Yankees, Brett Gardner reunite on one-year, $12.5 million deal

George A. King III of the New York Post reports that the Yankees and outfielder Brett Gardner are back together on a one-year, $12.5 million contract. The deal includes a second year option worth $20 million.

Gardner, 36, is coming off of the strongest offensive season of his career, batting .251/.325/.503 with 28 home runs, 74 RBI, 86 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases over 550 plate appearances. While he has certainly lost a step or two with age, he still rates as an above-average defensive corner outfielder as well.

So, what chance do you support Gardner has of getting the club option picked up for 2021?

The Yankee Death Star Is Back

The Yankees are loaded now with players of spellbinding possibility. How far will Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton hit it? Will Aroldis Chapman throw his 100 mile-an-hour fastball or his wipeout slider? How many strikeouts will Cole get tonight?

If you love the Yankees, you dream about that stuff. If you hate the Yankees, it makes you groan. Either way, you care enough to watch the game in some form, which keeps cash rolling into the Bank of Steinbrenner.

No single move can guarantee that long-awaited return to the World Series, not even a record contract for an ace in his prime. But the big, bad Yankees are back, and that is good for the game.

Yankees, Gerrit Cole agree to record 9-year, $324M deal

Prized free-agent pitcher Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees have agreed to a record nine-year, $324 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The deal includes an opt-out clause after five years, sources told Passan, and surpasses the deal Stephen Strasburg finalized with the Washington Nationals on Monday for most total money and annual average salary for a pitcher, at $36 million.

MLB: Gerrit Cole sparks rare Yankees-Dodgers heavyweight fight

I don’t really see the Dodgers as seriously interested in Cole. That’s assuming he’s not willing to go four years with a huge AAV.

Yankees Have Reportedly Made $245MM Offer To Gerrit Cole

I'm told #Yankees have a seven-year, $245 million offer on the table for Gerrit Cole. Would be a record-setting contract for a pitcher, surpassing Greinke’s $34.4 million AAV. Question is whether #Dodgers or #Angels will go to 8-9 or even 10 years.

— Bob Klapisch (@BobKlap) December 8, 2019

Sources: Yankees make signing righty Gerrit Cole top offseason priority

The New York Yankees have made signing right-hander Gerrit Cole their clear offseason priority and have ownership-level approval to offer him a record-setting deal, sources familiar with their plans told ESPN.

The Yankees’ fondness for the 29-year-old Cole, whose fantastic 2019 season with the Houston Astros set him up to smash David Price’s record $217 million contract for a pitcher, was only reinforced during a meeting with him earlier this week, sources said.

New York and the Los Angeles Angels, a team similarly smitten with Cole and in even greater need of pitching, are preparing for a bidding war that executives expect will reach well beyond $250 million, according to sources. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ interest in Cole is acute as well, though they are also considering bids for right-hander Stephen Strasburg and third baseman Anthony Rendon, sources said.

While the expectation going into the offseason was that negotiations with Cole could stretch into January, the clear willingness of teams to engage in high-year, high-dollar deals could ratchet up the timetable, according to sources. Cole’s agent, Scott Boras, has yet to solicit offers, but the teams’ recognition of Cole’s value and understanding of multiple motivated buyers could have an expeditious effect, sources said.

Something to potentially watch for in the coming weeks.

The Best Post-Season Games Ever Pitched

Don Larsen doesn’t top the list.
Don Larsen doesn’t top the list?!??
Don Larsen doesn’t top the list.

Yankees to meet with Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg as team looks to upgrade rotation

The New York Yankees know their starting pitching held them back last season. To remedy that, the team will meet with the top two pitchers on the free-agent market.

The Yankees will sit down with both Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg over the next couple days, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Both players are represented by Scott Boras.

It’s believed that the Yankees will be more aggressive for the 29-year-old Cole, who they’ve coveted for years. While New York will make a play for Strasburg, many believe he’ll return to the Washington Nationals, according to Rosenthal.

The Yankees’ interest in both players shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Yankees won 103 games last season on the strength of their offense and bullpen. The team’s 117 wRC+ — an advanced metric that measures a team’s offensive production — ranked second last season. Their 4.08 bullpen ERA ranked ninth.

Whether or not they do anything beyond this, on the other hand….

Bye Bye Birdie for New York Yankees: Bird now a free agent

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s Bye Bye Birdie for the New York Yankees.

First baseman Greg Bird became a free agent Wednesday after he cleared waivers and refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Bird, who turned 27 on Nov. 9, debuted on Aug. 13, 2015, and hit .261 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 46 games. He missed all of 2016 following surgery that Feb. 2 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, an injury originally sustained that May with Double-A Trenton.

Bird returned to bat .451 with eight homers in spring training during 2017 but fouled a ball off his right ankle March 30, started the season 6 for 60 and went on the disabled list May 2.

For those wondering, Bring Back Birdie was a notorious disaster of the Broadway stage in the early 1980s.

Rachel Balkovec hired as Yankees minor league hitting coach

The Yankees have hired Rachel Balkovec as a minor league hitting coach, the New York Times reported on Friday. Balkovec, who signed a contract earlier this month, is believed to be the first woman to serve as a full-time hitting coach in the history of professional baseball.

Balkovec, 32, has an impressive resume and has already broken barriers as a woman looking to move through the coaching ranks. After playing softball collegiately at both Creighton University and the University of New Mexico, she’s worked in both the Cardinals and Astros organizations.

In 2014 and 2015, she was the Cardinals minor league strength and conditioning coordinator, the first woman in affiliated baseball to hold a full-time position in that role, as well.

Most recently, she was the strength and conditioning coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astros’ Double-A affiliate.

Sources: Yankees say Jacoby Ellsbury got unauthorized medical treatment

According to multiple reports, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman sent a letter to Ellsbury and his agent, Scott Boras, informing them that the team had converted his contract to a nonguaranteed deal.

The Yankees said that Ellsbury, who has not played since 2017 because of myriad injuries, was treated by Dr. Viktor Bouquette of Progressive Medical Center in Atlanta without the team’s permission, according to multiple reports.

DAVIDOFF: Yankees facing a new Clint Frazier trade value reality

WFAN callers hardest hit.

In 69 major league games, Frazier, the top return piece in the trade that sent lefty reliever Andrew Miller from The Bronx to Cleveland, slashed .267/.317./489, slamming 12 home runs in 225 at-bats. He indeed played a critical role prior to the All-Star break, with several regular players on the injured list, yet he also did regress defensively and greatly upset both teammates and bosses by not making himself available to the media after a June 2 loss to the Red Sox in which he played terribly on defense and then refusing to apologize two days later for his lack of accountability. Following his demotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in June, he repeatedly expressed his unhappiness on social media with the Yankees’ decision.

Frazier’s personality issues, while detrimental, didn’t deter those surveyed as much as his problems with the glove. Regarding the former issue, “He might just need to get out of New York,” a second high-ranking official from a second non-pinstriped team said. However, the same official added, “There are questions about his defense. Can he be an everyday outfielder?

“He couldn’t be the centerpiece of a big deal,” the executive concluded. “But he could be a significant piece in a lesser deal.”

Yankees turn to young pitching coach for high-tech approach

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Just four years ago, Matt Blake was varsity pitching coach at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, about 20 miles outside of Boston. Next spring, the 34-year-old will be guiding the high-priced arms of the New York Yankees.

“The biggest thing is just finding out where the player is at and what it is that makes him tick,” Blake said Thursday after his hiring as Yankees pitching coach was formally announced. “Across different ages or nationalities and cultures, you got to get to the root of what is it that they are seeking for help and then bring it to the edge of their learning zone, if you will.”

Blake replaced Larry Rothschild, who was fired after nine seasons and got hired as pitching coach of the San Diego Padres.

A 2007 graduate of Holy Cross, where he pitched, Blake started coaching at the youth level while working alongside his father.

Doesn’t feel like a common background for pitching coaches traditionally, does it?

Yankees plan to have talks with Cole, Strasburg

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — After falling short of reaching the World Series for the 10th straight year, the New York Yankees intend to have conversations with top free agent pitchers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

“It’s a good time to be them,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday as the general managers meeting began. “Certainly we’ll have conversations from our perspective. And they’ll either lead to further ones or lesser ones.”

During a moonlit availability in a courtyard surrounded by palm trees, Cashman confirmed changes in the team’s staff, led by Matt Blake replacing Larry Rothschild as pitching coach. He said New York has had conversations with the agents for several of its players who became free agents, including outfielder Brett Gardner, shortstop Didi Gregorius and reliever Dellin Betances.

Starting pitching is the Yankees’ biggest need following their loss to Houston in a six-game AL Championship Series. Manager Aaron Boone’s rotation could use a premier arm to join a group that includes Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ.

Not to sign either of them- they wish to talk to them about a horse…..

Ranking Gerrit Cole’s Top Five Landing Spots

There’s no question Gerrit Cole will be the most sought after free agent this winter. He should be the most handsomely paid, too.

Despite a sluggish free agency period last winter that forced many players to settle for below-market deals, the top tier of players still raked in monster deals (with humongous extensions for Mike Trout and Nolan Arenado to boot). It wouldn’t be a surprise to see things play out similarly this offseason, meaning Cole appears on track to surpass David Price’s $217 million deal en route to the most expensive pitcher contract ever.

Who are the favorites to break the bank for Cole and lock up the potential AL Cy Young Award winner? Let’s assess his suitors as free agency gets underway.

So, of these options, which do we see as most likely?

David Cone ‘self-taught’ his way into Yankees pitching-coach interview

As the Yankees search for Larry Rothschild’s replacement they haven’t limited the focus to college pitching coaches who have strong analytical backgrounds.

The Yankees contacted David Cone and interviewed him late last week at Yankee Stadium for the position.

“It was all good. I’m thankful for the opportunity to talk to them. It was nice they called me in and wanted to talk,’’ Cone told The Post on Tuesday.

Yankees fail to make qualifying offer to Gregorius

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees failed to make a $17.8 million qualifying offer to Didi Gregorius and will not receive draft-pick compensation if the free-agent shortstop signs with another team.

Gregorius, who turns 30 in February, came back from Tommy John surgery in early June and hit .238 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 82 games.

If New York doesn’t re-sign Gregorius, it could move Gleyber Torres from second to shortstop, make DJ LeMahieu the regular second baseman and allocate more payroll to starting pitching.

Tyler Lyons, who earned a spot on the Yankees’ postseason roster as a left-handed reliever, refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and elected to become a free agent.

Mind you, would you make such an offer if you were in a position to do so?

Yankees Decline 2020 Option On Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion is unlikely to be returning to the Yankees in 2020.

New York acquired Encarnacion from the Mariners in June for a minor league pitcher and some cash. His bat helped the team quite a bit during the regular season, but Encarnacion struggled heavily in the playoffs, especially in the ALCS against the Astros. He seemed completely lost at the plate.

The Yankees announced Thursday that they would not be exercising the club option on Encarnacion’s contract for next season, thus making him a free agent.

This move isn’t too surprising after Encarnacion’s poor showing against Houston. The slugger just couldn’t get his bat going, as he managed just one hit in 18 at-bats in the ALCS. His batting average for the series was a paltry .056.

And now, the hot stove season begins in earnest…..

Yankees announce pitching coach Larry Rothschild won’t return

The New York Yankees have fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild, the team announced Monday.

Rothschild has had the job since 2011, when he replaced Dave Eiland, who was fired.

“I want to personally thank Larry for his near decade of commitment to this organization. Larry cares deeply about his craft and the pitchers under his tutelage, and he played a significant role in our successes over the past nine seasons. There’s a reason why Larry has had the type of distinguished baseball career he’s had, and it starts with experience and dedication that is difficult to emulate,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in a statement.

Despite sending an MLB-record 30 players to the injured list this season, the Yankees appeared in the American League Championship Series, eventually losing to the Houston Astros. Statistically, the 2019 pitching staff wasn’t as good as the 2018 version, however.

Not savage enough, I take it?

If World Series is the goal, Yankees need to get Cole-blooded and get some pitching

NEW YORK — It has become an annual event, this news conference held during an off-day while two other teams play in the World Series, at which the New York Yankees try to explain why things didn’t quite work out for them this year but will surely be better next year. Instead of a championship ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes, the Yankees offer you a parade of excuses in the bowels of a deserted Yankee Stadium.

“One hit this way, one bounce that way and maybe it’s a different conversation,’’ said manager Aaron Boone, speaking the language of losers throughout history.

“This is a championship-caliber team,’’ GM Brian Cashman said. “Just because we lost doesn’t diminish the fact that this was a championship-caliber roster that was capable of winning the whole thing.’’

And yet, the fact remains that for the 10th consecutive October, the World Series transpires without the Yankees, a drought that would seem like an eyeblink to most teams — it’s 33 years between flag-raisings for the Mets, for instance — but in the annals of a team that bills itself with some justification as The Greatest Franchise in the History of Sports, this would have been a source of shame in a previous era.

Mind you, it’s not like firing everyone every time things went wrong worked for those teams either, given the rather telling aspect involving how the two Yankees dynasties built during George Steinbrenner’s ownership were actually built…..

Yankees’ Season Blows Up With Starting Pitcher Void Never Filled

HOUSTON — Twenty minutes after José Altuve hit the walk-off home run that sent the Astros to the World Series and the Yankees back to the Bronx, Minute Maid Park continued to roar. The field echoed with cheers as Altuve accepted the ALCS MVP trophy. The concourses reverberated as orange-clad fans congratulated one another and floated into the night. The parking lots buzzed.

The only quiet place in the ballpark could be found in the bowels below the third-base dugout, where the Yankees gathered in their clubhouse, silent but for the sounds of hands clapping shoulders as they said their goodbyes.

Eyes red, reliever Zack Britton contemplated what had just slipped away. The Astros’ 6–4 win had seemed almost unfathomable just 35 minutes earlier, after New York first baseman DJ LeMahieu lined a cutter into the rightfield bleachers to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning. That was it, the Yankees were sure. Momentum was on their side. They would force a Game 7.

Then came the bottom of the ninth. Closer Aroldis Chapman got two outs. He walked George Springer on five pitches. He ran the count to 2–1 on Altuve. He hung a slider.

Some thoughts on the roots of a loss.

Yankees go decade without a World Series trip for first time in 100 years

The New York Yankees are synonymous with the Fall Classic.

Just not this decade.

The Bronx Bombers have reached the World Series 40 times in their history, winning 27 titles, by far more than any other major league team.

But in the 2010s, even a trip to the World Series has eluded the iconic franchise.

Savages in the box go bust with slew of strikeouts

HOUSTON (AP) — A record-setting season by Savages in the Box ended with a slew of strikeouts and another October bust for the New York Yankees.

For the first time since the 1910s, the 27-time champions have gone through an entire calendar decade without even making it to a World Series.

An AL Championship Series of missed opportunities ended when Aroldis Chapman allowed José Altuve’s pennant-winning, two-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday night that gave the Houston Astros a 6-4 win and the pennant in six games.

“It will serve us well going forward when we get to the top of the mountain,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

I’d like to think that Boone would feel embarrassed about his puffery after how it ended, but he doesn’t seem to be the sort who has shame, so….

DJ LeMahieu Is The New Derek Jeter

Among batters with at least 1000 at-bats since 2002, Jeter and LeMahieu rank second and third, respectively, in terms of the share of balls hit in the air to the opposite field. In an age of trying to pull the ball, LeMahieu is doing the opposite — just like Jeter did.

Reddick: Yankees fans ‘disrespectful’ for throwing debris

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston Astros right fielder Josh Reddick called out Yankees fans for tossing water bottles, baseballs and other objects on the field during New York’s 4-1 loss in the AL Championship Series on Tuesday night.

“You throw a baseball hard enough and hit somebody in the head when they’re not looking, it could do some damage to the player, so it’s definitely disrespectful and at the same time very unsafe,” Reddick said.

Fans erupted after a replay review changed Edwin Encarnación’s infield hit leading off the eighth to a groundout. Houston went on to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Ducky Medwick has known worse….