Around the Empire: Yankees news - 12/14/20

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Luis Severino’s comeback from Tommy John surgery is already a lock to be one of the most important stories to the Yankees’ 2021 season. With extreme uncertainty in the rotation at the moment beyond Gerrit Cole, the team will be counting on Severino’s likely midseason return to be a boost. However, Brian Cashman made sure to note the other day that Severino will likely have “some safeties” on whenever he makes it back to the big leagues. It’s unclear what that means at the moment, but if he has to start off slowly with short starts, it’s for the best. Although Severino has incredible talent, the Yankees have to use him carefully, lest they want to see him hurt yet again.

Newsday | David Lennon: DJ LeMahieu is a free agent. You might have heard this breaking news. The Yankees have boatloads of money, even after a season with no fans. You might have also heard this breaking news. As outlined in Newsday, this guy is too important to the team to let go. LeMahieu loves playing in New York, the difference in what the Yankees want to give him and what he’ll probably receive is not going to be outrageously extreme, and the team just forked over $324 million to bring in another player last offseason. To quote Lennon, “The Yankees can’t afford to start pleading poverty now.”

MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The Mets have a new bench coach, and it’s someone already familiar with New York sports: longtime baseball man Dave Jauss. The 63-year-old has already served in that role on four separate occasions in his lengthy career, even with the Mets themselves back in the Jerry Manuel Era. Jauss was most recently a bench coach with the Pirates under Clint Hurdle, and then joined the Yankees as a pro scout in 2020.

Unrelated separate MLB news:

Good. Long overdue. Go Spiders?