Yankee disrespected yet again!
MLB.com, ESPN, or most any non-Yankee media, continually disrespects the New York Yankees! Just in the past week, ESPN placed the Yankees with the ninth-best lineup for 2020, and the MLB “Shredder” put Gerrit Cole as the third-best pitcher in the game. It seems the bias against the Yankees will not go away. I would suppose that the Cole placement is debatable at some level, but the suggestion that what most consider the most potent lineup in the game, is rated ninth, below the third-placed Mets among others is laughable.
Those that agree with the placement of Jacob deGrom as the top pitcher will say that his lowest ERA of 2.43 alone should put him at the top. But his 11-8 win record compared to Cole’s 20-5 record with an ERA of 2.50 says something. It means if the Met’s lineup were any good, he would have gotten far more wins. Cole pitched last year for the Astros, who had a strong lineup and thus produced more wins for Cole. The Yankees previous year had 103 wins with a crippled lineup, and the Mets had 86 wins. This year with a healthy return of players including Miguel Andujar who didn’t play at all last year and a healthy Giancarlo Stanton who played only eighteen games last year, it is pure nonsense and biased to place the Yankees as the ninth-best lineup.
Greg Bird to the Rangers:
Former Yankee first baseman Greg Bird has gone to the Texas Rangers in a minor league deal. He has been invited to spring training, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. Greg Bird is a lefty and had a great future with the New York Yankees but couldn’t stay healthy. Bird in his four years with the Yankees played in only 186 games over the span. His best year was in 2015 when he played in 46 games with a .261 batting average. Over the past three years, he never approached a .200 average. Last year he only appeared in 10 games. He suffered from a plantar fascia tear in his left foot. If Bird can stay healthy, the Rangers could use him in the majors, as they have a questionable situation at first base.
Bird was non-tendered by the Yankees in November, making him a free agent.
Dellin Betances says goodbye:
Dellin Betances was a Yankee reliever for nine years. Last year due to injuries, he did not pitch at all due to a partially torn Achilles. After the 2019 season, the Yankees decided to move on from the four-time All-Star Betances, and he signed a 10MM deal with the crosstown New York Mets. Betances grew up liking the Yankees as a New York City resident. Betances in two Instagram posts thanked the Yankees and spoke of his future:
“I just wanted to say Thank You to the New York Yankees for allowing me to live out my dream as a professional baseball player. The past 14 years of my career have created memories and milestones that I will never forget. I want to thank all my teammates, coaches and staff members – you are family, and I love you guys. To the Yankees fans, thank you for all your support throughout the years, you made me a better player and a better competitor and I will always be grateful for my time as a New York Yankee.”
In a separate post he stated:
“Now, with spring training right around the corner, I am ready to wear the orange and blue and start this new chapter of my career as a New York Met.”  Betances is still recovering from his Achilles injury. Many Yankee fans hoped he would remain a Yankee but wish him well with his new team.