About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

January 6, 2024

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Well, the New Year has started, and things are beginning to heat up in Major League Baseball. I will now scamper from topic to topic like a sugar-infused toddler at a trampoline park. 

• The Yankees are reportedly out of contention for Shota Imanaga. I guess they lack Imanaga-nation. 

• So far this week, the Yankees made two little moves, claiming outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the Reds and signing Cody Poteet as a potential bullpen arm. I have no argument with those moves if they are simply complementary. If however, August rolls around and I'm wearing a "Bubba in the Bronx" T-shirt, I don't think I will be very happy. Bubba might not be happy with me wearing his t-shirt either. At least, I would stretch it out for him. I believe big moves are coming. I sure hope so.

• Rumor has it that the Yankees are very interested in Dylan Cease of the White Sox. Should I have my friend Roger file a motion to cease and desist so the Yankees can acquire him? If they do trade for Cease, I can see the headlines now if he pitches a great game: "Cease firing on all cylinders". 

• I may hold off on using Roger to file a motion for cease. If the Yankees get off to a slow start, I will have him file a motion to quit regarding Aaron Boone. 

• It seems that the Yankees' interest may have shifted to Blake Snell. I know there are some concerns regarding him but he has won two Cy Young Awards. He's not exactly chopped liver. It would seem that the Yankees are likely to sign either Snell or Jordan Montgomery. But there is a great deal of thought that Montgomery may go to the Red Sox. Anyway, I expect the Yankees to have an addition to the starting rotation by next week. I am not referring to Cody Poteet. 

• If the Yankees do acquire Snell and he struggles, I can imagine the back pages of the newspapers, "Sell Snell Schnell";  

• Things have been quiet regarding Cody Bellinger. I could be wrong, but this reminds me of 2008 when out of nowhere, the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira. Bellinger would be a huge addition to the team, especially considering the moves they have already made. 

• Do you remember when they used to have the homes for old soldiers or old sailors? Well apparently, they opened a home for old Yankees. It's called Citi Field. The Mets hired Carlos Mendoza to be their manager and recently signed Luis Severino and Harrison Bader. Rumor has it that Aroldis Chapman is considering renting a room there as well. 

• If the Yankees acquire either Cease or Snell, I can imagine John Sterling attempting some complicated tongue twister as part of his broadcast. Hopefully, he won't pull a muscle. 

•  There are still a lot of premium free agents unsigned. I expect a flurry of activity over the rest of this month and before Spring Training opens in mid-February. As I noted recently, the Yankees have gotten off to a very nice start but there is still work to be done. 

• Who will wear number 18 for the Yankees this season? Maybe they will retire it for Yoshinobu Yamamoto since they gave it to him while they were trying to get him to sign with the team. 

• No matter what happens this season, you have to give Giancarlo Stanton a lot of credit for the work he has done during the off-season. He recently posted pictures of himself that showed he has slimmed down considerably. I don't think he is suddenly going to become Lou Brock, but he may become quicker, particularly in regard to his swings. I would still like to see him traded and perhaps all his work in the off-season may encourage another team to take him on. 

• The Yankees seem to like mediocre outfielders named Bubba. They have only been eight major league ball players named Bubba. Of those, four of them have been in the Yankees' organization at some point. So, half of the Bubbas were Yankees. That's impressive. If Bubba Thompson does make the team this year, there could be a tremendous promotional opportunity. Whenever he stands next to Aaron Boone, it could be "Bubba and Bubbles". 

• I will bet everything I own, including my cats, that if Bubba Thompson does make the Major League team with the Yankees this season and hits a home run, John Sterling's home run call will include the phrase "Bubba-licious."