Barry Bonds Reveals How Close He Was to Joining Yankees

Bonds shared the eyebrow-raising story on ESPN’s KayRod simulcast during the Yankees’ matchup against the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball. Speaking with hosts Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez and fellow guest Roger Clemens, the 14-time All-Star revealed he considered the Yankees, albeit for a brief moment, after Kay asked if the deal was close to happening when Bonds was a free agent in 1992.

“It was very close, for about 15 or 20 minutes,” Bonds said. “Because, what happened was, and I tell people the true story, the Yankees offered me the same contract I think Ryne Sandberg had at the same time, or a little bit more than that. And, unfortunately, they said you have until 2 o’clock this afternoon to make a decision and my agent said, ‘I’ll get back to you about it.’”

Startled by New York’s urgent timeline, Bonds said he then went to grab lunch, thinking to himself, “Wow, that was kind of strange,” but insisted he thought nothing else of it. But, as luck would have it, Bonds’s agent called him back shortly thereafter to tell him a better offer had come across the table.

“By the time I got to the place to get something to eat, my agent called me back and the San Francisco Giants offered a higher contract and I said, ‘This is great, I want to go home.’”

Pirates add Miguel Andújar after Yankees designate former Rookie of the Year runner-up for assignment

Andújar, now 27, not so long ago looked like an important long-term piece for the Yankees. In his rookie season of 2018, Andújar as a 23-year-old put up an OPS+ of 130 and tallied 27 home runs, 47 doubles, and 302 total bases in 149 games (and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Shohei Ohtani).

However, since that high point Andújar has struggled badly and battled major shoulder and wrist problems. Since the start of the 2019 season, Andújar has played in just 105 games at the MLB level, and over that span he’s batted .228/.255/.318 (55 OPS+) with eight home runs. In between stints with the Yankees, he’s managed solid to good numbers in the minors, but his inability to rediscover the skills he showed as a rookie ultimately spelled an end to Andújar’s time with the organization.

The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Andújar off waivers Sunday, the team announced. The Pirates only have nine games to play this season, so the claim was likely made with an eye toward the 2023 roster. Pittsburgh has not had a set DH since trading away Daniel Vogelbach at the deadline. Andújar could fill the role next season at a low cost.

Yankees call up prized shortstop prospect Peraza

Coming off a disappointing West Coast swing, the Yankees will provide shortstop Oswald Peraza with an opportunity to spark their drive toward the postseason, beginning with this weekend’s series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

The Yankees announced on Thursday that they are promoting the 22-year-old Peraza as one of their September callups. Peraza is rated as the Yanks’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He’s No. 53 on the Top 100 Prospects list.

Peraza hit his 19th home run of the season on Thursday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the first game of a doubleheader. He was removed from the game after four innings, receiving congratulatory hugs in the RailRiders’ dugout from his teammates.

Set to become the first Yankees big leaguer born in this millennium (June 15, 2000), Peraza is touted for an enticing blend of power at the plate, speed on the basepaths and smooth glovework in the infield.

New York Yankees retire Paul O’Neill’s No. 21; GM Brian Cashman, owner Hal Steinbrenner booed by fans

Eight years ago, Paul O’Neill was thanked by the New York Yankees for his contributions to their dynasty with a plaque in Monument Park.

On Sunday, the Yankees retired his No. 21—making him the 23rd player or manager in the franchise’s history honored in such a way.

The ceremony was drastically different from others, not only because O’Neill isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19 but also because the Yankees entered Sunday with 14 losses in their past 18 games. Frustrations are high to the point that there were noticeable boos for managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman during the 33-minute ceremony.

New York’s first jersey retirement ceremony since 2017, when Derek Jeter’s No. 2 was honored, had the usual video tributes and messages, gifts and an acceptance speech.

Aaron Boone shows frustration over Yankees loss to Blue Jays

Always angriest before the firing.

pic.twitter.com/EzOaB1CAgT

— That’s Chappie (@WhatItDewBabyy) August 20, 2022

Josh Donaldson delivers for New York Yankees with grand slam walk-off in 10th inning

Josh Donaldson knew the ball left the park the second it left his bat. And the New York Yankees needed this one.

Down 7-4 going into the bottom of the 10th inning, they were facing a sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays and their fourth straight loss when Donaldson came to the plate. But as his line-drive grand slam exited the park, Donaldson knew the victory meant more to the Yankees in the bigger picture amid their roughest stretch this season. The 8-7 walk-off win marked only their third win this month, as they have dropped 11 games since the start of August.

“The guys were pumped, and I think as we talked about how the game progressed and how the back-and-forth battle happened there, we came back with our backs against the wall,” Donaldson said. “There was a release of some joy and frustration.”

The Rays took the lead in the 10th inning when Francisco Mejia hit a bases-loaded double with two outs, scoring Roman Quinn, Isaac Paredes and Taylor Walls. Amid the Yankees’ recent struggles with their late-inning relief and with Clay Holmes placed on the injured list earlier Wednesday after his worst stretch of the season, closer Aroldis Chapman seemed to exacerbate those issues, allowing two earned runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

Even as New York’s chances of winning took a major hit—dropping to 9.1% heading into the bottom of the 10th, according to FanGraphs—the Yankees believed they could still pull out the victory.

“We never lose the vibe in the dugout when we were losing,” said third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, who made his major league debut Wednesday. “That was the key for today.”

Red-hot Oswaldo Cabrera joining Estevan Florial as call-up to reeling Yankees

Oswaldo Cabrera and Estevan Florial are expected to be called up from Triple-A on Wednesday, ahead of the series finale against the Rays. The Yankees, who have lost 11 of their last 13 games, had not announced any roster moves as of Wednesday morning. But The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed Florial’s promotion, and Cabrera appeared to confirm his own call-up (which was first reported by El Extra Base) in an Instagram post late Tuesday night.

While Florial fills a need in center field in the midst of Aaron Hicks’ extended struggles, Cabrera can provide defensive versatility and a hot bat. It’s possible he could be a roster replacement for DJ LeMahieu, who has missed the last three games with inflammation in his toe and could need a stint on the injured list, though manager Aaron Boone was still holding out hope Tuesday night he could avoid it.

The 23-year-old Cabrera, an infielder/outfielder who would be making his MLB debut, has been on a tear since missing two months earlier this season with a shoulder injury. In his last 25 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Cabrera was batting .330 with seven home runs, eight steals and a 1.040 OPS.

Cabrera has played almost all of his minor league games at second base, shortstop and third base, but he has also added the corner outfield spots to his repertoire this summer.

Yankees in desperate need of jolt as feeble slide continues to grow concern

Anyway, if the Yankees don’t snap out of it, instead of making history, they may be history. They are 20-25 in their last 45, inconceivable the way they started.

At this point, it may be time for a shake-up, at least a small one. Teams that are 29 games over .500 normally don’t require change, but this one might.

How about a call to the minors? At this point, what could it hurt?

Oswald Peraza, who was held out of just about every trade talk at the deadline (except if the Yankees actually had a chance for Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani, of course; they did not). It feels like they could use a spark. Perhaps he’d provide it.

Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres aren’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball. Is anyone else tiring of watching Donaldson failing to catch up to fastballs? Or Torres reverting to his old pull-happy ways? It just might be time to try something new. And Peraza is killing it lately at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“We talk about things all the time,” Boone said without tipping their hand, one way or another. “We’re always talking.”

Jasson Domínguez updates

Aug. 13: Swipes two bases, drives in run
While he went hitless for High-A Hudson Valley, Jasson Domínguez still made a big impact in the Renegades’ win over Aberdeen. Domínguez swiped two bases, bringing him to 29 on the year, and drove in a run on a sac fly. His bid for three steals went awry, though, as he was thrown out trying to take third in the sixth inning. Gameday »

Aug. 12: Reaches three times
Jasson Domínguez was the lone bright spot for High-A Hudson Valley on Friday, which lost 10-0 to Aberdeen. Domínguez went 1-for-2 with a single and two walks. Domínguez is now hitting .279/.410/.441 for Hudson Valley. Gameday »

Aug. 11: Swipes two bags in loss
Jasson Domínguez continued his hot play on Thursday, swiping two bases for High-A Hudson Valley. The two steals bring him to 27 on the season, with eight of those coming with the Renegades. He went 1-for-

Yankees DH Matt Carpenter fractures left foot on foul ball

New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter broke his left foot Monday night when he fouled off a pitch against the Seattle Mariners and will be out indefinitely.

Carpenter, wearing a protective boot in the Yankees’ clubhouse after their 9-4 win, said he’s hopeful he might only miss a month. But a timeline won’t be determined until he sees a foot specialist.

“I don’t want to say a number because I just don’t know, but I’m holding out hope that it’ll be a situation where I could come back in the middle of September and can contribute towards a stretch run,” Carpenter said. “So we’ll see. I mean, that’s my mindset is that I’ll be back.”

Carpenter fouled a slider from starter Logan Gilbert off the foot in the first inning. The left-handed hitter was briefly checked by manager Aaron Boone, but finished the at-bat and struck out swinging on the next pitch.

The Yankees are trading Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for Harrison Bader

The Yankees are trading Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for Harrison Bader, per source.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 2, 2022

Source: New York Yankees ship struggling Joey Gallo to Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired outfielder Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees on Tuesday, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The news of the trade was first reported by SI.com, which said the Yankees would be receiving Double-A pitcher Clayton Beeter.

Gallo, a two-time All-Star, including last season when he was acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the Texas Rangers, has struggled badly this season. While he has 12 home runs and 24 RBIs, he has a .159 average and has struck out 106 times in 233 at-bats.

Joey Gallo sums up Yankees fans, feeling ‘like a piece of s**t’ on eve of new start

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.

Q: Do you spend a lot of time harping over struggling so much? It is as simple as you never got really hot for the Yankees? You always hit home runs in bunches in Texas. We just saw Aaron Judge hit 11 homers in 12 games. You did the same thing last year before the trade. You had other home run binges for Texas, but never got really hot for the Yankees.

Gallo: I never was able to go off like that. It’s just weird. In Texas I was playing every day, so it was a little easier to get on a streak. It’s a little tougher not playing every day trying to get that streak going, as well.

Q: Is there anything that you learned about yourself during your time with the Yankees?

Gallo: I went through a lot of adversity and I really had to question myself a lot. My confidence suffered. I would say I hit rock bottom for the big leagues. So for me, I just was trying to remember to be a good teammate, play the game the right way, play the game hard and not do something stupid that I’d regret. I learned a lot about myself, I guess. Baseball is a tough game. But it definitely made me stronger because not many people have gone through what I’ve gone through.

Frankie Montas, Lou Trivino traded to Yankees (source)

The Yankees made another big splash ahead of the Trade Deadline, acquiring starter Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Athletics, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Monday. The clubs have not confirmed the news.

The A’s return included a quartet of Yankees top prospects: left-handers Ken Waldichuk (New York’s No. 5 prospect/No. 70 overall) and JP Sears (No. 20), right-hander Luis Medina (No. 10) and second baseman Cooper Bowman (No. 21), according to Feinsand.

New York Yankees trade for Chicago Cubs rookie reliever Scott Effross

The New York Yankees acquired right-handed reliever Scott Effross from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league right-hander Hayden Wesneski on Monday.

Effross, 28, is a sidearmer in the midst of a standout rookie season. In 44 innings, he has a 2.66 ERA, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of more than 4-to-1 and 2.19 FIP (fielding independent pitching), the 10th best in baseball among pitchers with more than 40 innings.

Trades for relievers with multiple years of team control has been a focus of teams at this deadline—and in the case of Effross, he will not reach free agency until after the 2027 season. The Yankees are betting on him retaining his effectiveness, something evaluators believe he can do in spite of a fastball that sits around 90 mph.

Effross’ excellent command of his fastball and slider (with a unique changeup) has allowed him to strike out 50 batters and walk just 11. His best attribute might be his ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. Effross has allowed just two home runs this year after giving up two in a 14⅔-inning stint late last season.

A 15th-round pick out of the University of Indiana in the 2015 draft, Effross pitched parts of seven seasons in the Cubs’ system before his debut last year. He was immediately effective last season, too, striking out 18 and walking just one.

New York Yankees finalizing deal to acquire outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals, sources say

The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City Royals, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The Yankees are sending three minor league pitching prospects to the Royals in exchange for the 28-year-old Benintendi: Right-hander Beck Way, right-hander Chandler Champlain and left-hander T.J. Sikkema.

Benintendi was named to his first career MLB All-Star Game this season. Through Wednesday, he’s batting a career-best .320 with three home runs and 39 RBI in 93 games this season.

What Yankees, Mets refuse to do in Juan Soto trade sweepstakes

Early word is the Nationals may be willing to accept a prospect-heavy package, especially if an acquiring team is willing to take on a “bad” contract, for 23-year-old wunderkind Juan Soto. The seeming interest in prospects over current pennant-race contributors is leading folks to believe Soto has a decent chance to be dealt now.

That might mean a package ask from the Yankees starting with Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza and Jasson Dominguez. And from the Mets a package beginning with Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio.

There’s no confirmation on any exact request yet. But as to whether the Mets or Yankees would surrender their three top prospects plus more, the answer from folks on both teams was the same: No.

It’s no surprise the Nats may prefer to dump a bloated contract, possibly Patrick Corbin — who has two years left on his $140 million, six-year deal. The interest in prospects would open the field to include more contending teams, while the preference to include an overpriced veteran could eliminate some smaller-market teams — a team taking Soto plus Corbin would be adding $40M.

Yankees bring back Tyler Wade in trade with Angels

Tyler Wade is coming back to where he started.

The Yankees are acquiring the versatile Wade from the Angels for a player to be named later, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed on Thursday, further bolstering their organizational depth. Wade will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Wade was designated for assignment by the Yankees in November to make room on their 40-man roster, leading to a trade to the Angels. But after hitting .215 with a 56 OPS-plus and eight steals in 67 games for Los Angeles, Wade was DFA’d again by the Angels on July 3.

The 27-year-old Wade had the best year of his career last season with the Yankees – the last of his five seasons in The Bronx – when he hit .268 with a 91 OPS-plus and 17 steals. He bounced around between shortstop, third base, second base and all three outfield spots.

Yankees looking for OF help with Aaron Hicks, Joey Gallo struggling

Juan Soto would top any big-market team’s outfield wish list, but he remains extremely unlikely to be available, and Bryan Reynolds, whom the Yankees have tried for before, is only slightly more likely to hit the market. In an extreme sellers’ market, the Royals’ Andrew Benintendi, the Orioles’ Anthony Santander and the Cubs’ Ian Happ might fit best, with the added bonus that all are left-handed or switch hitters. Benintendi will be a free agent after this season while Santander (free agent after 2024) and Happ (free agent after 2023) won’t be and thus uncertain to be dealt.

The surprising Orioles are seen as reluctant to send an early sell message to fans/players by trading non free agents early, and while they’d have to be blown away to deal outfield stars Cedric Mullins or Austin Hays, word is they’d consider a Santander trade. The Diamondbacks’ David Peralta and the Tigers’ Robbie Grossman are other outfield trade candidates.

The Yankees love Gallo’s defense/athleticism, but he hadn’t had a hit in a week through Wednesday. While a rival GM suggested he’s “untradeable,” some who know him are wondering whether New York is the right spot for him …

Astros Combine to No Hit Yankees

A sellout crowd swarmed Yankee Stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon hoping perhaps to see a no-hitter, which is always a chance with ace Gerrit Cole on the mound. They instead witnessed the coming-out party of Astros pitcher Cristian Javier, who outshone Cole and the Yankees and helped make history in the process.

It’s the first time the Yankees have been no-hit since six Astros pitchers combined to no-hit them on June 11, 2003, at the old Yankee Stadium. Those are the only two no-hitters thrown against the Yankees since 1958.

Kind of interesting.  Last two no hitters against the Yankees by the same team AND both are combined no nos.

Yankees’ Jose Trevino now thriving after ‘he got shafted’ with Rangers

Jose Trevino will not go there when asked about his old employer. The Yankees catcher, in the midst of a breakout season that’s starting to garner All-Star buzz, has no need to be anything but diplomatic and soft-spoken.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, his teammate in the minors, with the Rangers and now with the Yankees, though, will.

“He got shafted, pretty much, in Texas,” Kiner-Falefa told The Post on Friday ahead of the Yankees’ game against the Astros. “For him to have this opportunity to do what he’s doing now, there was never a doubt for me thinking that he was gonna do this. It was more so questioning Texas’ decisions and what they were thinking, the whole process of signing those guys and bringing those guys in [ahead of Trevino] didn’t make any sense to me.”

Other than Trevino himself, Kiner-Falefa might be one of the only people who can say he saw this season coming from the 29-year-old. Trevino has burst onto the scene in New York, posting a .282/.336/.470 slash line, leading all catchers in Baseball Prospectus’ pitch framing metric and ranking second among AL catchers (min: 100 plate appearances) in both fWAR and wRC+.

Why Manny Ramirez says Derek Jeter would have been ‘just a regular player’ in Kansas City

Ramirez was discussing the pressure that comes with playing in a city like Boston or New York. The way Ramirez sees it, you’re not playing on a big stage unless you’re in Boston or New York. If you’re somewhere else, people won’t care as much.

“You gotta understand this. If you haven’t played in Boston or New York, you’re not in the big leagues,” Ramirez said. “It’s like if you put Jeter in Kansas City in those years, he was just a regular player.

But in New York? Jeter was a legend because he consistently stepped up on baseball’s biggest stage with the Yankees in the postseason.

“You put him on that big stage, you hit .400 in the postseason for many, many years, he’s the greatest in the history,” Millar said.

“He’s the greatest,” Ramirez said in agreement.

Eckersley noted that Boston is a “tough place to play,” a statement that Ramirez agreed with. However, Ramirez noted that playing in front of the passionate fans in Boston is what made him step up his game to the next level.

The Yankees Are Keeping Pace With Their 1998 Powerhouse

The current Yankees may not have the top spot on either of those lists, but they’ve matched the 1998 Yankees to this point. Their .742 winning percentage puts them on pace to win 120 games, which would surpass the 2001 Mariners and 1906 Cubs for the single-season record. Some other hypotheticals:

If the Yankees go 48-48 (.500) the rest of the way, they would finish 97-65 (.599).

If they go 55-41 (.573) the rest of the way, they would finish 104-58 (.642), their best record since 1998. This is one win ahead of the record that we have them forecast for via our Projected Standings.

If they go 60-36 (.625) the rest of the way, they would finish 109-53 (.673), surpassing the 2018 Red Sox (108-54) for the best record for any team since the 2001 Mariners.

If they go 66-30 (.688) the rest of the way, they would finish 115-47 (.710), surpassing the 1998 Yankees for the highest win total in franchise history, while if they go 67-29 (.698), they would finish 116-46 (.716), surpassing the 1927 Yankees (110-44, .714) for the highest winning percentage in franchise history.

If they go 68-28 (.708) the rest of the way, they would finish 117-45 (.722), surpassing both the 2001 Mariners in wins and the AL record-holding 1954 Indians in winning percentage (.721, via a 111-43 record).

If they go 75-21 (.781) the rest of the way, they would finish with a .765 winning percentage (124-38), topping the 1906 Cubs’ .763 (116-36) for the all-time record.

Clint Frazier bashes ‘cookie-cutter’ Yankees ahead of Bronx return

‘‘I like it here,’’ Frazier said of Chicago. ‘‘Certainly don’t miss some of the things over there. And I’m really enjoying the way that this clubhouse has maneuvered. It seems like there’s a lot of guys in here that are just accepting of everyone. And it’s been really good for me.

“You had to be a cookie-cutter version to be on that team,” he continued of the Yankees. “If not, then you were like a really bad distraction, it seemed like. So I don’t miss being told how I had to look for the last five years.”

Frazier has since grown a beard since joining the Cubs, but he hasn’t grown his portfolio on the field. The outfielder is garnering limited playing time on the 23-33 squad. He only has 45 plate appearances in 19 games this season while dealing with injuries. In those at-bats, he is hitting .216 with a .653 OPS and no home runs.

Elite Rotation Helps Yankees to Majors’ Best Start in 21 Years

No joking: six or seven innings has become standard for Yankees starters lately. Over their past 15 games — a span that began with a May 22 doubleheader against the White Sox — New York starters have thrown at least six innings in 14 out of 15 games, the exception being a scoreless five-inning spot start by call-up JP Sears, the first start of his career. Four times in that span, Yankees starters have gone eight innings, and six other times they’ve gone at least seven. Over that stretch, the starters have a 1.15 ERA, 2.43 FIP, and a 25.4% strikeout rate and have held opposing hitters to a .158/.200/.234 line. That’ll work.

For the full season, the unit as a whole has been the best at just about everything. They have the majors’ lowest walk rate (5.1%) and home run rate (0.79 per nine), and while their 25.6% strikeout rate is only second-best, their 20.6% strikeout-walk differential is also tops. Naturally, they have the majors’ lowest FIP (2.99); their 73 FIP- is a full 11 points lower than that of the second-ranked Phillies. Thanks to a .256 BABIP — yes, also a major league low — and a 5.8% barrel rate (second-lowest), they also have the lowest ERA of any rotation (2.55). Overall, their rotation’s 7.7 WAR is 1.6 higher — that is, 26% better — than the second-ranked Phillies, who for all of the problems that led to Joe Girardi’s firing at least have strong starters. All five Yankees starters rank among the AL’s top 14 in WAR and top 17 in FIP, with Cortes leading the league in the former category….

How are the Yankees doing this? The answer is simple: Volume. The team is third in the majors with 27 starts of at least six innings, behind only San Diego (33) and Houston (28). They’re averaging 5.69 innings per start, a whisker behind the top-ranked Padres and 0.61 innings ahead of the major league average, which is up slightly (0.06 innings per start) from last year. Projected over a full season, that’s an extra 99 innings that the rotation is soaking up instead of the bullpen — a big deal for a team that has lost Chad Green (and, last year, Zack Britton) to Tommy John surgery and is currently without Aroldis Chapman due to Achilles tendinitis.