On October 24, 1996, MLB.com revisited how Andy Pettitte bounced back from allowing seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in Game 1 to throw 8 1/3 scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 1-0 Game 5 win over John Smoltz and Atlanta. The victory gave New York a 3-2 World Series lead, and the Yankees finished the job two nights later in the Bronx. That start is still one of the defining pitching performances of the 1996 championship run.
News Goldschmidt wants to play next year, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, with the details from Charlie Wright at MLB Trade Rumors. I’d be okay with him coming back to hit against lefties, but where are the at-bats with Rice and García here? Rice needs to play every day, so I wouldn’t…
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com lists Ryan Jeffers and Tyler Stephenson as potential catching upgrades for the Yankees. I’d rather pay for someone who can compete for starts than fill the backup spot just to give the starter a day off. Make them earn the playing time; we shouldn’t be handing anyone a job.
The Yankees are expected to make David Bednar a qualifying offer but are unlikely to do the same for Jazz Chisholm Jr., according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post (paid subscription). I want Bednar back, but $23.15 million for one year is a lot to commit to a closer. If they let Jazz…
Randy Miller of NJ.com (via Yahoo Sports) suggests Luis Arraez, Mauricio Dubón, Carson Kelly and Tyrone Taylor as offseason fits for the Yankees. I like the idea of adding contact and players who can cover more than one position, especially if it gives Boone better choices off the bench. But I’d want to know the…
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports that Brian Cashman has agreed in principle to a new contract and will begin his 30th season as Yankees general manager. The Yankees are choosing the same leadership again, so this winter has to be about fixing the roster’s weak spots instead of selling patience after another early October exit.
MLB.com reports that Aaron Boone will return as Yankees manager in 2027, the final year of his contract and his 10th season in the job. The Yankees are betting on continuity one more time, and the pressure is obvious: Boone needs a better October, and the front office needs to give him a roster that…
