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| The Yankees OVER 7 ERA club |
Soon, that question might not matter.
Any day now, the Yankees should learn whether their biggest addition from the winter of 2022-23 will be a viable starter or the next Yahoo Serious.
Soon, Carlos Rodon - sidelined with a tender forearm - will throw a bullpen session that could decide whether the Yanks enter 2023 with a capable rotation - or sirens blaring.
If Rodon feels pain, the projections could be bottomless. His immediate fate can range from missing a few starts - and, hell, every pitcher does at some point - to needing surgery, which might cost him the season. The latter would bring devastation to the Yankees. They would have lost two of their planned five-man rotation, with no guarantees about the others. We would almost have to wonder if the franchise should start viewing 2023 as a rebuilding year.
I hate to be banging on garbage cans here. The world is crazy enough without alarmist bloggers ranting about asteroids, floods and Frankie Montas. Also, no team is immune to injuries. Look at the Mets and Edwin Diaz. The Yankees have much going for them: LeMahieu, Judge, Rizzo and Stanton might be the best top-of-the-order foursome in baseball. But to lose Rodon for an extended period - yikes. He was the one addition from last winter that seemed to elevate the Yankees from their also-ran status of last October. And for now, we don't know...
If Rodon is hurt, or his return is delayed, the options look thin. The Yankees have struggled in just building trade packages for a left-fielder. To obtain a starting pitcher - that would cost far more. And Yank fans also know the implicit danger that lies ahead:
Over the years, finding starters has been Brian Cashman's great white whale. From Javier Vasquez to Sonny Gray, he has repeatedly failed in trades and signings. (We love Gerrit Cole, but his best years have still happened in Houston.) Look at the chart on the right. Aside from Cole, Yankee starters this spring have been pounded. We can console ourselves that these games mean nothing. But April is near.
Keep the candles lit, everybody. If Rodon is hurt, this could be a long year.
If he is hurt it will be a long 2-3 years. Rondon could miss 23 & 24. Cole can opt out after this year. Severino is gone after this year. They have no pitching, no I'll take that back the Cubs & A's have our future pitching staff.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to wish everyone would just go away--Cole, Setback, the German, Montas. If Rodon is healthy, keep him. Keep Nestor until he reverts to his mean (if he does, and I hope not).
ReplyDeleteDuck Donaldson, Hicks, Gleyber, IKF, every scrap heaper who's still around. Keep Trevino (see Nestor above). Kyle? Really like the guy, but see ya. The muscle-bound injury machine that starts with R? Boot him.
Keep King and Maraschino. The rest, meh.
Let the kids play. Bring 'em all up "too early" (by Yankees standards, that means before they're 25). They adjust or they don't. There's more where they came from, though not as many as there should be thanks to Brain.
Just get rid of this whole rotten clownshow. Make Hal joyous. Play a lot of cheap kids and see what happens. Let the Martian take off or crash. Hell, this organization can't develop kids anyway, might as well give 'em a shot before they're totally fucked up by our crack coaching staff.
And while you're at it, tear down this shitty stadium and build something a lot more modest and cozy. Where the old Stadium was. Let's start over.
Put a bomb under the shithouse in every sense of the phrase.
One more thing. Let's change the team name back to the Highlanders until they get their shit together. It feels right.
ReplyDeleteThree quick things...
ReplyDelete1) Cheepnis
Do you like monster movies? I love monster mov..
DickA thanks for posting that. I linked to the Sports Illustrated article that was the source a few days ago. It does boggle the mind.
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2) This is the guy we really need to get.
"In a World Baseball Classic semifinal for the ages, Team Japan third baseman Munetaka Murakami ripped a clutch, two-run, walk-off double, scoring Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida to defeat Team Mexico 6-5, clinching a trip to the WBC championship game, where Japan will meet Team USA."
He's a 22 year old third baseman who will become available after 2024. Best player to come out of Japan since Othani. Hits for power and average and is a Gold Glove caliber third baseman. A position of great need for the Yankees. I know it is too soon to be thinking like this but when he becomes available he could solve our 3B problems for a decade. He's that good.
3) Rodon
Do you like monster movies? I love monster mov...
Yeah, the Rodon issue is truly scary and will go a long way in determining if we make the regular wild card or the play in wild card. I'm not kidding. El Duque is correct. Far as I can tell, the season is hanging by a thread.
Baseball King
ReplyDelete@BasebaIlKing
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15m
Gary Sanchez has signed a deal with Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League.
Wonder where he goes when he bombs out of the DPBL?
ReplyDeleteI have to go with JM's earlier comment. Go with All-Kids. DFA IKF, Donaldduckson, etc., etc., etc. (Hicks especially). Play Volpe AND Peraza AND anyone under the age of 21.
So we might have a 68-94 season. So what? Yeah, I want to win. Maybe you don't win if you're not willing to let go of the chances that all of that crapola turns into shinola.
Can Alvin Bragg indict Brian Cashman? There's gotta be something.
ReplyDeleteSeverino hit hard again today.
ReplyDeleteKarma Cashman, Karma.
Cole seems good to go. Schmidt is so ready he's got a 3 year lease on an apartment in the Bronx. Severino and German are auditioning for next year's Rockefeller Christmas tree. Nasty Nestor is no where near ready. He needs to warm up on a farm somewhere. Montas is currently convalescing in the Carl Pavano Suite of the Royal Cashman Home for Broken and Decrepit Ballplayers-Still-On-The-Payroll. If I were the Yankees insurance agent, I'd be demanding a greater role in their transaction decisions.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's Rodon. Hoping against hope he not heading to that butcher shop known as the Yankee trainer's room. A cow has more hope of avoiding the slaughter house. Not when the 3 blind men (Boone, Cashman and Fishman) are evaluating his readiness.
Cast in the fine afterglow of the Yankees 7 starting pitchers, Devi's starting to look like the second coming. At least he can still pitch.
Dr. T, you remind me...
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that Brain trades for injured players because somehow the Yankees make out via insurance? Can they get policies quick enough for enough money to absorb chunks of player salaries, further fattening Hal's bottom line?
It sounds like something they'd do.
So Donaldson has a new stance and he hit two HRs today...now what?
ReplyDeleteIKF is going to try emergency catching now...Cesar Tovar he's not...
ReplyDeleteDonaldson hit his dingers off two different guys who will remind no one of an effective starting pitcher, including one who left todays game with an era hovering around 30.00.
ReplyDeleteSo don’t get too excited Jackie. Talk to me in August. If you’re still on the team. We can only hope that his hitting improves so that some poor sucker will want him come the TD.
New stance for JD?
ReplyDeleteOld stance for BTR: he’s through.
I am waiting for HC66's next encomium to Ohtani.
ReplyDeleteI feel ya, JM—and thing is, I get like this at least once a year now. It's just been so long since this seemed like a team with a plan!
ReplyDeleteYankees 2010-2023
ReplyDeleteWash-Rinse-Repeat