Friday, December 20, 2019

Yankee opening day roster... if nothing changes (though, of course, everything will)

Sometimes, to assure yourself that you actually have enough pennies to buy the pony, you must empty the piggy bank and count the coins. On that note, let's look at where the Yankees stand - right now, today - before trades, before injuries, before free agent reinforcements. Here's a proposed opening day lineup.

2b DJ LeMahieu
rf Aaron Judge
ss Gleyber Torres
dh Giancarlo Stanton

lf Miguel Andujar
c Gary Sanchez

1b Luke Voit/Mike Ford
3b Gio Urshela

cf Brett Gardner

(Note: This lineup wins the AL East. But it also tilts hard right. Against dominant righties, Mike Tauchman might play LF, and Gardy would probably move up. Not sure about Gleyber hitting third and playing SS; that's a lot of pressure. He might need to work his way into that role. By July, we should have Aaron Hicks, whatever that means.)

Bench

Tauchman

Ford
Kyle Higashioka
Tyler Wade 

Thairo Estrada 

(Note: In case you didn't notice, there is no spot for Clint Frazier. If he is sent back to Scranton - again - the poor guy will be a basket case. The big question is whether Andujar can play LF. If not, Frazier has a foot in the door (assuming he can play LF). As it stands today, either Andujar or Frazier needs to be traded. Andujar would bring more, but he's a great young bat. Do they really want to let him go?

This should be Tyler Wade's year. With a 26-man roster - the new normal - Wade looks perfect. Not only does he bat LH, but he can play the OF and he is the fastest player on the team. 

Finally, before Gerrit Cole, our big winter acquisition was scrubino OF Zack Granite. To save Gardy's legs, Granite might be a late-inning replacement.)

Rotation

Gerrit Cole
Luis Severino
Masahiro Tanaka
James Paxton
J.A. Happ


(Note: This rotation wins the AL East. But Happ will almost certainly be traded, leaving an opening for Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga, Luis Cessa or Deivi Garcia. Trouble is: No one on that list is a sure thing. So who pitches fifth?

This is why Gammonites keep postulating trades of Happ, Andujar/Frazier and a young arm... for a solid pitcher. But for whom? That's a substantial package. Cashman better not blow it. 

Finally, for a team of china dolls - Hicks, Stanton, Severino, Judge - is it wise to cut ourselves thin?)

Bullpen 

Aroldis Chapman
Zack Britton
Adam Ottavino
Tommy Kahnle
Chad Green
Jonathan Holder/Ben Heller/Stephen Tarpley/ Cessa/Loaisiga
Whomever stands out in Tampa


(Note: This bullpen wins the AL East. The Yankee surplus is why we keep hearing rumors about Milwaukee's Josh Hader. He would certainly buttress our late innings, especially if Smiley Chapman goes down.  

(In a perfect world, we would wait until March - see who looks good - before doing a major deal. Trouble is, other teams won't wait on Happ. Something will have to Happen. We are clear front-runners in our division. But there is a lot of winter yet to play.

(Am I wrong to suspect that some of you have different opinions?)

14 comments:

  1. TOO RIGHT HANDED.

    NEED A GOOD LEFTY BAT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.

    HICKS IS NOT THAT- (IF AND WHEN HE COMES BACK).

    NO IDEA WHO IS AVAILABLE OR WHO WE COULD GET.

    LINDOR COMES TO MIND, BUT I'M SURE COOP WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE.

    FORGET SCHWARBER.

    IT'S A PROBLEM.

    THINK OF FACING SCHERZER, STRASBURG, VERLANDER, OR BUEHLER IN THE POST SEASON.

    SLIDER, SLIDER, SLIDER.

    K, K ,K.

    SAME SHIT.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Man, German is in a special kind of Purgatory. Can't remember the last time I saw a guy go through the wringer without a peep from the wringer, the wringee or the internets

    ReplyDelete
  3. As for the fifth starter, the surest bet is Jordan Montgomery in my opinion.

    They must have some very damaging video of German on tape after that team CC celebration dinner. A lot of bad violence towards women in the past never seemed to provoke such secrecy and non-intervention by the MLBPA.

    Considering the bullpen: I think the Yankees are very high on Mike King. Unless he gets hurt in Spring Training, I think he makes the team. He's got some very nasty stuff. He was part of the Marlins flurry of deals including the Stanton trade.

    Please......NO MORE FUCKING CESSA!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Holiday Song #1

    GERRIT COLE (Let it Snow)

    Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
    But the hot stove is so delightful.
    And at last there’s something to show
    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole!

    Hal finally opened his wallet.
    Our rotation, now is solid.
    To the series we should go.
    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!

    Sure he did it to please Sinclair
    and also Am-a-zon Prime.
    But, the truth is I just don’t care.
    We should win it all one more time.

    So we’ll finally beat those cheaters.
    While the Red Sox Nation teeters.
    Run a pennant up the pole
    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!

    While there’s no Bowie Kuhn to null it
    Let’s hope that he’s not Don Gullet,
    And his arm out he won’t blow
    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!

    Sure, Stanton’s still on the team,
    and Sanchez forgets how to hit
    but we finally signed the cream
    so I’m hoping, this might be it.

    Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
    But the hot stove is so delightful.
    and at last there’s something to show
    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!

    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!


    Doug K.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Doug...that deserves a post in the Post. Perhaps move your poem to under a banner of IIHIIF and send it to Phil Mushnick or Steve Serby along with your consent to use it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Carl.

    Doug K

    ReplyDelete
  7. No more Cessa or Tarpley. Please no more. Lasagna is more than bad enough.

    Is there a date when we will hear about the fate of DG?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!

    Gerrit Cole! Gerrit Cole Gerrit Cole!

    Fa-la-la-lala-lala-lala!!


    With compliments to Doug K.


    Hal? Hal? Thank you, but you may now go fuck yourself to death. With cancer.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wouldn't it be nice if German could be that fifth starter?

    Or is he secretly in Attica?

    Maybe he assaulted the wife or daughter of an executive at MLB. That would be like grabbing Putin's boy friend's ass right in the Kremlin.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I still think we need to get rid of Stanton. Whatever it takes, even if we pay most of his salary. Even though he's not proven himself, I've seen enough to give Ford 1B. I would trade Luke Voit. If Ford doesn't hit, we'd still have Andujar to play 1B. We have got a giant hair clog of 1B/DH/5th outfielder types, and they're all right handed.

    The Hammer of God

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Yanks signed Erik Kratz to a minor league contract. After they signed Cole.

    Isn't that like buying a mansion and then furnishing it with IKEA furniture?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Carl Weitz and Hammer, you are right. 2020 is all about the Mikes.

    If Ford hits like it seems like he can, it goes a long way toward solving our lefty problem.

    And above all: short of acquiring Lindor, ANDUJAR STAYS PUT! (Is there any indication that they're trying him in left? That would be best.)

    I would hate to get rid of The Red Menace, too, but that can possibly be sorted out between him and Tauchman come the spring. I also wouldn't mind giving Happ another shot.

    BUT NO GETTING RID OF MIGGY!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. AMEN, Horace. DO NOT TRADE ANDUJAR. Let him HIT.

    So are we assuming German is lost for the year? A lifetime suspension? I've been a baseball fan for many (and many) a year and I've never seen a situation handled like this.

    Brett

    ReplyDelete
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