About The Off-Season: Meanderings Of My Mind

About The Off-Season: Meanderings Of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

November 2, 2026

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The postseason is underway after the Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I was happy to see the Brewers win. I don't think it was necessary for the Brewers manager, Pat Murphy, to take a shot at the Yankees afterward, but that's just me. I am anticipating more trade and free agent activity during November than we normally see due to the possibility of a a lockout in December. The next few weeks could be very interesting, particularly for the Yankees, if they choose to do more than they did last year at this time. Since I won't have any games to recap until at least March, I will now wander from topic-to-topic as if I were a grizzly bear in Alaska trying to get the last of the salmon down my gullet before it was time to hibernate.

·      The Yankees re-signed Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone will be back as well, finishing out the final year on his contract. The other day, the Yankees declined to renew the contracts of Brian Sabean and Omar Minaya. They were part of Brian Cashman’s front office team, but what they actually did is relatively unknown. Let's have a little fun and try to predict what the Yankees first player transaction of the off-season will be. I don't mean let's play it safe and say they will make a qualifying offer to David Bednar. I believe they will, but I'm interested in something a little more intriguing and exciting. I would like to say that they would release Giancarlo Stanton and I honestly believe that will happen, but I think that will wait until we get closer to the beginning of the 2027 season. I suspect it will be a trade. I have read persistent suggestions about a trade for CJ Abrams. I have also read about possible trades for a right-handed hitting catcher. A relief pitcher could also be an option. I fervently hope that the Yankees do not make a trade for someone like Nolan Arenado or Matt Chapman. They do not need another declining veteran. I also would like to see the Yankees sign Teruaki Sato, who is a left-handed hitting third baseman. If they do that and also acquire Abrams, I think they would have too many left-handed hitters. So, I will say that I think the first move the Yankees make will be to either acquire a right-handed hitting catcher or a relief pitcher who could serve as a solid setup man for David Bednar, whom I believe the Yankees will resign.

·      I have written many times about the fact that I own cats. I have owned dogs in the past. I don't have any now because the place where I am living does not allow them. Besides, due to my mobility issues I can't really go for a lengthy walk with a dog, particularly one that might suddenly bolt after a squirrel and send me tumbling. Someday, I may get another dog. I have spent a lot of time writing about my Maine Coon Cat, Clancy, who is about the size of a small dog. Actually, he is larger than many dogs. He is over twenty pounds at this point. I woke up with him sleeping on my chest the other day. I felt as if I was under a pile of rubble after an earthquake. I was observing my oldest cat, Archie, who is fifteen years old, this morning. I always thought that Archie was very smart. He wanted to jump up on the nightstand next to my bed so I could pet him. He crouched and looked up at the nightstand and seemed to reevaluate things. Then, he turned, jumped up onto the bed which was lower and walked over and hopped up on the nightstand. When he wanted to get down, he put his front paws on the side of the nightstand and slid down before jumping lightly on to the floor. This prevented him from putting undue stress on his joints. Watching him reminded me of the way that I and other people do things to compensate for our physical limitations or just simply the advancement of age. Rather than repeatedly trying to jump on to the nightstand, Archie recognized his own limitations and made another plan. It's funny when you think about how animals can do things that many people would not believe they are capable of. I have personally seen pets grieving. Many years ago, my father died of a massive heart attack when he and I were out somewhere. When I came home, my little Shetland sheepdog came over and sniffed my father's hat and began whimpering sadly. I know not everyone has pets or likes pets but I can certainly attest to the fact that they enrich your lives in so many ways, even if it's just seeing a fellow old-timer figure out a way to do things that are going to cause him less pain and improve his chances of success.

·      A lot of people have written and commented on TV and radio that the Yankees should go after Tarik Skubal. I don't think they should. Starting pitching is not an area of weakness for the Yankees. It is an area of strength. While it is true that you can never have enough pitching, we all know that Hal Steinbrenner acts like Silas Marner when he has to sign players to contracts. If he opens up the vaults for Skubal, that would probably be the only move the Yankees would make. They need to allocate their resources in ways that will address areas of need. They need a third baseman. They need a right-handed hitting catcher. They need to strengthen the bullpen. In fact, I could easily see the Yankees trading some of their starting pitching to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher or a relief pitcher.

·      On Sundays, when I write the Meanderings of My Mind articles, I take a break to enjoy something from my weekly order from the local artisan bakery, The Lazy Crumb. In a few moments, I will be having a cranberry orange sourdough English muffin. It's nice when you locate a local small business that produces quality products. I have always advocated enjoying the simple pleasures in life. A nice scone or an English muffin in the afternoon with a cup of coffee makes the day a bit easier. I don't need to eat caviar with a silver spoon or drink brandy out of a snifter. A fresh piece of fruit or a delicious baked good is fine for me. This year for my birthday dinner, I requested a couple of grilled hot dogs from the restaurant down the street. One of my fondest memories from my childhood was eating a tomato sandwich in the summer made with fresh tomatoes out of my father's garden, a little bit of salt and pepper, and mayonnaise on white bread. Wheat bread was fine too. Sometimes if if I'm up late at night writing, I will take a cucumber out of the refrigerator and eat it without any spices or anything. My father used to take fresh cucumbers from his garden and bring them to work for his lunch. Again, sometimes the simple things are the best.

·      I think as I have written before, Jasson Dominguez will probably be traded this offseason. If he is not, then Heliot Ramos needs to be traded. I suspect that Dominguez was more seriously injured after slamming into the wall last season than anyone told us. Would any of you be shocked if that was the case? The Yankees have either bungled, misdiagnosed, underreported, ignored, or neglected injuries systematically for years. I could make a list of them, but I have plans in December. If Dominguez is with the Yankees next season, he will need to play as often as possible. For that to happen, Aaron Judge would need to have days as the DH. That would most likely mean that Giancarlo Stanton wouldn't be on the team. That is something that needs to happen whether Dominguez is on the team or not. Keeping Stanton serves no real purpose at this time. I saw that someone questioned what would be the difference between having Stanton on the IL or not on the team. It's simply that if Stanton is on the IL, he is still part of the team. Also, if he's on the IL, it would be expected that he would return at some point so he would factor into planning. If he's not there at all, no one will plan for him to do anything. We saw last year that Aaron Boone was fixated on the return of Stanton and managed to force him into two at bats during the Divisional series. How did that work out? If Stanton is not on the roster, then he will not be a temptation for Boone. Boone becomes fascinated with his veterans the way that a small child becomes fascinated by bright and shiny toys. If we take away the toy, Boone will have to focus on something else.

I would like to wish my brother John a Happy 73rd Birthday.