Someone asked me this week, “What’s the main topic Yankees fans are discussing that maybe isn’t obvious to other teams?”
For the Yankees, it is realizing that we got everything they wanted in the off season. As Bryan Hoch pointed out recently, the Yankees landed their top target in early December when they agreed to terms with ace pitcher Gerrit Cole on a nine-year, $324 million contract. The Yankees also re-signed outfielder Brett Gardner to a one-year, $12.5 million contract with an option for 2021. Other transactions included extending closer Aroldis Chapman, releasing both Jacoby Ellsbury and Greg Bird., and dealing both Nestor Cortes Jr (who I liked by the way) and Chance Adams (who I was not a fan of). It seems like the Yankees have been very quiet this winter, but in reality, they have not been.
There were rumors that J.A. Happ was going to also be dealt, but according to YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits, it looks like that will not be the case. Happ looks to be the fifth starter, behind Cole, James Paxton, Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka.
Some fans, I am sure, are wondering if the team is fully healthy, just because of the bad luck that seemed to plague them last year. We know that Aaron Hicks is out until at least the middle of year, but for the most part, everyone else is returning, healthy, as least as far as we know. With Giancarlo Stanton bench-pressing supermodel Adriana Lima this week, he seems healed up, which means, “Look out American League!”. I am very hopeful that Miguel Andujar returns to form. I really like him.
Since we are about two weeks away from spring training, the main thing that is on every fan’s mind is just seeing the team on the field in Florida, hoping everyone is healthy and watching the players get ready for Opening Day.
Right now, Yankees fans are like every other baseball fan…
Winter is long, spring training can’t come fast enough.
