Around the Empire: Yankees news - 12/26/22

MLB.com: While the Yankees are out searching for their left fielder for 2023, the options are dwindling by the day. The one big splash left appears to be a blockbuster for Pirates star Bryan Reynolds, who has expressed his desire for a trade but Pittsburgh has been unwilling to move without a haul in return. MLB insider Mark Feinsand took a stab at concocting a trade proposal centered around Jasson Domínguez and some of the team’s best pitching prospects — it seems like a bit of a light return for the Pirates, mainly because the Yankees don’t have a lot of quality pitching prospects, but if there’s a way to make a deal with only one of the big three going out then the Yankees would be happy any way you sliced it.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Carlos Rodón’s addition to the Yankee rotation vaulted them up near the top of most rotation rankings immediately, but where exactly would you put them? Miller spoke to one scout who seemed convinced that there wasn’t a better 1-5 anywhere else in the league, though he did note that if the Mets’ rotation staves off Father Time they will be scary as well, and the Blue Jays have an underrated rotation that should make the AL East throne competitive once more.

NJ.com | Randy Miller, Brendan Kuty, and Bob Klapisch: There’s no argument against the idea that the offseason has been a success for the Yankees, but the question remains: are they better than Houston? Have they even caught up? The consensus among this roundtable is that their offseason stands as an A+, though they haven’t improved their biggest weakness from the playoffs in their offense yet, and without a strong left fielder this offseason will have a bit of disappointment to it. If the market prevents them from finding a solid bat there, then a left-handed bat somewhere will be needed, but the easiest solution remains simply adding in their weakest position.