RAB Thoughts

January 7th, 2022: Lockout, Chavez, Brewers, ZiPS, Mailbag

At some point soon I’ll begin working on my annual Top 30 Yankees Prospects list, though the lockout is throwing a wrench into things. I’d like to know who gets traded (if anyone), who gets added (if anyone), and when pitchers and catchers are...

January 4th, 2022: Chapman, McNeil, Smith, Santana, Tucker

Happy New Year folks. I’m going to start 2022 with a little self-promotion: I wr...

MLB Commissioner for a Day

The week between Christmas and New Years is the week time forgets. Everything is a little less hectic, and baseball news typically slows to a crawl. This year there is no baseball news at all because the owners locked out the players. So, I’m ta...

The Yankees and the 1992 Expansion Draft

The final week of 2021 has arrived and the owners’ lockout is ongoing with no end in sight. Baseball news is nonexistent, so during this week between Christmas and New Years, I’m going to switch things up a bit and cover two topics I’ve had ...

December 24th, 2021: Coaches, Holiday Gifts, Mailbag

Lockout, Day 22: Are we closer to the end of this thing, or the beginning? I’m pretty sure it’s the latter, unfortunately. I hope you’re all staying safe – I got to play my favorite game the other day: do I have a cold or the plague? (it w...

December 21st, 2021: Judge, Cueto

Lockout, Day 19: Has it really only been 19 days? I’ll never take those stray “the Yankees have interest in [random player]” rumors for granted again. A slow offseason is better than whatever this is. Anyway, let’s get to today’s post. 2021-12-21 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

December 17th, 2021: Conforto, Inciarte, Cordero, Garcia, Perkins, Mailbag

UPDATE: I made two screw ups in the mailbag question about important at-bats and outs. First, the Yankees lost the 1964 World Series to the Cardinals. They didn't win it. That was the end of the Mickey Mantle/Whitey Ford ...

December 14th, 2021: Kikuchi, Mayea, Brantly, Voit

Lockout, Day 13: I looked at independent league stats the other day just to feel alive. Did you know Alberto Callaspo hit .335/.469/.461 with 85 walks and 30 strikeouts for the Charleston Dirty Birds this year? I don’t know what surprised me mor...

December 10th, 2021: Pitching, LeMahieu, Rule 5 Draft, Mailbag

Self-promotion: I was asked to write something about the Yankees offs...

December 7th, 2021: Coaches, Tanaka, Suzuki, Verlander, Peraza, Nittoli, Roster Check-In

Lockout, Day 6: I don’t miss reflexively checking my phone every few minutes to see whether there’s breaking news. I guess that means the lockout isn’t a total loss. I do miss having some baseball news though. Radio silence is prett...

December 3rd, 2021: Lockout, Non-Tenders, Mailbag

What a week. North of a billion dollars spent on free agents and then baseball shut down for who knows how long. I hope the Yankees enjoyed the view from the sidelines. Kind of amazing how little they accomplished before the lockout and how much t...

November 30th, 2021: Hot Stove, Non-Tender Deadline, Baez, Cain

I skip one post for Thanksgiving and all hot stove hell breaks loose. At least the lockout is coming tomorrow to put a halt to all the fun. Can’t have fans getting too excited now. Nothing better represents the state of Major League Baseball tha...

November 23rd, 2021: Rule 5 Draft Protection, Frazier, Wade, Sands, Nelson, Hot Stove Rumors, Story

Happy Thanksgiving Eve Eve, all. Turkey Day is two days away and the lockout is eight days away. “Honestly, I can’t believe there’s a single fan in the world who doesn’t understand that an offseason lockout that moves the process forward i...

November 19th, 2021: Hot Stove Rumors, Semien, Minor League Free Agents, Awards

Reminder: I’m skipping next Friday’s regularly scheduled post. It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m going to relax a bit during the holiday weekend. I’ll of course cover any breaking news, but otherwise there will be no post one week ...

November 16th, 2021: Vasquez, Seager, Athletics, Arbitration, Rojas, Boone

Reminder: I am planning to skip the regularly scheduled post on Friday, Nov. 26th. That’s next Friday and it’s the day after Thanksgiving. I will happily cover any breaking news, otherwise I’m going to lay low during the holiday weekend. Now...

November 12th, 2021: Rodriguez, Shortstops, Olson, Marte, Bullpen, Mailbag

PSA: The Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game will be on MLB Network at 7pm ET tomorrow. Austin Wells and Elijah Dunham will represent the...

The Official 2021-22 RAB Offseason Plan

November 9th, 2021: Latest Roster Moves, Correa, Reds, Qualifying Offers

UPDATE (9:05am ET): Stephen Ridings is not listed on Baseball America's minor league free agent lis...

November 5th, 2021: Gardner, O'Day, Catching Market, World Series, Mailbag

Programming note: I’m planning to skip the regularly scheduled post on Friday, Nov. 26th. That’s three weeks from today and it’s the day after Thanksgiving. If there’s breaking news, I’ll happily cover it, otherwise I’m going to lay lo...

The Yankees and the 2021-22 Offseason Calendar

UPDATE: I screwed up some math on the Gardner and O'Day buyouts in the contract options section. My bad. Doesn't really change anything other than a few numbers, but it's fixed now.

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The Braves are the 2021 World ...

November 2nd, 2021: Center Field, Prospects, DeJong

The World Series returns to Houston tonight and, as a fan, I hope we get Game 7 tomorrow, because Game 7s are awesome. One way or the other, the offseason will officially begin in no more than 48 hours, meaning contract option decisions are due at...

October 29th, 2021: Closer, Suzuki, Mailbag

The other day I said I don’t really care who wins the World Series. I was wrong. As soon as Game 1 got underway, I found myself pulling for the Braves....

October 26th, 2021: World Series, Britton, Rule 5 Draft

The Dodgers were eliminated over the weekend and that means the 1998-2000 Yankees remain baseball’s last repeat champions. Coincidentally, today is the 21st anniversary of Game 5 of the 2000 World Series. The three-peat is legally old enough to ...