UPDATE: Gerrit Cole will start tomorrow's game and throw one inning, reports Joel Sherman. That's a 1pm ET game against the Red Sox. It will be on YES, NESN, MLBN, and Gotham. This doesn't change Cole's timetable. This is just the next step in his rehab. He's still looking at a late May/early June return.
“It’s kind of the next step," Cole told Sherman. "The last batting practice was really good, but there’s a lot of just kind of sitting here. It’s just like, where do we go from here? How do we continue to stress (the rehab) because we want to keep pushing it."
ORIGINAL POST: Jasson Domínguez has been traded … in the Dominican Winter League. Over the weekend Leones del Escogido sent Domínguez, righty Wilkin Ramos (Giants), and ninth round draft pick to Águilas Cibaeñas for outfielder Jerar Encarnacion (Giants). Domínguez may never play winter ball again, so Leones traded him for Encarnacion, who actually plays winter ball every year. Águilas gets some youth in the deal. This doesn’t mean anything for Domínguez with the Yankees. He’s still in the organization. This is just a winter ball trade, like the time Gary Sánchez got traded for Pedro Ciriaco. Let’s now get into today’s post.
1. USA beats DR in the WBC. It’s too bad such a tense and entertaining game had to end on such a bad call. Mason Miller’s final pitch to Geraldo Perdomo was low, clearly, according to both the eye test and Statcast. We have the ABS challenge system to fix calls like that in MLB now, assuming of course the hitting team still has a challenge remaining with two outs in the ninth. Otherwise it was a terrific game.
“The World Series I was in versus the crowd here and the one we had against Mexico, it’s bigger and better than the World Series,” Aaron Judge said after USA’s win. “The passion that these fans have representing their country, representing their favorite players, there’s nothing like it. That is what you dream of as a kid. It gives me chills right now thinking about how special that was.”
Judge caught some grief for that comment but he’s right. World Baseball Classic crowds put World Series crowds to shame. Cheering for your country is different than cheering for laundry, plus a one game winner-take-all situation is much different than a best-of-seven series. The WBC crowds are electric. We don’t have to be aggrieved about everything. Appreciate the WBC energy for what it is.
Anyway, I thought the Dominican Republic would stomp USA. Well, maybe not stomp them, but beat them. That Dominican team was stacked and USA’s vibes had been off since the Italy debacle. They played with the enthusiasm of a DMV waiting room. Paul Skenes was very good outside one pitch, the bullpen wiggled out of jams, and the defense was incredible. On both sides. It was a defensive masterclass.
The Yankees showed out Sunday. Judge threw out Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base with what was, at 95.7 mph, his hardest throw in three years. I guess the flexor’s healthy, eh? Judge also stole a hit from Juan Soto with a diving catch and gave him the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag. At the plate, Judge went 1-for-4 and had a home run (maybe) taken away by Julio Rodríguez. Here are the videos.
David Bednar threw a pitch that Austin Wells hit over Judge’s head, which is a whole lotta Yankees in one play. Bednar then buckled down to escape a major jam. He fanned Tatis and Ketel Marte with the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second inning in the seventh inning (video). Camilo Doval struck out Will Smith and Byron Buxton in his 1-2-3 inning. All in all, a good night for the pinstripers.
I’m writing and scheduling this post before Monday night’s Italy vs. Venezuela game, so I don’t know who USA will play in Tuesday’s WBC Championship Game yet. They’ll be favored either way. Nolan McLean will get the start and the bullpen might be a little short. Apparently they may not use guys for the third time in five days. That would take Bednar, Miller, and Garrett Whitlock out of play. Hopefully the Championship Game is as entertaining as the USA vs. Dominican Republic game or the 2023 Championship Game.
2. Grapefruit League thoughts. Other than Luis Gil’s stuff looking flatter than the Utah salt flats Sunday, there’s not a whole lot to cover from the last few Grapefruit League games. Opening Day is a week away. Just need to get through these last few exhibition games healthy. Let’s dig into the roster now that Spring Training is beginning to wind down.
Opening Day roster projection
We are eight days away from the start of the new season and a few clues have trickled in that may or may not tell us which way the Yankees are leaning with the Opening Day roster. For example, Aaron Boone more or less dismissed the idea that Randal Grichuk has to perform well to win a job, instead telling Paul Casella that, “With him, it’s a lot of the back of the baseball card.” It sounds like Grichuk’s on the team.
Boone also said the Yankees could use a four-man rotation early on because they have so many off-days. They have four off-days in the first 13 days of the season and can push the No. 5 starter's spot all the way back to Game 14 on Saturday, April 11th, if they want. Those off-days equal flexibility early on. “Those are things we’ll work through over the next weeks,” Boone told Dan Martin about a possible four-man rotation.
Also, Ben Rice still has not caught a single inning this spring, even with Austin Wells away at the World Baseball Classic. Rice has caught bullpens and live BPs, but if the Yankees are considering sending J.C. Escarra to the minors and using Rice as the backup catcher, they’ll have to get him into an actual game at some point. It could still happen before Opening Day, but it hasn’t happened yet, and time is running out.
There are two open bullpen spots that no one seems to want. How badly do the Yankees want to keep Rule 5 Draft pick Cade Winquest? Do they want Brent Headrick as a hard-throwing complement to the soft-tossing Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough? Osvaldo Bido’s out of options and the Stuff+ models like him this spring. Could he wiggle his way into the Opening Day bullpen? Probably not, but maybe.
Kervin Castro’s had a nice spring (8.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K) and is getting talked up a bit – “Kervin’s got my attention,” Boone told Brendan Kuty (subs. req’d) – though he’s mostly pitched later in games against minor leaguers. The serious bullpen candidates are usually in the game early so they face Major League hitters. Point is, there are two bullpen spots up for grabs with Opening Day on the horizon.
“Frankly, we’ve had some mixed results for those guys in the mix for those last two spots, so we need to see that play out a little bit,” Boone told Randy Miller about the bullpen.
Most of the Opening Day roster is set. We’re talking about bench and middle relief spots being up for grabs, not really important things, and bench/bullpen decisions aren’t that big a deal. If the Yankees are unhappy with whoever wins the last two bullpen spots, they can (and will) send those guys to the minors and call up someone else until they find the right mix. The same goes with the bench.
The four-man rotation vs. five-man rotation is the biggest decision the Yankees have to make over the next week. With the caveat that a lot can change in a week’s time, here is my Opening Day roster guesstimate. An asterisk means the player has to pass through waivers to go to the minors. Players who are crossed out have already been sent to minor league camp.
I'm not overly confident in Headrick and Winquest getting the last two bullpen spots, but they’re as good a guess as anyone right now. Boone consistently praises Headrick and, as a Rule 5 Draft pick, Winquest is either on the Opening Day roster or out of the organization. With the middle of the bullpen unsettled, I don’t think the Yankees will cut bait on him after not even 10 Grapefruit League innings.
If the Yankees go with a four-man rotation, they could still carry the five starters and use one as a reliever early in the season, possibly in a piggyback role (Weathers has bullpen experience). Schlittler’s not starting the season on the injured list. He’s in the rotation. Gil, Warren, and Weathers all have options and can go to Triple-A temporary. I’d send Gil down, but I’m not sure the Yankees would.
There’s an obvious problem with the bench: There’s no backup shortstop. McMahon played short again Friday, so the Yankees are sticking with it. Rosario hasn’t played any short this spring (he’s been away at the WBC the last few weeks though) nor did he play any short for the Yankees last year. It seems pretty clear they consider Rosario an emergency option at shortstop and nothing more.
Here’s the thing though: Do the Yankees need a backup shortstop early in the season? They have a ton of off-days, so rest won’t be an issue, and all the bench bats are righties, so Caballero won’t get pinch-hit for often, if at all. If Caballero gets hurt, the Yankees could hold their nose and put McMahon/Rosario at short for a few innings, then make a roster move the next day. Unconventional, but it could work.
If the Yankees determine they need a backup shortstop to start the season, Schuemann has to be considered the leading candidate, at least until Cabrera gets the all-clear. Optioning down the No. 5 starter could get Schuemann on the roster, as could optioning Escarra and using Rice as the backup catcher despite not catching any games this spring. Or maybe Grichuk doesn’t make the team? It kinda sorta sounds like he’s a lock though.
Eight days is an eternity in this game. Hopefully the Yankees are still in a position to make these decisions next week and the game doesn’t make the decisions for them. The Yankees are leaving Florida Sunday evening. We’ll have a pretty good idea who is making the team based on who goes with them to Arizona for the two exhibition games against the Cubs, and who heads right to Scranton.
Miscellany
Luis Gil was really bad Sunday: 3 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 3 HR on 68 pitches. He left a lot of sliders in the middle of the plate and, yet again, the fastball didn’t miss any bats: 38 fastballs thrown, 19 swings, two whiffs. For the spring it’s 156 fastballs thrown, 90 swings, and 17 whiffs. That’s an 18.9% whiff rate. That matches last year (18.8%) and is way down from 2024 (28.5%). The MLB average is 21.6%. Hopefully everything jumps a notch once the games count and adrenaline kicks in, but this is 2025 Gil, not 2024 Gil … Yovanny Cruz made his Grapefruit League debut Friday. He must’ve had a little injury to make such a late debut. The minor league contract signing had a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. The velocity of his nine fastballs, in order: 99.8, 100.9, 100.4, 100.8, 101.5, 100.7, 100.1, 100.2, 100.3. Walks have held Cruz back throughout his career (17.3 BB% in Double-A last year). It’s just ridiculous that pitching is at a point now where a dude who sits 100 mph is a non-roster dice roll … Jorbit Vivas, who is out of options, is 3-for-18 (.158) this spring. More walks (four) than strikeouts (three), but Vivas hasn’t stood out in any way. Chances are he’ll clear waivers in the next week or so, and stick around as a non-40-man roster player. That would open a 40-man spot for Grichuk, if he makes the team.
Injury updates and roster moves
Carlos Rodón (elbow) threw two innings and 27 pitches in live BP Saturday. He told Greg Joyce he’s still working to find his arm stroke, yet his velocity is up. “I backed off and threw harder. I was like, okay, that makes no sense, but it made it easier to command,” he said. There’s a chance Rodón will pitch in a game before the Yankees break camp … Michael Arias, Kyle Carr, Dylan Coleman, Duke Ellis, Dom Hamel, Yanquiel Fernández, Marco Luciano, Ernesto Martinez Jr., Jonathan Ornelas, Miguel Palma, Braden Shewmake, and Zack Short were all sent to minor league camp over the weekend. Coleman was only guy who had even a remote chance to make the Opening Day roster, and he didn't stand out. I count 51 players still in big league camp, including the guys away at the World Baseball Classic.
Up next
Four games in three days as we enter the final full week of Spring Training, otherwise known as Please No One Get Hurt Week. Here’s what’s coming up between now and Friday’s post (here’s the full broadcast schedule):
Tuesday: 1pm ET at Rays (Rays TV, Gotham)
Wednesday: 1pm ET vs. Red Sox (YES, NESN, MLBN, Gotham)
Thursday: 1pm ET vs. Orioles (split squad) (YES, ESPN+, Gotham)
Thursday: 1pm ET at Blue Jays (split squad) (Sportsnet, Gotham)
Cam Schlittler threw a simulated game on the off-day yesterday to stay on turn. Jack Curry said “reading the team leaves,” it is “likely” Schlittler will start the second game of the season, and if Jack says it, it’s happening. That would allow Schlittler to make his first and second starts after an off-day, so the bullpen will be rested behind him and his limited pitch count.
(Also, starting Game 2 would line Schlittler up to start the home opener, but only if the Yankees stick with a five-man rotation. If they go with a four-man, the Game 3 starter gets the home opener.)
Will Warren starts today and Ryan Weathers lines up to start tomorrow. Max Fried would then start one of the split squad games Thursday, lining him up for Opening Day with an extra day of rest. I have no idea who would start the other split squad game. Maybe Elmer Rodríguez since he only made one start at the WBC? It would be cool to see him one more time before he heads to Scranton.
3. How can the Yankees improve the fan experience? I’ve been thinking a lot lately (really the last 2-3 years now) about the experience of being a sports fan. I engage with baseball differently now than I have most of my life because covering the sport is what pays the bills, but I’m plenty familiar with just sitting back and being a fan, and supporting a team. Baseball is a huge commitment. It’s nonstop for six-plus months.
Winning is the single biggest way to keep your fans happy and engaged. That’s not the only way though, and in this era of endless entertainment options, companies have to compete harder for my money. If you want me to pay these prices, I need more than a good team. I need a pleasant experience and more than a win at the end of the night, otherwise it gets that much easier to shift my attention elsewhere.
To their credit, the Yankees do continually upgrade Yankee Stadium. The scoreboard was upgraded over the winter (video) and they’ve added all sorts of bars and hang-out areas over the years. They can do more though, and fans should never feel guilty about expecting more from their teams. Here are a few ways the Yankees can improve the fan experience that don’t involve the games on the field.
Cut down on the damn noise
It’s not just the Yankees. It is a plague sweeping across the league and all sports, really. Citi Field is every bit as noisy as Yankee Stadium. Dodger Stadium is the worst of all. I went to a Knicks game last year and it’s just nonstop noise. The game is no longer allowed to breathe. Every second has to be filled with music or some kinda sound effect. You leave the stadium with a headache and your ears ringing now. Cut back on the noise and lower the volume. Do that and the Yankee Stadium experience would improve immeasurably.
Improve the concessions
Isn’t it incredible that the Yankees play in New York, with its endless culinary options, and they have bottom tier concessions? The best thing at the ballpark has been the Lobel’s steak sandwich since the day the place opened up. There is so much room for improvement with the food and drink selections, especially at these prices. If I’m paying $30 for a quick bite before first pitch, I’d like something better than chicken tenders and fries that have been sitting under a heat lamp for three hours, you know? (Citi Field puts Yankee Stadium to shame in the concessions department.)
Make it easier to get into the ballpark
It has gotten better over the years, but getting into Yankee Stadium still means waiting on a long line and the airport experience as you go through security. On a giveaway day, forget it. It’s a nightmare. Getting into Yankee Stadium when they’re giving away a bobblehead should qualify as an Olympic sport. Getting into Citi Field or Citizens Bank Park (just to use two other nearby ballparks) is much more streamlined and painless. If you show up at 6:30pm for a 7pm game, you are not guaranteed to be inside for first pitch, and it sucks. Subway-to-seat for a regular midweek game should take 15-20 minutes, tops.
Better (and more) giveaways
Yankee Stadium holds 46,000 people, give or take, yet every giveaway goes to the first 18,000 fans. The Dodgers, pretty much the only franchise the Yankees should be compared to, give away 40,000 promotional items. They also have more giveaways in general. The Yankees have 18 items on the promotional schedule this season, including four bobbleheads. The Dodgers have 30 promotions this year, including 24 (!) bobbleheads. That’s 24 bobbleheads for 13 homestands. Stop skimping on the promotions, Yankees. Have more giveaway days and give away a greater quantity of whatever it is.
Have a Fan Fest event
The Yankees have a very transactional relationship with the fan base. You give them money, they put a quality team on the field, then you go home after the game and that’s it. The Yankees don’t do anything to cultivate new fans. They let the Yankees brand and the way fandom is passed down through generations do the work for them. Their social media presence is middling compared to the rest of the league too, so they’re not standing out in that space. It almost feels like the Yankees think they’re above this.
The Yankees used to have Fan Fest events at the Javits Center in the 1990s (and maybe even further back than that?), and they did some outreach stuff from 2014-16 (when they weren’t a top contender and were worried about empty seats), but no more. The Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, and other big market contenders all host a Fan Fest each year. You can get autographs, take pictures, attend panels, etc. They actively court fans. Letting a kid snap a selfie with Aaron Judge or even Oswaldo Cabrera locks that fan in for life, and you just don’t get to do that with the Yankees.
Fix the Gotham app
The Yankees can probably only do so much here, but holy crap, the Gotham app is so bad. It wasn’t this bad last year, was it? It’s been unusable this spring. In the cord-cutting era, your streaming app has to be better than this. People will get frustrated and just not watch. Are the Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, et al really okay with Gotham as is? I’d like to think no. This isn’t a Yankees only thing, but they have to have some pull, right?
* * *
I would like some kinda alternate/City Connect jersey, though I don’t think that would really improve my experience as a fan. The stuff above would have a more direct impact on how I interact with the game and the Yankees, and make things more enjoyable. I’m a simple man. Give me less noise, shorter lines, better food and drink options, and more free shit, and I’m happy. It would really go a long way.
The single best thing the Yankees (and pro sports in general) can do to improve the fan experience is make everything cheaper. Tickets, concessions, merchandise, streaming services, everything. We all know that isn’t gonna happen though. That’s not the way the world works. It’s not too much to ask to have a better beer selection though, or to not have to show up two hours before the gates open to get a bobblehead. The little things mean so much.
4. Rapid fire thoughts. The Dodgers have sold the naming rights to the Dodger Stadium field, according to Katie Woo (subs. req’d). They have a deal with Uniqlo, a Japanese fashion brand, and the expectation is the ballpark will be called Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. No one will actually call it that, but that will be the official name. If the Dodgers can sell the field naming rights to Dodger Stadium, the Yankees can sell the field naming rights to Yankee Stadium. You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think ownership isn’t kicking the idea around … And finally, Evan Drellich (subs. req’d) reports that if MLB sends players to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the league could hold exhibition games between Major Leaguers and minor leaguers to keep non-Olympians ready during the extended break. None of this is official, but it sure seems like MLB players will play in the 2028 Olympics. The players want to do it and MLB doesn’t want to pass up the moneymaking opportunity. When both sides want something, it usually happens. They just have to figure out the logistics.
(Send your questions for Friday's mailbag to RABmailbag at gmail dot com. The random Yankee series is on hiatus, but feel free to send in requests for if/when it returns.)