Is this why the Yankees hit a wall every June?
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New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Yankees trade deadline: Rockies' Jake Bird on radar as relief search continues
NEW YORK — It was reality, but mixed with a bit of wishful thinking. New York Yankees closer Devin Williams had just dominated the ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. He was the last of four relievers to combine to throw 3 1/3 scoreless frames to bolster a good-enough performance from starting pitcher Carlos Rodón — and to give the Yankees' front office something to think about as it approaches Thursday's trade deadline with two deals already under their belts and likely more to come. Advertisement After all, Yankees relievers had been struggling mightily. Going into Sunday, the unit had a 5.30 ERA — the 28th-best mark in baseball — since June 13, a span over which the Yankees had gone a miserable 14-23. Maybe the showing from Williams, Jonathan Loàisiga, Luke Weaver and Tim Hill was going to be enough to show general manager Brian Cashman and crew that the Yankees don't need as much help as it might seem. 'Sometimes,' Williams said, 'all you need to do is have some things go your way one time and be able to get on a little bit of roll there.' The Yankees hope Williams is right. They won't, however, have short-term memory. Multiple league sources told The Athletic that the Yankees were still exploring trades that would net them a reliever, after they boosted their infield by acquiring Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals on Saturday and adding Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. A name to add to the ever-growing list of candidates they have reportedly been eyeing, according to sources: righty Jake Bird of the Rockies. Several Yankees came away impressed with Bird when he had two appearances against them in Colorado in late May, one player told The Athletic. The 29-year-old has the strikeout ability (10.5 per nine innings) that the Yankees surely would appreciate. Going into Saturday, Bird also had a 4.05 ERA (but also a 3.09 FIP) in 44 appearances. He won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season, and it's unclear how willing the Rockies would be to part with him if he could be part of future success. Jake Bird was PUMPED UP after recording three straight strikeouts to strand the bases loaded for the @Rockies 😤 — MLB (@MLB) June 7, 2025 The Yankees' bullpen will get a boost soon from several returning arms. Mark Leiter Jr. (fibular head stress fracture) and Fernando Cruz (oblique strain) are on the mend, and Yerry De Los Santos recently returned from the injured list. The Yankees traded reliever Clayton Beeter as part of the Rosario deal, sapping some of the Yankees' depth. Advertisement The Yankees also face another question: How hard should they push before the deadline? In adding McMahon and Rosario, they addressed a problem at third base. But they needed to do something at the position, where they had received some of the worst offensive production in the league. The Yankees (57-48) currently sit 5 1/2 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East, and just 1 1/2 games up in the wild-card standings. Does the front office still consider their roster upgradable enough to return to the World Series? Or just enough to squeak into the playoffs? Manager Aaron Boone said the way he rolled out the Yankees' relief unit Sunday — and how it performed — was just what the team imagined would happen when it's at its best. 'That's what you want it to look like right there,' he said. In a few days, however, expect a different face (or two) in the bullpen as the Yankees make moves. (Top photo of Devin Williams celebrating after closing out Sunday's win: John Jones / Imagn Images)
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ryan McMahon off to fast start with Yankees: `First impressions are usually pretty big'
NEW YORK (AP) — Two games into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has fans talking. And in this case, that's a positive. 'First impressions are usually pretty big,' he said Sunday after sparking a comeback with a tying, two-run double and some dazzling defense in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies that stopped a three-game losing streak. Acquired on Friday from Colorado, the 2024 All-Star went 1 for 3 and made a nifty backhand stop in his pinstriped debut Saturday, a 9-4 defeat. After the Phillies went ahead 2-0 Sunday against Carlos Rodón on second-inning homers by Nick Castellanos and rookie Otto Kemp, McMahon grounded a Zack Wheeler curveball into the right-field corner in the bottom half. 'He looks great so far. Hopefully he continues it,' Yankees closer Devin Williams said. 'I've obviously played against him in the past and he was a good player and I'm happy to have him here.' McMahon also singled and was hit by a pitch. He's reached base five times in two games with the Yankees. His glove work has been even more impressive. McMahon easily fielded J.T. Realmuto's 104.3 mph grounder in the second, jumped to grab Bryce Harper's looper leading off the fourth, then ranged to his glove side for a fifth-inning grounder with two out, slid and spun and then threw out speedy Trea Turner at first. 'Three big plays that stood out to me,' Rodón said. 'It's a whirlwind for a guy that gets traded and has to figure things out. So it's a pleasure to have him.' McMahon made 129 errors over six minor league seasons. He credited his defense to former Rockies teammates Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu, who have combined for 13 All-Star selections and 14 Gold Gloves. 'When you have those three guys and you're 20 years old and in your first big league camp, you're going to learn a lot if you just shut up and watch and pay attention,' McMahon said. McMahon arrived in the Bronx on Friday night following his trade from the Rockies, the team that drafted him in 2013. He took only one suitcase of clothing and his gear, and is staying in a hotel through the homestand. His wife Natalie and 1 1/2-year-old daughter Austyn Brooke remained behind. 'We'll figure that out, man,' he said. 'My wife, she's a rock star. She's awesome. She'll let me get settled a little bit and then they'll probably come out next homestand.' Yankees players, led by captain Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, have been working at getting to know McMahon. 'Real easy to be around. I kind of sat with him a little bit today in the locker room, just kind of shooting it a little with him and he feels, to me, he feels comfortable,' said manager Aaron Boone, a third baseman obtained by the Yankees from Cincinnati at the 2003 trade deadline. 'It's allowing them space, allowing them to be themselves but also trying to really get to know them a little bit and making them immediately feel part of it,' Boone said. Austin Wells hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Trent Grisham an RBI single against Wheeler (9-4), who tied his career high with three hit batters — including two in a row ahead of the double by McMahon, who himself was hit by a pitch in the sixth. A smile on his face, McMahon left the clubhouse to address some of the logistics of the trade. 'I've got a lot of calls to make today, that's for sure,' he said. ___ AP MLB:
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ryan McMahon off to fast start with Yankees: `First impressions are usually pretty big'
NEW YORK (AP) — Two games into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has fans talking. And in this case, that's a positive. 'First impressions are usually pretty big,' he said Sunday after sparking a comeback with a tying, two-run double and some dazzling defense in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies that stopped a three-game losing streak. Acquired on Friday from Colorado, the 2024 All-Star went 1 for 3 and made a nifty backhand stop in his pinstriped debut Saturday, a 9-4 defeat. After the Phillies went ahead 2-0 Sunday against Carlos Rodón on second-inning homers by Nick Castellanos and rookie Otto Kemp, McMahon grounded a Zack Wheeler curveball into the right-field corner in the bottom half. 'He looks great so far. Hopefully he continues it," Yankees closer Devin Williams said. "I've obviously played against him in the past and he was a good player and I'm happy to have him here.' McMahon also singled and was hit by a pitch. He's reached base five times in two games with the Yankees. His glove work has been even more impressive. McMahon easily fielded J.T. Realmuto's 104.3 mph grounder in the second, jumped to grab Bryce Harper's looper leading off the fourth, then ranged to his glove side for a fifth-inning grounder with two out, slid and spun and then threw out speedy Trea Turner at first. 'Three big plays that stood out to me,' Rodón said. 'It's a whirlwind for a guy that gets traded and has to figure things out. So it's a pleasure to have him.' McMahon made 129 errors over six minor league seasons. He credited his defense to former Rockies teammates Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu, who have combined for 13 All-Star selections and 14 Gold Gloves. 'When you have those three guys and you're 20 years old and in your first big league camp, you're going to learn a lot if you just shut up and watch and pay attention,' McMahon said. McMahon arrived in the Bronx on Friday night following his trade from the Rockies, the team that drafted him in 2013. He took only one suitcase of clothing and his gear, and is staying in a hotel through the homestand. His wife Natalie and 1 1/2-year-old daughter Austyn Brooke remained behind. 'We'll figure that out, man,' he said. 'My wife, she's a rock star. She's awesome. She'll let me get settled a little bit and then they'll probably come out next homestand.' Yankees players, led by captain Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, have been working at getting to know McMahon. 'Real easy to be around. I kind of sat with him a little bit today in the locker room, just kind of shooting it a little with him and he feels, to me, he feels comfortable,' said manager Aaron Boone, a third baseman obtained by the Yankees from Cincinnati at the 2003 trade deadline. 'It's allowing them space, allowing them to be themselves but also trying to really get to know them a little bit and making them immediately feel part of it,' Boone said. Austin Wells hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Trent Grisham an RBI single against Wheeler (9-4), who tied his career high with three hit batters — including two in a row ahead of the double by McMahon, who himself was hit by a pitch in the sixth. ___
