December 12, 2025

126 thoughts on “SNY.com: Yankees non-tender five players, including Mark Leiter Jr. and Ian Hamilton”

  3. Did anyone else ever notice that when viewing this website on a mobile device, the posts are significantly lagging behind as compared to when you view the site on a desktop or laptop? Like hours behind.

    2. What happens to me on my phone, on iPad both Safari and Chrome, often I’m prompted to log back in and until I login only an old post is shown.

  6. Starting a couple months ago, my experience has been that posts lag behind by about a half a day or so when I am NOT logged in. However, as soon as I log in I see the most up to date posts. Your mileage may vary.

  7. One name doesn’t seem to belong with the others

    Codify Baseball
    ‪@codifybaseball.bsky.social‬
    Most MLB walks before their 27th birthday:
    Juan Soto, 896
    Mickey Mantle, 797
    Eddie Yost, 743
    Mel Ott, 708
    Bryce Harper, 684
    Mike Trout, 670

    1. Semien has $72MM and three seasons remaining on the seven-year, $175MM free Nimmo is owed $101.25MM through the 2030 season, as he has completed three years of the eight-year, $162MM free agent he signed to remain with the Mets in December 2022. Since luxury tax figures are re-calculated to account for just remaining money owed in the wake of trades, Semien’s tax number is $24MM, and Nimmo has a $20.25MM figure.

      The Mets are therefore taking on a slightly bigger tax hit while reducing the amount of overall dollars owed, while the Rangers are reducing their tax number but adding more overall money to their books.

    5. I think it is also partially about rebuilding it’s core and some of the long tenured players on this team. This will ship out Nimo but also, almost definitely, McNeil as well.

      It also upgrades them defensively, which is something Sterns has talked about a lot… now if that is upgrade them defensively in anticipation of bring Pete back or in addition to letting Pete go, we will find out.

    1. Occasionally, but not the norm and certainly not every year.

      The one memory I have of something happening at or around Thanksgiving was Schilling to the Red Sox. The Yankees were in on it and they had the long weekend to work out and extension.

      I also remember Sheffield signing before the deadline to accept the QO. I am not 100% on that one thought.

    2. Yeah, that’s a fair point. Honestly, now that I mention it, I guess I should be happy that Soto signed as early as HE did. He could have waited until Christmas if he had wanted!

  11. Hal Steinbrenner seemed to suggest that the Yankees are not making a profit. When a question was asked about the Yankees making more than $700 million in revenue and if it’s fair to assume he’s making a profit, here’s how he answered:

    Hal: “No, it’s not fair, actually.”

    Q: You’re taking a loss?

    Hal: “I don’t want to get into it. But that’s not a fair statement or an accurate statement. Everybody wants to talk about revenues. They need to talk about our expenses, including the $100 million expense to the city of New York that we have to pay every Feb. 1, including the COVID year. It all starts to add up in a hurry. Nobody spends more money, I don’t believe, on player development, scouting, performance science. These all start to add up. If you want to go look at the revenues, you got to somehow try to figure out the expense side as well. You might be surprised.”

  13. That’s too, too funny from Hal. Honestly, in all seriousness, I liked that response better than the guys who just OUTRIGHT lie about how much money they’re losing. Hal sort of dances around it, which is also silly, but at least it’s something, and not these losers who outright lie.

  14. Hal, verging on insight:

    “If there’s a correlation between spending the most money and winning a championship, I still think it’s a weak correlation… But they earned every bit of it. They struggled with injuries throughout the season… But they got healthy at the right time. The rotation got healthy, and when that rotation is healthy, they’re tough to beat. They, quite frankly, played up to their potential. They really played up to their potential, especially those last two games. That has to happen. Your players have to play up to their potential when you’re playing a team as good as the Blue Jays, and you’re playing under that kind of pressure in the World Series. Hats off to them. It’s not easy to do twice, and they did it in dramatic fashion this time. But, again, we’ll see what they do next year and we’ll see how it pans out. There was nothing low about my payroll and the Mets’ payroll. Look where we ended up.”

    It shouldn’t be that much of leap to realize that, in order to play up to your potential, it helps to have a manager and coaching staff who allow your players to play up to their potential instead of sabotaging with stupid in-game decisions, baseruining, errors, etc. And it helps to have a GM who can build a coherent roster to win games in more than one way. Otherwise you’re just going to underperform your Pythag every year, literally not playing up to your potential, and you might lose some close games that cost you the division outright.

    Maybe Hal will figure that out by 2030.

    1. Also, how are you going to get healthy at the right time when you’re having your shortstop continue to play all year on a busted shoulder? (See also Judge’s injuries in 2017, 2023, and 2025, Rizzo’s concussion in 2023, and Clint Frazier’s and Greg Bird’s entire careers.)

  15. Even if the Yankees were losing money annually, the real money is in the value of the team, which is only going up. Fuck these assholes pretending they aren’t rich as fuck.

    Also, you own a fucking sports team. It’s a fucking vanity. who gives a shit if you “lose” money.

  16. Hoch Hal Steinbrenner says that when he talks to coaches and players, they believe the Yankees must cut down on “mental mistakes – baserunning for sure, which is why we made a [coaching] change. That has been a thorn in our side most of the season this year.”

    So he’s blaming bullpen coach Mike Harkey and first base/infield coach Travis Chapman? Those are the only coaches to not have their contract renewed. In any case shouldn’t mental mistakes be on the manager.

    1. Players making it their life’s goals to take down the Yankees was one of the sweetest things about winning.

      It used to be the Yankees.

  18. With Volpe on the IL to start the season, I think it actually still makes sense to re-sign Rosario.

    Have a lefty/righty platoon at third and shortstop with Cabby and Waldo at shortstop, and McMahon and Rosario at third base.

    Cashman actually acquiring a bench hitter who could legitimately fucking HIT was such a huge improvement to this team. Rosario would be a huge addition.

    You’d have for your thirteen roster spots:

    Grisham CF
    Free agent LF (Belli or Tucker)
    Judge RF
    Rice 1B
    Stanton DH
    Jazz 2B
    Wells C
    McMahon/Rosario 3B
    Cabby/Waldo SS

    Dominguez LF
    That leaves you one last spot for either a righthanded 1B bat if you want Rice to still catch, or a righthanded backup catcher if you DON’T want Rice to catch (Belli/Tucker probably plays a decent amount of first base in this scenario, with Dominguez getting some starts)

    1. This is all pretty much convincing, leaving out only how very dreary it is that it’s what we’re reduced to talking about.

  19. The Cardinals and Red Sox are in agreement on a trade sending right-hander Sonny Gray to Boston in exchange for righty Richard Fitts and left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke. The Cardinals are including $20MM of cash to help offset Gray’s salary.
    Clarke is their #5 prospect.

    1. Wow, that’s a shocking deal. Good for the Cardinals, getting Clarke for Gray is big, even if they had to pay to get him.

      I don’t suspect the Gray era will be that impressive in Boston. He’s a Giolito replacement while not being as good.

    1. Small sample size, but if that’s all against LHP then it’s within margin of error of his baseline from the regular season, and if it’s against RHP then it’s a bad week.

      In light of his outlier cup of coffee and his very promising pre-TJS minor league career, I do wonder if he just never rehabbed correctly from his surgery and has remained injured the whole time since. Would fit with the general incompetence of this organization in recognizing and managing injuries.

  22. This team, until they change management, should trade bats when they’re still in the minors, and pitchers once they’ve turned them around. They should acquire proven bats and give up on hoping to do what they are incapable of doing – developing hitters. The savings should be on arms, which they DO have some success at developing. That’s where this team needs to be more home-grown.
    In particular, Spencer seems to be the in thing, so this might be the time to trade him. If they were dumb enough to bring him up and let him fail in the majors, he loses most of his value.

    1. Because unless Spencer turned out to be a Judge-level talent, he was never going to overcome The Process.

    3. Well, yes, of course they should all try personal hitting instructors external to The Process. Amazing, given Judge’s presence, that they don’t. It’s not like they can’t afford it!

    3. Does it? Couldn’t it mean just as well that they were impressed with this code and it’s postseason and decided that now is the time to go for it?

  27. Yankees re-signed Arias. If he ever gets on to the 40-man, he might actually be a useful guy. He’s only 24, and he is a converted shortstop, so he is still relatively fresh on his journey as a pitcher (it took Cruz years to become a good reliever).

  28. BA 10 MLB Prospects Who Caught Our Attention This Fall

    10 Yankees 24-year-old center fielder Spencer Jones is one of the more prominent boom-or-bust prospects in baseball. He ranked second in the minor leagues with 35 home runs—and also second with 179 strikeouts. Double-A Somerset hitting coach Mike Fransoso helped Jones realize his power more frequently, not by overhauling his swing, but by altering his setup by using a much more open stance that allows his hips to be in a better position to start. “Sure, there were some tweaks within the swing and maybe flattening a little and not as uphill,” Fransoso said, “but the setup was the main part. Finding one he was comfortable with and then once he loads, making sure it’s free so he can go.”

    3. Do we really know he can hit?
      He had that brief explosion his first time up – since then we know he can hit on a level that’s (barely) adequate, but hardly impressive.
      Are we still SURE he can REALLY hit?
      Honestly, I could use some proof.

  30. I saw someone mention Tyler Clippard as one of the few times that Cashman traded away a player he shouldn’t have, and that’s true, that trade flopped, but boy, at the time, it sure made a ton of sense, right? Jonathan Albaladejo seemed like a good get.

    I cannot believe that I got Albaladejo’s name correct on the fly. I thought for I would have had to have Google correct my spelling.

  31. I’d like to see the Martian hit for more power. He slugged 100 points higher in the first half than the second. Was that all the result of his 3 homer day? I’d like to know what the plans are for him hitting from the right side.

    1. Seriously? Wow he’s really bad at that!

      Sometimes it was obvious at the time (Frankie Montas for me was a bad move the day of the trade) while others just show they can’t handle NY (Sonny Gray). But 15 – were any of them good here? I can’t remember

  33. Are we still SURE he can REALLY hit?
    Honestly, I could use some proof.

    Truth. Since his TJ, he’s been an adequate LH hitter, and worse than ever as a RH hitter. In 429 PA in 2025 he had a 719 OPS with 10 HRs. In 325 PA as a LH hitter he put up a 768 OPS with 9 HRs.

  34. The cashman trading for bad starting pitchers stirred up some bad memories

    HR Javy Vasquez
    Jeff weaver (for Ted Lilly – Woops!
    Randy Johnson (one year too late)

    Seriously has he ever made a good one? Chacon in 2005 for half a season worked until he blew up in 2006….

    1. I mean, he traded for Roger Clemens, ya know?

      But generally speaking, it’s definitely true that he doesn’t seem to like trading for stud pitchers, because the cost is typically exorbitant, so he goes cute with these younger guys with upside, like Weaver, Eovaldi, Pineda, and Paxton.

      The one “in his prime” starter he traded for in the past 20 years was Sonny Gray, and then he promptly sucked as soon as he got here. That was about as “no doubt about it” as a move gets, and it didn’t work, so I imagine he’s just soured on the whole thing, choosing to use free agency to address the need instead.

  35. “In 429 PA in 2025 he had a 719 OPS with 10 HRs. In 325 PA as a LH hitter he put up a 768 OPS with 9 HRs.”
    When you put it that way, I kind of lose any sense of the basis for all the moaning about him as a switch hitter.
    .768 to .719 (and those numbers, obviously include the home run rates) just don’t look like crazy splits to me at all. I’d have thought he was OPSing .600 or less from his bad side. With those splits I wouldn’t even consider giving up on switch-hitting.

    1. As a LHB in 2025 he OPSed 768, as a RHB it was 568. For his career it’s 790/530. They have yet to try him left on left. It seems to have worked somewhat for Cedric Mullins and more so for JT Snow. Both had career years they stopped switch hitting.

  36. I wonder if there’s anything to be said for trying to move Hampton into a multi-inning reliever when he’s finally healthy. He has so much talent, but where’s the spot for him?

    Warren is already ticketed for the bullpen (or AAA), I imagine, when everyone’s healthy.

  37. I’m sorry, Jon Heyman, I just can’t bring myself to believe anything you say.

    “The Yankees desperately want Bellinger back, but there’s a gap in the negotiations.”

    Hmm…Belli’s agent is who?

    And Tucker’s agent is who?

    You’re never going to beat the charges, Heyman.

  38. Yes cashman traded for Clemens. He’d traded David Wells. I know it’s heresy but was Clemens really better than wells in 1999? 2000? Eh. 2001? Definitely.

    Ok nothing I’ve seen beats what Clemens did in the 2000 playoffs vs Seattle and the Mets. But it’s not like it was some great heist. I’m pretty sure they win in 1999 with wells and I’m not sure about 2000.

    And then because of that trade we had to listen to Susan cry when they brought him back. And the millions wasted on him after that. Plus who knows if it was Clemens who introduced Pettite to steroids and took him to Houston. Had Pettite stayed he’d be the all-time Yankee wins leader,

    Whatever,

    2. $51MM guarantee though the $15MM in total deferrals reduce the net present value to an extent. Diaz return up in the air.

  41. I can’t believe the Yankees ditched the beard policy for Devin Williams, only to have him go be a future celebrity blackjack dealer at the Metsllagio Resort & Casino.

  42. Cashman in watch and wait mode like the season he surprised us with Donaldson. I’m sure there’s some minimum salary retread Cash has his eyes on.

  43. Sarah Langs

    ‪@slangsonsports.bsky.social‬
    Highest strikeout rate in second half, min 25 IP:

    Mason Miller: 51.1%
    Devin Williams: 39.3%
    Jeremiah Estrada: 38.4%
    Andrew Kittredge: 38.3%
    Edwin Diaz: 38.1%

    1. If he had totally turned it around, I would have been more upset about losing him, but even WITH his improved strikeout rate, he STILL kept giving up runs. He had a higher ERA in the second half of the season than the first half!

      So for that, you’re going to lock in $15 million a year for the guy? I sure wouldn’t recommend it.

    1. It’s rare to see a quote quite so pathetic as that.

      “Oh, hey, guys, I forgot to mention for SEVEN years since I was traded by the Yankees that I hate the Yankees.”

      Suuuuure, buddy.

    2. I think only Lombard and the two pitchers will get much prospect love though Dax at 353/457/441 at age 18 in !ow A ball is promising

    3. I don’t get the Spence love.

      It’s because of the massive power potential; which I’m sure you understand.

    4. It’s because of the massive power potential; which I’m sure you understand.

      HA! No joke, I thought we were talking about Spence, but I forgot he was taken by the A’s. 🙂

    1. Falling off indeed, per your post above he didn’t even make BA’s top 6 Yankees. 😉

  48. Blue Jays sign Cody Ponce who had a really terrific season in Korea in 2025, he is a former ML player.

    … everything changed when Ponce moved over to Korea’s KBO in 2025. Pitching for the Hanwha Eagles, Ponce made 29 starts and went 17-1 while leading the KBO with a 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings.

    His 252 K’s set a new KBO single-season record, and he also set the single-game record with 18 strikeouts on May 17. Ponce was named the KBO League MVP and won the Choi Dong-won Award as the league’s top starting pitcher.

    According to pitching analyst Lance Brozdowski, Ponce’s four-seamer averaged 95.5 mph in the KBO and reached into the upper 90s. He also threw a changeup (a “kick change” to be precise) that was a dominant pitch, getting Ponce a whiff on 46% of opponent swings, including 39% in the strike zone. Ponce also throws a cutter (which could also be termed a hard slider) and an occasional sinker ….

    https://www.mlb.com/news/cody-ponce-blue-jays-free-agent-contract

    1. The Yanks have already improved by not signing their relief pitcher who had a negative WAR

      They could improve more by not having a manager with a negative war

    2. we are running back the TOP outfield in mlb as many people requested.

      (also known as Judge and The Jerks)

    4. Of course, you can’t believe a thing any of them says, so the journalists just don’t know anything about what they’re actually doing and they’ll sign and trade for everybody.
      Maybe.

    1. Hopefully, he, Richard Matic, will become AutoMatic. The Yankees are due to get one of these guys right.

  52. White Sox sign Anthony Kay off a very good year in Japanese baseball.

    Kay, 30, spent the past two seasons pitching for the Yokohama Bay Stars in Japan, and he had a 1.74 ERA with 130 strikeouts and 41 walks over 155 innings in 2025. In the offseason prior to the 2024 season, the White Sox added Erick Fedde via a two-year, $15 million deal after Fedde had rejuvenated his career via one stellar campaign with the NC Dinos in Korea.,/blockquote>

    https://www.mlb.com/news/anthony-kay-white-sox-deal

    2. The Blue Jays welcomed Kyle Tucker to their Dunedin complex this afternoon, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Murray writes that the Jays continue to have interest in both Tucker and Bo Bichette.

    1. Sounds like a Hal plan. “Sure the blue jays got Tucker and Bellinger signed elsewhere but we got Jorge polanco!”

      Another possibility – yanks sign bellinger and trade Jasson, who then outplays bellinger for the next 4 years at a fraction of the cost.

    2. I mean, as noted recently, when have the Yankees ever actually been burned by trading anyone? Cashman hugs these prospects so hard that if he’s ever willing to actually trade one, it’s typically because he doesn’t really think he’ll ever be hurt by the loss.

    3. Michael King? Yes, Soto, I know.
      In terms of hitting prospects – never, I don’t remember a prospect in the last decade they hadn’t ruined enough that they started performing elsewhere (which used to happen all the time).
      They should trade the hitting prospects whenever they have value, and the earlier the better.

    4. Ted Lilly for Jeff Weaver

      And every catcher over the past few years that was better than the crap they held onto instead

      Refsnyder for the past few years would have been nice to have in the bench but that took a long time.

    5. josh smith and durbin could have been useful

      anyway just because he has hugged prospects shouldn’t beg a dumb trade. i believe in jasson, trading him with his stock down seems silly.

  55. anyway just because he has hugged prospects shouldn’t beg a dumb trade. i believe in jasson, trading him with his stock down seems silly.

    Oh, agreed, just noting that if he deals him, it’s likely because he doesn’t believe in him anymore.

    I imagine he WON’T trade him, though.

  56. The Red Sox and Pirates are reportedly in agreement on a five-player trade. Starter Johan Oviedo heads to Boston alongside lefty reliever Tyler Samaniego and minor league catcher Adonys Guzman. Pittsburgh gets rookie outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and A-ball pitching prospect Jesus Travieso. Boston needed to open a spot on the 40-man roster, so they’ll designate righty Cooper Criswell for assignment.

Leave a Reply