NJ.com | Manny Gómez: Yankees fans are a contentious bunch, who love to argue with each other, but if there’s one thing they pretty much all agree on, it’s that they universally dislike Aroldis Chapman, for reasons that are too numerous to discuss here. Well, the feeling is mutual. Speaking on a podcast this week, the former Yankees game-loser-er and current Red Sox closer declared that he will never don the pinstripes again because he was “disrespected” by the front office in 2022… you know, when
he left the team prior to the postseason because he didn’t have a guaranteed spot on the ALDS roster.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: World Series off-days are a perfect time to get a jump on the offseason, and so yesterday, Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch released his primer on the Yankees’ winter plans. At the moment, the team has eight pending free agents (nine if Cody Bellinger opts out, as expected), two relievers with team options for 2026, five relievers that Hoch identifies as non-tender candidates, and three minor leaguers he expects to be added to the 40-man roster to protect them in the Rule 5 Draft.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: (subscription required) Ben Rice’s breakout campaign was one of the best stories of the Yankees’ season, and it comes back to a simple change he made last winter. Recognizing that opposing pitchers were exploiting a hole in his swing, Rice opened up his stance, allowing him to hit pitches on the inside part of the plate hard. The change made all the difference, and now, the former Dartmouth catcher looks to have the inside track to starting at first base for the Yankees on Opening Day next season.
The Athletic | Jim Bowden: (subscription required) As he does every year, former general manager Jim Bowden released his annual breakdown of this season’s top free agents. This year’s list includes a number of current and former Yankees — Cody Bellinger (10), Michael King (13), Gleyber Torres (21), Trent Grisham (24), Devin Williams (35), Luke Weaver (36), Miguel Andújar (47), and Paul Goldschmidt (49).
