Well, that was not good. The Knicks had this game in hand late in the 4th quarter but a combination of soft defense on the 3-point line, hot shooting, missed foul shots and late turnovers created a collapse not seen going back at least 30 years. The Knicks are a resilient team and did some of this to the Celtics last series in those first two games but this takes it to another level of choking. A few observations:

1. SU notes how the Knicks went on a great run in the 4th quarter once Brunson went to the bench with his 5th foul. Taking nothing away from Brunson who is a great player but the ball “sticks” for much of the shot clock when he is in and walking the ball up the court and dribbling near mid-court. The Pacers are making the adjustment to double him out there and he fell down several times in overtime – probably exhausted. Josh Hart said in the post-game that they need to keep up the pace – that no doubt is directed at Brunson.
2. OG Anunoby has to be better. They cannot afford for any of the starters to not be scoring – especially if the scores are going to be north of 120 points in this series.
3. Guard the 3-point shooters – please. The defense in the last few minutes and overtime was really bad. SU says some of that is due to fatigue. The Pacers are running 10 guys out there and as Reggie Miller pointed out, none of them plays more than 33 minutes a game on average. As fast as Indiana plays, Thibs should consider longer minutes for Deuce McBride and Robinson at a minimum.
4. Haliburton is a punk. Great player but not in the mold of what SU likes to see from a player. The choke sign after his lucky shot bounced through the hoop was classless. Perhaps karma will come back to bite him on the ass later in this series.
5. The overturn on that call in the last minute on Anunoby was a horrendous call. He had fumbled the ball but was regaining possession to shoot it. The officiating reviews in the NBA are tiring. SU says the refs do the best they can and the calls will typically even out in the end. I know there is contact on every play and reffing in the NBA is incredibly hard. But that was a blown review.
6. The physical contact allowed against Brunson bringing the ball up the court is a joke. SU does not recall a rule in the NBA playbook that allows defenders to push, hold and grab like that. It has been allowed throughout the playoffs.
7. Most of the Knick playoff games this year have been very close – similar to last night. They know how to play in close games. Indiana is very good offensively and they want the fast pace. So do the Knicks. The problem for the rest of this series is that no lead will be considered to be safe for NY.

Game 2 is clearly a must win for the Knicks. We will find out if they are cooked or if they have some pride left. I think they will show out but it will not be easy. They could use Anthony Mason right about now to restore some order.

How are the rest of you feeling?

SU was not surprised to see the Knicks get blown out last night in game 5 in Boston. I was actually surprised that the game was tied at half time. The first half had a nice flow to it and some very good shooting. In the 3rd quarter, the refs, for whatever reason and SU is not an NBA conspiracy guy, decided that all of the physical play allowed in the first half had to be called. The Celtics shot 18 foul shots in the 3rd quarter and Jalen Brunson actually picked up 5 fouls in just the 3rd quarter. He averaged 1.9 fouls per game this season. Some were clear fouls and some were of the touch variety. I have never seen a player get 5 fouls in a quarter. Ever.

For SU, the game slowed to a crawl and became unwatchable. There are clearly plays that are phyical with no call. But basically, if you drive to the basket, you are going to get the call unless of course you Karl Anthony Towns who gets no calls on his drives to the basket. In any game. Somehow if you are 7-feet and mobile, it’s OK to bump you and body up to cause contact. Bottom line: the refs reward the aggressors, and usually the home team are the aggressors. To the Knicks’ credit, they don’t make excuses about the refs. Their defense last night on the 3’s was pretty awful and KAT continues to pick up silly fouls on the perimeter.

I know SU is old school but back in the day, players would fight over the screens on top to stay with their man. Today, they are happy to switch all the time and it seems that on every possession, KAT is on either Brown or White in a clear out.

SU says this game was lost in the 3rd quarter when Thibodeau refused to sub for the first 9 minutes as the lead blossomed to 15 points. Both Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride had played well in the first half, and you would have thought the right move was to break the flow and sub them in. Nope. SU has said all year that the loss of DiVincenzo was huge to this team. They are missing someone off the bench.

But, if you were told at the start of this series that the Knicks would be at home for game 6 up 3-2 in the series, you would have signed up for that in a minute. It is amazing as they have trailed for most of the 5 games by double digits. Playoff series are all about adjustments between games, and let’s see what the Knicks come up with for game 6 against the bigger Celtics lineups.

For SU, Brunson has to get others involved in the first quarter. He is dribbling away so many possessions, and even if he scores, others are not in the flow. Bridges and OG were invisible last night. He has to get them going at the start. For the Knicks to win, you need everyone in double figures.

A game 7 in Boston will not be pretty and even though the Knicks play well on the road, it’s too much to ask. It’s all about game 6 then. Even without Tatum, Boston has plenty of firepower but they will live and die by the 3-pointer the rest of this series.

Finally, a special shoutout to Reggie Miller on TNT. Unlistenable. SU finally muted the game in the 3rd quarter and I rarely do that. There must be someone better to call these games.

What do you think Knick fans?

How many of you had the Celtics building up late 3rd quarter 20-point leads to the Knicks at home and then losing both games? OK, no-one right? How do we explain this? Game 1, sure, attempting 60 3-pointers is crazy and once you start missing as a team, it’s contagious. So, for Game 2, you make the adjustment and drive the ball more which they did in the first half. The Knicks were nowhere last night. Then, in the 4th quarter, Bridges goes off and Boston gets tight. What is going on? SU has a view here:

1. The Celtics lack a classic point guard to run the show. This becomes an issue late in close games apparently. Bad decisions, broken plays.
2. Porzingis has some type of illness which is sapping his energy. He literally can only play a few minutes at a time. They are much better when he is on the court.
3. The Knicks are a resilient and battle tested team. They basically play 5 guys with a few minutes for Robinson, Payne and Deuce. Now, SU believes this is also a huge problem. Any foul trouble or an injury would be a killer for them. Thibodeau should use the bench a little more but he is stubborn.
4. Robinson has a very positive +/- points advantage going when he is on the court. You have to play him early in the quarter as they are fouling him and no one wants to watch him at the foul line. But he has been a difference maker on both ends – especially with KAT on the court.
5. Boston may just lack a player with that killer instinct. It’s hard to believe as they have manhandled the Knicks all year and Tatum especially is usually uncoverable. But he has come up small in these first two games.
6. The Knicks have gotten lucky as well. They are not playing lights out by any measure and have been sloppy at times. Hart was huge last night even though he is reluctant to ever shoot. He is such a great finisher at the rim.

By no means is this series over. The Knicks are 5-0 on the road in the playoffs and seem to play freer away from the Garden. The Celtics have dominated most of the first two games, and while their confidence in the 4th quarter is clearly shaken now, it’s not like they are losing by 10 points. The Knicks will have to bring their best effort on Saturday. SU says please pass the ball and move. The Brunson clear outs are great at times but not every time.

Buckle up!

SU has a few thoughts to share on a bright, sunny day:

1. The NBA is now a much more wide open game with recent rule changes and teams pushing the ball up the court. Gone are the days of walking the ball up the court or having Carmelo Anthony jab step at the 3-point line for 15 seconds while his teammates stand around the perimeter hoping for a pass (er, it’s not coming). Then, the Knicks vs. the Pistons series started and we are seeing so much grabbing and holding. SU is not saying that the Knicks are not doing any of that but the refs are allowing Brunson to be pushed, shoved, bumped over and over again. Does he act a bit? Sure but this type of physical play would be whistled during the regular season. Do you now say, “this is playoff basketball” and start allowing it? In the first half of game 1, the Knicks did not even attempt a foul shot until there were 10 seconds left before half time. Ridiculous given how physical the game was. And then in the 4th quarter, it was all foul shots. This is one of the marquis first round series. The refs should call the fouls in the first quarter and make a statement for the rest of the game. We do not want to watch Pat Riley style, 1990s Miami vs the Knicks games which were in the 70s and low 80s for points. It’s not watchable and not inspiring for fans. Clean it up tomorrow night.
2. Can Devin Williams pitch in New York? SU is not seeing it and Luke Weaver will be the closer come June. So, Williams blew the 4-run lead on Saturday and has not been used since. We know closers do not like being brought into games where they can’t register a save. Weaver has been used a lot in high stress situations. He pitched last night. Today, it’s 5 – 1 in the 9th, and a well, well rested Williams is passed over to have Weaver close the game. SU believes it was a case of Boone not wanting to insult Williams by bringing him into another non-save situation. Weaver gave up some long, long fly balls and they won the game but he should not have been in there. Tomorrow is an off day – Williams has been bad in most of his outings. Bad job by Boone handling the bullpen although we are used to that as Yankee fans.
3. How good are the Mets? True, it’s only April but they are getting great starting pitching and timely hitting. The NL is much better than the American League this year and they will have many tough games ahead but they are off to a great start with little in contributions from Soto. A lot to be excited about for Met fans and they will have the sports pages to themselves soon enough in New York (are sports pages still a thing?).
4. Speaking of good, Aaron Judge is hitting over .400 with absolutely no protection in the lineup this year. Very impressive. You have Rice, Goldschmidt and a lot of sub-.200 hitters with Grisham out. Judge is in his prime: you need to win now. Rumor has it Stanton is almost ready to resume outdoor batting practice which feels like a huge advancement for him. SU is not a believer in the Yankees this year with the starting pitching the way it is. Just not sustainable and they will burn out the relievers. New York is a Mets town.
5. 35% of men’s NCAA basketball players are in the transfer portal. Now, it doesn’t mean they will all transfer but this is college free agency on steroids. Great for the players who can chase the NIL money but lousy for the fans as you basically have a brand new team every year for schools that you root for. Plus players are in the portal during the NCAA tournament. Needs to be fixed.
6. The NFL draft is upon us. It is not a good year to draft a quarterback but it seems likely that 3 or 4 will still go in the first round as teams chase a savior who can strike it big.
7. SU has said this before but Paige Bueckers is going to be bigger than Caitlin Clark in the long run in the WNBA. And I am not even talking about basketball ability per se although she has the complete game. Huge social media following and fans all over the country. I believe you will see giant crowds for her games similar to what Clark had last year. SU is still not sold on the WNBA but I enjoy following the former UConn players. Azzi Fudd will be the next big thing when she graduates next year. A lot of talent there.

Are the Knicks winning this series? They need to feature KAT and take the pressure off of Brunson. Post him up against the smaller defenders and get him 20 shots in game 3. Enough of the hero ball and the clear out offense.

SU had taken an extended hiatus from posting these last couple of months. To be honest, much more focused on what is going on in our country as every day brings another shock to the system. But I know: #SticktoSports and SU will do that here.

My take on various items:

1. Yankees: SU is not excited for the coming season – at all. Cole is out, LeMahieu was injured on his first spring training at bat (how is that even possible?) and Stanton is taking PRP injections into both elbows at an alarming rate which cannot be a good sign for him this season. Clarke Schmidt already has elbow concerns. True, there is some new talent on the roster but they are not a lock to make the playoffs this year. This season will no doubt be a slog.
2. Mets: Soto is in camp but they also have a ton of injuries to their pitchers. SU believes they will be the more exciting team this season in New York and Steve Cohen will spend what is needed mid-season to make the playoff run. The Dodgers are stocked of course but if you have the money, why not spend it?
3. Knicks: I have felt that the Knicks were a player short all year long to be able to compete with the Celtics and the Cavs in the playoffs. Clearly, they need Brunson fully healthy. The trade for KAT was good as he is a stud player and Bridges has been a nice complimentary piece. Was he worth all of the draft picks? SU misses DeVincenzo and his grit. I guess a first round series win and then losing to Cleveland or Boston will be a satisfactory season but management needs to find that one more piece to the puzzle while everyone is in their prime.
4. Giants: Jameis Winston is your new quarterback for the coming season. I guess he can get hot for stretches but he will always make the big turnover at some point – you know it’s coming. SU is not high on either quarterback at the top of the draft list (Sanders or Ward) and of course, last year was the year to draft a quarterback. At least they steered clear of Aaron Rodgers. Thank goodness for the Red Zone channel.
5. NCAAs: The Big Ten is 8-0 through the first round. The ACC only has one team remaining in the 2nd round (Duke) which apparently has not happened going back to the 1970s. Clearly the ACC coaches are not spending enough time in the transfer portal and forking over big NIL dollars to recruits and transfers. Big game today between two legendary coaches in Pitino and Calipari. St. John’s is a tough opponent – especially if they learn that they are not a great 3-point shooting team and mix it up on offense more. SU has them going to the Elite 8. Houston will win it all.
6. Celtics City: SU has been watching the HBO series, Celtics City. Now, I hate the Celtics forever but this is an interesting watch. Lots of history on Russell, Auerbach going back to the 1960s and then the school busing during the 1970s in Boston. It’s a Bill Simmons production. Worth a look.
7. NCAAs Women’s: SU believes that UConn has a decent shot to win it all. If the brackets go according to plan, ESPN will have some great games in the final 8. As the women’s game gets stronger, the refereeing needs to also keep pace. No doubt it will be exposed on national television in the next few weeks. There is no reason some of the men’s refs are not calling these games – at least in the playoffs for starters.

All for now. MLB predictions to come later in the week.

A few general thoughts from SU on a Monday morning :

1. It is quite a story in Washington where the Commanders have gone from having to start Taylor Heinicke at quarterback to Jayden Daniels who can be in place for the next 15 years if he stays healthy. Washington had several choices last season in the draft but clearly made the right one. So many teams (as in most) seem to fan on these picks, and it takes several years to recover from that. You have to feel for the Lion fans but there defense was decimated with injuries and they got exposed over the weekend. Too bad as they were a great story this year. No one wants to see the Chief in the Super Bowl again. SU feels like the Bills have what it takes to pull the upset.
2. The rich get richer. First, the Dodgers won the sweepstakes for Roki Sasaki, and now they have signed the best remaining free agent reliever, Tanner Scott, for $72 million over 4 years. The Dodgers are clearly the preferred destination for the top Japanese players now, and have a core in place to woo any future stars. Their payroll must be way over the revenue cap now ($375 million and counting) but ownership doesn’t care. The math has to work and any penalty they are paying is offset by the extra revenues from all the playoff games. It’s been a long time since a World Series winner repeated but this may be the year.
3. The Yankees are just another team now. First, they lost out on Sosa and now on Sasaki. Hal Steinbrenner has the money but only if he sells the Yankees. He has a cap on what he is willing to spend and sure, it’s a lot higher than just about anyone else. But it’s clear that not every player wants to be in the spotlight of New York, and there are other choices out there. The Yankees will field a formidable lineup in 2025 but they are still a bit unathletic, a bit lacking on defense and we know they can’t run the bases. SU is still waiting to see who is playing 3rd base. Surely it’s not going to be DJ LeMahieu??
4. The Australian Open has a great men’s quarterfinals match early tomorrow morning between Alcaraz and Djokovic. That side of the draw is stacked for this tournament, and the winner will likely need to beat Zverev in the semis and Sinner in the finals. A tall order. You have to figure that Sinner has a great shot at defending his title from last year. Nice showing by the young Americans as some new names broke through to the round of 16. SU will be interested to see if the Andy Murray coaching gives Djokovic the extra few points to pull what will be an upset over a high-performing Alcaraz in this tournament.
5. It’s time for the NCAA to change replay reviews in college basketball games. SU caught the Michigan – Northwestern game yesterday which easily exceeded 2.5 hours. There were SO many replay review in this game for flagrant fouls, tipped balls, etc. SU says put in the NBA rules where the coaches get a couple of challenges for the game and that is it. Plus down the stretch, stop with the reviews of every tipped ball. What is ridiculous is that there are plays throughout the game where the naked eye sees the ball deflected out and you know what happened. Sometimes the frame by frame review shows some finger nail that while technically correct, would never have been called that way in the rest of the game with the naked eye. Games are not lost in the last 2 minutes but rather by all the plays that happened before then. This is supposed to be entertaining. Speed it up!
6. College football finals tonight. SU read a story that the Ohio State team had a 3-hour players and head coach meeting about a week after they lost to Michigan where it was very intense, tears were flowing, things were said, and Ryan Day said he had let the team down. Not sure what that means exactly as he has about a 95% winning percentage at Ohio State in his career. Clearly, that meeting spurred the team to a very high level of play. Apparently, he has received death threats over that loss and had to pull his kids out of school for a while. This is way over the top. Perhaps social media makes it easier to spread the hate (OK, not perhaps, it makes it easier to do and anonymously) but in the end, these are college athletes and not paid professionals. Well, OK, they are well paid in some cases with a lot of money but you get my drift here. Time to tone it down. This is not the NFL.
7. SU continues to enjoy watching the Knicks but they are clearly a player short from competing for an NBA championship. KAT was a great addition but SU believes the loss of DiVincenzo is still felt. Mitchell Robinson will return at some point but he can just as easily get hurt again. Let’s see if they can pick up someone at the trade deadline to help them make a more meaningful run come playoff time. Otherwise, it’s a likely 2nd round loss again.

Hey, if you’re not working today, and have a few points to make, this is your chance. The floor is open.

SU has been happy with Cashman’s moves so far to replace Juan Soto. Max Fried was a solid signing assuming he can stay healthy and hey, it’s not my money. I also like the Cody Bellinger signing as he is only 30, and playing with the short porch in right field can only help him. His output has declined over the years but playing for his dad’s old team should light a fire under him. His Dad’s claim to fame was being a utility infielder/outfielder for Joe Torre during the glory years. Torre was a fan of resting his top players on Sunday if they won the first two games of a series. The Yankees were always in a position to put Boston away for the season with a sweep but Torre would say, “nah, let’s put in the Clay Bellinger lineup today” and rest 4 regulars. SU estimates that the Yankees lost 90% of those games but I would have to check the stats.

Christian Walker will be signing with the Astros and it has never sounded like the Yankees were interested in Bregman to play third base. They still need to find a 3rd baseman and a 1st baseman although Bellinger can play there for some of the time.

The latest – and very hot rumors this morning – are the Yankees signing Paul Goldschmidt (37 years old and in decline) after a very good career, and then trading for Nolan Arenado, 34 years old, and a gold glover on the Cardinals. Apparently, they are buddies and Arenado, who just turned down a trade to the Astros, might be willing to bring his talents to New York if Goldschmidt signs. Arenado is another guy in decline after some great years in Colorado earlier in his career. He has 3 years left on his contract with the Rockies paying some of the money and the Yankees would be on the hook for $60 million.

SU liked that brief era when the Yankees were trying to get younger and more athletic (I believe that era lasted 38 hours but I would need to go back and check the timeline). It sounds like they are now back to signing aging ballplayers for 1 – 2 year contracts and hoping to get lucky. The risk is that you add two DJ LeMahieus to the roster and then have 3 aging players in decline. Of course, they are all right-handed hitters per usual. Now, they do have Jazz Chisholm, Wells and Bellinger hitting from the left side but it would be nice to have one more bat. That was why Soto was so great for last year.

The other option apparently being explored is Carlos Santana, 38-years old and a good fielder. He will hit .220 and hit some homeruns but would be a 1-year rental type player. Also not inspiring.

Goldschmidt wants a multi-year deal which could torpedo the deal right up front so we will have to see how this unfolds. SU says get younger and more athletic please. And a bit more left-handed as they do play 81 games at Yankee Stadium and last I checked, that fence is pretty close. It does not sound like Pete Alonso is not in the mix but SU is OK with that as he will want a long term deal and is another .230 hitter. There must be some guys out there that hit for average.

Your thoughts? Clearly, the Yankees want to go for it in 2025 as Judge is in his prime, Cole is still an ace and they were close this year.

SU got a kick out of Juan Soto’s remarks at his introductory press conference with the Mets yesterday.  “And at the end of the day, we looked at everything. We looked at the chances, and we looked at what the other teams wanted to do and what everyone wants to do for the next 15 years. And I think we have the best chance over here.”

Translation: Steve Cohen is the owner who will clearly outspend any owner in MLB over the next 15 years. And he is the owner who will spend the most money on me. Even down to the wire, Soto was asking the Yankees to up their offer just a little higher. Sure, Hal would not throw in the free luxury suite for the Soto clan for every home game but SU is sure that was not the deciding factor – at least I don’t think it was. In the end, Steve Cohen offered up a bit more money.

SU has no problem with that. Soto clearly did not appreciate any aura or history playing for the Yankees and all the tradition. SU says it is noteworthy that he did not speak with any of the Yankee players following the end of the season during his free agency. Interesting. Certainly Judge and Stanton would be guys to connect with – maybe even Cole. I think this was in the end, a straight money play – the highest bidder wins and that is fine. Just say it. Time will tell if he is worth it.

As a Yankee fan, I am OK with Soto leaving, and it’s fine that he is going to the Mets. Better to get him out of the American League. For SU, no player is worth this type of money as you can probably slot in 2 – 3 really good players for that cost. While Cohen has an open pocketbook, the revenue taxes are going to be huge for him, and you wonder at what point this becomes not worth it?

In the meantime, the Yankees continue to be linked to everyone: Bregman, Tucker on the Astros, Walker on the Diamondbacks, Bellinger on the Cubs. The Red Sox are interested in Bregman so Cashman must be floating their interest in him to drive up the price for Boston. Cannot see him coming to the Yankees as a right-handed hitter.

SU watched the UConn women’s game vs. Notre Dame last night. Notre Dame has a really good team and led pretty much from start to finish. Note to the NCAA: you really need to upgrade the quality of reffing in the women’s game. It is subpar. Notre Dame plays very aggressive defense and basically forced Paige Bueckers to drive in order to get off her shots. She did not get to the foul line until late in the 4th quarter after taking 21 shots – most of which were drives in the paint. UConn had 1 foul shot mid-way through the 4th quarter. They were letting them play as the saying goes which for a fan is enjoyable but usually the players that take it to the basket are rewarded with some foul shots. Geno Auriemma did not bring it up in his as far as I know but you cannot play that level of handsy defense without getting some calls. It was pretty clear on the telecast to see what was happening. Do better.

Yankee fans: check out the Netflix documentary on the 2004 Red Sox – Yankees ALCS series. While it is painful to watch as a Yankee fan, the former players and coaches/managers are very candid in the interviews, and there were some interesting reveals. SU did not know that many of the Red Sox were doing shots of Jack Daniels in the clubhouse before game 6 at Yankee Stadium – they have film of it. I can only watch this in 30-minute segments as it brings back too many painful memories. The Yankees had some real sluggers on that team but man, the pitching. Paul Quantrill – still a painful memory. Anyway, it is entertaining.

Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankees are licking their wounds from losing out on Soto but the vault is now open to sign some free agents to plug the holes on the roster.

Long-time subscriber, S. Safier, shared this article from the New York Post that one of deal breakers for Soto was that the Mets offered up a free luxury suite at Citi Field for his friends and family while Hal only would offer a discount (https://nypost.com/2024/12/09/sports/mets-suite-offer-yankees-didnt-match-helped-sway-juan-sotos-decision/). Echoes of A-Rod for SU. This reinforces the view that Soto is a mercenary and in the end, he was open to the highest bidder. Sure, he liked the personal touch by Cohen to invite him to his LA home as part of the wooing process. Whatever, we move on.

The Yankees made their first bold move by signing Braves’ pitcher, Max Fried, to an 8-year deal for $218 million. SU views him as an excellent starter with an injury history – what can go wrong? Apparently, some of the recent injuries are a bit fluky but you have to wonder about his durability. He will be 38 at the end of this contract. Well, not my money and the Yankees always need more quality starters. SU wishes him well and will hope for the best, but when he has “left forearm stiffness” in late March, I will not be surprised. They can now move Marcus Stroman in a trade as they need to keep Gil and Clarke Schmidt. They may have to trade Cortes instead of Stroman but we will see. They are actually fairly deep with starting pitchers now.

And what’s next? Lots of talk about Christian Walker to play 1st base. Gold glover, 33 years old – the word is a 3-year deal. That is the ideal length of any free agent contract for me. Overpay for the shorter duration. We already have DJ LeMahieu to look at when it comes to diminishing skills as players age into their late 30s. Walker sounds like a good fit although he is a right-handed hitter. Also lots of talk about Cody Bellinger coming from the Cubs in a trade. Long-time subscriber, B. Levine, is convinced the Yankees will trade top prospects for Kyle Tucker on the Astros. The one common thing about Yankee prospects is that they are overrated and overhyped. Something to watch here. SU says stay away from Alex Bregman – not cut out for Yankee Stadium as a right-handed pull hitter.

Hopefully, Cashman will save some of his money for the bullpen. For the Yankees, that has to be a top priority as we know starters rarely go past the 6th inning.

SU notes that former Yankees, Thairo Estrada signed a 1-year deal with the Rockies for $3.2 million. While his average was down in 2024, he can play multiple positions and usually can hit. Not every player has to make $20 million. These are the kind of guys that plug holes when injuries come up and he knows how to put the ball in play. Can we have some of that please? He would have come cheap.

SU expects the spending to continue now for the Yankees and we will see what comes next. It will be quick. Two priorities for me: left-handed hitters who hit for average; and guys who can play in New York or a big market. The swing and miss hitters can stay away. And hey, if they can play defense, we will take that as well.

You all know the quote from the Jerry Maguire movie: “Show me the money!” Well, Steve Cohen did just that for Juan Soto and there is officially a changing of the guard in New York. SU has felt this coming for several weeks now. Soto is just the latest of several stars who have said “no thank you” to Hal Steinbrenner and the Yankees. We had Ohtani (twice), Yamamoto, and now Soto.

The Soto defection is especially painful as he played in the Bronx for a full season, won the adoration of the fans and even played in a World Series. From all reports that SU has read, it does appear that Hal backed up the truck with a lot of money to keep Soto in pinstripes – way more than he was likely comfortable with but felt he owed it to the fans. However, Steve Cohen was not going to be outbid, and it would therefore come down to Soto and if playing at Yankee Stadium with the history, championships, aura, etc. was worth literally a few million dollars less than $765 million.

Soto showed he is a mercenary – took the maximum dollars. SU will not knock him for that. For him, the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays – they’re all just MLB Clubs. He wanted the biggest contract of all time – that was the goal. I am sure he will say all the right things at his press conference this week but it’s clear he wanted the money in the end. Credit to him. He was in his walk year and put up huge numbers playing for the Yankees with many, many dramatic moments along the way. A big time player in a big time market.

Time will tell, of course, if he is worth that money in his mid-late 30s. We know those contracts don’t end well. And time will tell if Steve Cohen does not care about paying the luxury taxes each year as he will still need to upgrade the Mets’ roster in a major way. They are far from a finished product. For SU, the bottom line is this: huge, huge get for the Mets, and another instance for the Yankees and Hal of being knocked down a peg.

We now wait to see what Brian Cashman has for his plan B. SU is not optimistic. Do not overpay for the older free agents with long term deals (looking at you Alex Bregman). For a fan, we enjoy watching young players figure it out and become really good players. There is no joy in watching players like Stanton and Rizzo decline over time. It is not inspiring. I do believe Cashman will act quickly now so buckle up.

So, Yankee fans: are you pissed off? Will you boo Soto when he comes to the Bronx? And Met fans: what comes next? Is it too much money? Or do you have bragging rights for the next 15 years?