1. Are we a country or a kingdom?
2. Do we trust algorithms over instinct?
3. Are we spiritual beings or organic machines?
4. Will the Yankees backtrack on their 2016 youth movement?
Let's study - hm-mm - number four! Will the Eve-Emp this winter abandon the long game, which began July 31 with the sell-off of its three best players. As the 2017 free agent signing period takes shape, fears start anew that we will merely go back to the bottle and sign the next generation of Ellsburys, Headleys and McCanns (oh my...)
Two days ago, MLB's Jim Callis gushed about the newly regenerated Yankee farm system, saying it might be the deepest in all of baseball. (Key word: Might.) Yesterday, we placed six kids on MLB's Top 100 prospect list. (They are Frazier 15th, Torres 17th, Mateo 18th, Judge 22nd, Rutherford 50th, and Sheffield 78th.) That's great news, but let's put it into context: Boston placed five, including the top two - (Yoooooooooooooan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi). We may have more depth, but their system is exploding and, frankly, they have a superior success rate - compared to our track record of Jesus Montero hype and Zolio Almonte whatever. When Gary Sanchez makes the All-Star team, and when Aaron Judge has 30 HRs to his name, we can move from expectations to reality. But we're not there yet.
So let's ponder the top free agents on the market this winter. According to Moonlighting Mike Axisa in a different gig - CBS Sports - here's the list of those players most likely to receive qualifying offers from their teams:
Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
Yoenis Cespedes, Mets (assuming he exercises opt-out clause)
Ian Desmond, Rangers
Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
Dexter Fowler, Cubs (assuming he declines his half of his $9 million mutual option)
Jeremy Hellickson, Phillies
Kenley Jansen, Dodgers
Mark Trumbo, Orioles
Justin Turner, Dodgers
Axisa expects each to get the QO, which means the Yankees would forfeit their first round pick next June. Screw dat. Those players should be off the board. Forget them.
But there are others out there, who won't cost us picks. Two closers leap out, both former Yankees, and all they cost is a shitload of money. Of course, I'm referring to Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon. Either would solve a huge issue - our bullpen on fumes - without crippling our future farm. We have big money coming off the books this winter - Tex and Beltran, for starters - and there is no reason - beyond Food Stamps Hal Steinbrenner - why we can't go to the bank on Chapman or Melancon, or both.
You want more names? RA Dickey probably won't get a qualifying offer from Toronto. He'll pitch to age 70. Let's sign him, before Boston does. (Because they will, and he'll kill us for 10 years.) Wouldn't it be nice to see Brett Cecil shutting down the Blue Jays, instead of us? Travis Wood of the Cubs? Koji Uehara? Maybe a flier on Jared Weaver, CJ Wilson, or even Bartolo Colon? None will likely cost us a pick. This is the gene pool from which we can work.
And let's keep the sell-off going - permanently. The new reality should involve a constant trading of veterans for prospects, even though the kids won't always pan out. Let it start with Headley and McCann - invoke the Ivan Nova rule, which says we'll take Cashman's word for it and celebrate the no-names we get - and also either Gardner or Ellsbury, who have become basically the same player with different contracts. Hell, if anybody wants CC Sabathia (and if he wants to go), make him available.
The youth movement of 2016 must not end. It should be just starting. And from now on until the day we die, it should be the new reality of the Yankees: Never give up a draft pick, and never stop hoarding prospects.
I THINK YOUR R.A DICKEY IDEA IS A GREAT ONE......WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR "INNINGS EATERS"...THERE IS ONE RIGHT THERE...AND YOU'RE RIGHT AGAIN, IF BOSTON GETS HIM, HE WILL TORTURE US....... AND I DON'T KNOW IF HE IS HEALTHY OR NOT, BUT CJ WILSON INTRIGUES ME..............................ALTHOUGH AFTER WATCHING LAST NIGHTS GAME, I WOULD LOVE TO SOMEHOW REPLACE HEADLEY AT THIRD WITH JUSTIN TURNER.....HE WAS THE TOUGHEST OUT THE WHOLE GAME (AND SERIES).
ReplyDelete.......MY SCREAMS OF SIGNING DANIEL MURPHY AT THE END OF LAST SEASON WERE RIDICULED BY SOME ON THIS SITE......AND OF COURSE OUR YANKEE BRASS DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF HIM EITHER.....BUT JUST THINK ABOUT THE OFFENSE HE WOULD HAVE PROVIDED, ON TOP OF THE INCREDIBLE CLUTCH AT BATS HE CONSTANTLY HAS...... YOU PUT UP WITH HIS FIELDING, AND BASE RUNNING BECAUSE THE REWARD IS MUCH LARGER THAN THE RISK WITH HIM........ANOTHER REASON WHY "WAR" REALLY IS NOT AN ACCURATE GAUGE......AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MURPHY'S "WAR" WAS THIS YEAR.....ALL I KNOW IS THAT SOB CAN HIT, AND HIT IN THE CLUTCH TOO, (LAST NIGHT NOT WITHSTANDING).
ReplyDeleteI could live with R.A. Dickey as a #5, if he were the .500 version of himself, with an 11-11 record. If he's the R.A. Dickey of 2016 and 10-15 with 4.46 ERA. Really, I think we have kids in the minors who can give us the same, or reasonably close.
ReplyDeleteYou can't move CC Sabathia. His contract is the prohibiting factor, but right now, he's got two be considered the #2 pitcher in the rotation. Although overpaid, he's pitch well. A little support would've given him a very good year. Can't blame CC for signing the extension, just like Arod. Same with Jake Ellsbury. He's still a very serviceable player, if overpaid. Again, the Yanks offered. If they offer me the same, I'd be playing CF for megabucks, too. McCann is interesting simply because he is still a starting catcher, somewhere, and he has huge value as such. The Yanks have to come away with talent that would justify the trade, and full value of his contract. Paying him to play elsewhere is ridiculous, just as with Marin Prado. Ridiculous, unless the trade partner brings equal value in the trade and they pay his full contract. We all love Gary Sanchez, and I've waited a long time to see him. Still, I know that a youngster can fall on his nose. We've seen it before, and although I don't think it could happen with Sanchez, it's nice to know that McCann is DH'ing and backing up Sanchez. A lot of teams want him, but only if he's cheap. If Sanchez doesn't perform I like McCann more and more. He may even help out around 1B. We have no idea what Bird might be. Hopefully, he comes back better than ever. But, he's coming off a huge injury, one of the worst surgeries one can endure. Austin has shown nothing, either defensively or on offense, and the Yanks just let Parmelee walk. That last one, Parmelee, was a terrible move. He is a fine defensive 1B, played both corner OF positions, and had a swing tailor made for the Stadium. Like 3B, the Yanks have no depth at 1B. If Austin is the best we can do, we could be in deep trouble. Bird, has played in only 46 ML games, no matter how well he acquitted himself. Forty-seven games is not someone you just hand a starting job too. Sorry, NO! I hope Tex stays in shape, he's likely to get a call.
Is Parmelee totally gone? I know he's not on the roster, but we might still re-sign him to a minor league deal, right? I think the guy could be next year's Trumbo, and I think he'd see NY as a perfect opportunity - considering that Tex is gone, Bird is untested, McCann is clunky, and Austin doesn't look like a 160-game firstbaseman. Not only that, but how could Parmelee not want to return to the place where he helped win the Governor's Cup?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI really want the world to know about this great man who brought back happiness into my life again after my husband left me and the kids 3 years ago for another women online when i contacted Dr Believe he cast a love spell for me within 48 hours my ex husband start calling me and begging for forgiveness for everything that have happened between us. I was so happy to have my family back together with love again here is the email of Dr Believe via believelovespelltemple@gmail.com a man with the great powers you can also call him or add him on Whats-app: +2348156148821
God bless you
I am very grateful for your help in my marriage.