Ryan Ripken

They were banged up going in.

They didn't have enough pitching depth, and they got burned tremendously.

And one of the mottos I used last year was if they were going to be considered weak in the pitching department, their hitting and defense was going to have to be elite, and it wasn't.

And so you went as far as your young core was going to take you, and it didn't take that step that they wanted.

Um, and Mike Elias, people were burning Mike Elias, but I said, you know what?

Give him time.

See what he does now with ownership, having a full year now and a, and a full, fully comfortable year of understanding what they have with their team.

And you know what Mike Elias did?

He said, I ain't going to get burned twice.

They've been aggressive.

And I mean, the other name you didn't add there was Ryan Helsley.

And also Taylor Ward.

It's been so damn, it's been so many damn moves, but you know what?

They had to do that because you know why the Yankees to me going into this, if no moves were being made,

Their pitching staff of Garrett Cole comes back from a starting standpoint.

That's elite.

Freed, Rodon, Cole.

I mean, Cam, that's right.

The dude throwing fuzz.

The Yankees develop pitchers just better than almost anyone when I've been around.