Around the Empire: Yankees news - 3/12/22

MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: Prior to the lockout, the Yankees had been interested in acquiring Matt Olson (and possibly a starting pitcher) from the Oakland Athletics, who are in the middle of tearing down their roster. That continues to be the case, as Erik Boland writes that the Yankees prefer a trade with the A’s over signing Freddie Freeman or Anthony Rizzo (or keeping Luke Voit). They will be competing, however, with the Texas Rangers, who have made multiple big acquisitions this winter to rebuild their infield, and the Atlanta Braves, who are looking at Olson as a potential replacement for Freeman.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: In a bit of scary news, Yankee third baseman/left fielder Miguel Andújar was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint while at his family farm in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. According to reports, Andújar was attacked physically but was not hit by any of the three bullets fired. He is currently in stable condition, and expects to be healthy enough to report to spring training this weekend.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: With the hot stove officially rekindled, the Yankees have a lot of questions still to answer. From the immediate concerns like “Who starts at first base and shortstop?” to long-term issues like “When will Aaron Judge’s signature be on an extension?” While these aren’t exactly world-shattering questions, it’s nice to have some current baseball back on MLB’s website.

NY Post | Andrew Marchand: In the world of sports journalism, longtime FOX broadcaster Joe Buck is jumping ship to ESPN to become the new voice of Monday Night Football, according to reports. Now, I’m sure you’re asking, “How does this affect baseball?” Good question! Well, Buck has been the voice of the World Series for more than two decades, dating back to the first World Series of the dynasty years. Because of this deal, however, that changes this fall. At this point in time, FOX is looking at Joe Davis and Adam Amin as possible internal replacements and ESPN’s Dan Shulman and MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian as external ones.

AP News | Ronald Blum: An extremely minor part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement was revealed yesterday: there will be no more extra innings in the All-Star Game. If the Midsummer Classic ends in a tie, the winner will be determined by a Home Run Derby.

While I would never want to see this during a real game, for the All-Star Game, I say: bring it on!