As the WBC takes off, the Yankee leftovers plod onward

Searching for meaning in an especially meaningless universe...

Box scores during the new Winter Olympics World Baseball Classic. Ten takeaways.

1. Twelve Yanks in the WBC. Judge, Goldy, Bednar (USA); Wells, Doval, Rosario (DR); Cruz, Rodriguez (PR); Caballero (Panama), Chisholm, Beck (UK); Cohen (Israel.) Yes, Jazz is playing for jolly old England. Bob's yer uncle.

2. You'd think being 12 players down would mean extra playing time for Spencer Jones and the Martian, but - nah - only one OF gone.

3. Jones and Dominguez continue to haunt. Yesterday, in his lone plate appearance, Jones drew a walk. The Martian came up twice: singling to center and flying out to left.  

4. Box won't show it, but Dominguez lollygagged a gapper to left-center, letting a Twin leg it into a double. The Martian looked surprised at the notion of a runner, hustling, then he threw wide to second. Exactly the play he needs to make next month, in Scranton. 

5. Angel Chivlli - whom Cashman obtained for T.J. Rumfeld, (currently 6 for 18 with 3 HRs at Colorado) - a source of front office self-congratulation, entered the game with decent numbers... and left with an ERA over 18.00. 

6. Here's how it happened. He came in for the 5th, facing the Twin no-names. (That's a redundancy, eh?) First guy doubles. Next guy - (named "Outman," I mean, you can't make this stuff up) - homers. Then... infield hit, strikeout, walk, single, Boonie hook-a-roo.

7. Another Cashman pitching project, Cade Winquest, got knocked around, sorta, giving up a run on two hits.

8. For Winquest, it's not as bad as it sounds: He walked the leadoff hitter, moved him to second with a wild pitch, then gave up an infield hit. First and third, nobody out. He works a K, conjures a ground out, then gives up an infield hit, with 3B Ryan McMahon botching the throw, scoring the runner. E-5.

9. Winquest is a December Rule 5 draft pick, which means a) the Yankees must keep him all season or return him to St. Louis; b) practically every team in baseball had a shot at picking him, and passed; c) he'd be a big win for the front office, which needs a win. 

10. A lotta noise out there about Bryce Harper being pissed at the Phillies, who seem to be disrespecting him. It has spawned bullshit rumors about a trade with the Yankees, who were Harper's dream destination, as a kid. Make no mistake: Harper will someday be a Yankee. But he'll be pushing 42.