Around the Empire: Yankees news - 1/25/23

Sports Illustrated | Max Goodman: The Twins made a deal on Monday for Michael A. Taylor, an intriguing decision given their glut of outfield options at the moment. This decision has stoked the hot stove oven a bit with rumors about Minnesota dealing one of their current options, with the Yankees’ name ever present thanks to their left field situation. Max Kepler wouldn’t be the splashiest upgrade, but at this point he may be the likeliest to move before the season begins properly.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Hall of Fame ballot results were released last night, and it was a mixed bag for many of the former Yankees whose names were eligible. Carlos Beltrán debuted with a 46.5-percent tally in favor of his candidacy, a building block that could easily get up to the necessary 75-percent mark within the 10-year window, but it’s clear that for now the shadow of the Astros scandal is weighing on his otherwise stellar career. Andruw Jones and Gary Sheffield both registered in the mid-50s with a few years left on the ballot for the former and one for the latter, while A-Rod remains towards the bottom with 35.7 percent, and Andy Pettitte and Bobby Abreu are both staying on the ballot but making little traction.

The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: Rosenthal’s got a grab bag of information to sift through, but relative to the Yankees is their continued interest in the reliever market and their playing time crunch around the infield. For the bullpen, it seems that the Yankees are still looking around at left-handed options, whether that would mean retaining Zack Britton or looking elsewhere, but the market has been a bit too steep for many teams. For the infield, it remains to be seen how the inclusion of Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza will shake out, but Brian Cashman has made it clear that the team isn’t simply clearing the way for them just yet — they’ll have to earn their spot.