About the Off-Season: Meanderings of My Mind

By Tim Kabel

December 30, 2024

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There is only one day left in 2024. The Yankees are close to finalizing their roster for 2025. They have made a lot of moves in the last few weeks. There are still a few additions to make, but other than one more infielder and one or two left-handed relief pitchers, the team is basically set.  Well, today is Monday and it is the off-season. So, I will now move from topic to topic like Richard Dawson at a receiving line at a wedding.

·      The Yankees have upgraded the team. It is true that none of the acquisitions they made are on the level of Juan Soto, but very few players are. However, the cumulative effect of the players the Yankees have added so far this offseason cannot be disputed. It is true that they need either a second baseman or a third baseman, depending on where Jazz Chisholm plays. It seems that the Yankees would prefer to return Chisholm to second base and acquire a third baseman. While that could happen in the next few days, it is also possible that the Yankees might wait until they see what happens with Roki Sasaki. If the Yankees do manage to acquire him, they will then have the ability to trade from their depth of starting pitchers. In addition, the signing of Alex Bregman by anyone does not appear to be imminent so, the Yankees can pivot to him at some point if they so choose.

·      Well, the repair man who was supposed to come out on Christmas Eve to fix my oven never called and never came. I had to figure out another way of making Christmas dinner. Cooking the eighteen-pound ham in a non-working oven certainly wasn't an option. One of the skills I learned from my father was improvisation. I firmly adhere to the Theodore Roosevelt quote, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” I made things work. I then turned my gaze to the management company after Christmas.  After a brief e-mail exchange, they saw things my way. Not only did they send the regular repairman out on Saturday, after he returned from his vacation, but they purchased a beautiful countertop oven that has more features than the Multiplex theater for me. The most important thing was that I was able to convince them to keep the lines of communication open in the future. I can overcome almost any obstacle, if I know the the full situation. If I know no one is coming for three days, I can make accommodations. I was very happy to resolve the situation quickly and peacefully.

·      There are a few possible moves left for the Yankees in the off-season. Let's say they do acquire a solid Major League third baseman and two quality left-handed relief pitchers, such as Tim Hill and Andrew Chafin. If they do that and are also able to sign Roki Sasaki, they will be, in my estimation, a better team than they were last year with Juan Soto on the roster. There are certainly a few question marks with the roster, including Paul Goldschmidt and Jasson Dominguez but there are always question marks. So far, I think most Yankees’ fans are satisfied with the moves Brian Cashman has made. Of course, let's wait until we see the finished product but so far, so good.

·      I heard a fairly amusing joke the other day. A police chief arrives at a crime scene and finds the investigating detective sitting in his car outside the home.  The chief walks over to the detective’s car and taps on the window. “What's going on, detective?”  “Well Sir, it seems that there was a married couple who lived here, and they had been married for 30 years. Apparently, the husband tracked mud all over the kitchen floor the wife had just mopped. So, she killed him.”  “I see. Have you questioned the wife yet?” “No, Sir.” “Why not?” “Because Sir, the floor is still wet .” That reminded me of a time when I was a kid and I tracked mud all over the kitchen floor my mother had just mopped. Suffice it to say that my mother wasn't very happy. Now, she didn't hit me. She never hit me. However, she was holding a wooden spoon and she brought it down with such force on the cast iron sink that it snapped in two. (the spoon, not the sink). My mother was not large woman, but she was very strong. That made such an impression on me that I never entered the house without wiping my feet again.

·      One issue that needs to be clarified is who will be the Yankees leadoff hitter. Things could change based on whomever the Yankees sign to fill that final infield spot but out of the players who are currently on the roster, I think the best choice would be either Jazz Chisholm or Anthony Volpe. I know Volpe struggled in that role last year but, he came around at the end of the season and in the postseason. He might be ready. Besides one of the purposes of spring training is to figure things like this out. Jasson Dominguez could be another option but, he might be better suited to batting second, in front of Judge, if he remains in the third slot. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

·      For Christmas, among the gifts my wife gave me were two framed pictures of my little cat, Nut, who passed away in November. One is a picture of me holding him when he was a kitten and the other is a beautiful shot of him looking up at me with his big, amber eyes, probably waiting for a treat of some kind. I have it positioned on my desk so that he's watching my every move, just as he did in life.

·      I did not think the Yankees should re-sign Gleyber Torres, but I am appreciative of his time with the Yankees. I wish him well in Detroit.  I suspect that the first time he comes back to Yankee Stadium, he will receive a much warmer reception than Juan Soto will. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

·      One thing about “my fancy weight loss journey” is that food lasts a lot longer. For example, on Thanksgiving, I only needed half the turkey so, I froze the other half which I will now have on New Year's Day. Besides, we are now well into soup and stew season. As I am writing this, I am making a stew in the crock pot, using leftover roasted root vegetables from Thanksgiving and leftover brisket that I cooked a week or so ago. My son has requested that I make clam chowder and chili in the next few weeks.

·      One of the best things about the Yankees’ recent acquisitions is that other than Paul Goldschmidt, they are not bringing in a bunch of aging veterans who are on the downside of their careers. As far as Goldschmidt goes, it is only a one-year contract so that is tolerable. As I noted before, I think it sets the Yankees up beautifully to pursue Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. a year from now. If they manage to acquire a younger player for third base, that will certainly fit into the overall pattern and set the team up for the future as well as the present.

·      Since this is my last article of the year, I would like to take a moment to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. May 2025 bring you all nothing but happiness, good health, and good fortune. And hopefully, a World Series victory by the Yankees.