Around the Empire: Yankees news - 9/6/23

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: Bernie Williams, The Martian Mentor? These two have a lot in common. Switch hitting, Latino, international signee, and playing in the Bronx. If anybody knows what it takes to thrive in center field in the BX, it’s Williams. Now, he is here to support the potential next great center fielder.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The biggest concern with Austin Wells is and always has been his ability to stick behind the dish. If he’s a catcher, he is a very valuable player. So far, his teammates have provided glowing reviews. Getting this positivity early on is a great step for any rookie catcher. Check out Andrés’ article later today for more.

The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: Shohei Ohtani and his agent have been almost silent since it was announced that the two-way phenom had a tear in UCL. The tear in his UCL is in a different spot from the first one, and it appears he is likely headed for the relatively new internal brace procedure. The data isn’t there to show this is the best option, but it may be the one Ohtani takes as he heads into free agency.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: Glenn Otto, one of the players dealt to Texas in the Joey Gallo trade, has been designated for assignment (amusingly, for Ian Kennedy). It’s likely that the righty pitcher will go on waivers this week. Is there a potential reunion with the former Baby Bomber in store here? This is pure speculation on my part but with Brian Cashman, you can’t rule anything out.