New York Post | Greg Joyce: Brian Cashman spoke again at the winter meetings as the Yankees themselves stayed quiet, and he expressed that things were going very slowly. “We’re just staying engaged, trying… to match up with some things. But it’s been tough so far,” the GM said. “Don’t like the asks coming our way, and I guess the opposing teams don’t like what I’m trying to pull from them on the trade stuff.” He reiterated that he feels the Yankees are operating from a position of strength, with a strong
roster. It appears the Yankees want to improve but are also OK with how their roster sits at the moment, so that they won’t force anything if Cashman and Co. don’t find prices to their liking.
SNY | Alex Smith: Jon Heyman reported yesterday that the “Mets, Yankees and most all big-market teams” are in on Kyle Tucker. Tucker’s market never came to a boil at the winter meetings, with all the big suitors seemingly just keeping an eye on him. The Dodgers loom, but LA reportedly is only interested in Tucker on a short-term deal. That could open the door for a team like the Yankees or Mets to swoop in, but it remains to be seen if either team has the stomach for another mega deal.
CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: One last big contract came out of the winter meetings, the Orioles dropping a bombshell and inking Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155-million deal. There’s still a whole lot of offseason to go, but the AL East has already beefed up, the Orioles now having added Alonso, Ryan Helsley and Taylor Ward. Elsewhere, the Blue Jays have added Dylan Cease, the Red Sox have traded for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, and the Yankees have retained Trent Grisham, Ryan Yarbrough, and Tim Hill. The division is once again shaping up to be a beast.
Baseball America: MLB held the Rule 5 Draft yesterday, and the Yankees went unscathed in the major league portion. They also made a rare selection, taking pitcher Cade Winquest from the Cardinals, their first Rule 5 pick since 2011. A 6-foot-2 right-hander, the Cardinals took Winquest in the eighth round of the 2022 draft, and he’s pitched to a 4.19 ERA in their minor league system. The Yankees must keep them on their active roster or he’ll be offered back to the Cardinals.
MLB.com: Joe Buck was announced as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award, the Hall of Fame’s award for broadcasting excellence. Former Yankees announcer John Sterling had been up for the award, but fell short for a second consecutive year. Buck will be honored as part of Hall of Fame weekend next July.
