Yankees

Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo makes bold claim about baseballs from 2021

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anthony rizzo, yankees

The New York Yankees and the other MLB teams were surprised when MLB changed the baseball that was in play mid-season. Understandably the baseball is the most important piece of equipment in the game. It affects the pitcher, as does the hitter.

Over the last several seasons, the ball has changed from year to year. Players were both surprised and disturbed that it was changed mid-season during 2021. It appears that keeping the ball the same is not a priority for MLB. It should be something to be discussed during the present CBA talks for a new contract. In just the last few years, we have gone from an ordinary ball to a juiced ball and then to a dead ball in 2021.

Take a look at these numbers:

  • 2014: 0.86 home runs and 4.07 runs per team per game (lowest-scoring season since 1981)
  • 2019: 1.39 home runs and 4.83 runs per team per game (most prolific home run season ever)
  • 2020: A juiced ball that saw more home runs than in the past decade.
  • 2021: MLB introduced the dead ball, the results were noticeable. There were 873 home runs in 2021 compared to the last 162 game season with 1,144 in 2019.

Changes in the ball shift the game beyond what most fans realize. Launch angle changes, defense, and offense also both change. In 2014, the league slugged .386, but that has increased to 4.35, a 58 point increase over the past five years. Another problem for pitchers and hitters alike is the MLB is not always transparent with these ball changes. They did announce before the 2021 season that there would be very minor changes to the ball, it deadened it for 2021. The result was fewer home runs, but then they changed the ball again mid-season leading to more home runs in the second half.

The deadened ball was a boon to pitchers but didn’t please hitters as fewer balls traveled over the fences. Just a minor change in the ball can keep it from going just a few extra feet, resulting in fewer home runs in all parks. One player that commented on the change was the Yankees’ first baseman, Anthony Rizzo.

Free-agent first baseman Anthony Rizzo claimed during a podcast appearance this week that he noticed the change in the baseball last season that MLB used. 

“I would take the balls this year and feel on them and be like, ‘Man, this seems harder,'” Rizzo said on Compound Podcast, hosted by his former Chicago Cubs teammate Ian Happ, per NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty. “And then you take some of them, and you’re like, ‘Feel how soft this is compared to what they were.’ It’s crazy.” Happ, agreed with Rizzo. He added: “They started flying in the middle of the year and you’re like, what’s going on?”

Commissioner Rob Manfred has been criticized for many things during his tenure, and this was just another one. Manfred and MLB have experienced some controversy over how the baseballs are made or weighted for years now. The league even investigated in 2019 when they commissioned their look into the subject. They found that the ball was not intentionally changed, and instead, it credited the change to hitter behavior, causing more home runs. Since then, we learned the ball was fiddled with, making it travel further.

Fans, pitchers, and hitters all believe the ball should not be tinkered with from year to year and that in no case should it be changed during the season. MLB and the players union should decide on a ball and stick with it. After originally saying there wasn’t a change in the ball, this season finally admitted that the ball changed but not on purpose. Due to the pandemic, there was a shortage of balls, and MLB had to change suppliers.

Rizzo, who played for the Cubs and Yankees this past season, is now a free agent. He has let it be known that he would like to stay in New York, but the Yankees have made no decision on who will be the starting first baseman this coming season. They did retain Luke Voit, leaving him as an option.

New York Yankees Bio: Aaron Judge, the man, and the myth

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

New York Yankee superstar Aaron Judge has been in the news a lot this week, as he tied the knot in Hawaii this past weekend. But, also in the news is whether the Yankees will extend him a mega-contract keeping him a Yankee for life.

The slugger Aaron Judge burst onto the Major League scene in 2017. He played in 155 games, getting 52 home runs and hitting .284 with 114 RBIs. He was heralded at the new Yankee Star, the new Mickey Mantle. He was a Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year, All-Star, and came in second in the MVP voting. However, he was never the same again with all of those accolades until this past season.

From 2018 to 2020, Judge was riddled with a myriad of injuries keeping him off the field and from performing. During those three years, he played only an average of 80 games a season. His home runs were gone, and his strikeouts stood out. He never could regain his 2017 form.

Fast forward to the 2021 season; a new healthy Aaron Judge appeared on the stage at Yankee Stadium. He was the most dependable and consistent player all of last season. He hit some runs, singles, doubles, and got on base. His .383 OBP is the best since 2017. Plain and simple, he carried the Yankees on his back even during the horrid first half of the season.

Judge ended the season hitting .287 with 39 home runs while playing in a career-high 148 games. 

Here is some useful information to get you to know the man Aaron Judge. On April 27, 1992, Wayne and Patty Judge adopted an African American biracial baby a day after he was born; that baby was Aaron Judge. When Judge was old enough to understand, his parents told him, he was adopted.

Growing up in California, Judge was a San Francisco Giants fan. Judge attended Linden High School, where he was a three-sport star. He played as a pitcher and first baseman for the baseball team, a wide receiver for the football team, and a basketball team center. He set a school record for touchdowns (17) in football and led the basketball team in points per game (18.2). In addition, he was part of the Linden High School team that made the California Interscholastic Federation Division III playoffs in baseball.

You can imagine with this sports record that Judge was heavily recruited by teams like Notre Dame, Stanford, and ULCA as a tight end, but Judge wanted to play baseball. He was selected in the 2010 draft by Oakland but wanted to attend college instead. He played for Fresno State, where he was named a Freshman All-American. In 2012 he won the TD Ameritrade College home run, Derby. During the summer of 2012, he played for the Brewster White Caps of the Cape Cod League.

This is where I may have seen him play. He was drafted #1 by the New York Yankees. In his junior year with Fresno, he led the team in home runs, doubles, and RBI’s. In 2013 the Yankees selected him in the draft, and he signed with the Yankees for a 1.8 million signing bonus. He joined the team but was injured in running drills that kept him out of the season.

So what have we learned about that superstar Aaron Judge? Obviously, he’s a star baseball player, but he also loves football especially watching the playoff games. He loves his friends and fellow players; he instead praises a fellow player than talk about himself. He loves dogs and is a big fan of children that love baseball. He is more profound than many may think. His Twitter header carries the Corinthians “For we live by faith, not by sight.” His very first post reads as follows: 

Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball. “If what you did yesterday still seems big today, then you haven’t done anything today!”

Judge loves children. He makes every attempt to greet them to sign baseballs and give them his gloves, bat, or cap. He frequently pulls them from the stands so their parents can get a photo of their child with the Yankee star. Many would feel that doing this was a chore but watching Judge, you can tell he loves it, even seeking out young Yankee fans in away parks. It is not uncommon to see him play catch with young New York Yankee fans when there is a play pause. 

Apparently, Aaron Judge is a one-and-done kind of guy, as he culminated a more than ten-year relationship with his high school sweetheart, Samantha Bracksieck, and this weekend, he sealed the deal with a passionate kiss after the pair made their vows. This is even more exciting because the pair managed to keep the impending nuptials mostly secret. Bracksieck was shown months ago with what appeared to be an engagement ring, indicating that an upcoming wedding might be in the books.

The two were married on Saturday, December 11, 2021. It was said to be an intimate wedding with only family and a few of the closest friends in attendance at the Montage Kapalua Bay resort in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. The nuptials were enjoyed oceanside with views of other Hawaiian islands. John J. Judge is Aaron’s older brother. They have different blood in their genes, but that doesn’t prevent them from being two peas in a pod. John and Aaron are very close! John is an educator, as are Aarons’ parents. Simply put, this hulk of a man is a softy and of high moral values that cherish being a Yankee and all that that involves.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a Society for American Baseball Research member. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.

Yankees could sign Hideki Matsui replica in free agency

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Seiya Suzuki, yankees

The New York Yankees are focused on finding a short-stop free agent this off-season, but another name has bubbled to the surface and could be a solution in the outfield.

Suppose the Bombers were looking for an exact replica of Hideki Matsui. In that case, they might have found a player with his potential in Seiyu Suzuki, who is looking to make a move to Major League baseball after spending his career in Japan with the Hiroshima Carps.

The Yankees and Boston Red Sox were two teams “aggresively” pursuing Suzuki before the lockout, and with a 30-day window to strike a deal with a Major League team, that timeline was put on hold as the owners and Players Union battles it out to compromise on several important issues.

However, when things open back up, Suzuki will be a hot commodity on the open market, expected to sign a five-year, $55 million contract, potentially even more.

Looking at Suzuki’s style of play, his preferred position is right field, currently housed by Aaron Judge. Judge is on the brink of a monster contract extension himself, but Suzuki could make the transition to centerfield unless the Yankees are willing to transition Judge away from his strongest spot.

Looking at the Japanese star’s metrics, they closely compare to Matsui’s back in the day at 26-years-old.

Hideki Matsui’s age 26 season in Japan: .316/.438/.654/1.092 with 42 homers.

Seiya Suzuki’s age 26 seasons in Japan: .317/.433/.639/1.072with 38 homers.

It really can’t get closer between Matsui and Suzuki, who is only about four homers short of exactly replicating Hideki’s numbers.

Given the success the Yankees have had with Japanese players in the past, notably Masahiro Tanaka, Matsui, and Ichiro Suzuki, making a run at the Hiroshima outfielder could be in their best interest.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much general manager Brian Cashman is going to spend this off-season, having already committed to upgrading the shortstop position and adding a starting pitcher to pair with Gerrit Cole.

Whether it be Trevor Story or Carlos Correa, either will cost upwards of $20 million per season to acquire, and a starting pitcher could hover in the same price range. Unless the team is keen on trading for a shortstop that will cost far less, expect Hal Steinbrenner to open up his checkbook after the lockout, which is hard to believe after the Yankees remained quiet prior to the league shutting down.

In terms of Suzuki, he recently unfollowed the Boston Red Sox on Instagram, so it could be a hint that he prefers to wear pinstripes instead of joining a Boston team that had even more success last season. The team’s relationships with Matsui and Tanaka may even prove to be an advantage in their pursuit of Seiya.

WATCH an incredible video of Yankees’ Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hit batting practice in color

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babe ruth, lou gehrig, yankees

The New York Yankees have had some of the best players ever to play the game of baseball, including Yankee greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Today, we have colorized footage of the two at batting practice as a special treat.

 

Babe Ruth

George Herman “Babe” Ruth, born in 1895, is the greatest baseball player to have ever to play the game. He also started one of the greatest rivalries in all of the sports. He would go on to hit 714 home runs, 2,213 RBI’s, over 2,000 bases on balls, with a slugging percentage of .690 and an OPS of 1.164, two records that still stand today. He was not only a great baseball player but still today stands as one of America’s greatest sports icons in American culture.

So goes the story of the real Babe Ruth that few know about. Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland. With his father working long hours in his saloon and his mother often in poor health, Little George (as he was known) spent his days unsupervised on the waterfront streets and docks, committing petty theft and vandalism. Hanging out in his father’s bar, he stole money from the till drained the last drops from old beer glasses, and developed a taste for chewing tobacco. He was only six years old.

At the age of 18, he played ball for St. Marys, a school he spent much of his childhood. In the summer of 1913, he was allowed to pitch with local amateur and semipro teams on weekends. Impressed with his play, a Baltimore scout Jack Dunn signed Ruth to his minor-league Baltimore Orioles club the following February. The Orioles, short on money, sold the young Ruth to the Boston Red Sox. Again short of money, the Red Sox sold Ruth to the New York Yankees in what has been called the worst sale in baseball history.

While Babe Ruth was with the Yankees, he broke every record in baseball. As a result, he became an American Icon and a part of American culture. In his fifteen years with the Yankees alone, hit scored nearly 2,000 runs and 2,000 RBI’s. He also hit 659 home runs.

On August 16, 1948, the “Babe” passed away. Three days later, a requiem mass and funeral for the Babe was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Six thousand mourners bowed their heads as Cardinal Spellman made a special prayer at the end of the solemn 1-hour service. Seventy-five thousand people waited outside the Cathedral in the pouring rain to say goodbye to the greatest baseball player of all time.

Lou Gehrig

New York Yankees’ legend and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig would have been 118 years old this year, born on June 19, 1903. Gehrig played 17 years in the Major Leagues, all of them being with the New York Yankees. In those 17 years, Gehrig racked up seven All-Star games (the first one ever being in 1933, and Gehrig made the midsummer classic every year to finish his career) and was named MVP two times in 1927 and 1936, and was a six-time World Series Champion.

Gehrig is most known for his incredible consecutive games streak of 2,130. Although Cal Ripken would break that record years later, Gehrig is remembered as an MLB great who ended his career when he delivered his famous “Luckiest Man” speech on July 4, 1939.

The team’s captain for four years, Gehrig, holds a career .340 batting average with 493 home runs and 1,995 runs batted in. He led the league in batting average five times, the highest being .478 in 1936. He also led the league in most RBIs five times, the highest being 173 in 1927.

Lou was known for many years as the Yankees’ “Iron Horse.” Gehrig was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) on June 19, 1939, which is also his birthday. ALS is now known commonly as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” since he was a national figure and won the hearts of many. Unfortunately, he passed away on June 2, 1941, two years after his famed speech.

Unlike today and social media, there is not a lot of video of these two greats playing the game. But in this rare video that has been colorized, we see these two Yankee legends take batting practice. Ruth is number three, and Gehrig is number four. Back then, Yankees numbers were assigned by where they hit in the batting lineup. Although the date of the footage is unknown, they played together from 1923 to 1934.

 

Desi Druschel, the Yankees’ new assistant pitching coach, has the resources and knowledge to leave his mark

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Although it hasn’t been confirmed by the team yet, the New York Yankees promoted several coaches to work with the big league team, including Desi Druschel, in early December. He had been serving as a manager of pitch development, but will now be an assistant pitching coach and work alongside Matt Blake, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media.

Kuty spoke to Rick Heller, currently Iowa University’s head baseball coach, about Druschel, and he had nothing but nice things to say about him, most of which suggest he could be a very valuable piece for the Yankees.

“He has a commitment to being excellent at everything he does,” said Heller. The two men know each other since Druschel worked at Iowa, from where he was scooped by the Yankees in 2019.

Heller was the one who recruited Druschel, initially as a player. Eventually, he found his way to Upper Iowa University and became Heller’s pitching coach, as well as director of baseball operations.

The Yankees’ pitchers will be getting another valuable resource

Heller said Druschel had a constant hunger to learn and was always ahead of the curve. Per Kuty, Heller knew concepts such as “occlusion training — an advanced form of pitch recognition work using video clips — two decades ago. ‘He was doing charting systems and things that were so far advanced that nobody was doing back then,’ said Heller, who added, ‘He was buying eight different cameras on eBay and setting them up on the field before anyone else was doing it.’”

The Yankees’ big league pitchers will also be getting a coach who can get his hurlers to understand his message.

“His work ethic is off the charts,” Heller stated. “An elite level. He’s brilliant. He’s got savvy. He’s going to constantly keep pushing the envelope to learn more and be on the cutting edge that’s out there with his job.

“He’s constantly searching for something that is going to help his team and help the players get better, the best way possible. He’s never going to sit back and just think he knows it all. That’s the beauty of what Desi does. He’s constantly trying to learn and get better.”

Yankees: What a massive contract extension for Aaron Judge could look like

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aaron judge, yankees

While the New York Yankees are focused on adding a big-name shortstop this off-season, they have to consider the contract extension Aaron Judge will garner in the near future.

Judge will become a free agent in 2023, so he has just one year left of team control before he can sign elsewhere. That likely means general manager Brian Cashman and Judge’s representatives will look to strike a huge deal before he hits free agency.

The star slugger has indicated he prefers to stay with the Yankees for his entire career, but many players have said that in the past just to leave and find success elsewhere.

A deal for Judge will likely be close to $40 million per season on average, but let’s take a look at a prospective deal that would lock the Bombers into his services for at least five seasons.

New York Post’s Ken Davidoff proposed a monster deal, averaging out at $37.8 million per season over five years with an additional season and opt-out later on:

How about taking the five-year, $189 million package that my colleague Joel Sherman proposed back in October, adding another year and $38 million to it (six years and $227 million, a tribute to the iconic Marla Gibbs), adding vesting options for 2028 through 2030 (his age-36 through -38 seasons) based on collective plate appearances, and, to seal the deal, throwing in an opt-out after 2024?

If Judge is healthy, he is deserving of every dollar, especially considering the Yankees under-spend compared to their revenue per season. Judge played in 148 games this past season at 29-years-old, hitting .287 with 39 homers and 98 RBIs.
The righty slugger posted a career-low 25% strikeout rate and 37.5 offensive WAR. Judge is showing more discipline at the plate and a sustainable proficiency for hitting home runs. The only season where he didn’t break double digit homers was during the Covid abbreviated 2020 campaign when Judge spent the majority of the season injured. His 39 homers this past season is a benchmark moving forward and considering he’s not even 30-years-old yet, investing in him as a long-term solution is an easy decision.
Defensively, Judge has one of the best arms in baseball out of right field, but depending on how the Yankees approach their centerfield spot, it is possible they move Judge to the middle of the outfield and find a replacement in right. If the Yankees do end up retaining Joey Gallo, he could start an RF while Judge makes the move to center, a position he proved capable of this past season.
What do you think of this behemoth contract for Aaron Judge? Comment here!

Yankees News and Rumors 12/15: Everything you need to know in one place

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge locked down; now what?

The New York Yankees homegrown superstar Aaron Judge locked down his personal life with the marriage last weekend to Samantha Bracksieck in a tropical setting in Maui, Hawaii. The only question to be answered in his life is whether he will have a marriage with the Yankees.

The 2017 Rookie of the Year had his second-best year with the Yankees last season. He stayed healthy and basically carried the team on his back with consistently good play all season long. Judge has often been called the face of the Yankees and the face of baseball. But Judge will become a free agent after this season, and it’s time for the Yankees to make him a lifelong Yankee with a handsome contract extension.

Although the Yankees have been mostly quiet on the subject, they are well aware of the need to address the Judge situation sooner than later. Part of their delay in propping up the team pre-lockout could be because they need to see what monies will be available for their needs, including an extension for Judge. Once a new CBA can be reached, the Yankees will have to pounce on these needs quickly.

Appreciating Jordan Montgomery

Yankee pitcher Jordan Montgomery has gone under the radar the last few years but has been a mostly solid player for the Yankees. Over five seasons with the Yankees, one out for Tommy John surgery, he has a winning record. Monty has been their only constant in the pitching rotation throughout the period, with the loss of Luis Severino to surgery, CC Sabathia to retirement, seeing Masahiro Tanaka lost to Japan, and now the loss of 2 time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

Montgomery is a good pitcher, although not flashy; he never enjoyed the hype of a Joba Chamberlain but has been solid for the Yankees. Montgomery’s career stats are not bad. 388 IP – 15.8 K-BB% – 1.27 WHIP – 3.90 FIP – 7.3 fWAR, which is nothing to sneeze at. Last season, he was 6-7 with an ERA of 3.83 in 30 games. That record is not representative of how he pitched; he got absolutely no run support in over half of his games. Montgomery could be big for the Yankees in 2022 in the third spot in the rotation.

Anthony Rizzo is enjoying free agency

At the trade deadline last season, the Yankees got the long-time Chicago Cub to replace the ailing Luke Voit at first base. Rizzo started out like a superstar for the Yankees, but his hitting cooled off. One thing that didn’t cool off was his defense at first base, the best since Mark Teixeira. So now Rizzo is a free agent for the first time in his baseball life, and he is enjoying it.

The Yankees, as of the lock-out, do not have a starting first baseman for the new season. They retained Luke Voit, but with his health, he is not the best option, nevertheless having him reduces the priority for the Yankees. Rizzo, meanwhile, has made it known that he likes New York and would like to stay here. Other names that have been mentioned for the Yankees to act on once the lock-out is over are Matt Olson and the best in the business, Freddie Freeman, among others.

Is Trevor Story a fit for the Yankees?

Even before the World Series was over, the Yankees announced that they would be spending money and that their number one priority was to sign a star-like shortstop. To date, that has not been done, with some ambiguity as to if the Yankees will do that or go the way of a stopgap purchase, waiting for either Anthony Volpe or Oswald Perzaza to become major league ready.

Several names the Yankees have been looking at are already gone. Corey Seager went to the Texas Rangers, and Marcus Semien went to the Angels. That leaves the big prize of Carlos Correa still unsigned. Correa is not the best fit for the Yankees because of a lingering mysterious back ailment and involvement in the Astros sign-stealing that could have cost the Yankees a World Series appearance.

There are other options, and one of them is a shortstop the Yankees have looked at previously; Trevor Story. Trevor Story remains an intriguing prospect for a team with a current need at SS but less of a need in the future. The Yankees once very high on Story seem to have soured on him somewhat. Nevertheless, they made a play for him at the trade deadline but could not come to an agreement with the Colorado Rockies.

Story had an unexpected down season in 2021; (.251/.329/.471/.801, 24 home runs, 75 RBIs). However, Story has solidified himself as one of the top offensive shortstops in the game, and he is not far from out of the headlights on the Yankee horizon.

Is a shortstop already in the system?

The New York Yankees could blow off the shortstop need and avoid spending money as they look for a number two starter for the pitching rotation, a first baseman, and help in center field. However, to do that, they would have to recognize how good Gio Urshela was replacing Gleyber Torres at short. Although a small sample, Urshela proved he can play the position to upgrade Torres.

Should the Yankees take the stopgap option, Urshela could slide in at short until Yankee prospects Anthony Volpe and Osward Perzara are ready for the big time. Last season in 28 games, he hit .267 with a better fielding percentage than at third base, his usual position. Urshela is not the perfect option for the Yankees, but for one year, it could work. With Torres penned in at second and moving DJ LeMahieu to third base, where he played adequately last season, that would let the Yankees concentrate on a long-term upgrade at first base.

Luke Voit; trade piece or first baseman?

Early in the post-season, the Yankees decided to hold onto first baseman Luke Voit. The question is, why? He is not a great defender at first and can’t seem to stay healthy. There are two answers to that question. They are going to concentrate on a new expensive shortstop, or they are holding onto Voit as a trade piece to fill one of the team’s needs, at short, in the outfield, or at first base.

With a questionable health record, in 2020, he led all of baseball with 22 home runs in the shortened season. But last season, he regressed playing in only 68 games, hitting .239 with only eleven home runs. He couldn’t stay healthy below the belt with foot and knee problems. There is no question that the Yankees are concerned about Voit and who will play at first base. The Yankees attempted to trade Voit before the trade deadline but were unsuccessful. The Yankees have several first-base options, including keeping DJ LeMahieu there. They also could resign Anthony Rizzo, get Olson, or go after the superstar Freddie Freeman. At his point, Voit does not seem like the best option as we advance.

 

Yankees nearly traded slugging first baseman, could deal still materialize?

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

The New York Yankees are focused on finding a solution at the shortstop position, but they also have an opening at first base. After trading for Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs at the deadline this past season, they have a decision to make — extend Rizzon on a multi-year deal or look for a supplement.

However, Luke Voit might have a thing or two to say regarding the Yankees overlooking him as a long-term option at the position. Voit has been a consistent slugger for the Bombers, but his defensive deficiencies and injury history has prevented them from committing to him as their regular first baseman.

In fact, the Yankees were speaking with a National League team, the Milwaukee Brewers, about a potential deal that would send Voit out West before the lockout was instituted. The Brewers might’ve been intrigued by Cashman’s desire for an outfielder, which could’ve resulted in a salary dump for Lorenzo Cain, Joel Sherman of the NY Post suggested.

Given Cashman’s interest in trading Voit, it suggests they have a plan in place to upgrade the 1B spot with a quality player, whether that be via free agency or a trade. Of course, Rizzo makes the most sense given the team’s confidence in him, but I wouldn’t rule out the potential for a blockbuster deal including Freddie Freeman or a trade for Matt Olson.

Freeman is coming off a World Series victory with Atlanta, but if they’re unwilling to reach his six-year contract desire, the Yankees could swoop in and surprise everybody with a behemoth offer. Olson, who would cost a lot less financially but command significant prospect allocations, could also be on the table. Cashman spoke to Oakland about their needs in a prospective trade, but things never materialized ahead of the lockout.

Ultimately, it boils down to how much Cashman is willing to spend, considering he still needs a shortstop, depth outfielder, and starting pitcher to pair with Gerrit Cole. Owner Hal Steinbrenner is confident the lockout with turn in favor of the owners, which will help his team financially, despite spending a small amount of the revenue he brings in every season.

Back in 2018, it was reported that the Yankees brought in $668 million in revenue but used only 30% toward player salaries. That number has only dropped over the past three seasons, indicating even more separation between fair and ownership greed. If the Steinbrenner’s decided to spend a healthy amount, they could push past the luxury tax threshold and sign Freeman, Carlos Correa, and a pitcher like Carlos Rodon. However, his inexcusable conservatism is a problem, something the Players Union is fighting tooth and nail to change.

New York Yankees: What’s in store for a new CBA and the game of baseball?

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The New York Yankees and the other 29 teams are at a post-season standstill, as there is a lockout in place because the owners and players couldn’t come to a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) at the expiration of the old agreement on December 1st. Meanwhile, the wheels have fallen off the wagon with no transactions or trades being made.

Through all of this, the fans are the losers with nothing happening. Many fans aren’t aware of what is at stake with a new agreement. That is not surprising because neither side is talking for the most part, and although negotiations are going on, they are moving at a snail’s pace. So, what exactly is at stake for the game, and what are the primary issues to be resolved?

  • The Players want more money sooner in their careers.
  • They want changes to arbitration or an earlier path to free agency.
  • Will there be a universal designated hitter?
  • Robot strike zone in some form.
  • Limiting pitcher throws to first base.
  • Reducing the distance between home plate and the pitching rubber.
  • Will the 10th inning rule continue?
  • Will doubleheaders be 7 or 9 innings?
  • Slightly larger bases with a less-slippery surface
  • A requirement that all four infielders have their cleats within the outer boundary of the infield dirt when the pitch is delivered.
  • A requirement that pitchers must step off the rubber to attempt a pickoff.
  • Ending the shift.
  • Players want to secure a more significant portion of the pie this off-season.

All of these items would be up to discussion in a perfect world. The fact is that they probably won’t be put into the negotiations by the owners. If they do, the players could look for a quid pro quo situation, where they accept a rule change in exchange for a financial concession. Many rule changes could lead to a better, faster-played game to benefit the fans that most think is too long. But it is not likely these rules will be discussed. The owners realize that Commissioner Manfred can make any of these changes on his own, giving the union a one-year notice.

Many fans have long complained that the 9 inning game lasts too long and that some extra-inning games are downright excruciating. In 1975 the average length of a 9 inning game was 2 hours and 25 minutes. In 2021 that climbed to 3 hours and 8 minutes and has increased in each of the last three years. Many AL East games last up to 4 hours or more  The longest game in 2021 was 5 and a half hours, between the Dodgers and the Padres, and that is with the man on second rule. Something must be done as the game of baseball is losing fans.

The main problem in these negotiations is that both sides are looking to improve their financial best interest, while what is good for the game and the fans takes a backseat. If they worked with each other in good faith and did what was best for the game, neither side would likely be hurt unequally.

The owners have always wanted a salary cap, which likely would be good for the game but would hurt superstar players. Knowing that the players will have nothing to do with that proposal, although the owners are not making that an issue in this new agreement. It should be noted that the NFL, NBA, and NHL all have salary caps. There are two concessions that could be made that would likely appease both parties and could lead to further agreements. One is for the owners to raise starting pay for young players. The union could offer to create an international draft.

What comes out of these negotiations, nobody knows. We also don’t know how long the lockout will last or if the lockout will prevent the start of spring training or even the beginning of the 2020 season. For the benefit of the game and the fans, both sides will have to make concessions to end this lockout sooner than later.

There are a couple of reasons that we give the owners the edge in the negotiations, and that is they can play the long game. Their stakes in the sport are almost guaranteed to stretch decades longer than any athlete’s playing career. Right now, the owners are relatively happy with the economic status quo. The players aren’t and are tired of the owners coming out on top in these CBA negotiations. They have said that they are not going to allow that this year. So this synopsis does not spell for an early end in the labor negotiations.

Yankees would be taking huge risks with top shortstop free agents

by
carlos correa, yankees

One way or another, the New York Yankees face a big problem this off-season regarding their vacant shortstop position. After the failed Gleyber Torres experiment, the Yankees tried to solve the spot in-season, even being linked to Trevor Story at the trade deadline. But after the front office “soured” on the possibility, they decided to wait until this free agency to make a decision.

General manager Brian Cashman remained patient before the lockout, allowing options like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to sign with the Texas Rangers on massive contracts. While there are still a few solid options on the market, they come with their own risks, which will force the Yankees to think twice before offering a long-term contract.

Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish stated that Trevor Story might have to transition to second base in the near future due to arm concerns:

Most scouts believe that the 29-year-old Story would benefit from a shift to second base due to diminished arm strength. He’s dealt with elbow strains over the past few seasons and a shift to second base might reduce the overall wear and tear.

Theoretically, the Bombers could sign a Story to a shorter-term contract, but if he has serious arm concerns, the expectation of moving him to third base is likely off the table. With Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu capable of playing second, a stopgap until Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are ready to take the jump could be ideal. Trevor represents a cost-efficient move, given the massive contract Correa is seeking.

However, Correa endured serious back problems last year, so a 10-year contract may end up being another Jacoby Ellsbury situation, which simply must be avoided at all costs.

ESPN’s Buster Olney indicated that Carlos Correa’s camp is withholding important injury information:

“There are questions about his lower back. He has gotten treatment for it…. Teams are saying they can only access his medical records if they make a ‘significant offer’ and teams are hesitant”

Cashman will have to find an upgrade at shortstop no matter what, but at this point, signs point toward a stopgap being the preferred strategy. Nonetheless, in one of the best shortstop markets in the past decade, missing out on the top option would certainly irk Yankee fans and management alike.