The Official 2024 New York Yankees Thread

[Hey Adrien!]

I don't typically follow the players when they're in the minors, outside of the top guys. Was Wells a highly regarded prospect? Is the hitting we're seeing lately what folks always expected from him or are we seeing him playing above his level?

Yes. Per mlb.com, Wells was the Yankees 4th best prospect in 2022 and 2023 after being a first round pick in 2020. Had the pleasure to watch him play against the Yardgoats last year.

Now that Rizzo is back, fingers cross he can be at least replacement level. At least his K% and whiff rate has been in the 80th percentile, so in the playoffs we just need the ball in play.

 

[cohenzone]

Shouldn’t write while watching - and granted Yanks are still,in 1st place - but how is it there are 1000 pitchers who throw strike out level fast balls as relievers and NY has none. All junk pitchers who have to be perfect. I”m not totally down on Cashman although he is average at best , but striking out at the trade deadline for shut down relievers was horrible.

 

[huskeynut]

The pitching and especially the bullpen has been terrible. No trade deadline move was made to upgrade the pen.

 

[Scoe]

I joke about this organization throwing games and then you see this

x.com

x.com

It's no big deal it's only September, Dominguez only needs a week before the postseason. So what if Verdugo is batting under .200 and we're a .5 game ahead of Baltimore now.

 

[billythekid]

This is definitely a flawed Yankee team, but the whole league seems to be filled with flawed teams. Doesn't look like there will be a single 100-game winner this season. The key will be which team gets hot during the playoffs. The Yankees have shown that they can get on that type of run and have pitchers capable of it. Doesn't mean that they will as who knows what to expect from this staff outside of Cole, but they've got as good a shot as any of the teams likely to make the playoffs.

 

[Omahabound]

The division may be decided this week. Asking the White Sox to get one game in Baltimore is a lot and 3 in Texas for NY is a tough ask as well. The series losses to St. Louis Det and Wash may doom em’

 

[Dove]

His name...is Clay Holmes.

Send him to AAA.

 

[cohenzone]

If Boone ever uses Holmes again as a closer he is incompetent. He is unwatchable.

One thing you can say about Holmes. You know what you will get when he gets the ball. Very reliable

 

[Scoe]

If Boone ever uses Holmes again as a closer he is incompetent. He is unwatchable.

One thing you can say about Holmes. You know what you will get when he gets the ball. Very reliable

You already know he will still close games. Common sense doesn't apply to this organization. A winning season is the only priority for Hal.

 

[cohenzone]

You already know he will still close games. Common sense doesn't apply to this organization. A winning season is the only priority for Hal.

I literally stop watching when he comes in. I am usually not that kind of fan, don’t take sports that seriously. But I am a very senior citizen and don’t want to die of Holmes failure. So when he comes in, I look at my Yes app to check on game progress. It should make no difference, but somehow seems more tolerable.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Wasting one of Judge’s best years and Soto’s rental.

I can’t believe Holmes was on the All-Star team. Notice the phrasing…he happened to be on the team. Certainly nowhere near being an all-star.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I had the feeling back in January & February that the Yankees would never make the World Series!
Hal and Cashman said "we're all in!"
Which to me means they will do EVERYTHING humanly possible to get a WS winning team for 2024, but the Soto deal was great and the pickup of Jazz was also great but the Yanks in February needed a 3rd baseman, LF, Catcher, 1st baseman, 2 starting pitchers and at least 2 relief pitchers! So I guess both weren't ALL IN!
Their 2 relief pitchers picked up at the trade deadline really, really stink!
And September 1st they bring up Duke Ellis not Jasson Dominguez! They must see dreams in Verdugo!
Thanks Cashman!
If George were alive since 2009 NY would have won at least 3 to 4 WS and Bryce Harper and JT Realimuto would be Yankees not Phillies!
Disgusting!
And I'll bet the ranch Hal won't really try to sign Soto and let him go to the Mets or Dodgers because he doesn't have the $!

 

[Omahabound]

Need some help from Tampa this weekend. I doubt Balt loses today. 3 of 4 losses for the yanks this week and Balt might be tough take catch up even 3 games with 18-20 left by then.

 

[cohenzone]

I had the feeling back in January & February that the Yankees would never make the World Series!
Hal and Cashman said "we're all in!"
Which to me means they will do EVERYTHING humanly possible to get a WS winning team for 2024, but the Soto deal was great and the pickup of Jazz was also great but the Yanks in February needed a 3rd baseman, LF, Catcher, 1st baseman, 2 starting pitchers and at least 2 relief pitchers! So I guess both weren't ALL IN!
Their 2 relief pitchers picked up at the trade deadline really, really stink!
And September 1st they bring up Duke Ellis not Jasson Dominguez! They must see dreams in Verdugo!
Thanks Cashman!
If George were alive since 2009 NY would have won at least 3 to 4 WS and Bryce Harper and JT Realimuto would be Yankees not Phillies!
Disgusting!
And I'll bet the ranch Hal won't really try to sign Soto and let him go to the Mets or Dodgers because he doesn't have the $!

It’s all pretty odd especially the totally erratic relievers. Starters seem mostly to have gotten back to early season good form. I thought Verdugo was a decent pick up and he has mostly disappointed. Stanton has actually been pretty steady but of course his usual 6 weeks absence due to a sore pinky. I won’t be surorised one way or the other with Soto’s future. I’m sure batting in front of Judge must be heaven for him. The sparse use of a pretty decent Cabrera, especially in Rizzo’s absence and DJ a shadow of himself is also weak management.

But to the point of closers, Boone has to use what is available and that is on Cashman. To me, the best closers come in thinking guys can’t hit them. The best have live fast balls with maybe one decent other weapon. Holmes is a contact pitcher with too often lousy command of the zone. To me it looks more like he is fishing around to get guys out rather than knowing he will own them. Absent a late acquisition, i don’t know who on the staff can be a regular closer. A few guys are more consistent than Holmes, but closer mentality who knows. But it sure can’t hurt to try one of them like Weaver or Hill to see. Holmes has had way too much rope.

 

[billythekid]

Any chance that Gil will return soon enough to try out as closer? He certainly has the stuff to make hitters miss.

 

[Omahabound]

Not a good series in Texas and the White Sox even managed to win a game in Baltimore…still a half game back.

 

[Scoe]

This team isn't winning jack in the playoffs, I hope they make me eat crow but I just have no confidence in this team at all. Judge and Soto have been slumping they are human.

 

[Omahabound]

This team isn't winning jack in the playoffs, I hope they make me eat crow but I just have no confidence in this team at all. Judge and Soto have been slumping they are human.

It’s not the lack of confidence rather how many opportunities Baltimore has given them since late June to grab a hold of this division and try n see if they can patchwork a run together in the playoffs once they did that. This is a perfect example of baseball…the adage is win series and all takes care of itself. Not true, a few sweeps instead of series wins were needed. There’s still 3 weeks to get it and imo the yanks need home field advantage

 

[Hey Adrien!]

If Boone ever uses Holmes again as a closer he is incompetent. He is unwatchable.

One thing you can say about Holmes. You know what you will get when he gets the ball. Very reliable

ERAs, WHIP and K/9 since the All-Star break:

Holmes: 4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 10.7 K/9
Kahnle: 1.02 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 8.2 K/9
Cousins: 3.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11.8 K/9

With Effross back, Hill consistent and Gil probably moving down the pen soon (and even possibly Schmidt), the Yankees have options, but Holmes cannot continue as the closer.

Kahnle's got closer experience but honestly, with the way he's been pitching, Cousins might be the guy for now.

 

[cohenzone]

ERAs, WHIP and K/9 since the All-Star break:

Holmes: 4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 10.7 K/9
Kahnle: 1.02 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 8.2 K/9
Cousins: 3.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 11.8 K/9

With Effross back, Hill consistent and Gil probably moving down the pen soon (and even possibly Schmidt), the Yankees have options, but Holmes cannot continue as the closer.

Kahnle's got closer experience but honestly, with the way he's been pitching, Cousins might be the guy for now.

Last night NY found a way to avoid Holmes. Use Leiter and all is cured. Could Cashman have found two worse bullpen guys st the trade deadline?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The best thing the Yankees have going for them is that the rest of MLB is also flawed. My biggest concern is that they are behaving as if they are programmed to lose and sadly, regardless of what matchups they end up with, it won't matter as they could get knocked off by anyone.

I would go into the playoffs with an unconventional pitching staff configuration: Game 1 Cole six innings, Cortez three innings. Game 2 Rodon six innings, Gil three innings. Game three Strohman six innings, Schmidt three innings. Back to Cole/Cortez, etc. Basically a three man rotation modified to use six pitchers. Then hope for the best.

 

[Omahabound]

Any chance that Gil will return soon enough to try out as closer? He certainly has the stuff to make hitters miss.

If not this season you’d think they’ll consider it in spring training.

 

[Scoe]

The best thing the Yankees have going for them is that the rest of MLB is also flawed. My biggest concern is that they are behaving as if they are programmed to lose and sadly, regardless of what matchups they end up with, it won't matter as they could get knocked off by anyone.

I would go into the playoffs with an unconventional pitching staff configuration: Game 1 Cole six innings, Cortez three innings. Game 2 Rodon six innings, Gil three innings. Game three Strohman six innings, Schmidt three innings. Back to Cole/Cortez, etc. Basically a three man rotation modified to use six pitchers. Then hope for the best.

Just imagine if the Yankees got Jack Flaherty at the deadline, I know Flaherty isn't an ace but it would've had a huge trickle down effect on the rotation and the pen.

Your rotation with Flaherty

Cole
Rodon
Flaherty
Cortes
Stroman
Gil
Schmidt

Look how much stronger your pen would've been for the playoffs.

 

[Scoe]

If not this season you’d think they’ll consider it in spring training.

Gil should be in the rotation, for this year though he should be in the pen.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Just imagine if the Yankees got Jack Flaherty at the deadline, I know Flaherty isn't an ace but it would've had a huge trickle down effect on the rotation and the pen.

Your rotation with Flaherty

Cole
Rodon
Flaherty
Cortes
Stroman
Gil
Schmidt

Look how much stronger your pen would've been for the playoffs.

One thing that irritated me was something I read shortly before the trade deadline. The Giants were shopping Snell and, as he can and almost definitely will opt out of the contract after the season ends, were asking for a B level prospect for him. A few "experts" stated that there was little chance that he wouldn't opt out at season's end and try free agency again.

The only reason I can think as to why the Yankees didn't trade for him was a fear of an injury, leading him to not opt out. He could have helped tremendously and then walked, not impacting the effort to sign Soto in the offseason.