Wednesday, December 14, 2022

If the Yankees fail to land Rodon, their 2023 Jenga tower starts to quiver

Let's take a moment to acknowledge Brian Cashman's secret super power: His ability to deliberate, while stuck on the outside of a building high above Connecticut. It requires major league diligence, one move at a time. Their is no fallback, no Hans Gruber option. It's long way down.

Two weeks ago, Cashman waited on the 17th floor limbo until Aaron Judge chose to stay with the Yankees. We watched the likes of Verlander, DeGrom, et al, disappear, before Judge ruled. The Yankiverse was paralyzed by the mere thought of Judge choosing California. 

Well, here we are, once again... Don't look down. Until Carlos Rodon decides on his future, Yankee time has stopped. 

If Rodon goes elsewhere, the best fallback options leave the 2023 Yanks looking disturbingly like the 2022 version, which collapsed in August, played .500 over the second half and shat the bed in October. 

A solid rotation gives you five to six innings per game. Over a season, that means getting at least 810 innings from your starters. Anything less, and the bullpen will inevitably melt down.  

As of now, here's the Yankee rotation: 

Gerrit Cole - 200 innings last year.
Nestor Cortez - 158 innings
Luis Severino - 102 innings
Frankie Montas - 144 innings (39 for the Yankees) 
Domingo German - 72 innings

Gone are Jameson Taillon (177 innings) and Jordan Montgomery (114). What's left delivered 676 innings. 

Last season, Rodon threw 178. Add him, and our current starters threw 854 innings. That ain't the '63 Dodgers, but it's within range of giving the bullpen a chance.  

With Rodon, Cashman can weigh trade possibilities for leftfield, perhaps with Gleyber Torres as a bargaining chip. Without Rodon, he must push Gleyber for another starter. (Cashman's kryptonite has been his inability to trade for front line starters.)

With Rodon, Cashman can let youngsters develop in Scranton. Without Rodon, he'll package them in trades. 

With Rodon, Cashman has a better chance to trade Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson, this year's Gary Sanchez. Without Rodon, his flexibility shrinks. They might both be back.

So Cashman is on the building, once again, weighing every move. The question: Will he move upwards... or straight down? 

34 comments:

Celerino Sanchez said...

Rondon is going to get his money and I doubt it's from the Bronx. Also Cortes could easily be a one hit wonder like Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small or Chi Coltrane. All of the secondary pitchers are gone, so get ready for a trade involving the top prospects for some 35 year old guy coming off TJ surgery.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Is there a way to get Ca$hole to rappel down a building in Moscow? And maybe slip some hash oil into his luggage. Or tell Putin that brain is banging his favorite mistress?

DickAllen said...


Putin is too busy trying to fuck the Ukraine to entertain any thoughts about his favorite mistress(es). And those Ukraines are proving very hard to bed. Would that our pinstripe heroes were as indomitable.

As for those Yankees, we're looking at another season of beating up on the lesser trolls of the AL and a reasonably profitable return on equity.

We will love Judge and lose again.

DickAllen said...



Re-signing Judge was a good business decision on both sides. Harold is only in it for the money, and Judge represents a marketable commodity that will keep the ROI healthy. I think Judge understands what it means to be a New York Fucking Yankee in spite of the fact that the pinstripe aura faded years ago. They are nothing more than a "championship caliber" team like so many others.

Signing Rodon might be a good baseball decision, but alas, the Yankees don't operate on the basis of sound baseball decisions. Forty million dollar contracts are being handed out liberally these days. It must infuriate some of the billionaires, but the players, the really good ones, understand the marketplace. Like Correa said after signing his contract:

"So if you really want something, you just go get it. I’m the product here, and if they want my product, they’ve just got to come get it.”

It's no longer about the game. Or winning. As we all know, the playoffs are a crapshoot. That's what we're being told, and if you repeat the lie enough, people start to believe it. But let's be clear. It's all about the money.

Repeat after me everyboy:

R O I! R O I! R O I! R O I!

BTR999 said...

Good Morning All

Got a question - has anybody heard anything about Matt Carpenter? I can't seem to find anything online pertaining to his plans for 2023, or any interest the team may have in retaining him. Did I miss something?

Publius said...

IKF's still the Yankees shortstop

Publius said...

Red Sox sniffing around Carpenter, per reports

Mildred Lopez said...


If the reports were true and Judge signed after Hal called him from some Italian village to convince him to stay with the Yankees then what is Cashman's job?

I think we need to just buckle up, accept that Rodon's not coming here and our hopes will be pinned on Kluber again. As far as LF goes, if they decide Hicks needs to split time out there Gallo's coming back. He'll be so productive, the player we thought we were getting the first time around because no shift! And both those guys will be cheap.

We all know Boonehead is running Donaldson back out to third because he's perpetually "getting close", and IKF is one of the best shortstops in MLB.

There's no changes being made here except the salary-slash from Britton, Taillon, and The Water Rooster because that's the way it is now and has been for a good while. Couple minor deals for stiffs, couple scrap heap guys, some "crap shoot" talk and we're good to go. Bright side: the weather will be better.

*Sorry for the negativity. I'm on day 7 of covid and in no fucking mood for anyone's shit right now

el duque said...

I read a report that said the Cardinals want Matt Carpenter back. That would make a lot of sense. I doubt he'll return to NY.

BTR999 said...

Thanks Duque and Publius.

Parson Tom said...

Carpenter in 2022 was a last moment of glory, a happy coda to a fine career. He's not going to do that again. But if the Sux sign him, he will definitely bite the Yankees in the ass at least once.

JM said...

I'm with Mildred, and I don't even have Covid. Expecting the worst from the brain trust has been borne out time and time again.

Kluber. Gallo--without the shift! By gum, that's "Now" thinking!

Joe of AZ said...

Idk why but the Correa deal reminds me of when the Cubs went all in on Nomar....and still didn't win shit lol

ranger_lp said...

Rodon and Yanks are far apart on terms...the Yanks might end up with Nathan Eovaldi...

HoraceClarke66 said...

Sorry to hear about the Covid, Mildred—but you still make a great point about WTF is Cashman's role anymore. But still—glad it happened, and Judge is back.


HoraceClarke66 said...

DickAllen, do you remember that line from the underrated movie, North Dallas Forty.

Somebody—I think it was Mac Davis—says, "When we [the players] say it's a game, they [the owners] say it's a business. When we say it's a business, they say it's a game."

I don't blame the players for getting what they can. But I'm baffled as to why you would offer anyone, anywhere—save maybe Juan Soto at 19—a 13-year contract.

If I were an owner, I'd try going even higher on the money—but shorten the years. Maybe that wouldn't get it done, but 13 years seems a little nutsy.

HoraceClarke66 said...

And as for Cashman...I bet the little weasel IS working on some sort of pie-in-the-sky Ohtani deal. Which, one way or the other, will blow up in his face.

Ah, well. I'm just glad Judge is back—even that will be a big excuse for them doing nothing else.

Oasisdave said...

The length of many big-name contracts this off-season is baffling to me.

BTR999 said...

No worries as we have just solved our LF / BP issues:

From NJ.com
The Yankees signed first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers and reliever Art Warren to minor-league deals, according to the Minor League Baseball transactions page.

The Yankees had acquired the 27-year-old Bauers from the Reds in exchange for cash last June. He hit .226 with a .757 OPS in 32 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and then he elected free agency in November.

These are the sort of moves you can expect to see the rest of this off-season.

BTR999 said...

And yes, the length of these contracts is crazy, but I'd say it's done to lower the AAV of the contract to avoid any luxury tax encumbrance. Besides, the GM who negotiated that contract will be far, far away when the shit hits the fan. Not every team has a GM for life some kind of third-rate shit-tatership ya know...

The Archangel said...

I don't know why you folks are so despondent?
There is an obvious plan right before our eyes with the Cashole in command.

Nathan Eovaldi;
Prior Yankee, check,
Over-30, check
Injured parts of last season, check.

Yep, this checks all the boxes and they already know his uni size.Plus, YES won't have to superimpose a Yankee cap on his head for the announcing story. That will save Hal a buck or two.

The Archangel said...

BTR999, you left out the best part about Warren, he had elbow surgery in September.

Mildred Lopez said...


@Horace...

This is what worries me the most about the Yankees "working on a surprise big move" ...Cashman is presumably the one working on it. So what, the two Oswalds and Clay Beeter to the Tigers for Cabrera The Elder and Tarik Skubal? I mean, not realistic but not all that unrealistic either. Who among us thought the Stopgap was last season's answer to the "we have no shortstop" problem, and even if you did did you have Jackie Asshole on that same bingo card? Besides being shitty at his job Cashman may have lost his fucking mind.

*Not the topic but this is my first go-around on the wheel of covid and, politics aside, I'm real glad for the vax/booster combo. It hit me pretty fast last week but the immune response was quick - instantaneous actually - and it's just been a knock-down-drag-out head cold since. Uncomfortable for sure but not incapacitating.

BTR999 said...

LOL Archie. Mea Culpa. Now he is perfect!

DickAllen said...


How about that stealth move for 30yo Art Warren? A torn UCL will keep him on the shelf until 2024. These are the kinds of acquisitions that get a GM into the Hall.

13bit said...

I still have "It Never Rains in Southern California" in my head.

THANKS, boomers...

Oh wait, I'm a boomer.

Time to call Dr. Olu.

Okay, I'm not even going to comment on the Yankees here, although I WILL say this...

At the moment, I happen to be in Tampa and have passed by the Death Barge's luxe training facilities every day on my way to stuff my pie hole with food.

Meh. Screw you, Brian.

13bit said...

And where is Winnie lately?

Oasisdave said...

Yanks now said to be interested in Eovaldi, can't you just feel Rodon slipping away? We should have known once cheapskate Hal ponies up for Judge the rest of the off-season would be crap.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

mr. bit, Winnie recently reported upcoming travel to Europe (I think England, but I'm old and forgetful)

edb said...

I am hearing Nathan Evoldi. Same old Cashman. The man is a putz!

BTR999 said...

Yes, I read several accounts that Eovaldi is coming unless Rodon drops his price. Then again it’s all part of the negotiation game, isn’t it?

As for Cashman, why would he ever change when his M.O. has secured his job for life. Who’s worse, Cashman or the puppet master pulling his strings?

HoraceClarke66 said...

Alsoooo...Eovaldi, as a former Yankee, is familiar with the incredible amenities that the Steinbrenner family provides. He'll probably cut his price by a few mill for that alone.

HoraceClarke66 said...

"The Art Warren" sounds like a popular campus hang in a 1960s university. Or a 1960s movie about a university.

And Bauers. Bauers! The guy has the same name as a former Yankee great, with an added "s." So there's that.

The Archangel said...

13bit,
Just put the lime in the coconut and drink both down. Then you'll feel better