Looks like Matt Gage - the lefty they picked up on waivers from Houston.NY doesn't have many guys who could be described as a AAAA-type pitcher, maybe Sean Boyle?
How does this work? Are there invitations and RSVP cards? IIRC, in the Northeast you are expected to put a stamp on the SASE. Do they ask "chicken or fish" in the invite? Or is that later? I assume there is a vegetarian alternative.
I actually don't think the guys who have just signed minor league deals this winter are actually 'in the system', they are under contract with that team but nothing is guaranteed after spring training, not even a minor league invite.I mean, these guys are in the system. Wouldn't it be more correct to say they've been told to report to the Major League training site instead of the minor league site?
Sincere question: have the Ys ever demonstrated humor or even playfulness as a group?Yankees should do them with mandatory fake beards for every player.
No. I wish they would. It's lame that they think they are too cool for this kind of stuff.Sincere question: have the Ys ever demonstrated humor or even playfulness as a group?
Mariano showed a sense of humor at an Opening Day at FenwayNo. I wish they would. It's lame that they think they are too cool for this kind of stuff.
I don't really care or think about things like that, I just want to see them trying their best to win. The facial hair thing does infuriate me but I've posted that a million times already.Come on fellow Yankee fans, you can do better than that.
I don’t think anyone here is slamming the players, it’s the organization.Right, but that's an example of an organizational thing. I just think it's silly to pretend that because someone plays on the Yankees, they automatically have no personality.
Whatever. Its not like anyone else wanted him or competent pitching twice through the order or having hope over the summer.Lots of whispering on Yankees Twitter that Snell is signing with the Yankees...
Yes, you have. And I hope you guys get him.I have always liked Snell, just ask @VORP Speed. We all know his negatives, but I just keep thinking that he only gave up 18 total ERs in his final 23 starts last season, for a 1.20 ERA over 135 innings. That is incredible, no matter the underlying data.
I will still believe it once someone officially announces it, there are a lot of reasons it doesn't really make sense.
But this "stay tuned..." is just dangling out there.Andy M dumps some water on those rumors:
View: https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1760487790754599187?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g
This checks outI bet they were going to sign Snell this morning, but both Cashman and Boras use AT&T so they are offline.
This is pretty fascinating, let's dig in.Looking at that Bellinger deal, with hindsight, a strong argument could be made that the NYY would have been better off signing Bellinger (4.4 WAR in 2023 to Soto's 5.6), keep the pitching prospects, have better OF defense this year, and sign Soto as a free agent next year, with Bellinger moving to 1B.
I think it will all boil down to how those pitchers develop and if Rodon/Cortes/Stroman can stay healthy. If those three produce all season, the status quo is a great place to be. If not, and King or Thorpe take the jump the way that Montgomery did...Moving this from the main forum...
This is pretty fascinating, let's dig in.
First of all, there's no way to put a value on Judge trying to sell Soto on staying in pinstripes for a full season. For instance, if NY didn't trade for Rizzo at the deadline in 2022 and had just tried to sign him that winter as a FA, I think it would have been more difficult and might have cost them more even.
Next, the pitchers NY gave up. Those guys are going to really help SD this season but here is how they break down individually:
King: Looked incredible down the stretch but big questions how he will hold up to a full season workload, NY very likely selling high here. Also it's important to note that he is a FA after 2025, so NY essentially replaced him (at a higher cost) with Stroman (2 year deal and a possible player option for a 3rd if he pitches enough innings). Who would you rather have for the next two seasons in your rotation (ignoring cost)? I think it's close, but I might take Stroman.
Thorpe: Had an amazing initial pro season, but I think NY prefers Warren and Hampton and managed to keep both of them. Right now their entire rotation is under contract through at least 2025, so Thorpe was a bit of a luxury and NY is very confident in their ability to develop young pitchers.
Brito/Vazquez: Both interesting but very replaceable, kind of nice to clear the 40 man spots.
OK, on to Bellinger:
His big appeal to NY was always that he was a LHH with perfect positional flexibility for their needs, CF immediately, LF once Dominguez comes back midseason, and 1B starting in 2025 when Rizzo's deal is up. However, the overlooked part of the Soto trade is that NY also got two years of Trent Grisham, a spectacular defensive CF as good as any in the game, a Kiermaier/Bader type. This buys them transition time while Dominguez gets healthy and Spencer Jones continues to develop.
Bellinger's just-signed contract: It's really hard to build around a guy who can potentially opt out after every season, I'm sure NY would not have been thrilled about that. Also they tend to only go for hitters who have high exit velocities, that is not a Bellinger strength.
Also something we have almost no knowledge about, but NY knows the real situation: Japanese star 1B Munetaka Murakami will come to the US after 2025, and there has been buzz for years that he wants to play for the Yankees.
So, all in all, I prefer this way. I don't really trust Bellinger's offense to be stellar, and I love Grisham's defense and his power profiles perfectly with NY's short RF. Of course the pitchers NY dealt could have always been moved in a different deal but I don't think NY will really miss them, and what is a better use of excess assets than Juan Soto's freaking walk season???
If not, NY still have their cake here (Will Warren and Chase Hampton, I think there's a good chance they value these two ahead of all four guys they sent to SD) and can eat it too (one year of Soto).I think it will all boil down to how those pitchers develop and if Rodon/Cortes/Stroman can stay healthy. If those three produce all season, the status quo is a great place to be. If not, and King or Thorpe take the jump the way that Montgomery did...
I think we agree. If the Rodon/Cortes/Stroman combo can all significantly outperform their 2023 stats, the Yanks will be in good shape. And if they cannot, the question will be whether Cashman and crew kept the right guys. Trading for Soto was the aggressive move, and I wish the Sox front office would act with similar boldness. The AL East is going to be fascinating this year... proof is in the pudding.If not, NY still have their cake here (Will Warren and Chase Hampton, I think there's a good chance they value these two ahead of all four guys they sent to SD) and can eat it too (one year of Soto).
NY has been making moves for 2 1/2 seasons now based on their (hopeful) ability to continue to develop waves of pitching. At this time last year, King was a 1-2 inning reliever, Thorpe had not thrown a pro inning, and Brito and Vasquez were only on the 40 man because NY had traded a whole bunch of pitchers who were ahead of them.
I posted this once before in the wake of the Soto deal but NY has traded/lost 20 minor league pitchers in the 16 months between Aug 2022 and Dec 2023, and just continues to churn out more.
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It took Chandler Champlain (one), T.J. Sikkema (two) and Beck Way (three) to land Andrew Benintendi.
Ken Waldichuk (four), JP Sears (five) and Luis Medina (six) helped bring back Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino.
Hayden Wesneski (seven) was the price for Scott Effross.
Wilking Rodriguez (eight) was lost in the 2022 Rule 5 draft.
Diego Hernandez (nine) brought Greg Allen to The Bronx.
Juan Carela (10) returned Keynan Middleton.
Adding Alex Verdugo meant giving up Greg Weissert (11), Richard Fitts (12) and Nicholas Judice (13).
Michael King (14), Drew Thorpe (15), Randy Vásquez (16) and Jhony Brito (17) were the bulk of the package for Juan Soto.
In this week’s Rule 5 draft, plucked were Mitch Spence (18), Matt Sauer (19) and Carson Coleman (20)."
https://nypost.com/2023/12/09/sports/yankees-pitching-program-paid-dividends-again-in-juan-soto-deal
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NY could still get back some of that final set of 3, the Royals and A's both added a bunch of other pitchers after those rule 5 picks, and not all of those 20 guys are studs (obviously), but that is incredible, to move/lose 20 pitchers in 16 months from the upper minors, and just keep on churning them out.