Daily Report – 2/11/25

Greetings,

Here is today’s report:

Yankees

Welcome back, baseball! We’re so glad to see you again!

All Yankees pitchers and catchers reported to Tampa this morning as scheduled, and Aaron Boone met with the media.

This season, the expectation for the Yankees, more than usual, is to win the World Series. Of course, they must play a full season first, and championships aren’t won in February. However, establishing a championship-caliber clubhouse begins immediately, starting with the pitchers and catchers.

Let me recap what Boone said this afternoon. First, he hopes Jasson Domínguez will start in left field, but Domínguez must earn that spot with a strong and healthy performance this spring. Boone also expressed uncertainty about who will be the club’s leadoff hitter. Domínguez is currently one of the top candidates, but he needs to overcome his defensive struggles before over-focusing on hitting.

Next, Boone mentioned that Marcus Stroman is in a “good mental place” after arriving in Tampa. The situation with Stroman is concerning. After a decent first half of last season, he struggled through the second half, and he never appeared in a postseason game. Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman believe that if the defense around Stroman – particularly at second base – had been stronger last season, the ground ball pitcher would have performed better. While that claim may hold some truth, here’s what I think is the reality:

First, Stroman has deleted all Yankees-related content from his Instagram profile, suggesting he has reservations about his future with the team. Second, the Yankees have recently reengaged in trade talks with St. Louis for Nolan Arenado. If St. Louis becomes desperate enough, they might take on all (or at least some of) the $18 million the Yankees owe Stroman this season. Third, Stroman would serve as the sixth starter in a rotation that is at least seven pitchers deep, and the Yankees have a complete bullpen, so there is no space there for him. Finally, Boone noted that “these things tend to work themselves out” regarding Stroman’s situation, and while it might be “awkward” for him, the “bottom line [is] we’re getting him ready to pitch.” Therefore, I believe the Yankees are actively marketing Stroman, and I have no doubt they are trying to trade him.

Boone also added that DJ LeMahieu will compete with Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas for the starting third base spot, which could potentially become a rotating position between  two of them. Boone is not “going to put anything past a healthy DJ LeMahieu,” using words like “greatness” to describe the skills LeMahieu lost to injuries. Could the Yankees be shopping LeMahieu too? Perhaps, but they owe him $30 million over the next two seasons. Could they be trying to include Vivas in a trade? Is that why Boone mentioned his name? Believe me, no one was thinking about him before today.

We can speculate all we want, but the reality is that the Yankees have an incomplete roster filled with questions. Their ability to reach the World Series depends on many unpredictable factors, such as whether the American League will be as weak as it was last season or whether Paul Goldschmidt will perform like an MVP instead of a former MVP. Those types of questions.

At this point last season, Aaron Boone told the media that the Yankees were “hellbent on winning a championship.” He didn’t say anything as dramatic today, but he did acknowledge the pressure the team is under this season. Nonetheless, it’s the Yankees, so they’re used to it.

I don’t want to be negative heading into a new season, but the reality is that, while the overall roster is stronger than it was last season, this team is not as strong offensively as they were last year. A return to the World Series is not guaranteed, and these Yankees will have to grind their way through 162 games. There are also lingering questions, such as why Juan Soto left, why Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball in the World Series, why the Yankees gave up five unearned runs in Game 5, and how it felt for players to watch the Dodgers take over their stadium, troll them online, and build baseball’s most dominant roster.

As much as I hate to admit it, accountability was a massive issue for the Yankees last season, especially when it came to the team’s defensive performance. Will they be better defensively this season? Recall that last year’s team was the second worst in baseball for over a month. The goal this year is to win at least 90 games, stay healthy throughout the season, and win a championship. They need to channel the pain of losing a World Series and counter it with vengeance.

In injury news, Jake Cousins is recovering from a left forearm strain that could sideline him for Opening Day, although he is expected to resume throwing next week. Meanwhile, Clayton Beeter is dealing with a right shoulder issue that has nearly fully resolved but has set him back.

Knicks

Tonight at 7:30 PM (6:30 PM CST), the Knicks will kick off a back-to-back set of games with a visit to Indianapolis (MSG, TNT, TruTV, MAX). Tomorrow night, the Knicks will host Atlanta in their final game before the All-Star Break.

The Knicks look to win the season series over Indianapolis tonight, which is currently tied at 1-1. In their last matchup against the Pacers, the Knicks lost 132-121 despite 33 points from Jalen Brunson and 30 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks couldn’t contain Ben Mathurin (38 points) or Tyrese Haliburton (35 points).

Indianapolis’ basketball operations consultant Donnie Walsh was the Knicks president of basketball operations between 2008 and 2011. Also, Indianapolis’ Obi Toppin was drafted 8th overall by the Knicks in 2020, and he played there between 2020 and 2023. His brother is current Knick Jacob Toppin.

Catch tonight’s game on MSG, nationally on TNT and TruTV, and via streaming on MAX.

Schedule

• 7:00 PM (6:00 PM CST): Yankees Hot Stove; YES

• 7:30 PM (6:30 PM CST): NYK at IND; MSG, TNT, TRUTV, MAX

That will do it for this report. Enjoy the rest of your day.