Category: Sports News

ST. PETERSBURG, FL  — Junior Caminero limped off the Tropicana Field infield past midnight. Less than 20 hours later, he was back in the Tampa Bay Rays lineup.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that his 42-homer third baseman is "fine" and will play in Game 5 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Tampa Bay trails the series 3-1.

"He's been dealing with some lower extremity injuries, but there's a lot of guys that are nicked up right now playing through a lot," Cash said before the game. "(I) know that Cammy will be ready to go today."

Caminero irritated his left foot leading off the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 4, with the Rays down 3-2 and three outs from elimination. He hit a routine grounder to third and ran hard enough to beat Joey Ortiz's errant throw. He pulled up limping at first.

He stayed in the game anyway. When Liam Hicks singled to left-center, Caminero went from first to third.

"Really impressive that he went first and third right there, very instinctual play," Cash said.

As the Yankees enter a long offseason, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes opens up the mailbag to talk about who could be the manager in 2028 and the impending lockout...

Since Boone is in his last year, who is considered for the manager role in 2028? (And please don’t say they’re drawing Boone a new contract!) – Dyamondphillip on Threads

This is the question I always ask myself when I think about the Yankees moving on from Boone (or even Brian Cashman, for that matter): Who else? 

Certainly, plenty of people would want to run the New York Yankees. But we know that doing so is unlike any other job in sports. The ongoing theory seems to be that running the Yankees requires preexisting understanding of what being a part of the organization is like.

And while Hal Steinbrenner is not as prone to making changes as his father was, managing the Yankees in the age of social media might provide an equivalent stressor: Boone is a constant public punching bag, even when the Yankees are winning. Whatever frustration the public has with that approach, his players respect it and people want to play for the Yankees, in part, because Boone takes the punches for them. So the Yankees need someone who understands the scrutiny, accepts that it is part of the job, and has a deep-rooted plan and personality capable of handling it. I think that list is a lot shorter than it feels sometimes.

Now, if the Yankees are replacing Boone, they are probably looking for someone who does things slightly differently. I would assume maybe a more disciplined approach, whether publicly or behind closed doors, might seem appealing if they have decided Boone’s more player-friendly style is not working.

Who are hard-nosed types with experience who understand what it means to be a Yankee and also want to manage? 

Joe Girardi has already parted ways with this organization once. Alex Cora does not necessarily fit that exact description, and his tendency to speak his mind does not jive with a Yankees front office that is relentlessly buttoned up. Perhaps the Yankees wouldn’t mind that approach if he is still available when it is time to move on from Boone. But he never seemed like the clear-cut fit.

Could a former Yankee fit? Maybe. 

Jorge Posada certainly aired his perspective earlier this week on Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman’s excellent podcast. But he has never managed before, and neither have any of his high-profile late-90s contemporaries. Again, the fit is not obvious.

Certainly, the Yankees could decide someone who hasn’t played for the organization would make sense, as long as they were sure that person could handle all that came with it. Carlos Mendoza is a former Boone bench coach. Luis Rojas has managed in New York before, too. But as Boone disciples, neither would necessarily represent a change in direction.

Obviously, this is all hypothetical, as is the premise of your question. But I do feel that, for all the completely understandable angst around Boone after another playoff failure this year, it is not as easy to replace him with someone who will steer them to the playoffs every year as it might seem. Perhaps that is why the Yankees front office did not prioritize a change ahead of a strange offseason. Perhaps they believe Boone is one of the few people who can handle the job reliably at this unique moment in the history of the franchise.

Is there going to be free agency activity before the lockout? @Buffan1712

Yes. How much? I don’t know. But I would absolutely plan on moves getting made. Last time around, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and others signed massive deals in a flurry before the collective bargaining agreement expired. Certainly, the possibility that this CBA will yield a salary cap might give some teams pause about moving before knowing the rules.

But in talking to people in front offices around the sport, the expectation is that any salary cap would be phased in over many years, rather than be implemented immediately with drastic consequences for those who overshoot its limits. Plus, a cap in any form is no guarantee: The union is vehemently opposed to it. A middle ground of some kind seems like a possible outcome, though no one negotiating could possibly admit that now.

I think some teams will be careful. The Dodgers, for example, might have to have some clarity about the rules before making too many financial commitments simply because they have so many, over so many years, already. The Yankees certainly have their fair share of money committed, too.

Maybe that creates caution in free agency, though frankly, free agency does not necessarily seem like the best way for them to address their needs for a more versatile lineup and some bullpen depth. 

The Mets have enough money coming off the books next year that they likely do not have to wait, either. And remember: the owners talk. Steinbrenner, for example, is on the labor committee. He and others will know what the plan is for negotiations and what they could potentially be looking at in terms of rule changes. And they probably won’t agree to deals or CBA changes that would leave them scrambling when the lockout ends.

Will the World Series matchups and outcome affect the owners' bargaining positions post-2026 season? Will it affect the players association? – jrobelen on Threads

The main impact I think the World Series matchup will have is on public opinion. The owners have been planning to push for the cap for years. They, via their representatives at MLB, have had arguments spun for all scenarios for years, too. The one they will use to address the fact that two small-market teams are in the World Series is as follows: “A small-market team had not won the World Series in over a decade (Kansas City, 2015). Before that? The Marlins in 2003. Is that often enough to constitute true competitive balance?” Again, their argument, not mine.

As for the players association, I do think this World Series will offer some fresh public credibility to the argument they’ve been making all along: That the owners do not care about competitive balance at all, and are instead pushing a cap purely to limit their own expenses and pocket a greater, guaranteed share of revenue so they have more cash in the short term and higher franchise values long-term. Union head Bruce Meyer and his staff have been making that argument for years anyway.

But at its heart, I don’t think this World Series changes much because as it picks apart competitive balance arguments, it exposes the fact that those arguments were never at the heart of these negotiations to begin with.

Obviously, the owners want to make more money. That is their incentive. Obviously, the players association will never want to agree to a salary cap because it limits what their stars can make. That is a huge incentive. So neither side entered these negotiations prioritizing the health of the game, whatever they say to the contrary. They are protecting their right to make money, then trying to frame those arguments in a way that suggests their way is better for the sport.

But remember: The best thing for the sport is not to have a lockout in which players and owners fight over millions of dollars while non-team employees who rely on the sport miss much smaller paychecks and, in some cases, lose jobs. Not to mention the fans who struggle to get by while watching public arguments over millions and billions. The best way to ensure competitive balance is…well, to have competition, not spend the spring arguing in boardrooms.

So no, I don’t think the World Series affects anyone’s positions. If anything, it affects the battle for public opinion, which could matter as time goes on. The owners will push for a cap because it benefits them financially. The players will fight it with all their might because a cap limits their earning power over time. At its heart, this CBA negotiation was never, and will never be, about competitive balance anyway. And I do not think the Brewers or Rays have done anything to change that.

Baseball by June: Agree or Disagree. @lee_w18

Agree. But I have never been less sure of how something will end than I am these negotiations.

On Monday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic compiled a ten-item list to return the Yankees to the World Series. We shared it on the site as part of Tuesday’s news roundup, and it generated a fair bit of conversation. I thought we could take the time today to comb over the ten recommendations with a critical eye, seeing what aligns and what conflicts with our vision for the team and how to get them back into the Fall Classic.

First, the list:

1. Extend the QO to David Bednar
2. Let Jazz Chisholm Jr. walk in free agency
3. Hold a competition between Anthony Volpe and José Caballero for second
4. Revisit playing Luis García Jr. at second or third
5. Commit to Carlos LaGrange as a reliever full time
6. Sign a right-handed catcher
7. Pursue reliever Adrian Morejon in free agency
8. Check in on Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes
9. Acquire Steven Kwan
10. Don’t overreact to Rays making World Series

Rather than respond to all ten items, I would rather combine elements and sentiments of each to find out how close or far apart Kirschner and I are on our evaluation of the Yankees’ needs and their avenues to address them.

Right off the bat, I’ll say that I agree with points three, five, and ten and don’t have much more to add to what Kirschner wrote. I also want to note the uncertainty over the financial landscape of the league post-CBA negotiations. What we do know based on public comments is that Hal Steinbrenner has been probably the owner most vocal in his support of instituting a salary cap, the most recent offer from the league to the union a $245.3 million cap, $171.2 million floor, and 50-percent revenue sharing. Many fans wondered why the owner of the most valuable franchise in the sport would voluntarily sign away the financial advantage he holds over lower revenue teams, however this presumes his motivations are driven by competitive advantage and not by appreciating his franchise’s value via the greater cost certainty that a cap would bring.

We can agree that Steinbrenner has been consistent in his desire to rein in payroll spending, so as always we have to view future planning through that lens. This affects points one, six, and seven. I certainly agree that the Yankees should extend the qualifying offer to David Bednar. At $23.15 million, the QO sits at the very top of the reliever market by AAV, but with the payoff of just a one-year commitment and possible draft pick compensation should he decline. However, I would simultaneously work towards negotiating a multi-year deal, somewhere in the two-to-three year range to lower AAV, as Bednar finally brought long sought-after stability to the closer role.

That being said, I would not be as willing to commit significant dollars to any reliever beyond Bednar. This includes Morejon, who projects to be the best reliever on the free agent market and a left-handed weapon the Yankees sorely need in their ‘pen. Matt Blake’s continued success in churning out high leverage relievers from pretty much anyone he gets his hands on is an incredible money-saving asset for the Yankees, helping remove the risk of investing substantial money in the most fungible position on the roster.

As for backup catcher, I’m not so much wed to a right-hander so much as literally anyone who’s a viable major league backup after suffering through the dregs of J.C. Escarra and Ali Sánchez. I’m probably more confident than most that Austin Wells is back to himself after recovering from the cervical headaches that plagued his early season — we’ve seen on too many occasions the affect head injuries have had on recent Yankees — and the rehabilitation of his bat along with his ever-elite defense means I’m comfortable with him getting the majority of reps behind the plate. As such, I think you can avoid another expenditure here on an investment in a productive but costly right-handed backup like Carson Kelly or Ryan Jeffers and sign a true second-stringer for a fraction of the cost.

That brings us to the conundrum of second and third base. Here is where I diverge the most from Kirschner. I think the Yankees should bring Jazz Chisholm Jr. back, preferably on the QO. In a league that is scant on high value second baseman and a free agent cupboard pretty bare of impact hitters, Jazz is your best option at the keystone. Even in a down year he generates such a high floor with his solid glove and elite base running, so this is not the same situation as the Trent Grisham QO, who was coming off an anomalous career-year — admittedly with batted-ball data to back it up but worsening defense and hamstrings that were likely already shot. I don’t love the idea of a declining-OBP Luis Arraez in a park that suppresses singles and I’m skeptical that Brandon Lowe is suddenly an able defender at second for the first time entering his age-32 season.

Speaking of defense, I am absolutely not on board with hoping García can man second or third. He is an absolute butcher with the glove at both positions, though proved himself more than capable at first. I would like to see him at first as much as possible given Ben Rice’s struggles at the position with Rice living as your primary DH. This begs the question of what Giancarlo Stanton’s future looks like, and I regret to say that I think there is a strong possibility he could get DFA’d this winter. He’s been my favorite Yankee since joining the team on account of his stoicism in the face of criticism and postseason heroics, but with the Marlins paying $10 million this coming season and the next I could see them eating the remaining $15 million.

Incorporating part of point eight, the two trade targets I believe the Yankees should be pursuing in earnest this winter are Jeremy Peña and CJ Abrams. The Yankees have not had a game-changing slugger up the middle since Robinson Canó and this pair represents two of the best middle infielders in the league. Neither projects long term for shortstop, and their weaker gloves and arms seem destined for second. Kirschner noted Isaac Paredes’ terrible glove and pull-side approach that would suffer without the Crawford Boxes which is why I would stay away from the Astros’ third baseman.

Instead, I’m convincing myself more and more each day on NPB star Teruaki Sato. There are questions about his glove and how his bat would make the adjustment to MLB pitching. However, there were similar questions facing Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto and the pair just put up three-win seasons while slugging well over 30 bombs each. Plus, I would love to see the Yankees reestablish a foothold in the Japanese market when you look at the amount of commercial revenue the Dodgers have reaped and the allure their existing Japanese core has for future signees. An ideal scenario for me would see the Yankees acquire one of Peña or Abrams and one of Jazz or Sato, that resulting pair of players significantly raising the floor of the Yankees infield as it currently stands.

That brings me to the point that I hadn’t considered before reading Kirschner’s list and one that seems like a slam dunk. Steven Kwan and his .357 OBP and elite bat-to-ball skills seems like the perfect profile for a prospective leadoff hitter. He’s always been an able defender and acquitted himself well in his first season as a primary center fielder. While I wonder about the sustainability of the four-point jump up in his walk rate in 2026, he’s still never posted below three fWAR in five seasons with a ceiling as a 125-130 wRC+ hitter. I wouldn’t balk at headlining a potential deal with Spencer Jones despite how impressed I was at his mid-season adjustments and growing comfort at the plate, though I question Jones’ fit in an organization that doesn’t seem to prioritize high power at the expense of low contact.

In all, I’d say I’m in more agreement than not with Kirschner’s vision for the Yankees’ offseason. I’d say I’m a little more wary of the budgetary constraints and therefore reallocated those funds to the areas of the roster I feel are more dire needs, though I’d also say my aims are slightly more ambitious. Despite the sting of the sweep in the ALDS, this team is not that far away from the top of the AL and I hope ownership recognizes this and authorizes the necessary reinforcements to get it there.

Drew Rasmussen will start Game 5 for the Tampa Bay Rays, their second consecutive do-or-die contest in this World Series. 

Rasmussen started Game 2 and will make this start on just three days' rest, a significant departure from his routine during the regular season, when the club often afforded him extra rest. Rasmussen has undergone three major arm surgeries since 2017. 

"Ras is going to take the ball and give us what he can give us," Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters.