Around the Empire: Yankees news - 2/17/23

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: After it was announced that Frankie Montas required shoulder surgery and will be out for most of the year, speculation immediately began as to whether or not the Yankees would look to add a pitcher before the season. While you should never say never, considering Brian Cashman’s history, Andy Martino reports that the team will first turn to Domingo Germán and Clarke Schmidt to fill the spot in the rotation. For the moment, that’s not too surprising, as the front four of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, and Luis Severino already gives the team a very good rotation even with uncertainties at the bottom.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Speaking of injury news, recent indications out of Tampa suggest that Cortes, who was removed from the World Baseball Classic roster with a hamstring strain, might be back on the mound within the next couple of days. If that is the case, the popular lefty should be well in line to start the season right where he belongs, in the middle of the Yankees rotation.

Sports Illustrated | Wilton Johnson: The opening days of spring training provide a whirlwind of quotes, as most players and coaches speak to the media for the first time since the fall. As he almost always does, Gerrit Cole gave us some gold with a rather unusual analogy. Addressing reporters for the first time since the team’s brutal sweep in the ALCS, the Yankees ace said, “We got waxed. So anytime you get waxed, it doesn’t feel good, whether you’re going to the salon or you’re on the baseball field.” Never change, Gerrit.

Yahoo! Sports: Back in December, Yankees Twitter collectively decided to send Carlos Rodón some money via Venmo in order to “bribe” him into coming to the Bronx. At long last, we finally have the conclusion to the story. Speaking to reporters, the left-hander revealed that he and his family used the money to help out a 15-year-old kid in rural Indiana whose house had burned down. It’s nice to see that what started out as a joke turned into an opportunity to bring some happiness into the world.

NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: It appears that the Brett Gardner era is officially over. Although he wasn’t under contract last year, the Yankees left his old locker in Tampa open, clearly leaving the door open for a return. This year, however, that locker has been reassigned to Aaron Hicks. Hopefully, the 33-year-old Hicks will borrow at least some of Gardner’s career trajectory, as No. 11 had slumped a bit in 2016 before a 21-homer campaign that gave his career a second wind in his age-33 season.

CBS News: Two-time World Series champ and Hall of Fame broadcaster Tim McCarver passed away yesterday morning at the age of 81. A 21-year veteran who spent decades in the broadcast booth, calling 24 World Series (then a record) and 20 All-Star Games, and he spent time on local networks calling games for the Phillies, Mets, and Yankees.