees Trade Targets

A couple of days ago, I posted an article talking about the Yankees potential interest in Rockies shortstop Trevor Story. Gleyber Torres has struggled defensively again this year and his power has completely disappeared.

I’ve said for a long time and I think most would agree that Torres is not a long-term solution at short. With that, perhaps the Yankees could go out and make a deal for Story. He would be an instant solution to some of their problems.

However, there is one major problem that Story wouldn’t fix. That problem is how atrocious the bombers have been from the left side of the plate. Entering today, the Yankees have a .573 OPS from the left side which is the worst in baseball. They need a left-handed bat to upgrade the lineup and there’s one it Pittsburg that would be the perfect fit.

Could the Bombers acquire Adam Frazier?

In reality, there might not be a better fit on the trading block for the Yankees than Adam Frazier. The 29 year old is a good second baseman and he also plays all around the outfield. Frazier could slot in wherever the Yankees needed him to whether it be the infield or the outfield.

Most importantly, Frazier is hitting .333 this season. Frazier would be an instant upgrade and give the Yankees a real quality bat from the left side that they could put near the top of their lineup. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi was the first to link Frazier to the Yankees today.

Frazier would be under control for next season as well. Now, given how good he’s played this year, he wouldn’t be cheap to get on the market. However, he checks all the boxes in terms of what the bombers need right now. They need someone to make consistent contact, play defense wherever he’s needed, and hit well from the left side.

Adam Frazier is that guy. The Pirates and the Yankees do have trade history with one another and the GMs have a good relationship. It will ultimately come down to what the asking price is and what Cashman’s willing to give up. If Cashman is able to meet the price, I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Adam Frazier in pinstripes by the deadline.

Should the New York Yankees try to acquire Trevor Story?

by

The New York Yankees picked up a massive win last night that snapped a four-game losing streak. The bombers defeated the Rays in extras when Clint Frazier walked it off with a two-run bomb to give them a 5-3 victory.

The win last night had to be a confidence boost for the Yankees who had been playing God awful. If you think of any aspect of baseball since the final week of May, the Yankees have been awful at it. Well, maybe not pitching in a couple of games.

The one area the Yankees have struggled in the most is the fundamentals. Defense, base running, making contact to move runners and manufacture runs. Maybe I’m in the minority, but it almost doesn’t feel real that the Yankees are sitting at 30-25 in third place. It feels so much worse than that.

Trouble at Short

Arguably the most disappointing player has been Gleyber Torres. The Yankees shortstop has struggled with the bat and the glove this year. Now, his glove has improved by the numbers from last season, but that’s not saying much.

Last week, Torres had a game where he had two errors in a single inning. His power at the plate has completely disappeared over the last season as he now just has five home runs in his last 88 regular season games. Between 2018 and 2019, Torres averaged 20.4 home runs over the course of 88 games.

Now, Gleyber Torres is still young with a ton of promise. The Yankees shortstop doesn’t turn 25 until December, but it still appears clear to me that Torres is not a long-term solution at shortstop. He just doesn’t seem comfortable there and it translates to the rest of his game.

Should the Yankees call the Rockies?

With Torres’ continued struggles, many have speculated whether or not the Yankees should pursue another shortstop. There just so happens to be an all-star shortstop who will be available to acquire at this year’s deadline.

That shortstop is Trevor Story. Now, Story hasn’t had a fantastic year himself and he’s recently been on the IL win an elbow injury, but despite those two things, he’s still considered to be one of the best shortstops in the game.

The Yankees have been linked to him in the past and those talks could turn up again. I love Gleyber Torres, but I don’t think anyone would argue the fact that Trevor Story would be an upgrade at shortstop.

Story is a free agent at the end of the year. There’s no guarantee that the Yankees would resign him if they go out and acquire him. Would that scare them away from a potential deal? Well, it’s certainly a hurdle.

Another thing standing in the way would be the asking price. Considering the current state of the infield, the Yankees might have to offer Gleyber Torres to get the deal done. Jeff Passan alluded to this on ESPN recently. 

Would Brian Cashman give up on Gleyber Torres to acquire Trevor Story? I personally think he wouldn’t, but maybe he should. The next month will tell us a lot, but if Torres continues to struggle in the field and with power, don’t be shocked to see Story linked to the bombers more and more.

Could the New York Yankees reunite with David Robertson?

by

After an extremely slow start to the offseason, the New York Yankees have been moving over the past couple of weeks. They resigned DJ LeMahieu, they signed Corey Kluber, and then they traded for Jameson Taillon. 

While they’ve been conservative, fans have to be happy that the Yankees are actually making moves. After they signed Kluber, I was told that the focus for the Yankees would remain upgrading the pitching.

They were looking at another starter and the relievers that were available. I reported that they had made contact with reliever Trevor Rosenthal. As of yesterday, I was told that the Yankees still have interest in bringing in Rosenthal depending on the deal.

In the past couple of days, we’ve seen rampant rumors surrounding the Yankees desire to bring back Brett Gardner. I was told they are talking a one year deal likely in the four or five million range. I completely detest this potential move, but I’m not running the team so I digress.

The Yankees dealt Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox to free up some cash. With the extra money, it appears that Gardner will be the next move for the bombers instead of a reliever. My understanding is that they will likely work out a deal for Gardner then figure out where to go in terms of relievers based on what money is left.

I’m personally hoping it’s the other way around. I’d love to see the Yankees sign a reliever then give Gardner whatever is left with an offer of take it or leave it. However, I’m not too optimistic about that.

Familiar face back with the Yankees?

Depending on how talks go with Gardner, the Yankees have some cheaper options out there on the reliever market. We’ve already seen them bring back Adam Warren this offseason on a minor league deal.

However, there’s another familiar face they could take a flyer on. That pitcher is former closer, David Robertson. Robertson is coming off Tommy John surgery and he’s planning on doing a pitching showcase in February. 

Robertson only appeared in seven games for the Phillies before needing TJ surgery. He pitched to a 5.40 ERA in those seven games. 2018 was his last full season and it came with the Yankees where he pitched to a 3.23 ERA in 69 games.

Robertson might be a guy the Yankees can get on the cheap end given his recent injuries. A David Robertson reunion will ultimately come down to Brian Cashman’s priorities. If Cashman is set on overpaying a little to bring Gardner back, a cheap reliever is likely in the cards.

However, if Cashman prioritizes getting another top bullpen arm before Gardner, then Robertson is less likely. We should know more soon, but the Yankees will likely attend the showcase if they haven’t secured another reliever by then. Definitely a situation to watch.

Are the New York Yankees in on Trevor Rosenthal?

by
New York Yankees, Trevor Rosenthal

The offseason was going incredibly slow for the New York Yankees. Fans were getting extremely restless and it just felt like the bombers were never going to get anything done. All of that changed last week starting with the resigning of DJ LeMahieu. 

After months of back and forth, the Yankees finally got the deal done. However, they didn’t stop there. Once that deal was done, they turned their attention to the starting rotation. It didn’t take them very long to secure another arm for the rotation.

The same day as the LeMahieu agreement, the bombers came to terms with former two-time Cy Young award winner, Corey Kluber. Kluber and the Yankees agreed to a one year deal that will pay him $11 million for the 2021 season.

With LeMahieu and Kluber secured, I was told the focus would remain on pitching. Of course, over the weekend, we saw Luis Castillo rumors running wild. While there have been talks there, there is certainly nothing close or even momentum towards that happening.

Per my understanding, the Yankees are active on a number of fronts. They are definitely working on some trades especially considering they have to free up space on the roster for LeMahieu and Kluber.

They are looking into arms via the trade market, however, they are still looking at the available free agent relievers that are on the market. One of those relievers is someone who they are familiar with. That pitcher is Trevor Rosenthal.

How interested are the Yankees in Trevor Rosenthal?

Over the weekend I was told that the Yankees had made contact with Rosenthal last week. Now, I was not told if those were serious talks or if the bombers were simply doing their due diligence with what’s available on the market.

DJ LeMahieu controlled everything for the Yankees. He was the big domino and now Cashman is exploring every possible option he has to improve the club. By all indications, Trevor Rosenthal is someone they are interested in.

It’s been no secret that the Yankees are looking for another bullpen arm. They like Rosenthal and even took a flyer on him in 2019 by signing him to a minor league deal. Rosenthal was sensational in 2020 and would be a good fit in the bullpen.

It’s worth noting that Cashman is looking into everything. At this time, I just know that there’s been contact, but I’m not sure how serious it is. Last night, Rosenthal tweeted out a gif of Batman in Gotham. Perhaps it’s a sign or maybe just a coincidence.

What I do know is that the Yankees are looking for more pitching help. I would expect to see a move sooner than later with the bombers improving upon either their rotation or their bullpen.

The New York Yankees could be in for a big weekend

by
New York Yankees, Corey Kluber

The New York Yankees started out Friday with a bang. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi broke the news in the early hours of the morning that the bombers and star DJ LeMahieu were finalizing a deal to keep DJLM in the Bronx.

The Yankees fans have been starved for good news all winter. The offseason has moved tremendously slow with the Yankees making no moves of significance. However, they had been vocal that resigning LeMahieu was their first goal.

It took longer than many of us anticipated, however, at the end of the day, they got it done. With LeMahieu back, Brian Cashman is turning his focus towards the pitching. Specifically the starting rotation.

The figures on the LeMahieu deal have not come out yet, however, we know staying under the $210 million threshold is a priority. That said, the Yankees are expected to have very little wiggle room when it comes to pitching.

Fortunately for them, there is a pitcher that fits their budget and what they’re looking for. That pitcher is former two-time Cy Young award winner, Corey Kluber. Kluber recently pitched in a showcase that saw 25 teams show up to watch him pitch.

Will the Yankees sign Kluber?

I sent some messages out this morning trying to get an insider feel for the Kluber situation. I was told by a couple of different sources that the Yankees are expected to be one of the finalist for Corey Kluber.

As mentioned, it makes perfect sense for both sides. Kluber is very close with Yankees pitching coach, Matt Blake, and he lives in the North East. Kluber is also said to want to go to a team where he feels he has the chance to win and reestablish his value.

There would be no better place to do that than New York. Dan Federico reported yesterday that the expectation is that Kluber will seek a deal in the $6-8 million range. That will fit within the Yankees budget.

Signing Kluber would be a very low risk high reward type of signing for Brian Cashman. If he gets hurt, you didn’t pay much. However, if he returns to form, you’re getting an above average starter for pennies on the dollar. Definitely watch this situation this weekend. Could be a great weekend for Yankees fans.

The New York Yankees are keeping tabs on Andrelton Simmons

by
andrelton simmons, yankees

The New York Yankees are locked into a tug-of-war with their MVP candidate, DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu’s camp has been insisting on a guaranteed fifth year from New York to get a deal done.

However, the Yankees have maintained from the beginning that they’re comfortable at four years. When the offseason really started kicking into gear, the Yankees and LeMahieu’s camp were making progress on a potential deal.

Both sides appeared to be comfortable with the money aspect. The talks had all the makings of talks that would result in a deal sooner than later. However, that is where everything hit a wall.

Talks started out well between the two sides. However, we’ve reached stalemate now between the two sides over the length of the contract. The Yankees started at three years, but they are only willing to go four as of right now.

LeMahieu’s side has been consistent with wanting at least five years from the very beginning. The Yankees have inched closer to that and it appears that they are willing to do four guaranteed with a potential option on the fifth year. However, that’s not going to cut it.

As of now, there will be no deal until the Yankees give in on the fifth year. Of course, LeMahieu and his camp could always come back to the Yankees four year offer. However, as each days goes on, the Blue Jays and Dodgers becoming increasingly optimistic about their chances.

The Yankees fallback option

With all of this up in the air, the New York Yankees have maintained contact with the platinum glove winning shortstop, Andrelton Simmons. Simmons is primarily a glove-first shortstop, however, he’s shown that he’s more than capable of hitting for average.

The bombers are reportedly interested in bringing Simmons in on a one-year deal. If LeMahieu goes to Toronto or Los Angeles, bringing Simmons in for one year makes a lot of sense for New York.

Simmons would instantly improve the defense of the team. He’s one of the best in baseball and signing him would allow Gleyber Torres to move back to second base where he is clearly more comfortable.

A one-year deal for Simmons would also give the Yankees more money to play with to bolster their starting rotation. If they resign LeMahieu, they are going to be very limited on their options given what they’ve said about their finances.

Also, there are a ton of elite shortstops hitting the market after next season. If they sign Simmons to a one-year deal, they could reexamine the market for more elite options after the 2021 season.

Resigning LeMahieu remains the Yankees top priority. However, Cashman has been looking into a number of different options if the talks don’t lead to a deal. If DJLM signs elsewhere, Andrelton Simmons is one of the leading options for the Yankees.

Are the New York Yankees a player for Wilson Contreras?

by

It is no secret that there are issues with the New York Yankees at the catchers position. Gary Sanchez was just interviewed by ESPN yesterday where he discussed that he was confused by being benched for the playoffs.

A response that seemed to trigger most people in the Yankees fanbase. The issue is not that complicated, Gary Sanchez was benched because he was awful. He was atrocious, he was basically every negative adjective you can think of last year.

Gary Sanchez is not a defense first catcher. His biggest asset is his ability to swing the bat. Well, going back to 2018 for the Yankees, Sanchez is hitting under 200 combined over the last few seasons.

Yes, I know people will talk about his injuries and the COVID season of 2020. Nevertheless, Gary Sanchez has been awful for the Yankees. Combine that with the fact that he’s terrible behind the plate and you don’t have much going for you.

With Sanchez, the questions have never been about his talent. Frankly, his raw talent is the only reason the Yankees refuse to get rid of him. However, there is a catcher available that might make them strongly consider it.

The Yankees and Cubs to make another deal?

It has been reported all offseason that the Yankees have been looking into the catching market. Of course, publicly they say they are behind Gary Sanchez, however, behind closed doors they’ve been looking into replacement options.

A very interesting option just hit the trade market. USA Today and MLB Trade Rumors reported today that the Chicago Cubs are actively shopping All-Star catcher, Wilson Contreras. The Cubs are in the middle of a fire sale after non-tendering Schwarber and trading Yu Darvish.

The Yankees and the Cubs have a history of doing deals. The Cubs can thank the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman’s contributions to their WS victory and the bombers can thank the Cubs for Gleyber Torres.

Make no mistake about it, Contreras is an upgrade from Gary Sanchez for the Yankees. Both players are actually in the exact same spot in terms of their control, but Contreras is much more proven as an overall catcher.

If the Yankees were to pull off a deal for Contreras, they could either send Sanchez back to Chicago or put him in a different trade. However, acquiring Contreras would allow the Yankees to finally let go of Sanchez without thinking twice.

Now, there is no word on the Yanks potential interest in Contreras. All I can tell you is that the bombers have been catcher shopping and they are not sold on Sanchez. If a deal can materialize with Chicago, don’t be shocked to see the Yankees involved.

The Rays falling back creates a new headache for the New York Yankees

by
New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

Last night, the New York Yankees biggest threat in the AL East took a major step back. The Tampa Bay Rays traded away former Cy Young award winner, Blake Snell, to the San Diego Padres for a package of prospects.

Combining that with the loss of Charlie Morton earlier in the offseason, and you can expect the Rays to take a big step back next year. While they won’t be a bad team, they won’t be the biggest threat to the Yankees.

Instead, you will have to look north of the border to find the Yankees biggest threat. The Toronto Blue Jays are going to be a major player in the AL East in 2021. There are some analysts already picking them to win the division.

However, the Rays taking a step back could create a different headache for the Yankees than some would expect. While the Rays getting worse is seen as a good thing, it also opens the window even more for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays now can look at the Yankees as their soul competition in the AL East. What’s one way you can really hurt your only competition? Signing away their MVP candidate who has shined for them over the past two years.

The Yankees AL East bidding war?

It was reported last week that the Toronto Blue Jays are a serious threat to take DJ LeMahieu away from the Yankees. New York and LeMahieu have been at a standstill for the past couple of weeks after making initial progress. 

The talks have halted over a potential fifth year. The Yankees do not want to give LeMahieu a guaranteed fifth year factoring in his age while DJLM’s camp is insisting on the bombers making the fifth year guaranteed.

Since the two sides are not blinking, other teams have been getting more serious about their pursuit of LeMahieu. Obviously one of those being the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are very serious about signing LeMahieu.

They are also the kind of team that would more than likely give him the guaranteed fifth year to secure him. Everything we’ve heard up until this point suggests the Yankees and LeMahieu want a reunion. However, will one blink to make it happen?

If not, the Blue Jays could be staring at a golden opportunity in the East. The Rays have fallen back and the Yankees MVP candidate is there for the taking. This is definitely a situation to keep your eye on as we move forward.

Don’t close the door on the New York Yankees signing Trevor Bauer just yet

by
trevor bauer, New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have been clear on what they’ve been focused on for weeks. They are focused on bringing back DJ LeMahieu. Right now, the team is in a bit of a staring contest with the MVP candidate.

The Yankees and LeMahieu’s reps are at odds over a guaranteed fifth year. Per my understanding, both sides are comfortable with the Yankees AAV offer. However, the years are keeping the sides apart for now.

While I ultimately believe that the Yankees and LeMahieu will come to terms, you have to imagine that Brian Cashman has a number of different backup scenarios. One of those potentially being a Trevor Story trade which I discussed yesterday.

However, there is another option that would probably be the sexier pick amongst Yankees fans. No, it wouldn’t be a trade for Francisco Lindor or another infielder. Instead, it would be going out and signing another ace for the rotation.

That ace being the NL Cy Young winner, Trevor Bauer. Now, the odds of the Yankees signing Bauer are pretty low. However, it’s not something that’s completely dead and there is a path to the Yankees adding Bauer to the rotation.

Potential Barriers

Before diving into why the Yankees could do this, let’s talk about the barriers. The obvious one being financial. The team is looking to cut payroll as much as possible this year. They have said there is only room for one big signing this offseason.

If the Yankees sign DJ LeMahieu, they wouldn’t go after someone like Trevor Bauer because the money would be too much. Unless they could find a trade partner that would allow them to dump the salary of Giancarlo Stanton.

The next barrier would be the potential fit with the team. The media has drummed up the story of how Trevor Bauer and Yankees ace, Gerrit Cole, didn’t get along in college. That combined with the New York media could be a problem.

However, I truly don’t believe that Bauer would be an issue with the club. I think the guy wants to win and he won’t let anything stand in the way of his team winning. Still, those are two things blocking the way.

What could bring the Yankees and Bauer together

Now, let’s take a look at why the Yankees could do it. Simply put, the Yanks need pitching help. The lack of a consistent starting rotation has hurt the Yankees tremendously over the last decade.

If they were to add someone like a Trevor Bauer to pitch behind Gerrit Cole, the rotation would be the best it’s been in a very long time. That has to be something that is on the mind of Brian Cashman and the front office.

If the Yankees ultimately do not come to terms with DJ LeMahieu, they have some money to play with. In my opinion, I would rather the team invest that money into pitching while finding someone decent to fill the infield gap at a lower price.

Someone like an Andrelton Simmons on the FA market or acquiring a controllable infielder with the Yanks surplus of pitching prospects. Doing this would allow the team the flexibility needed to add another top level starting pitcher

The offseason completely hangs on what happens with DJ LeMahieu. If they Yankees resign him, forget about the team adding a starting pitcher of significance. However, if they don’t come to a deal, Trevor Bauer’s name might become talked about even more when it comes to the Bronx Bombers.

Could the New York Yankees pivot from DJ LeMahieu to Trevor Story?

by

The New York Yankees have been very transparent about what their top priority is this offseason. Their top priority is resigning their MVP candidate, DJ LeMahieu. However, resigning him is proving to be harder than expected.

A few weeks ago, we reported that the Yankees and LeMahieu were making progress on a deal. Jack Curry has since reported that the parameters that we laid out in the article is what he believes the final deal will be.

A four year deal for LeMahieu to return to the Yankees with a option for a fifth year. However, LeMahieu’s camp is adamant about getting a fifth year guaranteed. As of now, the Yankees are not comfortable doing that.

This is becoming a staring contest with both sides waiting for the other to blink. Both sides seemingly want a reunion, however, they are not willing to give in just yet. With things dragging on, other teams are growing more optimistic about their chances.

The Blue Jays are seen as real contenders to take LeMahieu away from the Yankees. With no guarantees, the bombers are likely exploring options outside of LeMahieu. They would be stupid not to. A real possibility lies within the same organization that LeMahieu came from.

The Yankees and Rockies Megadeal?

MLB.com’s Matt Kelly posted an interesting article yesterday regarding trade deals that could ignite the Hot Stove. One of those deals that he mentioned involved the New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies.

The proposed deal would send Clarke Schmidt and Adam Ottavino to Colorado for All-Star shortstop, Trevor Story. Story is entering his final season before free agency, and by all accounts, the Rockies would love to keep him.

However, if they get the sense that he might walk, they will look at dealing him when they can get the highest return. That’s where the New York Yankees could enter the picture. However, the trade price above might be too steep for the bombers to pay for Story.

As mentioned, the bombers are currently trying to resign LeMahieu to play second base. Gleyber Torres would stay at shortstop if they resign DJ, but even Brian Cashman has said that Torres is better at second base.

The longer the negotiations with LeMahieu go, the Yankees might seriously look at the shortstops that could be available. If they pulled off a deal for Story, they could move Torres back to his best position, second base.

By all accounts, Cashman and the front office will continue their full-court press on LeMahieu. Just keep in mind that the longer this situation goes, the lower the odds will get. We might be hearing the Yankees mentioned with available shortstops more and more.