JotCast | Yankees Offseason In Review Chat

Darragh McDonald

10:59

Welcome, everyone. Let's talk Yanks.

Will

11:00

Was Judge overpaid?

Darragh McDonald

11:00

Well, pretty much every free agent is overpaid, in a sense. The team that signs the player is usually the one that's willing to pay the most.

Brian

11:01

Who will be on the starting rotation to open the year?

Darragh McDonald

11:01

Seems like it's going to be Cole, Cortes, German, Schmidt, Brito. Not necessarily in that order.

Jake

11:01

Do you think we’ll see a walk off walk or a game ending K on a pitch clock violation this year?

Darragh McDonald

11:02

I would guess yes, and people will get mad about it. But these kinds of things happen in all sports. How many times has a football or basketball game ended because of a play clock/shot clock violation?

It will feel new for baseball, but I suspect we'll get used to it.

Brandan

11:02

Poll Time: Will the Yankees win the AL East?

Darragh McDonald

11:03

Yankees win division?

Yes (66.9% | 158 votes)

No (33.1% | 78 votes)

Total Votes: 236

Brian

11:03

Does Volpe have a chance at keeping Shortstop, or is he a stopgap until 2B gets open, by trading Torres, or next off-season?

Darragh McDonald

11:04

I think he has a chance. Scouting community seems to be split, but he's not even 22 years old yet.

11:05

I do suspect that the long-term plan is for Peraza and Volpe to take over the middle spots in a post-Gleyber world, at some point.

Aaron

11:05

If Peraza performs early in the minors, and Volpe struggles, will Volpe be on a short leash?

Darragh McDonald

11:05

Yeah, I would think so. Winning the Opening Day roster spot doesn't mean he's guaranteed anything in the long run. He still has to earn it.

Brian

11:06

Any other (minor) improvements happening before opening day?

Darragh McDonald

11:07

Sure. There's always a chance of minor moves at this time. Other teams are putting guys on waivers or guys are opting out. I could see them grabbing a bench outfielder or some bullpen help.

Jorge

11:07

Rodon and Sevy: you worried?

Darragh McDonald

11:08

I think the Yankees are a very strong team on paper but health is probably the most likely thing to make things turn south. There's a lot of older and/or injury prone players on the roster.

As for these two specifically, Rodon threw a bullpen yesterday and things seem fine, so, doesn't seem too worrisome from the outside.

Billy

11:09

What is the go-to source for minor league options? Coming into spring training, it looked as if Deivi was out of options and Cordero had one remaining. Yet Deivi was optioned and now we're told Cordero is out of options

Darragh McDonald

11:10

I usually trust Roster Resource, though I don't think any public outlet is 100%. Sometimes, guys are granted a fourth option without it being publicly reported.

Guest

11:10

Can you see Donaldson or Hicks being traded at the trade deadline?

Darragh McDonald

11:10

Yeah, sure. The Padres moved Hosmer last year by eating all the money. Yanks could surely do something similar if they really wanted.

Hypothetical GM

11:11

What's a move you could see with the current roster (noting it's far out) the Yankees making at the deadline? BP upgrade? Starter?

Darragh McDonald

11:12

Starting pitching would be my guess right now. They seem to have lots of question marks there at the moment. It would depend on a few factors though.

Factor number one is which teams are selling. If the Brewers fall out of contention and start shopping Corbin Burnes, that's obviously a big target.

11:13

But another factor is the luxury tax, since the Yankees seemingly don't want to cross the final threshold, which they are right up against. That means they either need to change that stance or move some money.

Lt Data

11:13

Rodon’s health history was so questionable - why sign him? (Same could be said of DeGrom, but you’re betting enormously on a guy staying healthy who basically never has.)

Darragh McDonald

11:16

Rodon has had his share of injuries but so has pretty much every pitcher. It's not really true to say Rodon never has. He's been basically healthy two years straight, apart from some fatigue down the stretch in 2021.

He's still one of the best pitchers in the league.

Yup

11:17

How do you see the Yankees stacking up in the division in terms of depth? If they stay healthy I think they win the division but is it possible their lack of depth will hurt them?

Darragh McDonald

11:18

Yeah, I think this is possible. There's no denying it's a great team right now. FanGraphs projects them for 91 wins, best in the AL. But a few key injuries could be worrisome.

Lt Data

11:18

Yankees released Rafael Ortega and seem set to carry Florial instead. What’s the thinking behind that decision? Florial has great speed and glove but has never hit (tbf he’s never really got much run), but Ortega is a veteran who’s been rather good the last two seasons and has a higher floor.

Darragh McDonald

11:19

For a fourth outfielder whose job is to be a defensive replacement and pinch runner, hitting probably doesn't matter as much as it does for a regular. So, that speed and glove are important.

11:20

He's also younger and cheaper. And the lack of hitting isn't a foregone conclusion either. He has 63 plate appearances in the majors.

Jeff

11:20

Good morning! Is Demarcus Evans still in the Yankees organization? Hopefully the change of scenery will help him!

Darragh McDonald

11:20

As far as I know, he's still in the org, yes.

A Pedant

11:21

Who goes down once (if) Bader is healthy assuming no other injuries? Does it mean Florial's days are numbered?

Darragh McDonald

11:21

If everyone is healthy, sure, though it's rare for that to happen at any point throughout the season.

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