New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: We’ve arrived at the eve of the Winter Meetings, and we know what the storylines are for the Yankees. New York wants to add one more outfielder, a starter, and shore up their relief depth, but no one knows how much Hal Steinbrenner is willing to spend to achieve those goals. It adds up to a week that should be pretty dramatic no matter; either the Yankees will deliver and import a chunk of talent, as they did at the last few iterations of these meetings, or they’ll stay quiet and risk sparking outrage in doing so.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: ($) Jasson Domínguez hasn’t even turned 23 yet, but Joyce writes that he’s already reached a crossroads in his Yankees career. The talented outfielder is currently playing in the Dominican Republic, staying sharp and getting reps after seeing his playing time diminish down the stretch with the Yankees. As of now, Dominguez is probably New York’s starting left fielder, but so much is still up in the air. Signing a player like Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker could send Dominguez into a fourth outfielder role, or to another organization entirely.
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New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Once a common spot for star Japanese players to land, the Yankees have been surpassed by the Dodgers as the premier place for top Japanese talent. Brian Cashman recently lamented the Yankees’ (lack of) success with luring players from NPB, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, and Shohei Ohtani all eventually finding their way to LA. After signing Hideki Matsui to a three-year deal ahead of the 2003 season, the Yankees had a near-consistent Japanese representation on the roster for nearly two decades, with Matsui giving way to Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki, who were eventually joined by Masahiro Tanaka. The Yankees have not had a Japanese player since Tanaka left after 2020. Will they finally be able to reel in an NPB star in Tatsuya Imai this winter?
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The Red Sox swung a trade late Thursday night, acquiring young starter Johan Oviedo from the Pirates in exchange for two prospects, most notably Jhostynxon García, nicknamed “The Password.” It’s an interesting trade, with Boston giving up their No. 6 prospect in García to acquire the tall, hard-throwing Oviedo, who is under team control for two seasons. Yankees fans should have their eye on Boston, with the Yankees’ archrivals already having swung a pair of trades to augment their pitching staff, without touching most of their top prospects or making any splashy free agent signings.