Yesterday, Cody Bellinger signed with the Cubs. (One year, $17.5 million.) Not that we care, right? He was never a Yankee target, except maybe as a break-glass replacement in RF, which would never happen, right? Because Aaron Judge will play RF.
Right?
Yesterday, Jameson Tailion signed with the Cubs. (What's all this with the Cubs?) Not that we care, right? It's not like he's Nathan Eovaldi, right? Another reclamation project we let go as soon as his price tag rises. Right?
In recent weeks, the Yankees have announced one major signing: Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman. (The Cubs weren't interested?) Can he play RF?Because today, you can hear distant thunder from the West, rumblings that Judge is not coming back. Last night, SF Chronicle vet Susan Slusser - first woman to lead the National Sportswriters Association - tweeted that the Giants are buzzing with hope.
Listen: Nobody knows WTF Judge is thinking. This could be Gammonitic claptrap. But it's now been two weeks since Food Stamps Hal and Cryin' Brian went full Suckup Mode upon the greatest Yankee of this generation. When Judge left for Thanksgiving, they seemed to think him encased in Yankee tradition beneath an avalanche of NY money.
But now, with overwhelming contracts bestowed upon Trea Turner and Justin Verlander, could it be that Hal doesn't look so generous? This weekend, somebody leaked the Yankees' recent offer to Judge, a move that suggests "Don't blame us" desperation.
The longer this goes on, the more it looks as if the Yankees - for the second time in this millennium - could lose the face of their franchise. Imagine: The mighty Yankees... being outbid.
Jeeze... I dunno WTF to think. But one problem with always finishing over .500 is that you never bottom out. Under Cashman, the Yankees have won nothing, but they always stay jussssssssssst good enough to avoid a roster teardown (Boston and SF have each done three, and each team has three rings to show for it.)
If Judge leaves, maybe the Yankees can still contend. They'll throw all that Judge money at replacements - I don't even want to think about names- and the expanded playoffs system will save them. But we should abandon the notion of the Yankees as a great, dynastic organization. They will never return to dominance, not in our lifetimes. And if they do win anything, the owner will let his stars go. They'll be too expensive.
If Judge leaves, could this finally foster a Yankee Fan Armageddon, an explosion from the base that forces change? That's actually a hopeful thought. More likely, the Steinbrenner family will just continually bleed this team.
But pass the word:
If Judge leaves, we riot.
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14 comments:
I was listening to Mad Dog with Peter King yesterday and they were wondering why Judge would go to SF when he has a chance to win a championship every year in NY. Honestly, how can anyone say that with a straight face
"...gonna be wild!"
Yanks re-sign Judge: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/12/yankees-to-sign-aaron-judge.html
Yanks re-signed Judge for 40mil a year for 9 years.
Nice that he spends his entire career with Yanks.
Now prepare for the fallout that
"we can't spend more money because of what we have tied up in other contracts," starting 1/23 through 1/32.
let's savor it for a little bit. hard to not be happy for judge and the fans here.
Then, let's start questioning why Hal can't maintain a $350m annual payroll.
Happy for Judge...looking forward to hearing his name on the Montefiore Injury Report...
Take that, Japan
Well, now the that's done, all we need is a LF, a 3B, a SS and 2 SP and we are all set for '23
Hey Hal promised judge he'd build a championship team around him....lol
Exactly Archangel, EXACTLY! I'm thrilled for Judge, his family, and for the fans, but the team needs a drastic overhaul,,,,, same as it ever was, same as it ever was!
Perhaps I should wait to throw cold water on all this, but since this is the most free and open blog on the net I ll speak out, but be brief.
Judge re-signed, as I knew he would all along. Last year I felt we must sign him, but now I don't.
First, keep in mind we won nothing with him during his prime, now we expect to win during his decline?
This is a simple, albeit expensive, PR decision by the team to retain their most promotable asset.
This is all about money, about profit. Perhaps a bit about saving face, but definitely about maintaining the the Yankee "brand".
On balance, this will haunt us on the field, the cheers turning to boos, as he slowly turns into an injury prone 1b man/ DH.
What have we accomplished?
Judge needs to continue working with his private hitting coach. Keep that swing short and go the other way. He'll hit a lot of homers to the opposite field. I expect him to have an injury plagued season in 2023. But he might rebound with a few more stellar seasons after that.
The best chance to win a World Series will be to ratchet up the pitching during the next two or three years. Start right now. They need to improve the starting staff. Especially now that they've lost both Montgomery and Taillon.
I hear ya, 999. But usually, the most you can hope for in this world is enlightened self-interest.
The Yankees are re-signing Judge because it will maintain their brand and make the team more money? GREAT. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been waiting for HAL to realize what their brand is—winning—and try to reclaim it, for at least 10 years now.
Is Judge the answer to everything? Nope. But losing him would've been a disaster.
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