"Oh, almighty juju gods - hunched into your cubicles or huddling on the street in your smoke breaks - breathe not the microwave popcorn fumes of death, and visit no more violence upon the commissary vending machines that mock you like crows in a cornfield. Keep our Yankees safe and secure, and keep yourselves safe and secure, with New York Life, which has been keeping families safe and secure for nearly 175 years, yatta yatta, amen."
Now, a few words about MLB.
Congratulations, people, you did it. Back in July, when Covid cases were over the moon in the doorknob-licking southern states, I'd have bet the Barcalounger that the 2020 "season" would last two weeks. Yet here we are - craggy and confused on the final day of a miserably short pennant race, one that should be heating up, rather than grinding to a halt. We should have three months to chase down the Tampa Rays. Instead, we're stumbling into October with the most underachieving lineup in baseball. But that's on us. The fact is, you did it, MLB! We didn't fall into The Abyss. Congrats...
So, what have we learned? A few things...
1. DJ LeMahieu is baseball's best player. He might be the MVP; I'd have to check the other candidates. But nobody hits and fields three positions as well as LeMahieu. He will be a 32-year-old free agent this winter. I have a sinking feeling that the Yankees bid for a while, then let him go and poor-mouth about money or lengthy contracts. If we lose him, we will regret it.
2. On the last day of the season, we still have no idea who we will play next week. In this regard, MLB resembles the NFL, which cooks its seasons with endless wild card tie-breakers. Depending on today, the Yanks could play Minnesota, Chicago or Cleveland - all with better records. Frankly, it doesn't matter. Because...
3. The 2020 Yankees are an all-or-nothing lottery ticket. Either they win the World Series, or they will have squandered their best shot in years. Considering the ascending talent in Tampa, Baltimore and Toronto, we might not see a championship for a long time.
4. This winter, our first order of business will be to find a catcher. The second will be to find a team willing to take Gary Sanchez. (I suppose Gary could go crazy in October, hit a bunch of HRs and lead the Yankees to the Canyon of Heroes. Also, dolphins could rise along the coasts and demand an end to casino gambling.) Who knows? But the Yankees need a gamer behind the plate, and Gary is done in NYC.
5. We probably have squandered the peak season of Luke Voit's career. No recap of 2020 is complete without a standing O for him. He might win the HR crown. He could win the Silver Slugger at 1B. He has hobbled his way into our hearts. Gio Urshela is not far behind. There is something to be said for overachievers.
6. We must decide whether Aaron Judge is the future. I cannot forget that Judge, who missed much of this season, was gifted by the fates when the first half of the year was canceled. He would have missed it anyway. There is something seriously wrong with Judge's inability to stay on the field. Boston cut bait with Mookie Betts last winter, and the guy they got - Verdugo - is among the league-leaders in hitting. The Yankees must think the unthinkable: Could we trade Judge for a package of young players?
7. I think Aaron Boone is done. It's not that he's a bad manager. Yeah, he's blown some decisions, they all do. But those bags under his eyes. The lifeless way he moves and shrugs. Did you know that you can rent him on Cameo? For $350, he does birthday greetings and get well videos? This weekend, when Boone got tossed for arguing balls and strikes, it hit me: The guy looks psychologically fried. This two month season was a soul-crusher.
8. Deivi Garcia remains our most hopeful sign for the future. If Luis Severino can return - (BIG if, there) - the 2021 Yankees could remake themselves into a pitching-first club, behind Gerrit Cole, Garcia and Clarke Schmidt (who inexplicably got no chance this season.) If they can trade one of their 20 outfielders for an ascending pitcher, who knows?
Today, it's the beginning of the end.
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18 comments:
how'd you know hat we've been licking doorknobs down here?
I think Clarke Schmidt is getting his chance today!
A few things...
1) DJ
Stanton.
Why do I write Stanton? Because I would sign DJ in a heartbeat for 5 years secure in the knowledge that he's the kind of guy who can wake up at 3AM an rip a base hit somewhere, a la Edgar Martinez, and so would be a productive/superior DH even if he loses a step in the field.
Unfortunately...
Stanton. The gift that keeps on taking.
2,3,4
Yep. Yep. Yep.
5)Sanchez
I'm glad that Duque started his screed with a prayer because from his pen to G-d's ears. I think/hope he's right. (And Shana Tova to those to whom that applies).
Watching Sanchez play is demoralizing for everyone, fans, the team, the manager, and I have to finally believe... ownership. He goes, and don't worry, there's always a taker for a change of scenery guy.
I hope it works out for him.
Actually I don't because I still remember him sucker and rabbit punching some opponent during a scrum. He lost me right then and there. Punk.
5) Voit
Said this the other day buy I really hope Luke isn't about to enter Birdland.
Nothing but props for a guy on team who is leaving it all on the field when certain teammates, who already have banked enough money to last several lifetimes, can't seem to make it back.
I hope this guy heals in the off season. Either way he is in my personal Hall of Fame.
6) Judge
A haiku
Jimi said it best
“And so castles made of sand…”
Trade him while we can.
Sigh.
7) Boone
Not a fan. Back to the booth. Seee ya.
8) Next year's pitching
I don't know but I really hope they don't try to resign Paxton.
Will German be out of jail by next year?
Doug K.
Bring Back Buck.
Unfortunately there are about 5 guys better than LeMahieu for MVP and he'll fall to around 6th in the vote. I think they'll probably give it to Shane Bieber. I don't feel pitchers should get it though.
I think Boone will stay. I remember Girardi looking the same way, like death warmed over, but he kept going for several more years.
I felt for a couple years now Judge should go. Trade for some good pitching prospects.
I just read that if the Yanks loose and the Jays win, the Yanks will be in 8th place and will have to fight the first place Rays. That's probably the best scenario for them as the Rays are master choke artists when push comes to shove. The 4th-5th place options for the yanks would surely end up in their defeat.
I guess Doug and I are the only guys around here who even remember German. He's a troubled kid, but he can pitch. And he is due to return sometime in October, as I recall. We'll be out of it by then, but still.
He does exist. Though sometimes I feel like Carol Lynley in Bunny Lake Is Missing.
This right here.
Well, I, too, fondly recall Domingo caressing that ball to do radical things, and wish him back - Couldn't they have trained him this summer?
I say let Boonie ride, he's kept his mask up, poor thing. Sure does support his players with that positive hopeful vibe, just hope he can discipline and train, thinking of shortstop. Loved Gleyber at second (and at bat, till he got homer-happy), but the ss needs to take charge of the infield, and he's shy, or so Venezuelan that sign language doesn't work?
I agree about the wisdom of emphasizing pitching, but everything doesn't have to be strikeouts and blazing speed. Sure wish Greg Maddux would play ball. Greinke. Probably Bauer.
Judge? I don't know, your idea of the return is good, but chancy. Sanchez? I voted that last year. JT Realmuto sounds spiffy.
@ Doug K. "I still remember him sucker and rabbit punching some opponent during a scrum. He lost me right then and there. Punk."
I think that was Miguel Cabrera that Gary took out his frustrations on. I didn't mind that at all. Miguel Cabrera was a Yankee killer extraordinaire. He would be hitting .230 before our series and he'd hit .750 over three or four games against us. I enjoyed seeing Gary pound Cabrera like a sack of flour. Ha ha.
The Hammer of God
@Vampifella I too wish we'd run into the Tampons in the first round. Hey, if you want to be the best, you got to beat the best. And we'll actually have a better chance of beating them in a 2 out of 3 series than in a best of seven. Anyone can win 2 out of 3. And the idea of rubbing their faces in the shit certainly appeals to me. After all that happened this year and for the last few years, to knock them out of the playoffs would be sweet revenge. And if they beat us, well, that was what we all expected anyway.
The Hammer of God
I agree with almost everything you guys above have to say. However, this notion of giving up on Judge is crazy. Judge is still a player that the team can build around, he's still young, the best defensive right fielder in baseball, and probably hits more homers over the next decade than anyone. As far as his health, he hasn't torn any main cables yet. But, IMHO he's chronically over trained which management needs to step in. I would trade Torres who would bring back plenty of young talent assuming that DJ is retained. Torres looks more like a second baseman in the long run. I will add that The Brain needs to sign two second tier starters who can actually pitch more than five innings. The lack of starter innings has killed them for most of the last fifteen years and it shows up in October. Last but not least the team defense has been crappy since The Dynasty Era. This is something which has to be addressed. Maybe Andrelton Simmons?
DJ should be the MVP. He won the batting title by .42 points (!), first in OBP, first in OPS, slugged .590, and played a great up the middle position. Without DJ the team would have been lucky to have finished with a winning record. What say youse?
I hate to be the voice of realism, but: It's TOO LATE to trade Judge or Sanchez. And the idea that the Steinbrenners would "eat" most of Stanton's contract is hilarious.
The creative way to shed Aaron and ICS is to trade them for AA pitchers.
The smart thing to do with Stanton is pay him to stay home.
Anyone think ANY one of those 3 things might be accomplished before April?
ALSO: For the record, does anyone think the team will re-sign a 32-year-old DJM? I don't. They'll try to get him for 1 year, or maybe 2; and he'll want 4 or 5. The price doesn't matter. They're haunted by the deals they made will Ellsburger and Stanton. Long-term contracts are smart for ballplayers, but for the Yankees . . well, have they worked out so far?
I think Joe FOB is mostly right. Stanton is here to stay—or more accurately, here to sit.
It would be nice to get Judge to stop overtraining...but no doubt, he' ENCOURAGED to do so (as is Stanton) according to the Yanks' carefully calculated sabremetrics. Besides, Joe FOB is right on this, too: no GM in his right mind would give us anything to speak of for such constantly injured and under-performing players.
Also, the Catch-22 is this: the Brain, who cannot judge talent, sucks at making trades.
And I agree that DJ probably will demand 4-5 years. But if 2 of them are good, he will have been worth the money. The alternative is to let the infield sink into chaos next year, with Torres a bust at SS.
Remember our training and coaching mantra: Everybody gets hurt. Nobody gets better.
Cashman himself has to be first to get canned. He's clearly not up for the job of retooling anything but his bank accounts and investments.
But let's get real: we know Cashman won't go anywhere; we know Boone won't go anywhere; we know almost everyone on this team will be back again next year (if there is a next year). Heck, Cashman might even keep Brett Gardner, sign him to a three year contract! And because we have two pitchers coming back from the land of the dead (Luis Severino & Domingo German), Cashman might say we don't even need to retool the starting staff. We'll have a great starting staff, championship caliber!
The Hammer of God
I would trade anybody and everybody except for Andujar, Frazier, Voit, Higashioka, Cole, and Deivi Garcia. I would hang on to Higashioka simply because he's Cole's personal catcher. The rest including Judge, Sanchez, Torres, the entire bullpen, are all expendable for the right price. Bring in at least four lefty hitters. Try to get one more #1 starter plus a #2 starter. Get rid of dead wood & dead arms for top minor league talent if possible.
We probably should resign DJ Lemahieu, even if it takes a four year contract. This guy is worth taking a chance on; he's proven it. On a team that can't hit good pitching, a guy like this is absolutely necessary.
The Hammer of God
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