Yankees Monday Mailbag 6/29: World Series Odds, Trade Deadline Decisions and Replacing Boone With AI
Yankees Monday Mailbag 6/29: World Series Odds, Trade Deadline Decisions and Replacing Boone With AI
Readers questions for this week's Yankees mailbag focus on the Yankees chances at the World Series and wondering if a robot can take Aaron Boone's job.Joseph Randazzo|
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New York YankeesTo submit your questions, reach out to Joseph Randazzo on X or Instagram at @YankeeLibrarian.
Here are answers to five of the most pressing questions that were on Yankees fans' minds this week:
Do you think they have a chance at winning the World Series?@gskiff35, Instagram
If the team in October is rolling out Spencer Jones, Jasson Domínguez, Oswaldo Cabrera, Amed Rosario, and Austin Wells all at once, their chance at winning a World Series is next to nothing. Assuming they're healthier by the time the playoffs get here, they should have as good a shot as anybody to win a World Series.
This team will look much better than the one that's on the field right now, and by then, Gerrit Cole will also have more reps. Same with Carlos Rodón, but it's hard to trust his playoff résumé.
Which reliever should the Yankees most aggressively pursue before the deadline?@Joenajarian, Instagram
It would have been great if the Philadelphia Phillies had continued being bad. They have turned things around, though, so Jhoan Duran likely isn't available. I don't expect Mason Miller to be available either. The Padres usually add at the deadline if they have a chance, and they're not so far out of the wild-card hunt.
Just combing through the teams that look to be out of the playoff picture, one underrated name that's intriguing is Chase Silseth from the Angels. Silseth was part of that Angels draft, where they focused on pitching that year, and he looks to be one of the best from that class. He averages 96 mph on his fastball and has a 30.4% hard-hit rate.
His fastball, in general, is pretty wicked. Hitters are hitting .150 and slugging .175 against it. It's his most-used pitch, and he has a 38.3% whiff rate.
Do you think ChatGPT could manage this team better than Aaron Boone?@dinomite14
This is the lineup that ChatGPT spit out.
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
- Ben Rice, 1B
- Cody Bellinger, LF
- Austin Wells, C
- Jasson Domínguez, CF (if active)
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B
- José Caballero, RF/utility
- Best available right-handed bat (depending on the day's roster)
Ironically enough, just like Aaron Boone on Sunday, he left Paul Goldschmidt off the lineup card, and they got no-hit by Sonny Gray into the eighth inning. The robot even had a chance to name him in the nine-hole, but just said whatever righty is available. Turns out they're just about the same.
Do the Yankees HAVE to do anything at the deadline?@mattman1199
Technically, they don't HAVE to do anything. The lineup is pretty solid once they're healthy, and a rotation of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and Carlos Rodón will be the best in the league on paper.
For me, though, they must add a third baseman or catcher. I'm leaning toward third baseman, but any way they can upgrade the bottom of the order is good with me. Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells hitting eighth and ninth is untenable. Their defense is good, but that leaves them with essentially a seven-hitter lineup and two holes.
If Tarik Skubal is available, he should be the primary target. Look, the Dodgers will head into the postseason with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Justin Wrobleski, who has been super underrated in the league. You know they're going to go hard for Skubal.
Replace Wrobleski with Skubal, and that rotation probably clears the Yankees. It would probably be good to do whatever they can to upgrade their arms, while also keeping the best pitcher available from standing in their way.
How worried are you about Ben Rice's current slump?@theezratakeshita
I'm not that worried. It's understandable to see him not performing well and wondering what's going on. Since the series in Detroit, Rice has had two hits in 27 plate appearances. It's an ugly run.
It feels like every hitter who isn't on the IL is slumping, though. Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are all ice cold. The only one who has produced is Paul Goldschmidt, and that's not sustainable to count on him until both Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham are healthy. They're all probably slumping, and now, with Rice, Robin has essentially been asked to put on Batman's cowl. I would imagine he's pressing.
Published 12 minutes ago
JOSEPH RANDAZZOJoe Randazzo is a reference librarian who lives on Long Island. When he’s not behind a desk offering assistance to his patrons, he writes about the Yankees for Yankees On SI. Follow him as @YankeeLibrarian on X and Instagram.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
