Monday, March 14, 2022

The first Yankee domino just toppled, and a landslide could be coming

Well, it happened. Finally. Last night, the 2022 off-season arrived - not on cat feet, but with a thud. If you haven't heard, Cooperstown Cashman cut a deal with his buds in Minnesota: Gone are Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela - in exchange for the ancient 3B Josh Donaldson, SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa and little known catcher Ben Rortvedt.

This trade is a Rorschach Test: Everybody will see it differently. Let's go down the list: 

Goodbye, Gary. The Kraken is released. Finally. No matter how we view this deal, let's face it: The Sanchise HAD to go, and I suspect the line of takers wouldn't fill a phone booth - (if there were phone booths.) Sad, though, that in the end, Gary's game was so degraded that it requires adding Gio, just to find a suitor. 

In keeping with IIH's vaunted cynicism, let's agree to predict that Gary - with a change of scenery - will hit 30 HRs. Still, let me be first to say, "Good luck, Twins fans." They are about to experience one of the most frustrating human beings on the planet. Watching Gary swing his bat at balls low and in the dirt- and barely wave his glove at them... folks, I don't envy what's coming for you. 

The Rortvedt experimendt. Rortvedt is said to bring solid defense, though he can't hit a lick. No problem: Someone must bat ninth! At least he hits LH, so he can platoon with Higgy. He's 24 and cheap - (to Food Stamps Hal's delight) - and the Yanks, despite selecting catchers high in the last four drafts, have nobody high in the pipeline. They had to do something.   

The Hyphen. Kiner-Falefa is 26, speedy and won a Gold Glove at 3B during the Covid season, though it's not clear if he can hit a lick. No problem: Someone must bat ninth! (Wait, can two guys bat ninth?) He'll play SS - as Gio was going to. Jeez, I wonder about this. Light a candle for Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Peraza, and- as a matter of policy - let's cheer every Cashman trade that doesn't involve them. (When I heard the Yanks had made a deal, theirs were the names I most feared seeing. And by tonight, they could be gone.) 

You must be joshing.  Getting Donaldson scares me. He's 36, a history of tweaked calves, and the Twins are jettisoning him after a decent season: 26 HRs and .247. The clock is ticking on a career that peaked in 2015 - seven years ago. Seven. Still, he's a tough old bird, a clubhouse grinder (replacement for Gardy?) He ripped Gerrit Cole last year over the stickum controversy. I'm fine with that, by the way. On a wild card one-and-out team, nobody - not even the "ace" - should be above catching shit. And you can never have too many DHs, right? (Mark my words, Luke Voit is outahere.)  

Gone Gary. It will take days, weeks, months of expensive liquid therapy to process my feelings. Gary's glorious first summer was one of the great breakouts of the modern era. Then he fell apart. No Yankee in the last six years brought so much hope - and frustration. Honestly, it's hard to imagine him really gone. Is this trade contingent on a physical?  

Goodbye Gio. One of our faves. Didn't see this coming. I had him holding 3B for the next three years. I'll never forget him diving into the Tampa dugout to snare that foul and - briefly - save our season. Or throwing out runners from his butt. Of course, last summer, his hitting started to degrade. Many years from now, he'll rouse a loud cheer at Old Timers Day. The Twins got a player. 

Of course, we cannot judge this deal until all of Cashman's remake is finished. Any of these guys might become "weekend Yankees" and be gone by Tuesday.  But it's worth noting that the Yankees traded a catcher and 3B-SS... for a catcher and a 3B-SS (and a salary dump.) Cashman must have feared finding himself in a position where he has no catcher, because nobody - nobody - ever wants to help the Yankees.

Martin Luther King famously said the arch of the universe bends towards Justice. Well, unfortunately, the arch of the Yankiverse has been bending toward Zolio Almonte. Stay at your posts, everybody... it's happening.

42 comments:

  1. One thing is for sure, The Twins have finally beaten the Yankees at something

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  2. Also we can get a pool going, who plays more games JD or Hicks?

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  3. Donaldson played 135 games last year, 15 more games than Gio did, so I’m not sure why everyone think’s he’ll break down. Yes he’s old but hits better than Gio as well and is likely to split games at 3rd with Dj

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  4. I'm not convinced Donaldson is staying, although I can't see another team willing to pick up his bloated salary. But I am very sorry to see Gio go. We can say our goodbyes to Voit, and DJ anchoring first most of the time looks like a done deal.

    Maybe the Stadium now adds falafel to the vendor array.

    Doesn't seem likely that Cashman is done wheeling and dealing. Beware the Ides of March (the date, not the guys who did "Vehicle".)

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  6. My coffee hasn't kicked in yet, so here's another try:

    I KNOW I will miss Gio. Such an all-around lovable guy.

    I KNOW Gary will play better away from here. He (fairly or not) became the face of the Yankees rot of the past decade and a half. Everyone made sure to tell him that and it showed.

    I KNOW Donaldson is a piece of shit. This will not change in my mind and heart no matter what. (Unless he plays like the old Donaldson, in which case, WHAT A GREAT YANKEE!)

    I KNOW that I don't know if the other two guys with the hard to pronounce names will pan out. My skills at predicting such things are no better than my skills at shooting a Javelin at a Russian tank.

    I KNOW I will spend around $0 on the Yankees this year or longer.

    Finally, I KNOW that Hal, Brian and Boone should take turns fucking each other with Saguaro cacti.

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  7. Platoni,

    That last one was oddly specific.

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  8. Well, it went from - 'Release the Kraken!' to let's package that head-case with a decent player so that somebody will take him off of our roster.

    I want to say that deteriorated quickly but in reality, it took several painful years.

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  9. That was me trying to keep it civil in public. In my mind they fare much worse.

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  10. If they suck this year, Cashman will blame Putin for it

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  11. I don't see how this trade makes the Yanks better...unless you see ICS as addition by subtraction...

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  12. There's a lot to unpack...

    1) Trading Gary helps this team in a number of ways.

    Pitchers will be happy to be able to throw ALL their pitches, not just the ones they hope he can catch.

    If the new catcher can't hit... well at least it won't be soul crushing which is what watching Sanchez always ended up being.

    Gary a mope. Drama now gone.

    2) Donaldson

    JD is an angry ballplayer. We so so need guys that look like they give a crap. He criticized Cole. Good. Cole was cheating. This guy will give us some fire.

    When he gets hurt. Falafel moves to 3B (He was a gold glove there) if it's late enough in the season to bring up one of the kids and DJ goes there if it's not.

    3) Kiner - Falafel

    Sure he has the same name as the failed middle eastern restaurant opened by Met Legend Ralph Kiner but he is a real SS. A good one. If he can hit .250 and actually get to balls I'll be happy. We have not had a short stop with real range since... since... Uh, Jeter didn't cover ground either. Uh,... somebody help me out.

    4) Don't love the $50M for JD.

    But only if we stop here.

    5) Gio was a pumpkin. I really liked watching him and he's was a great story but we are actually better without him (because he was used to help get rid of Sanchez.) I wish him well.


    6) Bottom line.

    We're better. But if this is all we do then not better enough. More Dominoes please! (and thank G-d I've never said that in regards to pizza.

    And the real question... Home Run Calls.

    Gotta have something to do with falafel balls eh?



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  13. Yankees shortstops in 2021
    .257/.326/.357 (.683 OPS)

    Isiah Kiner-Falefa career
    .265/.316/.354 (.670 OPS)

    Whatever. Team finished 19th in runs scored last year, but no reason to upgrade I guess.

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  14. Donaldson has only played 370/546 (68%) team games since 2018. He's had calf, hamstring, and shoulder issues that have limited his playing time. I don't know why anyone would think he's going to be healthier heading toward his 40s, but maybe a miracle will happen. If there's one organization I trust to keep players healthy, it's certainly the New York Yankees.

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    1. He played 135 last year and 150+ in 2019. That’s healthier than Gio

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  15. Platoni and Doug - yes on all counts

    Zachary - What do you think the statistical braintrust at the Yankees sees what we might be missing? A serious question with no hypothetical crap involved.

    Everybody - we are still fucked.

    Bye bye, Ice Cream Sandwiches! Enjoy the Eskimo Pies up north...

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  17. Here's the positives I'm seeing in the trade:

    1. The Yankees didn't give up any prospects.
    2. Gary Sanchez is a catcher who can't catch, hits .200 with dwindling power, and has only one year of control. Basically no value. Hard to believe a team really wanted him.
    3. Gio Urshela only has two years of control remaining, and if the Yankees believe 2021 is the new baseline for him — dropping power and patience, rising strikeouts, poor mobility — then it makes sense to deal him now.
    4. Donaldson is still a legitimately good hitter. Statcast adores him. He's patient and draws his walks, doesn't strike out as much as other sluggers, and hits the ball incredibly hard. 99th percentile in average exit velocity, 95th percentile in hard-hit rate, 95th percentile in barrel%, 94th percentile in walk rate, 92nd percentile in expected SLG, etc. 5. Isiah Kiner-Falefa can play second base, third base, shortstop, and catcher (!). He's a versatile add to a roster that needs versatility. He's a Gold Glove winner and apparently very fast. I'd like him better as a super utility guy (replacing Tyler Wade) than a starting shortstop but at least he's a defensive upgrade.
    6. Ben Rortvedt is just a third-string catcher, but the Yankees need depth. This is their worst organizational position top-to-bottom in my opinion. Rortvedt has options remaining, so the Yanks can stash him in AAA if they want.

    Donaldson when healthy can help the lineup, and overall the trade improves our defense and speed. We needed that.

    It's just not enough in my opinion to push the Yankees ahead in a tough division. And I don't think we can afford to punt offense in two positions (catcher, shortstop).

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  18. This is typical. Ralph Kiner dies in 2014, and we pick the guy up in 2022.

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  19. I visited the sports section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune to read the comments from their fans point of view. Most said the trade was positive because it dumped the $ 51.5 million Donaldson. However, most think the Twins organization should but won't spend the savings on the 2 or 3 starting pitchers they need. Like the readers on IIHIIF, they think their front office is happy with tanking and making money.

    But the most humorous comment was from a person named BigRedOne:

    "The Yankees aren't just good because they have the cash to bring in just about any free agent, they are good because they manage their minor league system well, and have a really shrewd front office."

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  20. I'm glad the Yankees have finally moved on from Sanchez, but I believe a lot lessons need to be learned about player development. This guy arrived with an ego the size of a planet, puffed up by barrage PR BS that explained his bloated ego.

    Unfortunately, this immature kid stopped developing as a player and a person, as soon as the Yankees replaced the hardassed, fundamentally excellent, ex-catcher, Girardi, with the pandering inexperienced Boone and a bunch of stat-hounds who were more concerned with launch angles than pitch framing or catching balls in the dirt.

    In his own way, Sanchez got 'joba'd' too. Mismanaged by Yankee front office development to become a fraction of his true potential.

    As for Gio, I'm sad. But I believe he will continue to defy expectations for years to come. Thanks for the great work, Gio. As for the rest, let's see.....

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  21. I agree with most of the sentiments here. And great, in-depth analysis, Zach.

    There is a (probably frivolous) fear in the back of my head that Sanchez's decline and rot was due to the Yanks' epically bad training and coaching instructors and that, somehow, in a new city with people who actually know the game—and the shift outlawed in 2023—he'll bounce back.

    But that's probably hooey. The REAL problem with the Yankees is evident in what happened today...

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  22. ...When the Giants signed Carlos Rodon for two years and $44 million.

    Who is Rodon?

    No, he's not a Japanese sci-fi film creation. He's a 29-year old southpaw who, after years of injury and mediocrity for the White Sox, went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA last year, with 185 strikeouts, and just 91 hits and 36 walks in 132 2/3 innings.

    Hey, he isn't the second coming. But wouldn't simply signing him have immediately given the Yanks a better chance to win this year than spending $51.5 mill for two years on Donaldson would have?

    Instead, he wasn't even on the Yankees' radar.

    Oh, that Brain!

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    1. Rondon’s injury history is scary enough that the white Sox wouldn’t bring him back on a qo

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  23. And...Matt Olson going to the Braves. So much for Cashman's next big, rumored trade.

    Wow, is this year going to blow!

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  24. The Prophet Isiah can also catch, but he warns of the JuJu gods' ire and condemnation if we all don't amend our sinful ways.

    Just saying.

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  25. A's got a really good catching prospect from the Braves. Brain should see what it takes to flip him.

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  26. MTPS but The catcher we just got plus Voit plus two others for Shea Langeliers.

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  27. >Brian Cashman on MLB Network: "The Steinbrenner family has already committed enough money into this team. We are not saying we aren’t going to spend but we aren’t saying that the money is limitless."

    Setting aside how the Yankees have put a smaller and smaller percentage of revenue into the payroll over the last decade or so, perhaps if we are going to hamstring ourselves financially, we ought to hire a GM who can do better than "perennial Wild Card team" with a $200M-$230M budget.

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  28. The Front Office are a bunch of goat blowing fuckfaces.

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  29. Win, when did you start being kind to them? That's very nearly a compliment.

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  30. Well, if Rondon has a scary injury history, he's the perfect acquisition.

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  31. Signing a 29-year-old Carlos Rodón for just two years seems like a fine use of resources, regardless of his health worries. It's two years. Even if he gets hurt, OK. You shot your shot. This is the approach we're apparently taking with Josh Donaldson and the $50M owed him.

    Carlos Rodón in 2021
    24 GS, 132.2 IP, 185 K, 2.37 ERA, 0.957 WHIP

    Seems like the type of arm you gamble on, especially at his age.

    (And really it's likely just a one-year deal since Rodón has an opt out after this season.)

    Also, re: not getting a qualifying offer. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is a notorious cheapskate and Chicago team payroll is hitting his upper limits. The San Francisco Giants are one of the smartest teams in baseball, especially when it comes to risky high-upside, high-injury-chance players. Bet it works out well for 'em.

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  32. I'm not sure why many here assumed that the Yankees were going to be involved in a flurry of trades and free agent signings. I never believed this was the first of many. Their load was shot on 51.5 million dollars worth of degenerating body parts. That's pretty much what Cashman just said. They might tinker around the edges and if Hal sees his bottom line go up after the Fed meets next week to raise interest rates, they just might reup Rizzo. This is what will be the '22 NY Yankees.

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  33. Exactly, Zach! If you're going to risk that money and that many years, at least risk it on a promising pitcher.

    Carl Weitz, I thought they would do SOMETHING more because I just could not believe that Brian Cashman would be okay with the Higgy-Rorty platoon behind the plate.

    What was wrong with me???

    I mean, this is the same man who once subjected us to an entire season of Chris Stewart as our starting catcher. OF COURSE he would do something like this!

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  34. And wow, what a completely asinine thing for even Cashman to say.

    George Steinbrenner's initial investment in this team was $800,000—most of which he borrowed from a bank. After that, he made some relatively small—but very smart!—investments in free agents.

    Yankees fans—and the city of New York—paid him and his idiot heirs back countless times over, while his every other business went belly-up.

    I don't ever want to hear another word about what the Snopeses of Cuyahoga County have done for US.

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  35. Latest internet flash: Freeman is supposedly headed to Toronto.

    Ruh-roh.

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  36. If the Yankees gave up the prospect package for Olson that the Braves gave up, this website would have gone absolute bananas. I wanted that guy, but he aint Lou Gehrig.....

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  37. Agreed, Kevin. And I didn't want Olson in the first place.

    Where this gnaws at me, though—and I suspect at many of my fellow ranters here—is that this looks like yet another Cashman prevarication.

    For years now, The Brain has told us that, Oh, no, the Yankees can't do this or that deal or make that signing because big, big things are in store. And somehow, they never are. There isn't any master plan. There are just lots of little fixes—or screw-ups—all around the edges.

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  38. I don't believe that Genius Cashman will do a lot more. The Yankees no longer go the extra yard. Fourth place finish in the A.L. East.

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  39. @ Hoss, that's the PERFECT analysis, and explains my 'blah' reaction to this deal. They do just enough to keep us in the wild card race, never enough to go over the top.

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  40. Thanks, Ken. But I don't know if this even WILL keep us in the wild card race.

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