While talks stalled on Friday, and Saturday due to an ‘unrealistic’ ask by the Padres, it is expected that the two sides will re-engage at the Winter Meetings, which begin today. This is per Brendan Kuty of the Athletic. So what could a trade look like for both sides?

Yankees Acquire Juan Soto, Jake Cronenworth

I think the Yankees could take on another contract in a Soto deal, and a player that comes straight to mind is Jake Cronenworth. Coming off a poor year in 2023, the lefty looks to resurge in 2024. And after speaking to Padres fans, Pete Simonetti (whom I trust and find credible — broke Monty, Rodon, and Bader trades) believes that the problem with Cronenworth is very similar to the problem Torres had in 2020 and 2021: playing out of position. Cronenworth is by trade a 2B, and I do think his bat could play well in Yankee Stadium as the 2B of the New York Yankees. I also believe Cronenworth is a candidate, because I do think Gleyber Torres gets traded.

Padres Acquire Spencer Jones, Clarke Schmidt, Drew Thorpe, and Will Warren

While it would hurt the Yankees to give him up, Spencer Jones could provide the Padres with a potential Soto replacement in the future. Jones’s defense and speed combined with the raw power in his bat makes him a great prospect for teams to have.

Michael King has been in the thick of the trade conversations.But I believe the Yankees will hold on to him and instead built a trade around Clarke Schmidt and Drew Thorpe. Clarke Schmidt has the ability to eat innings and still has potential to improve even more. With 4 more years of control, he’s a valuable asset for the Yankees. He is only 27 and has time to get even better. But the biggest pitching asset in this trade is Drew Thorpe.

Drew Thorpe was amazing in 2023, his first professional season. A second round pick in 2022, Drew Thorpe won MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year in 2023. Overall he pitched to a 2.52 ERA with 182 K’s in 139.1 IP. Among MiLB pitchers who made at least 20 starts, he ranked third in ERA (2.52), second in WHIP (0.98), and third in BAA (.199). In 18 starts at High-A he pitched to a 2.81 ERA. He was even better in Double-A where he pitched to a 1.48 ERA. Although his fastball sitis in the Low-90s, he plays it well with his nasty changeup along with a sweeping slider, a gyro slider, and, a Yankee-Classic, a cutter.

Will Warren, although the basic stats might not show it on face value, actually improved from what was a great 2022. Warren has a nasty arsenal, with multiple pitches that can get batters out. Using Stuff+, Warren is an outstanding pitcher who stands out above all the rest: sweeper (161.4), and sinker (137.1). The problem that plagued Warren through his career was adjusting to more advanced hitters. As he adjusted, he once again returned to his dominant form. His stats in AAA should be taken in with the consideration of the heavily run-friendly environment.

In this deal, the Padres acquire 3 Starters who can all play this year and 1 tantalizing young prospect with great potential. I think this deal can work out for both sides.

It is a widely known fact that the Yankees need offense. Even more so, they have been looking for a true 1B to Aaron Judge’s 1A. Juan Soto can be that guy. Entering his 26 year old season, Soto has established himself as a bonafide superstar, and is once again on the trade market for the right price.

If Soto is available, the Yankees need to be all-in on him. He can slot in as the leadoff hitter, as he generates a high OBP, and provides some slug. Since entering the league, Soto has led the leadue with a .421 OBP. His presence at the top of the lineup gives Judge men on base to drive in. You could also opt to leadoff Volpe, giving a speed threat on first, and slot Soto as the 3-hole hitter, giving Judge needed protection.

Andy Martino, of SNY, reported that the Yankees have had preliminary conversations with the Padres about Juan Soto. This does NOT mean that they have exchanged names, but the Yankees have checked in on his availability. Martino also reported that a scout not affiliated with either the Padres or Yankees, named Rizzo as a potential name in the trade.

Now at first, I was confused. Why would the Padres want Rizzo in a trade for Juan Soto? But the Padres need a 1B and they’re not rebuilding, they just want to cut payroll. So what would a potential trade look like. I have created 3 different proposals.

Proposal #1: Overpay

SD Receives: #1 OF Spencer Jones, #3 OF Everson Pereira, #4 SP Chase Hampton, SP Michael King

NYY Receives: OF Juan Soto

The first option would be to overpay for Soto, trading 3 top 5 prospects and a young, high-upside starting pitcher with control. For one year of Soto, this would be a moderate overpay as there isn’t a guarantee that he will resign.

Why SD would accept: They want pitching, and they are receiving a consensus top 100 prospect in Hampton. He has the best stuff in the Yankees farm system, with a plus fastball, curveball, and slider. They also receive King, who in his transition to starting pitching this year, was amazing, showing potential for future years.

Why NYY would accept: They acquire Juan Soto without having to trade Volpe, Dominguez, or Thorpe.

What the Yankees lineup would look like:

Soto LF

Judge RF

Rizzo 1B

DJ 3B

Volpe SS

Torres 2B

Stanton DH

(free agency) CF

Wells C

Proposal 2: Yankees Eat a contract

SD Receives: #3 OF Everson Pereira, 1B Anthony Rizzo, #4 SP Chase Hampton, SP Michael King, Cash Considerations

NYY Receives:OF Juan Soto

The Yankees eat part of the contract for Rizzo and acquire Soto. The Padres receive 1B Anthony Rizzo, and 3 top ten prospects for Soto.

Why the Padres would accept: The Padres cut payroll while still acquiring top top 5 prospects, a veteran hitter in Rizzo, and a potential #3 or 4 in King. They might not want to.

Why the Yankees would accept: The Yankees acquire Soto while also keeping Jones, Dominguez, and Volpe. This gives the Yankees flexibility to go out and make another move for a position of need. The Yankees can then potentially sign Bellinger and Yamamoto for $25 million each, while going lower than 2023’s payroll and then they can free up space through non-tenders. The only player who will see a significant rise in arbitration is Gleyber Torres, in my opinion.

What the Yankees lineup could look like:

DJ 1B

Soto LF

Judge RF

Bellinger CF(until Dominguez returns to CF, then Bellinger goes to 1B, and DJ to 3B)

Torres 2B

Stanton DH

Wells C

Peraza 3B

Proposal 3: Yankees Unload Stanton and attach a load of prospects

SD Receives: #1 OF Spencer Jones #3 OF Everson Pereira #4 SP Chase Hampton #5 SP Drew Thorpe #6 SS George Lombard Jr. DH Giancarlo Stanton, Cash

NYY Receives: OF Juan Soto

*Disclaimer: This is not something I believe would happen, but Martino said to keep an eye out for Stanton if talks continue, so I am merely reaching all corners.*

Why the Padres would accept: The Padres receive a boatload of prospects, acquiring 5 top 6 prospects. They also take on part of Stanton’s contract, as the Yankees eat half the contract or more. Stanton has historically raked at Petco Park.

Why the Yankees would accept: The Yankees would pounce on the oppurtunity to free themselves of Stanton’s contract. After getting rid of half his contrace and taking on Soto’s, they would have 70 million to spend on arbitration and free agency. They can easily afford Bellinger and Yamamoto.

What the Yankees lineup could look like:

DJ 3B

Soto LF

Judge RF

Bellinger CF (Once again until Dominguez returns, and then the same scenario plays out as it did in Proposal 2)

Rizzo 1B

Torres 2B

Wells DH

Volpe SS

Trevino C

Soto would bring much needed offense to this Yankees team and any of these trades could get it done. The Yankees need to pounce on the opportunity to get a superstar talent like Juan Soto.

It has been known that the 2023 season was a failure. The players know it. The fans know it. The media knows it. The front office knows it. And I have a feeling Hal knows it too. The 2023 offseason will be a big one; Hal will spend big. I will be stunned if the Yankees do not sign at least one big free agent. So that leads to the question of who?

Free Agency

The free agent market is scarce offensively. There are few options that will make a serious impact, that will also fit on the Yankees. But the best way to find out who fits on the Yankees is to decide which positions are already set. I’m going to quickly list off the positions and a short rationale for why I believe the Yankees will be fine at this position.

C — Wells and Trevino will be the catching duo. Trevino will get reps with Cole because of their connection and his stellar defense. Wells will also get significant reps because of his stellar bat, which we saw heat up towards the end of the season.

1B — Let’s be honest. It isn’t fair to claim Rizzo is washed based off the time he played after the Tatis incident. It was fairly obvious that he was affected by the incident. He was batting 304 with a 880 OPS before the incident. I do believe he’ll be restored to full health next year.

2B — Torres is a Top 3 AL 2B. That is a statement, a fact. The Yankees do not have the luxury to trade a 800+ OPS bat.

SS — It is too early to give up on the kid. Yes he had a poor rookie season, but there were times when he flashed his potential. He is the SS next year. The Yankees need him to take a huge step forward. And he’s a Gold Glove Finalist this year.

3B — DJ is the 3B, and he was great in the second half. He looks as if his confidence has been restored. (I will be writing an article about what has been wrong for DJ the past two years).

RF — There is no need to elaborate.

The Yankees need answers at CF, LF, and DH. Now Stanton is unmovable so there is little we can do about DH, but CF and LF need to be answered.

This brings me to my first prediction:

Yankees sign Cody Bellinger to 6 years $150 Million

Cody Bellinger had a great 2023, but it wasn’t a fluke year. He’s shown that he has MVP potential, and he’s stated that he rushed back from the shoulder injury. I believe that he’ll be a great player for years, a perfect counterpart to Aaron Judge. His lefty bat will be perfect fit for the Yankees. He also provides Gold Glove caliber defense. He slides right in Center Field for the Yankees.

Left Field: No signing

I don’t think the Yankees will spend big on two outfielders, especially with Jasson Dominguez due to return in May or June. I expect Everson Pereira to be the starting Left Fielder. If he adjusts and performs, that creates a problem that good to have. If he doesn’t, Dominguez takes his spot in June.

Non Tenders

There will be a boatload of non-tenders and the Yankees will cut the payroll down in order to spend in the offseason. I expect Kyle Higashioka, Billy Mckinney, Jake Bauers and more to get non-tendered as the Yankees look to open salary space.

Starting Pitching

The Rotation currently is made up of Cole Rodon Cortes King Schmidt. I do not think the Yankees will go into next year without making an addition to the rotation. Which brings me to my final free agency prediction.

Yankees sign Yoshinabu Yamamoto to an 8 year $208 million dollar deal

Brian Cashman did not just go to Japan for shits and giggles. The Yankees are seriously interested in Yamamoto. It has been reported that they are prepared to give him significantly more than they did for Tanaka. I believe that Cashman’s top target will be Yamamoto, and I do expect him to end up in pinstripes.

The 2023 offseason will be a big one. I expect Hal to step up and get players to make this team better.

The New York Jets 2023 season. It has been nothing short of boring. From heartbreak to excitement to more heartbreak and frustration, too many Jets fans, The endless year-to-year cycle of the New York Jets is continuing for another year. However, at the end of the tunnel, a faint light is getting brighter.

Week one started as one of the most hyped-up seasons for New York Jets fans, perhaps in franchise history. Aaron Rodgers, Dalvin Cook, Breece Hall, Garet Wilson, and Sauce Gardner have an elite offense with a top-of-the-line defense. Going into Monday night football, the Jets had +1800 odds to win the Super Bowl and a packed Metlife stadium to watch Aaron Rodgers run out of the tunnel for the first time as a New York Jet. The only thing lacking was the offensive line, which widened a hole that began sinking the Jet ship.

Before Aaron Rodgers could even throw his first pass, he was out for the entire season with a torn Achilles. As Zach Wilson quickly took the field, hopes were not high by Jets fans who remembered his previous ventures with the Jets. As the defense and a punt touchdown won the Jets the Bills game, the reason was immaculate while Zach Wilson ran for his life from Matt Milano. Excitement was cut short as the Jets fan base was split, and a question emerged. Back Zach? or New QB? This question was only shortly when Coach Salah announced, “it was Zach’s team.”

The disaster only continued for the next three weeks as the Jets recorded three straight losses to the Cowboys (by 20), Patriots (by 5), and Chiefs (by 3). Coach Salah and the rest of the Jets organization were put into severe questions as locker room tensions rose due to the bad performances.

However, Jets fans were given a glimmer of hope in week 4. Zach Wilson played the game of his life. 28/39, 245 yards, and 2 TDs in the narrow loss, some will say, were handed by the refs. This was nothing short of a career-changing performance. As week five rolled around, New York Jets fans were fueled by a new passion to back Zach. Zach Wilson regained his confidence when the Jets beat the Denver Broncos by ten on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers and Alijah Vera-Tucker torn achilles, the Jets looking to trade Mecole Hardman before the deadline, Randal Cobb limited snap count, and Dalvin Cook not living up to his name. That is a short version of the losses the Jets have suffered this season, all of which have been disastrous to the season. However, the Jets play the undefeated Eagles (5–0) in week six, and with a sold-out Metlife stadium waiting for Zach and the Jets as they take the field, the Jets are looking for an upset of the decade. No matter, this will be the ultimate test of the 2023 New York Jets.

Brian Cashman has been the general manager for the New York Yankees since 1998. Although he has had multiple championship runs, the core of those teams were built by the previous GM. Since 2009, Cashman has done nothing but disappoint. The Yankees have not reached the World Series since 2009, much less won one. And despite the loss of The Boss, the payroll was still very high and leading the majors. Hal Steinbrenner has not been cheap; Brian Cashman has mismanaged his money.

Horrible Contracts

There are numerous examples of Cashman mismanaging the money given to him from Hal. Jacoby Ellsbury, Aaron Hicks, and Josh Donaldson,. Let’s start with Jacoby Ellsbury. Prior to the signing, Ellsbury had been successful with the Red Sox. However, he had an injury history, only playing 256 games from 2010–2013. Despite this, Cashman handed him a seven-year 153-million dollar contract. After signing that contract, Ellsbury would only play 520 of 972 games, a mere 53%. Cashman handed out more than 20 million dollars a year to an injury prone player in the hope that he would stay healthy all 7 years.

One would think that Cashman would learn from previous mistakes and stop handing out lengthy contracts to injury-prone players. However, Cashman did not learn from his lessons, handing out another mistaken contract to Aaron Hicks.

The Yankees acquired Aaron Hicks from the Minnesota Twins before the 2016 season. During his three years in Minnesota, he failed to play more than 100 games in a season, and his best year provided a mere .721 OPS. From 2016–2018 he played a maximum of 137 games in a season and his best year came in 2018, when he slashed .248/.366/.467/.833 with 27 HRs and 79 RBIs. However, he had a considerable injury history. Despite this, Cashman yet again rewarded him with a seven-year contract worth $70 million. In those seven years, Hicks played over 120 games once and never had a season reminiscent of 2018. In his only full season, he hit for a .642 OPS and had multiple defensive miscues, costing the Yankees games. He was designated for assignment earlier this year before heading to the Orioles, where he had a resurgence before, yet again, he got injured. Another contract that cost the Yankees due to mismanagement of money by Brian Cashman. Hal Steinbrenner is now paying Aaron Hicks to play for a division rival.

The next player was not a horrible contract because of injury history, but because of the players that could have been acquired using the allocated money. The 2021–2022 offseason offered a stacked FA SS class including names such as Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Marcus Semien, and Trevor Story. However, Brian Cashman decided to pass on all of these star shortstops and trade Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez for Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The Yankees took on the entirety of Donaldson’s contract — two years, 50 million dollars. Kiner-Falefa was supposed to be a stopgap shortstop, manning the job until top prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe were fully developed. Donaldson, who had a great 2021, was on the wrong side of 35. To start the 2022 season, Donaldson looked great. However, he quickly cooled off and heavily struggled. He couldn’t catch up to fastballs, took pitches right down the middle, pimped flyouts, and got frozen on hanging breaking balls. He was an absolute shell of himself.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was even worse, hitting for a .642 OPS and making daily miscues in the field. Add to that, the Yankees traded for him to move off of third base —where he was a gold-glover — and play the hardest position in the infield. To the naked eye, he was supposed to be the stopgap shortstop until Peraza and Volpe were ready. However, Cashman waited until September to call up Peraza from Triple-A despite the fact that he had been ready since August. Even though they called up Peraza, they gave him inconsistent playing time and platooned him with IKF. Despite this, Peraza still performed hitting .306/.404/,429 with a 146 wRC+. Despite this, the Yankees still didn’t start him in the postseason, and that brings us to another problem with Cashman’s management: prospect management.

Prospect Mismanagement.

Brian Cashman has never developed prospects well, only producing one homegrown star in his tenure: Aaron Judge. However in recent years, he has revamped the Yankees farm system through international signings, the draft, trades, etc. In 2019, they signed Jasson Dominguez, the number one international prospect, and now the Yankees’ number one prospect. This year, he’s been decent, but, as of late, he’s turned it around in July, slashing .319/.385/.436 with a .821 OPS. He should be headed to AAA later this year. They have also signed Everson Pereira from the international market. He is now their #4 prospect and on the verge of his MLB debut, having joined AAA in the beginning of July and promptly slashing .347/.390/.625 good for a 1.015 OPS which is insane. They also signed Roderick Arias, who has been hit by hand injuries, but has shown amazing potential, slashing .267/.423/.505 good for a .928 OPS in rookie ball. Expect him to be joining A-ball next year.

However, their most astounding success has been from recent years in the MLB draft. In 2019, they drafted SS Anthony Volpe, who developed to be a top 5 prospect in the game and is now the starting SS for the Yankees. In 2020, the Yankees drafted catcher Austin Wells, who is now their number three prospect, and has recently been promoted to Triple-A. In 2022, the Yankees drafted OF Spencer Jones, who is now their number three prospect and is nearing a promotion to Double-A while hitting for a .820 OPS in High-A. In 2022, the Yankees also drafted SP Drew Thorpe, now their number 6 prospect, and is calling for a promotion to Double-A, while pitching to a 2.70 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and 123 Ks in 103 IP.

The problem with the Yankees isn’t their talent in the farm system, but how they manage the farm system. Oswald Peraza, previously mentioned, is still in Triple-A for numerous reasons. The first being the atrocious contract of Josh Donaldson who is blocking him at 3B. The second reason being the fact that the Yankees rushed Anthony Volpe to the majors after a great Spring Training despite the fact that Volpe had only seen 22 games at Triple-A. Now the Yankees are seeing the results of rushing Volpe; he is struggling in the majors hitting .208 with a .655 OPS. It has been abhorrently clear that the Yankees unnecessarily rushed Anthony Volpe. There was no dire need at SS when Oswald Peraza had previously shown potential in the majors. They simply promoted Volpe for face value. Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are two symbols of how the Yankees manage their prospects. They either rush them when they’re not ready or drive their value into the ground by not consistently playing them.

Poor Roster Construction

The final problem with Brian Cashman is his poor roster construction. The 2022 Yankees season ended in a sweep by the Astros in the ALCS. A series where, yet again, the offense failed to score runs and support their pitchers. However, this wasn’t only an issue in the playoffs. It was an issue that started in August 2022. The Yankees went into the offseason with multiple needs: get more offense. However, Brian Cashman simply re-signed Aaron Judge and instead of spending money on offense, he decided to sign SP Carlos Rodon. It’s often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Cashman decided to run the same lineup back and expect different results. Cashman failed to address the biggest needs of the Yankees, getting an actual left-fielder. Cashman refused to go and get a concrete left-fielder but he continued to dumpster-dive, signing Franchy Cordero, Billy McKinney, Willie Calhoun, and Jake Bauers to platoon in LF. Cashman refused to go and get an actual left fielder but would rather prove that the lower level guys that he signed would provide. Pathetic.

In total, Cashman acquires and signs injury-prone players, often goes dumpster-diving, and mismanages his top prospects. Put those aspects together and you get a disaster season; the 2023 Yankees season.

And nothing will change about the Yankees’ struggles until Cashman is fired or moved off of General Manager.

If you haven’t been living under a rock the past few days, you should know that the former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is scheduled to visit the New York Jets facilities in Florham Park tomorrow, Sunday, July 30th. However, the whole Dalvin Cook drama has brought skepticism throughout the Jets fan base. Optimists agree that Dalvin Cook is a much-needed addition to the RB room that will give Breece Hall a chance to settle in after his season-ending ACL injury while skeptics wonder whether it will be a repeat of the Le’veon Bell venture and will take away from Breece Hall’s touches.

There is no doubt that signing the four-time Pro Bowler will cause choppiness in the waters of the Jet’s running back room. Currently, Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, and rookie Israel Abanikanda are all slated to be on the 53-man roster come week one. If the Jets do end up signing Dalvin Cook, they will most definitely try to match the 4 man RB room that they had last year. Some Jets reports have suggested the idea to start Breece Hall on the four-week injured list and starting Dalvin Cook as RB1. This would give Breece Hall additional weeks to heal and give a chance for the other running backs to fight for their spot without having to make a cut. After all, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.

Some in the Jets fan base suggest that Dalvin Cook is using the New York Jets as leverage to get the Miami Dolphins to offer him more money. During multiple interviews, Dalvin Cook has said that playing for the Miami Dolphins would be a dream and “the top spot”. When asked about Cook, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated that he is “extremely happy with their current RB room” and then stuttered for the next two minutes.

On the contrary, multiple credible sources say that the Jets will sign Dalvin Cook before he leaves Florham Park on Sunday. Whatever the case is, the best is yet to come. AllGasNoBrakes