COVID, you say?
Nope. Worse than that. Starting pitching.
Aside from Gerrit Cole - who has, himself, struggled at times - the Death Star thus far has offered a zombie rotation, with nobody able to throw five decent innings, and most barely reaching the third. Our lineup might hit its way into the expanded wild card race - where every child gets a gold star, just for showing up! - but let's not kid ourselves: Even in a 60-game wisp of a-season, without quality starters, this team is creamed corn.
The meltdowns of J.A. Happ, James Paxton and now Jordan Montgomery - (Masahiro Tanaka goes tonight; we'll see) - imperil the season. For now, there is one viable replacement: Clarke Schmidt, currently diddling around in Scranton. Let's hope he's ready.
In a normal time, Cooperstown Cashman would be on Zoom, dangling prospects like Schmidt for the next Happ or Paxton, seeking to win now and sweat the future later. He'd have two major trade chips: Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar, both hiding out in the foot heels of the Endless Mountains, (a range so-named because it doesn't end in Pennsylvania.) Each could be a future impact player. Each could bring the Yankees another Lance Lynn or Vidal Nuno - a middling salary dump from a payroll-cutting franchise, on his way to free agency next December.
Which raises a question that will torment us over the next three weeks: Is this pandemic-affected, asterisk of a mini-season worth chasing, if it means giving up future prospects?
My vote: HELL FUKKING NO.
Two weeks into this bizarre season, it's still a coin flip as to whether there will be playoffs. At any moment, a COVID outbreak could crush the league, and the last thing we need is the final month of some big, fat, greasy slob's big, fat, greasy contract - Sidney Ponson, where are you? - while Red Thunder gets fitted for a Royals jersey.
This year, two weeks equals a whole month. The Sept. 1 trade deadline already looms like a broken rope bridge. Let's hope the Yankees hold the line: No prospects for salary dumps, not this year. It will soon be time to pull the plug on under-performing starters. Mr. Schmidt, where are you?
Yes bring up Clark. However, we need pitching for next year and beyond as well.
ReplyDeleteHapp is gone after the season (and if he keeps this up maybe before), and so is "Big Maypo".
Yes that's right, "Big Maypo" now named after Maypo a hot cereal infused with maple syrup that was much better in theory than as a breakfast food. Kinda tasty for the first mouthful and then progressively more gross.
So we need two starters next year, and that's if we re-sign Tanaka, which is not a sure thing.
It may be time to trade some of out surplus. I know, I know Frazier will be a star somewhere but my question is will it be here? Are we a bridge to far with AnDUjar? I hope not.
One thing that makes it harder is everybody is still in this thing. As Duque mentioned participation play off berths all around.
Still, if there is a trade to be made for a Clevinger or some one like that it might behoove us, painful as it would be, to pull the trigger.
And, as I mentioned in another comment Larry Rothschild isn't around to screw the new guy up.
Doug K.
I'm voting for Covid to curtail the season before Cashman can screw it up for another decade.
ReplyDeleteSchmidt was, from day one, better than Mike King. But now that Schmidt is assigned to the " alternative location, " "in the endless mountains, there is no possibility that he can get ready. How do you get ready playing catch? How does a pitcher get sharp at Hooters and living in a room at motel 6?
Hell, there aren't even any groupies to impress.
So we have learned that Happ and Paxton are likely finished. Tanaka is a huge question mark, having nearly been killed by the glorious Giancarlo Stanton ( now revering to strike out mode and the useless piece of shit he always was, fans or no fans ). Jordy is work in progress...still with upside potential. And then we are left with a designated starter rotation. Where Green is the King. King can maybe give us two innings. And Loasiaga ( Lasagne ) can throw 50 pitches in two innings and hold the opposition to one HR ). Holder has done well for an inning, and that strange new lefty looks effective.
The back-end of the bullpen is even better, and Chappy may help that as well ( or not ).
I don't think there are any championship teams this year. A for effort. Covid wins.
Keep Cashman in a fucking isolation booth.
I would rather the season ends than Cashman make a trade. Unless he deals Giancarlo, that is.
Hear, hear! Amen, Duque, Alphonso.
ReplyDeleteDoug K., great story about the Maypo—never had it, though they used to advertise it CONSTANTLY.
And I hear what you're saying with the pitchers. Getting Cole was great, but even if Tanaka is okay, his elbow is still hanging by a thread. The Cole Train ain't pulling nothing.
BUT—this is the Cashman Conundrum. Yes, it would be great for him to trade such-and-such. But since almost every big trade he makes is at best a nullity and at worst a disaster...don't count on anything coming from it.
On my Yankees team, Cashman is an asst. GM, doing the only thing he can do well: dumpster diving. I have him in charge of visiting the Island of Misfit Toys, full time—get us a bargain, Cashie!
Anything else is beyond him.
Didn't I tell you guys that our rotation would be Cole and the Four Question Marks? Less than 15 games into this Covid-19 season of disaster, we've found out that we basically have one starting pitcher. With four or five question marks.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, it would be sheer madness to make any kind of move. No, we're two starters short of being a solid championship contender. Besides, the instant that Cashman makes a trade, I can practically guarantee you that the assholes at MLB will shut down the season, with no playoffs this year, just to keep us out of the winner's circle. If he does make a move, for God's sake, move Stanton out of here. It's not just that he sucks, his presence in this lineup causes a logjam, preventing Andujar and Frazier from cracking the lineup, or even this roster.
Has anyone noticed we've got the wrong "cash" man? We should've got Kevin Cash as manager here. Amen, Hoss, Brian Cashman is just an assistant GM, fit for dumpster diving, nothing more.
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