Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Who is Rougned Odor and why is he a Yankee? Is Cashman facing an existential crisis?

The answers, my dear Watsons, are simple...

1. This is a Tinker Year for Brian Cashman. He'll tinker the rotation, tinker the roster, tinker the media - (hopefully not the interns) - and toggle this team like its the Hadron Collider. Cashman and his algorithms have taken control. Clearly, he suspects that 12 years without a World Series - coupled with the rising Mets - will stain his Yankee legacy. Thus, regardless of how microscopic the change, if his projections show but one molecule of improvement, he will do a deal.

2. It's about defense. Rougned Odor plays a certifiably bad 2B, but he's still better there than Jay Bruce is at first. The intangible is DJ LeMahieu, who plays anywhere with the footwork of Gene Kelly. Bruce can't go a full month at 1B, where despite his lefty bat, he also has two left feet. At this stage of his career, he's a DH/RF, and his defensive shortcomings undermine Gleyber Torres' shot at SS. I believe Bruce might lose his spot. Ironically, last night, he both homered and threw a runner out at home. He surely realizes the threat of Odor.

3. It's about age. Though Odor seems to have been around since Watergate, he is only 27, a year older than Clint Frazier, a year younger than Jordan Montgomery. He is the consummate former super-prospect who flamed out and fizzled, probably because he read too many news clippings. In 2019, he led the AL in strikeouts. Ponder that. Despite great speed, he's caught stealing almost half the time. And though it's hard to assess the root cause of  a brawl, Odor has been in a few too many. Clearly, Texas wanted him gone. But the Yankees have some solid - and very, very large - team leaders. If discipline is an issue for Odor, perhaps being waived will knock some sense into him. Sometimes, it takes just that.

4. It's about money. Texas will pay the freight on this guy - $27 million over the next two years. Like I said above, they wanted him GONE. They cut him, waived him, DFA'ed him, and what did they get in return? Two low-level minor leaguers who - like everybody else - missed all of 2020. It's impossible to assess the price, but it sure doesn't seem high.

5. It's about Luke Voit. Our favorite middle linebacker should return from knee surgery by mid-May. But by then - we all know this: injuries will have happened, Stanton will be in the jacuzzi - and maybe Luke can play DH. Odor will give the Yankees some breathing room, in case Luke is struggling. (One thing we've learned about Voit: He'll play in pain, though he won't necessarily be as productive as he should.)

6. Cashman just blinked. He hopes nobody saw, but everybody did. This winter, the Yankees ignored their the lack of LH bats. They claimed Aaron Hicks, batting third, would be the answer. Well, Hicks hasn't looked like the lefty deterrent. Last night, Brett Gardner - with one hit - equaled Hicks' production over four games. Of course, it's too early to give up on Hicksy, one of baseball's greatest golfers. But Mars needs women and the Yankees need lefties. Odor is just the beginning. He won't be the last retread we see this year. 

7. We get to see what Odor looks like without the beard. (Major improvement, out of the blocks.) 

22 comments:

  1. Most importantly, let’s not forget he blasted the insufferable’Joey Bats’ in the face a few years back

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  2. It's obvious to me that Odor goes to 2B, LeMahieu goes to 1B, Bruce goes to LF and Frazier goes to CF. They think they can fix Odor hitting like Urshela and Tauchman.

    Shame they can't find a coach that can fix pitching.

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  3. In a starling development,
    Yankees trade for a player who strikes out a ton and has a low BA, the suns rises in the east and Paxton had to leave a game with arm "discomfort."
    The Archangel

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  4. First off, thank god for the Orioles. I think this team would be sub .500 without them. Second of all, Odor fits right in with this team. Box score line reads - K K K F9 LOB -9.

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  5. When I first saw his name, I thought it said "Roughneck Odor". After doing a double or triple take, I thought that it's a pity his name is Rougned, or however it's actually spelled. We would've had such fun with "Roughneck Odor". He could've dressed in red and black plaid flannels and carried a double bladed axe. If he didn't shower for a week or two, he would've even smelled like Paul Bunyan. The new Paul Bunyan of the NYY. I can just imagine the Sterling home run call. "Timberrrrrrrrrrrrr ... Roughneck brings down the lumber!"

    But alas, no. Just a fantasy. His name is not Roughneck and he leads the universe in strikeouts and his batting average is microscopic. Give the man a shave and he's a perfect fit for the NYY.

    The Hammer of God

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  6. Hmmmn...

    1) John Sterling's HR call? Odor doesn't stink! (Plus)

    He hit one in the drink!
    or
    That shot was no dink?

    I just watched Barton Fink?

    2) This was mentioned in the last thread but from the NYP

    "Left-hander James Paxton exited the first start of his second stint with Seattle due to a forearm strain in his pitching arm after throwing just 24 pitches against the White Sox on Tuesday night."

    3) I hate to admit it but

    Yesterday's game was downright pleasant.

    Doug K.



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  7. I just check Rougned Odor's stats. So this guy could quite possibly strike out more than Gary Sanchez.

    I just had a vision of Gary Sanchez breaking his bat in half and driving the jagged barrel down into home plate whilst screaming "No one shall strike out more ... than ME!" (channeling the Uther Pendragon death scene in the movie Excalibur, where Uther, while driving the sword Excalibur into a rock, screams "No one shall wield Excalibur ... but me!"

    And Brian Cashman, wearing a black conical hat, spaketh thus: "Whosoever shalt pulleth that bat from home plate, that man shalt be the new strikeout King of New York ... (aside) Rougned ... you shalt be that man".

    The Hammer of God

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  8. I thought roughnecks were oil field workers, Hammer.

    Ragnar Lothbrok is intriguing, though I had to laugh when I read the Yahoo sports take on the trade:

    "Odor has hit 30 homers or more three times, but has had trouble getting on base since 2017..."

    Since 2017! Hey, what's four years?

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  9. @ Hoss, I was using the term in its generic sense as a hard working laborer. But you're right, looks like it's mostly associated with oil derricks, not so much lumberjacks. In the immortal words of John Sterling, I should be whipped, flogged, and flagellated.

    The Hammer of God

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  10. Why do I suddenly smell a Rough Odor on the Yankees bench?

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  11. Roughneck is a brand of garbage cans. https://www.amazon.com/Roughneck-Black-Round-Trash-2-Pack/dp/B01GZ1UT8A/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=Rubbermaid+Roughneck+Trash+Can&qid=1617810945&sr=8-11

    Roughneck Odor. Perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks, Hammer—I was just confused, remembering that there used to be a NASL team called the Tulsa Roughnecks. That league had some pretty good names—for a soccer circuit. There were also the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and the Chicago Fire, I think.

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  13. @ Anon I did not know about Roughneck garbage cans from Rubbermaid. Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell a sponsorship opportunity for Rougned Odor! Just hit some home runs, while striking out a ton, and Rubbermaid will come calling. I can see the ads already: "Rougned Odor uses Rubbermaid's Roughneck garbage cans.... Knock out odor with Roughneck, like Rougned Odor knocks out baseballs for the New York Yankees".

    The Hammer of God

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  14. Imaginary TV ad, during Yankees game:
    "Rubbermaid's Roughneck garbage cans use a premium sealed lid to lock in odor. Even this growling Grizzly bear (zoom in on large, angry bear pile driving a Roughneck garbage can) cannot rip open this Roughneck garbage can.... Even this rabid Raccoon (zoom in on frothing Raccoon's face) cannot pry open the Roughneck lid.... Even this grouchy New York Garbageman (zoom in gargantuan green uniformed garbageman slamming Roughneck garbage can into side of garbage truck) has great difficulty getting the lid off! Roughneck garbage cans have been designed and tested using protocols and algorithms created by major league baseball.... Rougned Odor, Yankees baseball star, uses Rubbermaid's Roughneck garbage cans .... Rougned Odor Knocks out odor, with Roughneck! (Zoom in on Rougned Odor, with a mischievous smile on his face, banging on a Roughneck garbage can with a baseball bat. Looking at you, Houston!)

    The Hammer of God

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  15. " ....perhaps being waived will knock some sense into him. Sometimes that's what it takes."

    Who was the last guy cut, waived, trashed and thrown overboard like a bad smell, who became an all star and brought the flowers to church every Sunday?

    Give us a name, dear father. Is it really possible, or is this wishful smoke?

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  16. The truth is; this guy ( Odor ) is so terrible I don't even want him to succeed.

    And whoever suggested Bruce can play LF in Yankee stadium has to be a Mets fan.

    Left field requires speed and athleticism. How does Bruce ( today ) measure up on those qualities?

    Might as well put Stanton out there.

    Or Yogi.

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  17. If Gary gets dumped by the Yankees, don’t we all expect him to suddenly change?

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  18. @ Duque, I certainly believe that Gary Sanchez, if he gets traded to a team that knows what it's doing, will be a .300 hitter and an All-Star again.

    I don't think bringing Odor here will turn him back into a .270 hitter. He's been retrogressing for a long time now, according to the stats. If we can't even fix Gary, how can we expect to fix Odor? But it is a classic pickup by Cashman. Odor fills all the Yankee requirements: lefty hitter, microscopic batting average, home run power, potential strike out king of the American League. Yeah, Cashman outdid himself. This is an unbelievably perfect fit for the BB, K, HR Yankee baseball.

    The Hammer of God

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  19. It's almost like he's a product, or a restaurant.

    McCann's: Serving New Yorkers since 1858.

    Rougned Odor: Trouble getting on base since 2017.

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  20. Wait. Duque wrote "it's too early to give up on Hicksy."

    I would like to point out that it's NEVER too early to give up on Hicks. We know what's coming and we've seen it before and we don't want it clogging up our lineup.

    As for the new Yankee, I saw it as Rouged Odor. And I thought, this guy wears rouge? And he smells like it, too?

    We need this guy like a hole in the head. He sucks, offensive and defensively, and he's one of those little shitheads some other team needs to have so we can hate him without conflict. He is not a Yankee.

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  21. @Alphonso...no...I'm not a Mets fan...but I'm observing the Yanks making another feeble attempt to get another HR hitter in the lineup. And this all changes when Voit is back in June or whenever.

    On another subject...Judge is complaining about side soreness. So he's not playing tonight. I'm not smelling Odor here...but I'm smelling bullshit...

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