Around the Empire: Yankees news - 6/1/22

NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: The Yankees are off to one of the best overall starts in Major League Baseball this season, but with the calendar flipping over to June, it’s about time for the ol’ trade deadline rumor mill to fire up once again. As good as the Yankees have been, there are some glaring holes in this roster and Brian Cashman is going to have his work cut out for him this July. Enter everyone’s favorite source, the unnamed MLB insider.

According to a survey of General Managers, executives, and scouts conducted by Bob Nightengale, insiders say that they expect the Yankees to be aggressive as always at the deadline, but that they won’t be looking to make a big splash, or deal any of their top prospects, this time around. With that being said, they do envision a deadline where Joey Gallo is dealt for some pitching help. Of course we have to take all of this with a grain of salt because (1) the trade deadline is still so far away, and (2) these reports are coming from rival executives, but the trade deadline — and the lead-up to the deadline — is sure to be a dramatic one for New York.

FanGraphs | Jake Mailhot: Hot on the heels of yesterday’s CBS Sports’ power rankings, FanGraphs has released their updated rankings. The Dodgers claim the top spot this time around after a blazing hot stretch in which they won 13 of 16 games thanks in part to, predictably, Mookie Betts and Trea Turner, and the Houston Astros are breathing down their neck in second thanks to the breathing room they’ve built for themselves in the AL West after some recent poor performances by the Angels. Rounding out the top three are, of course, our New York Yankees, who just went 15-8 in their 23-games-in-22-days stretch despite a depleted lineup and bullpen. I have a feeling we’re going to see these three teams jostling for power ranking supremacy for the rest of the season.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: A 20-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic is starting to garner some serious attention for the Low-A Tampa Tarpons. Juan Carela has been exceptional so far this year, pitching to a 2.36 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 34.1 innings pitched. He has also improved his command monumentally, dropping his walks per nine from eight to just 2.9 this season. Carela was signed by the Yankees in 2018 and has reworked his mechanics since joining the team. He features a swing-and-miss slider, which he recently reshaped, and sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, though he has the potential to tap into more once he develops. As of right now he’s the team’s 29th ranked prospect, but keep your eyes on Carela. You’ll likely be hearing a lot about him very soon.

New York Post | Justin Tasch: In seriously earth-shattering news, Derek Jeter has joined Twitter. Even though it’s probably the wrong move for ol’ Jeets, given that Twitter is awful, any time a living legend does anything — especially one of Jeter’s standing — it’s newsworthy. You can follow The Captain here.

MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: Another former Yankee has called it a career. After 15 seasons in the big leagues, J.A. Happ has decided to officially retire. The 39-year-old lefty pitched 51 games across three seasons for the New York Yankees, going 21-10 with a 4.13 ERA, 4.87 FIP, and 105 ERA+ for the club. His most noteworthy performance for the club came in the second half of 2018, after he was traded to New York, when he went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA and 63 strikeouts and 63.2 innings pitched down the stretch. Unfortunately, though, the doomed piggy-back performance with Deivi García in Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays will likely be the first thing most Yankees fans remember when they think of J.A. Happ’s time in New York. We wish him happy trails and nothing but the best in retirement!