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00:00:00It's a drive by Derry Dawson, Charles Chisholm goes deep.
00:00:09Hello, welcome to the Pinchstripe Post. My name is Ryan Sampson, but he's the star of the show, Joel Sherman.
00:00:13Today is Tuesday, October 13th. Joel, since the last time we spoke with you, nothing's really happened with the Yankees.
00:00:19But we've still got plenty to talk about because the offseason is here for the Yanks as the ALCS has
00:00:25kicked off.
00:00:26The Guardians get that win last night in game one. I'm sure that's a little bit sour for the Yankees
00:00:31to watch as the Guardians are actually able to get hits against the Rasmussen.
00:00:35But listen, man, there's a lot to discuss when it comes to this team for the Yanks and where they're
00:00:41going this offseason.
00:00:43A lot was highlighted about Aaron Boone Boone's future. We still will see what happens there.
00:00:47But I'm excited to get into it with you here. But before we get to any of it, how you
00:00:52doing, buddy?
00:00:53Yeah, good. The three Division Series games have been really great to watch, compelling.
00:01:03And I wonder if this is worthwhile to – I don't mean you – we never pre-talk our show.
00:01:09We just kind of go wherever Ryan Sampson, Yankee fan, wants me to go.
00:01:13But can I just suggest something big picture we need to think about?
00:01:17Because I understand. So I understand fan anger towards the Yankees.
00:01:22And if you've read any of my copy, if you've seen any of these videos or me on MLB Network,
00:01:28I certainly have not been kind to the Yankees.
00:01:30I think that they are in this situation.
00:01:33But two things stand out for me, which is like they're very much the old Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Braves.
00:01:39They're good enough to get to this time of year and get their ass kicked for getting to this time
00:01:43of year.
00:01:44And there's a lot of teams like what would the Mets do for the Yankees' last 35 years or even
00:01:48say the last – since 2010 where they haven't won a World Series.
00:01:53But like they're relevant every year and they're good. That's one thing.
00:01:55The other thing is I wonder if people are watching the postseason and noticing like in the division series, the
00:02:03batting average for every team in the sport was under 200.
00:02:07I mean it's just so hard to – are you watching guys throw – you know, Edgardo Enriquez comes in
00:02:14from the Dodger bullpen.
00:02:15He's throwing 102 with 96-mile-an-hour cutters and it's like it's hard to hit.
00:02:21But, oh, you know, the Brewers, they're the technical team that plays well.
00:02:25Like they almost errored themselves out of a game yesterday.
00:02:30You know, they got a guy picked off in the first game.
00:02:32And by the way, you can make a case they've won the two games because they got a left-on
00:02:35-left homer from Bryce Terang against Skubal and a big homer from Wilson Contreras.
00:02:41The Dodgers, you know, who are – obviously everyone's chasing.
00:02:44If they don't hit the ball over the fence, they don't score runs.
00:02:48The Rays with runners in scoring – it got lost against the Yankees.
00:02:52The Rays with runners in scoring position were terrible against the Yankees.
00:02:55They've been – they're just not hitting well.
00:02:58You know, and it continued into game one.
00:03:00I just – I understand it's beat up the Yankees' time and I'm here for it.
00:03:06I've done a fair share of it over the last week or so.
00:03:10But I just think it's easy to kind of like bake in on the Yankees and ignore that most teams
00:03:18– only one team stands at the end of this.
00:03:20And most teams have very similar issues, including the ones you think always play clean and don't rely on homers.
00:03:28It's like the Guardians hit homers.
00:03:30They're like the least homer-hitting team in the sport.
00:03:33They hit homers against the Rays in game one and one.
00:03:35If you don't put the ball over the fence at this time of year, the numbers just show you will
00:03:40not win.
00:03:41And so, you know, before everyone puts Bunt and his friend, you know, punch on the Yankees to play a
00:03:49different style, remember, it's hard to score and you better hit the ball over the fence.
00:03:54I agree with you, Joel, but I also think there's an element to the Dodgers are always in it, right?
00:04:04Like they've built themselves into that position.
00:04:06The Rays, while they're on a great run, they have been a team that feels like no matter what their
00:04:13payroll is, they're competing their butts off.
00:04:16Like they have a chance – not a chance in the World Series, but like they're right there.
00:04:20It feels like they're always there in terms of competing –
00:04:23But not the last two years.
00:04:24And if you think about it, it's like last year the Rays were Toronto, right?
00:04:29Like Toronto won the 94 games.
00:04:31Look, this is all going to come across as apologetic to the Yankees, and I don't mean it to be
00:04:35that.
00:04:35I think the Yankees have to do things about thinking about tough-minded players.
00:04:40I think that they wilted this time of year consistently, that they don't have a punchback.
00:04:46So I don't want this to be misinterpreted as, hey, everything's great in Yankee land, and one of these years
00:04:54they'll get it right.
00:04:57Just think that – take a deep breath and watch what's going on.
00:05:01The Rays weren't very good the last couple of years.
00:05:03They're good this year.
00:05:04Will they be good next year?
00:05:05I think at this time last year we would have said Toronto was going to be good this year.
00:05:08I think they finished last in the AL East this year.
00:05:12You know, the team that's consistent in the American League is the Yankees.
00:05:16They get there all the time.
00:05:17And the question is, is there a missing ingredient?
00:05:21And this is really where we are now, right?
00:05:24Because the Yankees have to think about 2027 and ahead.
00:05:28Is there something that they're missing that allows them to get to this moment and not win the requisite amount
00:05:36of rounds and games to get through?
00:05:38Because I do think the tough work is getting here every year, and they are really good at that work.
00:05:46And you don't want to kind of like destroy the boat that gets you here in an attempt to kind
00:05:55of like get the yacht that gets you the rest of the way.
00:05:57Terrible analogy.
00:05:58Sorry about that.
00:05:59But like, like, I just think you could get lost in it because I understand the fans are so mad
00:06:05right now.
00:06:07And again, I want to be careful here because I'm like, this is disappointing.
00:06:12And I've been highly critical of the group.
00:06:16It's it's mental toughness, its ability to perform at the biggest moments.
00:06:20Can you acquire that in the marketplace if you change managers, if you change staff, if you change leadership, like,
00:06:31I think that we're talking about finer points here.
00:06:35Then blow it up, because I do think the tough thing is to get here, like, and be this good
00:06:42and give yourself this many shots at the brass ring after the 162 games.
00:06:49You know, that being said, I'm not positive what what that thing is.
00:06:56It could be change the manager.
00:06:59It could be change the GM.
00:07:01He'll bring in different kind of players.
00:07:02It could be change the coaching staff.
00:07:04It could be, hey, is there another voice, a stronger?
00:07:08I look, I think one of the Yankee problems is they never really adequately replaced Brett Gardner and CeCe Sabathia
00:07:15in their clubhouse.
00:07:17I do think a little fear goes a long way.
00:07:20And for me, a little fear includes, hey, Brett Gardner and CeCe Sabathia might get up on you.
00:07:28And if that's happening with the Yankees, if I'm not really sure it is, I don't think it's happening in
00:07:34quite the confrontational way.
00:07:35And I think one of the ways that, and this is the real world, so I want to be, this
00:07:41is a very broad analogy, right, is, you know, Marine training is tougher than the missions.
00:07:49You know, they're trying to make it so that when you get to the mission, to the postseason of their
00:07:55thing, that you're so toughened by basic training and everything that it takes to go through it, that this is
00:08:03in some way the mission becomes rote, easier.
00:08:06I continue to wonder, do the Yankees need a mind shift of, just make it tougher on these guys?
00:08:14Like, I've always believed the Yankees are an incredibly first-class organization.
00:08:18Don't ask me.
00:08:20Ask anybody who's played for them.
00:08:22Ask about how they travel, how spouses and families are treated, the kind of accommodations they stay at, the kind
00:08:31of equipment that just shows up when you need it.
00:08:33And I always feel like you need to say to your group of players, this is all yours if you're
00:08:39a Yankee.
00:08:40Here's the things you've got to do in exchange for it.
00:08:43You've got to play hard.
00:08:44You've got to play smart.
00:08:45You've got to be on time.
00:08:46You've got to treat teammates well.
00:08:48Right?
00:08:49Like, if you do that, and I think that there's a lot of guys who have defied the hard and
00:08:53smart part of this and are just living on the lily pad and haven't been taken enough to task,
00:08:59which is either, like, pulled from lineups, pulled from mid-games, moved from the roster, just where it's like, I
00:09:07get it.
00:09:07You're really talented.
00:09:08I can't have you around anymore because when the game gets tough, like, and that's October, we are not holding
00:09:15up to it.
00:09:16We are never performing our best at that time of year.
00:09:20And I think that is – I'm here to, like, talk about every position with you, Ryan, over as many
00:09:25shows as you want.
00:09:26I feel like that needs to be acquired.
00:09:29And that's hard to acquire, right, unless you do some deep research on these players and what they're talking to
00:09:36GMs and managers.
00:09:37What was this guy like in the clubhouse?
00:09:38Like, how did he handle that situation?
00:09:40Like, how did he handle – you know, like, that's some real research it takes to get into these guys'
00:09:45mindsets.
00:09:45Can I throw in one thing?
00:09:47It's like – but also, once you know you don't have it in a player, you've got to get that
00:09:51guy out the door.
00:09:52Like, if you make a mistake, don't get seduced into – but they're talented.
00:09:56Like, yeah, they're talented, but you're the Yankees.
00:09:59You don't have to win the talent game just from April 1st through September 30th.
00:10:05It's the go-and-get-tough guys.
00:10:07And I think I mentioned this on the show last week, Ryan.
00:10:11And I think it bears repeating, which is the Yankees, when they were a dynasty 30 years ago, they had
00:10:18two things happen that I'm not sure can happen again.
00:10:22Number one, they had five internal guys show up who were great.
00:10:27Like, it's just – like, nobody – you can't say, well, the Yankee farm system isn't – nobody's farm system
00:10:31is producing that.
00:10:32What they produced at one time, the core four plus Bernie Williams, that's 20% of your roster.
00:10:38They're all either in the Hall of Fame or pretty damn good arguments for the Hall of Fame.
00:10:43They all had long careers.
00:10:45And by the way, they were all kind of fully formed, except for maybe Posada from day one.
00:10:50Like, Pettit was Pettit on in 1995 and 96.
00:10:54Jeter was the rookie of the year.
00:10:56Rivera was the best relief pitcher in baseball in 96, his first full season.
00:11:00You know, like, they were superb players from the thing.
00:11:05The other thing is Jeter and Rivera were just so tough mentally, and I just think it was there –
00:11:14those were the guys to kind of bring it.
00:11:18And the question is, Ryan, you know, like, we work at a big organization.
00:11:22If we had a taskmaster, would that – like, if you have an unmotivated worker, does a taskmaster get them
00:11:30motivated?
00:11:31I don't think so.
00:11:32I think that you get them fake motivated, that they're good for the week when they're being watched, and then
00:11:37they go back to being who they are.
00:11:39If you don't take it seriously, if you don't care about your employment, you know, if it's like, what time
00:11:44are we drinking tonight?
00:11:46Like, if that's the goal, is it Italian or Chinese?
00:11:48What are we eating?
00:11:50Like, that's it.
00:11:51So I do think it's incumbent.
00:11:55Leadership is important, and I think you can't give up on leadership.
00:11:59But, like, who walks into your room?
00:12:02And if you make a mistake about who walks into your room – can I tangent one more time?
00:12:08I'm sorry I'm here.
00:12:11So when Buck Showalter became the manager of the Yankees in 92 – Yankees, terrible team, late 80s and early
00:12:1790s – and Buck Showalter and Stick Michael, rightfully, and people like Bill Livesey and Brian Sabian, who ran their
00:12:23minor league system, you know, draft and minor league system, get a lot of credit.
00:12:28And I realized something when Buck took over that was very important.
00:12:31I watched how he handled that first year, and I was like, oh, he isn't doing addition.
00:12:37He's doing fumigation.
00:12:39He was figuring out who the losers were, who the guys he couldn't win with, who were the guys he
00:12:44couldn't stand to see walk in the room because they did not care about the scoreboard.
00:12:47They didn't care about their teammates.
00:12:49They didn't care about maximizing their potential, et cetera.
00:12:52And the first act of a dynasty was not addition.
00:12:57It was fumigation.
00:12:59And you could go back without me naming names here and just look at who quickly went off the Stick
00:13:06Michael, Buck Showalter, 92-93 team, what kind of player they started to bring in from the outside about serious
00:13:13-mindedness, guys who might not have even made it to the dynasty, the Mike Gallegos, the Mike Stanleys, the Spikoff,
00:13:20guys who they knew were serious of purpose, Steve Farr, players like that.
00:13:24And they helped form a fabric that would help the group.
00:13:31And I just think you have to say, we're the Yankees.
00:13:34You got to become the Yankees again.
00:13:37There's got to be something special about playing in your ballpark and playing for this team.
00:13:43They are the brand of brands in the sport.
00:13:46And you've got to make it special by making it the Marines and only the best get into your clubhouse.
00:13:53And I'm not just talking talent-wise.
00:13:56It's well said, Joel.
00:13:57And I think that cultural part of this clubhouse that feels, I don't know, is it like you mentioned toxic
00:14:05positivity last week, which I think was a great way to describe it.
00:14:08And I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe the clubhouse that way.
00:14:12And since then-
00:14:13Because toxic positivity leads to unreality, right?
00:14:16And you're not being-
00:14:16Like, if you're in the Yankee clubhouse after a while, you could be like, oh, this is a fairy tale.
00:14:21It doesn't even really exist.
00:14:23Can I ask you a question about this?
00:14:25Some of the toxic positivity.
00:14:26We hear the-
00:14:27And I know you have certain opinions about how the manager handles the media.
00:14:31And they're getting asked questions three times a day by different people, and it gets really monotonous.
00:14:37But for what all the intents and purposes of Boone after the game, when you or someone else questions, hey,
00:14:44this player's really going through it right now.
00:14:47And he always goes, well, we have different statistics, and we believe that this guy's really, really good.
00:14:52But my eyes and your eyes are telling us the reality of, no, Austin Wells was a really bad catcher
00:14:58in the first half.
00:14:59He was not good.
00:14:59But Jazz Chisholm looks like he is not cleaned up the defense at second base.
00:15:07Anthony Volpe does not look like a good shortstop.
00:15:09But you keep telling us that we're wrong and that we're not seeing-
00:15:13Is that toxic positivity leaking into the clubhouse itself, and he's not being as real in front of those players
00:15:21by giving them critique about their performance?
00:15:23Yeah, I will say this is the NLCS is being managed by two men who create a little fear in
00:15:34their base by their willingness to take on reality.
00:15:40There's a story by my friend in The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal, that they're having a conversation about not playing Shohei
00:15:46Otani in game three.
00:15:49Do you think that conversation—look at what the gymnastics they did to not deal with the reality of what was
00:15:55going on with Aaron Judge because they don't want to upset Judge.
00:15:58Look, let me say something big picture that I think speaks poorly of the institution of Major League Baseball.
00:16:05I think speaks poorly to the Yankees, etc.
00:16:11If Patrick Mahomes was not going to play in a playoff game, then when there was the large press conferences,
00:16:20his ass would have been in a chair at a podium talking about it.
00:16:26If LeBron James was not playing in a playoff game, his ass would be in a chair at a podium
00:16:34and doing it.
00:16:36The Yankees kept feeding us Elio Ramos, who cares?
00:16:40Luis Garcia, whatever.
00:16:42Paul Blackburn, okay.
00:16:45Like, where was Judge?
00:16:47And when I would ask, how is Judge not sitting in that chair?
00:16:51There's two stars who loom over the game bigger than anyone else, Otani and Judge.
00:16:57Right?
00:16:58This is not a national sport the way it once was.
00:17:01There are two players who are national.
00:17:03One is Judge.
00:17:04Major League Baseball, it's like they're afraid of the Yankees.
00:17:08The Yankees are this entity unto themselves.
00:17:10Oh, we can't.
00:17:11The Yankees are nasty.
00:17:13Like, go ask, like, anybody who does national broadcast who comes in to deal with the Yankees about, like, what
00:17:20their access is to the people, the clock, how much they could talk to them, as opposed to dealing with
00:17:27every other team in the sport.
00:17:31Like, this is part of it.
00:17:33You've created this incubation, this unreality, this we are the Beatles and nobody gets inside the Beatles world.
00:17:42All right.
00:17:43What's the result?
00:17:45Has it made you tough for the playoffs?
00:17:47I'd say the opposite.
00:17:49I say by living in this unrealistic world, like, that defies Major League Baseball, which doesn't have then the ability
00:17:57to say, we're Major League Baseball.
00:17:58His ass is in the chair.
00:18:00The Yankees, nobody to go up to him and say, ass in the chair.
00:18:04What's your status?
00:18:05What's really going on here?
00:18:07Like, that, I know, the thing I always say to everyone, Ryan, so that it doesn't come across as completely
00:18:16selfish, is I know why it would be good for my business if Aaron Judge was in that chair.
00:18:22Tell me how it's good for your business that he's not.
00:18:27Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, I want to stick with that.
00:18:29Tell me why, like, it's certainly not good for Major League Baseball.
00:18:33And I would argue it's not good for the Yankees.
00:18:36Aaron Boone is trying to manage a team.
00:18:38He's working on eggshells.
00:18:40Yeah.
00:18:40Have the players sit up there.
00:18:42It was weird, Joel.
00:18:43You're dealing in this crazy, like, through-the-looking-glass world of trying to protect, like, this isn't nuclear code.
00:18:53What kind of calf injury do you have?
00:18:55Yeah.
00:18:56It felt so weird.
00:18:57You're the biggest star in New York.
00:18:59You're a huge, you're a huge baseball player to time with.
00:19:02There's not huge national baseball players.
00:19:04And I think that that is an example.
00:19:06Now, of course, it's the extreme example because he's the captain.
00:19:08He's the best player.
00:19:10And he's a star.
00:19:10I mean, it clearly had an impact on the team.
00:19:13I mean, you're losing your best hitter.
00:19:14Right.
00:19:15But I also think it has an impact on the team when you're like, how do we talk about it?
00:19:20What do you, who gives up?
00:19:22Like, he's got a grade two calf strain.
00:19:24Historically, that keeps you out at least a month.
00:19:26We're trying to speed it up.
00:19:28We'll see if we could speed it up.
00:19:29But if he can't run full speed, he can't be on the roster.
00:19:33Period.
00:19:33Paragraph.
00:19:34We could have ended it in two sentences at a press conference.
00:19:37Instead, it lingers.
00:19:39It hovers over a team that is not tough mentally.
00:19:43Why are you not dealing with all of it?
00:19:46And I just think it's because it's judge, it's the one.
00:19:51But I'm telling you, this is symptomatic of a team living in unreality.
00:19:56Of and that can be inquired internally about establishing that we're going to live in the real world.
00:20:05Pat Murphy did an interview from the dugout yesterday and talked about why did his pitcher throw to first base
00:20:12like that with a non-base stealer on the base and throw the ball away?
00:20:16You know what it was?
00:20:18Reality.
00:20:19He's asking his players to live in it.
00:20:24But I think in this market, they think this marketplace and this brand demands more bubble wrap.
00:20:33And I would suggest it demands a little less because you need to be tougher come October.
00:20:41Nobody could tell me.
00:20:43I could say it's tough to hit this time of year.
00:20:45I could say the pressure's on and even making a routine play is tougher.
00:20:52All that is the reality of October.
00:20:55But like, I just feel like are we, if I were in charge, if I was standing in front of
00:21:03Hal Steinbrenner, if I were advising Brian Cashman and or Aaron Boone, I would be like, yes, what I'm suggesting
00:21:10is good for Joel Sherman's business.
00:21:12Sorry for the third person.
00:21:13It is good for my business.
00:21:15But I actually think it's good for your business.
00:21:17I think it's good for the business of taking stuff off the table that is distracting, that is hovering, and
00:21:26like, let's just talk about things in reality.
00:21:29Like, and by the way, if you're watching Anthony Volpe play shortstop and you keep saying, no, he's elite, he's
00:21:39elite, then you do have the wrong manager.
00:21:42Like, if we're, like, like, like, like, if you're not just covering for it, you know, where you're like, hey,
00:21:48publicly, I'm always going to have your back.
00:21:49But privately, if I don't say, hey, Jazz, you have not been in the right place on a month play
00:21:55for three years.
00:21:57Like, what is going on here?
00:21:59I'm pulling you from the game.
00:22:01I'm benching you for a week.
00:22:03What can I, now the answer might be, you can never get a player who is not concentrating 100%
00:22:08of the time to concentrate 100% of the time.
00:22:10That's Brian Cashman's fault.
00:22:12Should have never acquired him.
00:22:14First sign that this is the kind of guy who will cost you as many as he wins you.
00:22:18Got to be out of the room.
00:22:19100%.
00:22:20You know, but like, all of that has to be about dealing with reality.
00:22:24And certainly, get your head out of the numbers of, well, look at him compared to others.
00:22:32No, we're actually playing a real nine inning game.
00:22:36If we were doing plus minus, how does plus minus look with this player?
00:22:41I just, it's fascinating how they've gotten to themselves in this standpoint.
00:22:47And I wonder if there's this gaslighting of themselves and like where they think they, I mean, look, there's no
00:22:53doubt.
00:22:54You're right.
00:22:55Biggest brand in baseball, the name, the hat, the symbol, everything.
00:23:00They are the premier franchise when it comes to everything in baseball.
00:23:04So you have every reason to gloat about yourself and be proud of yourself and puff your chest out.
00:23:09But when the reality smacks you in the face like it has now four straight post seasons and you exit
00:23:14the same way and it's on your home turf and teams are celebrating in front of you and gloating and
00:23:21playing your songs in your clubhouse.
00:23:22Because it's a joke, Joel.
00:23:24And as fans, we look at it.
00:23:26I get it.
00:23:27This is the moment where we use terms like, I mean, they're good enough to get here and they're being
00:23:33beaten by teams that I can't argue are more talented than them.
00:23:38So I would look at everybody in the room and go, why are teams that are equally talented to us?
00:23:46Like at some point you say there is a crapshoot element to it.
00:23:49Like nothing was more crapshoot-y, right, than the game that eliminates them.
00:23:54The Ryan Valade hits a homer that's a homer in one of 30 stadiums and eludes Spencer Jones' glove into
00:24:04like the first row in the short porch by what?
00:24:06Three, four inches.
00:24:08Anthony Volpe hits a homer in about 15 ballparks that a fan touches and turns into – would have been
00:24:16a tying homer.
00:24:17And like – so there is like in any – the smaller the quantity of games, the more random the
00:24:25potential results are.
00:24:27Like I think that if we had them on truth serum, I think the Rays people would probably say, well,
00:24:33we would have rather – like they were like, oh, you know, it's not fair that they have to play
00:24:37the Yankees in this round instead of next round because they've been the two best teams.
00:24:40I think the Rays people would say we'd rather play them in a five-game series than a seven-game
00:24:45series because if you think that they're better than us, then randomness works to our advantage in a shorter series.
00:24:51Cool. Like the Rays are really talented and maybe as talented as the Yankees.
00:24:56I'm not sure that's true, one to 26, but let's say they're as talented.
00:25:02We are having the conversation every year.
00:25:04At some point, the crapshootiness of it wears away when it's year after year and it's we're as talented or
00:25:12more talented than you.
00:25:13We're as talented or more talented.
00:25:15We're not that less talented than you, Houston.
00:25:17Why are we being swept?
00:25:19We're not less talented than – that much talented than you, Dodgers.
00:25:22Why are we losing in a gentleman's sweep in five games?
00:25:25Like – and that's why I am fixating on what's hard to put on a piece of graph paper and
00:25:34is a little bit like you know it when you see it.
00:25:37Like the sense of purpose of the dynasty Yankees matched their talent.
00:25:51And – but let's even be fair about that, right?
00:25:55Jeter won one championship in his last 14 seasons.
00:26:00Rivera won one in his last 13.
00:26:04A-Rod won one of – what was it, 12 of 13, he was here.
00:26:08And in many of those years, they were as talented as anybody and maybe more so.
00:26:14And it is tough to win at this time of year.
00:26:16And it was Jeter.
00:26:17It was Rivera.
00:26:18It is a reminder it is very, very tough to win.
00:26:21Like Jeter and Rivera have the four championships early and then the fifth, right?
00:26:28But like the four championships kind of protect them from the fact like, huh, that was a pretty long desert
00:26:34with one championship that ended your career.
00:26:37It's a little tougher than maybe it sounds on Fox.
00:26:40They went – they went a couple times back to the World Series, but they couldn't finish in the early
00:26:442000s as well after they won the original four.
00:26:47So that's why – you know, like – but even after that –
00:26:49And had like the most embarrassing – like we're talking about embarrassing.
00:26:52The most embarrassing loss in Yankee history is being up 3-0 on the Red Sox with all the historical
00:26:58implications and still being the only team that blew a three-game-to-none lead.
00:27:02That was all dynasty guys plus A-Rod.
00:27:05Yeah.
00:27:06You know, and they really did blow that.
00:27:10Now, they're inoculated because of what happened in the first five years of their career and ultimately what happened in
00:27:162009.
00:27:17But like all of those guys went incredibly long periods winning one championship.
00:27:23They are harder to win.
00:27:26You know, like there's other big – the Phillies are a huge market team.
00:27:29They're really trying.
00:27:30They've won two in their history.
00:27:31The Cubs have won one in 100 and whatever years since 1908.
00:27:36Do the math.
00:27:37It's at 118 now.
00:27:39You know, the Dodgers went from 88 to 2020 without winning and like have come incredibly close to not winning
00:27:47these three.
00:27:48You know, it is what it is.
00:27:51But I think it's really tough to win these things.
00:27:55Having said that, if you keep getting eliminated in what feels like a repetitive way that I think includes that
00:28:03you just did not stand up and fight well when things began to go wrong in October,
00:28:09I would check the institution as much as I would check who can we get to play third base.
00:28:16Well, from that standpoint, let's dive into this roster.
00:28:19Let's talk about who's going to play third base.
00:28:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:28:22But before we get into the actual roster itself, I do want to highlight before we get into this,
00:28:27Joel is doing a special pinstripe post series for us on Sports Plus and for our YouTube channel highlighting each
00:28:34one of these positions that the Yankees are going to go through and figure out how to analyze.
00:28:39Where are they going to be with those positions?
00:28:40Do they make additions?
00:28:41Do they make subtractions?
00:28:43I just want to hear more about like what this series is, Joel, and where people can find out more
00:28:48about it.
00:28:49Yeah, thanks, Ryan.
00:28:50So on Sunday, I was just to I love taking long walks to clear my head.
00:28:56And it's a place I oftentimes like write a column in my head.
00:29:00It makes it actually easier to write the column.
00:29:03And I was thinking, you know, there's this unique moment that I have.
00:29:06We're not covering the LCS because the Yankees or Mets aren't in it.
00:29:13It's about seven to ten days.
00:29:14We certainly wanted still content.
00:29:17And I sensed from a lot of this, Brian, having to do that.
00:29:20The fact that I do this show with you and Juro is very kind about saying, hey, like the numbers
00:29:26are going up.
00:29:27The numbers are going up.
00:29:28Like people care about this content.
00:29:29And I said, OK, like like let's make sure we are honoring the people who are nice enough to care
00:29:35and follow us.
00:29:38And I was like, what can be done?
00:29:39And I had already done the one big piece I do annually.
00:29:42As soon as the Mets and Yankees are eliminated, I play GM and say, what would I prioritize?
00:29:47And then I said, you know, the Yankees have enough issues that I wonder what would happen if I went
00:29:52position by position a little bit and said, let me play either GM or I'm sitting next to Brian Cashman
00:29:59and Hal Steinbrenner and saying, hey, I would at least think of it this way.
00:30:03And so I think we're going to do seven or eight of these over the course of the period.
00:30:10The first one went up on Monday afternoon online in Tuesdays.
00:30:15Anyone still buy a print newspaper?
00:30:17Please do.
00:30:18It helps us all in the print copy of the post.
00:30:20And it will be every day now until I get to the end.
00:30:23It was catcher about how the Yankees should handle that.
00:30:27Before we jumped on here, I was finishing up my first base for tomorrow.
00:30:33So if you'd like to read all my dandy stuff, though, again, maybe we'll get to some of this here.
00:30:39But I'm literally like I want you to get the big piece because of space restrictions in an actual physical
00:30:45newspaper forces me to do shorthand stuff to say, hey, they need a right hand hitter.
00:30:50Here's an example.
00:30:52Going position by position, I could say here's five examples of the kind of guy out there.
00:30:58Like I'll give you like how granular I want to get.
00:31:02So I'm finishing up the first base stuff.
00:31:05And I was looking for say they decided they needed a right hand hitting first baseman and Paul Goldschmidt wasn't
00:31:14coming back.
00:31:15And Ty France is going to get like the Ryan O'Hearn contract, which is like 16, 17 million dollars
00:31:20a year.
00:31:21And he wants to be a full time player and not mix it with Rice and Garcia, et cetera.
00:31:26What kind of first baseman is there?
00:31:28And so I called a couple of scouts and did some digging and stuff.
00:31:33And like there's a player named Ildemoro Vargas, who's a free agent.
00:31:38He played with the Diamondbacks last year.
00:31:40He hit lefties great.
00:31:42He's kind of like a better Rosario.
00:31:45He hit lefties great, but he's actually a good defender, especially at especially at first base.
00:31:49So I was like, hey, if your budget is two to five million for this, which it was last year
00:31:56for either Rosario or Goldschmidt, is it this kind of player who might be able to do it?
00:32:04And then the fringe benefit is he also gives you another, depending on, let's assume Caballero and Volpe are back
00:32:11next year.
00:32:12It gives you another chess piece that you can move around.
00:32:14He plays everywhere, but he's just better defensively than Rosario without his longer track record of hitting lefty pitching.
00:32:22It was really good this year, but it wasn't in a minor amount.
00:32:25He had over 170 plate appearances against lefties.
00:32:28So this is what I'm trying to do this week is say, like, here's door number one.
00:32:33Like if the Yankees say, screw it, let's spend money in this area.
00:32:36Here's door number two, trades, free agents.
00:32:39And by the way, if they got to do this on a shoestring, how can they do it?
00:32:43And a series allows me to get more specific granular and look for and really, really play as best as
00:32:51I can sitting here without all the accoutrements that go on.
00:32:56Like if I were in a front office and you said to me, hey, we got to solve this for
00:33:00$3 million, I would be able to say, okay, I'm going to school on this.
00:33:06And here's a name I came up with for it.
00:33:09Well, Joel, I think from that standpoint, and I am excited to see these every single day, and you guys
00:33:14should be as well.
00:33:15Joel, go to YouTube, our New York Post Sports YouTube channel.
00:33:18Joel, I'll have a video to accompany the post sports plus piece that's coming out every single day for these
00:33:24positions.
00:33:25A lot of research and a lot of, like you said, background that you're going into for each one of
00:33:29these positions.
00:33:30I think from a general standpoint for this Yankees roster, hitting really, like, I don't know.
00:33:36It's tough for me to say, Joel, they need a bunch of at-bats.
00:33:39They need a bunch of bats to get in this lineup because they did get two guys at the trade
00:33:44deadline in Ramos and Garcia to be those platoon situation bats for them.
00:33:49They have a lot of pop in their bats there.
00:33:51You love what you saw for Ben Rice last year.
00:33:54Aaron Judge, you're expecting to come back fully healthy from that calf injury.
00:33:58I'm curious, though, for you, is that the number one thing you think they should be addressing this offseason is
00:34:04getting more help at the lineup?
00:34:06And if they are going to help the lineup, where are those spots in the lineup you think they're going
00:34:12to be addressing the most?
00:34:13Yeah, so let's deal with a big picture thing.
00:34:17They're set up to attack an offseason better than most teams because they have, like, seven veteran starting pitchers.
00:34:24Most teams would be very comfortable having in their rotation, and many of them would pitch towards the top of
00:34:30the rotation.
00:34:30And if you're not looking for starting pitching in a marketplace, you are so far ahead of many people.
00:34:36Plus, you know, you've got Judge, you've got Rice, you've got Bellinger.
00:34:40You potentially, depending on how you view Garcia as either, you know, a piece you want to keep, he might.
00:34:47Let's discuss if you want to use him for something else maybe along the way.
00:34:52But, like, you have some entrenched up.
00:34:55I think they have a shortstop, which is important also.
00:34:58I think Judge, George Lombard Jr., I think there were times at 21, New York, ultimately the playoffs, where he
00:35:06got sped up in this two, two and a half, whatever this period of time was, indoctrination.
00:35:13But I think the big picture look on him is the Yankees have a player in the Venn diagram and
00:35:18Jeremy Pena.
00:35:20And that's a hell of a shortstop.
00:35:22And you have it at minimum wage for whatever minimum wage will be at the end of a new CBA.
00:35:28You know, Ben Rice is still another year of close to minimum wage.
00:35:33Cam Schlittler is still close to, you know, you have some real tent poles and advantages moving forward.
00:35:41I think if you watch how the Brewers are playing right now, you've got to make sure the end of
00:35:47your bullpen is locked down as possible.
00:35:50And I'm not exactly sure how you do that.
00:35:53I think, like, if you look at how the Brewers did it, it was like a small trade for McGill,
00:35:59Abner Uribe out of no place in their minor league system.
00:36:04Ashby being a failed starter who they gave an actual long-term contract to.
00:36:08Sounds like Paul Blackburn.
00:36:10Yeah, or like Hedrick, you know, a failed starter from the left side.
00:36:13So, like, I think there's a little kismet to putting together a bullpen.
00:36:18And yet, I know you need it.
00:36:20But ultimately, the bullpen didn't kill the Yankees in the playoffs.
00:36:24Their run prevention was very, very, very strong.
00:36:27So, I think this is, you know, not to pile on.
00:36:33But I think the Jazz Chisholm phase has ended.
00:36:35I think the Trent Grisham phase has ended.
00:36:38And I think the Yankees will try very hard to see if they could redirect Ryan McMahon's money, which is
00:36:44$16 million in the last season, someplace else.
00:36:49Do they eat it?
00:36:50Like, do they get him down to a $5 million player and that allows them to get a relief pitcher
00:36:55or something?
00:36:56Or, you know, do they take on – like, did I mention – this is totally made up.
00:37:02I know our aggregator assholes will do what they do with stuff.
00:37:06But, like, Harrison Bader had a foot injury on a scooter with the Giants.
00:37:14The Giants stopped paying him.
00:37:15They're going to be in a big dispute with the Players Association, like, what to do.
00:37:20Would they like to get out of that dispute and not deal with it?
00:37:23He's making $10 million next year.
00:37:26Matt Chapman, their third baseman, had core surgery.
00:37:28He's probably going to be okay, but just in case.
00:37:31And you kind of do, like, mix the money a little bit.
00:37:33And now the Yankees have a right-hand hitting center fielder to protect Spencer Jones.
00:37:37Like, that kind of thing is how I would think about the McMahon contract if I could get out of
00:37:43it.
00:37:43So that really becomes now center field, second base, and third base.
00:37:48And, look, I covered this.
00:37:50I encourage people to either go – do both.
00:37:53Go read the column.
00:37:54Go look at the video.
00:37:55I dug in on catcher.
00:37:57I think Austin Wells is going to be the catcher next year because he's going to make less than $3
00:38:01million
00:38:02because he does a lot of what the Yankees love, which is frame well, call a strong game,
00:38:07and have great relationships with this pitcher.
00:38:09And there is an offensive upside to him that we saw over the last – over the second half
00:38:16and in the postseason where you're like, he can be a 20 homer, 700 OPS catcher who,
00:38:22if he's doing the other stuff, that's a really strong starting catcher.
00:38:25That's the eighth to twelfth best catcher in base.
00:38:28Like, at a time where it's hard to find really good catchers, that's – it's certainly right there
00:38:34with Adley Rutschman, who you were about to give up a lot of stuff for, and the Red Sox did
00:38:39give a lot of stuff up for.
00:38:41So I think it's in that bin of players.
00:38:43So I think we're talking about a couple other things.
00:38:46And, Ryan, I think the most important thing you have to come to peace with is structure.
00:38:52So, like, is Giancarlo Stanton coming back next year?
00:38:56OK?
00:38:57The Yankees owe him $20 million.
00:38:59I suspect he's not just going to walk away from $20.
00:39:02I doubt he's going to say, hey, you could get me down to a $5 million player and trade me.
00:39:06He'll just be like, if you don't want me, you've got to release me.
00:39:09And so do the Yankees go to spring training next year with Giancarlo Stanton?
00:39:13If they do, he's – you've got to think of him as either the co- or primary DH, at
00:39:20which point the Rice-Garcia, because they're both left-handed, becomes a little trickier situation.
00:39:26Now, I would, this offseason, tell Garcia, lose some weight, work on your flexibility.
00:39:33Let's see if you can play second base.
00:39:36But that's still, at best, the 30- or 40-game thing you want just to create flexibility and wait
00:39:42around for when the inevitable Stanton injury is going to come and you could do.
00:39:46I would tell Ben Rice, Ben, you've got to do everything you can to be major league average at first
00:39:53base this offseason.
00:39:54Now, the reality is there are players who work at this.
00:39:57I'm sure Kyle Schwaber, who Rice is a lot alike, right?
00:40:00They came up catchers.
00:40:01It was clear they loved catching, but they weren't going to be kept there.
00:40:04Their carrying tool was their hitting.
00:40:07They actually hit similarly, lefty power, lots of strikeouts, lots of walks.
00:40:12Rice might even be a much better average hitter than Schwaber is, but we'll see.
00:40:17It's like if you have Kyle Schwaber's career, it's a pretty damn good career.
00:40:19I think that's the path he's on.
00:40:20And I don't think diligence is ever a question with Ben Rice or Schwaber, and Schwaber couldn't turn himself into
00:40:25a good defensive player.
00:40:26He had limitations.
00:40:28My suspicion is Rice is mainly going to end up being a DH, but that's a problem.
00:40:32You have Stanton this year in 27, and you have Judge in 27 and moving forward at a time where
00:40:39you probably want to protect him a little by, like, let's use him as a DH once a week or
00:40:44twice a week.
00:40:45Now that he's in his mid-30s and he's shown some proclivity to, like, being – you know, like, you
00:40:50don't want him to have the Stanton back end of his career.
00:40:52I mean, Joel, the diving ball cracked the first rib.
00:40:56The throw from the outfield is what the forearm injury was two years ago.
00:41:00So he's big.
00:41:01You see, though, that this is probably going to start happening more.
00:41:04You want to protect him a little from himself.
00:41:06So you don't want to jam up the DH.
00:41:09So the question becomes, is Garcia a better trade chip than he is?
00:41:16And this is not a reflection.
00:41:17I think Garcia is a very good major league hitter.
00:41:20I don't think last year was fluky.
00:41:22I think he's a pretty good first baseman.
00:41:26But he's a year from free agency.
00:41:28He's a free agent after the 2027 season.
00:41:33We are probably going to get, if not a salary cap, some tougher penalties for the upper end of payrolls.
00:41:39And I can't imagine the Yankees would probably figure they're going to have to pay Ben Rice at some point,
00:41:45re-signing another like player long-term for big money.
00:41:50So do you get out ahead of it and say, does he sell third base?
00:41:55Does he get us a big reliever?
00:41:57Does he, you know, kind of thing?
00:42:00Again, I'm totally making this up.
00:42:04It's not going to matter.
00:42:06And I almost always, I do it as an example, as opposed to I've heard it's happening or anything like
00:42:13that.
00:42:13But like the Diamondbacks had literally the worst first base production in the major leagues last year.
00:42:21They have some interesting arms in their bullpen that they control.
00:42:25Juan Murillo, Brady Garcia, other guys like that.
00:42:29Can the Yankees get access to a guy who pitches in the last six outs of the game who has
00:42:33multiple years of control for a first baseman?
00:42:37And then like you could re-sign Colchmidt or get another, you know, try to go get Ty France or
00:42:43Ildemaro Varga, whatever thing you're going to do.
00:42:45And you just do it.
00:42:47One of the things is when the Yankees of the late 80s and early 90s, and by the way, like
00:42:53the Luke Voigt level Yankees, they had too many non-athletic DH types.
00:42:58And it jams up your roster.
00:43:00It puts bad players on the field.
00:43:02And I think the one thing everyone would agree on watching the LCS is the game is getting more athletic
00:43:07and fast.
00:43:08And you don't want to put a lot of bad defenders on the field, a lot of limited athletes on
00:43:15the field.
00:43:15And I think the Yankees have to think seriously, and it's not about Luis Garcia blended into the clubhouse well.
00:43:24He generally hit for the Yankees, had some problems late in the season, whatever, but I think he's a hitter
00:43:29and he could field at first base.
00:43:31If there were no Stanton or no judge, I would say just live with two left-hand hitters at Yankees
00:43:37Stadium and one's the first baseman and one's the DH and whatever.
00:43:42Well, couldn't you get rid of your Stanton problem?
00:43:44I mean, you could release Stanton.
00:43:46You can, but Stanton has one year left.
00:43:52So does Garcia.
00:43:53The question I would just ask is, if you're in charge and if the Yankees come back next year and
00:43:59Garcia is their first baseman and Rice is their DH and Stanton isn't on the team, that's fine.
00:44:04That's what the team was last year.
00:44:06I mean, it's fine.
00:44:08The question is, would you be better with turning Garcia into something that helps you with one of those areas
00:44:17that for a setup roster in general, they don't have third base, a better center, defensive center field.
00:44:24Like, again, I'm just going to throw this out.
00:44:26If you watch, the Guardians hit some homers yesterday, but they're generally not a homer hitting team, right?
00:44:32Stephen Kwan is a free agent after next season also.
00:44:37The Guardians do not have an obvious, they're playing Nathaniel Lowe at first base.
00:44:41They don't have an obvious first baseman for 2027.
00:44:44Would it make more sense if Luis Garcia were a guardian and Stephen Kwan, a contact hitter who can play
00:44:51center field and lead off maybe?
00:44:54Like, again, I'm just making it up.
00:44:56I know that won't stop the aggregate.
00:44:57I'm just making up a trade.
00:44:59But the question is, what makes you kind of better?
00:45:04Right.
00:45:04Because here's the thing is, if I got to a team where Garcia wasn't on it, but, like, now Ty
00:45:13France is playing first base, I get the right-hand hitter who can really defend at first base, Rice is
00:45:20the DH, even without Stanton.
00:45:22Okay, so you're saying that without Stanton as well.
00:45:25You'd still trade Garcia.
00:45:26I'm just saying a Yankee team that has both Garcia and Rice is fine for next year.
00:45:32But if you're in charge, you have to ask yourself, if we're not signing them long-term, and I think
00:45:38that that would be a difficult – if there are tougher financial rules coming, it would be a difficult long
00:45:44-term sign.
00:45:45Are you better off to make your roster more functional, solve another issue, spend less money at first base but
00:45:55with maybe a good defender and a righty bat, and, like, with or without Stanton?
00:46:01Because I think you'll have to always plan – even if you'll have Stanton technically, you've got to plan as
00:46:07if he's not going to play a lot.
00:46:08I think there's also an element, though, like, Stanton era, while we can debate it all we want, I think
00:46:15it's kind of coming to an end.
00:46:17I mean, this was –
00:46:17It's an end.
00:46:19By the way, you know what's coming to an end?
00:46:21You know, for about 10 years, Stanton, Judge, and Cole were the face of the team.
00:46:24And at this point, Stanton is either at the end or ended.
00:46:30Like, the most you're seeing him is for whatever party could stay healthy next year.
00:46:36And, you know, that's going to be it.
00:46:39Cole and, you know, like, opening day next year, who – I would think Schlittler is starting if everybody is
00:46:46healthy.
00:46:48And so Cole is still good, and obviously Judge is great, but, like, now you do enter the, huh, Judge
00:46:54is 35, 36.
00:46:56There's been some of these injuries caused by size.
00:46:59It's a little more Ben Rice's team.
00:47:01But I think it also opens you up – and, again, this is the roster flexibility of you've got to
00:47:08be serious with the Judge in the DH spot.
00:47:10You kind of have to force him into that spot.
00:47:12And Stanton –
00:47:13That goes back to, Ryan, who's in charge?
00:47:16I know.
00:47:16I know.
00:47:17Like, the answer is the Yankees are better if Judge played – like, when Judge is healthy, if we just
00:47:26see the version of him that, like, began last year,
00:47:29that's still an above-average right fielder and one of the greatest hitters that's ever lived.
00:47:34And so, like, I want him in right field, but I want him for 600-plus plate appearances.
00:47:41And if I've got to say to him, Aaron, the way I get you for 600 plate appearances and have
00:47:46you best on October 1st when everything really matters is two days a week as a DH.
00:47:54Because, look, part of this new collective bargaining agreement might be we go to 154 games and everyone's off on
00:48:01Monday.
00:48:01So now, in some ways, you're only in the field four days a week if I'm DH-ing you twice
00:48:06a week.
00:48:07So – and by the way, that's just a negotiating point.
00:48:11We might not get there, but, like, I think that's – I don't – I've yet to meet the player
00:48:15who would argue against 154 Monday off every week
00:48:20and that the division series got expanded to seven.
00:48:23I – that is not – I think that that's probably – if they can solve the financial stuff, that's
00:48:30an easy get.
00:48:30So I suspect those are going to probably look like the rules if we ever get to an agreement between
00:48:36the two sides.
00:48:39And, look, you know, I think you've got to have the hard conversation with Judge, which is this is not
00:48:45about us not loving you.
00:48:46It's about us trying to protect you because we love you, like – and we want to have the best
00:48:52version of you going forward.
00:48:54We're into you.
00:48:55So he broke the Homer record in 22, so it's 23, 24, 25.
00:48:59He's only four years into a nine-year contract.
00:49:01He's got five years of contract left, right?
00:49:04Like, we want – five years is over 800 games.
00:49:08How many of them – we want you to play all 800 between right field and DH.
00:49:13Like, we're good with it.
00:49:14Yeah, and there's a reality of we always knew that Judge would become that full-time DH once Stanton was
00:49:19gone.
00:49:20And, again, I think with Giancarlo Stanton, Joel, this past year pretty much wrote off all Yankees fans of, like,
00:49:26this guy's never going to be an everyday player anymore.
00:49:28He's never going to be someone you can rely on.
00:49:31And I think while it was nice that they tried to get him a couple pinch hit spots in the
00:49:35playoffs,
00:49:35I just – I feel like just having his contract off the books or meaning, like, his spot off the
00:49:41roster
00:49:41and you don't have to say, where's that guy coming back and when is he coming back
00:49:45and never have to answer those questions anymore, I think it would solve a little bit of that
00:49:49and open you up for the flexibility of the DH is now fully open for a Ben Rice, Luis Garcia,
00:49:55Aaron Judge combination,
00:49:56and whoever else you want to bring in.
00:49:58Some other big things I want to ask you about.
00:50:00So you talk about financials of all this, and there's no prediction on how this can go
00:50:05with the negotiations between Major League Baseball and the Players Association.
00:50:09Would you be more on the side of the Yankees are not going to bring on another big contract,
00:50:15like in a trade and whatnot?
00:50:17They wouldn't be prone to that just because they don't know the financial ramifications of it all?
00:50:22Well, I would say that between now and November 30th, they won't do a big deal.
00:50:28Again, they haven't told me that, but Ryan, I'm the general manager.
00:50:32You're my assistant.
00:50:34We've got until November 30th, and then we're going to have a lockout, almost certainly,
00:50:40where no business could be done.
00:50:42At the end of the lockout, we'll know the financial rules, and we'll still –
00:50:46most of the free agents will be available.
00:50:48Most of the trade stuff will still be available.
00:50:50If it turns out, man, the players just destroyed the owners.
00:50:55We're just sticking with the same rules, then you turn around and say,
00:50:59OK, let's go get somebody.
00:51:02If it becomes – and then the other thing to remember is like,
00:51:05what is going to be the grandfathering in of anything?
00:51:08Right.
00:51:08Like if we get a salary cap, I doubt we're going to get a hard cap in 2027.
00:51:13And then the question is also going to be like, can you amnesty a contract?
00:51:19Because then you just amnesty Stanton.
00:51:22Right?
00:51:23You kind of get – like you get $20 million off your books.
00:51:26You amnesty McMahon.
00:51:27You get – you'll amnesty something to get something off your books.
00:51:33It will probably – my guess is would be Stanton because you have other ways to deal with it.
00:51:38But having said that, I do want to kind of point out that I think he was the toughest-minded
00:51:42Yankee of this era.
00:51:43No doubt.
00:51:44And a real leader.
00:51:45And that the shame was his body couldn't match his mind.
00:51:53But in Alice in Wonderland, he was a truth teller.
00:51:58Yeah.
00:51:59That's who he was.
00:52:00So, like, I get it.
00:52:02I know the fandom.
00:52:05I'll say this.
00:52:06We'll always have that postseason.
00:52:08He was the great – he was so good in the postseason.
00:52:10It was incredible.
00:52:11And I think it's because he lived in reality.
00:52:14Yeah.
00:52:15Yeah.
00:52:16So, look, if you're saying that they won't make anything happen until once they figure out this –
00:52:20So, I'll say this.
00:52:22I mean, they have to do things between now and November 30th.
00:52:25So, David Begnar is out there, right?
00:52:27Yeah.
00:52:27I think they'll put the qualifying – they'll know for sure about Begnar.
00:52:30I think they'll put – nobody from the Yankees have said this.
00:52:34I think I was the first to report the qualifying offer is $23.15 million for 2027.
00:52:41I think the Yankees will put the qualifying offer on Begnar.
00:52:45And that would be an interesting decision for Begnar because, you know, look, not that long ago,
00:52:52he wasn't pitching well and the Pirates sent him to the minor leagues.
00:52:56I think that if you watched him pitch for the Pirates at the end and the Yankees last year and
00:53:00a half,
00:53:01you'd probably feel really good about him.
00:53:03But, like, there's enough little bit of – it wasn't that long ago that there was this.
00:53:09Plus, now I've got to give up draft pick compensation if I sign this player.
00:53:16Could he end up saying yes to the 23.15?
00:53:21In which case, you almost have him replacing Grisham's salary for next year.
00:53:27And I think the Yankees would be like, yeah.
00:53:30Like, the question I would ask is would you rather – I think the least Begnar probably gets is the
00:53:36Devin Williams contract,
00:53:37which was three at 51.
00:53:38I would rather have him one at 23 if I ran the Yankees and three at 51.
00:53:42I'll figure – I'll watch another year and if he's really good, I'm the Yankees.
00:53:46I'll try to outbid everybody again and I'll know the financial rules if I can outbid everybody.
00:53:51You know, and that's another one where, like, he could turn it down and the Yankees still could sign him.
00:53:57But, like, it would be harder to sign him after we get back from a lockout because you're going to
00:54:04have to – it will become, like –
00:54:06I think the Venn diagram is very much like this probably.
00:54:09Like, I would say a vast majority of Yankee fans are probably also Knick fans.
00:54:13Look at what the Knicks are dealing with with the second apron.
00:54:16And, like, if there's – even if there's not a full-on salary cap, what if the rule became you
00:54:23couldn't make an in-season trade if you're over a number?
00:54:26Or you'd be like, well, in July we can't add Luis Garcia and Elio Ramos or David Bednar or whatever.
00:54:35Like, so, like, there's going to be some choking of teams at the top of the salary structure, I would
00:54:41think, as part of this, even if there's not an out-and-out salary cap.
00:54:46Right. It makes sense.
00:54:48Like, so, that's why I think you've got to wait until – let's hope it's a very short lockout.
00:54:55Let's hope we play the games next year.
00:54:57I have real doubts about a lot of stuff.
00:55:00I don't like being wrong.
00:55:02I hope I'm wrong about that one.
00:55:04But I think it's going to be very difficult for any team that has got a lot of money tied
00:55:10up already.
00:55:11Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Mets.
00:55:15Like, those kind of teams to just willy-nilly in the first 30 days of the offseason go, hey, let's
00:55:20take on – because, like, even the Braves, if you go look at the Braves, the Braves have a lot
00:55:24of money tied up.
00:55:25So, it's like, would they like to probably revisit Jacob deGrom in the offseason or maybe even someone like Corey
00:55:33Siga to play shortstop in the offseason?
00:55:35Maybe, but that's not easy to do if I don't know what the rules are.
00:55:38You're talking about the Rangers or the Braves there?
00:55:40The Braves.
00:55:41Like, look at those players.
00:55:43Oh, look at those players.
00:55:44Okay.
00:55:44I mean, they almost – I think they had an understanding with the Rangers of what a trade would be
00:55:49for deGrom.
00:55:49And deGrom made it clear he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause.
00:55:53Like, is that – was that just a regular season thing?
00:55:56And he's like, well, now if I have the whole offseason where I can relocate my family, I'm staying in
00:56:01the south where I'm more comfortable, whatever, I'll go to –
00:56:03Jeremy Hefner is the pitching coach, I'm assuming, moving forward.
00:56:06I know him from the Mets.
00:56:07I really like – so maybe – but, like, can you add $37 million, even if you're Atlanta?
00:56:14Yeah.
00:56:14Who's probably going to be close to something?
00:56:16They probably have over $200 million already committed for next year, you know, with Acuna and Albies and Riley and
00:56:23Strider and, you know, the guys they have commitments with.
00:56:25So I do think there'll be a lot of business until November 30th, but I'm not sure that any of
00:56:33the big market teams will do big market things until after a labor agreement is reached.
00:56:41Yeah, it makes sense, Joel.
00:56:43So my last thing for you is there's this third baseman over in Japan, Mr. Sato.
00:56:49And, look, we've always talked about how the Yankees would love to bring in more – they always are after
00:56:54the talent in Japan.
00:56:55And they weren't in Amerikami, right?
00:56:58Like, they never were, like, seriously invested in him.
00:57:01And you've seen how awesome he was this year for the White Sox and the cultural phenomenon he turned out
00:57:05to be.
00:57:06But Sato won the Triple Crown.
00:57:08It seems like he has indicated he's going to come over to the majors this year.
00:57:12Is that something the Yankees would consider this offseason to address the third base spot?
00:57:18I think it's in play, Ryan.
00:57:20I think they'd have to know that that player could defend third base.
00:57:25It was a Amerikami issue, right?
00:57:27Like, he was a lot of third base there and nobody thought he could handle it here.
00:57:31And he ended up first base, pretty good first baseman from what I saw when he played for the White
00:57:36Sox.
00:57:37So I think that there's that.
00:57:38What I would say is, behind the scenes, over the last 6 to 12 months, the Yankees have done a
00:57:46lot of working in Japan is about relationships.
00:57:51And establishing them and having a real foothold with the culture and the people in charge, etc.
00:57:59And they've worked very hard over the last 6 to 12 months to regenerate that after, I would say foolishly,
00:58:07letting it get away from them.
00:58:11Because it was such an important market when you think about who Matsui was, who Tanaka was for this team.
00:58:18They have real – they're like the Mets in that I think even when they're – the Mets and Yankees
00:58:25tried like heck to get Yamamoto.
00:58:28Ultimately, geography is geography.
00:58:31Like, you know, it's six hours closer to Japan if you play on the West Coast.
00:58:39The games are on during the day, you know, like in the morning.
00:58:44But, like, it's on if you're on the West Coast.
00:58:47So it's just – there's always going to be a giant advantage.
00:58:51Now, having said that, if a salary cap is coming, the Dodgers can't just keep adding players.
00:58:57They're going to have to kind of start shoehorning some stuff and paring away some stuff also in the coming
00:59:04years.
00:59:06And look, the other advantage they had is once they did Otani, there were other players who wanted to play
00:59:11with Otani from Japan.
00:59:13So they had some advantages.
00:59:15Having said that, the Yankees got late – like, were not as sharp as they needed to be keeping that
00:59:22tether strong.
00:59:24And I think that they've worked very hard.
00:59:27They've made a couple of hires in the last 12 months.
00:59:33That is an attempt to strengthen the brand again out there because, like, the Dodgers have become the team of
00:59:39the most baseball-crazy country in the world.
00:59:42Why not yet?
00:59:43And, you know, the Yankees have that beachhead for a while, and they need to kind of, like, at least
00:59:50be second, if not first, or tied for first again.
00:59:54So I think that they need to do it.
00:59:56Is Sato the player to do it with?
00:59:59Like, you don't want to just do it to do it.
01:00:03Because, again, I just think they have to get out of the – they've got to be careful not to
01:00:07be in the business of inflexible DHs in first basemen.
01:00:12It's not where the game is going.
01:00:14You know where you're going with Judge.
01:00:16You're into Judge for five more years.
01:00:18If you and I were sitting here today, Ryan, and we – let's come to peace.
01:00:21He has about 800 games left on his contract.
01:00:24Let's say he's – the Yankees are blessed and he plays in 700 of them.
01:00:28And I established the over, under, and right field at 351 and a half.
01:00:33Would you go over or under for those 700 games?
01:00:36You don't have to answer.
01:00:37The fact your eyes went up and you had to think about it means you've got to keep DH flexible
01:00:41for Judge.
01:00:43And so you don't want to just keep adding – and Rice is now a big part of your future.
01:00:48And at best, he's a first baseman.
01:00:50And at worst – and worse is fine because I'm – he's Schwarber.
01:00:55And you've got to kind of, like, DH him all the time.
01:00:58Because the bat is so good, but you just don't want to put him any place in the field.
01:01:01Well, now I'm up to two guys.
01:01:03So you don't want to just keep doing first base DH.
01:01:08So Sato has to be a guy that you firmly believe for the next several years can, A, translate as
01:01:16an offensive player here.
01:01:18But B, at a time where the game is getting faster and more athletic, he's going to play third base.
01:01:24And not just do it because you want to reopen the pipeline.
01:01:28That makes sense, Joel.
01:01:29I think just – have you heard the scouting reports on him?
01:01:33Is that what all the concern is, really, just the third base of it all?
01:01:36Yeah, so, you know, I'm doing this series and I'm starting to dig in.
01:01:40I'm a catcher first base.
01:01:42If you'd like to figure out the timeline of where I'm going this week, I've certainly sent a lot of
01:01:47text messages to people who cover the Pacific Rim and asked them about it.
01:01:52So it will be a way of saying, read the post, watch the videos.
01:01:56There it is.
01:01:57There it is, Joel.
01:01:58Joel, look, this was a lot.
01:01:59I appreciate you hopping on here.
01:02:02And we're looking forward to your coverage all week.
01:02:04And I know you got the show coming up today with Mr. Joe Girardi.
01:02:08Fascinated how that conversation is going to go.
01:02:10And we're always going to be paying attention to what you're going to be writing for the Postports Plus pieces,
01:02:15man.
01:02:15Thank you, Joel.
01:02:16I appreciate you.
01:02:17All right, Ryan.
01:02:18All the best.
01:02:19And thanks, everyone, for continuing to stick with us on Pinstripe Post.