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Update: Yankees finalize 2019 Opening Day roster

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German. (Presswire)

Sunday: Tyler Wade was optioned to Triple-A Scranton earlier today, the Yankees announced, clearing the way for new pickup Mike Tauchman to make the roster. Also, Aaron Boone told Coley Harvey that Stephen Tarpley will be in the bullpen, so between that and yesterday’s news, the pitching staff is set. Boone confirmed to Bryan Hoch that the updated roster below will in fact be the Opening Day roster.

Saturday: Although the official announcement will not come until Thursday morning, the Yankees have more or less finalized their 2019 Opening Day roster. Clint Frazier was sent to minor league camp Friday, taking him out of the running for the final bench spot, and George King reports Domingo German will be the 13th pitcher on the Opening Day roster.

Based on that, here is the 25-man Opening Day roster the Yankees will take into the regular season:

CATCHERS (2)
Austin Romine
Gary Sanchez

INFIELDERS (6)
3B Miguel Andujar
1B Greg Bird
IF DJ LeMahieu
2B/SS Gleyber Torres
SS Troy Tulowitzki
1B Luke Voit

OUTFIELDERS (4)
CF Brett Gardner
RF Aaron Judge
LF Giancarlo Stanton
UTIL Tyler Wade OF Mike Tauchman

STARTERS (5)
RHP Luis Cessa RHP Domingo German
LHP J.A. Happ
LHP James Paxton
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
LHP CC Sabathia (five-game suspension)

RELIEVERS (8)
LHP Zack Britton
LHP Aroldis Chapman
RHP Domingo German RHP Luis Cessa
RHP Chad Green
RHP Jonathan Holder
RHP Tommy Kahnle
RHP Adam Ottavino
LHP Stephen Tarpley

The Yankees will also have seven — seven! — players open the 2019 regular season on the injured list. The seven: Dellin Betances (shoulder), Jacoby Ellsbury (hip), Didi Gregorius (Tommy John surgery), Ben Heller (Tommy John surgery), Aaron Hicks (back), Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery), and Luis Severino (shoulder). Sabathia (knee) will become the eighth once his suspension ends.

At this point, the only spots still maybe up for grabs are Bird’s and Tarpley’s. Bird is supposedly fine but he has not played since taking a pitch to the elbow Wednesday. Given his history, I worry this will be something that lingers and forces him to be replaced on the Opening Day roster. Tarpley could be swapped out for someone like Gio Gonzalez or Jonathan Loaisiga, but nah, he’s pretty much a lock.

The Yankees have eight more big league Spring Training roster cuts to make: Nestor Cortes, Francisco Diaz, Raynel Espinal, Estevan Florial, Gio Gonzalez, David Hale, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Jorge Saez. Florial will miss the next few weeks as he recovers from his broken wrist. Those cuts will happen soon (duh).

Saturday Links: Sabathia, YES Network, Rule Changes

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(Presswire)

The Yankees will continue their Grapefruit League season on the road against the Orioles tonight. That is a 6pm ET start and the game will be televised. Luis Cessa will start and make his case for an Opening Day rotation spot. Until then, here’s some news to check out.

Sabathia joins ESPN

CC Sabathia’s post-playing career is starting now. Earlier this week ESPN announced Sabathia is joining the network in a variety of roles. Sabathia told Bryan Hoch he’ll make 15 in-studio appearances on various shows (SportsCenter, First Take, etc.) this year — only on days he’s not pitching, of course — as well as several call-in appearances. Most appearances will cover non-baseball sports.

“As I begin to look toward the future, I’m excited to have this opportunity with ESPN. With that said, my singular focus is on winning another World Series Championship for Yankees fans and the city of New York,” Sabathia said in a statement. Based on his podcast, Sabathia seems very well suited for a media gig like this. He knows his sports and I couldn’t imagine him sitting in a broadcast booth calling or analyzing a game. This seems like a better fit.

Yankees reach deal to buy back YES Network

After weeks of rumors, the Yankees have reached a deal to purchase the 80% of the YES Network they do not own from 21st Century Fox, report Josh Kosman and Richard Morgan. It’ll cost them $3.47 billion and the deal has 120 days to close. Amazon and the Sinclair Broadcast Group are among the investors. With the deal, Amazon will be in position to control streaming rights for Yankees (and Nets) games.

The YES Network was valued at $3.9 billion when the Yankees sold an 80% stake to 21st Century Fox in 2012. Disney has a deal in place to buy 21st Century Fox and must sell off various regional sports networks to get approval. I’m not sure what this means for streaming Yankees games in the short-term. Kevin Draper and Edmund Lee indicate Yankees games could be included in Amazon Prime memberships. The sale isn’t final yet, and as more information comes in, I’ll be sure to pass it along.

MLB, MLBPA nearing rule change agreement

According to Ron Blum and Jeff Passan, MLB and the MLBPA are expected to ratify a series of rule changes at some point before Opening Day. Among them is a change to All-Star Game voting. The new system will be a two-step process. The first vote will pick three finalists at each position. The second will be a one-day race to pick a starter from the three finalists. Sounds fun. Here are details on the other forthcoming rule changes:

  • 26-man rosters with a 13-pitcher maximum (begins in 2020).
  • 28-man rosters with a 14-pitcher maximum in September (begins in 2020).
  • Injured list and optional assignment minimum increase to 15 days (begins in 2020).
  • Extra innings in the All-Star Game begin with a runner on second base (begins in 2019).
  • No pitch clock until at least 2022.

I am totally cool with expanding rosters to 26 players. I don’t like limiting the number of roster spots that can be used for pitchers and I am strongly against limiting September call-ups. Many players are going to miss out on a big league opportunity (and a month’s worth of big league salary) because of that. What would Stephen Tarpley’s outlook be right now had he not gotten an opportunity to come up last September? Making it more difficult to reward minor leaguers for a good season, audition young players for next season, and rest fatigued regulars seems like a bad idea.

MLB announces Atlantic League experiments

Last week MLB and the independent Atlantic League announced a partnership in which MLB will use the Atlantic League to test various rule and equipment changes. In exchange, MLB will install Trackman (i.e. Statcast) at all eight Atlantic League parks and take over as official statistician, and increase their scouting coverage of the league. Yesterday MLB announced the changes they’ll test this year. The list:

  • Trackman will assist umpires with calling balls and strikes.
  • No mound visits except for pitching changes or injury situations.
  • Three-batter minimum for pitchers unless they complete an inning (or get injured).
  • Increase size of first, second, and third bases from 15 inches square to 18 inches square.
  • Require two infielders on each side of second base when a pitch is released.
  • Reduce time between innings from two minutes, five seconds to one minute, 45 seconds.
  • Move the pitching mound back two feet to 62 feet, 6 inches from home plate.

“Players sign in the Atlantic League for the Major League Baseball showcase opportunity it offers. We are excited to see that showcase grow exponentially, while working with MLB on initiatives critical to the future of the game,” said Atlantic League president Rich White in a statement. Making the bases larger will help avoid collisions and hands and ankles getting stepped on, so that’s a plus. I don’t like the three-batter minimum for pitchers or eliminating shifts, but whatever. I’m fighting a losing battle.

Moving the mound back is a seismic change and, weirdly, it will only happen during the second half of the Atlantic League season. They’re going to move the mound back midseason! I assume MLB is looking for ways to increase balls in play and reduce strikeouts. Is this the best way to do it? I have no idea. That’s why they’re giving it a test run. The big concern here is health. The extra two feet and theoretical increase in contact isn’t worth it if pitchers are getting hurt.

Saturday Links: Opener, Farm System Rankings, Rule Changes

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If Drew Hutchison starts a game this year, the Yankees better use an opener. (Presswire)

The Yankees will continue their Grapefruit League season with a road game against the Pirates this afternoon. Alas, it will not be televised. We haven’t seen the Yankees play since Monday. Fortunately, every game from tomorrow through next Saturday will be televised live. Hooray for that. Here are some notes to check out.

Boone doesn’t rule out using an opener

According to George King, Aaron Boone is willing to use an opener this year, though it doesn’t sound like he’s in a rush to do it. “I can see a scenario. Look, if we are healthy and have perfect health, you don’t envision that. I could see a handful of times where it could potentially be in play for us,” he said. Jonathan Holder started a game against the Rays last September 24th, though that was more of a traditional bullpen game than an opener situation.

The opener is a smart baseball strategy but also hideous to watch given all the pitching changes. For the Yankees, CC Sabathia is their best opener candidate, though he has a long warm-up routine related to his knee and that might not translate well to the bullpen. There’s no reason to use an opener for Luis Severino or James Paxton, which leaves Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ. I think the Yankees should leave the five starters alone and only use an opener for sixth starter types like Luis Cessa, Domingo German, and Jonathan Loaisiga. That’s the way to go.

Yankees rank 12th in BP’s farm system rankings

Baseball Prospectus (subs. req’d) posted their annual farm system rankings last week and, like Baseball America and Keith Law, they ranked the Padres and Rays as the top two systems in the game, in that order. They have the Yankees 12th, higher than Law (19th) and Baseball America (20th), probably because BP’s lists always skew toward upside. Here is the Baseball Prospectus blurb:

The Yankees are in transition. They have their usual supply of diamond-in-the-rough pitching finds and toolsy IFAs, but haven’t turned this batch into their next generation of top prospects yet. And they traded two of their last generation for James Paxton. I’d expect them to be back among the top systems by next year’s org rankings.

This is not the first time we’ve heard the “I’d expect them to be back among the top systems by next year’s org rankings” thing this year. Six of the Yankees’ ten best prospects are highly talented teenagers (Anthony Seigler, Everson Pereira, Antonio Cabello, Deivi Garcia, Roansy Contreras, Luis Medina) and top prospect Estevan Florial turned only 21 a few weeks ago. Not everyone will work out, of course, but the sheer volume of very young high-upside prospects bodes well for the future of the farm system.

MLB, MLBPA still discussing rule changes

The MLB and MLBPA again traded rule change proposals this past week, report Jeff Passan and Ron Blum. For this season, the two sides are discussing a single July 31st trade deadline (so no August trade waivers) and reducing available mound visits from six to five. MLB is willing to discuss economic issues earlier than usual leading up to the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, as well as push the following rule changes back to 2020:

  • Pitch clock (MLB is willing to push this back to 2022, apparently).
  • Three-batter minimum for pitchers.
  • Adding a 26th roster spot with a 13-pitcher maximum.
  • 28-player limit in September with a 14-pitcher maximum.
  • Increasing injured list and optional assignment minimum from ten days to 15 days.
  • Restrictions on when position players can pitch.

Dellin Betances told Brendan Kuty he doesn’t like the three-batter minimum because it potentially puts guys at increased injury risk if they’re pitching back-to-back or back-to-back-to-back days, which is a perfectly valid concern. I am pro-pitch clock and all for adding a 26th roster spot. I don’t like anything that dictates how teams build (limit on pitcher spots) or use (three-batter minimum, eliminate shifts, etc.) use their roster. Anyway, commissioner Rob Manfred can unilaterally implement a pitch clock and reduce available mound visits to five this year, but he says he prefers to work out an agreement with the MLBPA. We’ll see.

Atlantic League agrees to be MLB’s testing ground

Earlier this week MLB and the independent Atlantic League announced a three-year partnership in which MLB will be allowed to test experimental rule and equipment changes in the Atlantic League. J.J. Cooper hears MLB will experiment with moving the mound back and using an automated strike zone, among other things. Those are seismic alterations to the game and MLB understandably wants plenty of in-game testing before subjecting their players and prospects to the rule changes.

As part of the agreement, MLB will install Trackman (i.e. Statcast) at all eight Atlantic League ballparks and take over as the league’s official stat services provider. Also, MLB will increase their scouting coverage of the league, which employs several former big leaguers each season. Independent leagues have long been viewed as rogue leagues and competition for affiliated baseball, so entering into a partnership with MLB and getting them to make the league state-of-the-art analytically is a historic achievement for the Atlantic League and independent baseball in general. Barriers have been broken.

CC Sabathia announces retirement following 2019

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(Presswire)

At a press conference in Tampa earlier today, CC Sabathia announced he will retire following the upcoming season, as expected. He’s been saying 2019 will be his final season on his R2C2 podcast since last summer and now it’s official. The big man is hanging up his spikes after the season.

“CC has been a great ambassador for our game, and we are proud that he has represented our organization for the past decade.” said Hal Steinbrenner in a statement. “His competitive spirit is matched only by his devotion to family and his relentless philanthropic pursuits. CC has always been a pillar in our clubhouse, and we look forward to him further cementing his impressive legacy this season and contributing to our championship goals.”

Everyone from Derek Jeter to Andy Pettitte to Jorge Posada to Joe Girardi to A.J. Burnett to LeBron James to Fat Joe issued statements congratulating Sabathia. Here’s the release with their statements. Sabathia said his offseason heart scare had nothing to do with his decision to retire. He’d made up his mind before that and he’s ready to spend more time with his family. Sabathia also said he doesn’t want to coach after his playing days are over. He’s ready to relax.

“I had the pleasure of competing against CC and also with him, and have always considered him one of my favorite teammates,” Jeter said. “He rose to and exceeded the expectations and pressure, especially during his time with the Yankees, and was a key piece to the 2009 championship team. CC embodies what it means to be a professional athlete and has been an incredible ambassador for Baseball. He has an unwavering commitment to success on the field and an even greater desire to give back through his foundation work off the field.”

When asked about his legacy, Sabathia said he wanted to be remembered as a good teammate more than anything, and I don’t think he has to worry about that. Just about the entire team attended the press conference, even the position players who haven’t reported to Spring Training yet, as did members of coaching staff, front office, and ownership group. Sabathia’s wife and three of their four kids were there as well.

As part of his farewell season Sabathia announced he will honor members of the Boys & Girls Club in each road city the Yankees play throughout the year. He said he wouldn’t be where he is without the Boys & Girls Club and he wants to give back. I’m sure CC will receive some gifts like we’ve seen with other respected veterans in their farewell seasons. He’s making sure he does some giving of his own in his final season as well. That’s just who he is.

Sabathia turns 39 in July and is entering his 19th big league season overall and his 11th with the Yankees. He signed with the team as a free agent in December 2008 and, at the time, his seven-year, $161M contract was the richest pitching contract in baseball history. Sabathia rewarded the Yankees with a World Series championship in the first season of that contract. It was money very well spent.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, of course. Sabathia struggled with velocity loss from 2013-15 before reinventing himself as a cutter pitcher late in his career. He’s pitched with right knee problems for years and he also left the Yankees to receive treatment for alcohol addiction right before the 2015 postseason. Sabathia has had to overcome a lot, especially late in his career. He’s always been a ferocious competitor who left everything he had on the field.

At the moment Sabathia is four wins away from 250 and 14 strikeouts away from 3,000. He’ll join Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton as the only lefties in the 3,000-strikeout club — Sabathia is already the all-time American League leader in strikeouts by a lefty — and, when the time comes, he’ll have a great case for the Hall of Fame. Sabathia said he hasn’t thought much about that yet though.

Sabathia is currently fourth on the franchise strikeout list (1,593), 11th in wins (129), 12th in starts (284), and 12th in pitching WAR (+29.7). Two more wins moves him into the franchise’s top ten. Also, he has a career 3.45 ERA in 19 postseason games (18 starts) in pinstripes. Sabathia is one of the best pitchers in Yankees history and he should have a place in Monument Park when it’s all said and done. Send him out with another ring, Yankees.

Wednesday Notes: Andujar, Sanchez, 60-day IL, Britton

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Gary & Miggy. (Jim McIsaac/Getty)

Baseball is in the air. Pitchers and catchers reported to Tampa today and Spring Training has begun. Position players are due in camp Monday and the Yankees will play their Grapefruit League opener one week from Saturday. Hooray for that. Anyway, make sure you check out Matt Foley’s piece on Adam Ottavino’s makeshift training facility in Harlem. Here are some other notes to check out.

Marlins wanted Sanchez and Andujar for Realmuto

According to Ken Rosenthal (subs. req’d), the Marlins wanted Gary Sanchez and Miguel Andujar during J.T. Realmuto trade talks earlier this winter. The deal might’ve been expanded to include utility man Miguel Rojas and possibly another Marlins piece as well. Rosenthal says the Yankees wouldn’t trade Sanchez for Realmuto straight up because he’s younger and under control twice as long. Sanchez and Andujar? Nah.

The Marlins traded Realmuto to the Phillies last week for a three-player package that included top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez and big league catcher Jorge Alfaro, which is decidedly less than Sanchez and Andujar. Rosenthal indicates the Yankees wanted to acquire Realmuto and flip him to the Mets for Noah Syndergaard, which is something we heard back during the Winter Meetings. Talks never gained traction though. Sounds like the Yankees wanted to do all that while subtracting as little from their MLB roster as possible.

Disabled list is now the injured list

The disabled list has a new name. It will now be known as the “injured list” at the suggestion of advocacy groups for the disabled. MLB never did formally announce the change, but teams are using “injured list” in press releases, and it doesn’t get more official than that. There have been no other changes to the DL IL as of now. The MLBPA is pushing to go back to a 15-day IL to help curb roster manipulation. That could happen soon.

“The principal concern is that using the term ‘disabled’ for players who are injured supports the misconception that people with disabilities are injured and therefore are not able to participate or compete in sports. As a result, Major League Baseball has agreed to change the name ‘Disabled List’ to be the ‘Injured List’ at both the major and minor league levels,” said MLB’s senior director of league economics and operations Jeff Pfeifer to the Associated Press. An overdue change, this is.

60-day IL is now open

Quick procedural note: Teams can now place players on the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot. I know this because earlier today the Diamondbacks put Taijuan Walker (Tommy John surgery) on the 60-day IL to make room for free agent signing Caleb Joseph, and the Athletics put Sean Manaea (shoulder surgery) on the 60-day IL to make room for free agent signing Brett Anderson.

The Yankees have two 60-day IL candidates in Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery) and Didi Gregorius (Tommy John surgery), and potentially two more in Jacoby Ellsbury (hip surgery) and Ben Heller (Tommy John surgery). Next time they need a 40-man spot, I imagine Montgomery will be first to go on the 60-day IL. I should note that, if you put a player on the 60-day IL in Spring Training, the clock on the 60 days does not start until Opening Day. You can’t put a guy on the 60-day IL now and get credit for 40-something days during Spring Training.

Zach Britton is now Zack Britton

Here’s another name change: Zack Britton is now going by Zack with a K instead of Zach with an H. The Yankees announced it last week. “I was born Zack, with a ‘ck,’ but I didn’t know until I went to get a passport it was really with a ‘ck.’ My parents had told me it was with a ‘ch.’ I am blaming my parents,” Britton joked to Kristie Ackert. “The Orioles always just put the ‘ck’ on any legal documents and I went by ‘ch,’ with everything else.”

Ackert says the Yankees and Britton had to rewrite their contract this offseason to change Zach to Zack. Sounds like all his paperwork with the Orioles over the years was correct, but everyone around the league thought it was Zach, and it wasn’t until he signed with a new team that it came to light. Anyway, Britton says going by Zach never bothered him. So far DL/IL has tripped me up more than Zach/Zack, but dude, if you’re going to change your name, don’t change one letter. Go full Giancarlo.

Teams will wear MLB 150 jersey patches this year

Earlier this week MLB announced all 30 teams will wear an “MLB 150” patch on their sleeve this season to celebrate the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first ever professional baseball team. They were the first team with an entire roster of salaried players. Teams will also wear the patch on the side of their caps on Opening Day. The patches are pretty snazzy. Here’s a look:

(@MLB)

“We’re excited to recognize the 150th anniversary of professional baseball by honoring our history while celebrating the game and the great players of today. The MLB 150 patch will be a continuous reminder on the field of the link everyone involved in the game today has with the storied history of professional baseball and MLB,” said commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. Celebrating the first salaried team while clubs simultaneously work to suppress player salaries is something else.

Wednesday Notes: Top 110 Prospects, Cessa, German, Loaisiga

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Florial. (Presswire)

In two weeks pitchers and catchers will report to Tampa and Spring Training will begin. Will Manny Machado or Bryce Harper sign before then? I’m starting to think no. Would be pretty embarrassing for baseball if two 26-year-old superstars are unemployed when Spring Training opens, I think. Anyway, here are some notes and links to check out.

Three Yankees among Law’s top 110 prospects

Over the last few days Keith Law released his top 110 prospects list for the 2019 season: Nos. 1-50, Nos. 51-100, and Nos. 101-110. Everything is behind the paywall, though I will tell you Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. ranks as Law’s top prospect, not Blue Jays 3B Vlad Guerrero Jr. (Vlad Jr. is second.) Three Yankees make the top 110:

61. RHP Deivi Garcia
101. OF Everson Pereira
106. OF Estevan Florial

Law says Garcia “at least looks like he is built from the same mold as guys such as (Marcus) Stroman and Roy Oswalt,” meaning a short righty who can stick as a starter. He adds Pereira might’ve made the top 100 had he not missed time with injury last year. “(The) raw tools and the fact that he still hit .263/.322/.389 despite his youth mark him as a potential top-50 guy for next year,” says the write-up.

Like Baseball America, Law kept Florial out of his top 100 for pitch recognition issues. (Florial wasn’t in Law’s top 100 last year either.) And, given his injury history, I’m not surprised RHP Jonathan Loaisiga didn’t make the top 110 or even the honorable mentions. Loaisiga has top 100 stuff and control, but not top 100 health. The only former Yankees prospect to crack Law’s top 110 list is Mariners LHP Justus Sheffield, who ranked 34th. He went to Seattle in the James Paxton trade.

Yankees received calls on Cessa, German, Loaisiga

According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees have received trade calls this offseason on depth starters Luis Cessa, Domingo German, and Jonathan Loaisiga. Obviously the Yankees haven’t received an offer to their liking given the fact all three righties remain in the organization. Loaisiga’s trade value may never be higher than it is right now. Given his injury history, I wouldn’t be against cashing him as a trade chip.

The Yankees (finally) traded Sonny Gray two weeks ago and they’ve yet to sign a swingman type to replace him, not unless you count Drew Hutchison or David Hale. Cessa, German, Loaisiga, and Chance Adams are the Nos. 6-9 starters in whatever order. Cessa is out of options, so trading him would be preferable to potentially losing him on waivers for nothing, but I’m not sure the Yankees would get much in return. Cessa is probably more valuable to the Yankees as a depth piece than anything he could fetch in a trade. Same with German.

Nike, not Under Armour, will be MLB’s next uniform supplier

Earlier this month MLB announced a new ten-year agreement that makes Nike the league’s new uniform supplier beginning in 2020. Nike will replace Majestic. A few years ago Under Armour was in talks to take over as the league’s uniform supplier, but that deal fell apart, and Nike swooped in. The Under Armour logo would’ve appeared on the jersey chest, like so:

The Associated Press reports the Nike swoosh logo “likely will move to a more prominent position on jersey fronts,” though no details were announced. Currently the Majestic logo appears only on uniform sleeves, and the Yankees have an exemption. There’s no Majestic logo on their jerseys. I would be surprised if they get a similar exemption in the Nike deal. Much like the New Era logo on the side of caps, it probably won’t be long before you stop noticing the Nike logo on jersey fronts.

Yankees hire first ever Environment Science Advisor

The Yankees have hired Dr. Allen Hershkowitz as their new Environmental Science Advisor, the team announced. It’s the first position of its kind in pro sports. “The Yankees have always been devoted to supporting the best interests of our community, our fans and our players, and we believe effective eco-friendly initiatives are a key element of our interactions,” said Hal Steinbrenner in a statement.

Teams around the league have taken up green initiatives but never before has a sports club hired someone for the express purpose of helping them become more environmentally friendly. The Yankees say Hershkowitz will have a “primary focus on the areas of energy use, waste management, water conservation, and food services.” I imagine it’s only a matter of time until this catches on around the league and other teams invest in environmental advisors.

Friday Links: Gregorius, Rivera, Potential Rule Changes, Leiter

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Didi. (Elsa/Getty)

Pitchers and catchers report in less than three weeks and the first Grapefruit League game is four weeks from tomorrow. One month until glorious, glorious baseball. Here are some miscellaneous links and notes to check out in the meantime.

Gregorius begins baseball activities

Didi Gregorius has started limited baseball activities as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery. He is taking one-handed swings and fielding grounders without throwing. It’s not much, I know, but he has to start somewhere. Gregorius is progressing well enough that he’s getting his swing in order and having batted balls hit at him. That’s not nothing. Soon he’ll get his rebuilt elbow involved.

Sir Didi had his Tommy John surgery on October 17th. Position players typically have a shorter recovery time than pitchers and everyone involved says Gregorius will play this season. We just don’t know when, exactly. Brian Cashman has indicated the Yankees will let Gregorius complete his rehab before bringing him back. They’re not going to cut corners and let him DH a la Shohei Ohtani. Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu give the Yankees some insurance here, but the sooner Didi returns, the better.

Rivera to take on expanded role with Yankees?

During a recent radio interview, new Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera revealed he will be “teaching pitching” with the Yankees in some capacity. “I’m going to start working with the New York Yankees and teaching pitching. So many guys throw hard but don’t have command. We need to teach these boys to pitch. Pitchers are getting away from pitching and are focused on throwing hard,” Rivera said.

For what it’s worth, the Yankees have not formally announced a role for Rivera, and Andy Martino says the two sides have not yet discussed an expanded role in the organization. Mariano serves as a guest instructor in Spring Training each year and that’s pretty much it, as far as we know. I’m certain the Yankees will happily bring Rivera aboard in an expanded role, and it sounds like Rivera is ready to do it. Right now, there is no formal arrangement in place. I’m guessing there will be one soon.

MLB looking to change disabled list, option time

According to Ron Blum, MLB has proposed changes to the disabled list and optional assignments that would make it more difficult for teams to manipulate their roster. Specifically, the league wants to go back to a 15-day DL, and they want players to spend at least 15 days in the minors before they are eligible to be recalled. Right now they have to wait ten days (unless there’s an injury). The MLBPA has not yet agreed to the proposal and it’s unclear if they will.

Disabled list trips have increased more than 30% since the league switched from a 15-day DL to a 10-day DL. Some of that is due to legitimate injuries and some of it is due to teams manipulating their roster. Specifically, clubs will put a starter on the 10-day DL to essentially skip a start for extra rest without playing shorthanded. Also, having to wait 15 days to recall a player rather than ten will throw a wrench into bullpen shuttles and the opener strategy to some degree, since many multi-inning relievers are send down immediately after being used. Adding the extra five days to the disabled list and optional assignments could have a big impact.

Leiter leaving YES Network

Al Leiter will not return to the YES Network broadcast booth this season, reports Andrew Marchand. He’s leaving to spend more time with his family. “I’m grateful for my 12 years. It was a family. I know it sounds like BS, but it is true. It is hard to leave. It is more about being able to see (my son and three daughters) doing their things,” Leiter said. Marchand says YES will not hire a new analyst to replace Leiter. They’ll give his games to others already on staff.

Leiter’s son Jack is a high school senior and a top 2019 draft prospect. MLB.com currently ranks him as the 20th best prospect in the draft class and says he has a “solid four-pitch mix and knows what to do with all of his offerings.” I imagine Al wants to be around for what will be a very important year for Jack. Marchand says the decision was a surprise — Leiter was scheduled to increase his YES workload this year — but it’s understandable. I enjoy Leiter in the booth. I’ll miss him.