Aug 23, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) runs to first base after hitting a single against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners-New York Yankees rivalry may be making a comeback for the first time since perhaps 2001.
Seattle defeated the Yankees on Wednesday by the final of 4-3 to earn the series victory in their three-game set. After the game, Mariners reliever Paul Sewald, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up the save, took a swipe at the Bronx Bombers.
“We don’t have Aaron Judge on our team,” said Sewald, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. “We don’t have a $35 million pitcher [Gerrit Cole]. But we have 26 guys that are all really good and all have a key part of this team. And when they do their job, we end up winning more games than we’re losing and that’s the key.”
The Mariners do have a bottom-ten payroll in the league at $112 million. Yet they still sit at 61-52 (good for the second American League Wild Card spot) thanks to colossal contributions from players on team-friendly contracts like rookie phenom Julio Rodriguez and All-Star slugger Ty France. Meanwhile, the Yankees have over double that payroll at $251 million, which is third in Major League Baseball and tops in the AL.
Of course, the Yankees are still the AL’s team to beat at a sparkling 71-41 on the year. But with the Mariners also beating out the Yankees in other ways this season, one could argue that what Seattle has done is more impressive.
Apr 16, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees broadcaster Cameron Maybin prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Cameron Maybin is in the middle of his first season as a color commentator for the YES Network, and it may be safe to say that the former MLB outfielder still needs to work on his new craft.
During the bottom of the second inning of the New York Yankees’ 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, the YES cameras captured a person rubbing a baseball with a substance. While it was unclear what the substance was, it may have been rubbing mud that is used to treat balls in order to give pitchers a better grip and better control.
Maybin then uttered what came across as a sexual innuendo that may have caused the YES booth to lose their grip on the broadcast for a brief period of time.
“Yeah, I’ve rubbed up quite a few balls in my life,” Maybin said.
After Maybin’s remark, the broadcast went silent except for the natural sounds of the game.
“Sure it was a good learning experience,” play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco responded after about 20 seconds.
It is possible that the “dump button” may have been hit after Maybin’s comment. During a broadcast, which typically has a delay, the “dump button” allows any potential profanity or other commentary not suitable for air to be removed before ever making it to air. Perhaps both Maybin and Ruocco could not stop laughing afterwards, or another less appropriate comment was made.
Maybin has had some good moments in the booth this season as well. In June, he was able to describe a gross dugout game that a few Yankees players were participating in.
Sep 24, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong (11) smiles after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning of game 2 of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Paul DeJong looked like he had a score to settle against the Yankees this weekend … probably because he has a score to settle against the Yankees.
The St. Louis Cardinals slugger DeJong fire-grilled the Yankees during Sunday’s game, collecting two hits and two walks in a 12-9 St. Louis win. That included a cold-blooded three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Cards a four-run lead (just as the Yankees were rallying).
After the game, a funny old tweet that DeJong posted in 2011 went viral. The tweet read simply, “I hate the yankees.”
DeJong, who was just 18 when he posted the tweet, is a native of Orlando, Fla. and has said that he grew up an Atlanta Braves fan. The Yankees beat the Braves in the World Series in both 1996 and 1999, so perhaps DeJong’s earliest baseball memories are of the Bronx Bombers slaying his team.
The ex-All-Star DeJong certainly got his revenge on Sunday though. But when it comes to these old tweets, they are always a wild card. Just a few days ago, we saw it go the other way with a different MLB player.
Joey Gallo is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which comes as a big relief for him.
Gallo and Joely Rodriguez were acquired by the New York Yankees at last year’s trade deadline for four prospects. Gallo had spent his entire career with Texas, whose fans he said understood that he was a low-average, big-power, high-strikeout player. But with the Yankees, Gallo’s average dropped even more, and so did his power.
Gallo batted .159 with a .660 OPS in 140 games with the Yankees spread over two seasons.
He conducted an interview with NJ.com that was published on Tuesday. In the interview, Gallo expressed just how much his struggles and his negative treatment from Yankees fans weighed on him.
The 28-year-old said he tried to avoid going out so he wouldn’t see Yankees fans.
Q: What’s it been like for you when Yankees fans notice you on the streets? Are they rough on you away from the ballpark, too?
Gallo: I don’t go out in the streets.
Q: That’s sad.
Gallo: Yeah. I really don’t want to show my face too much around here.
That’s really tough. Even if he wasn’t performing and Yankees fans were unhappy with him, hearing someone admit like that how depressed they were is not easy.
You can read the entire interview here.
Gallo is a career .201 hitter with a career .801 OPS. He has averaged 39 home runs per 162 games during his MLB career. You can understand why the Yankees might have felt Gallo would mash at Yankee Stadium, but things did not work out for him there.
Given how miserable he was in New York and how poorly things were going, the trade to the Dodgers was best for all parties.
Aug 14, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Joey Gallo (13) in the dugout after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees traded disappointing slugger Joey Gallo on Tuesday, which was not a surprise. The team taking Gallo, however, is a bit unexpected.
The Yankees are trading Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to multiple reports. The Yankees are getting Double-A pitcher Clayton Beeter in exchange for Gallo.
Gallo was a big disappointment in New York. The Yankees added him last year with a great deal of fanfare, but he hit an abysmal .159 during his stint with the team. That may have been manageable if not for the fact that his trademark power disappeared, and he hit a modest 25 home runs with a .368 slugging percentage in 140 games.
The Dodgers are a peculiar landing spot for Gallo for a few reasons. There is no obvious lineup spot for him, and if he was hoping to avoid a big market, Los Angeles certainly will not tick that box. There were reports that he had hoped to go to another California team instead, but he ultimately might just be happy to get out of New York at this point.
Jul 29, 2021; Anaheim, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) sits in the dugout during the fifth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees made an exciting addition to their pitching staff on Monday, but the news might not be so exciting for another Yankees starter.
Righty starter Frankie Montas was acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. Prospects Ken Waldichuk, Luis Medina, JP Sears, and Cooper Bowman went to Oakland with righty reliever Lou Trivino accompanying Montas to New York.
After the Montas news was announced however, the Yankees turned around and placed starter Luis Severino on the 60-day injured list. Severino, who is battling a right lat strain, is now ineligible to return until mid-September.
The trade for Montas combined with the surprise transfer of Severino to the 60-day IL might indicate a possible issue with Severino’s health. Severino, who has made just 19 starts over the last four seasons due to Tommy John surgery, also dealt with a separate lat strain in 2019 and missed six weeks.
With Montas in tow, the Yankees have the luxury of entering the postseason with Gerrit Cole, Montas, and Nestor Cortes as their top three starters. They also have Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery (both of whom own sub-3.75 ERAs this season) to round out the rotation.
If Severino cannot return this season or can only pitch out of the bullpen in the playoffs, the Yankees now have a viable contingency plan. With the team also pursuing another big-name righty before landing on Montas, perhaps that tells us there is some skepticism over Severino’s status right now.
Dec 10, 2019; San Diego, CA, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone speaks to the media during the MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sport
The New York Yankees were in heavy pursuit of Luis Castillo, but they came up short in their bid to acquire the standout starter. Now, they are reportedly pivoting to a different trade target.
The Yankees have shifted their attention to Oakland Athletics starter Frankie Montas, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Montas is now the Yankees’ top target after the Seattle Mariners beat them to the punch on a Castillo trade.
The Yankees are clearly prioritizing starting pitching ahead of the trade deadline. They will be disappointed to have not landed Castillo, who was regarded as the top pitcher on the market and was a clear priority for the organization.
The 29-year-old Montas is not as highly regarded as Castillo, but does have a solid track record of success. He has a 3.73 career ERA and has posted a 3.18 ERA this season. He has consistently struck out over a batter an inning over his career, and finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting last season. He is also readily available with Oakland in the midst of an organizational fire sale.
Aug 14, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Joey Gallo (13) in the dugout after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo is widely expected to be traded by the August 2 MLB trade deadline, and the struggling slugger apparently has one landing spot in mind.
NJ.com’s Randy Miller reported on Thursday that Gallo was hoping to be traded to the San Diego Padres.
Padres GM A.J. Preller was a Texas Rangers executive during Gallo’s early years in the organization, and San Diego was reportedly interested in acquiring Gallo ahead of last year’s deadline.
The Rangers traded Gallo and lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez to the Yankees last July for prospects Josh Smith, Glenn Otto, Ezequiel Duran and Trevor Hauver. Otto made his debut in the majors with Texas last season, while Smith was called up earlier this year.
The Yankees are reportedly actively shopping Gallo ahead of the deadline, especially after trading for former Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi on Wednesday.
New York acquired Gallo to provide power from the left side of the plate, but things have not worked out for the 28-year-old in the Bronx. Although he had always hit for a low batting average during his career, Gallo had made up for it with multiple 40-home run seasons. That has not been the case this year. In 81 games entering Friday, Gallo was hitting .159 with just 12 homers, 24 RBI and 37 hits.
Mar 14, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with media during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees are shaping up to be one of the most active teams ahead of the MLB trade deadline. That may include moving some players out as well as bringing them in.
One Yankee who could be on the move is outfielder Joey Gallo, who has struggled in 2022. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have been actively shopping Gallo ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline. The San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers are both interested, according to Heyman, but are currently prioritizing trade talks for Washington’s Juan Soto instead.
The Yankees acquired Gallo ahead of last year’s trade deadline, and his left-handed power bat was supposed to be a good fit for Yankee Stadium. It simply has not worked out that way, as the former All-Star simply has not adapted to New York. The 28-year-old is hitting just .161 on the season with 12 home runs.
A Gallo trade may have grown even more likely on Wednesday, as the Yankees acquired another outfielder who will probably take a lot of Gallo’s playing time. Gallo’s value is diminished, though, so the organization may not get quite what they want for him in a deal.
Jun 9, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi (16) hits a double against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Andrew Benintendi is back in the AL East, though this time with a new team.
The New York Yankees on Wednesday acquired Benintendi in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Royals are getting three pitchers as part of the deal: Chandler Champlain, Beck Way and TJ Sikkema.
Champlain, 23, was a 9th-round pick in last year’s draft out of USC. He is in Single-A. Way was a 4th-round pick in 2020 out of junior college. He has a 3.85 ERA in 33 career minor league starts. Sikkema was a first-round pick in 2019 and has some strong numbers in High-A ball this season. He has 54 strikeouts in 36.1 innings and a 2.48 ERA.
The trade is unsurprising considering the AL East leaders had been linked to Benintendi in rumors over the last few weeks. There was one potential hiccup in a Benintendi trade, and that has to do with potential issues playing in Toronto. That may no longer be an issue.
The 28-year-old outfielder is having his best season ever by batting average. He is batting .321 but only has a .399 slugging percentage and three home runs. The Yankees are hoping that his bat remains hot through the rest of the season. He also will provide solid defense in the outfield, and he has plenty of experience in the AL East after spending five seasons in Boston.
The acquisition comes the same week the Yankees placed outfielder Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list.
