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New York Daily News | Kristie Ackert: Gerrit Cole, just elected to the MLBPA’s sub-executive committee, expressed his frustration with the league yesterday. In the light of former Mariners president Kevin Mather’s comments, stating “Every player should wake up and read the news. That guy in the Mariners organization. Those conversations are being had in a lot of clubs, unfortunately and that’s the kind of way a lot of clubs are acting.” He took MLB to task for the way teams maniuplate players’ service time and treat them like assets.
Yahoo Sports | Anthony McCarron: 2021 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for Gleyber Torres. McCarron points to some of the positive developments to come out of what was a challenging 2020 for Torres, including improved plate discipline and command of the strike zone. The extent to which Torres can hold onto those gains while bringing back the power he flashed during his first two seasons, not to mention how he performs defensively, could hugely shape the trajectory of his young career.
NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: In somewhat related news, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal predicted that it would take the Mets something like eight years and $280 million to sign or extend shortstop Francisco Lindor. If the Mets don’t lock down Lindor, and if Torres’ defensive adventures at short continue, could you see the Yankees looking at Lindor at that price? After pulling out all the stops just to get under the luxury tax this year, I would certainly hope so.
New York Post | Dan Martin: A minor move here, as the Yankees designated outfielder Greg Allen for assignment with Brett Gardner back in the fold. The Yankees likely had Allen on board on the off chance that they needed some more outfield depth entering spring training. With a career 71 OPS+, and with most teams fairly set with their rosters as camps open, it’s possible the Yankees could see Allen slide through waivers.
NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: In case you missed it, the Yankees also finally announced the Gardner and Justin Wilson signings and their corresponding 40-man roster machinations. To make room for Gardner, the Yankees put Luis Severino on the 60-day IL, meaning the absolute earliest we could see the right-hander in pinstripes is June. The Allen DFA cleared room for Wilson.