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Yankees Notes: Boone, Gardner, Judge

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The Yankees’ season ended in last night’s 6-2 loss to the Red Sox in the AL wild card game, and speculation immediately began about the Bronx Bombers’ next steps.  It has now been 12 seasons (a eternity by Bronx standards) since the Yankees’ last World Series appearance, and a return trip won’t get any easier in 2022.

“We’ve got to get better in every aspect because it’s not just the Red Sox and the Astros now in our league,” manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Joon Lee and other reporters.  “Look at our division — the Rays are a beast, Toronto.  There’s some teams in the Central that are better and better, teams in the West that are better and better, teams that have closed the gap on us.”

Whatever moves are made during the offseason, perhaps the first question on many fans’ minds is whether or not Boone will still be the one managing any new faces.  While Boone has an outstanding 328-218 record in his four seasons as manager, it hasn’t resulted in a contract extension from the original deal he signed back in December 2017.  That original contract was for three seasons and a club option for 2021, which the Yankees exercised, though Boone spent the year in lame-duck status without any guarantee for a longer tenure.

“I haven’t had any conversations about [my contract] with anyone, so we’ll see,” Boone said.  “I love being here.  I love going to work with this group of players….Whatever does happen, I’m at peace with.  I know that I can hold my head high.”

Brett Gardner is the last player remaining from the Yankees’ 2009 championship team, and after spending his entire career in New York, the outfielder told ESPN’s Marly Rivera and other reporters that “I hope I am back next season.”  The ball is in Gardner’s court to some extent, as he has a $2.3MM player option for 2022, and the Yankees have a $7.15MM club option (with a $1.15MM buyout) available should Gardner decline his player option.

Gardner has played each of the last three seasons on one-year guaranteed contracts, with the Yankees opting to decline club options following the 2018 and 2020 seasons.  Since Gardner delivered a below-average (90 OPS+, 93 wRC+) offensive season by hitting only .222/.327/.362 over 461 plate appearances, it seems hard to see the Yankees retain him at that $7.15MM figure, even considering Gardner’s long history with the team and his still-solid baserunning and outfield glovework at age 38.  It’s possible a new deal could be worked out for something between the $2.3MM and $7.15MM price points, though Gardner might prefer to avoid the uncertainty of offseason negotiations and just lock in his player option, even if it means a substantial pay cut.

Aaron Judge can look forward to a nice raise (from his $10.175MM salary in 2021) in his third and final arbitration year, as the star slugger enjoyed another big season.  Judge hit .287/.373/.544 with 39 home runs, and though he spent 11 days on the COVID-related injury list, Judge’s 148 games and 633 PA represented his highest totals in either category since 2017.

It all makes for a very nice platform for Judge in extension talks, as Judge is scheduled for free agency following the 2022 season.  “I want to be a Yankee for life,” Judge told Tyler Kepner of The New York Times and other reporters last night.  “I want to wear the pinstripes the rest of my career and represent this great organization and bring a championship back to the city. But you never know what the future holds for you.”

After Judge was hampered by injuries in 2018-20, his ability to stay on the field this season should to some extent lessen any concerns the Yankees might have about Judge’s chances of staying healthy into his 30’s.  (Judge will be 31 on Opening Day 2023.)  Judge has been one of the sport’s most fearsome bats even in his injury-plagued years, and he has also become a fan favorite in New York and the face of this era of Yankees baseball.  It remains to be see, however, whether Judge’s track record results in an extension with a franchise that generally hasn’t agreed to many contract extensions in the Hal Steinbrenner era.

While pure dollars aren’t really the issue, the fact that the Yankees stayed under the luxury tax threshold this season and reset their tax payment status could be a hint towards a willingness to work something out with their popular slugger.  When the Yankees last ducked under the luxury tax line in 2018, they responded with a pair of extensions with Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks the following spring.  Of course, the fact that the Yankees have thus far gotten very little return on those Severino and Hicks deals might also have perhaps hardened the team’s resolve against extensions.

NL East Notes: Harper, Phillies, Davis, Mets, Nationals

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For players eager to win now, they usually want their teams to add veteran players to help put the club over the top.  Bryce Harper may be an exception, as when speaking to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and other reporters following the Phillies’ season-ending loss to the Marlins, Harper stressed that “we can’t just keep going out and buying and buying and buying.  We need homegrown talent. When you look at teams that have homegrown talent, those are the teams that have success….We need guys to come up from the minor leagues and have success and be successful.  Not have to go up and down.”

Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins stand out as recent success stories from Philadelphia’s player pipeline, but apart from that duo, the Phillies have struggled to find consistent contributions from within the organizations.  Highly-touted youngsters like Alec Bohm, Scott Kingery, Mickey Moniak, and Adam Haseley have yet to make much of an impact at the big league level, and Gelb notes that the Phils have been lacking a streamlined approach throughout the organization — there appears to be “a disconnect between what was taught below and preached in the majors.”  The Phillies are already making changes in the player development department and are on the lookout for a new hitting coach, though it remains to be seen if the team can figure out this “disconnect” while still addressing their 2022 needs and being competitive next season.

More from around the NL East…

  • J.D. Davis will undergo surgery Tuesday to fix a torn ligament in his left hand.  The Mets infielder played in only 73 games this season due to four separate trips to the injured list related to his hand injury, and Davis told The New York Daily News’ Deesha Thosar and other reporters that he expects to have a normal offseason after his surgery, so he should be ready for Spring Training.  As to whether or not he’ll be at the Mets’ camp is another question, as after a year of trade rumors, Davis said his “gut feeling” is that he “could be out of here” and headed to another team.  “It’s kind of 50/50, kind of a flip of the coin,” Davis said.  “I know there’s going to be plenty of changes up and down from the front office all the way down to here….But there’s a possibility that I could come back. I love New York.  I love the fans.”
  • As Davis mentioned, the Mets will be undergoing many changes, including a possible overhaul of the coaching staff that could include manager Luis Rojas.  Of all the coaches, The New York Post’s Mike Puma (Twitter link) believes pitching coach Jeremy Hefner is the likeliest to remain in Queens.  2021 is the last guaranteed year of Hefner’s original two-year contract, but the Mets hold a club option on Hefner’s services for next season.
  • The Nationals definitively won’t be making a change at pitching coach, as manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman) on Saturday that Jim Hickey for a second season on Washington’s staff.  Other changes could be forthcoming to the coaching corps, however, and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo told Zuckerman and company today that the Nationals are “certainly going to make some changes in the player development and scouting ranks.”  The idea is that “ten or 12 years with the same staff shows the cohesion, and then when you make some nice tweaks to get a new set of eyes and some new ideas is never a bad thing,” Rizzo said.

2022 Amateur Draft Order Established

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The first round of the 2022 amateur draft has been set, with Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo breaking down the order and various tiebreakers involved.  In fact, a tiebreaker was necessary to determine that the Orioles will receive the first overall pick.  The O’s and Diamondbacks both finished 52-110 this season, plus each went 25-35 in 2020.

Because the Orioles had the worse record of the two clubs in 2019, however, Baltimore will now get the 1-1 selection for the third time in franchise history.  (The Orioles took Ben McDonald with the top pick of the 1989 draft, and selected star catching prospect Adley Rutschman just back in 2019.)  This tiebreak advantage could be seen as another benefit of the long-term rebuild the Orioles have been undertaking for years now, though Baltimore fans might see this as something of a backhanded accomplishment.

Of course, it remains to be seen if the draft process will remain the same going forward.  As Collazo notes, it is possible MLB and the players union could make changes to the draft as part of negotiations for the new collective bargaining agreement.  The players (and agents) will quite likely push to alter how draft pick penalties are tied to the free agent market and the luxury tax system, not to mention how the draft pool process that puts significant limitations on what clubs can spend on amateur talent contracts.

There has also been some suggestion that the league could change the usual practice of establishing the draft order strictly by team record, to keep teams (like the Orioles) from tanking in order to stock up on as much young talent as possible at the top of the draft board.  As well, there has long been speculation that the league could look into allowing all draft picks to be eligible to be traded.  Right now, only the picks in the two Competitive Balance Rounds can be moved as part of trades, and it isn’t out of the question that the CBR criteria is itself changed in some way.

Here is the first-round draft order as it stands just after the end of the regular season.  The order of picks beyond the first round won’t be officially known until any compensatory picks and the Competitive Balance Rounds have been decided.

  1. Orioles (52-110)
  2. Diamondbacks (52-110)
  3. Rangers (60-102)
  4. Pirates (61-101)
  5. Nationals (65-97)
  6. Marlins (67-95)
  7. Cubs (71-91)
  8. Twins (73-89)
  9. Royals (74-88)
  10. Rockies (74-87)
  11. Mets (compensatory pick for not signing Kumar Rocker, the 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft)
  12. Tigers (77-85)
  13. Angels (77-85)
  14. Mets (77-85)
  15. Padres (79-83)
  16. Indians (80-82)
  17. Phillies (82-80)
  18. Reds (83-79)
  19. Athletics (86-76)
  20. Braves (88-73)
  21. Mariners (90-72)
  22. Cardinals (90-72)
  23. Blue Jays (91-71)
  24. Red Sox (92-70)
  25. Yankees (92-70)
  26. White Sox (93-69)
  27. Brewers (95-67)
  28. Astros (95-67)
  29. Rays (100-62)
  30. Dodgers (106-56)
  31. Giants (107-55)

Poll: Who’s Going To Win The World Series?

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It took 162 games to decide things, but given all of the uncertainty heading into the final day of the regular season, it is perhaps an upset that a 163rd game (or even a 164th) wasn’t required.  However, the field for the 2021 postseason has now been decided.

The Giants outpaced the Dodgers in a stunning NL West pennant race.  San Francisco shocked the baseball world by winning 107 games, the most victories in the franchise’s 139 seasons.  As a reward, the Giants will get a few days to rest and prepare for the NL Division Series opener on Friday, while Los Angeles (with a whopping 106 wins) will now have to sweat out a single-game eliminator against the hottest team in the sport.

The Cardinals roared into the NL wild card game thanks to a 35-16 record over their last 51 games, including a franchise-record 17-game winning streak.  The Dodgers will host the Cards on Wednesday, and while the two clubs are postseason regulars, this will be their first meeting in the playoffs since 2014.

After a season of tributes to the late Henry Aaron, perhaps it was destiny that Milwaukee and Atlanta would do battle in the postseason for the very first time.  The 95-67 Brewers will host the 88-73 Braves in Game One of their NLDS meeting, which begins on Friday.

The Brewers caught fire in midseason and ran away with the NL Central, topping St. Louis by five games even despite the Cards’ late surge.  Despite a few shaky moments along the way, the Braves nonetheless overcame the loss of injured superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. to capture their fourth straight NL East title.

“Champa Bay” has already collected two Stanley Cups and a Super Bowl within the last two years, and the 100-62 Rays will look to add a World Series title to the local trophy case.  The Rays will start their journey in the AL Division Series on Thursday, and they’ll be facing off against a familiar AL East opponent, no matter who wins the AL wild card game.

That opponent will be decided on Tuesday, as the Yankees and Red Sox will add another chapter to their rivalry by meeting in the wild card game for the first time.  Both New York and Boston won today to clinch their postseason berths, finishing with identical 92-70 records (and holding off the 91-win Blue Jays and the 90-win Mariners).  Because the Sox won the season series by a 10-9 margin, Tuesday’s game will take place at Fenway Park.

The Astros and White Sox will square off in the other ALDS matchups, meeting for the first time in the postseason since Chicago defeated Houston in the 2005 World Series.  The 95-67 Astros have the homefield advantage over the 93-69 White Sox, and this series will mark the first-ever postseason meeting between veteran managers Dusty Baker and Tony La Russa.

Now that we know which 10 teams will be continuing into October, the question remains….who do you think will be the last team standing at the end of October? (Link to poll for app users)

Max Muncy Leaves Game With Apparent Wrist Injury

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6:00PM: It looks “very unlikely” that Muncy will play in Wednesday’s wild card game, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times).  Roberts is hopeful that Muncy will be able to return at some point in the postseason if the Dodgers keep advancing.

3:24PM: Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy left today’s game following a collision at first base.  After Jace Peterson put the ball into play, Peterson and Muncy collided while Muncy was attempting to catch the throw, with Muncy’s left arm taking the brunt of the contact.  Muncy was in obvious pain while holding his wrist, and he was immediately removed from the game.

Losing Muncy just for the remainder of this all-important Game 162 is enough of a blow for the Dodgers, but at least at first glance, it looks like the type of injury that could put Muncy out of action for at least some of the playoffs.  If Los Angeles isn’t able to secure the NL West today, the team’s postseason run could potentially end as early as Wednesday, when the Dodgers would face the Cardinals in the NL wild card game.

Beating the red-hot Cards would be even more difficult for the Dodgers if they were missing one of their star sluggers.  Muncy is in the midst of another big season, entering today’s action with a .250/.369/.528 slash line and a team-leading 36 home runs.

If Muncy is indeed out of action, the Dodgers have enough depth to fill first base, even if there’s no simply way to replace Muncy.  Cody Bellinger is the most obvious fill-in, except Bellinger has been struggling through a rough season.  Albert Pujols has seen the second-most action at first base for L.A., though Pujols has mostly been limited to work against left-handed pitching, and veteran righty Adam Wainwright (Pujols’ former Cardinals) is the scheduled starter on Wednesday.

Roster Moves: Contreras, Lopez, Detmers, Guerra, Quintana

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Catching on some of the roster moves that took place before today’s slate of games…

  • The Cubs placed Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list due to right hip inflammation, officially ending the veteran catcher’s season.  In corresponding moves, Alfonso Rivas was moved from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL, and catcher Tyler Payne made his MLB debut today after his contract selected from Triple-A.  One of the few veterans remaining in the wake of the Cubs’ deadline fire sale, Contreras might be either a trade candidate or an extension candidate this winter, depending on the club’s next direction.  Contreras finishes the year hitting .237/.340/.438 with 21 home runs over 483 PA.
  • The Marlins activated Pablo Lopez from the 60-day injured list, as Lopez tossed 1 2/3 innings in an abbreviated start during Miami’s 5-4 win over the Phillies today.  It marked Lopez’s first game since July 11, as a right rotator cuff strain interrupted a very impressive season for the 25-year-old.  Lopez posted a 3.03 ERA and above-average strikeout and walk rates over his first 101 innings, setting himself up for 2022 as yet another quality young arm in the Marlins rotation. To make room for Lopez’s return to the roster, Miami placed left-hander Sean Guenther on the 10-day IL and moved first baseman Jesus Aguilar to the 60-day IL.
  • The Angels called up left-hander Reid Detmers to start today’s contest with the Mariners, and also activated righty Junior Guerra from the 10-day IL.  Outfielder Taylor Ward heads to the 10-day IL with a right adductor strain while southpaw Jhonathan Diaz was optioned to Triple-A.
  • Jose Quintana cleared waivers and outrighted to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  San Francisco designated Quintana for assignment earlier this week, after the veteran left-hander posted a 4.66 ERA over 9 2/3 innings with the Giants.  Quintana was claimed off waivers from the Angels at the end of August, as the Giants looked to add some lefty depth down the stretch.

J.D. Martinez Leaves Game With Left Ankle Sprain

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J.D. Martinez left today’s game after suffering what the Red Sox termed as a left ankle sprain.  The injury was suffered in bizarre fashion, as Martinez stumbled over second base while making his way out to right field to begin the bottom of the fifth inning.  Martinez played the half-inning, but was then replaced by pinch-hitter Jose Iglesias in the top of the sixth.

While normally a DH in the Red Sox lineup, Martinez has continued to see his share of time in the field, with today marking his 36th game of the season as an outfielder.  The Sox had no choice but to deploy Martinez in right field considering today’s game is in Washington, and thus the DH spot wasn’t available under National League rules.

The severity of Martinez’s injury remains to be seen, but should the slugger be limited in any way during at least the next few days, it certainly won’t help Boston’s chances of reaching the postseason, pending today’s results (or the results of a potential Game 163 playoff to determine an AL wild card berth).  After a rough 2020 season, Martinez has bounced back with a solid performance this year, hitting .286/.349/.518 with 28 homers and a league-best 42 doubles over 632 plate appearances.

Charlie Blackmon Plans To Exercise 2022-23 Player Options

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Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon isn’t making any plans to leave Denver, as Blackmon told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post) that he is going to exercise the player options on his contract for both 2022 and 2023.  An official decision about Blackmon’s 2022 plans will come soon after the World Series, and Blackmon doesn’t have to make a decision on his 2023 option until after next season, should he change his mind in the next 12 months.

In exercising his 2022 option, Blackmon will earn $21MM next season, and there wasn’t much doubt he would choose to prefer that big guaranteed payday over a visit to the free agent market.  Blackmon entered Game 162 hitting .269/.349/.409 with 13 home runs over 581 plate appearances, his least-productive full season by OPS (.759), OPS+ (95) and wRC+ (94) since becoming a regular with Colorado in 2013.

At age 35 and coming off that lackluster platform season, there wasn’t much chance Blackmon could find anything on the open market that would top the minimum $31MM in guaranteed money he has coming his way in 2022-23.  Blackmon’s original extension with the Rockies has already earned him $63MM, and after the $21MM salary for 2022, he stands to make at least $10MM via the 2023 player option.  That 2023 figure could end up being worth as much as $18MM should Blackmon hit various escalators based on plate appearances and MVP votes.

The Rockies inked Blackmon to that extension in April 2018, keeping Blackmon in the fold before his scheduled trip to free agency in the 2018-19 offseason.  Over the extension’s three guaranteed years, Blackmon has contributed a .295/.357/.489 slash line and 51 homers over 1462 PA, but most of that damage came in 2019.

His decline over the last two seasons doesn’t bode well for Colorado’s chances of getting an acceptable return on that $21MM investment for next year.  Blackmon’s hard-contact numbers have dropped, and opposing teams have been heavily deploying shifts to neutralize the left-handed hitting Blackmon over the last two seasons.

Phillies Fire Coaches Joe Dillon, Juan Castro

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The Phillies fired hitting coach Joe Dillon and infield coach Juan Castro this afternoon.  Assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero wasn’t let go but was given permission to look for other jobs, as the Phils intend to let their next hitting coach hire his own assistant.  The rest of Philadelphia’s coaching staff will return in 2021, according to manager Joe Girardi.

“I think they [Dillon and Castro] worked extremely hard, but we just felt at this time it was time to make some changes,” Girardi told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber and other reporters.  “We always talk about, at this level, it’s a production-based business.  It’s difficult.”

Dillon was in his second season as hitting coach, and across the board, the Phillies’ offensive numbers declined.  After hitting a collective .257/.342/.439 (108 wRC+) in 2020, Philadelphia batters took a .240/.318/.408 slash line (93 wRC+) into today’s season finale.  Even with Bryce Harper enjoying an all-world season, the Phillies weren’t much beyond middle-of-the-pack in most major offensive categories.

A lack of consistent hitting was far from the only issue that plagued the Phillies this year, as poor defense may have been an even bigger problem for the team.  This cost Castro his job, though as Lauber noted, it was perhaps asking a bit much of Castro to improve an infield full of subpar defenders.  Castro (a former MLB infielder who spent parts of eight seasons each with the Reds and Dodgers) is also in his second year on Philadelphia’s coaching staff.

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