Here are some things the Yankees should NOT do, even if it feels good...
They must not...
1. Release Giancarlo Stanton. We owe him $98 million. Of course, we wish he'd retire. He won't. He's the Babadook. Throw him away, he magically returns. So, don't bother. And what's the point of releasing him? If he has a comeback year, or a good month, then maybe we find a taker. Release him, and we get nothing. Sorry, folks, but it makes no sense. We're stuck with him, and vice-versa.
They must not...
2. Trade Gleyber to the Redsocks. No, no, NO! Don't get me wrong: We can trade the guy. I'm not saying Gleyber must stay. But to Boston? And for Verdugo, the new Red Thunder? Hard no. Hard, hard no.
They must not...
3. Sign Kevin Kiermaier. Really? Why? A career .249 hitter with minimal power, entering age 34. We'd be better off keeping Harrison Bader. Is Estevan Florial that hopeless? Flo hit .284 with 28 HRs at Scranton. Does it mean nothing? Please, I beg you: Tell me we won't sign Kiermaier.
They must not...
4. Trade The Martian. Yeah, he might end up sucking. Nobody knows. And here I go, hugging prospects again. So, sue me. At least Dominguez offers some hope. Considering he's out until July, we can't expect much from him in 2024. But his trade value will also be low. Keep him. Give us something to believe in. Even if it's not true.
They must not...
5. Sit out another Asian free agent market. WTF? Masahiro Tanaka was great. Before him, it was Hiroki Kuroda. And it began with Godzilla. So, what pencil-necked office wonk decided to view all Asian players as Kei Igawa? Everywhere, good teams have at least one impact player from Japan or Korea. We have Kyle Higashioka (That's a joke; he's from Huntington Beach, CA.) I'd add Cuba to the list, as well. Get out the dollar-converter and sign somebody, ya fuckin' cheapskates.
So, let's see...the Cashman Clown Car operates in Bizarro World, where good is bad and bad is good.
ReplyDeleteThis probably means:
We release Stanton and get nothing.
We trade Gleyber to the Red Sox.
We sign Kevin Kiermaier.
We trade the Martian.
We skip any negotiations for Japanese or Korean players.
But we go after Sonny Gray with a vengeance.
ReplyDeleteLost in the Cash-hole Big G(ust)-bashing kerfluffle from yesterday...Joel Wolfe is also Yamamoto's agent. Our little numb nuts gnome has done fucked with the agent of the guy he wants to get splashy with. I'm sure this will end well
La plus qui change...
ReplyDeleteYes Mildred L - I called that out yesterday here - wasn't that just a brilliant move - his off-season strategy is now much clearer.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Mildred, I speculated that this is actually some scam by Cash/HAL to avoid having to sign Yamamoto. "Ah, gee, we wuz all set to ink him, but then his agent got offended..."
ReplyDeleteWho knows? But I don't think the Yanks have any intention of signing that big a free agent.
As to the rest...
ReplyDelete—No, they won't trade The Gleyber, because he is Cashman's guy, Cashie's big centerpiece of the dynasty he was building, his answer to Derek Jeter.
Of course, they will also stay true to their "policy" of never signing a guy until he's actually a free agent. Just watch Gleyber have a career year, then decide to go play in LA.
—No, as previously mentioned, they are not signing any big free agents, from Japan or anywhere else. HAL is concerned about that payroll ceiling...the one he actually wanted to lower.
—I don't think they'll trade The Martian, but I doubt if he'll ever be an effective major-league player now. He's on the Miguel Andujar/Clint Frazier disappearance loop, yet another victim of Yankees training and coaching.
—I suspect they will finally trade or sell Florial, no doubt for the proverbial handful of magic beans.
—Kevin Kiermaier? NOW we're talking! Sure, the guy can't hit much, but he's ALSO perpetually injured! That's Cashie's kind of ballplayer! I predict he'll open the season in centerfield, hit a game-winning home run at the Stadium opener, save another game with an incredible catch...then go on the DL before the end of April.
By then, Estevan Florial will be hitting .280 in Baltimore.
Stanton is the infamous “sunk cost”, in the meantime we’re forced to endure below average production and his clogging up the roster, not to mention the infuriating spectacle of watching a 32M (no Marlins copay this year or next) “athlete” who can’t run. Make no mistake, THIS was Cashman’s biggest mistake, and the start of the final ruination of the franchise.
ReplyDeleteBeen advocating for a Torres trade for years. Don’t much care where, just want some MLB ready prospects, unsullied by the Yankees rank coaching clown show. No, not Verdugo, who would implode here.
Perfrectly OK with KK, at least on a one year contract. LH bat, AL East battle tested with a lifetime BA of .273 at YS, and .305 at Fenway, Best of all, he’s not the narcissistic mint-green wearing injury machine that is Bader.
Let’s be honest and say JD is likely to have minimal impact on the team in ‘24. Anything we do get from him should be considered gravy. Hanging on to him is not prospect hugging if he is truly an impact player, it’s just common senses. Let’s see him in ‘25.
Asian players? Yes! There’s generally an adjustment period to this side of the pond, but they have proven that their best players are on a par with our best players. Even better, they’ve played in a system that stresses fundamentals.
Sorry for the lengthy post. Slooooow day at work.
Change Giancarlo back to Mike and trick his body into thinking he's playing for the Marlins...guarantee an MVP
ReplyDeleteWell done, Duque. Ofcourse, The Yankees have interest in Keirmeyer, he is just like Bader. Great fielder,always hurt, weak bat. I believe The Yankees have stock in hospitals.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI think I'm 100% as sure as 100% sure can be Cashman pissed off Joel Wolfe to avoid the embarrassment of sinking a couple hundred million Halbucks into Yamamoto (and having him be a Rodon-esque bust) just like you folks are saying, and I think it's because Cashman secretly thinks Hal has had enough of his shit. Rodon may have been the iceberg.
Stanton needs to be part of any major deal with SD. Soto, Marchardo & Darvish or Bogarts for Stanton and any reasonable prospect demands. That takes care of SD money problems and we get some real hitters.
ReplyDeleteBut Celerino, why would SD want Stanton? Why would any team? If we weren’t tied to him with that millstone contract he’d be long gone from here too…
ReplyDeleteBTR999, they'd be sending back $300-400m in contracts for the $98m owed to Stanton. The bigger question is whether Stanton would go. He has a no trade contract
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't see how HAL would take on that added payroll.
ReplyDelete999, I mostly agree. But I would be for taking on Kiermaier ONLY if we also get Ballinger and/or Soto. (Agreed: NO Verdugo.)
ReplyDeleteOver the last three years, Kiermaier has sat for an entire season: 162 games out.
He played 151 games in 2015, when he was 25. From 2016-2019, his season totals for games were 105, 98, 88, and 129. The guy is a walking DL spot. If we were otherwise set in the OF, okay, sure, maybe I'd take the risk for his defense. But never as a full-time player.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible Cashman is trying to get out of HIS contract.
With the cuss-word-filled diatribe AND the comments about Stanton (as if anyone needed that "information") --
-- maybe he's looking to provoke (justify?) a firing by Hal.
I have no idea if he gets his money - for unserved years -- if he is fired. Based on what he's up to lately, it appears (to me) that he would, he wants the money, he doesn't want the job anymore.
This is totally baseless speculation. But I sure as heck hope I am right!
Then again, Hal would probably hire The Maytag Repairman to take his place.
Then again again, Mr. Maytag (Jesse White) probably would do a much better job.
...yes, I aware that Jesse has been dead some decades now.
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