 With David Cohn, I'm Nancy Newman. It's that time. We're heading to the stretch run of spring training So we're going to do a spring training report card. Sounds good. Sounds good to me Let's start with the pitching Garrett Cole as advertised He was a little sick earlier in the week, but he's looking good now. He I mean he came out his first game through In 99 hours an hour So this guy is certainly a number one starter the guy you want leading your staff and also a leader too He's already taken charge of the clubhouse and kind of teaching talking to people getting to know people I think he's just been perfect a perfect fit for the Yankees. He brings it on the field every single day You can see the intensity and you can also see that he's a willing teacher. He really is I mean His first press conference was done so well I mean his introduction to the New York Yankee fan base couldn't have gone better and then one step at the time You know every step of the way he's been Right on point You know, I think Yankee fans are just gonna love this guy And I know you've had a chance to spend some good time with him good conversation What's your biggest takeaway from that? You know the thing I love is his curiosity. He's never satisfied He wants to learn his craft and that's that's right in my wheelhouse. That's as you know I mean you never stop learning in this game and he respects The players that came before him, but yet he's also kind of new school So he's got that good balance of old and new and he's just always looking for an edge Looking for a piece of information that he can use and I know you've always got an eye on the next wave The young guys coming up how great for them to have him showing the way Absolutely, that's that's the guy you want me and setting the example for a lot of the young guys And for me, you know when you look at the next wave of arms coming up through the Yankee system It's exciting and there's some great great talent on the way knocking on the door probably we'll see them this year at some point Who's impressed you the most? You know, there's so many I mean Clark Schmidt, you know for a number one draft one through Tommy John surgery is back He's healthy. You know, he's knocking on the door. Davey Garcia is right there Michael King I mean the list goes on and on the arms that are on on the way in the Yankee system It's really exciting if you're a Yankee fan, there's a lot of great arms on their way and that number five starter It is open. So there are decisions ahead there. There really are I mean There's roster considerations whether you're on the 40 man or not Certainly some of the young guys are falling into that right now, but when their time comes, they're gonna be ready And the Yankees are gonna have choices Jonathan the wise he has been great this spring He may be that the shoe in for the number five guy right now But you're gonna need more more than five starters as we've seen in years past. So it's more like the next five Right, it's like ten starters. Yeah at times throughout the season. So I I think the Yankees have incredible depth right now Yeah, we're seeing that already and before we move on Jordan Montgomery has looked terrific this spring. Yeah, it's a great story I mean, you know, we saw him, you know, and his really is rookie year He was probably the best rookie pitcher, you know three years ago when he was in 2017 when he was Breaking in with the Yankees and we thought wow, this guy's gonna be around a long time Had the Tommy John surgery and he's come back even better. He's throwing harder He looks like he's hungry and how could he not be? I mean when he's been out that long gone through the adversity He's been through he's ready to really come back and reclaim the spot the rotation like his confidence quiet confidence, right? Yes, he's very confident. He knows because he had success here. So he knows he belongs It's not like he's trying to establish himself. He's just coming back from injury So it's just a matter of him getting back out there again and doing what he knows he can do more grades to hand out Let's move around the infield glaver every day shortstop DJ every day second baseman early thoughts Yeah, I think you know when you think about the offseason decisions and letting DD Gugorius go Signing you know down the pike a little bit in Philadelphia that I think that was so DJ Love me. You can play second base every day, you know I mean the original plan was for him to move around to be a utility type of player, but he's too good You need him every day at second base He's a cold glove fielder and glaver showed us last year in the first half when DD Gugorius was out that he can play shortstop He's a natural shortstop. He came with the minor league playing shortstop. So, you know, it's I think that's that's the comfort level The Yankees have it's okay We can let we can let him play shortstop play DJ every day at second base and we'll go from there And they'd sign up every day for what DJ did last year. Oh my goodness. Oh, yeah I mean, it's he was just remarkable and you know, I I think you know for a lot of players that come out of Colorado You don't know what you're gonna get and there's kind of a stigma attached to those those guys that come out of Colorado Was at the air or they we know what kind of player are they really we found out You know, DJ LaMay is one of the best players in the game, you know on all both sides of the ball. So He's the guy you want, you know playing every day and penciling him in you don't want him moving around Even though he could do it third base one day first base the next day and I'll put him at second base every day and let's go and Luke Voight and geo your corners. Yes Geo deserves it. He really established himself last year is great with the gloves We know he really came into his own offensively So he deserves a chance to be the everyday third baseman and of course Luke Voight as well I mean his injury issues last year, but his profile is a batter is incredible Is his plate discipline the way he gets on base? his power You know, he another guy when you look at the corners, you think these guys deserve a shot You know, they were they've earned they've earned their way to be the everyday guys Let's address the outfield a lot of activity not all the great kind with the injuries happening to judge, etc it does open some doors and Maybe walking through could be Miguel and do her. Yes Miguel and do her is Certainly somebody everybody's excited to see back and now all of a sudden he's got an outfielders glove And he's gonna play the field and that just increases his Ability to be versatile to jump around and play multiple positions to me the the story is Clint Frazier It's time to find out about Clint Frazier. I mean he's been a top prospect for so many years We saw him last year Offensively really contributed last year and people forget in the first half of the year when the injuries were Hampering the Yankees that he really made a big impact on the Yankees So it's time to find out about Clint and and rightly so he deserves the shot to find out You know exactly how good he can be and Mike talk man very much in the mix as well. Yes another guy that Hey just do his last year really showed what what he can do and You know a guy that's gonna be really counted on this year and aside from the injuries These guys would have been there either way So, you know, it's it's nice to see people like that who came up through the minor leagues They paid their dues They had some success on the big league level and now it's time for them to establish themselves and really cement their status as big league players Let's make a full circle and go back to pitching and the bullpen finishing up there appropriately Your thoughts early impressions Well, that is the strength of the team the backbone of the team is the bullpen When you look they have two closers at the back end of the bullpen the most teams We'd love to have one of those guys when you think about Chapman and Britain at the end of the games Britain is one of the premier closers of his generation and he's the eighth inning guy So that shows you right there the depth they have on the back end and then you fill it on in from there From a lot of vino to Chad Green to Tommy Kainley the list goes on and on how deep they are It's just incredible to me I mean when you think about six seven deep of guys that could do any role If you needed out of a new to close one day, he could close out a game I mean there's four or five different pitchers that have our arms that you'd be comfortable in any role and any To put them in the game and that's a luxury most things don't happen. Yeah, and Ottavino a guy We know has worked very hard at being quicker to the plate Holding runners back. Yes. I mean you did this is he's a smart guy So he's gonna work on those weaknesses. That's a big deal. Just giving your catcher a chance To you know, it's not about throwing runners out. It's about slowing the running game down So I think that will really help him this year Especially when he comes into games with his runners on base late in the game So that that could be a big deal for him just to put put a stopgap on you know, the Running consistently on him. So yeah, I think it doesn't surprise me with him because he's the type of guy That's really smart. He's gonna work on his weaknesses and he continues to do so and I have to get a word from you on Gary Sanchez Yes, I think you know, there's a lot of pressure on Gary this year people have high expectations for him He set the bar so high when he first broke in a few years ago when you think about 2017 You know, everybody thought oh my this guy's a world be here And he's kind of a victim of how high he set the bar back in 2017 But he's still to me one of the most talented catchers in the game With the injuries to judge in Giancarlo early in the season He's gonna be in the middle of that lineup So there's even more pressure on him to really you know re-establish himself But I think when you think about the other catchers around the game He's right at the top of the list, you know among among the top three or four best catchers in the game And finally early season prognostication. What are you seeing for this team? Oh, I see high expectations I see incredible depth up and down the roster They have a good farm system that can support if somebody gets hurt or to be able to supplement throughout the year I think the Yankees they've been knocking on the door for the last three years It's it's sort of a world series or best type of year for them and rightly so and Aaron brings an excellent leader He really has he's established himself He's very comfortable in his own skin. You could see him really coming to his own over the last couple years He's the manager the Yankees knows it the fan base loves him now He is well established to take this team for the next one. Let it for the season. Yes. Let's get going David Cohn ready to go