Ahh, so you've returned. I can smell it on you. Go ahead, light a cigarette...
So here's the thought of today: As much as watching Andrew Miller and El Chapo dominate the World Series displays the talent we surrendered, this year's BA rankings show what we received: A shitload. Our two top prospects - Glyber Torres and Clint Frazier - both came in trades, and have elevated our entire system. In a chat yesterday, BA writer Josh Norris repeatedly praised our farms in terms I have never seen in my lifetime - not even when Brien Taylor (federal inmate number 56437-056 prior to being released in 2014) was the best prospect in baseball. At one point yesterday, Norris mused that the Yankees could put eight prospects on BA's annual Top 100. That's incredible. In recent years, we were lucky to place three. The Yankees sit where the Cubs were two and three years ago.
Listen: No single prospect is a sure thing, but when you have seven or eight in the Top 100... that is as close to a sure thing as it gets. All we need is - gulp - patience.
So here's a thought: In a mega-system ruled by luxury taxes - de facto salary caps - there is no reason why the Yankees cannot use their money advantage to always rate among the top systems. The lords of baseball made rules to limit spending on free agents, but a smart front office can still consistently build for the future. All we need is - gulp - discipline. .
Right now, one team consistently dominates in parity-driven American pro sports: The New England Patriots, under Bill Belichik. Year in and year out, with or without Tom Brady, the Pats win. And this week, with the NFL trade deadline near, Belichick once again showed his acumen. He traded a sixth round pick for one player, and then dealt another player for a fifth round pick. In other words, he upgraded - ever so slightly - in next year's draft. Even while contending this year, he's working on next year.
The Yankees must do the same. We must always be getting younger. We can do it this winter by trading Brian McCann, Chase Headley and Brett Gardner. Get younger, get faster, get deeper in the system, get more power arms. We should always be in the top tier of BA's rankings. The minute we start bundling three or four prospects for the Javier Vasquezes and Jeff Weavers of the world, we will start backsliding.
Yep, I am calling for prospect-hugging. Supplement with free agents - I'd take Melancon and RA Dickey, and I wouldn't spit on Edwin Encarnacion or Steve Pearce - but build with youth. And pleasure yourself thinking about the future.
THE PROBLEM FOR US AND ALL THESE GREAT PROSPECTS IS.............................WE HAVE BRIAN CASHMAN AT THE CONTROLS!!! MAKING ALL THE OBSERVATIONS, DECISIONS, AND CALLS ON OUR TALENT...... WE HERE AT IIHIIFIIC KNOW THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING.....IT'S HORRIFYING THAT THE GM WHO BELIEVED IN- JAVIER VASQUEZ TWICE, JEFF WEAVER, JARET WRIGHT, CARL PAVANO, BEN FRANCISCO, VERNON WELLS, JONATHAN ABALADEJO, CHRIS CAPUANO, ANTHONY SWARZAK, STEPHEN DREW, CHASE HEADLEY, AND AARON HICKS, (STILL JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG)!-....CAN STILL BE IN CHARGE OF ALL OF OUR TALENT DECISIONS.
ReplyDeleteAnd Cashman still thinks Hicks is a diamond in the rough who will one day blossom into the second coming of Willie Mays. Not a good sign.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Hal's cheapness could come in handy. If he orders our formerly four-eyed GM to focus on dumping expensive albatrosses and playing low-cost, young talent, we'd not only get a more interesting team to watch, but slide under the salary cap...er, luxury tax...and be in a great financial position to pursue free agents who can plug the holes left by those youngsters who don't ultimately make it.
This might make sense, which is why I doubt it will ever happen.
BINGO JOHN...... IT WOULD MAKE PERFECT SENSE, WHICH IS WHY WE DOUBT IT.
ReplyDeleteThere was an article I think on the LoHud blog a couple weeks ago about whether Joe could manage kids without the binder full of track record data to go on. Something Buck Showalter excels at, if you look at Manny Machado. I think whatever Joe does with those guys will have a big say in how 2017-2018 turn out in terms of which prospects pay off, as well as who Cashman lets stay and who he sends off to be stars for other teams (hopefully Refsnyder; he should be a regular player SOMEWHERE). Agree with you 100% on the free agents though, Duque. Would love to see Dickey in a Yankee uniform and have him mentor a couple of young guys in the ways of the knuckler.
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