Yankees News: Dillon Lawson's shocking new job, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Matt Carpenter

The first New York Yankees coach that's been dismssed in the middle of a season under Brian Cashman's 25-year front office tenure has found a new job. In the AL East. With the Yankees' biggest rival.

According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic (subscription required), former Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson has taken a job with the Boston Red Sox and will serve as the organization's hitting coordinator in the upper levels of the minor leagues.

Lawson, after being an instrumental figure in helping revamp the Yankees' farm system, got elevated to the big-league level in 2022, but was out of a job come July of 2023. He wasn't even the hitting coach for two years and the Yankees felt implored to make a move.

It's possible he was a scapegoat because of how bad the offense was without Aaron Judge, but reports suggested there were massive communication issues between the coaching staff and players (and front office). Lawson's approach also clearly hit a wall beginning in the second half of 2022 up until his dismissal. It was more than likely a combination of factors that led to the relationship ending.

He undoubtedly had an unorthodox approach by prioritizing exit velocity and hard contact, but something else wasn't right. His introduction to the team was bizarre and uninformative. His session with the media after a loss to the Red Sox in 2023 was downright baffling. In many ways, this move had to be made even if Lawson wasn't the primary figure to blame.

Yankees News: Dillon Lawson's shocking new job, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Matt Carpenter

It's possible his role was always best suited for the minor leagues, and now we'll find out if that's true as he tries to fix a middling Red Sox farm system.

In better news, the Yankees continue to appear as the frontrunner for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whom they took a second meeting with this past week. YES insider Jack Curry said the team came away impressed with Yamamoto the pitcher and person, which isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it adds more momentum to a potential signing.

Previous reports suggested Yamamoto had already received offers, but MLB insider Jeff Passan said the right-hander would begin officially taking formal offers this week. Expect there to be more accurate news on that front in the coming days.

It's safe to say Yamamoto is getting at least $300 million at this point, with the Mets, Dodgers and Giants as the other oft-mentioned names in his market.

As the Yankees continue to round out their roster, an old friend has hit free agency, but at this point it really doesn't feel like a fit. On Monday, Matt Carpenter was released by the Atlanta Braves after being acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres.

The Braves took his contract off the Pads' hands and then tried to flip the lefty slugger, but found no takers (he's earning $5.5 million in 2024 after a bad showing in 2023). We're hoping Carp finds a new home soon, but don't bet on it being the Yankees.

New York does have some open roster spots, but they need to prioritize youth, athleticism and a more aggressive, contact-first hitting profile. Carpenter is a redundant bat in this Yankees' lineup, which features far too much of a boom-or-bust approach.

Carpenter did light the world on fire with the Yanks for a bit in 2022, but he's strictly a DH at this point in his career and the Yankees simply need more flexibility and versatility. Anybody hoping for a reunion here is probably out of luck, but you better believe we'll be tracking the veteran as he looks to get back on his feet in 2024.