New York Yankees president Randy Levine addressed the club’s underwhelming start to the 2023 MLB season.
“It’s a long season,” Levine said, according to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. “We’ve had a lot of injuries. I think the guys were great fighting through it. We’re right in the midst of it. Hopefully, we get some players back soon. We’re right there and the last I looked, we’re not in June yet. So we’re fighting. I think it’s going fine.”
In fairness to Levine, the Yankees went 10-3 in games featuring slugger Aaron Judge following Judge’s return from a stint on the injured list until they lost two straight against the Baltimore Orioles during the midweek. However, New York remains responsible for the American League’s highest payroll but began Friday trailing the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by seven games in the AL East standings.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner raised eyebrows and generated headlines when he recently said he won’t “look back at the season and say it was a failure” if it ends without a championship parade. Levine suggested the decision to designate struggling outfielder Aaron Hicks for assignment last weekend even though Hicks had over two years left on a seven-year, $70M contract extension he signed ahead of the 2019 campaign proves Steinbrenner is all-in on winning a World Series this fall.
“He was not the first player who comes to New York and didn’t succeed as much as he would like to have succeeded and he won’t be the last,” Levine said about Hicks. “I think that shows Hal Steinbrenner is listening to his baseball people and their recommendation. His priority is putting the best team on the field. It’s my job to take care of the money in other ways.”
The 30-22 Yankees next begin a three-game home series against the 23-27 San Diego Padres on Friday night.
