He said this while sitting out the auctions on Andrew Benintendi, Michael Conforto and the reigning "Mr. MRI," Carlos Correa. Today, the team's free agent options in LF have shrunken down to Trey Mancini and Andrew McCutcheon. (Here's a full breakout; it's not pretty.) For now, the odds are good that we'll spend the month of March hearing the YES team gush about Aaron Hicks' new swing - a prospect about as enticing as learning that Aaron Judge is dating a Kardashian.
Generally, I avoid trade speculation because:
1. It's too depressing, trading Yankees. Usually, they're youngsters, full of hope, with endless promised. Yeah, most of them flop, but we're always trading our future for another team's past.
2. Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman never does what the bloggers predict. Frankly, I think he reads the rumors and purposely rules them out. My prediction: Whatever the "experts" suggest, Cashman will do something different.
3. They're often salary dumps, which is why our payroll is so bloated. The salary dump requires us imagine a player five years ago, and to believe the team making the trade is stupid.
Last winter, we giddily penciled in Josh Donaldson for 30 HRs and a position of prominence. This year, we'd happily trade him for a can of sardines, if someone would assume his contract. And Minnesota doesn't look so stupid, eh?
I'm not saying the Yankees cannot improve via trades. But over the last two years, we've drained the farm system down to stems and seeds. As far as trade chips go, we have Gleyber Torres (coming off a horrible second half) and Domingo German. I don't know what they'll bring, but I'm not sure we should look forward to it.
The Yankees need a LF, a 3B and pitching, pitching, pitching - that with the assumption that Oswald Peraza or Anthony Volpe can play SS. There are no certainties, but the 2023 team, right now, looks more like the second half of 2022 than the first half.
The Pirates and Diamondbacks are dangling outfielders in front of us like bullfighters waving red towels. Hal says he's not done. Do such words inspire hope? I dunno. But one of these days, the bomb will drop. Get ready.
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13 comments:
Duque, the link you posted to MLB Trade Rumors has the the sort of clear eyed common sense that most fans don’t want to hear since it flies in the face of their dreamy desires. Does this mean the execrable Hicks will start the season in LF for us? You bet your ass it does.
The 2023 team will be the same as 22, with Rondon instead of Tallion the Stallion. How does this make them front runners in the AL? They still can't hit.
Now everybody tells me
There's other ways to get high.
They don't seem to understand
I'm too far gone to try.
Now these lonely memories,
They're all I can't lose,
And I'm down to seeds and stems again, too.
Really, their only hopes are that the Three Great Hopes—Oswald, Oswaldo, and Volpe—develop lightning fast, and that two key guys—DJ and Stanton—stay relatively injury-free.
I'm willing to give the Great Hopes a shot—but I don't see any indication they will develop that fast. DJ might be back and close to his old quality—but I have zero hope about Stanton.
Yes, with 40 percent of all teams making the playoffs, these Yankees have a puncher's chance. They get hot at the right time, other teams get injuries, etc. It's the new, all-sports wish machine. But the odds aren't good.
I'd love to see the kids play, winner or lose, but that would mean sitting Jackie Donaldson and AHicks and how could that possibly happen? They are great Yankees!
1) Seeds and Stems
Mildred - My favorite version is Commander Cody's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNWw2NFo_ec
2) Left Field
I'm not worried right now. The good thing about making a trade for Left Field is that it comes out of left field.
Andrew McCutcheon. Andrew McCutcheon?
Fuck.
Just looked at Andrew's BB Ref page. The picture is prescient; he has a deer-in-the-headlights look.
Jimmy -
Apparently pretty much everyone has a weak hitting catcher.
Last year our Left Fielder up until the trade deadline was Joey Gallo. You can't get more of a void than that.
I've got nothing good to say about Donaldson.
Of course Cashman wants Andrew McCutchen. Because he was once on the Yankees.
Much like Satan or the Jets street gang, Brian Cashman doesn't believe in letting go. Ever.
Jimmy, follow your gut. I think that’s what most of do here, I know I do.
Maybe we can trade for T. Estrada.
Decent average, low K rate. OPS over.700.
Can play 2b, 3b and LF.
Now where have I heard of him before?
Will only be 27 this season.
Maybe SF will sell him back to us.
I've called for Cashman to be replaced many times, and given the "why's" (at least as I view them). But looking around the leagues, over time, GMs go from heroes to zeroes in as little as three years, then return in the fashion of comets a few years later. Most "can't miss, future HOFERS do, injuries,and even had luck. So who would go back twenty-five years and install Dave Dombrowski in The Brain's stead? Can anyone know for sure that another Brain would have done a better job? And better means in NYC, where most fan's idea of "success" includes winning the WS without any stress, which of course means rolling through the season and playoffs in an equally stress-free fashion. I personally don't know, this is more of a thought exercise and I wonder what you lads and lasses think.
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