New York's teams, the Mets and the Yankees, each had eventful Wednesdays. While the Mets stunned the league by signing Carlos Correa in the wee hours of the morning after his deal with the San Francisco Giants fell apart, the Yankees reintroduced Aaron Judge to the local media and anointed him as the team's official captain.
While you might suspect that the Yankees would be uneasy about the Mets stealing away their winter spotlight by channeling the Yankees of days past, owner Hal Steinbrenner voiced his excitement about having two great New York teams -- and his desire for a Subway Series come next fall.
"I think having two great New York sports teams is … phenomenal for the city, it's phenomenal for the rivalry and I'm all for it," he told Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record. Steinbrenner added that he was rooting for an all-New York World Series last October, and that he hopes it happens in 2023.
The Yankees and Mets have, of course, previously played one another in the World Series. Back in 2000, the Yankees defeated the Mets in five games to claim what was their third consecutive World Series title.
As far as offseason championships go, the Mets would seem to have an edge on their crosstown rivals. The Yankees retained Judge, the reigning American League MVP, and inked lefty Carlos Rodón. The Mets, meanwhile, have signed or re-signed starters Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and José Quintana; relievers Edwin Diaz, Adam Ottavino, and David Robertson; and -- phew -- the aforementioned Correa, outfielder Brandon Nimmo, and catcher Omar Narváez. To think, there's another two months remaining in the offseason.
We'll see what happens the rest of the way, but as it stands Steinbrenner's wish seems certain to be a trendy prediction entering the springtime.
