The New York Yankees have yet to schedule their post-mortem news conference to discuss the 2023 season. Until that happens, not much news to report on what’s happening inside Yankeeland. There’s no better time to do a mailbag.
There were many questions to sort through, so we’re going to make this mailbag three parts. Parts 2 and 3 will post Thursday and Friday.
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Let’s get to Part 1.
Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.
Would the Yankees chase Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto and South Korea’s Jung Hoo Lee? — Chris G.
The Yankees’ interest in Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been established. On Sept. 9, as the Yankees hosted an Old-Timer’s Day that celebrated their 1998 World Series championship, general manager Brian Cashman was in Japan to watch Yamamoto throw a no-hitter for the Orix Buffaloes. The right-hander, who just turned 25 years old, will be the most coveted pitcher on the free-agent market this offseason when Orix posts him. He went 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA in 24 games with a sterling 9.3 K/9 and a 1.5 BB/9. He could fetch a deal worth more than $200 million, and the Yankees have a need for pitching after last winter’s high-priced buy, Carlos Rodón, flopped. But the competition for Yamamoto figures to be fierce.
As for Jung Hoo Lee, the Yankees will certainly monitor his market. They scouted him this season — they scout everyone and make calls on everyone, though. (That’s what makes Cashman’s trip to Japan special.) Lee was No. 27 on The Athletic’s Jim Bowden’s list of the top free agents heading into the winter. Lee, 25, was the Korean league’s MVP in 2022, but he suffered an ankle injury that cut this season short. Still, he hit .319 with six homers and 45 RBIs in 85 games. Teams will be intrigued by the outfielder’s solid defense and by the fact he’s walked more times (383) than he’s struck out (304) in his career. Though he hit 23 homers last season, he doesn’t seem to have a lot of pop, but it could play up considering his pretty lefty swing and the short porch in Yankee Stadium. Will the Yankees go after him? I’d imagine they will. But the San Diego Padres, who have South Korea native Ha-Seong Kim, and the San Francisco Giants have also been linked to him. — Kuty
Of the following, what would you rank from highest to lowest priorities for the Yankees to fix? And why would you rank in that order?
Drafting
Player development
Trades and free-agent signings
Health maintenance and injury prevention
Game coaching — Stan H.
My order would be: health maintenance and injury prevention, player development, drafting, trades and free-agent signings, and game coaching.
The No. 1 issue seemingly every year is how banged up the Yankees are. This season, the Yankees finished tied for sixth with the most players on the injured list. But more importantly to Hal Steinbrenner’s pockets, the Yankees spent over $82 million on players occupying the injured list — that was first in MLB by over $12 million. In fact, over the past five seasons, the Yankees have spent $381,980,025 on players who’ve spent time on the injured list! That seems like a problem! But that’s mostly a problem for the pockets of Steinbrenner and Yankees investors rather than the fans watching day in and day out.
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The main issue for fans is how the lack of availability leads to either poor production or poor replacement players. The depth was a main problem for the Yankees this season; they just didn’t have it, and when those players went down, the team crumbled. The Yankees also built a large portion of their team this season on oft-injured players, which is a problem in itself. Figuring out how to address player health has to be one of the main things analyzed this offseason.
Player development and drafting kind of go together, so I’ll lump those two here. The Yankees were counting on the Baby Bombers becoming the next dynasty in the Bronx, but the closest they ever came to the World Series was Game 7 in the 2017 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. Since then, the Yankees have parted with Gary Sánchez, Greg Bird, Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier. They’ll likely part ways with Luis Severino this offseason. The only two Baby Bombers left next season will likely be Gleyber Torres, who has one year left of team control, and Aaron Judge. The Baby Bombers era amounted to a total dud. They’re now in a transitional stage where the next group of Baby Bombers (Anthony Volpe, Jasson Domínguez, Austin Wells and Oswald Peraza) is ready to make an impact in New York. Since the Core Four, the Yankees have done a poor job developing their own talent on the major-league level. Since 2010, Judge has amassed the most fWAR, followed by Brett Gardner and Robinson Canó. In the top 10 during this time period, only Torres and Sánchez came up in the Yankees’ minor leagues — and if you want to get technical, the Yankees traded for Torres. We’ll get to the draft picks below, but the Yankees haven’t had many success stories. Maybe this group will hit, but recent history invites skepticism.
Recent trades have been hit or miss. They’ve hit on Jose Trevino, Wandy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Anthony Rizzo (before his concussion) but have also missed on Frankie Montas, Harrison Bader, Joey Gallo, Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andrew Benintendi (because of injury). This is another area that needs close examination. As far as free agents, I’m still bullish on Rodón being able to figure it out. And signing Gerrit Cole does make up for a lot of the misses the team has had.
In-game coaching is tough to judge. We do not know all that goes into every decision nor will we ever. Do I think Aaron Boone is the team’s biggest problem? Not even close. I also don’t know how much of a positive change the Yankees would have if all of the other problems remain and Boone gets replaced. — Kirschner
Will Boone get fired or change his ways? — Eoin H.
Well, Boone isn’t getting fired. So, no, there won’t be a change at the top of the clubhouse. Might the Yankees suggest to him that he should change how he handles players? It’s possible. His players love him, and they clearly play for him. Judge and Cole have said as much. And I’m no expert in how to run a clubhouse with more authority. But fans have certainly soured on Boone’s endless positivity and his ability to talk around some of his players’ poorest performances. Of course, that’s the nature you want in just about anyone, right? You wouldn’t want your boss to slam you publicly after you had a bad day at work. And there’s little evidence that actually does anything other than make fans feel like situations are being handled when there’s little actual insight into the process. And, as Boone has said, he’s just being as authentic as he can be. Players will pick up on any kind of drastic change in his personality. Being perceived as phony would ruin him. So, going into the final season of his contract, will the Yankees tell him to let loose a little more? Or will he take it upon himself? Or will he remain the same? The bet is on the latter. — Kuty
What’s the assessment of Aaron Judge’s first year as captain? — Gregory C.
When asked about his first year as captain during the final series in Kansas City, Judge mentioned how each year presents different challenges when it comes to leading — no matter how well or how poorly the team is playing. Other than an official title, Judge said he felt no difference in how he led in the clubhouse. Speaking with his teammates, that’s how they felt, too. Judge was looked at as the No. 1 leader last year, and it was the same this season.
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The main difference this year is how Judge feels like he has more power in speaking up when suggesting fundamental changes. That’s not to say the Yankees are going to do whatever he says, but his voice has definitely grown louder. To be frank, I’m not entirely sure it’s a good thing if the Yankees made Judge’s voice the most important one when considering changes. Across sports, players tend to not be the best when evaluating talent. LeBron James is the best example of this. He clearly influences personnel decisions each year — sometimes they’re great, others (Russell Westbrook) are awful and debilitating. This isn’t to say Judge is bad at voicing his opinions on who is good and who is not, but the players don’t have the scouting data, analytical data or the background info on who is and isn’t a good fit for the Yankees.
But when the Yankees are considering sweeping changes, it’s good that the clubhouse has a voice and is represented by Judge and Cole. Their voices shouldn’t be held higher than others, but they should be heard. — Kirschner
What are Omar Minaya and Brian Sabean doing and should they be held accountable at all for this season? — Anonymous
Minaya has had an everyday presence around the Yankees, especially in the second half. Minaya was with the team on its first two road trips of the year in place of Cashman, who stayed back. It’s clear that Minaya and his long track record in MLB front offices is valued by the Yankees and that he’ll have a voice in the offseason when they look to turn things around. As far as Sabean, he’s had less involvement on the ground, spending more of his time at home in Florida and advising on the draft. But he’s also someone Cashman trusts. He, alongside Minaya, could be tapped for his wisdom, especially regarding roster construction philosophy. — Kuty
Am I wrong for thinking that Giancarlo Stanton isn’t completely done as being an above average player? I mean, his exit velocity is still there. Perhaps his approach to hitting might need a fix. — Shaebaun B.
Well, I can tell you for certain that the Yankees are thinking the same way you are, Shaebaun. They have no other choice because he’s still owed $98 million over the next four years.
Stanton Strength 😤 pic.twitter.com/OfKVr3ChPp
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 30, 2023
The exit velocity is still there for Stanton. The bat speed is still there. When he makes contact, there are few players in the league who can hit missiles the way he can. The problem is the quality of contact is decreasing. His barrel rate, hard hit percentage and average exit velocity dropped from 2022. His expected numbers (xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, xOBP) all dropped. His ability to hit a fastball has all but vanished. His xwOBA (formulated using exit velocity, launch angle and sprint speed) dropped from .421 in 2021 to .359 in 2023 against four-seamers.
Stanton’s profile is alarming, especially considering how many lower-body injuries he’s had and how running looks like a chore for him.
He is in desperate need of mechanical fixes for not only his swing but his body, too. A lot needs to change for Stanton to be the player he was a few years ago. — Kirschner
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Why isn’t Derek Jeter a part of Yankees management? Has he been asked? — Christopher B.
The last time Jeter was asked by the media about his intentions of joining management one day was in December at Judge’s captain news conference. At that point, Jeter said he hadn’t made any decision on what he wanted to do in baseball. A couple of months later, he joined Fox Sports as a part-time baseball commentator. As of now, it doesn’t seem like management — on the field or in the front office — is something that interests Jeter. Perhaps that’ll change in the future, but Jeter seems to be enjoying family time. — Kirschner
How is Rizzo doing? He was off to a great start until his collision. Is it realistic, given the nature of his injury, to hope that by March/April he’ll recover in full? What will their options be if he’s not ready? Will they make him “plan A” at first or will they go find a first baseman and assume he won’t be available? — Chris L.
When Rizzo spoke with reporters Sept. 25, he said he was “definitely feeling back to myself, feeling a lot clearer and pretty strong.” He added that he expects to have a normal offseason with the expectation of being full-go when spring training starts. He also said that he has one more checkup, and when that occurs, he expects to be fully cleared.
The one thing about concussions is the symptoms can still spring up without warning. It’s likely something Rizzo and the Yankees will have to be cognizant of. As of now, he’s Plan A at first base. If there are still lingering issues with Rizzo, it’s likely the Yankees will continue using DJ LeMahieu there. — Kirschner
Why are the Yankees so much better at developing relievers than they are at anything else? — Anthony I.
This might be an oversimplification, but in bullpens, velocity and the ability to miss bats seem to be what matter most. The Yankees have done a great job in recent years in targeting arms with tons of power or developing them in the middle rounds of the draft. Often, all a great reliever needs are two high-end pitches, and when you’re a team like the Yankees, who are good at giving those to pitchers, that tends to be a strong suit.
So, why have they had such a hard time elsewhere? That’s a million-dollar question, and it’s one they hope is beginning to change with their next crop of young players — most notably Volpe, Domínguez and Wells.
Their inability to develop consistent starting pitching is a wonder, too. Sure, they helped develop a two-time All-Star in Severino, but he flamed out. Yes, they also developed Jordan Montgomery, who was solid for them for years until the Yankees traded him, and he pitched his way into this year’s playoffs with the Texas Rangers. They also played a big role in developing 2022 All-Star Nestor Cortes. But they haven’t been able to groom and promote that high-end type of starting pitcher since Andy Pettitte. There isn’t a secret cure to the Yankees’ difficulties in this area, though it’s a surprise it hasn’t happened by now. — Kuty
Please list the Yankees’ first-round picks since 2010 and where they are now. — Ron L.
2010 — SS Cito Culver: He hit .299 with a .845 OPS in his fifth straight year playing independent ball.
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2011 — No first-round pick.
2012 — RHP Ty Hensley: Hasn’t played professionally since 2020.
2013 — 3B Eric Jagielo: Hasn’t played professionally since 2018.
2013 — LHP Ian Clarkin: Played this season with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, posting a 5.56 ERA in 16 starts.
2013 — OF Aaron Judge: Team captain, one of the best players in the major leagues.
2014 — No first-round pick.
2015 — RHP James Kaprielian: Had a 6.34 ERA in 14 games (11 starts) for the Oakland A’s this season.
2016 — OF Blake Rutherford: Made his MLB debut this year, hitting .171 in 16 games with the Washington Nationals.
2017 — RHP Clarke Schmidt: Went 9-9 with a 4.64 ERA in 33 games (32 starts) for the Yankees this season.
2018 — C Anthony Seigler: Hit .166 in 67 games at Double-A Somerset.
2019 — SS Anthony Volpe: Hit .209 with 21 homers, 24 stolen bases and a .666 OPS in 159 games for the Yankees this season.
2019 — LHP T.J. Sikkema: Had a 5.85 ERA in 34 relief appearances at Double A for the Royals this season.
2020 — C Austin Wells: Made his MLB debut, hitting .229 in 19 games this season.
2021 — SS Trey Sweeney: Hit .252 with a .777 OPS in 100 games at Double A.
2022 — OF Spencer Jones: Played 17 games at Double A after hitting .268 with a .787 OPS in 100 games at High A.
2023 — SS George Lombard Jr.: Played nine games at Low A. — Kuty
(Photo of Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching in the World Baseball Classic semifinals: Eric Espada / Getty Images)