DANGER: WILL ROBINSON... DANGER: WILL ROBINSON... DANGER...
W.T.F? Holy shit. I almost started blathering about the Yank '17 Hall of Fame Superteam of Destiny (TM). Where's our daily blast of hopelessness? While it's critical that this site tastes and savors each individual blowout morsel, giving it the love and attention that it needs to grow... we must be wary of Exit Velo records, of Boston-like hubris, and keep our wandering eyes on the smoldering AL East, where no team - not even Toronto - is in such a Stygian trench that they cannot make a stretch run. (The Blue Jays are only 7 and 1/2 games out; that's a two-week winning streak in July.) It's a long haul, Houston remains the best team in baseball, and we must play the Long Game.
Remember: Other teams chase rings. The Yankees chase dynasties. Last July, the Cubs moved heaven and hell (and Glyber Torres) to reach the world series. This year, they are one game below .500, behind fucking Milwaukee. (Yes, the Selig Cellar Sellers.) The Yankees do not want an outlier championship like 2009. We want piles of rings, oodles of gold, like the late nineties supplied. Soon, Brian Cashman will be tempted to make a few go-for-broke trades, dealing our long term future for a one-shot, Calgon Bath Oil ejaculation in October.
Look... I'm taking nothing for granted. Before we launch a dynasty, it would be nice to win one championship, right? Still, every Cashmanic move should be predicated on a long-term strategy, and it might mean the politically unthinkable: Trading a veteran, not bundles of prospects.
First, let's dispel of our seventh-grader fantasy trades. We all want Chase Headley or Jacoby Ellsbury to go for some 20-year-old male version of Gal Gadot. Not a-gonna happen. At the July deadline, Chris Carter won't get us a toasted cheese sandwich. But teams are now allowed to trade compensatory draft picks and international signing bonus allotments - it's as if MLB repealed Dodd-Frank - and the Yankees should pounce on such insider opportunities. It's a way to use our money advantage.
Moreover, we must never lose sight of 2019, when the free agent market could include Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and the talented former cast of Glee. By then, our lineup could see Glyber Torres at 3B, Clint Frazier in LF, and several baby arms - Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield - in the rotation. (That's not to exclude Dustin Fowler, Miguel Andujar and others.) We have a wave of talent, and if we blow it on Jose Quintana, or some facsimile, we could find ourselves next year stomping on the flaming paper bag and wondering what smells like dog crap?
It's youth that put us in this luxurious first place milk bath. If problems emerge - and they always do - I hope we try all young options before we run out and trade for Kelly Gruber. The Astros are chasing a one-and-out world championship, their first ever. We, however, are chasing history.
I don't want to jinx it, but I don't think Cashman wants to give away many prospects. If he was going to do it, he probably would have done it already. What are the holes on this team? As of right now and much of the season it's been; 1 spot in the rotation, 1st, and 3rd. He believes in Bird so no trade there. Chase Headley, as bad as he is, is basically average in talent compared to the 3rd baseman on the block. Chase really is only marginally better than some and marginally worse than the Berkman rentals they could get. If he really hits the skids they have Torreyes to fill in until Gleyber Machado comes up. So no trade there. And Tanaka, who knows.
ReplyDeleteThat being said watch out for the Yankees big blockbuster trade this summer, for who? Well I don't know, but the Yankees will feature Mateo, Mason Williams, Brigadoon, and someone else lost in the shuffle. I get that teams want to raid the top prospects sure, but why has nobody bit on the quality guys (quality guys and the Brigadoon*), seems like everybody is passing up a free lunch.
But that is not why I came here. Has anybody read the Master's interview in the Post today?
ReplyDeletehttp://nypost.com/2017/06/11/john-sterling-reveals-his-all-time-favorite-call-in-yankees-booth/
Some high(and low)lights.
Q: Why are the Yankees in good hands with Hal?
A: He’s superintelligent, and feet on the ground, and is not gonna make rash moves...
I read that in church (I attend, paying attention isn't for me). I nearly fainted, had to walk up to the alter mid-mass and splash my face with some holy water for the shock to wear off. Someone should call the Hebrew Home in Riverdale to put John away after that.
Q: Describe Derek Jeter’s Opening Day in 1996.
A: It was freezing in Cleveland, and Jeter makes that phenomenal catch of the pop fly in short left, and hits a home run but he’s not a home run hitter. What I remember most, I did postgame, and I got in the clubhouse, and David Cone said, “Hey, I want to show you something.” And it was so cold his fingers were blue. But it had nothing to do with the cold, he was having an aneurism.
Casually talking about David Cone having an aneurYsm (the post has lousy editors, catch multiple spelling mistakes every article) made me chuckle.
A snippet from a question about Mariano: "Cone is pitching his ass off"
Is this the first time in recorded history the Master has gone pg-13?
Q: You’ve been criticized for not seeing well.
A: Gee, I see fine. I make every call. No problems.
A lie or denial?
Q: When did you become aware that you had a natural voice for TV or radio?
A: As a little boy. I’d be at cocktail parties serving, and adults would say to me, “When are you gonna grow up to your voice?” One day, I’m at a friend’s house, and his mom, who really was very lovely, very beautiful, and I was listening to a game and they interviewed someone and he had a terrible voice … the player, not the broadcaster … and I said to this guy’s mom: “Boy, listen to that. He sounds like a girl.” And she said to me, “Oh, he doesn’t have a big deep voice like yours.”
He clarifies he was 12 or 13. Did John fuck his friends mom? I like to think he did.
Q: Suzyn Waldman … passionate?
A: Oh boy, that’s a great word — passionate. Boy, is she ever passionate, yes.
Confirming what we already knew, the two are wild for each other. and lastly
Q: How long do you want to do this?
A: I don’t think I’m ever gonna retire. If my health is good, I’m gonna broadcast a long time.
Every year I worry that John will hang it up, thank God he plans on doing this until he dies. And since legends never die, looks like we'll all be in the grave and John will still be in the booth winging the balls and strikes.
ReplyDeleteIf you are thinking about making trades -- with some of the prospects -- what you have to do is think about the Rule 5 Draft.
Teams can only protect 40 guys on rosters before this draft. The Yankees seem to have a lot of prospects NOT on their roster right now (Chance the pitcher, Gleyber the shining hope, and so forth).
As has been noted by this site's proprietors, there's a now-21-year-old catcher we lost in last year's Rule 5 event -- to San Diego (claimed by Cinci, which traded him to SD on the same day). Luis Torrens.
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At some point -- soon, you'd hope -- Cashman has to put together a possible 40-man roster. Not "final" but prospective.
Then: He will know who's not on there -- and which among the "not on theres" are Rule 5 Draft-eligible.
I used to consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, but I tried to make sense of the Rule 5 "rules" -- on Wikipedia -- and came up Stupid. Further, even if I could figure out what the rules are, I'm not sure I could figure out which of the Future Bombers are draft-eligible (and which are not).
I'm not asking anyone to do this. I would think Cashman "should" already be thinking this way. Who am I gonna keep? Who am I likely to lose? What can I get for the guys I can't keep, right now, in a trade?
I know this is thinking WAAAAAAY ahead. I do not presume anything about the 2017 season (World Series, flop, one-game playoff, whatever). I am guessing that at least some of these guys are worth keeping . . . and that some of them could bring SOMETHING in trade value, if they can't be kept.
EXAMPLE: Today's pitcher is Domingo German. Might be good! Might not be worth keeping on the 40-man roster. Is today's "emergency" start not only a chance for Tanaka to rest, but also a chance for Cashman to "showcase" German for possible inclusion in a trade?
NOTE: On the Wikipedia page on the Rule 5 Draft, it notes prominent players lost to that draft in the past. One of them was named Roberto Clemente -- drafted by the Pirates from the Dodger organization.
2017 stats for Jose Quintana : 2 wins 7 losses , 5.30 ERA , 1.41 WHIP. Good no trade!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Rule 5 Draft rules are pretty confusing, Joe - - Mike Axisa of RAB addressed this exact question in the May 19th mailbag, and, it would appear, did a pretty darned good job of analyzing the situation. I recommend it - - it provides greater clarity than Wiki does. I think you're on the right track, and we DO need to be thinking ahead in this way.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Yankees' web-site, today's starter is actually Chad Green (which makes more sense to me, considering the way he's been throwing as our long man); Domingo German is being brought up to take Tommy Layne's spot (no loss there that I can see).
As for today's game: be afraid, be very afraid: we are going to feel the Wrath of Bucky (TM - - movie coming soon to your local theater). I have a feeling we shouldn't even play this game - - just a hunch. LB (No J)
Dear Mr. Leinstery,
ReplyDeleteBrigadoon is showing the world that he is pretty much an empty suit.
I think he was the only guy yesterday who failed to get a hit. And that has been true for his last several plate appearances, going back I don't know how far.
He is likable. Judge enjoys talking with him.
But that does not a player ( worth trading for ) make.
First, let's dispel of our seventh-grader fantasy trades. I have a feeling we shouldn't even play this game
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