From Bryan Hoch:
Catchers are taught that their most important work appears outside the box score, responsible for guiding pitchers and controlling the running game. Austin Wells found some comfort there, but he has never stopped believing in his bat.
Wells launched the longest home run of his career, an opposite-field blast that traveled a Statcast-projected 430 feet, and Jasson Domínguez also went deep in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Phillies on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
“I’m getting to a spot where I can see and recognize the ball and get myself into some better counts,” said Wells, adding, “The ball’s a little bigger right now.”
The Yanks’ third consecutive win was tinged by concern for All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger, who stroked a tiebreaking hit in the sixth inning but injured his left hamstring on an eighth-inning double.
With the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline approaching, the Yankees are said to be in the market for an upgrade at catcher, plus bullpen help.
General manager Brian Cashman recently said that he considered the team’s catching to be “an issue, clearly,” and multiple reports have identified the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers, the Reds’ Tyler Stephenson and the Rockies’ Hunter Goodman among their potential targets.
It could be difficult for many players to block that out, but manager Aaron Boone said he believes Wells has done a nice job of handling the noise.
“He knows he can hit, and he believes he’s a better hitter than he’s shown this year,” Boone said. “That’s tough to deal with. But he’s also mature enough and advanced enough in his career that he understands the importance of being behind that plate every single day, and your role in limiting runs.”
He’s been so terrible this season that I figure I might as well give him the featured image for hitting a major home run. Also, Ryan Weathers, while good, wasn’t quite good enough to get the featured image (5 2/3 innings, 1 run allowed, but TONS of baserunners allowed).
Paul Blackburn continues to be a fucking WEAPON, and Angel Chivilli has also been useful. The Yankees suddenly have a lockdown closer, a lockdown setup man, an excellent multi-inning reliever, an above average middle reliever, and whatever you think Fernando Cruz is (he is outstanding most of the time, and then he pitches in extra innings and is the worst pitcher in baseball). You add one more top level reliever, and that is suddenly a REALLY good bullpen, right? To go with what looks to be an excellent rotation once Carlos Rodon returns (and they have Clarke Schmidt possibly returning. I would assume the idea would be to use Schmidt out of the bullpen, but could you possibly just send Warren to the minors and use Schmidt as the #5 starter and Weathers out of the bullpen? As a starter, Weathers doesn’t just go out there and blow guys away, but he might be able to do that in the bullpen).
We’re still waiting to hear whether Cody Bellinger is headed to the IL in another major blow to this shitty offense. “Thankfully,” Belli was in the middle of a HUGE slump, so it is not as much of a blow as if he was hot, but it still ain’t great, especially as this means Max Schuemann, everyday left fielder against lefties (Spencer Jones against righties).
Hopefully it’s just a day-to-day thing!
Meanwhile, the Red Sox dealt for Curtis Mead, who crushed the Yankees in Washington. They gave up Connolly Early, in an interesting challenge trade. Good for them. I hope it doesn’t work out, but it’s definitely an interesting trade.
This is going to be an embarrassing night loss tonight, but hey, at least they won the series!
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On cue, Bellinger officially on the IL, Spencer Jones called up.
Burrito? Fuel? Oh, you mean gas.
The Rays won. The Whatevers used the Yankees offensive approach in that game.
The Brockton Blockbuster also hit his longest home run.
It was an impressive home run. It looked effortless.
It looked like the guy he was in that first cup of coffee.
Dreams, all dusted off and ready to be shattered.
Right handed.
I’d really like them to stop starting Rosario. Just let McMahon play against lefties. He can’t be worse than Rosario.
172/629 last 28 days. He isn’t hitting lefties this season 198/630. Boone is not playing him much only 7 PAs over the last 14 days. I think something will happen with Rosario and maybe phenom before the weekend.
That’s the other thing. They start him, and then bench him right after he goes 0-2, so what is even the point of him on this team?
Elmer 5.1 ip 1r 5h 7K NO WALKS. Lombard 1-3 with a walk. He seems to have a hit or more and a walk every game. Best argument for not bringing him up-Boone and Rowson will ruin him.
would you trade Elmer for Jeffers? I say no.
I mean why not just bring him up
I doubt he would do better than Warren or Weathers at this exact point in his development, and he’d be wasted in the pen.
This and Will Warren vs Christopher Sanchez. Matt Krook could dominate this lineup.
Grichuk for the White Sox 256/848. Cashman got rid of him so quickly because he thought Stanton would say healthy and phenom would be an offensive force??? He’d be hitting 2-5 for us.
P Goldschmidt (R) 1B
B Rice (L) DH
A Rosario (R) 3B
J Domínguez (S) RF
A Volpe (R) SS phenom batting 5th vs Sanchez says it all.
T Grisham (L) CF
M Schuemann (R) LF
J Caballero (R) 2B
A Sánchez (R)
I just don’t get Rosario as the #3 hitter. Is it more a case of them liking McMahon and thinking he’ll bat in that spot later? But Sanchez will probably go eight.
Stanton was already hurt when they cut Grichuk, and Volpe was in the minors on a rehab assignment. They were running a 14 position players/12 pitcher roster while waiting to see if Stanton could avoid the IL. When they needed a fifth starter, they needed to get someone off of the roster to open up a spot for ERC.
“ Jon Heyman of the New York Post, writing just before Bellinger’s IL placement was announced, suggested New York could look for a righty-hitting outfielder as well. Heyman floated Lane Thomas, Spencer Steer, Jo Adell, Jorge Soler, and George Springer as potential targets if they are available, while adding that the team is “leery” about Luis Robert Jr. in light of his injury troubles.”
That’s just a nonsense list of theoretical guys. There is no chance that that is who the Yankees are considering.
Bosox also won.
The Blue Jays are just fucking useless. Watch them play well against the Yankees, though!
i can’t handle this lineup, hopefully the game doesn’t take too long so i can listen to talkin yanks later.
Worst lineup since the Vernon Wells days?
Wow.
https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/2081380395384263052
Hoch Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will accompany the Yankees to Chicago, Aaron Boone said. “We’ll have some of our trainer guys that go on the road, so they’ll be able to do that.”
Ho hum.
Hoch Spencer Jones will get “a lot” of playing time in left field with Cody Bellinger out, Aaron Boone said. Max Schuemann will get some of the time vs. LHPs. They will keep Jasson Dominguez in right field.
Joey Votto says he likes the Yankee offense.
Which genius decided swing early, don’t work counts, and don’t take walks was a smart strategy? Last 30 days dead last in walks, 3 fewer than Toronto.
The disturbing thing is that I’m not really sure this was a rhetorical question.
Grish last 15 games, 157/562, 1 last 23. Also 33rd percentile defensively, -2 OAA.
It was, and most of us said so at the time, a bad signing. At least it is only 1 year.
Like a lot of these guys, he is annoyingly streaky.
The QO was a fine decision, ESPECIALLY with Bellinger also a free agent at the time.
One guy in the lineup has an OPS of 900 or higher, and he’s been slowly sliding down. One barely above 800. They won three straight games while scoring a total of 6 runs.
Another great job by Warren.
A marginal 5 starter at best.
Boone loves Schumann’s defense. And Cash thinks a 29 year old career infielder with a career OPS+ of 79 was an important piece.
Once again cutting Grichuk off 33 PAs with little no ST would’ve been ok if there was anyone else. Why sign him in the first place?
Cashman has been past his use by date for a decade. Judge covered up a lot of the warts, that is how great Judge has been.
This was a schedule loss even if Warren wasn’t dogshit. I’m more irked at them losing two games in the standings with a 4-2 record due to the Rays going on another one of their weird hot streaks. This Rays team is bizarrely streaky.
Who is this new phenom? Did the Yankees make a trade?
Trent 1 last 25 and negative defensively.
How in the fuck could Max Schuemann not beat out that throw!?
Just when I thought I was out.
I realized I was in fact out.
It makes the warren shitshow a lot more painful when they actually showed up against a great pitcher for a change.
What was that phenom
I would’ve let Doval stay in rather than burn the pen.
I agree. Hopefully, at the very least, Yarbs closes the game out.
Votto was pretty bad in the pre game but he’s been good in game.
phenom with 1 RBI and five runs allowed.
Will Warren has a 6.57 ERA (27 ER/37 IP) over his last eight starts. He was 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA in his first 12 starts of the season.
So what do you think happened? Hitters learned his stuff? He got tired? He’s hurt? Fluke?
That’s not even fifth starter territory, or sixth starter either.
Yeah, very weird. I think we’ve hit the point where the plan, instead of having Weathers move to the bullpen when Rodon returns, is Warren heading to the minors, especially since they are likely adding a reliever at the deadline.
Warren and Yarbrough, quite the dynamite duo. 🧨
Yarbrough was ok. He was betrayed by phenom and BABIP luck
Katie S Will Warren has 4 starts with 6+ runs allowed this season.
The only AL pitcher with more is Jeffrey Springs (5).
Springs faced the Yankees in April going 7 innings, no runs, one hit. His longest outing of the season.
Ha Ha. I forgot that. LOL!
We, I, are/am on Volpe but Kirschner “Jose Caballero leaves the bases loaded. He entered today’s game with a 74 wRC+ since June 1, tied for the 12th-worst mark among all qualified hitters.”
I wouldn’t hate Volpe getting the gig, the key is that they can’t carry BOTH of them long term. Sadly, due to Bellinger’s injury, they almost literally HAVE to carry both, as JC Escarra is the only other position player on the 40 man.