Around the Empire: Yankees News - 1/6/23

MLB.com: The Yankees front office hiring spree continues after they announced the hiring of Omar Minaya as the team’s Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations. This news comes one day after the team announced they had brought Brian Sabean back into the fold. Minaya, who previously served as GM for the Expos and Mets, brings four decades of baseball experience to the organization and along with Sabean help bring some fresh eyes to the organization that some have called “stagnant” recently.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: Some of you may remember the Junior Fernández era fondly. Some of you may not remember it at all. And if any of you are like me, you might have trouble believing that he’s a real person. Well supposedly he’s real, and the Blue Jays claimed him after he was put on waivers to make room on the roster when the team announced the Aaron Judge, Carlos Rodón, and Tommy Kahnle signings.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The search for the Yankees’ 2023 left fielder continues. While the team had expressed interest in bringing Andrew Benintendi back, things never worked out and he ended up signing with the White Sox. Still, the Yankees recognize a need for an upgrade there and continue to do their work. The team does express confidence in Giancarlo Stanton’s ability to play the outfield at times, but they seem him more as a right fielder in Yankee Stadium and a left fielder away from home.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Jacoby Ellsbury makes his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot this winter. It’s hard to believe that he’s already been out of baseball for five years, but the way his saga unfolded with the Yankees it both feels like it’s been two years and twenty years since we’ve seen him in pinstripes. Regardless, this piece is a nice summary of his playing career and how it ultimately faded out due to injuries. He was a fun player at times when he was healthy, but the Yankees put too much on his shoulders with the contract they gave him and he could never live up to those expectations. At least we’ll always have those catchers’ interferences.