Yu Darvish signed with the Cubbies yesterday, and good riddance to that boatload of crapola, which doubles as the "hot stove league rumor mill," which at times suggested the Yankees might snag him. It was never going to happen. Anyone could see it. Hal Steinbrenner was never going to spend beyond the salary cap - (technically, it's called a "tax threshold") - or break ranks with his monopoly cartel co-conspirators - (technically, they're called "owners.") So Yu II is now a Cub for six years, until age 37, and let's hope his little speed bump in the NL post-season was due to tipping pitches - yeah, that's the ticket; otherwise, the Wrigley fan base just obtained the NL version of David Price. Did anybody really think the Yankees were in on this auction? Ken Rosenthal is now reporting that the Empire never made an actual offer. That makes sense. The notion that we were going to scrap our fiscal future for a big ticket payout always looked crazy, though I guess some leaders have come to like the idea of deficits and hot checks.
It's almost time for Cooperstown Cashman to spend his $7 million in bottle/can deposits on somebody - anybody - so the 2018 team can come into focus. I'm betting on middling pitcher, some guy pushing 30, who barely touches 90 on the gun, but who can throw five innings and give up three runs... because we can win that game. Don't know who, and whether Cash will sign somebody outright or sprinkle a prospect - (wither goest Jake Cave?) - into the deal. Last year, we signed Chris Carter, the reining NL HR leader, for peanuts. Somepin gonna happen.
But not with Jacoby Ellsbury. Increasingly, it looks like nobody will take Jake's contract, unless we pay out 70-80 percent - maybe $17 mill of the $22 mill per season. Even then, Ellsbury must sign off, and he's given no indication of doing so. So, it's another Kate Upton-in-the-elevator fantasy. But the logjam is breaking. Today or tomorrow, JD Martinez is going to probably sign with Boston (unless they have pissed him off so badly that he refuses) - and the games will begin. It's finally happening. The 2018 season is taking shape.
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR MR. DUQUE....
ReplyDeleteCOOP MAY SPEND THAT 7 MILLION ON A VETERAN 2ND OR 3RD BASEMAN....
WE COULD GET A STEPHEN DREW II TYPE SITUATION, GOD FORBID, AS YOU HAVE CORRECTLY STATED BEFORE. IF THE VETERAN GETS THE MONEY, THE VETERAN PLAYS.
LETS RIDE TO SPRING TRAINING WITH WHAT WE HAVE, AND TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT OUR OWN KIDS.
WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THEM.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm confused. Yes, again.
Are we supposed to address you as
- Duque
-- El Duque
-- L Duque
-- Mr. Duque
-- Dukey
or
-- Oz, The All-Knowing
......????
I like the ...... “Oracle of the Frozen Lake”
ReplyDeleteI like "Oracle of the Frozen Lake," too.
ReplyDeleteALL-CAPS, you may be right...and that would be a mistake. Neil Walker seems to be our latest bullet to dodge this jumpy off-season; let's hope we do it. This team is set, now; we should lock it down.
If the Yanks CAN get away with dumping Ellsbury while still paying $17-18 mill, they should do it. But alas, I fear the Oracle is right. Ellsbury will insist on fighting for his CF spot in the spring.
We should make it crystal clear, then and there, that he will not get it—that if Hicks doesn't do it, we will go with Gardner, and that if doesn't do it, then we will put Red Thunder, or Jake Cave, or even that guy with the Star Wars name in Triple-A in center, before we ever put Jacoby Ellsbury back there to play another 2/3 of a season, with his ever-dwindling stats and range, and his bloated contract that may well have been based—let's face it—largely on one, PED-fueled season.
We owe this guy exactly nothing, and we should make it clear to him that he is persona non grata, which is French for "your person grates on us."
Oh, and today the Times actually ran a baseball preview, of sorts, which even included a whole graf on the Yankees, conceding that, doggone it, they will likely be a contender:
ReplyDelete"...the Yankees will do what they do best: command your attention and make you pick a side—love 'em or hate 'em. Either way you can't ignore them anymore."
Has a stranger sentence ever been written by a hometown paper? Regarding what has almost always been the most successful and popular team said town?
But the Times' weird relationship with the Yankees aside...it counts as an article!
On the other hand, there was a massive, page-long piece on soccer in general, and another big article on who won the election to head the U.S. Soccer Federation (shocker alert: it was "an insider.")
That puts our yearly total at Soccer 23, Yankees 5, and February at Soccer 8, Yanks 4.
But—at least we're getting on the board now!
I stole this off another blog... it appears our first chance to hear John and Suzyn is the 24th. Last year the spring training games were not blacked out on the free WFAN app, and only some were on the paid MLB app.
ReplyDeleteFebruary
Sat. 24 – at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. (WFAN);
Sun. 25 – at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. (WFAN);
March
Sun. 4 – vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. (YES, WFAN).
Fri. 9 – at Atlanta, 6 p.m. (WFAN);
Sat. 10 – vs. Mets, 1 p.m. (YES, WFAN);
Sun. 11 – at Miami, 1 p.m. (WFAN).
Mon. 12 – vs. Minnesota, 6:30 p.m. (YES, WFAN
Sat. 17 – at Detroit, 1 p.m. (WFAN);
Sun. 18 – vs. Miami, 1 p.m. (YES, WFAN).
Sat. 24 – vs. Toronto (YES*, WFAN), 1 p.m.
Hey, he's throwing a curve ball.....
ReplyDeleteNext pitch is a stinker, I mean sinker...
Next one is a fast ball......
DID WE REALLY NEED THIS?
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.