Saturday, December 28, 2019

The question facing the Yankees this winter is simple: What could they get for Clint Frazier and J.A. Happ?

Generally, I don't do possible trades. When I was 12, I could sit at my school desk all day, composing trades like bad poetry, with the Yankees always somehow turning Dooley Womack and Hector Lopez into Hank Aaron. Somewhere around 20, I discovered Playboy and Penthouse, and - well - I had better things to fantasize than deals involving Roger Repoz. Still, though, to this day, I still fall for trade rumors. As click-bait goes, they're a notch behind Taylor Swift. 

But since the signing of Gerrit Cole, I have achieved four mountaintop conclusions:

1. Hal Steinbrenner won't sign another big name this winter. He's done pulling out his fanny pack, and it's pointless to speculate on potential free agents. Brian Cashman specializes on finding obscure, low-cost replacements, and that's all we should expect, in terms of spending. 

2. The Yankees have a few minor holes to fill. They could use an elite fielding SS, a solid lefty hitter and another bullpen arm. (With respect to Jell-O, "There's always room for bullpen.") After that, unless a starting pitcher falls our way for some ridiculous reason, I wouldn't expect anything to happen. 

3. They seem intent on dealing J.A. Happ to cut payroll. What they receive will depend on how much money they will pay down on his $17 million contract. My guess is they'd prefer to trade Happ and his entire contract, even if it means getting almost nothing in return.

4. For various reasons - take your pick - they also seem fated to trade Clint Frazier. Maybe it's his attitude. Maybe it's his glove. For sure, it's his predicament: They simply have no easy place to stash him. For the record, I hope they keep Frazier. But here's the reality: Without injuries to other outfielders, he could end up starting the 2020 season at Scranton, and I'm not sure he would go. 

Considering those points, a logical plan is bundle Happ & Frazier and see what the hell we can get. My guess is that Cashman has done this and didn't like the offers. He could add another prospect, or maybe replace Frazier with Miguel Andujar, but then we're getting into blockbuster territory, and I'm not sure Cashman wants to trade the house. The Yanks won 103 games last year, and I doubt Cashman wants a tear-down, especially if he trades away a potential great 3B, only to then learn that Gio Urshela was a single-season mirage. 

So, Happ & Fraze... what could they bring? A decent bullpen arm, you'd think. Maybe Josh Hader? My guess is that Milwaukee is holding out for Andujar. If so, screw them. There have to be others out there. And maybe a lefty bopper, too, in case Mike Ford turns out to be Roger Repoz. I would think the Yankees should feel that they do not have to do anything. And for whatever it's worth, I still hope Frazier gets a shot.

14 comments:

  1. Didi and Romine were death blows. I am still unhappy about those moves and will, in fact, bitch and moan about them for the next 11 months. You will be so sick of me talking about these moves that you will want to trade me to some Red Sox blog, but ai intend to invoke my No-Trade clause. I WILL NOT OPT OUT, MOTHERFUCKERS.

    We need s solid-hitting backup catcher. Oh wait...we just lost one...

    We could use another shortstop, possibly one with breakout potential, someone who can "handle" New York, and someone with something to prove after an off season...oh wait...we just one...

    Fuck you, Brian.

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  2. WHY NOT SWEETEN THE POT?

    HAPP, CLINT, AND ONE OF OUR YOUNGER ARMS.

    MIGUEL YAJURE?

    INCLUDE HIM AND BRING BACK JOSH HADER.

    HADER COULD BE CHECKMATE FOR US.

    DO IT.

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  3. LOL 13 Bit...look at our backup catchers now. A 31 year old lifetime minor-leaguer who has a negative WAR and batted .125 last year and a soon-to be 40 year old who spent most of his shitty career as a minor-leaguer. Also a negative WAR who batted .105 in the majors. Neither one can hit nor can they throw anyone out running the bases. But I bet Cashman just loves how they frame the strike zone! Fucking cheap bastard. Sure, he gave Cole a huge contract but he paid for it through attrition and non-tenders. And next year Ellsbury's 23 million is history.

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  4. I suspect Milwaukee is holding out for Andujar, Deivi Garcia, and Clint, and maybe another young pitcher, too, if they're going to take Happ.

    Which I feel is much too much—though I hope they demand even more.

    I don't know that we should even trade Happ. After his season reached its nadir with a 7.30 ERA in August last year, he had a 1.65 ERA in 4 Sept/Oct starts and 1 relief appearance. 27 1/3 innings, just 18 hits and 9 walks, 28 Ks, only 2 HRs surrendered.

    In other words, those among us who think that Happ righted himself once he started ignoring BoJo Rothschild are probably right. In other words, he could be a fine No. 5 starter.

    I say keep Happ!

    That would give you a rotation of Cole, Severino, Paxton, Tanaka, Happ. There's plenty left to augment the pen: Mike King, Deivi Garcia, Johnny Lasagna, a recovering Monty—maybe even German, if the MLB Deep State has not had him cryogenically frozen until the 23rd century.

    Never throw away pitching.

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  5. Never throw away pitching.

    The name "Sonny Gray" leaps to mind for some reason...

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  6. A few things...

    1) It is possible that Romine decided that he wanted to start somewhere and knew that it wasn't going to be for NY. So even if Hal were to match the offer (not saying he did that) Romine might have seen a greater opportunity that goes beyond cash (no pun).

    2) Clint Frazier - Sometimes the cards ain't worth a dime. Rightly or wrongly Frazier's (let's call it - out-sized)personality is a bad fit for the "Yankee Way". Add fielding troubles and he is left with what? A fast swing?

    In sports, like in life, if you are going to call attention to yourself and be a pain in the ass to management you'd better produce. He's a good hitter. Let's say a very good hitter (Is he? Really? Very good?)

    So, you have a good hitter, who doesn't fit in and can't field who, despite having some success at the major league level, can't make the club and has personality issues. Is it any wonder he doesn't bring back perceived value in a trade.

    I feel bad for the guy. But if he goes, he goes. I hope where ever he goes he does really well. He gives 100%. I even like his posts and comments. But, I don't have to live with him.

    3) The Trade - Happ is a good #4 somewhere. That has value.

    Frazier is worth a flyer (somewhere)

    Florial is starting to feel like the next Gerald Williams. (Who apparently played 14 seasons!) Never lived up to the expectations.

    Package em all. Get Hader. Good bookend. Robertson for Frazier (and eventually Paxton) Frazier for Hader.

    Doug K.

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  7. ....You didn't discover Playboy/Penthouse until your 20s?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Amen, Jimmy! Didn't last year scare us enough about depth? How do we know that Stanton, Hicks, and Tauchman will give us, well, anything this year? How do we know what Urshela will be?

    Getting Hader would probably fulfill our smallest need. His ERA has gone up the last 2 years, and his home runs allowed have gone from 4 to 9 to 15 in 2019—in just 75 2/3 innings. If Happy Fun Ball is back in 2020, he's liable to get whiplash playing in the Stadium.

    On the plus side, he strikes out a lot of guys. Unlike every other pitcher.

    I say leave him in Milwaukee, hold on to the depth.

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  9. Clint Frazier can’t be a Yankee because he has a personality.

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  10. Want a deal that helps both clubs?

    Happ & Frazier to Philly for Enyel de los Santos, a promising righty.

    Philadelphia is desperate for a starting pitcher and might be the best bet for trade partner.

    ReplyDelete
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