Around the Empire: Yankees news - 10/21/23

NBC Sports | D.J. Short: The Yankees aren’t battling in the postseason after a difficult year that saw their record hit the 82-80 mark. So, in the year-in-review piece for NBC Sports, what went right? What went wrong? What were some of the main issues, and what can we take away from a fantasy point of view as well? Who are some of the key free agents, and what do Yankees fans need to be looking out for this offseason?

MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: Per Jon Heyman, Luis Avilán has retired. The lefty reliever bounced around the majors during his 10-year career, and he landed with the Yankees in his age-30 season. In the oft-forgotten, COVID-shortened 2020, Avilán pitched in 10 games and posted a 4.32 ERA in 8.1 innings, striking out nine batters and allowing nine hits, four of which were home runs. He did not make the playoff roster, and four games with the 2021 Nationals brought his MLB tenure to a close.

New York Post | Matt Ehalt: The Yankees have lots of numbers retired, but one of them that’s missing is Alex Rodriguez’s No. 13, which was given to Joey Gallo when he played in The Bronx. A-Rod made it known that he didn’t like seeing his number on the back of another player in pinstripes. Still, A-Rod is aware that a number retirement is probably not in the cards for him, given, well, everything A-Rod (and how the Yankees perceive him).

New York Post | Caroline McCarthy: Not a Yankees piece of news per se, but former front office member Kim Ng, who broke ground as the Marlins’ GM before resigning last week, declined to interview for the vacant Red Sox general manager job. Given how many executives around the sport have passed on getting involved with a Boston ownership group that will be on its fifth front office leader since 2011, it’s hard to blame Ng for passing on that.