NJ.com | Randy Miller and Bob Klapisch: With no baseball on Friday night, Randy Miller and Bob Klapisch of NJ.com sat down to discuss what Yankees fans throughout the world are probably talking about: general manager Brian Cashman. Discussing a whole host of trades, free agent signings, and other roster moves — and in particular, arguing over which ones had good logic but which didn’t work out for unforeseeable reasons (Giancarlo Stanton becoming injury-prone, Joey Gallo forgetting how to hit) and which ones were
just bad overall (Ryan McMahon). I don’t totally agree with them on everything — the idea that the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, a move for a player that helped them make the 2024 World Series and was a major contributor in 2025, was a mistake is absolutely laughable to me — but it is an interesting read nonetheless.
MLB Trade Rumors | AJ Eustace: The playoffs may still be ongoing, but that doesn’t mean the hot stove hasn’t started to simmer. Jon Heyman this week highlighted that the Yankees have previously shown interest in Nationals center fielder Jacob Young. Arbitration-eligible for the first time, the 27-year-old is not known for his bat (his 95 wRC+ in 2026 was a career-high), but he provides great defense in center field. Young’s +49 Outs Above Average is second only to defensive wiz Pete Crowe-Armstrong.
Although it’s unclear whether the Nationals are looking to move him at this time, they have explored the possibility in the past, and given the recent history between the Yankees and Nationals front offices (they have struck deals at the past two trade deadlines), it’s not out of the question — especially with New York likely in need of a center fielder.
The Athletic | Keith Law: While most of the baseball world has their eyes on the ALCS and the upcoming World Series, the Arizona Fall League quietly began this week. A developmental league where young players go to learn new positions, get in some reps after injury-filled seasons, and just generally work on their play (check out my colleague Michael for some Yankees-specific coverage), the AFL has occasionally been used to test out potential rule changes. This year, the league is experimenting with restrictions on outfield alignment, using Statcast to force the corner outfielders closer to the lines and the center fielder more shallow than they typically play — an attempt to help more balls in play find the outfield grass. A week into the AFL season, Law calls this attempt a “misfire,” as not only has this actually resulted in balls down the lines turning into outs at a weirdly high rate, the test is itself inherently flawed because many of these players are learning the position for the first time.
The Athletic | Jason Lloyd: (subscription required) Friday night’s Game 4 matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays was postponed because of rain, pushing back Games 4 and 5 and eliminating the offday. This was no surprise to literally everybody who could watch The Weather Channel or has a weather app installed on their phones — in fact, Major League Baseball had even altered the schedule slightly already, playing Thursday night’s game during the day in order to get ahead of the storm. Even so, the league went through the charade of inviting everybody into the ballpark so that fans could pay “$70 to park, $30 on beer and nachos,” all without the slightest intention of playing the game. (Yankees/Orioles Game 162, anyone?)
No, this article might not directly matter to us — after all, the Yankees are unfortunately not playing — but with the CBA negotiations coming up and the inevitable lockout looming, it’s important to remember who Major League Baseball is, and what they care about.
CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: As happens every time a quasi-dynastic team falls in the postseason (I refuse to say to call the Dodgers a dynasty yet), sportswriters have begun to ask which team will emerge as the next “superteam” and challenge for the right to be called a dynasty. In what may be a surprise to, well, everybody who is tuned into Yankees fan culture, which is arguably the most pessimistic place on the internet, the Yankees are considered one of the three powerhouses most likely to go on a dynastic run, alongside the Brewers and Dodgers.
