Around the Empire: Yankees news - 11/15/20

NY Post | Ken Davidoff: The New York Yankees have a lot of work to do before the start of the 2021 campaign. For the first time in years, they enter the offseason with a bona fide ace in Gerrit Cole, but they need to replace roughly 40 percent of their 2020 starts, as J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka, and James Paxton are free agents. Davidoff explores several ways the team has to achieve that goal: free agency, trades, or internal options (which includes Deivi García, Domingo Germán, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Severino and others.) Jordan Montgomery, like Cole, already has a spot in the rotation and joins Cole in the “sure things” group for the purposes of the exercise.

NY Daily News | Bill Madden: The New York Yankees have two capable catchers in Gary Sánchez and Kyle Higashioka. The former carries tremendous offensive upside if he can make more contact, while the latter is superior defensively, especially at blocking pitches in the dirt. But the Bombers recently said they will at least listen to offers for Sánchez. If they decide to trade him, will they just write Higgy’s name as the starter? Or will they look for a replacement? How much would they be willing to spend for a one? Madden is convinced they need to move on from Sánchez and names James McCann and Yadier Molina as potential targets. (Josh will have an article later today on the possibility of Yadi in pinstripes.)

NJ Advance Media | Brendan Kuty: Dwight Gooden, the New York Mets legend that pitched for the Yankees near the end of his career, learned his fate for getting caught with cocaine last year. He was sentenced by a state Superior Court judge to a year of probation on Friday. The former ace had pleaded guilty in August 2019 to cocaine possession in Holmdel, NJ. A couple of plastic baggies containing the substance were found in his car, according to the police.

Forbes | Keith Flamer: Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, the only player to be unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA, is listing his New York mansion for nearly $4 million, according to Forbes. The house is truly astounding. The publication describes it as a “13,050-square-foot, cul-de-sac estate on 1.7 acres of lush resort-like grounds with a stacked lineup of fireplaces, entertainment rooms (pool deck, home theater, sports bar and game rooms), a gym, home office, and formal elliptical-shaped, European-style interiors.” So if you have the dough, pony up and you can own the house of Mo!