New York Post | Greg Joyce: Aaron Judge’s barking elbow was a major concern for the Yankees last summer, with the illness costing the captain time and production in July and August. But after the season, team doctors told Judge he wouldn’t need surgery, and Judge said his elbow was now fully ready to function. “It feels good,” Judge said Monday. “So far I haven’t had any problems. I think we’re ready to go. I’m going there with confidence.”
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Not long ago, the Yankees were known for their great bullpen. Ten years ago they released the trio of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, and a few years later they added big signings like Zack Britton and Adam Ottavino to the mix. These days, however, the Yankees aren’t spending on top-notch relief pitchers, preferring to stock the bullpen with a mix of trade acquisitions and lesser advanced weapons. Brian Cashman says it’s not team policy to avoid top free-agent relievers, but the proof is in: The Yankees haven’t signed a significant free-agent reliever since giving Ottavino $27 million seven years ago.
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FanGraphs | Eric Longenhagen: We have another top 100 prospects list available to you, this time from FanGraphs. Konnor Griffin comes in at number one, the Pirates infielder cementing himself as the sport’s top prospect. As for the Yankees, it’s the same story we’ve heard across the board this offseason, as there is some really exciting premium talent at the top of the farm system, but a lack of depth afterward. George Lombard Jr. is unsurprisingly the highest-ranked Yankee, although Longenhagen and Co. are a bit lower on him than some other prospect dogs, putting Lombard at 49. Elmer Rodríguez, Dax Kilby and Carlos Lagrange follow Lombard in a short time.
SNY | Tom Hanslin: A small but important injury update here, as Cam Schlittler threw a bullpen session yesterday. The right-hander was dealing with back inflammation last week when he reported to camp and had been throwing a flat pitch, so it’s good to see he’s back throwing a mound a few days later. “It went well. Something we weren’t overly concerned about, just being where we are in the schedule,” Aaron Boone said. “I just wanted to make sure this didn’t turn into something bigger. As a result, everything worked out fine.”
