It's been a long time - (actually, no, just since July 31) - since such a Cat-5 deadline loomed over Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman and his private army of analytical dorks. What happens today will set the Yankee course for 2020 and beyond. Strap in, folks. Here we go... warp speed ahead!
To me, the mere notion that Chapman - whose goblin smile marked the cataclysmic final crash of 2019 - wants more money should inspire the same reaction that Mario Cuomo's kid this week gave the Trumpster: Good riddance!
The last time the Yankees caved on an op-out deal was 2007, when A-Rod walked away from his 10-year contract during the World Series. After publicly declaring that they were done with him, the Yankees bonelessly relented and signed an extension. We did win a World Series - so there's that - but we have now suffered the lamest decade in Yankee history. Deals, like elections, have consequences.
While El Chapo may have a year or two left, his velocity is down, he sweats like a milk bottle, and every appearance has become a cardiac stress test. He finished second in AL saves - (behind fellow domestic headcase Roberto Osuna; yeah, I'm going there) - but his stats belie the number of times he turned easy victories into screaming, tortuous nail-biters. Instead of putting opposing lineups to sleep, he'd revive them with lead-off walks. Seriously, was anyone shocked when he flat-lined in Houston?
If Chapman opts-out, the Yanks could make him a formal qualifying offer and snag a high pick in the draft. If he goes, the headline should say, "NY to Chapman: Drop Dead."
What's funny here is the Gammonites' notion, expressed in several sites yesterday, that Chapman really wants to stay a Yankee. He just wants more money. Well, holding his team for ransom, to squeeze more juice from the lime, is a lousy way of expressing your desire to return. And he better be careful. Last winter, Craig Kimbrel jumped from the Redsocks and then received the old IT IS HIGH Pineapple Colonoscopy in free agency - jobless until the All-Star break, because nobody wanted to pay his tab.
If Chapman goes, that's $15 million towards a starter.
One other thought:
The Mets just signed a quality manager in Carlos Beltran. I hate to see him leave the Yankee front office, but at least it opens up a slot for CC Sabathia, who is looking for work.
Sabathia should get work at a dog kennel...whenever he feeds one, he can say, "That's for you, bitch."
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, let him walk.
Don't know if the full 15 mil goes to a starting pitcher though. That would make too much sense. It probably breaks down more like this:
$15,000,000 in payroll removed.
- $ 3,000,000 New middle innings guy. (Britton is new closer)
- $ 7.5 million "Steinbrenner Family Trust"
- $ 3 million to settle lawsuit from local tee shirt vendors who were
just put out of business by new Yankee/MLB/Nike deal.
------
$2.5 million towards a new starter.
Doug K.
Actually, I changed my mind.
ReplyDelete$2.5 million to pay lawyers to soullessly crush the lawsuit from local tee shirt vendors who were just put out of business by new Yankee/MLB/Nike deal.
I forgot who I was dealing with. Sorry.
Doug K.
Rolaids is on the other side of his career. Yanks shouldn't sign him. Please walk Rolaids...DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!...
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThere is only ONE answer to this, and no one here has yet suggested it:
Clone Mariano.
LET HIM WALK.
ReplyDeleteBRITTON CAN CLOSE.
DELLIN MAY COME BACK FOR THE 8TH INNING ON A 1 YEAR "PROVE IT TO ME DEAL"....
LETS NOT FORGET CHAPMAN JUST ABOUT BLEW THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE CUBS TOO, WITH THAT HOME RUN FROM RAJAI DAVIS, BUT THE OFFENSE BAILED HIM OUT.
OUR OFFENSE NEVER SEEMS TO BAIL US OUT.
WHERE IS OUR "HOWIE KENDRICK"?
A GUY THAT CAN GET A SERIES CHANGING HIT THAT PUTS US AHEAD, (FOR A CHANGE).
MY PREDICTION FOR COOP'S STARTING PITCHER "GET" FOR THE OFF-SEASON?
ZACH FUCKING WHEELER.
I BET HE LOVES HIM.
UNDERACHIEVES WITH STRIKEOUT STUFF.
FUCK ME.
Joe FOB - cloning Mariano is the best idea I have heard in a while. Problem is you can't clone his mind. We could get the same physical specimen, but he might think baseball is a game for morons and want to collect butterflies instead. Sadly, we will not see his likes again. Happily, we got to have him for a long time. Every time I was at the Stadium and he trotted out, I'd pinch myself and think "this is special. remember this moment." Every time.
ReplyDeleteAs for El Chapo, let's hope that Hal remains El Cheapo and says NO NO. Fuck him. It would be a DISASTER to bring him back. I pray that he opts out and we let him go, even if Boston takes him. We need real starting pitching. Maybe we can publicly humiliate Randy Levine, get Betances back to what he once appeared to be, and just move on. We need pitching. We need at least TWO more solid pitchers. Remember, in some of those glory years, we went into spring training with 7 or 8 viable starters and we'd still be scrounging for pitching come July. We're not just one starter short of anything now, we are AT LEAST two solid starters short of the minimum requirements.
I still say ditch Gardy NOW. We don't need his dead bat again when it counts - in the playoffs. I do not need to see his "fire" or any other juiced-up behavior when pounding the dugout ceiling. If we have no promising young outfield studs in the farm team, we should call it what is it: A FUCKING DISGRACE. If we do have one or two, bring them up now. I understand that we'll never see Clint again, but surely we must have some young guys. Do not, at this point, get it that we do well AND WIN WHEN THE YOUNG AND HUNGRY GUYS PLAY?
Stanton - cut the brake hoses on his SUV and say a prayer for him. I'm so over that steaming pile of donkey shit or, to honor Austria's Only Baseball Fan, ape shit.
This is all wretched because Collision Hal won't do anything to improve the team. He's only interested in profits. And he's colluding with the other owners to suppress salaries to do it.
ReplyDeleteA-fucking-MEN, Duque!
ReplyDeleteLet him walk, for all the reasons mentioned here.
Chapman is another Coops classic, acquired too late and kept too long. If the Yanks had gone after him for his first, blazing years in the majors—2010-2012—as I and many others wanted them to, it might have brought them 3 more rings.
But now...
He will be 32 when he next throws a pitch in anger—or whatever it was he expressed with that weird little grin after the Altuve homer. He is not especially bright as a pitcher, and the weird sweats indicate some possible strange, PED infusion. Or worse, a deadly medical condition.
Chapo has had some good postseason series, but his ERA in EACH of our pivotal, ALCSs against Houston? 6.75. Hmm, as they say on TV, MORE THAN COINCIDENCE??
And as ALL-CAPS points out, even in his big resume highlight, he actually choked up the 2016 lead in Game 7 of the World Series. In the next inning, the Indians were swinging from the heels, and it was only his good fortune and maybe a Lake Michigan wind that two of the flyballs he gave up didn't end up in the stands.
There was something else, too...what was it again? Oh, right—his terrifying abuse of a woman.
Look, it's entirely possible that, freed from the influence of Mr. BoJo Rothschild, Chapo will blossom again and, who knows, maybe even with Boston. That's a chance I'm willing to take, considering the character issues involved.
Rooting for Mariano with the game on the line was like rooting for a beloved nephew. Rooting for Chapo...
The Yanks complain constantly about payroll. Fine. Lose $17.2 mill right here, and apply it to a new starter. As Chapo helped demonstrate, the Big Bullpen idea will never substitute for a strong starting staff, not even in this brave new boring world of baseball.
13,
ReplyDeleteYes, Chapman goes. I like the one year for Dellin.
Agree on Gardy. I wanted him gone last year. Make the trade below and give Tauchman/Frazier left field.
My Stanton trade is for a AAA Center fielder (think Urshala/Voit/Hicks type -- potential unrealized. Good glove a must.), a AA Starter (top 15 in their system - like a Mike King and a current number four starter. We pick up 50% of the money owed.
Doug K.
As to CF:
ReplyDeleteWe should trade for Starling Marte (He has a club option - Pittsburgh for 11 Mil.) Or if he becomes a free agent give him two years at $25M.
31 Years old. Two gold gloves.
.295 23 HR 82 RBIs (which goes up. Yankees put more guys on base.
.845 OPS
He could cover Hicks absence. And fill in the corners as well. contact plus some power.
Doug K.
ReplyDeleteI agree on getting rid of GStanton. But there are 28 GMs out there who are not stupid enough to take him -- unless the Yankees fork over some astounding amount of money (let's say $18 million/year......for a long, long time).
Why only 28? I am pretty sure Jeter isn't going to let anybody in Miami even mention the idea of getting Stanton back!
I don't like the idea of killing GStanton. There are a lot of people I want dead right now (all 535 in Congress, the entire Executive Branch, the Supreme Court, and all of the people running for office everywhere, including state legislators). By definition if you want to "serve' in an elected position, you are Poison.
Yes, even Bernie.
I was making an exception for Tulsi, but then Hillary convinced me she is an Assad-ass-liking crony of Putin. Or is that a Putin-ass-licking crony of Assad???
I apologize for injecting politics into this fine blog. However, the idea of cutting the brake hoses on GStanton's SUV set me off.
.....I also agree with 13Bit on Gardy. You don't see a lot of players getting better at his age. And after his HR total in 2019 (and how he came in handy).....I will bet his agent is angling at $12-$15 million a year for one or two years. Which is real money -- don't forget that kind of deal is what, before this season, brought us Curtis Lemay!
Fuck Chapman.
ReplyDeleteThere, that was easy.
Next.
The way Chapman shat the bed after DJ's FUCKING HEROIC AT-BAT makes me want to weep. He's a dick. He's NOT clutch. He's old. He's an asshole and I don't like his face. And yes on that smile/grin whatever the fuck glimpse of his insanity is.
ReplyDeleteI agree, let Chapman go and sign Bettances and have Britton close.
ReplyDeleteJust one bit of historical clarification, though. A-Rod wasn't the last Yankees to extort extra money from the Yankees. Saint CC Sabathia threatened to opt out after 2011 but did not for an exchange of 1 more year added to his contract and an additional 7 million bump to 30 million from 23 million. They should have let him walk as well.
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.