After the Rays knocked the Yankees out in the ALDS last week, the celebration in the visiting clubhouse carried a little extra bite. Tampa Bay players broke out the champagne and beer, wrapped their arms around each other and swayed to Frank Sinatra’s “[Theme From) New York, New York,” the tune that usually fills the stadium when the Yankees win at home.
For Alex Rodriguez, that moment said plenty about where the Yankees stand now.
“You don’t see that fear there anymore,” Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez told Colin Cowherd. “People go into Yankee Stadium, they beat us, and then they make fun of us.
“And if they win, they have the right to make fun of the Yankees.”
Rodriguez wasn’t the only former Yankee weighing in on what’s gone wrong. Around the league, other Yankees legends and ex-players and managers have been talking about a clubhouse that lacks accountability and a team in need of a cultural reset.
But a real overhaul does not appear to be coming anytime soon. There’s no sign owner Hal Steinbrenner will move on from GM Brian Cashman, and Cashman is expected to bring back manager Aaron Boone once he gets a new contract.
That leaves the Yankees in a familiar spot: plenty of noise, not much evidence that the core structure is about to change. And, as things stand, even a major shift may not arrive until 2027 - assuming there even is a 2027 season uninterrupted by a lockout.
Rodriguez said the issue goes far beyond a simple change in voice at the top.
“Cashman’s been there almost 35 years, and I’m not saying you should fire Cashman or Boonie, I don’t think that’s the case. But with this construction of this roster, you can bring Sparky Anderson, Joe Torre, Billy Martin, you’re not gonna win with this roster.
“When you have four or five DHs and first basemans, that’s an issue. When you go into an eliminating Game 3 at home, and of the eight positions, you don’t know who’s gonna play five, with a $330 million payroll, that is scary.”
He also pointed to the way the Yankees’ spending compares with lower-payroll clubs, arguing that the organization has to be honest about what kind of roster it’s actually built.
“My question would be, if you go from $330 million salary to $110 [million] like Tampa, how many games are you going to win if you’re Tampa? Is it 30 or 40 or 50 games? So you have to be able to examine.
“And this is a copy-and-paste league. The good news for the Yankees is, you don’t have to copy-and-paste anyone.
Go copy-and-paste the last 27 championships you’ve won. And go copy that.
You’ve gotta get players that play positions that are elite defenders, that are elite athletes, high baseball IQ, tons of integrity and that play with their hair on fire with tremendous passion.”
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Finally Found A Ryan McMahon Trade Path
Ryan McMahons first Yankees season did not go the way anyone in the organization imagined. He struggled at third base both at the plate and in the field, and with one year left on his contract, the Yankees are already being pushed to think about what comes next rather than waiting for the fit to improve on its own. If they are going to move him, they will need a partner willing to take on a short-term answer at the hot corner, which narrows the field quickly.
The Cardinals may offer that kind of opening, since they have shown interest in a short-term third baseman. That does not mean a deal is close, but it does give the Yankees a plausible trade path if they decide to move on from McMahon, and any discussion would likely center on whether a return piece such as catcher Pedro Pages could be part of the conversation. For now, it is still mostly a framework for a deal rather than a finished one, but it is at least the sort of framework New York has been looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Chisholms Old Feud Just Gave Yankees Fans Another Reason To React
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has dragged an old clubhouse grievance back into the spotlight, saying Miguel Rojas once destroyed his custom cleats during their shared time with the Miami Marlins as part of hazing. Rojas has since addressed the allegation without exactly disputing it, saying he would rather keep those kinds of matters private. It is the sort of off-field dustup that still has a way of following players long after they leave the same room.
Now Rojas has given Yankees fans another reason to take notice after showing up in custom cleats celebrating the Dodgers back-to-back championships and nodding toward a possible third straight title. For a New York fan base that is always watching the other contenders, and especially one with Chisholm now in pinstripes, the timing adds a little extra edge to a relationship that already carried some baggage. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Once Had A Future Brewers October Threat In Their Hands
Jake Bauers was one of those low-key Yankees acquisitions that looked more like a depth move than a long-term piece, but he made enough noise in 2023 to get noticed. After a strong start in Triple-A, he brought some power and patience to the plate in pinstripes, giving New York a useful left-handed bat before the club moved on from him the following offseason.
The Yankees sent Bauers to Milwaukee in a trade for Brian Sanchez and Jace Avina, and the Brewers have since gotten the better end of the deal in the short term. Bauers has fit well in Milwaukee and even chipped in during the 2024 National League Championship Series, with a free-agent decision looming next and a reminder that a player New York once had in hand could end up mattering on a bigger October stage. [Read more 🡒]