NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: The Yankees transferred one generation of superstar fielder earlier in the off-season when Francisco Lindor went to the Mets, and it turns out they passed on another one. There was talk throughout the day that the Cardinals were working on a deal with the Rockies for third baseman Nolan Arenado, and according to Ken Rosenthal they reached an agreement.
The bigger consequence for the Yankees, however, could be that the Rockies want to lock up the shortstop Trevor Story in the aftermath of the Arenado deal. Story was seen as a possible upgrade in the short term with the relevant defensive skills of Gleyber Torres there, but now the avenue can be closed.
NY Post | Dan Martin: Brian Cashman, who praised Masahiro Tanaka’s Yankees career, raised a sore point about the achievements Tanaka has achieved. Cashman mentions that he believes Tanaka is doing everything in his power to get New York back in the Fall Classic, and that he would probably have brought us to a world series if we did not run into some cocktails. ‘It’s clear that the Astros scandal is still a deep wound for the franchise, and that the opportunity it robbed of their players will be on their minds for a while.
NY Daily News | William Bradford Davis: The trade in Adam Ottavino came together pretty quickly, but that may have surprised Ottavino more than anyone else. The reliever was training in the Yankee Stadium when he was notified of the deal, and Aaron Boone was on hand when the news broke. In some ways, it’s a fitting end to a rare trade-off between rivals, as Ottavino will now wear Red Sox colors and face his former team a few times this year.