Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/12/23

New York Post | Jon Heyman: In an attempt to address the offensive woes of the first half, the Yankees fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson and replaced him with former big leaguer and MLB Network analyst Sean Casey. However, we now learn that the team’s interest in the three-time All-Star dates back to the offseason. The Yankees expressed their interest in interviewing Casey for the hitting coach position, but he turned the team down as his partner was undergoing chemotherapy (we’re happy to report that she’s now cancer-free!). Voices around the industry believe that Casey will command the respect of the team’s various struggling veterans and will have better success communicating and connecting with players.

Houston Chronicle | Josh Criswell: Derek Jeter believes that the Astros are the best-suited team in the AL to make a deep postseason run. He shared his opinion as an analyst on FOX’s Home Run Derby coverage, citing the team’s vast playoff experience as the factor that separates them from the rest of the pack. It’s no surprise to hear him emphasize the importance of experience considering his own playoff résumé, though it does ignore the limiting factors that this current iteration of the Astros faces. They saw several key contributors to previous postseasons leave and have had their rotation decimated by injury, to say nothing of the Rays’ mostly-dominant first half.

NJ Advance Media | Manuel Gómez: In a separate segment of the FOX broadcast, both Jeter and Alex Rodriguez weighed in on the Shohei Ohtani trade debate. A-Rod, in his now-familiar role as a soundbite generator, opined that the Angels should trade Ohtani and Mike Trout for “five or six players,” then “load up with first rounders,” and finally hire Theo Epstein, and concluded that following such a path would guarantee a championship in five years. Sure, whatever you say pal. Jeter took a more measured approach, likely drawing on his experience as an executive, cautioning that if they trade Ohtani, they have to hit on every single player in the return.

Sports Illustrated | Kade Kistner: Cody Bellinger showcased what he could offer in Yankee Stadium, launching a mammoth home run into the second deck in right in the final series before the break. The former NL MVP is likely the Cubs’ most attractive trade chip on the position player side and despite playing on a one-year deal should command a healthy return given the paucity of clear sellers. In this expanded playoff format and with both Central divisions languishing in mediocrity, even teams like the Cubs may feel they have a chance to sneak into the postseason and so have not solidified their stance as buyers or sellers even with the deadline less than three weeks away.

New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: We finish with some encouraging news on the injury front. Nestor Cortes recently completed a 20-pitch live bullpen session and came out of it feeling “totally pain free.” The Yankees have been without their breakout starter of the last two seasons since the end of May as he recovers from rotator cuff inflammation. Cortes feels confident that he can return once his 60-day IL window ends August 4th and admitted that trying to rush back from a hamstring sprain suffered at the beginning of spring may have contributed to the shoulder injury.