Reports surfaced on Saturday morning that the Yankees beat Dellin Betances in his arbitration hearing. The right-hander will earn $3 million for the 2017 season, not the $5 million he suggested. On the surface, this isn’t out of the ordinary. Seven other players lost arbitration cases this offseason without need for further commentary. Caitlin’s post yesterday should have closed the book on the matter.
The Yankees, however, can’t get out of their own way. Moments after the decision became public, team president Randy Levine held a conference call with reporters. Instead of expressing relief that the process is over, or showing gratitude for having an elite pitcher on the team, Levine used the opportunity to lambast Betances and his agent.