Studio analyst on YES Network. 4-time NYT bestselling author. I've run more than 1 marathon. Love eclectic music. Wish I'd interviewed Cash, Strummer & Marley
Before Anthony Volpe agreed to wear
#11
with the Yankees, he called Brett Gardner, who last wore 11, and asked for Gardner's blessing. According to Joe Bick, Gardner's agent, Gardner gave Volpe his full approval and wished him all the best with 11. Classy on both ends.
#Volpe
While Gerrit Cole showed up the Stadium and told Aaron Boone he was available to pitch tonight, Boone said he'd be hesitant to use him. Cole threw 110 pitches in last night's win.
Just spoke to Scott Boras. Asked the agent what helped make Gerrit Cole choose the Yankees and he said, “ Five conversations with Hal Steinbrenner,” and “Andy Pettitte.” Boras was impacted by Hal’s persistence and Cole was influenced by Andy’s stories about pitching in NY.
Cameron Maybin was a delightful personality when he played for the Yankees in 2019. Cameron will now share that personality and his insights on the YES Network as an analyst during the 2022 season. He's expected to announce about 40 games. Welcome, Cameron.
Yankees have reached out to express interest in acquiring Juan Soto. Now it's a matter of the Nationals telling the Yankees (and other teams) what they want for a generational talent. It's early in process. Both sides must determine if there's a match in terms of talent exchange
At NY BBWAA dinner, Verlander accepted AL Cy Young Award and noted how the Astros were “technologically and analytically advanced” as a way to praise the organization. But that phrase caused some in the audience to guffaw. Verlander waited until noise subsided before resuming
When Cole pitched at Somerset last night, he honored tradition of treating teammates to a post-game spread. The order from Wolfgang's in Somerville, NJ included Steak, Sea Bass, Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Mac/Cheese & more. The minor leaguers always appreciate the fine food.
Zach Schwartz met Gleyber Torres in spring training and asked Torres to hit a homer for him. Torres winked and then hit a HR. The courageous Zach died at the age of 14 on Sept. 1 after a battle w/ leukemia. I remember how thrilled Zach was to meet Gleyber. Prayers to his family
Paul O’Neill’s number 21 will be retired on Aug 21, the Yankees said. Spoke to Paul about the honor and he said he had goosebumps when he got the call. “This is my Hall of Fame,” O’Neill said. It’s a well-deserved honor for a linchpin player on the dynastic Yankees. Congrats!
Zack Schwartz, a Make A Wish kid who has battled leukemia, met Gleyber Torres before the game. The 13-year old Zack asked Gleyber to hit a HR for him. Gleyber winked. And then Gleyber smashed a HR in his first at bat.
Judge agrees to 9-year, $360M deal with the Yankees. It was a long process with some twists and turns. But the Yankees are thrilled to have Judge back.
Hearing Anthony Volpe will wear number 11 with the Yankees. Volpe wore number 77 in spring training, but he changed to the number last worn on the Yankees by Brett Gardner in 2021. So, if you stored your Gardner jersey last season, put it back in the rotation.
#volpe
#yankees
Getting Soto was a bold and necessary move. Yankees had historically bad offense in 2023. Needed impactful lefty bats. Soto blends patience/power and is on HOF path. Losing King stings. But King couldn’t be an obstacle to adding Soto. Judge & Soto will be must-see.
Benintendi is expected to wear
#18
with the Yankees. He wore
#16
with the Royals and the Red Sox before that, but that number is retired by the Yankees for a lefty named Edward Charles (Whitey) Ford.
As we reported on Hot Stove last night, the Yankees intensified efforts to acquire Soto. Those talks have continued and a trade is likely. Keep an eye on King and Thorpe. Padres need pitchers and those two could headline a trade. Would think Yankees will part with 4 or 5 players
The Yankees tried to acquire Rodon before the trade deadline, but talks with the Giants never gained much traction. So they've had interest in him for a while. In addition to his talent and swing & miss stuff, Yankees like his toughness. They see him as a great fit in NY market.
Cole, Rodon, Severino, Cortes, Montas is a very strong rotation. Three righties and two lefties. Two ace-types, a
#3
who has been an ace, a
#4
who was an All-Star in 2022 and a
#5
who shouldn’t feel as much pressure.
Jorge Posada told me Mariano Rivera called and told him “I need you here.” So Posada said Jeter chartered a plane and they flew in from Florida last night. The forever teammates hung out together this morning. Posada was moved by Rivera’s speech and said he almost wept.
I’ve said Rizzo should be the starting 1B about a hundred times on our pre/post shows. He’s a better all-around player than Voit and his lefty presence helps balance the lineup. But the idea that Voit committed heresy by publicly expressing his desire to play is comical to me.
When Cabrera was recalled, the Yankees started him every day (until last night). Peraza deserves to get a similar run. He’s a top prospect and needs to play.
He was brave, selfless, witty and smart. Man, he was brave. And he was my friend.
@PQuinnfortheWin
was a co-founder of the Ice Bucket Challenge so he helped impact millions. I’ll miss our chats about Judge and the Yankees. Today, a hero became an Angel. Rest easy, Pat
Now that Judge has been secured, what’s next for the Yankees? They have definite interest in Rodon. They feel that Rodon has the mettle to succeed in NY. A tough, talented lefty at the Stadium would be a nice fit.
It's shocking to hear Jim Crane say he didn't think the sign stealing impacting games. Of course, it did. Why else would the Astros have had such an elaborate system to cheat?
Not that there should have been any doubt, but Oswaldo Cabrera has also been told he made the Opening Day roster. Cabrera has options, but that didn’t matter. He’s a versatile and valuable player who had a great spring.
An animated Gleyber Torres said he believes the Astros cheated in 2019, too. “If you cheated in 2017 and won, why wouldn’t you cheat the next year and the next year, too?,” he said.
Not only did Cole get the highest contract ever for a pitcher, he dwarfed Strasburg’s record deal by $79M. Yanks secured an ace in a style that George Steinbrenner would have applauded.
The Yankees are continuing their efforts to acquire Soto from the Padres. While the two teams have been in a perceived stalemate, the Yankees are said to be trying to get a deal done.
Joe Girardi has been hired by the YES Network as an analyst for 2024. Girardi, who managed the Yankees to their last title in 2009, also contributed to 3 titles as a catcher. As a player, coach, manager & broadcaster, he's spent 17 seasons w/ the Yanks. Welcome to the booth, Joe
With addition of Montas, I think the Yankees see Cole-Montas as their 1-2 in a post-season series and they will fill in the rest with whomever is pitching the best at the time. If healthy, Severino could even push Montas to a 3. But the rotation is stronger today than yesterday.
I don't know what direction Yanks want to go in replacing Rothschild. But David Cone, who blends old school/new school as well as any former pitcher, would be a smart guy to interview. Disclaimer: I wrote a book with Cone. But that simply heightened my respect for his knowledge
When a trade of this magnitude (with a superstar in Soto and 4 or 5 other players) is being sorted out, many issues need to be resolved, including medicals. And when multiple pitchers are involved, those various injury histories need to be reviewed. It’s all part of the process.
The Astros had a lot of time to prepare for this apologetic press conference. To trot out two players and have each of them speak for less than a minute doesn't exactly scream contrition. Their answers might continue to be brief, but the questions will continue.
A source with knowledge of the Yankees’ interaction with Yamamoto said they remain optimistic about their pursuit of the free agent pitcher. It’s a crumb of info. So I’m sharing a crumb. Stay tuned. We’ll talk Yamamoto, Ohtani and more on the Yankees Hot Stove at 6:30 PM on YES.
Aaron Judge’s 60th homer was always going to be special, regardless of when and where he hit it. But, for him to drill a ninth inning HR to spark a five-run rally (which culminated with a Giancarlo Stanton GS) made that about as memorable a half inning as I’ve ever seen.
After the Yankees acquired Benintendi, I said they were far from done. Today, they have fortified their pitching by adding Montas, Trivino and Effross.
It was notable that Gerrit Cole praised Gary Sánchez for giving him some “tells” from batters to help with his pitch selection and approach. I can’t recall another pitcher lauding Sánchez publicly for that specific assist. Cole wants and needs a co-pilot in Sánchez.
The Yankees have signed Rafael Severino, a 19-year old pitcher who is the younger brother of Luis Severino. He will pitch at the Yankees' Dominican Academy.
Yankee recap: They added Gallo, Rizzo, Rodriguez and Heaney for a bunch of minor league prospects, but none of them were in their top 5. Also, the Yankees received financial relief from all three teams they dealt with in the Rangers, the Cubs and the Angels. That's strong.
The Judge camp has spoken internally about hoping that the negotiations for a new contract will be done soon. The Yankees described today as a frenzied day, but also say they believe that no final decision has been made.
Regarding Benintendi deal, It's serendipitous for the Yankees that he was scheduled to be in the Bronx with the Royals anyway to start a series tonight. Look for him to slide right into lineup tonight. As Judge noted, Benintendi has strong bat-to-ball skills. Solid addition
As expected, Yankees have dealt Joey Gallo. He's headed to Dodgers for minor league pitcher Clayton Better, a former 2d round pick.
@ragazzoreport
was first with the news. Gallo was so certain he'd be traded that he was packing his bags in the clubhouse yesterday.
By hitting Sucre and getting tossed, Sabathia cost himself potential $500,000 incentive bonus (he was 2 innings short). But CC, who is already a leader in the clubhouse, just showed why his teammates love him. That’s a teammate backing up a teammate.
Great exchange between Kay and Cone on YES. Kay: “Cole seems like he’s obsessed with pitching. Have you ever seen anybody like that? Cone: “Every day. When I look in the mirror.”
The trade between the Yankees and Padres sending Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to New York is now completed. The teams to make it official some time tonight.
The Judge deal of 9 years, $360 million was consummated in the wee hours as Hal Steinbrenner, who is in Italy, helped push it toward a resolution. The deal is not yet finalized as it’s pending a physical and some contract language.
The Aaron Judge press conference to officially announce his new contract with the Yankees will be held at Yankee Stadium tomorrow at 10 AM. Tune to the YES Network for full coverage.
A few days after completing the LeMahieu deal, Yankees rekindled conversations with Gardner. He has value as a veteran LH hitter who can play all 3 OF spots. Finished 2020 strong. I think these 2 sides will eventually reunite.
Breaking: Omar Minaya, the former GM of the Mets and the Expos, is joining the Yankees as an advisor to the baseball ops department. Savvy hire by the Yankees. Minaya brings smarts and experience. Along with the Sabean hiring, he’s the second high-profile add Yankees have made.
Yankees won 100 games, won the WC and needed 2 wins at home to grab the ALDS. Instead, they were outscored, 20-4. They didn’t hit any homers, their greatest strength. And starting pitchers were left in too long in both games. In a season with high hopes, a tough ending.
Luis Gil was added to Yankees roster under the 2021-specific Covid rules because they had players who tested positive for Covid. Since he was a Covid replacement, he can be recalled without the customary 10-day restriction. Expect to see Gil make his next start in rotation.
The Yankees have made inquiries about Matt Olson with the A's, but I'm hearing there hasn't been any detailed conversations about which players would be involved in a potential deal. Obviously, that can change with one call or one text. Yankees are definitely interested.
Todd Frazier, who played for the Yankees and 5 other teams in an 11-year career, is joining the YES Network this season to do studio work.
@FlavaFraz21
had 218 homers, 1059 hits and a 241/318/445 slash line in his career. He also won the 2015 AllStar Game HR Derby. Welcome, Todd
Cashman has landed in San Diego and is expected to make an offer to Cole today. With
@JeffPassan
saying Strasburg got 7/245 from Nats, have to believe Cole gets 8 years. Yanks saying they will make “very, very competitive offer.”
Regarding possible buzzers and Altuve telling his teammates not to tear his jersey off after the HR against Chapman, Sanchez said he would let his teammates “rip off my pants” if he homered to send his team to the World Series.
Cole met w/ Yankee personnel to discuss how he wants his catcher positioned and also where he wants to guide his pitches that just miss the zone. He plans to quiz Tanaka about how he stays centered over the mound. Cole is precise and clearly enjoys talking about his craft.
So the Dodgers spend more than one billion dollars to sign Ohtani and Yamamoto. Obviously, Ohtani deferred almost all of his salary. But one billion is one billion.
Anthony Volpe has made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster, according to multiple reports. Volpe had an excellent spring training and won the job over Peraza. I thought it was Peraza’s job to lose. Instead, the 21-year old Volpe won it.
Carlos Beltran has been hired as a game analyst by the YES Network and is expected to call 36 games, matching number he wore as a Yankee. Smart and insightful,
@carlosbeltran15
will be a strong addition to our booth. Welcome, Carlos!
@AndrewMarchand
first reported possibility
Mariano Rivera will have some special friends in town for Sunday’s induction ceremony. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte are expected to be here and reunite the Core Four. Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez had will also attend. Classy display by Mo’s teammates.
The Yankees were impressed with Yamamoto as a pitcher and they’ve also been impressed with him as a person. We will talk about what makes Yamamoto and the Yankees an excellent fit on our Yankees Hot Stove show at 6:30 PM on YES.
Hal Steinbrenner had an audience with Pope Francis on December 1, according to the Office of the Holy See. Five days later, he closed the Aaron Judge negotiations from Italy. I’d call that a memorable week.