COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

 Juan Soto hasn't just be a difference for the Yankees thus far in 2024. He IS the difference. It might only be four games in a 162-game season, but Soto has made a monumental difference in how the Yankees approach games now. He has added a fire in the middle of the order that wasn't there in recent seasons, and his clutch hitting ... my word! The clutch hitting, and clutch defense! What can one say?  Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo.   Soto's a special player. He's going to command a HUGE contract come next off-season, one that will probably rival Shohei Ohtani. If the Yankees are smart, at some point they find a way to lock this guy up.  Soto once again came up huge for the Bronx Bombers, slashing a RBI single in the top of the ninth inning to chase home what would turn into the game winning run.  He finished the afternoon going 3-of-5 with the RBI, and is batting an astounding .529 right out of the game. Even Oswaldo Cabrera, who has been sizzling to start the...

The season is only two days old and the New York Mets find themselves in the thick of some controversy.  Reliever Yoan Ramirez has been suspended three games by Major League Baseball for throwing a pitch over the head of Brewers infielder Rhys Hoskins in Saturday's 7-6 loss to Milwaukee. Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza was also suspended one game, which he served on Sunday. The incident occurred in the seventh inning when Ramirez who released the pitch that sailed over Hoskins head.  The dugouts cleared for the second straight day, but no punches were thrown.  Ron Darling on SNY made it a point -- and a good one -- when he said that if the Mets wanted to send a message about Hoskins hard slid into Jeff McNeil on Friday it was two hours too late !  Hoskins went on to pulverize the Mets on Saturday, including crushing a two-run homer in the Brewers victory. The Mets had their shot to plunk Hoskins and blew it.  The ignominious moment was part in parcel of what has bee...

The New York Jets have the pass rusher they have been looking for.  Gang Green completed a stunning trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that sends one of the games elite pass rushers, Hasson Reddick to New York in exchange for a conditional 2026 third round pick.  Reddick is entering the final year of his contract, and was reportedly seeking a trade and was unhappy with his contract in Philadelphia. He is only 29-years old, still in the prime of his career. The Jets will pay Reddick $14.5 million to play for them this year. If you listen to J ets beat writer Connor Hughes , Reddick wants a long term deal in the $30 million annually range. It remains to be seen if the Jets go all in on a long term deal with Reddick, but one thing is certain, the Jets got themselves a top flight talent to replace Bryce Huff who, ironically, left the Jets for the Eagles.  Reddick has recorded double digit sack seasons in each of the last four seasons, including a career high 16 sacks in 2022....

 If the New York Mets were hoping to change the narrative in 2024, Opening Day just wasn't the showcase. The Mets were held to one hit for the first time ever on Opening Day as the Milwaukee Brewers came away with a 3-1 win to start the season. The only hit the Mets got on Friday came from a solo shot by Starling Marte, who got just enough of a Willy Peralta fastball to send it over the left field fence. It was a great moment for Marte, who had to battle through injuries for most of the 2023 season. When healthy, Marte is a sparkplug for the Mets offense. Willy Peralta vs. Jose Quintana After serving up the homer to Marte, Peralta dominated the Mets. He held New York to just one hit over six innings while fanning eight batters. Peralta has owned the Mets in his career, and Friday was no different. As for his opponent, New York Mets starter Jose Quintana, he struggled with his control. Quintana walked two, gave up four hits and two runs and took the lose. He tossed 85 pitches in 4....

 Juan Soto has only been in pinstripes for one regular season game, but, already he is winning over New York Yankees fans everywhere after he flashed his glove in right field at the most opportune time in the Yanks 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Opening Day. With the New York Yankees leading 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Astros tried to rally late and steal it from the Yankees. With Maurcio Dubon and Yordan Alvarez on base, Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker laced a single to right-center. With Dubon racing around third toward home, Juan Soto came up with a laser to home plate that took out Dubon to preserve the lead. After Alex Bregman grounded out to end it, Soto pumped his fist into the air in celebration, yelling "Let's Go" as he joined fellow outfielders Alex Verdugo and Aaron Judge for a high five. Talk about an impact player. At the plate, Soto finished 1-for-3 with a RBI and two walks. Game Recap: The Yankees fell behind early, 4-0 in fact, as Nes...

 If Steve Cohen has showed us one thing since he bought the Mets four years ago is he's always willing and able to find ways to make a deal if it improves his team.  And did he ever.  The Mets signed slugger J.D. Martinez to a one-year contract worth $12 million. The contract is incentive laden as Martinez will make roughly $4.5 million this season, and the rest will be deferred through the year 2034 - 2038 according to reports.  Adding Martinez is a huge boon for the Mets who were not looking too good offensively in Spring Training. The Mets were hoping Mark Vientos would grab the bull by the proverbial horns this spring as the full time DH but it hasn't worked out.  While Vientos led the team with four homers in Spring, he was hitting only .205 in Grapefruit League action.  Martinez is no spring chicken, he's 36. Yet in 113 games last season with the LA Dodgers, Martinez crushed 33 home runs. He is a six-time All Star, who has been selected to the All Sta...

The New York Jets and Joe Douglas got their man!  Tyron Smith signs with the Jets after all, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $20 million with incentives.  Smith, 33, has been regarded as one of the game's best tackles, and was named Second Team All Pro after a season in which he had an "89.1 percent pass block rate" according to ESPN.  Smith was released by the Dallas Cowboys who appear to be retooling in many respects this off-season.  The Jets now have a totally restructured offensive line with Smith at left tackle, John Simpson, whom they signed as a free agent, via the Baltimore Ravens, at left guard. Joe Tippman firmly set at center, Alijah-Vera Tucker at right guard, and newly acquired Morgan Moses at right tackle. On paper it is certainly a better offensive line than what the Jets trotted out last season.  Last season was a bounce back year for Smith, who played in 13 games. Prior to that he battled through injuries from 2020 through 2022. The Jets hope...

  Gerrit Cole will start the 2024 Major League Baseball season on the Injury List to undergo further testing on his right elbow. Cole was scheduled to visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles for further testing.  Cole had complained of discomfort between outings in his right elbow and was not recovering properly. “His recovery, before getting to his next start, has been more akin to what he feels during the season when he’s making 100 pitches,” Boone told reporters earlier in the week. According to MLB Network and NY Post columnist Jon Heyman, Cole’s MRI came back clean, there was no tear found. The hope is rest and rehab might be enough to get the Yankees ace back on the mound.  Elbow injuries are very tricky. In recent years, Jacob deGrom missed large chunks of time with the New York Mets due to a number of elbow ailments. deGrom had Tommy John Surgery this past season with the Texas Rangers and isn’t slated to return until late summer at the earliest. The...

 As if this Jets off-season couldn't get any more bizarre, here is the biggest whopper of them all.  Aaron Rodgers could become the choice of third party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become his running mate. I kid you not. When I first saw this this afternoon, I thought it was an Onion piece. Nope, it's from the New York Times!  According to NYT reporter Rebecca Davis O'Brien : "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently approached the N.F.L. quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura about serving as his running mate on an independent presidential ticket, and both have welcomed the overtures, two people familiar with the discussions said." The report continues that Kennedy and Rodgers have spoken "continuously" throughout the month.   At the end of the regular season, Rodgers spoke to reporters about the importance of eliminating distractions. This would be the biggest distraction of all.  In fa...

 The New York Yankees are hoping for the best with regard to the right elbow of their staff ace Gerrit Cole.  Cole, who is the unquestioned ace of the Yankees starting staff, has had difficulty in his recovering time between outings in Spring training. Cole was to undergo an MRI on the elbow, but nothing definitive regarding an update has come out as of Tuesday afternoon.  According to Talkin Yankees on X, Cole is to undergo more tests in the coming days, and his chance at starting Opening Day look remote, not only because of the injury, but because of his build up schedule.  Meanwhile, reports surfaced Tuesday that the Yankees could be in the market for another starting pitcher as insurance, and the name Dylan Cease has come up. Cease is a 28-year old hurler of the Chicago White Sox, and their ace.  The Sox are not very good. The Yankees have tried to inquire on him before but to no avail. Now, with uncertainty surrounding Cole, the Yankees are trying again....

 There is taking your time, and then there is New York Jets General Manager Joe Douglas taking his time.  Free agents were flying off the board Monday, but the Jets remained mostly quiet until very late, striking a deal with former Giants back-up quarterback Tyrod Taylor, among a number of key signings. While this was not a star-studded free agency for the Jets, they added depth to their offensive line, began to answer their quagmire at back-up quarterback, re-signed kicker Greg Zuerlin in the process. They got a lot more work to do. Key Additions: Tyrod Taylor, QB : The Jets answer a huge need at backup quarterback by signing the veteran journeyman to a two-year deal. Not large in statue, at 6-1, but efficent when called upon. Completed 64 percent of his throws last season with the Giants. The hope here is that Aaron Rodgers is healthy for the full season. John Simpson, OG: The Jets desperately need help on the offensive line and signed the former Raven John Simpson to a two...

 Saquon Barkley is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.  That was the first of many headlines associated with the Giants on the first day of free agency, and it was not the start Big Blue had hoped for. But, thanks to a flurry of moves by General Manager Joe Schoen, the Giants saved face by adding to their offensive line, finding a cheaper option at running back, and positioning themselves to be competitive in 2024. Key Additions: Devin Singletary, RB : The Giants had to find a replacement for Barkley who takes his talents down I-95 to Philadelphia. They may have found it in the sturdy veteran Singeltary. While he has never run for 1,000 in a single season, Singletary does have nice burst, and is familiar with Brian Daboll's offense, having played for him at Buffalo when Daboll was the offensive coordinator. Look for the G-Men to draft a running back in later rounds to complement Singletary. Brian Burns, LB: What a bold move by the Giants to trade and sign this 25-year ol...

 Are Daniel Jones days numbered in New York?  According to Rich Eisen they might very well be.  On his daily radio show, Eisen brought to light a rumor that he heard floating at the combine that the Giants are indeed done with Jones as their quarterback and have "buyers remorse." This despite General Manager Joe Schoen actually stating that he believes in Jones moving forward as the Giants starting quarterback.  If this rumor is indeed true. What a huge black eye for Schoen, Head Coach Brian Daboll and the Giants.  While they didn't draft Jones, they are the ones who inked the quarterback to a four-year $160 million contract. They are the one's who put the G-men on the hook for $35 million this year, and $69 million in dead cap money should they move on now from him.    So this is no easy situation. Couple this news with the fact the Giants won't franchise tag Saquon Barkley, who will test the free agent waters and it is easy to see why Giants fans are...