5 replacements for David Cone, Buck Showalter and Ken Singleton at YES Network

4. David Wells

Boomer! What a guy. He hasn’t exactly been in the spotlight a whole lot lately (outside of a Trump White House event where everyone pretty much ended up getting COVID), but what a fit he would be for the YES Network.

The burly left-hander was once upon a time one of the best pitchers in the game and took home a World Series with the Bombers (including ALCS honors) in 1998. Like Cone, his career spanned across three decades. He pitched in the late ’80s, then the ’90’s and throughout the steroid era into the mid-2000s.

Wells, also a former Red Sox and Blue Jay, would offer great insight into the AL East rivalries, too. The candor here would be of immense value … but he’ll be one that needs to be filtered like CC. Stories from Wells’ playing days suggest fans would be in for a ride if he’s on TV, given his disdain for umpires and a penchant for losing his cool at times.

Nonetheless, this is another one-of-a-kind personality who spent 21 years in Major League Baseball. He’s seen it all. He can offer endless anecdotes. And imagine him and Paul O’Neill having a good time reminiscing? Yankees fans would be re-living the glory days.

3. Cameron Maybin

After 15 MLB seasons, Cameron Maybin decided to retire before the 2022 campaign … with his last characteristic run of form coming in 2019 with the Yankees. Remember him in pinstripes when that roster was decimated by injuries?

Maybin, across 82 games, hit .285 with an .858 OPS to keep the 103-win Yankees humming along. Perhaps his time in the Bronx made an impression on him because he hinted at potentially being interested in a broadcast job after the openings at YES were being talked about. You hear that, Yankees?!

Another aspect of Maybin’s Yankees tenure that was greatly appreciated was the energy he brought. He has a positive and outspoken personality, ready to impart his wisdom on anyone willing to listen. A former top prospect and near-five-tool player, perhaps there’s an angle Maybin can provide the previous two candidates can’t.

There are some unsavory storylines of his career, but why can’t those be useful talking points on the broadcast? Maybin was suspended for 25 games after testing positive for PEDs back in 2014. Then he was a member of the 2017 sign-stealing Astros team that won a World Series (he later came out and said he regretted not speaking up about the cheating). Makes for good TV!

His demeanor might also be up the Yankees’ alley. He’s not inflammatory and would be an easy voice to listen to.

2. Nick Swisher

You want to talk about livening up a broadcast? At times, we know how boring Michael Kay and O’Neill can be, even with Cone helping them out. Don’t get us started on John Flaherty. The in-game chatter can feature long bouts of silence and doesn’t exactly keep you awake when the play on the field is hitting a wall.

Enter Nick Swisher, who can captivate you by telling a story about when he tied his shoes before heading out the door for work. The 2009 World Series champ was a fan-favorite during his four-year stint in the Bronx and his unrelenting personality is exactly what the current version of this team is missing.

So let’s at least get him in the building and have him screaming on the broadcast when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton rocket a pair of 450-foot homers into the dead of night? Would be a lot more fun than listening to Kay decide whether or not the ball is out of the park after it’s landed on the subway tracks!

Another big plus here is that Swisher’s already done some work in TV as a studio analyst on FOX Sports. This man’s likability spans across a number of generations. He has enough energy to carry a group of broadcasters, enough stories to fill up an hour’s worth of empty time, and enough insight to diagnose issues fans are taking notice of.

Bring Swish back home!

1. Ryan Ruocco

Ruocco has plenty of experience on the YES broadcast, but perhaps it’s time to start ushering in the new era and have him take over more games. He’s a play-by-play guru and asks all the right questions to the complementing personalities on the call with him.

Yankees fans will never forget his performance during the night of that wild game against the Twins, which ended with Aaron Hicks making a diving catch in center field with two outs and the bases loaded.

The 35-year-old is a New York native, already works for YES and has other gigs at ESPN and DAZN. Why would the Yankees risk losing him in any capacity to another company? Put him alongside Kay for Cone’s 50 missed games and work on transitioning him to the primary play-by-play announcer role.

We’re not actively trying to oust a legend like Kay, but he’s 60 years old and in his 28th year (10 on radio, last 18 on YES). Could he last even longer? Sure. But with his radio show and ESPN A-Rod Cast gig for the 2021 season, perhaps this is an easier changeover to make than anyone expected.

Either way, Ruocco should be on more and more, whether it’s with Kay or not. The liveliness of his voice helps keep you engaged in the seventh inning of a meaningless game and he keeps the conversation pumping with all the right questions and observations. Before ESPN gives him a bigger role, the Yankees better do it.

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