Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Yankees Rumors

Oswald Peraza, Frankie Montas Added To Yankees’ Roster For ALCS

By | at

The Yankees announced their roster for the ALCS, with infielder Oswald Peraza, right-handers Frankie Montas and Greg Weissert as new additions from the ALDS. They will take the place of outfielder Aaron Hicks, who is done for the year, as well as utility player Marwin Gonzalez and left-hander Lucas Luetge. Also of note, infielder DJ LeMahieu and outfielder Andrew Benintendi, both out with injuries, have not been added.

Here is the full roster for the Yankees, as they get set to take on the Astros:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Designated Hitter

The injury sustained by Hicks has led to a domino effect, necessitating some of today’s switches. For the last two games of the ALDS, Hicks started in left field with Oswaldo Cabrera at short, bumping Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the bench. After Hicks was injured yesterday, Kiner-Falefa was eventually installed at short with Cabrera going out to the left field. Without Hicks, it seems possible that the Yanks will use Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader and Cabrera as their regular outfield mix. That subtracts Cabrera from the infield picture, which Peraza will now step into. Gonzalez is capable of playing anywhere, though he hit just .185/.255/.321 this year. It seems the Yanks would prefer the rookie Peraza, who hit .306/.404/.429 in his 18-game debut this year.

Benintendi underwent hamate surgery in early September and has recently been working out, trying to get healthy enough to rejoin the club. However, recent reporting indicated he’s been experiencing continued soreness, leading to an injection in his wrist. With him not able to return, Cabrera could be in line for regular outfield duty. Giancarlo Stanton could theoretically be an option, having played 38 games in the outfield this year, though the Yanks might also opt to keep him as the designated hitter.

Similar to Benintendi, LeMahieu has been out of action for a while and has been trying to get healthy enough to return. His absence has been due to a ligament issue with the second toe of his right foot. It appears that he hasn’t recuperated enough to get a roster spot. With LeMahieu’s lingering issue, Cabrera likely in the outfield and Kiner-Falefa struggling, Peraza has been swapped in for Gonzalez to contend for shortstop playing time.

As for Montas, he was the Yankees’ big deadline acquisition for the pitching staff. However, he struggled badly after coming over from the A’s. He had a 3.18 ERA with Oakland but then a 6.35 ERA after the deal. It’s possible that shoulder issues were hampering him, as he missed a few starts prior to the trade and was eventually placed on the IL by the Yanks due to shoulder inflammation. He hasn’t been fully stretched out and won’t be a candidate for a starting job, though manager Aaron Boone recently said Montas could throw some multi-inning outings.

With the additions of Montas and Weissert and the subtraction of Luetge, the Yankees are left with Wandy Peralta as the only lefty in their bullpen. The Astros are very right-handed, having just two lefties in their lineup, though the two are Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. It seems the Yanks have a bit more faith in some of their right-handers to face the middle of the Houston lineup, with Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga and Miguel Castro perhaps in line to try to quell Alvarez and Tucker.

MLBTR Poll: Who Will Win The ALCS?

By | at

The Yankees knocked off the Guardians by a 5-1 margin this evening, taking two elimination games to advance past Cleveland. New York is back in the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2019.

Awaiting them tomorrow: an Astros juggernaut that has had one of the better runs of playoff success in recent history. Houston has gotten to the ALCS in six straight seasons. The first of those seasons was their now-infamous run to a World Series that was later revealed to be aided by a sign-stealing operation. Houston has barely missed a beat in the half-decade since then, though, playing for the pennant every year. The Astros claimed the pennant in both 2019 and 2021 (eliminating the Yankees during the former season), and while they’ve not managed to win a World Series since 2017, they’ve joined the 1990’s Braves as the only teams to reach six consecutive Championship Series.

Houston has home field advantage after a 106-win regular season, claiming the AL’s top seed in the second half after an historically great first few months by the Yankees. The ’Stros swept their division-rival Mariners last week, earning three off days in the process. Their pitching staff should essentially be lined up as desired, and they’ll turn to presumptive Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander tomorrow evening. The Yankees will answer with Jameson Taillon for Game One after using top two starters Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes on Sunday and today, respectively, to survive the Guardians.

The Yankees, anchored by an all-time great season from Aaron Judge, led all American League teams with 807 runs scored. Houston finished third in that category, plating 737 runs. New York finished second in the Junior Circuit behind the Blue Jays in on-base percentage at .325, while the Astros placed fourth at .319. The Yankees finished second in slugging (again behind Toronto) at .426, while Houston was just behind at .424.

While New York had a slight advantage offensively, the Astros were clearly the best pitching team in the American League. They led the league with a 2.95 rotation ERA, a half-run better than the second-place Rays. New York came in third at 3.51. Astros and Yankees starters each fanned 24.8% of opponents (with the Astros leading the league by a fraction of a percentage point). Houston’s bullpen was also number one in strikeout percentage at 28.3%, while the Yankees checked in sixth at 24.2%. Houston (2.80) and New York (2.97) finished first and second, respectively, in bullpen ERA.

It’s a battle of the two teams that have looked to be the best in the American League, in some order, from start to finish. Yesterday, MLBTR readers weighed in on an NLCS that took the exact opposite form. In a battle of the Senior Circuit’s fifth and sixth seeds, the readership gave a 56-44 edge to the Padres over the Phillies.  We’ll now put forth the same question for the American League. Which team is headed to the World Series: Astros or Yankees?

(poll link for app users)

Who Will Win The AL Championship Series?
Astros 67.93% (6,594 votes)
Yankees 32.07% (3,113 votes)
Total Votes: 9,707

 

Aaron Hicks To Miss Remainder Of Postseason

By | at

The Yankees kept their season alive this evening, knocking off the Guardians 5-1 to take their Division Series in five games. They advance to the AL Championship Series to take on the reigning pennant winners in Houston, starting tomorrow.

While New York is obviously happy to advance, they didn’t come out of today’s contest completely unscathed. Left fielder Aaron Hicks was knocked out of the game in the top of the third after colliding with shortstop Oswaldo Cabrera in pursuit of a shallow fly ball off the bat of Steven Kwan. Hicks left the field with just slight assistance from skipper Aaron Boone, but he suffered a left knee injury that’ll end his playoffs. After the game, Hicks told reporters he’ll need around six weeks to recover (via Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record). Specifics of the injury aren’t clear, but the Yankees announced he was headed for an MRI.

It’s the conclusion of what has been a disappointing season altogether for Hicks. The 33-year-old hit .216/.330/.313 across 453 regular season plate appearances, his second straight below-average campaign. Hicks had been one of the game’s better center fielders from 2017-20, but he’s seen his power production take a sharp downward turn over the last two years. He also got subpar marks for his defense in center field, leading the Yankees to turn to Aaron Judge quite a bit more up the middle than they had in prior years before acquiring Harrison Bader from the Cardinals at the trade deadline.

Hicks was on the bench for the first three games of the Division Series, but he did draw into the lineup for the final two contests. He started in left field for both Game 4 and 5, going hitless with a walk in four plate appearances out of the nine-hole. Cabrera, who’d been the left fielder for the first three games of the series, moved up to shortstop for the final two contests. That pushed Isiah Kiner-Falefa out of the lineup after some defensive miscues in Game 3.

With Hicks out, the Yankees could move Cabrera back to left field and pencil Kiner-Falefa back in at short. They also have Matt Carpenter as a corner outfield option, although Boone indicated before the ALDS he preferred to keep Carpenter as a bench bat during his first action back after a two-month absence due to a foot fracture. Utilityman Marwin González drew an at-bat in relief of Hicks this evening, but the Yankees aren’t likely to give him a playoff start after a .185/.255/.321 showing in the regular season. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is also a possibility to assume some left field work, although it’s not clear whether the Yankees would run the risk of him playing defense for the first time since mid-July.

The Yankees acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Royals to solidify left field, but he’s been out since early September surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist. Boone indicated after tonight’s win he doesn’t anticipate Benintendi being active for the ALCS (via Andy Martino of SNY). The Yankees will have to formally announce their ALCS roster tomorrow, but it seems they’ll have to make due with their in-house outfield options against Houston.

It doesn’t seem likely Hicks’ injury will significantly affect his offseason routine. He’s under contract through 2025 and will presumably get a chance to compete for a starting job next spring, as the Yankees will have a hard time shedding any notable chunk of the $29.5MM that remains on his contract.

Injury Notes: Robertson, Benintendi, Means

By | at

Phillies right-hander David Robertson threw a bullpen session yesterday and went through fielding drills, tweets Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That’s the first baseball activity for the veteran closer since sustaining a calf strain while celebrating Bryce Harper’s home run during the team’s Wild Card win over the Cardinals. Robertson was left off the roster for the Phillies’ NLDS showdown with the Braves, but throwing off a mound and running through some fielding drills Monday at least opens the door for him to be reinstated for Philadelphia’s NLCS date with San Diego. The Phils will make a formal announcement on their NLCS roster by 10am PT this morning.

A few more injury items of note…

  • Yankees outfielder Andrew Benintendi received an injection in his wrist this week after experiencing continued pain in his ailing right wrist, tweets MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Benintendi underwent surgery in early September after suffering a hamate fracture in his wrist and has not appeared in a game since. There’s been hope that, if the Yankees advance beyond today’s ALDS Game 5 against the Guardians, that he could potentially return for the ALCS, though the latest update on him casts plenty of doubt on that possibility. If the Yankees were to advance, they’d have to announce an ALCS roster by 10am CT tomorrow. Benintendi hit .304/.373/.399 with five home runs in 521 plate appearances prior to his injury — including a .254/.331/.404 output in 131 plate appearances with the Yankees (following a trade from the Royals).
  • Orioles lefty John Means underwent Tommy John surgery back in late April, and just shy of six months later he’s resumed throwing. Means shared video his session yesterday, labeling it “day one” of his return to a throwing program. There’s still a long road back from this point, as Means isn’t throwing anywhere near 100% at this juncture and will have plenty of milestones to clear as he rehabs his new elbow ligament and eventually builds up strength to return to a Major League mound. An early summer return in 2023 would be a good outcome, though each pitcher’s recovery from Tommy John surgery varies. Means, who’s pitched to a 3.81 ERA in 356 2/3 innings since making his big league debut with the O’s, signed a two-year, $5.925MM deal covering the 2022 season and 2023 season but is under club control via arbitration through the 2024 campaign.

Yankees Notes: Judge, deGrom, Montas, LeMahieu, Marinaccio, Benintendi

By | at

The ALDS is tied 1-1, as today’s Game 2 saw the Yankees suffer a tough 4-2 loss to the Guardians in 10 innings.  Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run homer gave New York a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but the Yankees managed only four more hits and zero additional runs in the next nine innings against Guards pitching.  The series now shifts to Cleveland for the next two games, with Luis Severino slated to face Triston McKenzie in tomorrow’s Game 3.

More from the Bronx…

  • According to four agents and a non-Yankees executive polled by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Aaron Judge’s next contract is going to be worth at least $300MM, with some speculation that he might approach the $350MM or even $400MM thresholds.  It would be a gigantic and possibly record-setting deal for the slugger, yet Judge’s huge 62-homer campaign has made a strong argument for such a contract.  With other teams surely interested and possibly driving the price up, it remains to be seen if the Yankees will retain Judge, though GM Brian Cashman said this week that “we’d love to keep him if we can.”
  • It also seems like you can rule out any chance of a crosstown swap of free agents, as Heyman doesn’t believe the Mets will make a true run at Judge, nor is it likely that Judge would leave the Yankees for New York’s other team.  A league source also flatly told Heyman that “the Yankees aren’t going after [Jacob] deGrom,” as there has been speculation that deGrom might be looking to leave New York for a team closer to his home in Florida.
  • The Yankees are missing several notable players on their ALDS roster, but manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) that four injured players could perhaps be available if the Yankees advanced to the ALCS.  In preparation, Andrew Benintendi, Frankie Montas, and Ron Marinaccio are all heading to Tampa to work out in a live game setting.  As Montas recovers from shoulder inflammation, Boone said that Montas would be used as a bulk pitcher (behind an opener) or as a multi-inning reliever, rather than in his usual starting role.  DJ LeMahieu is still traveling with the team as he recuperates from his foot injury, with the Yankees specifying that LeMahieu is suffering from a ligament issue with the second toe of his right foot.

DJ LeMahieu Not On Yankees’ AL Division Series Roster Due To Foot Injury

By | at

The Yankees were on a record wins pace early in the season. They hit a midseason lull and tailed off a bit down the stretch, but a strong month of September locked up the AL East title in convincing fashion. Their reward: a first-round bye as the AL’s #2 seed and an ALDS matchup with the Guardians, the Central division champs who dispatched the Rays in two games in their Wild Card round.

Here’s the roster the Yankees will roll out for this set:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Designated Hitter

Injuries are much of the story for New York. Notably, infielder DJ LeMahieu is not on the roster, as he continues to battle a right foot injury. The veteran hitter was reinstated from the injured list on September 30 after missing three weeks with toe inflammation. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that LeMahieu has a fracture in his foot/toe area that inhibits his ability to swing. While the Yankees aren’t ruling him out for the entirety of the postseason, he won’t be an option for this series and could be sidelined even if New York advances.

In LeMahieu’s place, the Yankees welcome back Matt Carpenter from the 60-day injured list. Carpenter has been out since the second week of August with a foot fracture of his own, his occurring after fouling a ball off his foot. While the 36-year-old hasn’t played in a game since the injury, he has taken live batting practice in recent days. Manager Aaron Boone informed reporters this afternoon he’s likely to deploy Carpenter as a left-handed bench bat but didn’t entirely rule out the possibility he sees some defensive action (Twitter link via Yankees Videos). Signed to a major league deal after being granted his release from a minor league pact with Texas in May, Carpenter ranked at a .305/.412/.727 clip in 47 games before going down.

There’s also a fair bit of intrigue in the bullpen. It was surprisingly revealed this morning that Scott Effross would require Tommy John surgery. He’s of course not on the roster, while Aroldis Chapman has been left off after missing a team workout last week. Boone told reporters that Chapman has been throwing in Miami over the past few days but “for now, he’s staying away” from the team (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Clay Holmes is on the roster after not pitching since September 26 due to a shoulder issue.

Scott Effross To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By | at

Yankees right-hander Scott Effross will require Tommy John surgery, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network. The news is an ill-timed blow to the Yankees, who are just about to begin the ALDS and will be without a key piece of their bullpen.

Effross, 28, made his MLB debut last year, throwing 14 2/3 innings with the Cubs with a 3.68 ERA. Here in 2022, he took his game to another level, throwing 44 more frames with Chicago, registering a 2.66 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, 6.2% walk rate and 45.6% ground ball rate. The Yankees were impressed enough by that showing to acquire him at the deadline, sending pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski the other way.

Effross continued to be effective once coming to the Bronx, adding another 12 2/3 innings with a 2.13 ERA, earning three saves and three holds while pitching in high-leverage situations despite missing about a month with a shoulder strain. He would have been in line to be an important member of the club’s relief corps in the postseason but will now miss the remainder of the playoffs and the entirety of the 2023 season as well.

This certainly isn’t the first hit that the Yankee bullpen has taken this year, as Chad Green also required Tommy John back in May. Zack Britton was placed on the 60-day IL earlier this month due to shoulder fatigue. Michael King suffered a season-ending elbow fracture in July. Ron Marinaccio was placed on the 15-day IL a week ago and won’t be an option for the ALDS, though he could potentially return later in the postseason if the Yankees advance. In addition to all of those injury woes, Aroldis Chapman has been struggling this season and then skipped a team workout last week. Due to his truancy, the team fined him and left him off the ALDS roster. The Yanks will now have to try to navigate the remainder of the postseason with a depleted bullpen group.

Going forward, Effross will miss the entirety of his age-29 season. He has just over one year of MLB service time and won’t be arbitration eligible until after the 2024 season. The Yankees can keep him on their 60-day IL all of next season, although there’s no injured list between the end of the season and the start of Spring Training, meaning Effross will be need a roster spot from November to February.

Aroldis Chapman To Be Left Off Yankees’ ALDS Roster After Skipping Team Workout

By and | at

Yankees lefty Aroldis Chapman will be left off the club’s ALDS roster after skipping a team workout on Friday. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters this morning, saying that the veteran lefty was scheduled to throw live batting practice on Friday but missed it with “not an acceptable excuse,” per Lindsey Adler and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

General manager Brian Cashman also spoke with the media, with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relaying about two minutes of video on Twitter. Cashman said that the official roster decisions have not been made yet but that Chapman has taken himself out of consideration, explaining that the southpaw flew to Miami for the club’s off-day between Wednesday’s regular season finale and a scheduled workout on Friday. However, he didn’t return for that workout and has now been fined by the team, in addition to being told not to return for the time being.

Chapman certainly wasn’t guaranteed a spot on the roster based on his performance this season and Cashman indeed said that an element of the workout was for the lefty to throw a live bullpen as part of competing for a spot. However, he’s now made it a moot point with his truancy. Since Chapman is an impending free agent, this news creates the possibility that Chapman has thrown his final pitch as a Yankee.

After pitching to a then-career-high 3.36 ERA in 55 1/3 innings in 2021, Chapman hoped to reestablish himself as a premier closer before entering free agency in his age-35 season. Instead, today’s debacle is the latest development in Chapman’s saga-filled 2022 season.

In the final year of a three-year, $48MM extension signed after the 2019 season, Chapman has begun to show his age. The long-time closer lost his role at the back of the bullpen to Clay Holmes after a month into the season, giving up six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in May before left Achillies tendinitis forced a trip to the 15-day IL for the entirety of June.

Upon his return in July, Chapman continued to underperform, allowing 10 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings before landing on the 15-day IL again, this time due to a leg infection stemming from a tattoo. Chapman returned in mid-September and showed signs of improving, giving up only 2 runs over his final 5 2/3 innings. Collectively, Chapman finished the 2022 regular season with a 4.46 ERA in 36 1/3 innings.

Whether or not Chapman returns to the club for a later postseason round, it’s fair to wonder how much interest he will have in free agency this winter. Though he was once one of the most dominant relief pitchers in the game, he’s coming off a poor season and has compounded those concerns with off-field problems. In addition to this year’s issues, Chapman was also given a 30-game suspension in 2016 for domestic violence.

Yankees ALDS Notes: Rotation, Peralta, Holmes, Carpenter

By | at

In the wake of the news that Aroldis Chapman will not be named to the Yankees’ ALDS roster for skipping a mandatory team workout, notes about other Yankees have helped clarify how the Bronx Bombers will prepare to take on the Guardians:

  • Gerrit Cole will be getting the start in Game 1 of the ALDS in New York on Tuesday night, manager Aaron Boone announced. Cole will be followed by Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino in games 2 and 3, respectively. Boone stated that he considered different alignments for his starting rotation, but ultimately decided on Cole for the opener. Boone added that the Yankees are likely to opt for a three man rotation of Cole, Cortes, and Severino for the ALDS, considering the series’s unique schedule, which features an off day between the first and second games. The extra off day will allow Cole to pitch Game 4 on full rest.
  • Clay Holmes is going to face hitters on Monday, in what he hopes will be a final tune up for the ALDS, reports Meredith Marakovits of YES (via Twitter). Holmes has battled a strain in his right shoulder since the end of September and was last used on September 26. Holmes said that his most recent bullpen felt “free and easy” and that his velocity was good. It remains to be seen whether or not Holmes will be used as a closer in the ALDS, given his second half struggles. Holmes accumulated a 4.84 ERA during the second half, a far cry from his dominant first half, during which he logged a 1.31 ERA.
  • Wandy Peralta will be ready and back in the Yankees bullpen for the ALDS, Marakovits reports (via Twitter). Peralta hit the 15-day IL retroactive to September 19 with thoracic spine tightness. Peralta, a left hander, has been one of New York’s most effective relievers, posting a 2.72 ERA in 56 1/3 innings. Peralta projects to be particularly important if the Yankees are to quiet the bats of Guardians lefties, like Andres Giminez and Steven Kwan. He has held lefties to an OPS of .422 in 2022. With Chapman off the roster, Peralta and Lucas Luetge figure to be the Yankees only left-handed options out of the bullpen.
  • Matt Carpenter expects to be ready to play in the ALDS, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter). Carpenter has been hitting, running bases, and took some grounders at first base on Sunday. After a sensational 47-game summer stretch in which Carpenter slugged 15 home runs and hit .305, the veteran infielder suffered a broken left foot on a foul ball. If Carpenter plays as a designated hitter against the Guardians, it is possible that Giancarlo Stanton will spend some time in the outfield, where he has not played since July 21.

34 Players Become Free Agents

By | at

The Wild Card round of the 2022 postseason begins today, but for the majority of teams and players, the offseason is now underway. With that will come plenty of roster formalities, including veteran players who’ve been outrighted off their respective teams’ rosters reaching minor league free agency. This week, there have been 34 such instances throughout the league, per the transactions log at MiLB.com.

None of these are a surprise, to be clear. Any player who is not on his team’s 40-man roster at season’s end but has three-plus years of Major League service time, multiple career outright assignments and/or seven-plus seasons in the minors has the right to elect free agency. Everyone in today’s group of players falls under that umbrella. The majority of the group will likely find minor league deals over the winter, although a few of the players in question could potentially find a big league deal as a bench piece or middle-inning reliever.

There will be several more waves of players of this ilk, and we’ll make note of them in bunches over the coming weeks as we await the launch of Major League free agency, when all unsigned players with at least six years of Major League service time will reach the open market. For now, here’s the first of what will likely be several waves of newly minted minor league free agents:

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top