Wednesday, August 12, 2015

The only thing worse than keeping your prospects, not trading for that all-important ace pitcher, and then going into a complete collapse...

Posted by el duque at 12:49 PM

... Would be to keep your prospects, not trade for that all-important ace pitcher, fall into a complete collapse... and then trade the guys you kept for Chase Utley.

12 comments:

KD said...

Stop it! You're scaring me!

August 12, 2015 at 1:46 PM
Honey Barnes said...

The illusion is that the collaboration of great strategy and the right players is not always interrupted by an amazing amount of good luck. To assume that each opportunity to challenge for the Trophy is not a rare and special thing to be pursued with urgency and energy simply because it is so precious is what clouds the picture. The perfect example of the way a lack of recognition of this is when the complacency settles in that "We are the Yankees, and we are expected to be here often" (See our 27 Trophies). Jacoby lolling around the outfield when Bautista is digging for third is the perfect example of how this manifests itself. Who was respecting the Opportunity there? Just like the NATS squandered the year of Strasberg's emergence by holding him out due to his innings limit. They disrespected the opportunity and he may never get there and his injuries mount annually anyway.
Its not that we should throw the future away on a whim, but it need not be an either or decision. We are at 112 games or so in, and old legs are faltering. A-Rod is now batting in Drew's proximity this month. Any of this a real surprise. It would be a shame to be blinded by the security of the farm in a way that obscures the opportunity at hand. We shouldn't fear missing out by not taking a risk today. Sometimes tomorrow never comes.

August 12, 2015 at 3:04 PM
ceeja said...

Good points. BUT: Would picking up Price or Hamels have made a difference? No. Would Cespedes have put them over offensively? No. And would they have given up in return? Would they be better with Kimbrel or Chapman? Yes, but that would not have broken this streak.

Let's face it. They have a weak hitting team and have played over their heads most of the year. They need major surgery on this lineup, and that's going to take a lot of time.

They can still fake their way into the playoffs, but this is not a championship team.

August 12, 2015 at 3:27 PM
el duque said...

Honey,

I get that tomorrow is an illusion. But Jorge Matos has 73 stolen bases. He leads all of professional baseball. He might hit 100. Yeah, it's single A, yeah, he might suck - no, he'll probably suck - because whom the gods wish to destroy they grant unlimited potential...

But if he turns into the next Lou Brock, or even just the next Willie McGee... I want it to be for us.

August 12, 2015 at 4:17 PM
Honey Barnes said...

Woulda Shoulda Coulda....Didn't

August 12, 2015 at 4:34 PM
Leinstery said...

Real talk, is anyone even going to bother watching tonight?

August 12, 2015 at 5:14 PM
el duque said...

I'm going to see the Toronto farm club - the Buffalo Bisons - play the Syracuse Chiefs. Buffalo has on its roster a hot young pitching prospect who might be interesting to watch. His name is Joba Chamberlain.

August 12, 2015 at 5:50 PM
Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside said...

Ugh, noooo. We can't afford to open another branch of "You can bank on Chase"... not open after 5 PM, weekends, Sunday's, holidays, or any other time baseball is played.

August 12, 2015 at 10:24 PM
jdrny said...

Oh, oh. Utley cleared waivers. Trade eligible.

Watch out. !!!

August 12, 2015 at 10:50 PM
Local Bargain Jerk said...

Good points. BUT: Would picking up Price or Hamels have made a difference?

If we had picked up Price, we likely would have won on Saturday.

(Sorry, I felt the need to be a dick. This is all too depressing.)

August 13, 2015 at 12:17 AM
Anonymous said...

Apparently, Cashman and Girardi are looking to have a monopoly of ballplayers named Chase..

August 13, 2015 at 1:31 AM
KD said...

If that Philly icon Utley ends up in pinstrips, I will never eat another cheesesteak sandwich.

August 13, 2015 at 10:10 AM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)