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NY Post | Greg Joyce: A number of former Yankees emerged on Friday, with Andrew Velazquez, Greg Allen, and Tim Locastro all getting claimed off of waivers. The Angels, Pirates, and Red Sox are the respective recipients of that trio of players, plus Rob Brantly electing free agency instead of an assignment to Triple-A Scranton. The moves were made on the Yankees’ part to free up 40-man space ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, as well as any free agency deals or trades they may make in the future. Velazquez and Allen earned some popularity in their short stints, but there was never going to be consistent playing time for any of these guys in New York.
MLB.com | Andrew Simon: We’re a little while from the BBWAA considering Hall of Famers for potential induction in 2022, but the Hall did announce two slates of candidates for what was once known as the Veterans Committee. There are two Yankees of note on the Early Baseball Era and Golden Days Era ballots: ‘40s-’50s ace Allie Reynolds and former home run king Roger Maris. Both are probably long shots, but the committees will convene at the Winter Meetings and then announce if anyone reached the 12 of 16 votes needed for induction.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees were less than committed to Gary Sánchez as the starting catcher heading into this offseason. The year wasn’t quite as terrible for Sánchez as 2020 was, but there wasn’t enough of an upswing to guarantee him a spot on the roster heading into 2022. This offseason, however, doesn’t feature much as far as catching upgrades go, and one of the options is already off the board with Tucker Barnhart getting traded to Detroit. This may be Sánchez’s prove it or move it season, due largely to an inability to field anyone else.
MLB.com | Jon Morosi: The outfield market isn’t quite as thin as the catching market, but there aren’t a ton of high-upside options. That changed once news broke that Seiya Suzuki is getting posted, however. The star right fielder is a five-time All-Star in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, hitting for a 1.079 OPS and 38 homers with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp this season. The Yankees aren’t really in the market for an outfielder at the moment, but if they could get in the bidding at the right price for Suzuki, he could be an intriguing addition.