Pinstripe Alley Nov 22, 2022
Yankees Potential Free Agent Target: Xander Bogaerts
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports The Yankees have a current need at shortstop and the ability to shift him to third when he’s older. No matter how you splice it, shortstop was a hole for the Yankees in 2022, pretty much by design. Acquired as part of the blockbuster March trade that brought Josh Donaldson to the Bronx, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was the very definition of a stopgap, a relatively cheap veteran who would be replaced as soon as one of the top prospects — Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, or Anthony Volpe — was ready to take the job. He pretty much played to...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 20, 2022
NYY News: Veteran contracts for sale
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson are on the trade block; DJ LeMahieu’s toe injury to be reevaluated in six weeks; Aaron Judge surprises fans on Jimmy Fallon Sports Illustrated | Max Goodman: Despite having all eyes on the Aaron Judge sweepstakes, the Yankees still have an offseason to get through. According to Joel Sherman (original article for New York Post Sports+ subscribers only), part of that plan includes trying to “part ways with two veterans that struggled in pinstripes this season,” Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson. With both...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 11, 2022
Yankees Mailbag: Looking for optimism, Judge’s legacy, and Josh Donaldson
Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr,/Newsday RM via The mailbag is in a reflective mood this week. Good morning everyone, it’s time for another edition of the mailbag. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com. Mumble1 asks: My question as a lifelong Yankees fan is why should I have any optimism for next year at all when you have a stubborn general manager who continues to try to defy Einstein‘s theory of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I’m not going to...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 11, 2022
Making sense of the Yankees’ commitment to Josh Donaldson
Photo by Carmen Mandato/ With just one year left on his contract, it appears the Yankees are prepared to stick it out with the veteran third baseman. Speaking with reporters during the GM meetings, Brian Cashman dropped the following bomb on Yankees fans. Here at GM meetings, Brian Cashman says Josh Donaldson is the Yankees’ third baseman next year. Cash went on to laud Donaldson’s defense and says his offense is better than what he showed last season, they believe he still has a lot left— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) November 8, 2022 Immediately, a...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 11, 2022
Who are the Yankees’ most valuable major league trade chips?
Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via The Yankees are always active on the winter trade market, and have a few pieces on the major league roster who could find themselves in new uniforms soon. Every winter, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman actively patrols the trade market, typically making at least one or two moves to shore up a hole on the roster. Last year, that was flipping Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela to the Minnesota Twins for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and (allegedly) Ben Rortvedt. The year before that he swung a deal for Jameson Taillon, who...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 9, 2022
Yankees 2022 Report Cards: Josh Donaldson
Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Where to begin with one of the season’s biggest disappointments? When Andrew posted the signup sheet for the staff to pick whose report cards to write, I grabbed Josh Donaldson right away. I felt I owed it, given that I was legitimately excited about him coming over from the Twins last offseason. He was an elite hitter and better yet, one of the deepest thinkers about the art of hitting in the game today. I thought he would be a huge offensive addition and one that would age well given his astuteness. To put it plainly,...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 9, 2022
Today on Pinstripe Alley - 11/9/22
Set Number: X164076 T.G.I.Wednesday. Or something. It’s sometimes hard to believe how quickly we go from baseball in nailbiting World Series form to the top story on MLB Trade Rumors for the day being “AJ Pollock To Decline Player Option.” Good luck to AJ Pollock I suppose, but I don’t really care about him. Today on the site, Josh will slap a justifiably harsh grade on Josh Donaldson’s 2022 season in pinstripes, and Jake will offer up a mini-primer on the qualifying offer system and which Yankees could end up receiving one (plus how it might impact the...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 4, 2022
The Yankees have viable internal options to replace Donaldson
Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Donaldson was a slick defender, but his offensive upside is severely limited at this point. The Yankees traded for Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa before the 2022 season hoping that they could be starters on the left side of the infield. IKF disappointed with the bat and the glove, while most of Donaldson’s value came as a fielder at the hot corner. When you pay someone more than $20 million for a single season, you expect better than a .222/.308/.374 line and a 97 wRC+. Yes, Donaldson was one of the best defensive...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 4, 2022
Aaron Boone shouldn’t be so confident in Josh Donaldson
Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Despite struggling over the course of 2022, the Yankees’ manager expressed faith in Donaldson heading into 2023. Earlier this week, I wrote an article detailing five priorities for the New York Yankees’ front office for the upcoming busy winter, and third base is one of them. Josh Donaldson failed to get it done at the plate throughout the season, slashing .222/.308/.374 with a wRC+ of 97, the worst of his 12-year career. The soon-to-be 37-year-old infielder is owed $21 million for the 2023 season, plus $6 million in...
Pinstripe Alley Nov 3, 2022
NYY News: Aaron Boone fields questions
Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Boone holds court; what we learned in 2022; Somerset Patriots honored; hit the ball over the fence NJ.com | Bridget Hyland: Ahead of his joint press conference with GM Brian Cashman today, Aaron Boone appeared on The Michael Kay Show on Thursday to answer media questions for the first time since the end of the ALCS. Boone continued to put his faith in both Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, noting the latter could be the starting shortstop next year. MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: End-of-season retrospectives are in full swing, and...
Call to the Pen Nov 3, 2022
New York Yankees rumors: Trading Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson
The New York Yankees have to try to do something this offseason. Their focus on fiscal responsibility has led to what could be a painful offseason. Aaron Judge headlines a laundry list of key free agents whose departures could be quite painful. Those payroll issues and concerns about roster flexibility could lead to players who […] New York Yankees rumors: Trading Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson - Call to the Pen - Call to the Pen - A Major League Baseball Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
Pinstripe Alley Nov 2, 2022
NYY News: Bader concerned Judge could leave
Photo by Sarah Stier/ Harrison Bader preparing for life without Aaron Judge; Yankees need to move on from Josh Donaldson, Aaron Hicks; Ex-Yankees bench coach leading Phillies to success; José Canseco begs Judge to leave New York “dump” New York Post | Dan Martin: Aaron Judge’s free agency stands as the biggest question facing the Yankees this winter and his now ex-teammate warns of the very real possibility that the MVP-elect has played his final game in pinstripes. Harrison Bader pointed to Albert Pujols leaving the Cardinals for the Angels in free agency as...
Pinstripe Alley Oct 29, 2022
Josh Donaldson is an example of an applauded move that didn’t quite work out
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Josh Donaldson struggled more than we all expected he could have in 2022. The Yankees’ 2022 season through all of its ups and downs has certainly given us plenty to talk about. There has been more than one head-scratching move in recent memory, and it is very easy to assume a position of everything is wrong, and wholesale changes are a must when nothing is quite that simple. The harder reality is that even certain moves that looked like slam-dunks at the time also delivered questionable results at best, and no case better represents that...
Pinstripe Alley Oct 28, 2022
The Yankees should consider all their options with Gleyber Torres
Photo by Elsa/ The second baseman is a passable regular, but listening to trade offers for him may not be such a bad idea. The Yankees’ offseason will be filled with many questions, and we will be getting the answers bit by bit. There is Aaron Judge and his future, Anthony Rizzo’s player option, the left field situation. There’s what will happen with Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and what kind of role will Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera have in 2023. And that’s only the position player side of things. Speaking of position players on the Yankees,...
