The New York Yankees left their superstars behind on Wednesday afternoon in Tampa but they still got a lot done at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Playing the little brother Mets, the New York Yankees chose to send their second-tier squad over to Port St. Lucie, FL.
But what about the big guns? They remained in Tampa and put together some simulation games. While it’s hard to gauge exactly what simulation games do, at least we got to see the Yankees hitters face some tough competition during spring training.
These may be simulations but at least we get to see some baseball!
Thanks to this video from Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, we get to see Dellin Betances returning to his All-Star form in this strikeout.
Watching from behind the plate just solidifies how absolutely nasty Betances can be when he’s on his game. If he can control his pitches, like this high fastball, in the regular season, he’s in good shape.
While not caught on video, Kuty also shared this little nugget from CC Sabathia’s stint on the mound against outfielder Aaron Hicks.
Sabathia also spoke to reporters following his workout today, emphasizing just how highly he thinks of his backstop Gary Sanchez, according to Pete Caldera.
Masahiro Tanaka also took the mound for a sim game today, facing Sanchez. Two greats facing off against each other? Sanchez barely won with a hard single to right.
But enough from simulations! Let’s talk about the business side of things, according to Mr. Hal Steinbrenner.
As we all know, the Yankees did a stellar job remaining under the luxury tax threshold this offseason. However, in his question and answer session at camp on Wednesday, as reported by Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, he shed some light on what their plans could be financially.
So contrary to popular belief, the threshold seems to be a negotiable for the Yankees. The team might have to make some moves, depending on where they land in the standings. They could be poised to make some big moves, just like last year midseason.
Keep an eye out for other doings at Yankees camp because time is running out for the spring season. Before you know it, regular season baseball will be here.