Breaking: Yankees Top Landing Spot For Star Pitcher In Blockbuster Trade

What’s next for the New York Yankees? New York is in an interesting spot. The Yankees underwhelmed last season and won just 82 games.

New York already has made major changes this season by landing Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham but more moves could be on the way.

The Yankees are better on paper right now but need to add to their starting rotation. New York missed out on former Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and now likely will be looking for another star to pair with Gerrit Cole.

One player who has been mentioned as a fit is Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes. It seems likely that he will be traded this offseason and the Yankees have been floated as the top landing spot for him, according to Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer.

“Best Landing Spot:New York Yankees,” Rymer said. “For any team that’s able to trade for Corbin Burnes, the next logical step would be to try to sign the 2021 (National League) Cy Young Award winner to an extension. But as Burnes indicated on the ‘Foul Territory’ podcast last week, it would take something that would ‘absolutely blow (him) away’ to convince him not to test the open market after 2024.”

“This is probably going to scare some teams off, but the Yankees shouldn’t be one of them. If they were willing to make one trade for a superstar knowing that he’s only guaranteed to stick around through next season, well, what’s one more? Otherwise, a trade for Burnes is arguably the best option still available to the Yankees after they fell $25 million short in their bid for Yamamoto.”

New York already has decimated its farm system this offseason but if it wants to truly compete for a World Series title in 2024, why not make another big move? The three-time All-Star may be available and New York should swoop in and make a move.

Kyle Higashioka fondly remembers long Yankees tenure after ‘shocking’ Padres trade

Kyle Higashioka heard you.

He listened to the ovations when he walked to the plate. He enjoyed the “little interactions,” he said, when signing autographs.

He chuckled remembering the fans behind the bullpen whose yells would help pump him up before games.

“I don’t know if any non-everyday player feels that kind of love and support from a fan base in many other areas,” Higashioka said over the phone Wednesday when asked about his message to Yankees fans. “I guess just a big, ‘Thank you.’”

There were not many non-everyday players like Higashioka, who spent 16 years as a member of the Yankees organization before being sent to the Padres in this month’s Juan Soto blockbuster.

The longtime backup acknowledged the move was “kind of shocking,” but so was his long rise.

The California high school catcher was selected in the seventh round in 2008 in the same draft that brought the now-retired Buster Posey to the Giants and in which the Mets drafted Ike Davis, who last played in the majors in 2016.

Higashioka’s climb repeatedly was sidetracked.

There was a Tommy John surgery in 2013 and a broken thumb in 2014, a two-year span in which he played in 24 total games.

He was pushed back to High-A Tampa in 2015 when Brian McCann was the major league catcher, Austin Romine opened at Triple-A and Gary Sánchez caught at Double-A.

Leapfrogged by several competing catchers, he spent the majority of his year-25 season in the lowly Florida State League, the only place he could receive consistent playing time.

He grew as a pitch-framer, and a swing he revamped to get the ball in the air more began to show results.

He moved up to Double-A the following season and played one Triple-A game in 2017 before Sánchez suffered an injury that opened the major league door for Higashioka, who withstood nine minor league years before finally cracking into the majors.

“I went through a few tough years in the minors to start my career,” said Higashioka, who spoke from his Oregon home. “There were definitely plenty of points where I doubted whether or not I was ever going to make it to the big leagues. Just the fact that I got there and then experienced so many cool moments — personally and as a team.”

Higashioka and his excellent defensive game began to take playing time from a sinking Sánchez in 2020, when Higgy registered his first three-homer game at any level and rose to start three games during that year’s playoff run.

He caught Corey Kluber’s no-hitter in 2021.

He one-upped himself this past season when he was on the receiving end of Domingo German’s perfect game in Oakland.

“I got really lucky with a lot of cool things happening to me,” said the 33-year-old, who added he would be the rare former Yankee who does not grow a beard, “I have stories for a lifetime already.

“Even if my career were to end just with the Yankees, that would have been a fantastic career based on how I started. I’m just grateful that it gets to continue.”

His career continues in San Diego, near his family in Southern California and his “very happy” mother, who will have a far shorter commute to see him play.

He’s heard good things about playing in San Diego, and you can’t beat the weather.

Higashioka was hitting with Anthony Volpe in Arizona when his agent called and alerted him that he would be part of the haul exchanged for Soto.

He called his wife and went back to training with suddenly his former teammate.