Around the Empire: Yankees news - 12/21/17

YES Network | A.J. Herrmann: Despite re-signing CC Sabathia, the Yankees still look like they are in the market for another starting pitcher. There was speculation that they might acquire Gerrit Cole from the Pirates, but it seems like the discussion between the two clubs has gone Coled. According to this article, Brian Cashman has turned his eyes towards free agent starter Yu Darvish. Darvish is one of the primary starters available on the market right now, so he would command a substantial contract. Other teams like the Twins, Rangers, Astros, Dodgers, and Cubs are also interested in his services. Pun-tastic headlines like the one today are why I want him, but that should never be a reason for Brian Cashman to do anything.

MLB.com | Daniel Kramer: The hot stove was hotter than hot yesterday as the San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays made a trade. Longtime Yankee archenemy Evan Longoria was traded to the Giants for Denard Span, Christian Arroyo, Matt Krook, and Steven Woods. This could just be the beginning of a Rays rebuild, as Chris Archer and Alex Colome are also rumored to be on the trading block. Still though, those two are not Evan Longoria. While I am glad to see him out of the AL East, my baseball loving thoughts go out to our sister site DRaysBay and their fanbase. Rebuild or not, the Rays just traded the face of their franchise and most beloved player in their short baseball history.

New York Post | George A. King III: It’s no secret that Dellin Betances had an off year in 2017. What is a secret is that it was all a plot by Kunj Shah to get David Robertson back. Sorry Kunj, but news is slow and I had to spill the beans. Betances’ fastball command was off and he’s focusing on fixing it when he returns home to the Dominican Republic. Getting Betances back in the NY groove would really help cement the Yankees’ bullpen as the ultimate power in the universe. They could also potentially trade Dellin this offseason. We shall see.

Baseball America | Josh Norris: The Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees’ Single-A minor league affiliate, will be celebrating it’s 25th anniversary season in 2018. While it may be 25 years in human years, it’s actually their 175th anniversary season in dog years. They’ve decided to honor the latter with this logo.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is pretty awesome. A very clever way to celebrate this anniversary.