Around the Empire: Yankees news - 9/3/23

Sports Illustrated | Pat McAvoy: It’s still an open question where Shohei Ohtani lands this winter, but reportedly the Bronx could be a possible destination. The Yankees need both a starter and additional bat, and while we’re not sure how well his arm will hold up, obviously Ohtani could check both boxes. After being able to clear enough payroll with waiver moves to sit below the second tier of CBT penalties, the Yankees may have the cash to make a surprise move.

SNY | Andy Martino: Jasson Domínguez and Austin Wells headlined one of the most fun games of the season, opening the series with a win in Houston. Before taking the field, both prospects sat down to detail their trip to the majors, a whirlwind journey for the players that started the season with Double-A Somerset before leading the club to a win on Friday. More than that, the sitdown detailed the overhaul in Yankee player development that’s been at least partially responsible for their meteoric rise.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Aaron Judge cranked his 250th home run on Friday night, becoming the fastest in MLB history to reach the mark. Postgame, teammate Giancarlo Stanton predicted that Judge would be the fastest to more MLB milestones, including 300 and 350 career dingers. For Stanton himself, after taking Justin Verlander deep in Friday’s opener, he sits just one long ball shy of 400 for his career.

CBS Sports: In a weekend celebrating the kids, Luis Gil (remember him!) has seen his velo tick back up as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander was comfortably hitting 98 at the Yankees’ facility in Tampa, and while he won’t return in 2023, there’s a real chance he can make an impact in one way or the other in 2024.