NY spring training 2024

axx

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At this point, I would be shocked if it's anything other than Tommy John.
 

jon abbey

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“Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will be out at least one-to-two months and will head to Los Angeles for an appointment with noted sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, The Post has learned.

Several Yankees doctors and ElAttrache have viewed Cole’s preliminary film, and while none has detected a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, there’s enough concern about the ligament that ElAttrache has suggested an in-person visit.

Word is that the defending AL Cy Young Award winner will be out for an “extended period,” although for now, the hope and belief is that Cole has a chance to return sometime in May or early June.”

https://nypost.com/2024/03/13/sports/gerrit-cole-out-at-least-1-to-2-months-yankees-ace-visits-noted-surgeon/
 

simplicio

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Didn’t Tanaka pitch pretty effectively with a partial tear?
He lost velocity, but he also wasn't a big fastball guy like Cole to begin with (and Cole's is about 5 mph faster). He only threw a 4 seam 40% of the time in 2014 (Cole was at 53% last year), and after the injury his usage of it declined to the point where he was throwing roughly equal numbers of 4 seam, splitters and sliders by 2017.
 

ThePrideofShiner

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Nothing says commitment to winning like running Luke Weaver out there every fifth day when you are trying to convince Soto to make New York his home for life.
 

jon abbey

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Nothing says commitment to winning like running Luke Weaver out there every fifth day when you are trying to convince Soto to make New York his home for life.
Yes, if they really cared, they'd be working on reanimating the corpses of Walter Johnson and Cy Young right now.

Weaver is just one option, Luis Gil looked incredible on Monday.
 

ThePrideofShiner

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Careful, they might start letting you post on the main board with stuff like this :)
Just saying. It's been 15 years since they've been to the World Series. Five years since they've been competitive in an ALCS.

I'm not sure why we need to spin to the hyperbole about digging up a few of the greatest pitchers ever, but the Yankees offered $300 million for Yamamoto, didn't get him and then signed Stroman and that's it.

In theory they have a lot of money they were willing to spend and instead are just going to roll some prospects or Quad-A guys like Weaver out there. I don't know, seems wasteful for the richest franchise in North America.
 

jon abbey

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I like you, Pride, so consider this a response both to you and to all of the posts from other Yankee fans that I don't answer on Twitter.

Just saying. It's been 15 years since they've been to the World Series. Five years since they've been competitive in an ALCS.
Actually 14 and 4 since the 2024 season has yet to be played, but what a funny way to spin things. They made the ALCS in 2022, but had too many injuries to not get swept. But still, the ALCS in 2022, the season before last.

I'm not sure why we need to spin to the hyperbole about digging up a few of the greatest pitchers ever, but the Yankees offered $300 million for Yamamoto, didn't get him and then signed Stroman and that's it.
They have a full rotation, baseball doesn't reset from scratch every season. They spent big for Cole, they spent big for Rodon last winter, they have close to the highest payroll in the sport currently. Also, they like their high level pitchers.

In theory they have a lot of money they were willing to spend and instead are just going to roll some prospects or Quad-A guys like Weaver out there. I don't know, seems wasteful for the richest franchise in North America.
The Yamamoto money is over the long-term, I don't understand the purpose of conflating that with single season payouts. Montgomery supposedly wants no part of a return to NY (and this may be mutual?), Snell wants a longer deal than NY or any other team is willing to give him.

Also, if your focus is solely on 2024, THEY TRADED FOR FREAKING JUAN SOTO.
 

jon abbey

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If the White Sox come down on their Cease asking price, NY could maybe find a match, although it is somewhat robbing Peter to pay Paul. Peraza is hurt but he is their only legit backup infielder, Pereira is more expendable given NY's greater OF depth. If a deal involves one of those two plus one of Hampton or Warren plus a third lesser piece, maybe it makes sense, but there's no guarantee Cease will even be good for the two seasons of control they'd get.

If they really needed to add someone, I might go for Lorenzen as a FA, but I think they'd rather let guys like Gil and Warren get a chance, which I think is smart, short-term and long-term.
 

ThePrideofShiner

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I like you, Pride, so consider this a response both to you and to all of the posts from other Yankee fans that I don't answer on Twitter.


Also, if your focus is solely on 2024, THEY TRADED FOR FREAKING JUAN SOTO.
I'm self aware enough to know that I'm very reactionary to news about my favorite sports teams, so I had a feeling I would come back here to find a response.

I'm all for giving the kids a shot, but it is just jarring that we went from Yama-soto to Stro-soto and that's it.

Now, I think it is clear that Blake Snell doesn't want to sign here or else I think he would have already done some sort of deal otherwise.

As far as Soto, I can't wait to watch him. That was a monster deal and I'm glad they did it. I just don't want to waste his one year (possibly) in New York by having a patchwork rotation when a better one could potentially be grabbed in free agency.
 

jon abbey

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I just don't want to waste his one year (possibly) in New York by having a patchwork rotation when a better one could potentially be grabbed in free agency.
OK, so what would you do? Who are you going after? What are you offering them? I think NY rightfully feels like they already got a Snell-type in Rodon last year, and still they did offer Snell 6/150, which Boras turned down without a counter, so NY moved on and signed Stroman.
 

jon abbey

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Also I don't think the Stroman signing should be minimized, he is a NY guy with AL East experience, a NL All-Star last year who was leading the entire NL in ERA halfway through the season (2.28 ERA in 16 starts through late June). He fractured his rib and tried to pitch through it some, and the rest of his season was bad, but there is a lot of potential ceiling there IMO.
 

jon abbey

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Carlos Rodon

vs. TB (3/6):

4 Seam FB Average: 93.2 MPH
Max: 94.8 MPH

Today:

4 Seam FB Average : 94.6 MPH
Max: 97.3 MPH
 

EvilEmpire

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Honestly, I wish Monty was a possibility, but I think those bridges are burned and location-wise it seems like he'd rather be in the midwest or south.

I know Snell has better stuff overall, but a durable, higher floor guy would really stabilize things.
 

EvilEmpire

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Carlos Rodon

vs. TB (3/6):

4 Seam FB Average: 93.2 MPH
Max: 94.8 MPH

Today:

4 Seam FB Average : 94.6 MPH
Max: 97.3 MPH

You said it last year, and it was correct, but with Cole injured it seems extra true now: the success of this season depends a lot on Rodon.

Kind of a scary proposition, really.
 

jon abbey

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Honestly, I wish Monty was a possibility, but I think those bridges are burned and location-wise it seems like he'd rather be in the midwest or south.
NY never really believed in him, they essentially chose Schmidt (and his extra four years of control, through 2027) and Rodon (who they hadn't signed yet but were clearly targeting).

People are sleeping on Schmidt a bit, he finally got/earned a chance to be in the rotation fulltime last year and he made all 32 starts. It's kind of interesting to compare him and Montgomery, both NY draft picks from the same college, University of South Carolina, three years apart and Montgomery is three years older.

Through their age 27 seasons (2023 for Schmidt):

Montgomery: 230.2 innings pitched, 4.14 ERA, 1.27 WHIP

Schmidt: 229.1 innings pitched, 4.36 ERA, 1.36 WHIP

Maybe Schmidt can blossom like Montgomery has if given the chance? Not saying he can, but the parallels are fascinating IMO.
 

EvilEmpire

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I like Schmidt a lot and the comparison to Montgomery is a good one. It just seems like you can never have enough SP depth and while having six solid-to-great guys can be expensive, and it sure sucks for the development of #6, that depth can be a difference maker for a team wanting to be competitive for a championship run.

Now maybe the Yankees think one of the young guys is a better choice, and that wouldn’t surprise me at all, but it sucks to be in the position of needing #6 to step up and contribute immediately. And of course there are still some concerns with Rodon and Nestor until we see them get out there and produce.

Ah well, it’s not like the Yankees are the only team worried about SP depth.
 

BigSoxFan

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I like Schmidt a lot and the comparison to Montgomery is a good one. It just seems like you can never have enough SP depth and while having six solid-to-great guys can be expensive, and it sure sucks for the development of #6, that depth can be a difference maker for a team wanting to be competitive for a championship run.

Now maybe the Yankees think one of the young guys is a better choice, and that wouldn’t surprise me at all, but it sucks to be in the position of needing #6 to step up and contribute immediately. And of course there are still some concerns with Rodon and Nestor until we see them get out there and produce.

Ah well, it’s not like the Yankees are the only team worried about SP depth.
The path forward for you guys is really to just rely on the offense to carry the day in the first half and then hopefully get Cole back along with Jasson, which would be 2 significant additions. And then reassess at the deadline if Cole’s not progressing the way you hope.

All this injury talk is overshadowing the fact that Rizzo has looked really good this spring, which would be a huge deal. And if Stanton ever gets his swing back, it’s a juggernaut offense.
 

jon abbey

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The path forward for you guys is really to just rely on the offense to carry the day in the first half and then hopefully get Cole back along with Jasson, which would be 2 significant additions. And then reassess at the deadline if Cole’s not progressing the way you hope.

All this injury talk is overshadowing the fact that Rizzo has looked really good this spring, which would be a huge deal. And if Stanton ever gets his swing back, it’s a juggernaut offense.
Yes, agreed with all of this, I mentioned here recently about Rizzo and how crucial he is, especially until Dominguez is back. If whoever is behind Soto/Judge isn't hitting, those two are not going to see much to hit, I think.

Some of the younger pitchers getting a trial by fire could be good also, Brito and Vasquez were the 8th and 9th SPs coming into the spring last year, both could easily have been buried in AAA all season. But NY had so many SP injuries that they were forced to help from day 1 and built up their value a lot before both being moved in the Soto deal.
 

jon abbey

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NY has a lot of options for that spot in the interim, most excited for Gil or Warren, also Beeter if they think he is up to it.
 

jon abbey

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Bryan Hoch guessed Poteet earlier today, and Luke Weaver is supposedly on the team as the 6th SP.
 

jon abbey

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1-2 months yesterday.
10-12 weeks today.
Amputation by July is still on the table.
Actually Bob Nightengale as always is wrong, it's the same 1-2 months as was expected before today, as 'reported' by Boras spokesman Jon Heyman and everyone else living in this time-space continuum.

"The initial recommendation for Cole’s troubled right elbow is rest, rehab and some conservative, non-surgical treatments. The belief is he will miss one to two months or perhaps just a bit more."

https://nypost.com/2024/03/14/sports/gerrit-cole-can-avoid-tommy-john-surgery-in-yankees-sigh-of-relief/
 

Jace II

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Not sure who the "source" is, but MLB.com is also reporting 10-12 weeks.

https://www.mlb.com/news/gerrit-cole-likely-to-avoid-tommy-john-surgery

Is there a surgical option, bracing or otherwise, to address the current problem? It seems like so often players wait a couple of months and then have surgery, thereby delaying their eventual return.
As much as the threat of later surgery always looms over these things, what more can you do than talk to multiple experienced doctors and follow their advice? They don't just cut you open because you're feeling risk averse.
 

Yo La Tengo

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As much as the threat of later surgery always looms over these things, what more can you do than talk to multiple experienced doctors and follow their advice? They don't just cut you open because you're feeling risk averse.
That's why I asked the question- not sure there is anything more to do. Any idea if they did the dye injection? I feel like there was another NYY pitcher who went through this with no diagnosis until the dye revealed a tear.
 

jon abbey

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Some of the timetable difference might be that there are still two weeks before Opening Day, some writers may be factoring that in, others not.
 

jon abbey

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Another really strong outing from Luis Gil today, this time against TOR's starters. He went 3.1 1 0 0 1 4 on 56 pitches, I think if he is not the 5th SP, he should still make the team as a multi-inning reliever.

Rob Friedman made three different posts about Gil's outing today in a span of 20 minutes, you know he's got something special going on.

View: https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1769053446622076988


View: https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1769054664769614192


View: https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1769057856764948494
 

jon abbey

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Volpe 4-4 today, he is evidently changing his swing in two strike counts and just trying to put the ball in play, like Gleyber did very noticeably a few years ago. This is a great approach for him, I hope he sticks with it, as he is a fantastic baserunner if he can just get on base.