Latest news with #AaronBoone
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
GM Brian Cashman recaps the' Yankees trade deadline strategy
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke with the media about the team's acquisitions of relievers David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird. at the trade deadline. Cashman felt the bullpen was a critical area of need and gives manager Aaron Boone more flexibility to mix and match later in the game. While he declared that no one was untouchable, his praise of top prospect Spencer Jones indicated that Cashman was certainly not close to dealing him.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
A winner either way: José Caballero traded from Rays to Yankees while teams were playing each other
NEW YORK (AP) — José Caballero turned an inning-ending double play for the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning, then batted in the sixth. By the bottom of the seventh, he was on the other team. In a strange development even for trade-deadline day around Major League Baseball, the Rays shipped Caballero to the New York Yankees — while the teams were still playing each other Thursday afternoon. Caballero was removed from Tampa Bay's lineup during the seventh-inning stretch, and the deal was announced after the Yankees nailed down a 7-4 victory in a game interrupted by rain for nearly three hours in the fifth. 'I just saw Caballero in the clubhouse, so that was a little odd,' New York manager Aaron Boone said afterward. 'I saw him actually hugging people in the eighth.' After learning he'd been traded, Caballero exchanged hugs in the Tampa Bay dugout at Yankee Stadium with his Rays teammates and manager Kevin Cash. Both clubs were active right up until the 6 p.m. deadline, and Tampa Bay sent the speedy Caballero to the AL East-rival Yankees for Triple-A outfielder Everson Pereira and a player to be named or cash. Pereira played 27 major league games for New York in 2023. The 28-year-old Caballero has 34 stolen bases this season, tied for most in the majors. He's batting .226 with two homers and 27 RBIs in 86 games and has started at shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield positions. Caballero didn't start Thursday for the Rays but entered in the bottom of the fifth when All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda got injured. Caballero came in to play second base, and Brandon Lowe shifted from second base to first. Caballero stayed in the game following a rain delay that lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes. But when Tampa Bay took the field for the bottom of the seventh, he came out. Lowe moved back to second base and Matt Thaiss entered at first. 'It's definitely weird, but you've seen it on TV multiple times of people saying goodbye in the middle of the game in these situations,' Lowe said. 'It was a little weird to see it happen, but you just kind of put all the pieces together and figure it out for ourselves.' After the game, Caballero conducted his postgame interview as a member of the Yankees in their clubhouse — after clearing out his Rays locker on the other side of the stadium. 'I was winning today regardless,' Caballero said. 'We won the game, I guess. That's what I feel right now.' Tampa Bay made two other trades Thursday, acquiring starting pitcher Adrian Houser from the Chicago White Sox and reliever Griffin Jax from Minnesota. The team obtained catcher Nick Fortes from Miami early Tuesday, after sending veteran catcher Danny Jansen to Milwaukee the previous night. Zack Littell pitched five scoreless innings Wednesday night for the Rays at Yankee Stadium, then immediately was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. 'It's been a unique week,' Cash said. Caballero was acquired by Tampa Bay from Seattle in January 2024. As a rookie with the Mariners in June 2023, he annoyed Yankees ace Gerrit Cole so much the right-hander — sidelined this season with an injury — threw a 97 mph fastball to him that landed high up on the backstop. Cole's pitch was in response to Caballero stepping out repeatedly during his first two plate appearances until the pitch clock was down to the 8-second requirement to be in the batter's box and alert. 'I talked to him for a second,' Boone said. "I said, `We've had some battles but I like your game.' So I think he brings a lot to the table and I think he's going to be a very useful player for us, just a lot of different things he can do on a diamond and provide a lot of position flexibility." ___ AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees trade deadline takeaways: Relief is on the way, statement of intent, more versatility
The New York Yankees are undeniably better than they were a week ago. On paper, that is. General manager Brian Cashman and his front office fired off nine trades between Friday and Thursday's trade deadline, addressing issues throughout a roster that needed help in all areas if the Yankees are to return to the World Series for the second straight season. Advertisement Whether they can regain ground in the American League East, or at least maintain their lead in the wild-card race, will depend largely on how soon star Aaron Judge can recover from a right flexor tendon strain and return to being the best hitter in baseball and playing right field full time. But much of everything else will rest on whether the newcomers step up: David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird must help lock down the bullpen in the middle and late innings; third basemen Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater have to provide pop at the bottom of the order. The new relievers should prove to be the Yankees' most consequential additions. Their relief unit, as a whole, has been bad over the past month-plus. Since June 13, the Yankees have gone 14-27 — the sixth-worst mark in the majors. During that span, their bullpen had a 4.98 ERA, which ranked 25th in baseball. Now, manager Aaron Boone will be able to turn to Bednar (2.37 ERA, 17 saves) and Doval (3.09 ERA, 15 saves) alongside Devin Williams and Luke Weaver — likely forming a closer by committee rather than committing to any one of them. Boone will also be able to use Bird to put out fires. Though Bird posted a 4.73 ERA in 45 games, he had a 3.45 FIP and he fanned 10.5 batters per nine innings. He also impressed several Yankees hitters when he faced them with the Colorado Rockies in May. And forget about the trade deadline for a moment. Fernando Cruz (oblique strain) and Mark Leiter Jr. (leg fracture) are expected to return from the injured list in the coming weeks. If both can get healthy, the Yankees' relief corps should go from a weakness to a major strength. — Kuty Kirschner's key takeaway: The Yankees are a much more complete team than they were yesterday. It was a home run of a deadline for Cashman and his front office. Advertisement Sure, the Yankees could have used another starting pitcher, but Boone now has several weapons in his bullpen that he can deploy at any moment. The bullpen went from being one of the weakest parts of their team to arguably its biggest strength. Doval, Bednar, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver give Boone four legitimate options to close games on any given night. The Yankees have added swing-and-miss and velocity, two key elements their bullpen was missing over the past several months. The moves the Yankees made could certainly be enough to get them back to the World Series. Here's a review of the Yankees' notable trades before the deadline. Yankees get: Camilo Doval, RHP Giants get: Trystan Vrieling, RHP; Jesus Rodriguez, C; Parks Harbor, 1B Doval was the Yankees' final major move before the deadline. He'll be another late-inning option. In 47 games, he had a 3.09 ERA and fanned 9.6 batters per nine innings. He led the league in saves with 39 in 2023. He won't be a free agent until after the 2027 season. Yankees get: Jake Bird, RHP Rockies get: Roc Riggio, 2B; Ben Shields, LHP The Yankees went into Thursday hoping to land at least two relievers for their reeling bullpen. Cashman did even more. Bird is another high-strikeout, high-ground ball middle reliever. Fans may scoff at Bird's 4.73 ERA, but his peripherals suggest he's a much better pitcher than that. He has the 15th-largest differential between his ERA and FIP among all relievers. He should make a difference in the bullpen. Riggio was the headliner for the Rockies. He's been one of the biggest breakout performers in the minors for the Yankees, posting a 170 wRC+ across High A and Double A. But he did not have a positional future in New York. Yankees get: David Bednar, RHP Pirates get: Rafael Flores, C; Edgleen Perez, C; Brian Sanchez, OF Advertisement Bednar, 30, is having a nice season with a 2.37 ERA and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings — just what the Yankees needed at the back of their bullpen. He is owed the remainder of his $5.9 million salary for this year, and he won't be a free agent until after next season. That's big, considering Luke Weaver and Devin Williams' contracts expire after this year. Flores and Perez each were ranked among the Yankees' top 20 prospects to start the season. Flores showed power at Double A (16 homers), and Perez hasn't played above High A. Yankees get: Austin Slater, UTIL White Sox get: Gage Ziehl, RHP Takeaway: The Yankees traded for Slater on Wednesday afternoon, and plan to use him as part of their new approach of trying to capitalize on platoon advantages. Slater hits left-handers well — something that can't be said for Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham. Slater had an .860 OPS against lefties this season when the Yankees acquired him. He can play all three outfield spots, though manager Aaron Boone said it's more likely that he'd stick to the corners. Slater will be a free agent after this season. Ziehl, meanwhile, wasn't close to contributing in the Bronx anytime soon. The 22-year-old, whom the Yankees drafted in the fourth round in 2024, made 14 starts this season at High-A Tampa, going 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA and 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Yankees get: Amed Rosario, UTIL Nationals get: Clayton Beeter, RHP; Browm Martinez, OF Takeaway: Think of the Ryan McMahon trade as a two-part move. McMahon has a .684 OPS against left-handers in his career. Enter Rosario. When the Yankees are facing a lefty, Rosario could play third base in place of McMahon. Rosario has a career .800 OPS against left-handers. In addition to manning third, Rosario can play second, shortstop and left field. He's a better bench option for Boone than Oswald Peraza. Advertisement From the Nationals' perspective, they're taking a chance on Beeter, who has struggled with his command this season. He has elite strikeout stuff, but the inability to locate his pitches made the Yankees feel comfortable about moving him for a rental in Rosario. Yankees get: Ryan McMahon, 3B Rockies get: Griffin Herring, LHP; Josh Grosz, RHP Takeaway: The Yankees desperately needed a third baseman. Peraza and Jorbit Vivas were not the answers in the interim nor the long term. In McMahon, the Yankees received one of the best defensive third basemen in the sport. Since his debut in 2017, McMahon ranks fourth among all third basemen in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. McMahon, who's under contract through 2027, also possesses offensive upside with his ability to make loud contact. The Yankees' hitting department will try to get McMahon to pull the ball in the air more often than he did with Colorado, to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's home run-friendly right-field fence. Parting with Herring, the main part of the Rockies' return, shouldn't be overlooked. Yankees officials were high on his potential, but the need for a third baseman outweighed waiting on Herring to make the majors in a few years. (Photo of David Bednar: David Berding / Getty Images)
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees trade deadline takeaways: Relief is on the way
The New York Yankees are undeniably better than they were a week ago. On paper, that is. General manager Brian Cashman and his front office fired off nine trades between Friday and Thursday's trade deadline, addressing issues throughout a roster that needed help in all areas if the Yankees are to return to the World Series for the second straight season. Advertisement Whether they can regain ground in the American League East, or at least maintain their lead in the wild-card race, will depend largely on how soon star Aaron Judge can recover from a right flexor tendon strain and return to being the best hitter in baseball and playing right field full time. But much of everything else will rest on whether the newcomers step up: David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird must help lock down the bullpen in the middle and late innings; third basemen Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater have to provide pop at the bottom of the order. The new relievers should prove to be the Yankees' most consequential additions. Their relief unit, as a whole, has been bad over the past month-plus. Since June 13, the Yankees have gone 14-27 — the sixth-worst mark in the majors. During that span, their bullpen had a 4.98 ERA, which ranked 25th in baseball. Now, manager Aaron Boone will be able to turn to Bednar (2.37 ERA, 17 saves) and Doval (3.09 ERA, 15 saves) alongside Devin Williams and Luke Weaver — likely forming a closer by committee rather than committing to any one of them. Boone will also be able to use Bird to put out fires. Though Bird posted a 4.73 ERA in 45 games, he had a 3.45 FIP and he fanned 10.5 batters per nine innings. He also impressed several Yankees hitters when he faced them with the Colorado Rockies in May. And forget about the trade deadline for a moment. Fernando Cruz (oblique strain) and Mark Leiter Jr. (leg fracture) are expected to return from the injured list in the coming weeks. If both can get healthy, the Yankees' relief corps should go from a weakness to a major strength. — Kuty Here's a review of the Yankees' notable trades before the deadline. Yankees get: Camilo Doval, RHP Giants get: Trystan Vrieling, RHP; Jesus Rodriguez, C; Parks Harbor, 1B Doval was the Yankees' final major move before the deadline. He'll be another late-inning option. In 47 games, he had a 3.09 ERA and fanned 9.6 batters per nine innings. He led the league in saves with 39 in 2023. He won't be a free agent until after the 2027 season. Advertisement Yankees get: Jake Bird, RHP Rockies get: Roc Riggio, 2B; Ben Shields, LHP The Yankees went into Thursday hoping to land at least two relievers for their reeling bullpen. Cashman did even more. Bird is another high-strikeout, high-ground ball middle reliever. Fans may scoff at Bird's 4.73 ERA, but his peripherals suggest he's a much better pitcher than that. He has the 15th-largest differential between his ERA and FIP among all relievers. He should make a difference in the bullpen. Riggio was the headliner for the Rockies. He's been one of the biggest breakout performers in the minors for the Yankees, posting a 170 wRC+ across High A and Double A. But he did not have a positional future in New York. Yankees get: David Bednar, RHP Pirates get: Rafael Flores, C; Edgleen Perez, C; Brian Sanchez, OF Bednar, 30, is having a nice season with a 2.37 ERA and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings — just what the Yankees needed at the back of their bullpen. He is owed the remainder of his $5.9 million salary for this year, and he won't be a free agent until after next season. That's big, considering Luke Weaver and Devin Williams' contracts expire after this year. Flores and Perez each were ranked among the Yankees' top 20 prospects to start the season. Flores showed power at Double A (16 homers), and Perez hasn't played above High A. Yankees get: Austin Slater, UTIL White Sox get: Gage Ziehl, RHP Takeaway: The Yankees traded for Slater on Wednesday afternoon, and plan to use him as part of their new approach of trying to capitalize on platoon advantages. Slater hits left-handers well — something that can't be said for Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham. Slater had an .860 OPS against lefties this season when the Yankees acquired him. He can play all three outfield spots, though manager Aaron Boone said it's more likely that he'd stick to the corners. Slater will be a free agent after this season. Advertisement Ziehl, meanwhile, wasn't close to contributing in the Bronx anytime soon. The 22-year-old, whom the Yankees drafted in the fourth round in 2024, made 14 starts this season at High-A Tampa, going 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA and 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Yankees get: Amed Rosario, UTIL Nationals get: Clayton Beeter, RHP; Browm Martinez, OF Takeaway: Think of the Ryan McMahon trade as a two-part move. McMahon has a .684 OPS against left-handers in his career. Enter Rosario. When the Yankees are facing a lefty, Rosario could play third base in place of McMahon. Rosario has a career .800 OPS against left-handers. In addition to manning third, Rosario can play second, shortstop and left field. He's a better bench option for Boone than Oswald Peraza. From the Nationals' perspective, they're taking a chance on Beeter, who has struggled with his command this season. He has elite strikeout stuff, but the inability to locate his pitches made the Yankees feel comfortable about moving him for a rental in Rosario. Yankees get: Ryan McMahon, 3B Rockies get: Griffin Herring, LHP; Josh Grosz, RHP Takeaway: The Yankees desperately needed a third baseman. Peraza and Jorbit Vivas were not the answers in the interim nor the long term. In McMahon, the Yankees received one of the best defensive third basemen in the sport. Since his debut in 2017, McMahon ranks fourth among all third basemen in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. McMahon, who's under contract through 2027, also possesses offensive upside with his ability to make loud contact. The Yankees' hitting department will try to get McMahon to pull the ball in the air more often than he did with Colorado, to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's home run-friendly right-field fence. Parting with Herring, the main part of the Rockies' return, shouldn't be overlooked. Yankees officials were high on his potential, but the need for a third baseman outweighed waiting on Herring to make the majors in a few years. (Photo of David Bednar: David Berding / Getty Images)
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees' Aaron Boone Addresses Giancarlo Stanton Decision After Absence From Lineup
Yankees' Aaron Boone Addresses Giancarlo Stanton Decision After Absence From Lineup originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Right-handed slugger Giancarlo Stanton is in his eighth season with the New York Yankees after eight seasons with the Miami Marlins. The 35-year-old designated hitter made his MLB debut in 2010 and has since emerged as one of baseball's most formidable power threats. He's appeared in five All-Star games, won two Silver Slugger awards and captured the National League MVP in 2017. Stanton has struggled to stay healthy in New York but frequently dominates in the postseason. During last year's run to the World Series, he earned ALCS MVP honors against the Cleveland Guardians. Over six postseason trips with the Yankees, Stanton has a .265 batting average, .994 OPS, 18 home runs and 40 RBIs in 41 games. Stanton missed the start of the 2025 season with tennis elbow in both arms, which caused pain when swinging the bat, but he debuted in June. Ahead of Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, manager Aaron Boone left Stanton out of the lineup, saying, 'Yeah he's good. Just kind of looking at the next stretch of games… This was kind of the day for it.' Tuesday's game at Tampa Bay will be the fifth in a row, and with no off-day until August 7th, Boone decided to give Stanton extra rest. Boone also mentioned Stanton would likely be available for the next four games, including two day games right after a night contest. In 102 at-bats since returning from the IL, Stanton has batted .275 with an .861 OPS and seven home runs. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
