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This is the team. This is the team that Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman needs to go all out for at the trade deadline to reinforce, in hopes of making a push for a World Series appearance. Wasting another MVP-caliber season from Aaron Judge and a stellar campaign from Juan Soto is simply unacceptable. It should be considered a firing offense if the Bombers don’t make the necessary adjustments in a few weeks.
No Room for Excuses with the Yankees’ Best Players
It’s simple. The Yankees have the reigning Cy Young award-winning pitcher in Gerrit Cole, who’s working his way back up to his usual self, and two of the best hitters in baseball; there’s no excuse for this team to be as volatile as they’ve been over the past few weeks.
Challenges Ahead: Cashman’s Midseason Review
However, Cashman finally addressed the media on Tuesday ahead of a series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays down south. The Yankees, of course, lost 5–3, with Carlos Rodon giving up four runs in the first inning to set the Yankees back considerably.
Cashman mentioned that the team needs to be better across the board, specifically noting second baseman Gleyber Torres, who is in a contract year and looking to capitalize on a long-term extension. Cashman threw him a bone, suggesting that the added pressure could be weighing down on his shoulders. Regression to his current numbers is difficult to comprehend.
The Decline of Gleyber Torres
Torres went from hitting .273/.347/.453 to .223/.296/.343. He’s dropped astronomically across the board, not to mention his home run-hitting qualities have regressed, and his defense is equally as horrible. He has a .967 percentage with 11 errors and -3 defensive runs saved this season. This is his worst offensive season to date, and it’s not particularly close. If the Yankees don’t turn things around at second base soon, Cashman may have no choice but to consider alternative options at the deadline, given an opportunity presents itself.
“Sometimes those free-agent walk years can come back and haunt you,” Cashman said. “I’m not sure if that added pressure might be weighing him down or holding him back. We just went through that with [Luis Severino] and [Harrison] Bader last year. He’s close to the finish line on going to free agency. … Last year, he was our second-best hitter behind Aaron Judge. We’re anxiously hoping and waiting on that, because I know he could have a really positive impact.”
Cashman’s Open Strategy as Deadline Approaches
Cashman said that the Yankees will be “open-minded to a lot of different things” at the July 30 deadline. They need bullpen support and are suffering through DJ LeMahieu’s tough start of the season. They need another bat on the corner, but that is easier said than done with a thin trade market. DJ is hitting .206/.295/.234, including 11 RBIs and a 60 wRC+. His walk rate and strike-out rates are solid, but his 56.7% ground ball rate is a detriment to the team’s production — he is hitting .308 with runners in scoring position, which is the only silver lining.
Spotlight on Ben Rice and Pitching Prospects
Ben Rice has been excellent at first base and has actually put together some decent defensive reps. He’s hitting .260 with a .348 OBP, including five homers and 14 RBIs over 19 games. In fact, in less than two months, he’s on pace to blow past Gleyber’s home run total (8).
Reinforcements and Creative Solutions
The Yankees could get creative with their pitching, especially with the hopes of getting Clarke Schmidt, Cody Poteet, and Ian Hamilton back over the next few months. They’re also expecting Scott Effross to return from a rehab assignment in the next few weeks, currently situated with Triple-A Scranton. Schmidt can move back into rotation once he’s fully healthy, allowing the Yankees to be a bit more creative with how they deploy some of their more experienced arms in relief.
Preparing for a Deep Postseason Run
The Yankees will get reinforcements back at some point, but they need to make the right improvements to prepare for a deep postseason run. There’s no guarantee they will be healthy when the playoffs roll around. Hence, they need to find a solid infielder who can smooth things over in the meantime, especially with several key starters regressing to their historical averages.
More must-reads:
More must-reads:
- Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage is already making the rest of MLB look foolish for passing on him
- Nationals set to hire MLB's youngest manager in over 50 years
- The 'World Series single-game K leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Dodgers' Mookie Betts opens up about his World Series struggles
Los Angeles Dodgers star shortstop Mookie Betts is coming off the worst offensive season of his 12-year career, hitting .258/.326/.406 with 20 home runs, posting career lows in all slash line metrics. Now in the postseason, the 2018 MVP is costing the Dodgers their shot at consecutive World Series titles. After a hot start, Betts is 15-for-64 in the playoffs. In the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, he is just 3-for-23 without an extra-base hit. So far, Betts is one of two Dodgers players with more than 11 at-bats and no home runs, the other being Andy Pages. When asked by reporters about his struggles after the Dodgers' Game 5 loss, Betts had this to say as reported by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic: “I don’t want to speak on anybody else. But for myself, I’ve just been terrible … “I wish it were from lack of effort. But it’s not. I mean, that’s all I can say.” Mookie Betts is leading the Dodgers towards their demise With their loss on Wednesday, the Dodgers are on the ropes, down 3-2, facing elimination in Toronto on Friday. Overall, the Los Angeles offense has gone through detrimental quiet spells in inopportune times, scoring three runs in the past two games. If we include parts of the 18-inning game on Monday, that’s four runs in 29 innings. These lulls have greatly harmed the team’s chances at winning the World Series this season. And while the Dodgers have more than their fair share of laggards, Betts plays a crucial role for the team. His spot towards the top of the batting order is nestled among his fellow MVPs and top-producers. But unlike the other top bats around him, Betts has only accounted for a total of one run, scoring no RBI in this World Series. Every time the Blue Jays walked Ohtani, they did so inconsequentially, experiencing no trouble from Betts hitting behind him. Needless to say, if the Dodgers are going to hop back into the driver’s seat, their offense will need to wake up. Los Angeles has seen success despite Betts’ slump; but with no room for error, this is an all-hands-on-deck situation, and they will more than likely need something from their star shortstop aside from his stellar defense.
Charles Barkley knows the real problem with LeBron James
LeBron James may be out due to sciatica, but Charles Barkley is not buying it. He thinks he knows what is really going on with the Los Angeles Lakers star. Barkley was goofing around during “Inside the NBA” on ESPN Wednesday and talked about the Lakers, who had several players out for their game at the Minnesota Timberwolves. James was listed as out due to sciatica, which is a nerve issue. Barkley thinks the sciatica injury is a cover for something else. “First of all, LeBron doesn’t have a sciatica. They just put ‘old.’ O-L-D, with an extra ‘D,’ too,” Barkley joked. An update on James’ condition came out this week, saying that the Lakers forward could return in a few weeks. The Lakers have seemed to suggest that there is no urgency to rush James into action. However, Luka Doncic also getting hurt recently may have changed things for the team. For now, the Lakers are 3-2 and have been relying on Austin Reaves to do plenty of scoring. He is averaging 34.2 points per game this season. James is 40 years old and entering his 23rd NBA season. He’s allowed to have “old” or sciatica as an injury issue. As Barkley knows and often says, Father Time is undefeated.
Latest Matt Rhule news should end Penn State rumors
The Penn State Nittany Lions can likely scratch another candidate off their coaching wish list. On Thursday, ESPN "College GameDay" insider Pete Thamel reported Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule has signed a two-year contract extension with the program, which will run through the 2032 season. It includes a $15M buyout this season, which should prevent another school from poaching him. Why Matt Rhule was considered a strong candidate to replace recently fired Penn State HC James Franklin After Penn State fired Franklin on Oct. 12, Rhule was immediately linked to the job. As a teenager, the New York native moved to State College, where he became a walk-on linebacker for the Nittany Lions from 1994-97. He clearly still loves his alma mater. "I love Penn State, met my wife there, my alma mater," Rhule told the media shortly after Franklin was fired. "Fan since I was born, I think probably had a Penn State shirt when I was born. I really love [athletic director] Pat Kraft, and I'm sad to see coach Franklin go." While the AD for the Temple Owls, Kraft gave Rhule his first head-coaching job in 2013. Now that he has signed the extension, he can't turn to his old friend again and must explore other options. Where does Penn State go from here? The list of candidates in Penn State's head-coaching search is shrinking. The Indiana Hoosiers signed HC Curt Cignetti, another potential target, to an eight-year, $11.6M contract on Oct. 16. The Nittany Lions could attempt to court Ole Miss Rebels HC Lane Kiffin, who has his team in the thick of the national championship hunt after a 7-1 start. However, if he does leave Oxford, expect him to stay in the SEC rather than flocking to the Big Ten. Some believe Kiffin may be the next HC of the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators. And for any optimistic Penn State fans thinking they can lure ESPN analyst Nick Saban out of retirement, dream on. The former Alabama Crimson Tide HC has said there's "no way" he's returning to coaching. Don't bank on Penn State (3-4) promoting interim HC Terry Smith, especially after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 25-24, in his first game. Instead, it may target HCs Mike Elko (Texas A M Aggies), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt Commodores) and Jeff Brohm (Louisville Cardinals). Penn State alumni may have welcomed a homecoming for Rhule. Now, it no longer looks like a possibility.
Three wild quotes from Louisiana governor Jeff Landry that could wreck LSU head-coaching search
For three days, the LSU Tigers had the most appealing head-coaching opening in college football. That changed Wednesday, when first-term Louisiana governor Jeff Landry (R) opened his mouth. Below are three absurd statements from Landry that should make prospective candidates run in the other direction instead of considering becoming the next LSU head coach. 1. Who's in charge? What Landry said: "No, I can tell you right now [athletic director] Scott Woodward is not selecting our next coach. Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it." Reaction: What should terrify candidates the most is how unorganized the search for head coach is at the top, creating a trickle-down effect that could permeate throughout the program. With an embattled AD — who has since been fired — plus the university looking for its next president, LSU's next head coach has no way of knowing what administration he'll be answering to. That uncertainty is no way to attract elite candidates. 2. Pot, meet kettle What Landry said about hiring the next football coach at LSU: "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill." Reaction: One of three programs with three national titles this century (joining Alabama and Ohio State), LSU has higher expectations for its football team than at most FBS programs. Landry's comments raise questions about how much time the Tigers will give their next head coach to construct a winner. What kind of metrics will be in place? It's normal for coaches to earn raises with conference or national championships, but what happens if Kelly's successor doesn't have the same immediate success he did, leading the team to the SEC title game and coaching a Heisman winner (Jayden Daniels) in his first two seasons? "I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country" is also a rich statement from a man whose state was ranked 46th of 50 states in education and last for economy by U.S. News World Report. 3. Politicians should stay out of sports What Landry said: "All I care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook [for]." Reaction: Is it too much to ask that our elected officials know how things work? Landry was asked why LSU officials met with him at the governor's mansion before Kelly's firing, and his reasoning was nonsensical. Coaching buyouts, including Kelly's, are often paid through boosters with money to burn, not taxpayers. WDSU-New Orleans reporter Travers Mackel wrote on Monday that one private donor will foot the majority of Kelly's buyout. "Zero public money set aside for education, salaries or scholarships will be used," Mackel wrote. Landry's meddling in Kelly's firing is more than just concern for Louisiana taxpayers. "In the absence of a permanent president [at LSU], the governor has grabbed authority over key decisions," Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger wrote earlier this week. (A search for a new university president is in the final stages, according to The Advocate.) Politicians have no reason to get involved with college coaching decisions. Where does their influence end? What if the best available candidate doesn't share Landry's leanings? It's ridiculous to even have to consider. Well, everywhere but at LSU.
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