About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

.About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

November 4, 2024

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We have now entered the off-season, and there will be no games until the end of next March. We have a lot of time on our hands. At least we have less of it than we had last year. And hopefully we have more of it this year than we will next year. Ideally, the Yankees will win the World Series next year. In the meantime, we need to get through this fall and winter the best way we can. I will resume writing my weekly “meanderings of the mind” column. I hope you enjoy them. I will now move from topic to topic like the late Benny Hill running from his pursuers at the end of his program.

·       The Yankees declined the option on Anthony Rizzo’s contract, making him a free agent. I truly appreciate the time he spent as a Yankee but, I don't think they need to bring him back at all. They should not offer him a contract of any length at this point. He has declined offensively and defensively and suffered major injuries the past two seasons. The Yankees would be better served by going in a different direction.

·       The Yankees did exercise the $2.5 million option Luke Weaver's contract. That was an easy decision for the Yankees. Whether or not Weaver is the closer next year, he will be a key piece of the bullpen. He has emerged as a solid pitcher who did very well in clutch situations. Picking him up for that salary was a good move. He is also capable of filling multiple roles in case the Yankees acquire someone else who is suited to the closer's role.

·       Now that I am living in the apartment by the beach, I'm noticing differences from my previous home. For example, for the past few years, I didn't have any trick or treaters coming to the door where I used to live. We had quite a large crowd this year. I can tell I'm getting old because there were many costumes of new cultural icons that I did not recognize. There were also a few kids who just put on a sweatshirt and a hat and called it a costume. We gave all the remaining candy to the last tyke who came to the door. The look on his face was priceless.

·       Gerrit Cole has opted out of the remainder of his Yankees’ contract. Before we panic, the Yankees can simply counteract that by adding the tenth year to the contract, which will automatically keep him a Yankee. Realistically, I would do that if I were the Yankees. Other than this season when he was injured, he has certainly lived up to his contract. Imagine the rotation without him in it and think about what we would have to pay if we had to start over with a new contract. Basically, it's about adding one more year at the end. Will he be worth it at that time? Possibly not, but I would imagine he will be better at the end of his contract than DJ LeMahieu. If the Yankees invoke that tenth year, it will be one less thing to worry about and they have enough to worry about.

·       I have made it clear that I don't think Aaron Boone should be back. However, one way or another, the Yankees need to resolve this issue quickly. The Yankees have a lot to do this offseason. If acquiring a new manager is one of those things, they need to get working on it right away. If Boone is going to return, they also need to announce that quickly. I believe the Yankees know what they're going to do. They just need to do it.

·      As I wrote the other day, i believe the Yankees definitely need to re-sign Juan Soto. It will be an extremely expensive contract, possibly the biggest of all time. Regardless, it will cost a lot of money. The Yankees can certainly afford it but, it also means they need to be careful in their other decisions and may need to pursue less expensive options at other positions. For example, they could play Jasson Dominguez in either the leftfield or centerfield, Ben Rice at first base, and Caleb Durbin at second base. That would also go a long way toward making the team younger. The only exception to that would be if the Yankees could actually acquire Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. from the Blue Jays. If they could do that, it would give them a much-needed right-handed bat and give them one of the best lineups in the Major Leagues.

·      I am about six weeks into my “weight loss journey”. After five weeks, I lost 23 pounds. It seems to be the right pace for me and I feel good. You know it's time to start a weight loss journey when people stand on your deck looking at you through the sliding glass doors and tell you they are “whale watching”.

·      I have a fairly strong opinion regarding the two individuals who grabbed Mookie Betts’s glove the other day during the game. I'm not going to mention their names because I don't want to give them any more attention. That was inexcusable and boorish behavior. It was also potentially dangerous. What if they twisted Betts's wrist and injured him? There is no excuse for that type of despicable behavior. Apparently, these two fellows were upset that they could not go to game five. I think they should be banned permanently from attending games. Having enough money to buy a World Series ticket does not entitle you to do whatever you please and put yourself in the middle of the event. People are less and less inclined to take responsibility for their actions these days and I think the consequences should be severe in this case.

·      Giancarlo Stanton had a tremendous postseason. He had a very good season as well, despite his injury. His value is as high as it has been since he became a Yankee. He has three years left on his contract. I know he has a no-trade clause but, if the Dodgers were interested or perhaps either the Padres or the Giants, he might agree to go home to California. It would be much better to trade him too soon rather than too late. I'm not looking for a tremendous return. Trading him would give the team greater financial flexibility. Also, he will be 35 years old next week. If the opportunity to trade him presents itself, the Yankees should seriously consider it.

·      If the Yankees want to add to the team through free agency, they need to be very careful, as they don't need to pick up players in their 30's, who will potentially be on the downside of their careers. If their primary focus is signing Juan Soto, they need to be cautious about locking up other players to big contracts, if they can avoid it.

·      If Japanese pitcher, Roki Sasaki, is posted this off-season, the Yankees should go after him hard.  Because he is an international free agent, he will not qualify for regular free agency and will not get a huge contract. It will be comparable to when Shohei Ohtani signed his first contract with the Angels. Sasaki is 23 years old and could do very well in the MLB.

·      This is going to be a tough time of the year. I don't know how I’m going to occupy my time. I'm not referring to the end of the baseball season. I'm talking about the end of the political campaign season. Those extra 14 hours a day I won’t be seeing campaign ads will be tough to fill.