Saturday, December 9, 2017

Ten reasons to be terrified as the Yankees near a trade for Giancarlo Stanton

Dear God, why, why, WHY did he have to pick the Yankees? 

A month ago, all was calm, all was bright: Billy McKinney and Thairo Estrada had great fall seasons in the Arizona sand, we were faves to sign the Japanese Babe, Louis C.K. was a hero, and we were the team to beat in 2018. WE DIDN'T NEED THIS!

Now, if the rumor mill is true, the Yankees are about breakup their team, farm system and long term plans simply because Giancarlo Stanton put them on a short list of acceptable destinations, and the Marlins are so desperate to jettison the guy that they will lap dance in our face until we break down and grab the booty.  

Okay... I get it: We cannot condemn a deal that hasn't been made. There are variants of trades that could seem acceptable - especially to the naked eye - and we can't know what's real and what's Memorex until the details are in print. Last night, for example, some bozo was tweeting under the name "River Ave Blues" that a deal was done, until Mike Axisa said it was an impostor. (Probably a Putin-hired hired skateboarder in Macedonia.) There is talk of the Yankees bundling Headley, Ellsbury and/or Castro - (though Ellsbury has his own list of preferred destinations, and I doubt it includes Miami) - along with "second-tier" prospects. We don't know what's happening in the phone lines.

But as bloggers today begin the celebrations - (one actually said, "Christmas is coming early for Yankee fans!" Do you believe that? Are they that simple minded?)  Here are 10 reasons to be terrified. 

1. This deal looms as a carbon copy of the A-Rod pact from long ago, even down to the point where Stanton can opt out after a few years. It looks good going into 2018, but this contract will make him into a financial millstone for perhaps the rest of our lives. He will be the reason why Hal cannot sign countless free agents - even backup catchers and bullpen lug nuts. He will become the face of Yankee poverty, and we will die listening to Billionaire Hal whine about money. This is the last time Stanton will be traded. With that contract, he becomes a Yankee for life.  

2. Hey, we're right back to the old ways of bailing out small market teams for their mistakes. Remember when the Dodgers made that laughable deal for Kevin Brown? We snickered - nobody could blame the Yankees for out of control salaries - that is, until the Yankees traded for Kevin Brown. And how did that turn out? Once again, we're becoming the Final Destination for salary dumps - and the key word there is "dump."

3. Stanton is a walking pile of injuries. Last year's 159 games was an anomaly. He didn't even average 100 games in the two previous seasons. Coupled with Aaron Judge's shoulder, which was operated on this fall, we could end up with our two big hitters on the DL for extended stays. There is a reason Miami wants to get rid of him so badly.

4. Here we go, right back to the old ways of blocking prospects down the line. If you're Clint Frazier, Billy McKinney, Estevan Florial - all of them down to Charleston - why bother to think you'll ever play for the Yankees? Last year, this was one of the great parts of the Yankee resurgence: We became a team of young, rising stars - rather than a obese collection of big names. Are they really going to throw everything overboard and start again with the tired veterans?

5. If we do nothing - just don't answer the phone - we still go to spring training as favorite to win the AL East. We'd field an emerging, exciting team, perhaps with a few breakout stars that will capture the imagination of New York. But with Stanton, we are once again the overpaid slobs. We concede all the positive vibes of young players establishing themselves for the first time. Every team will be gunning for us, and if we're not 10 games in front, the writers will be savaging us. Instead of being overachievers, we'll be underachievers in the minds of the media - and that's how good teams collapse.

6. We're going to deal with Gary Denbo, who until two months ago was running our farm system. This alone should be a trade-killer. Whatever the Yankees tell us - how they've only given up "second tier" talent - Denbo will have gotten the players he wanted. You don't deal with the fox who's been sleeping in the hen house. 

7. All this talk about sending Ellsbury and/or Castro and/or Headley - while it makes sense this year - ignores the imponderable length of this deal. The Yankees told us we were done with these horrible long-term contracts. We accepted that Joggie Cano - who should have been a lifetime Yankee - would be cut loose rather than accept an insufferably bad pact. Now, we're going to take on this thing... through 2028?

8. The 2018 Yankees - with Stanton - will be a strikeout/home run lineup. Yes, they'll hit a lot of homers. Yes, they'll probably make the post-season. From there, can they homer their way to the series? I doubt it. In the face of good pitching, homer-happy teams fall apart. And Stanton has thus far lived in the media desert of Miami. Those 59 home runs he hit last year? They came on a terrible team, and none of them mattered in a real pennant race. That was the knock on A-Rod: He'd hit a home run in a 10-1 game. This guy has not been tested under the glare of New York City. 

9. He's another RH slugger. That means three middle-of-the-order righties, all prone to fan 200 times a season. From the left side - in Yankee Stadium, no less - we will have only Greg Bird and Didi. 

10. Under some of these rumors, this would result in Todd Frazier returning to play third. Listen: I came to like Frazier. He has a nice smile. He's a good guy, with the thumb-down and all. But he is the consummate player on the downward slope of a career, the .210 hitter who is not going to improve. Dear God, are we just down to the point where if a guy says he wants to play for the Yankees, we're supposed to sign him? 

This trade sets up a bunch of equations that could be disastrous. We don't need this. Dear God... why did he have to pick us?

14 comments:

ranger_lp said...

The Marlins and Yankees have agreed to the framework of a trade that will send 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton to New York, according to Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports.

We need to work on the Master's HR call (Hell, they need to sign him one more year)

Anonymous said...

I don't know why I'm up at 5AM but as long as I am... here is my unbridled optimism if the trade goes down.

1) I hope it's a carbon copy of the A-rod deal because if Stanton opts out the front office will LET HIM GO! Ha! So Stanton's 27-9 years for the cost of...

7)and 4) Castro and Headley! It's a cash wash and a Cashman wash! The Marlins get long term relief because Castro is just two seasons and Headley is one. Try this lineup for size...

CF Gardner
SS Didi
RF Judge
LF Stanton
C Sanchez
1B Bird
DH Frazier (and 4th OF)
2B Torres
3B Andujar (or Prado?)

and they're all kids or under 30 (except Gardner)

3) I hope not. Gotta add Bird to that fragile list as well. Better get some extra long hospital beds.

5) They're all kids.

6) Gary Denbo -- Well I agree with you. But you don't get something (NL MVP) for nothing. I hope it doesn't hurt too bad. So let's say he takes the guys we got for Beltran. Would you trade Beltran and Castro and Headly Lamar for Stanton? I would. (with Gleybar and Andujar in the wings.)

7) Stanton is 27 Joggie was older.

8) Chicks dig the big whiffs. Actually I agree with you. It could get ugly fast. They could also put up crooked numbers fast. Plus I like Didi, Bird, and hopefully Gleybar for OBP. Actually Judge walks a lot and the whole lineup would be seriously circular which means everybody gets good pitches. Who knows,Stanton might settle down knowing it's not all on him, plus better pitches to hit. He might cool out a bit and raise his avg.

9) Our righties hit the ball 450. The stadium's not an issue. Joe D. did OK.

10) I don't know. I totally agree on Todd Frazier. I want Andujar but maybe there's a cheap glove first guy who can bat ninth and be a place holder for Andujar. It's not like we'd need the offense.

That's it... if I can't sleep tomorrow night I'll fix the Giants or the Knicks.

Doug K.

ranger_lp said...

So who plays LF?

ranger_lp said...

On second thought, does Judge and Stanton alternate RF and DH? Seems like that's how it will go down.

Anonymous said...

One more thing

Sonny Gray wins 20. This lineup scores runs.

Doug K.

Anonymous said...

Ya...I kinda like the deal if you ask me as far as prospects are concerned. You can't keep them all. Besides you know Cashman will get other ones. All the have to do is pray Stanton doesn't pull a Tanaka and actually opts out

Masked Editor said...

Well, the Gammonites are already saying "this is like when the Golden State Warriors added Kevin Durant after losing in the finals"...here goes that Golden State Warriors of Baseball thing again.

Leinstery said...

I think that's exactly what they'll do ranger. A couple of days in right, a couple as DH to keep them both fresh. Judge is the better defender so he'll probably get more time there.

This has the feeling of 2004, basically every big hitter in the league on one team, kill the regular season, (probably) flop in the playoffs.

Either way I'll miss you Star Light, go down to Miami and hit one with all you might for me.

13bit said...

Disaster. Shit show. Really bad move.

Alphonso said...

Isn't this supposed to be a season of peace, happiness and goodwill?

Now we have the ultimate nightmare to consider.

Will Aaron Boone have a say?

I want the young guys to come here and play. Let the dickhead remain where he is or, perhaps, he would like to replace Babe Ruth on the " Fighting Hams" in Japan.

Just don't do anything, as you say. Answer the phone but say, " sorry, we just don't care. Have a nice day."

And let's have this be a decade Yankee fans can enjoy.

My fear: Having been stuck in the nuts by "Baby ruth," the Yankees feel compelled to do a " counter-balancing " move.

This is a guy I will pray to be injured. We already have a strikeout King.

We son't need to add another.

It is barely a watchable game as it is.

Anonymous said...

This is a good thing. Deal with it ya old farts. Enjoy something interesting for once. That can't keep every kid, and this guy is a f'in MVP

Stang said...

Amen, Anonymous!

Bye Bye Balboni said...

I always thought Castro was a bit overrated — his middling power doesn't justify his low OBP. Plus we have Gleyber in the wings and Torreyes ready to play every day until then. So I'm glad Starlin had what I suspect will be a career year for us. As for Giancarlo? As long as he's not a head case like Mr. Rod, he should work out fine. Despite fans bitching about him pretty much nonstop for 13 seasons, he was a hell of a player.

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