About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

December 9, 2024

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EDITOR'S NOTE - This was written yesterday. There is good content here - much of it now outdated. Such is the life of writing about baseball and breaking news. Still, I did not want Tim's efforts to simply be deleted.

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The Winter Meetings are upon us. As I am writing this, Juan Soto’s signing is considered imminent. Depending on what you listen to or read, it seems to be down to two or five finalists, with the Yankees and the Mets considered to be the favorites. It is also believed that the final contract will be over $700 million. It is possible that as you are reading this, Soto will have already signed. I stand by my prediction that the Yankees will be the team to reel him in. We will know soon enough. Since it is Monday, I will now move from topic to topic like a holiday shopper sprinting through the mall, looking for deals.

·      Juan Soto is said to have offers from the Yankees and the Mets that are in the $710 to $730 million range. The Mets are believed to have made the higher offer. If Soto were to sign with the Mets over a difference of 15 to 20 million dollars over a contract that will be 14 to 15 years long, the Yankees should be embarrassed. If they were willing to go to $710 million, what would an extra 15 to 20 million be? If the Yankees are committed to getting Soto back, they are certainly in position to do so. It is also easy to say that Soto should stick with the Yankees because they are a better fit and he played here for a year, so he should be willing to leave a few extra dollars on the table. I don't know if I totally agree with that philosophy. I never begrudge anyone any money they can make as long as it's done legally and causes no harm to anyone else. At least, all the speculation will be over very soon.

·       I have decided to provide periodic updates on my fancy “weight loss journey.” It has been 11 weeks and so far, I have lost 35 lbs. Assuming that I can lose one more pound in the next week, that will be 12 pounds a month. (That’s more than Ebenezer Scrooge paid Bob Cratchit) I still have a long way to go but, having struggled with weight issues my entire adult life, I am feeling very good about things. I am using Mounjaro, which has a few side effects but overall, is very satisfactory. I agree with what the comedian Jim Gaffigan said, “Mounjaro sounds like a fancy Italian restaurant where you can't eat anything.” My preferred weight loss method would have been to join “The Chubby Checkers”, the weight loss group that Dom DeLuise joined in the film Fatso but, i don't think there are any chapters near me.

·      If the Yankee successfully retain Juan Soto, I expect that they will very quickly resolve the first base issue and sign a starting pitcher. If they sign Max Fried or Corbin Burnes within the next few days, I would not be surprised. Players are already beginning to sign more quickly. Once Soto is off the board, I anticipate many more moves.

·      One of the bonuses of the “weight loss journey” is that my grocery budget has gone down drastically. That will change when my weightlifting, bodybuilder son comes home from college in a few days but overall, costs are much lower. If I order an entree from a restaurant on takeout, it will now last for two or three meals. I froze half the turkey after Thanksgiving, and we'll probably have that on New Year's Day.

·      I still feel that the Yankees will and should give Caleb Durbin every chance to win the second base job in spring training. There are rumors that they may bring Thairo Estrada back to the team but, I think he would fill more of a utility role along with Oswaldo Cabrera. First base is the intriguing position. There has been a lot of talk about the Yankees trading for Nolan Arenado or signing Christian Walker but, I’m reluctant to get another aging veteran who has started to decline. I would like to see the Yankees acquire a right-handed hitting first baseman if possible. Cody Bellinger is an interesting possibility but, I don't know that he would be the best fit. I don't know if Alex Bregman would be willing to move to first base but that would be an intriguing possibility. I know there is some baggage from his days with the Astros and the cheating scandal but, that could be overcome. I'm very interested to see which direction the Yankees go in as far as first base.

·      I was feeling under the weather for the past few days, alternating between fevers and chills. I slept a lot, more than Rip Van Winkle. Fortunately, the little Roadrunner upstairs continued his relentless stomping back and forth across the apartment. I frequently had dreams that I was running with the bulls at Pamplona, which, considering I can no longer run and hobble about with a cane, proved to be disastrous. Sleeping and barely eating for two days was helpful with the “weight loss journey.”

·      I think Clay Holmes gave Yankees’ fans some good memories but, was too often unpredictable and unreliable. I'm glad he was able to find a new home, but I don't know if the reported plans of the Mets turning him into a starter will be the best thing in the world. But who am I to say?

·      This is our first Christmas in the new apartment, and I was pleased at how nicely we have been able to decorate it so far. The lights that we brought with us in the move were no longer working properly so, we had to get new ones. I remember the old bulbs that came in four colors and were very large. You had to screw the bulbs into individual little sockets along the wire. Sometimes if one bulb went out, the whole strand would go out and you would have to spend an hour and a half trying to figure out which bulb was the culprit. Now, they all light up consistently and the very small lights are exceptionally bright. Many years ago, my mother started me on collecting the White House ornaments. Every year the White House Historical Society puts out a new ornament, usually corresponding with a particular president and some event of his term in office or some ornament used on his tree. They are reasonably priced and quite beautiful. I have fallen behind in my collection and hope to catch up at some point. Even though I didn't stay in my original career as a history teacher, i still have a deep love for History. The White House ornaments are one way of enjoying History.

·      In addition to the presumed re-signing of Juan Soto, the Yankees need to make at least two other moves at the winter meetings. Acquiring a starting pitcher and a first baseman would be splendid. They also need to address the bullpen. I am reluctant to view Luke Weaver as a permanent solution for the closers position. He was fine down the stretch and in the postseason but, I think if the Yankees have the opportunity to acquire someone else who has a proven track record as a dominant closer, they should do so. Weaver can certainly occupy another role in the bullpen. I would also not be surprised if Clarke Schmidt is shifted to the bullpen and does very well there.

·      I always serve turkey for Thanksgiving, but I like to try different entrees for Christmas. This year, I will be ordering a ham from Newsom’s in Kentucky. They are famous for their country ham, which is excellent but very salty. You need to soak it for quite a while before cooking. They offer another one called the “preacher ham”, which is very low in sodium and extremely delicious. It is precooked so you simply need to warm it up before serving. The beautiful thing about it is that whatever is not consumed from the holiday meal or in the next few days, can be packed away and frozen to be consumed later. I enjoy calling my order in and hearing the twang of a gentleman named Skip on the other end of the phone. Whenever I can support family owned or traditional businesses, I choose to do so.

·      I will close by saying that I hope by the time you are reading this, Luis Tiant and Tommy John have been elected to the Hall of Fame.