About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind
By Tim Kabel
December 16, 2024
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There are just two weeks left in 2024. The Baseball Hot Stove is blazing. Moves are being made very quickly. Since the last “Meanderings of My Mind” article, the Yankees have lost Juan Soto, signed Max Fried, re-signed Jonathan Loaisiga, and traded for Devin Williams. They are apparently on the verge of making other moves. But it is Monday and the off-season so, I will now move from topic to topic like a bumblebee gathering pollen in a flower garden.
· Apparently, Juan Soto said that New York City has been a “Mets town” for a long time now at his introductory press conference. I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around that statement. The last time the Mets won the World Series was 1986. They have a total of two World Championships. This year, the Yankees played in the World Series. The Mets did not. By the way, this season, Juan Soto played for the Yankees. He has now declared that he played second fiddle to not only Aaron Judge but the Mets as well. It was a bizarre statement and makes the departure of Soto somewhat easier to accept. If his heart wasn't in playing for the Yankees, it's better that he is not here. Perhaps he will win multiple World Series with the Mets or perhaps he will become Bobby Bonilla Part 2. I am not sure what type of greeting he will receive from the Yankees’ fans when the Mets come to the stadium next year but based on his comments, it may not be as warm as it would have been otherwise.
· I was able to get a new car for my wife this weekend, which was very satisfying. Her previous vehicle was disintegrating before our very eyes. Unfortunately, my wife is not particularly tech savvy and is somewhat overwhelmed by all the bells and whistles on the new vehicle. She was used to cranking the engine to get it started. I anticipate that by the time the lease expires in 3 1/2 years, she may be able to start the vehicle without assistance. When I called the insurance company to register the new SUV in their system, I was delighted because the person I was speaking to used the pronunciation “vee-hick-ul”. That word seems to fall in the "toe-may-toe”, “toe-mah-toe” category.
· Caleb Durbin was the Yankees’ starting second baseman for just about as long as Bubba Crosby was the Yankees’ starting centerfielder. I hope he does well in Milwaukee, and I understand why he needed to be included in this trade for a top-notch closer. However, the Yankees now need to acquire another infielder. The return of Gleyber Torres has not been mentioned as a possibility and I do not think it will be. The most likely scenario seems to be that the Yankees will sign Alex Bregman and move Jazz Chisholm, Jr. to second base. There may be a different move that has not been widely discussed but at this point, Bregman seems likely to be a Yankee within the next few days.
· Every year, I start out my Christmas shopping with a certain budget in mind. Invariably, I crash through the budget wall rather quickly. However, I never do so to the point that I either regret it or put myself in such a hole that it becomes a problem. I have always embraced the concept that giving is better than receiving. In some cases, based on the gifts I have received, that was particularly true. I had an ex-in-law, who for whatever reason gave me gifts that were more appropriate for a lad of 12 years old or a man of 98. One year, she gave me a bank that had a mechanism that cheered when you put a coin in it. The larger the coin, the louder the cheer. This person frequently gave me banks. Apparently, she wanted me to save money. The fact that she was living with me rent-free was a bit ironic.
· In addition to the reportedly imminent signing of Alex Bregman, the Yankees seem to be homing in on a trade for Cody Bellinger. That trade would give the Yankees a great deal of flexibility. He could play first base, or he could play either centerfield or leftfield, with Jasson Dominguez manning the other position. The Yankees could then decide whether to acquire a first baseman such as Christian Walker or an outfielder, perhaps Anthony Santander. Depending on which players they have to send to Chicago, they may still have an option for making a big trade. I still have not given up on the hope that they could trade for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.
· The other night, my wife and I watched my favorite version of A Christmas Carol. This is the 1984 version, with George C Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. It is extremely well done. My favorite line is when Scrooge asks the ghost of Marley if it would be possible for all three ghosts to visit at once, to make things more convenient. I know many people prefer other versions of this movie. A close second to George C Scott, is Michael Caine in the Muppets’ Christmas Carol. Miss Piggy made a very fine Mrs. Cratchit.
· I find it interesting that many articles and discussions on sports radio are very dismissive of Jasson Dominguez. Some people act as if the Yankees should just move on from him. I know he struggled when they called him up in September but, he had been injured off-and-on all season. Also, he only played eighteen games. I think we need a larger sample size before we toss him in the waste bin. This reminds me of 2016 when Aaron Judge came up and was injured and relatively ineffective. The pundits on WFAN and various other sources felt that Judge would never be anything special. I'm not saying that Dominguez will duplicate Judge’s statistics but, he is the Yankees # 1 prospect for a reason. The lack of patience that many fans and media members have regarding young players always amazes me. If we accept the fact that the Major Leagues is the highest level of competition in baseball, then it seems only fair that we allow young players a chance to adjust and grow.
· In the next couple of days, I will be whipping up some cookies for the holidays. I'm not making a flat, flavorless item with gaudy, neon-colored frosting. Rather, I am making cookies that people will actually enjoy eating. I think I will make molasses cookies, coffee cookies with chocolate chips, and my favorite rendition of chocolate chip cookies, which include dried cherries, hazelnuts, and toffee bits.
· As with my article last Monday, it is possible that by the time you read this, the Yankees will have made other moves, and it is possible things that I've written may have become obsolete. The important thing is that the Yankees are not pouting about the loss of Juan Soto. They are moving forward. I truly like the moves they have made so far. If they do acquire Bellinger, Bregman, and a third unnamed bat, that would be quite impressive. It is possible that they may decide to go with Ben Rice at first base, which may turn out to be a good move. The important thing is the Yankees are adding multiple pieces, as opposed to just Juan Soto. I'm sure that by the time I write another of these articles next Monday, the Yankees’ team will look much different than it does right now. This is truly an exciting time of the year.
I would like to take a moment to wish a Happy Birthday to the love of my life, my wife, Stacey.
