Category: Opinions

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The duality of the Yankees

The similarities between the Yankees’ owned-and-operated Tampa Tarpons and the Major League Club have been very apparent in August, after the Tarpons won the 4-game set in Fort Myers (Twins), and they had an incredibly lopsided win versus Bradenton (Pirates) to open their last home stand of the season on Tuesday night. A significant part of Tampa’s recent success has been on the back of 2025 1st round selection Dax Kilby, who since recording his first pro hit on August 14, has gone 12-for-30, hitting .400/.471/.500/.971 in the past 7 games with 2 doubles, a triple, and 6 RBI, including a 4-for-5 night with 3 RBI and a triple on August 26. .400/.471/.500/.971

Kilby’s late season performance is similar to that of which the Major League Yankees are experiencing with Giancarlo Stanton. In the last 15 games, Stanton is hitting 17-for-37, good for a .459/.535/1.108/1.643 and has driven in 18 RBI. Obviously, they’re two totally different hitters, and I’d be plenty happy to see consistent contact from Kilby if it’s not the insane kind of power that Stanton provides the Yankees, but both have been having an incredible past few weeks.

The Yankees have done incredibly well drafting shortstops the past few years, with their #1 prospect as their 2023 1st round pick, George Lombard Jr, doing decently well in Double-A Somerset (.208/.330/.339/.669). Then we get to Volpe, who did decently well in the Minors, like Lombard, but is one of the worst hitters in baseball, currently.

Anthony Volpe’s story was one that tugged on your heartstrings. The kid that grew up in Manhattan with Derek Jeter as his idol, then in a borough just outside where the Somerset Patriots play, was selected as a 1st round pick in 2019 by the Yankees. He debuted with (then) Short Season Pulaski in the Appalachian League in 2019, hitting .215 in 34 games. Draftees don’t typically do well their first year as they adapt to pro ball, so that’s a stat that one could usually toss aside.

He made his full-season debut in 2021, splitting exactly half the season with Low-A Tampa for the first 54 games and 55 games with High-A Hudson Valley. 

In 2021, he slashed .294/.423/.604/.1.027. His performance that season got both scouts and fans excited about the potential that Volpe had. He was completing plays efficiently, but still recorded 13 errors that season between Tampa (6) and HV (7). He would duplicate that in 2022, recording 13 errors between Somerset (11) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (2). Both his offensive and defensive performances have only worsened since his Minor League career, though, with Volpe recording 17 errors in 2023, 16 in 2024 and 17 to date in 2025. While Volpe only spent 22 games in AAA, he hit similarly there to what he did last year: .236/.313/.404/.717 in 22 G, 24.7 K% in AAA; .243/.274/.400/.674, 26.7 K% in MLB, 2024.

However, while this season by Volpe seems worse than any others on the surface, in many respects, it is still better than that of his rookie campaign. It’s definitely fair to say that that’s a low bar. While the batting average is similar (.204 to date versus .209 in 2023), he has more doubles (26 vs 23), more RBI (65 vs 60), and is striking out at a better rate (26.8% vs. 30.9%). While obviously those numbers aren’t spectacular, and he’s most definitely in a slump of some kind of late, hitting 18-for-106 in his last 30 games (.170/.207/.368/.575), it’s possible that the changes to his swing mechanics are what’s causing the decline in offensive performance. 

Returning to the Tarpons and Yankees, both teams have not had a spectacular last few weeks in the standings, with Tampa sitting at 2nd from last in their division at 9.5 GB, despite going 6-4 in their last 10 games, and have been a .500 team in August (11-11). The Yankees, having played one more game than Tampa, are at an incredibly similar 12-11 (.522). Where things start to differ is when you look at the run differential. The Yankees have a positive run differential of over 100, while the Tarpons are +30 on the season.

Both the Yankees and Tarpons have unreliable bullpens. Case in point: On August 28, Allen Facundo threw 4 shutout innings, only allowing 2 hits and 5 walks, but reliever (and former two-way player) Josh Tiedemann came in to relieve Facundo, and gave up 3 runs in 2 IP, blowing any chances of the Tarpons winning since they only scored one run.

Where does that sound familiar? Maybe you can refer to Luis Gil’s game on August 21 vs. Boston where he went 5 IP, allowed 1 ER (2 R) on 4 H and 5 BB with 3 K but got no run support. Further, Camilo Doval came in behind him, and recorded a blown save (his 6th!) by allowing 1 run (earned) on 2 H and a BB. Like the Tarpons’ situation, the Yankees failed to provide their pitching any run support.

While it’s fair to criticize a minor league team in certain respects (the Tarpons have been frustrating to watch at times), one needs to remember that the farm teams exist purely to develop young men into potential Major League talent. It’s a gamble. I don’t think anyone predicted that Ben Rice would be performing as well as he is in the Majors when he took his first few ABs in the Yankees system in 2021. He looked impressive while he was in Tampa, but not this impressive. On the flip side, considering Volpe was named Florida State League Player of the Month for June 2021 on his last month in Tampa, he looked every bit the superstar he was touted to be.

Do we, both fans and media, need to give Volpe a little more time to figure things out? I think that time has ended. His stats are consistent, and this is who he is. The Yankees can possibly unlock something, since, after all, they have 5+ years of video and analytics to look at. There truly is no good option here, especially when you look at possibly sending him down to AAA or even AA, other than sitting him for a while as they possibly work on things in the background, and they play Jose Caballero instead.

Where do the Tarpons fit in here? They have a similar shortstop situation. They also have a shortstop/2B that’s been very inconsistent the past two seasons, and that’s likely why he’s been passed up on promotions over others like Lombard, named Roderick Arias. In July, he slashed .213/.330/.375/.705 and drove in 13 RBI in 80 AB. In August so far, he’s slashing .298/.392/.429/.821 with 14 RBI in 84 AB. Compare that to the .155/.302/.254/.556 slash he had in April. It’s just like last season, too.

The Yankees need to take a hard look at their team and the organization as a whole, as there are too many consistencies between the Tarpons and Yankees, plus their shortstop situation with the two teams is rather ironic. On behalf of both fans and media, this needs to happen soon, because too much talent is going to waste in the Bronx and too many of those guys deserve a ring.

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A prospect hugger’s thoughts on the trades the Yankees completed

“Cash-god” made LOTS of moves at the deadline. It was without a doubt one of the biggest trade deadlines we’ve seen in a while across all of baseball (unless your team is named the Braves) in what we were told was going to be one of the quietest years because “no one was available”.

The Yankees completed 10 trades ahead of the deadline, with the majority coming on deadline day. The team experiences big improvements in both talent and depth overall, and many can see this as a Brian Cashman masterclass.

However, looking at the moves made at the trade deadline from the perspective of a prospect hugger, I’m heartbroken as I am every year, despite knowing that many of these guys will get better opportunities with their respective new organizations. Below, I’ll discuss the prospects, something that you won’t necessarily read about. You’ll see countless articles about what the Yankees gained, but not necessarily what they lost in exchange. 

Herring carried most of the weight in this trade as he’s shown so far this season that he could be a potential #2/#3 starter in the Majors. Herring threw 89.1 innings, permitting a 1.71 ERA while with the Yankees’ Low-A (Tampa) and High-A (Hudson Valley), plus a 10.28 K/9, a 3.63 BB/9 and a 0.30 HR/9.

Grosz had 15 starts with High-A Hudson Valley, where he threw a 4.14 ERA in 87 innings. He had a 9.72 K/9, a 3.62 BB/9 and a 0.52 HR/9. Grosz didn’t impress me nearly as much in his time in Tampa last season when compared to Herring, but he provides more starting pitching depth for the Rockies farm system.

This trade can be graded an A, because while the Yankees gave up one of their most-promising newly acquired arms in Herring, Colorado is taking on the full contract of McMahon.

Two days later, the Yankees acquired INF/OF Amed Rosario from the Nationals for RHP Clayton Beeter and OF Browm Martínez.

Beeter was easily the one name that most fans knew because of some time spent in the Bronx, but fans were very much in the dark on Martinez, who is an outfielder in the Dominican Summer League.

Martinez spent 2024 & 2025 with the DSL NYY Bombers, hitting a combined .320/.426/.419/.845 in 56 games, including 3 HR this season and 35 total RBI. There’s not much video out there in the wild (in fact none I could find unless I actively watch a broadcast game and cut something myself), but I understand he was one of the better hitters on the DSL Bombers, especially this year. Martinez held a .404 batting average with a 1.139 OPS; something definitely clicked this year.

This trade can be graded a B-, because Rosario is a free agent at the end of this season (a “rental”) and there is so much potential with Martinez given how he’s performed in the DSL. However, players can fall apart that early in their careers, and I’ve seen it happen a handful of times where making the move to the States and playing in the FCL or in Low-A Tampa was too much for a prospect.

The return for Carrasco has yet to have been announced, and may not be for a while, but Carrasco provided solid depth, plus veteran experience, to the Triple-A RailRiders.

Ziehl was a 4th round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Miami (FL) and had been doing well this season (4.17 ERA in 82-⅓ IP), recently earning himself a promotion. In fact, Ziehl only made one appearance with High-A Hudson Valley, where he allowed 1 run (earned) on 3 hits, no walks and struck out 3.

This trade can be graded an A-, because the Yankees had to make a move with the potential that Judge is out for the rest of the season. Slater is a “rental”, but he’s also a minimal hit to the salary cap at $564,540, so the one-for-one deal is solid.

While I completely understand the level of talent the Yankees acquired with this deal, this trade hurt the most. I had liked what I had seen of all of these prospects, especially Flores, but even Pérez and Sánchez had shown a lot of promise in Tampa this season. 

The way I view this move is that they were making room for other talent to shine within the system. Flores is an easy fit for Pittsburgh with their former #1 overall pick, Henry Davis, really struggling at the plate, but it’s kind of crazy to think that a JuCo kid that went undrafted has the potential to be the #1 backstop ahead of a top pick in the prior draft. A lot of that speaks to the quality of talent that Flores is, but also is kudos to the Yankees scouting team under Damon Oppenheimer. A lot of this trade deadline is, to be fair.

Pérez and Sánchez have the potential to be very good pieces in the future, but I struggle to project Sánchez favorably given what I have seen. Sánchez had a relatively high K rate (23.4%) but also worked a lot of walks (12.6%). He also had a slash of .281/.373/.438/.811 in Low-A Tampa with a 129 wRC+.

Pérez had a lot of commonalities at the plate with Sánchez in that he also worked a lot of walks (17.9%) and had a moderately high K rate (19.5%), slashing .209/.369/.236/.604 with a 91 wRC+. He was by far a defense-first catcher, and that’s mostly what the Pirates are getting here. 

For those not familiar with the headlining piece of the return, Rafael Flores was a 2022 undrafted free agent out of Rio Hondo Junior College in California. Between AA and AAA this season, Flores played in 97 games, batting a combined .279/.351/.475/.825 with a wRC+ of 141.

This trade can be graded a B-, because while Bednar will be a restricted free agent that will likely end up in arbitration, at the end of the day, he may end up being a “rental”. Most of what the Yankees are paying for in prospects was with Flores, and he seemed to be lined up to be Wells’ backup in the Bronx this September. It’s too early to properly project how the other two prospects in the deal will perform. The Yankees are only taking on $1.87M in contract responsibility in 2025.

Roc Riggio, aside from having an incredible baseball name, has been one of the most fun baseball players to watch in a while. Riggio was acquired in 2023 as a 4th round selection out of Oklahoma State. He struggled in his first few games with the org., spending 22 games between FCL and Tampa, batting under the Mendoza line. However, his grit while on defense was what caught my attention. Riggio’s MLB comparison is frequently Dustin Pedroia, and between the lefty bat and that aforementioned grit, I totally see it. 2025 has been his best season yet, despite starting the year on the IL because of a wrist injury. Riggio has spent the bulk of the season in AA Somerset, where he batted .261/.335/.542/.877.

Shields was a teammate of Riggio’s in AA Somerset and was one of their more consistent starters. The lefty thrower held a 3 ERA throughout much of 2025, along with a 1.23 WHIP, and he’s roughly held the same kind of stats throughout his career. Shields was originally an undrafted free agent in 2021 out of UMass, as he is a Boston native. 

This trade can be graded an A, given Riggio will likely land a starting second-baseman role with the Rockies since he currently has no path considering the performance that Jazz Chisholm, Jr. has been producing in the Bronx. Shields is more minor league depth and may end up as a back-end starter or long reliever type.

The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired minor league outfielder Wilberson De Peña and international bonus pool money from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for INF Oswald Peraza.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone reading this knows very well who Peraza is, so let’s discuss the return in this trade.

The 18-year-old prospect played for the DSL Angels in both 2024 and 2025 with exceptionally consistent stats: 226/.340/.394/.734. De Peña hit his first professional home run, plus 3 more, this season as he appears to have discovered some pop in his bat, while reducing his walk rate. De Peña hit 6 doubles and a triple this year in addition to those 4 homers, compared to a double and a triple and no home runs last season. 

This trade can be graded as an A+ because Peraza truly had no home in the Bronx, as awful as that may be to write. He proved that he was more qualified than Volpe for the starting shortstop role in 2023, but they went with the kid from Jersey over the Venezuelan for reasons we may never know. Peraza may be more bench depth with Zach Neto at SS and Yoan Moncada at third, but that’s for the Angels to decide.

This is also a pretty cut-and-dry trade as no prospects were dealt.

This trade feels like an A+ in the respect that Pereira has the opportunity to play every day with the Rays and will be closer to home if he’s assigned to the big league club, and Caballero will be an upgrade over what they already have with Oswaldo being on the IL considering the utility and speed.

This trade was quite a haul, as one would expect, considering what Doval can potentially bring to the table. With the bullpen completely gassed, Doval can potentially be inserted in as set-up man, closer, etc. Truly however Aaron Boone sees fit.

Jesús Rodríguez and Trystan Vrieling were the headliners in this trade, and in my opinion, more the former than the latter. Rodríguez has become quite the utility player over the past few years with the Yankees, as he has developed into another Oswaldo Cabrera of sorts. Rodríguez can play every position on the diamond except for second base and pitcher, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he could end up in either spot in a pinch. In 78 games with AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Rodríguez slashed .317/.409/.430/.839 with 14 doubles, 3 triples and 5 home runs. 

Vrieling has had a number of struggles a bit lately in AA Somerset and his stats reflect that. Originally drafted as a 3rd round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, he missed all of 2023 due to injury, and made his professional debut in Double-A in 2024, throwing a 4.58 ERA. This season, he started the season late due to injury, but in Somerset, threw in 46 innings, recording a 4.50 ERA, an 8.22 K/9 and a 3.52 BB/9. There is definite potential, though, and especially of late, and hopefully the Giants can unlock it.

Parks Harber was a 2024 UDFA signing out of North Carolina, but has been one of the more impressive undrafted bats of his class. Harber was promoted at the end of April to High-A Hudson Valley after recording a .304/.422/.551/.973 slash in Tampa but has kept up that performance, hitting over .300 in HV. I mostly saw Harber play first base, but he’s listed as a third baseman in his MiLB profile, and has better stats at 1B (.992 fpct vs .943 fpct at 3B).

17-year-old left-handed pitcher Carlos de la Rosa spent the entire season in the Dominican Summer League, appearing in only 7 games and 22 innings of work. He recorded a 5.32 ERA and has never truly had a quality start with the DSL NYY Yankees, allowing at least 1 run with a handful of hits in an average of 3 IP. That said, he’s striking batters out at an insane rate of 14.73 K/9, with a remarkably low 2.05 BB/9. There’s definitely talent there, but he needs to control his pitches a teeny bit better to truly take advantage of that K/9 and BB/9.

This trade can be graded an A, considering the talent acquired and what was sent to the Giants in return. I think the true headlining prospect in this exchange was Rodríguez, with Harber being a close second. As noted previously, it’s difficult to project future potential in guys like Harber and de la Rosa, especially with the latter, because you don’t know how they will handle the more advanced levels as they progress through the respective team’s system.

Overall, Cashman did exceptionally well in this trade deadline. His work, and that of the scouting team and the player development team deserve kudos by Yankees fans and prospect fans alike. I think no one got “fleeced” too much, per se, and the Yankees didn’t give up any significant names like Jones, Lombard or Lagrange. This all deserves an A-.

What would have made it a little better was to secure players with a little more control and have the sending teams absorb the salary hit, like that of McMahon.

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Changes need to be made

This performance drought is starting to feel like 2023 all over again.

In June 2023, they played 23 games and went 11-12 (.478); this past June, they played 27 games and went 13-14 (.481).

The Yankees are very nearly playing like they did in 2023, the worst season they’d had since the early 90s. The only move the Yankees made at the trade deadline was that they acquired reliever Keynan Middleton for minor league pitching prospect Juan Carela. Nearly a month later, Middleton went on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation and would be out the rest of the season. However, Middleton did have a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 IP with the Yankees, but he hasn’t been in the Majors since and is currently a free agent.

With Boone saying that Clarke Schmidt is “likely” headed for UCL repair surgery (Tommy John surgery), the Yankees are reportedly calling up RHP Cam Schlittler to fill Schmidt’s place in the rotation. It’s possibly the best the rotation has looked in a little while.

It may be fair to say that the rotation, like a lot of the team, is in a shambles currently. Carlos Rodón looked awful in his latest start versus the Mets on Saturday afternoon, throwing in 5 innings, but allowed 7 runs (6 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks, including 2 homers. The bullpen is a mess currently, especially with the team not having a reliable reliever, including Luke Weaver, who has not looked the same since returning from the IL.

More and more fans on social media are starting to sound alarm bells on how the coaching staff (namely manager Aaron Boone), the players (namely Aaron Judge) and the front office have been deafeningly quiet regarding the recent performances on the field.

At this point, ownership needs to make some kind of move to make a statement to fans. Otherwise, the perception amongst fans will be that the team is placating fans for a cash grab. Fans are tired of the same nonsense and poor performance put up by this team from the past few seasons. “It’s right in front of us” isn’t good enough anymore.

Hypothetically speaking, what kind of moves are practical?

It doesn’t make sense to change the outfield. Overall, they’ve been the best performers compared to the rest of the team.

The infield could use a refresh, however. Including Saturday’s home run, Anthony Volpe is hitting 5-for-30 (.167/.194/.300/.494) in the past 7 games. The Yankees aren’t going to move him or demote him. That logic amongst fans needs to be dismissed. If anything, he needs to be sat for a few games to regroup, and in his place, either Oswald Peraza can play or they can call up Jorbit Vivas.

Regarding 2B/3B, the Yankees should move Jazz Chisholm over to his natural position (and where he wants to play), and they should call up Jesús Rodríguez from AAA. 3B isn’t Rodríguez’s natural position; that’s behind the plate. However, Rodríguez can still move well for a catcher, and plays 3B decently. More importantly, he may provide an offensive impact to the team that desperately needs it.

With that, what happens with DJ LeMahieu? His offensive performance of late has been solid, hitting 26-for-83 (.313/.380/.386/.766) in the last 30 games, but has only recorded 9 RBI in that span. LeMahieu should become the DH temporarily, interspersing Giancarlo Stanton at times (pinch hitter, etc.), considering Stanton has not been performing very well since returning from the IL. In 49 at-bats, Stanton has only recorded 11 hits for a slash of .224/.333/.306/.639 with 7 RBI.

As noted earlier, Weaver has not performed the same since returning from the injured list on June 20. Since then, he has a 13.50 ERA, allowing 8 earned runs on 8 hits in 5.1 IP. In the last 3 games, Weaver has a 32.40 ERA (7 runs, 6 earned on 5 hits, including 3 HR, plus 1 walk). Some say he should go back on the IL because possibly he didn’t recover properly. Maybe that’s true that he hadn’t, but an IL stint may not resolve his issues, unless he truly isn’t 100% recovered.

Most importantly, either Boone needs to put his foot down and manage strictly or the Yankees need to make a change. The favorite seems to be Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Shelley Duncan, although Ausmus can probably “pinch hit” temporarily until they find someone externally.

Fans are calling for Brian Cashman to go, but things would likely have to be catastrophic for Cashman to be released from his contract, especially if he was retained after the 2023 season. At the very least, changes need to be made, and quickly. There’s still time to recover from this slide, but if they continue to be stagnant, the hole may be too significant to get out of, and we will indeed see another repeat of 2023.

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The Yankees are an organizational disaster 

The Yankees are getting more and more frustrating to watch for the fan base to watch. With all due respect to the players, playing Jahmai Jones in the leadoff spot on Tuesday was ridiculous, and if we’re honest, J.D. Davis has no business being on this team, never mind have him start at first base and bat fifth in the order. Why can’t they bat Wells in the lead off spot as a lefty bat against the lefty pitcher, and play Rice, another lefty bat, at first base? In Tuesday’s 3-2 loss, the Yankees went 5-for-31, good for a .161 batting average. 

Both Jones and Davis struck out twice, going hitless in 3 at-bats each. The highlight of the game was a solo home run by Gleyber Torres. And with how that lineup was constructed, I’m kind of amazed that they got that much. 

The trouble is that with the Yankees putting out a passable squad, and the organization not always showing confidence in their prospects, it shows many of the prospects that no matter how much hard work you put in, the organization may not give you a proper shot at the next level, never mind the Major Leagues. 

There are so many prospects in recent memory that had their potential shot squandered while their stock solely dropped such as Deivi Garcia, Miguel Andujar, Estevan Florial, among others. Some thought it was a bad group of prospects and that the Yankees had changed the way they sought out players. 

Now we’re starting to see that with the next generation of talent, with all four full-season teams holding winning records right around or under the .500 mark. 

Between myriad injuries and prospect fatigue, so many of the top 30 names aren’t what we expected them to be this year. 

Injuries are unavoidable. I get that. But it seems like as the years go on, the quantity and duration of injuries have been increasing. A few years ago, an outfielder experiencing a ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) was rare. The Yankees have experienced two such injuries within a year (Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira). You’ll get your freak injuries like what INF Caleb Durbin has experienced; he was hit on the hand and has been out since early into the season. 

Are the injuries to blame for how teams are playing? They shouldn’t be. That applies from top to bottom. Look at the performance by the Yankees last year when Aaron Judge was out for much of the season. To say they limped through 2023 is kind. The roster construction in the Bronx overall is much better than what we saw last year. That somehow doesn’t equate to 1st place performance. 

If you’re like me and follow the farm system closely, you want the Yankees to promote and play homegrown kids. They promoted a bunch of names in 2023 and have started to in 2024 as well. But if they want to pursue Juan Soto and lock him in for a long-term contract, they need to do a few things. I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but the Steinbrenner family ownership needs to show that they want to put a competitive team on the field. Is this team capable of winning a championship? Absolutely. Does this team look like they’re capable of winning a championship right now? Absolutely not. 

With the potential of having a generational talent tied to one of the greatest franchises in sports, the Messi of baseball, you may say, the Yankees need to show they’re willing to do whatever they need to do to win a World Series. Inter Miami has not been a dominant team aside from Lionel Messi (he’s hurt currently, but that’s beside the point). Can you name another player on that team? I can’t without looking the roster up. Tying Juan Soto to the Yankees and Aaron Judge would not only bring in more merchandise dollars, but butts in seats. Tickets, concessions, parking, etc. The whole reason you’re running a team. The Yankees are big in the Caribbean countries, and having a Hispanic player they can identify with this year has been incredible for that fan base. 

But does all that mean they should pursue a trade ahead of the deadline in about a week? I’m the wrong person to ask who they should trade for. I can tell you that salaries like DJ LeMahieu ($15M) are hurting the Yankees given their current performance. In his last 30 games, LeMahieu is hitting 8-for-44 (.182) with 3 RBI. Compare that to Oswaldo Cabrera, who’s hitting 17-for-65 (.262) with 8 RBI. Is that a whole lot better? Not really. But the dollars make sense there, and Cabrera has been performing much better of late. 

I would like to see a package of LeMahieu with a few prospects for a relief pitcher. I have seen a few suggestions in moving Gleyber Torres. While the contract is a little pricey currently, his performance has been getting better lately. Torres is hitting .320 (8-for-25) in the last 7 games with 2 HR and 3 RBI, and .255 in the last 15 games with 5 RBI. If the Yankees were to lean on the farm system, Jorbit Vivas might be my go-to, but he was recently called up and never saw any time in a game. He just sat on a bench. Why call anyone up then? 

With the hesitation of moving guys around to accommodate 40-man roster restrictions, Peraza currently makes the most sense. He’s hitting .276 in the month of July and at this point, anything is better than what LeMahieu is putting on the field. The Yankees are on the hook through 2026 (so another 2+ seasons of $15M/year), and he has a limited no trade clause (via Spotrac). 

I don’t understand the hesitancy towards promoting prospects. It shows others in the lower levels that this is what you work for. 

Is all of this a front office issue? Absolutely. Is Boone as manager complicit? I’m not entirely sure. Boone is the day-to-day face of the front office, if you will. The Yankees’ PR fall guy. Brian Cashman will speak to the media on occasion, and I’ve seen him from afar at the Yankees Player Development Complex in Tampa in rare instances, but he doesn’t face the media when the Yankees have a very disappointing loss… of which they’ve had too many this year. Boone is, at the very least, stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

I think the main problem is that while Boone can show frustration at reporters (who are just as frustrated, by the way), if there are “butts in seats” as I alluded to before, the Yankees FO will put out an over .500 team. 

48,760 were in attendance Wednesday night for the second of the Subway Series games. 47,453 on Tuesday night. Assuming the average attendance is around 40,000, and the average ticket cost is $40, you’re taking in $1.6M/game, or about $129.6M/year. Now I realize that even if people didn’t show up to the extent of what we’re seeing in Oakland, we would still see more fans in the Bronx than what they’re seeing in Oakland. They’re two totally different markets.  

But the point is that fans need to hurt the Yankees ownership in the wallet. Stop buying merchandise. Stop buying concessions at the stadium (supporting the small businesses outside the stadium is always a good idea anyway). Stop going to Yankees games. 

If a manufacturer made a poor-quality product, people wouldn’t buy it. The same needs to be applied here. The Yankees are producing a poor-quality product and aren’t looking to make things better by calling up minor leaguers. The front office may say “it’s not that easy”, and it may not be. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that fans aren’t aware of. 

But the “on-stage” product hasn’t been quality of late. The Yankees are 60-44 as of today, 52-29 a month ago (June 25) and 37-17 two months ago (May 25). That’s a 23-27 (.460) record in the past two months, and is how the Mets had performed up until May 25th. 

At least Boone is acknowledging how poor they’ve been playing. “We’ve gotta play better, ‘kay? We have it right in front of us, we’re a really good team that has played shitty of late. We need to be better”, Boone was quoted saying during Wednesday night’s press conference. 

The question leading up to the trade deadline next week is: what will the Yankees front office do to make this team better?