We're like that backroads county in Arizona that won't ratify the recent gubernatorial election. They don't show evidence. They don't advance a theory. They're just sick of vacationing libs, who guzzle the drinking water and leave lousy tips, and they wanna blow up the system. So, yeah, we donno how Houston did it, but they must be cheating.
I mean, the damn city can't even deliver potable water, but somehow it just signed Jose Abreu - perhaps the best 2023 free agent hitter not named Aaron Judge - to a $60 million deal.
The Astros won the World Series with a $154 million payroll: That's $60 million below what the Yankees spent to finish alongside Kari Lake. Drunk with its victory, Houston will spend another $20 million per season on Abreu, who hit .304 last year (but with only 15 HRs, strange) at age 35. The Yankees, who re-signed Anthony Rizzo, didn't place a bid.
But, yeesh, look at the financial difference between the franchises.
Houston, the 2022 champion, is looking to improve.
The Yankees are seeking to field last season's same basic team.
In a way, Hal Steinbrenner is absolutely right to look at Houston, whose payroll is 72 percent of what the Yankees spend, and whine about salaries. He shouldn't need to shell out $200 million a year to buy a ring.
Trouble is, Food Stamps then doubles-down on the executives, managers, connected interns and hangers-on who have built and maintained the Yankee runner-up machine.
It's foolhardy to judge rosters so early in an offseason. But it looks as though 2023 will begin where 2022 ended: The Astros in command and the Yankees struggling to figure out a lineup.
“Foolhardy to judge”
ReplyDeleteNo shite, Sherlock.
If Condor read that and put it in his report, then Attwood would have gone over Higgins head and had everyone killed at Condor’s agency and…..
Oh - never mind
Yeah, but Condor got to have sex with Faye Dunaway. Have to mention that, AA.
ReplyDeleteThere were only 11 qualified players this season to bat .300 or better.
ReplyDelete(How sad is that? Go back in time to 2000 and there were 53 such players. But I digress...)
Four of those guys are free agents: Aaron Judge, Xander Bogaerts, Jose Abreu, and Andrew Benintendi.
One down. And to our bitter rivals.
We'll see if the Yankees land any of them.
The Yankees lineup, minus Judge and Benintendi, hit .233 on the year. That's a preview of 2023.
Cole, Stanton, Donaldson and Hicks make up $100 million of next years payroll. The Yanks will need to overspend for Judge. After Rizzo and Bader, what remains is that they'll need to fill out the remaining positions with rookies and retreads. Then hope the big guns stay healthy and that their deadline trades work out better than this year's disasters.
ReplyDeleteGeorge would have overbid for Verlander, just to stick it to Houston.
I suspect we're happy with Rizzo, except for Abreu going to Houston. But it would be a pleasant surprise for the Yanks to snatch Bogaerts and/or Benintendi.
ReplyDeleteJM - You are correct!
ReplyDeleteCondor is also RIPE and READY for a Hoss reinterpretation.
Hal is good at pocketing money and making excuses for not spending.
ReplyDeleteThe talk is that Abreu over the last 2 seasons has dropped precipitously being able to drive the ball for power on the fastball. His strikeout rate on that pitch has also risen quickly.
ReplyDeleteIf the Arizona wait staff want better tips from east and west coast liberals, they should stop wearing their red MAGA hats to work.
ReplyDeleteOh, so you think the Yankees are struggling, do you?
After increasing their attendance to over 3MM, I think the Yankees are doing just fine.
No need to worry. The money is flowing. (and fannies in the seats is only the beginning of the income statement).