About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

November 4, 2025

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Since the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason in the ALDS, there will be no more games to recap until March of 2026. The Dodgers just won the World Series for the second year in a row and the third time in the last six years. The last time the Yankees won the World Series was 2009. Since we will have a lot of free time on our hands waiting for Spring Training, I will be able to think and opine about a variety of issues. That could be dangerous for all parties. I will now move from topic to topic as quickly as Mrs. O’Leary’s cow after she kicked over the lantern.

·      The Dodgers have now won back-to-back World Series. My guess is that they will add players to their roster to improve it heading into next season. At this point, the Dodgers are clearly the best team in baseball. That does not seem likely to change because they are constantly trying to get better. If it does change, it does not seem likely that the Yankees will have anything to do with it. Although the Blue Jays lost the World Series this year, they performed much better than the Yankees did last year. Taking the Dodgers into extra innings in Game 7 is pretty impressive. If the Yankees want to beat the Dodgers next year, first they will have to beat the Blue Jays. The Yankees will also need to beat the other teams in the American League East, something they struggled with this year. Anyway, the Yankees need to make a lot of improvements in 2026 if they hope to make it to the World Series, and actually win. 

·      I finished my novel about the heavyweight boxer from the 1980’s who was cheated out of the championship. It is called “The Butcher of Punxsutawney”. The whole process of writing it, editing it, proofreading it, and then doing a final read aloud edit took less than two months. I now have three novels and one novella in my “completed manuscripts” file. While I am waiting to hear back from publishers, I will keep writing. Yesterday, I started editing the first novel I wrote, which is a historical novel about two Bataan Death March survivors who are now in their 90’s and living not so quietly in Vermont. I will have that one polished and ready to go by the end of the year. The key with writing is the same as with anything else, just keep moving forward.

·      I made my suggestions about what moves the Yankees should make. Other people have made different suggestions. The point is that the Yankees need to do something. The Blue Jays are clearly better than the Yankees, and the Red Sox are pretty close. The Yankees have decisions to make about players on their roster currently. There are some players who will be free agents whom the Yankees may consider bringing back, such as Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger. There are also players who might be non-tendered. The Yankees need to clean the deadwood out of the 40-man roster as well. Players such as Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton, Jayvien Sandridge, Allan Winans, and Jorbit Vivas might not be on the roster next year. That makes sense. If they are not realistically in the plans for the Yankees, they shouldn't be on the roster. So, one of the first things the Yankees need to do is clean house. After they remove players from the 40-man roster who do not need to be there, they can then figure out which players do need to be there, so they will not be lost to the Rule 5 draft.

·      Now that the off-season is fully underway, the rumors will begin flying like leaves on a windy day. You will read and hear that the Yankees are linked to almost every possible free agent or player who may or may not be available via trade. You will read and hear that virtually every current minor leaguer in the Yankees’ system either is or should be about to be traded. It will make your head spin. Well, I think the Yankees need to make a significant move quickly. Whether that is a trade, a major change in the coaching staff, or locking up a player who is either about to become a free agent or has free agency looming in the next year, to a long-term contract. The Yankees need to do something to show their fans and the rest of Major League Baseball that they are serious about being serious for 2026 and beyond.

·      My son recently completed an internship for a company that produces all natural foods. One of the ways they compensated him other than paying him, was to give him bags of their coffee, fruit chips, and nuts. The nuts are raw and unsalted. They come in several different varieties, including Brazil nuts. Brazil nuts are the kale of the nut world. They have never been very popular and whenever I saw a selection of mixed nuts, I was sure that the Brazil nuts would be the ones left over. They are actually quite tasty and have many health benefits. For example, eating one Brazil nut a day can provide you with all the selenium you will need. I didn't know I needed selenium but it's nice to know that I have satisfied that quota with just one Brazil nut. The bags of pecans are already earmarked for a pie on Thanksgiving. I will look at my vast pie baking book to see if there are any recipes for Brazil nut pies.

·      One of the moves I suggested that the Yankees make during the off-season is to sign Kyle Schwarber to become the full-time designated hitter. I stand by that suggestion. However, I have read and heard that the Phillies may be committed to retaining Schwarber. If that were to happen, they may be in a position of having to trade Bryce Harper. If that occurs, the Yankees should switch gears and consider trading for Harper. I know acquiring Harper would require giving up prospects as opposed to just money which would be the case in signing Schwarber. However, Harper's salary for the remainder of his contract would be far less than the Yankees would likely have to spend on Schwarber or other free agents. When Harper was originally a free agent and signed with the Phillies, there was a lot of speculation that he might wind up with the Yankees. I think he would be a very good fit. He could play first base if needed but, he could also fill the full-time DH role and thrive on hitting in Yankee Stadium.

·      We had a fair number of trick-or-treaters this year, despite the fact that it was extremely cold and windy out. I must say that most of the costumes were not extremely creative and there were many I did not recognize. I like to see some creativity in Halloween costumes. I did see one online that made me laugh. It was an older gentleman, who was wearing several wrist watches fastened onto his belt. When asked what he was, he said, “a waist of time” I would have given him all the candy for that.