About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind
By Tim Kabel
November 25, 2023
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It's a Saturday during the off-season, so it's time for me to wander from topic to topic, like Tiny Tim tiptoeing through the tulips and offering my observations.
* Yesterday was my Thanksgiving feast as part of the scheduling process with multiple families. The final tally was eight varieties of pie and cobbler with a total of 16 pies, one very large cobbler and two loaves of banana bread. The cobbler was cherry-berry, and the pie flavors were tollhouse cookie, butterscotch macadamia with coconut, peanut chocolate, pumpkin, coconut custard, chocolate cashew, and honey walnut.
* The hiring of Brad Ausmus is a perfect example of Boone-proofing. Ausmus is experienced and intelligent and does not appear to be a wilting violet. I'm sure he will make his opinions known to Boone and in those moments when Boone appears like a deer in the headlights, Ausmus may be able to step in.
* If George Steinbrenner were alive, we would be taking over/under as to when Ausmus would replace Boone.
* When I wrote that the Yankees needed to make a big trade or signing before Thanksgiving, the signing of Yerry De Los Santos was not what I had in mind. But who knows, he could become a useful part of the team.
* I don't think the Yankees should trade Gleyber Torres. In fact, if they signed him to an extension, I would not be unhappy. He provides offense for a team that is looking for offense. It would not make much sense to trade a proven commodity when they don't have to.
* There are rumors about the Yankees signing or trading for almost everyone but there are multiple persistent rumors that they are trying to sign either Cody Bellinger or Jung Hoo Lee, the "Grandson of the Wind." There are also multiple stories suggesting they will trade for Juan Soto. Again, I think "Grandson of the Wind" is one of the best nicknames I have heard recently. Hopefully, Cashman does not disappoint all of us by signing someone named "the grandson of the windbag" because he got him at a discount.
* Apparently, Anthony Rizzo is making a steady recovery from his concussion and should be able to return to form next season. That would be a tremendous help for this team.
* I would expect either Michael King or Clarke Schmidt to be traded this off-season, particularly if the Yankees do acquire Juan Soto.
* If the Yankees do sign Cody Bellinger, the good news is that he would be able to shift to first base once Jasson Dominguez returns from his injury. That flexibility gives him an advantage over Jung Hoo Lee.
* As I am writing this, the smell of my roasted turkey is wafting across the kitchen to me. It makes me wonder why turkey is not consumed more often in this country. I suspect a lot of people associate it with either Thanksgiving or Christmas, and simply never consider having it on other occasions. I also believe that a large percentage of people in this country do not know how to properly prepare a turkey, resulting in a very dry bird, which is not appealing to most people. I believe that if more people knew how to correctly cook their turkey, it would be eaten much more frequently. Perhaps I should become the Frank Purdue of the Turkey World.
* Now that Thanksgiving is over, I would expect a move or two fairly soon by the Yankees. I would also not expect them to carry six catchers for too much longer.
* One of the best bits of news this off-season is the fact that the Yankees are apparently going to become more left-handed in their lineup. That would be a very smart move. If Rizzo is fully healthy and Austin Wells becomes at least the semi-regular catcher, that would be a good start. Adding in at least one from the group of Cody Bellinger, Jung Hoo Lee, or Juan Soto would also be beneficial to the team. Jasson Dominguez is a switch hitter as we all know. So, he will provide another solid left-handed bat when he returns.
* If the Yankees really want to show that they are back to being the Yankees, then they will sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees should not be outbid for a player they truly want.
* Earlier this week, Andres Chaparro left the Yankees' organization and signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Although he didn't project to be a superstar, he was nominally a third baseman and he did hit 25 home runs with 89 RBI for Scranton Wilkes-Barre last year. At the very least, the Yankees lost some depth with this move.
* So far, Hal Steinbrenner seems like the road company version of his father. Seeing Hal as the owner of the Yankees instead of his father, is like going to a Yankees' game expecting to see Aaron Judge in rightfield and instead finding Billy McKinney there.
* The next few weeks will show us if the Yankees are serious about being contenders or not. We have heard both Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman say repeatedly that 2023 was a disaster but 2024 will be better. They promised big changes. If they don't bring in players who will truly make a difference rather than worn out retreads hoping for one last cup of coffee, it will prove they are nothing but talk. If that happens, it will be difficult for Yankees' fans to have any faith in this organization or its leadership. As they say, it's time to fish or cut bait. Then again, in the words of Archie Bunker, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him swim.
