Monday, September 28, 2020

No matter how you slice it, the Yankee future will hinge on the next three games

It's been a long, weird, twisted, short season, 2020. I'm glad it's over.

The Yankees were great, then awful, then great again, then miserable. They backed into the playoffs and, frankly, deserved to be the AL's lowest seed. (Toronto, you blew it.) When you think of the breakout seasons from DJ LeMahieu, Luke Voit, Gerrit Cole, Clint Frazier and Gio Urshela, the depth of this year's Yankee malaise becomes breathtaking. 

Our "Twin Towers" - Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton - fizzled from muscle strains. Even today, neither sprints to first base without Aaron Boone clutching his Rosary. After Cole, the rotation imploded, and our bullpen - originally touted - became a horror show. We have no second or third starter, no lights-out relievers, and - after DJ - nobody who can drive in a run from second. If the Indians score three in the first, we are more likely to be blown out than to mount a comeback. We have been a team of passed balls, stranded runners, embarrassing batting averages and failed instant replay reviews. In simple terms, we sucked.

I believe the Yankee future hinges upon this week in Cleveland. If the Yankees advance, their talent and depth might coalesce in sets of longer series. But the three-game crucible has haunted this team since August. If we go out quickly, the Yankees, as we know them, might be shredded this winter. And, to be honest, that might be a good thing. 

We've talked so much about shedding Gary Sanchez that it's barely worth mentioning anymore. But several other areas cannot be ignored. The team has six outfielders - a plane with three wings and no propeller. The 2021 Yankees will need pitching, pitching, pitching. Cole is just one starter. Paxton will be gone. Tanaka and Happ are old. Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt are unrefined. Severino is a roll of the dice. German will still miss a month or two. The Yankees will need at least one top starter, and the only means to that end might be to trade their hottest properties. Yes, I am stating the unthinkable: Aaron Judge and/or Gleyber Torres.

Keep in mind that a) the devil is always in the details, and b) I'm not saying the Yankees trade somebody for the sake of jettisoning them. But neither Clint Frazier nor Miguel Andujar will fetch a top starter - do we always want Michael Pinedas? - and nobody will take Giancarlo Stanton off our hands, unless we add a great talent to the mix. Put Stanton in with Gleyber, and you've got a package that most GM's would love to take to their bosses.

The Yankees next year will face a newly competitive Mets and an AL East with at least three ascending teams - (Rays, Jays and O's). If we collapse this week, this year will be remembered most for its crushing disappointments. And if we're lucky, it might just signify the end of an era - and the dividing line for a better future.

9 comments:

  1. I agree with our Peerless Leader, save for two things:

    —We don't have 6 outfielders. We barely have 4. Gardy is done and Talkie has reverted to his powerless mean. Judge, Hick, and Stanton are constantly injured, and we've wasted a season in which we should have found out if Andujar can play out there. By next July, Cashie will be desperately scouring the junk piles for OF help.

    —Nothing's getting shredded. Coops will use the nature of this year to stick with his master plan. At most, they will deal Andujar for magic beans. Which will be a tragedy.

    ReplyDelete


  2. I’m sorry. I mostly agree with you, Fearless Leader, but trading Gleyber is easily the worst idea you’ve ever had. The kid is 23 and could form a solid nucleus of four rare and talented hitters along with Frazier, DJ, and Andujar. I would sign all four long-term. Hicks and Gardner need to disappear. Forever. As for Judge, he’s like Haley’s Comet - doesn’t show up often, but puts on one helluva show when he does. You can’t sustain any success without consistency. So we wait for our Great White Hope to stay on the field. Both he and Stanton are like having a beautiful and annoying girlfriend who lets you have an occasional sniff of the biscuit. You keep hoping for another glimpse. But I don’t think that’s happening on our lifetime.

    Aaron Boone belongs back in the booth. He’s a good guy, but he’s no manager. Bring back Buck. That’s my pipe dream - it will never happen because he’s his own man. Brain and Buck wouldn’t be a marriage made in heaven.

    Two other things:

    Analytics is a joke. It is the one bit of “progress” that is ruining the game. It’s good to consult, but ultimately it turns a team (like the Yankees) into an all or nothing show. Guys don’t know how to do anything but swing for the fences. In The Stadium that might work, but elsewhere...

    Lastly, congratulations to Jeter and Mattingly for taking a shit team and making them respectable in such a short time. Jeter, especially deserves kudos for ruthlessly ripping apart a bloated organization (which he took a LOT of grief for) and turning it around so soon. Turns out Derek could be a better manager than a player, if that is even possible.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I rarely disagree with anything El Duque says. I rarely agree with him, either.

    So here is my gut feeling:

    1. We will overpay Judge and keep him forever, He will mostly be injured. Once in a great while, he'll get on a hot streak. But he does not come back from injuries well ( see 2020 season), and that will be the norm.

    2. We couldn't trade Stanton to Red China for a basket of mangoes. If we agree to pay Stanton's entire contract ( plus food money), and throw in Deivie Garcia, a deal could be made. Stanton is already becoming the mammoth version of Jacoby Ellsbury.

    3. Sanchez needs a new home. But the Yanks have no one in the pipeline ( there was no pipeline this year ), and Kyle doesn't have any upside. So, we'll overpay Sanchez and keep him far too long...he is already at least a year beyond his " sell by" date. And guess what? He won't get any better. We have drafted catchers with high picks the last two years. But they are 8 years away.

    4. Le Mahieu may just want out. I'm not sure he wants to endure yet another year where he is the only dependable player. Where he is the best guy they have at three...maybe four...infield positions. And is asked to play them all.

    5. The pitching reflects a woeful future. Cole is the "goods." Though, when he loses 1-0 tomorrow, and the Yanks are quickly done...he is going to realize that it is not always a good thing when your dreams come true.

    6. German will be penalized 60 games for the next 5 years. Best we forget he exists. He had to have killed someone on fifth avenue.

    7. Severino will be the second coming of Jesus Montero. He showed flashes and flamed out. He will never be a dominating starter, upon whom this team can rely. He will one of the few guys who didn't recover from TJ surgery. But we will pay him big money anyway, and fail to make plans because he is " pencilled in."

    8. Happ and Paxton are beyond the age where they can dominate. And Tankaka will get" lit up" after 5 innings on Wednesday. When he " brings it " these days, he looks as though I could hit it.

    9.. Blah, blah, blah. As long as the Steinbrenners and Cashman are pulling the strings, and Boone is the masked man in the dugout, this team will be a trail mix of talent that doesn't perform.

    10. Is it only the fans who are noticing the incredible defenders, and speed shown on teams that are beating us? Guys that are teeing off on us? Playing baseball, rather than checking stock quotes? On Toronto, on Miami, on Tampa? And tomorrow, on Cleveland? We need a Florial in CF to show off something. Anything. But we have a .225 hitter with 6 home runs and tiring legs. That is us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Yankees will have to pay most of Stanton's contract to get rid of him. I'm not sure that Cashman can get over himself enough to make this move--or that the marketing department won't veto it.

    ReplyDelete

  5. Both [Judge] and Stanton are like having a beautiful and annoying girlfriend who lets you have an occasional sniff of the biscuit. You keep hoping for another glimpse. But I don’t think that’s happening on our lifetime.

    I love this blog and all its commenters.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "sniff the biscuit..." Richie, I hear that you are the true author of the Bard of Avon's major plays. That's beautiful. Beautiful and tragic.

    JimmyEats - that may be your crystal ball, but it's my wish list. Sadly, I don't think the ball is a little muddy. IF ONLY that were the truth, I'd have some hope.

    We shall not win again
    Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane...
    And Brian chokes upon his moldy throne..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Selling USA FRESH SSN Leads/Fullz, along with Driving License/ID Number with good connectivity.

    **PRICE FOR ONE LEAD/FULLZ 2$**

    All SSN's are Tested & Verified. Fresh spammed data.

    **DETAILS IN LEADS/FULLZ**

    ->FULL NAME
    ->SSN
    ->DATE OF BIRTH
    ->DRIVING LICENSE NUMBER
    ->ADDRESS WITH ZIP
    ->PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL
    ->EMPLOYEE DETAILS

    ->Bulk order negotiable
    ->Minimum buy 10 to 15 leads/fullz
    ->Hope for the long term business
    ->You can asked for specific states too

    **Contact 24/7**

    Whatsapp > +923172721122

    Email > leads.sellers1212@gmail.com

    Telegram > @leadsupplier

    ICQ > 752822040

    ReplyDelete
  8. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR HARD EARNED FUNDS TO THE WRONG PEOPLE?
    MEET THE PROFESSIONAL HACKERS FOR HIRE TODAY.
    📁 Hiring a professional hacker has been one of the world's most technical valued navigating information.
    Regarding:
    •Recovery Of Lost Funds,
    •Mobile Phone Hack.(Catching A Cheating Spouse).
    •Credit Score Upgrade,
    •HACK.
    leroysteckler@gmail.com
    High prolific information and Priviledges comes rare as it's been understood that what people do not see, they will never know. The affirmative ability to convey a profitable information Systematically is the majoy factor to success.
    Welcome to the Global KOS hacking agency where every request on hacking related issues are fixed within a short period of time.
    When you wonder “which hacking company should I hire, the first aspect that should concern you is Sincerity. Secondly, Rapid response. Clearly, you want to embark for services that povides swift response, With our astonishing Hackers, you will be glad to find out that our services Implies precision and action.
    This post is definitely for those who are willing to turn their lives around for the better, either financial-wise, relationship-wise or businesses.
    The manual Operation of this hackers is to potentially deploy a distinguished hacking techniques to penetrating computers.
    If your shoe fits in any of the services below, you will be assigned to a designated professional hacker who is systematically known for operating on a dark web V-link protocol.
    Providing value added services to clients as a hacker has been our sustaining goal.
    Are you faced with cyber challenges like
    💰Recovery of lost funds:✅(BITCOIN INVESTMENTS, BINARY OPTIONS, LOAN AND TRADING FOREX WITH FORGERY BROKERS.) 🖥️I would try my possible best to shortly explain this in particular.
    This shocking study points to one harsh reality we all face today. It saddens our mind when client expresses annoyance or dissatisfaction of unethical behaviours of scammers. We have striven to make tenacious efforts to help those who are victims of this flees get off their traumatic feeling of loss. The cyber security technique used to retrieving back the victims stolen funds is the application of a diverse intercall XX breacher software enables you track the data location of a scammer. Extracting every informations on the con database. Every information required by the Global KOS would be used to tracking every transaction, time and location of the scammer. This is acheived using the systematic courier tracking base method•
    However, there are secret cyber infiltrators called brokers and doom. The particular system used by this scammers permeates them to manupulate targets digital trading system or monetary fund based accounts. Strictly using a dark web rob to diverting successful trades into a negative outcome. This process bends to thier advantage while investors results to losing massive amount of money. An act of gaining access to an organization or databased system to cause damages. We have worked so hard to ensure our services gives you a 100% trading success to recover all your losses•
    📲 HACKING A MOBILE PHONE:.✅ Do you think you are being cheated on? Curious to know what your lover is up to online? This type of hack helps you track every movement of your cheater as we are bent on helping you gain full remote access into the cheater's mobile phone using a Trojan breach cracking system to penetrate their social media platforms like Facebook, whatsapp, snapchat etc.
    The company is large enough to provide comprehensive range of services such as•
    • Email hacks📲
    • Hacking of websites.📲
    • Uber free payment hacks.📲
    Our strength is based on the ability to help fix cyber problems by bringing together active cyber hacking professionals in the GlobalkOS to work with.
    Contact:
    ✉️Email: theglobalkos@gmail.com
    Leroysteckler@gmail.com
    ®Global KOS™
    2020.

    ReplyDelete

  9. I 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.

    ReplyDelete

Members of the blog can comment. To receive an e-mailed invitation, write to johnandsuzyn@gmail.com. And check spam if it doesn't show up. (Google account required.)

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.