Saturday, January 6, 2024

After trading their young arms, the Yankees have learned how difficult it is to trade for young arms

I hate trade speculations. Loathe them. At 3 a.m., some pasty, 450-pound jobo at a mayonnaise-crusted Commodore 64 in East Toledo thinks up a ridiculous Yankee trade and posts it on Facebook - and ruins my day. 

Here's one, to the immediate right.

If the Yankees make this wretched deal, I will drive to Tampa, shave my head, paint myself green, drink five Shamrock Shakes, and puke them on Hal Steinbrenner's windshield. After draining their farm system, they would have traded four prospects for a rag-armed pitcher who went 7-9 last year with an ERA of 4.58 - higher than any of Jhony Brito, Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German. We might as well publicly criticize Vladimir Putin from a 7th story window. 

For the record, I doubt Cooperstown Cashman would make this deal. The Yanks have invested too much newsprint into Jasson Dominguez, and hubris will not let them trade him. 

Right now, hubris is all they have.

Hubris is what made Cashman believe Yoshi Yamamoto would choose the Yankees, even if other teams offered bigger pots of money.  

Hubris is what keeps Hal thinking that every America kid dreams of playing CF for the Yankees, even though that generation is now pushing 70. 

Hubris is the last gasp of a dying empire, which is what the Yankees have been for 15 years. 

I believe Cashman realizes the precarious seat he occupies. To shore up an anemic batting order - something the Yankees are never supposed to have - he traded off a huge tranche of young arms. Yamamoto jilted them, and now the Yankees must desperately find somebody who can deliver 180 innings. Thus, they're pondering Cease, who peaked two years ago, much like Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortez. 

Here's the rub: In the aftermath of Yamamoto, the value of pitching has suddenly skyrocketed. If it's just a bubble, there could be deals in spring training. But if trade proposals like the one above are real, yikes: We're in deep shit.

13 comments:

  1. Only FIVE shamrock shakes, E.D.?

    May I humbly and respectfully suggest that you pull start your purge propulsion by downing a few dozen relish packets as well?

    This will add some disturbing texture to your windshield editorial - especially to anyone sitting inside the car at the time.

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  2. The only hope Yankees fans have is Ca&hman shows up on an Epstein list

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  3. @CS - A variation of your comment was my first choice before I decided on the condiment comment.

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  4. Maybe we need hubris, more specifically Hugh Bris - LHP of the Southwest Independent League's Alamogordo Pistachio Shells. 14-2 1.68 ERA.

    "Bris, who previously had trouble getting into the later innings took a little off the top of his fastball last season, resulting in greater control and better performance overall."

    Sounds like he's ready to slip into the middle of a better rotation.

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  5. No need to listen to “pundits” and their asinine trade proposals. The referenced trade ain’t happening.

    One of the biggest disappointments last year was the failure of Peraza and Pereira to gain any traction at the ML level. Not only did they drag an already weak lineup down with every AB, but they damaged their potential as trade chips.

    Cease would be a decent get as mid to back of the rotation starter, but you don’t sell off the farm for that.

    So…any interest in Trevor Bauer? A flat headed idiot, but he may make sense on a one year contract. Seems doubtful he would want to play in NY where he would be raked over the coals for every stupid utterance, and with the explosion in pitcher’s salary, he would certainly want more than Montas.

    Imanaga is intriguing, but would he really move the needle that much? He would likely need a multi-year commitment.

    So what to do? If we are “all in” the best option would be Snell and Hader and even that is no slam dunk.

    The best procedure is pour money into developing young players. Outspend every team in development abd hire the best coaches instructors and medical staff. Hang the cost!

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  6. Jim Duquette, needs to stop smoking the Ganga. Dylan Cease is not that good. I would never trade Dominguez. Jim, get a clue.

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  7. BTR -

    The issues with Bauer are what you identified and my understanding that Cole hates him going back to their UCLA days. Bauer also accused Cole of cheating (which he did - but that doesn't help the relationship.)

    As you said, it really comes down to whether the Yankees want to flex their considerable financial advantage and just overpay big time for Snell and Hader and call it a day.

    "The best procedure is pour money into developing young players. Outspend every team in development and hire the best coaches instructors and medical staff. Hang the cost!"

    Hang the cost or hang the GM. Either way... it's time for a hanging.

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  8. Personally, I like hubris. It's good with pita chips and also raw vegetables, like celery or baby carrots.

    Cashman likes it because it's made from chickpea. If you know what I mean.

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  9. JM:

    I can not help now but to wonder if there is or was a player named Chick Peeze.

    I do believe that ManCash and Hal have one or two more cash-splash moves left in them that likely occur sometime over the next ten days.

    (Even more so if someone from Yankeeville gets called out in the Epstein Papers - although i doubt it will be a front office guy like Hanky Hal, Randy Randy, or CashSplash)

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  10. They may have permanently ruined The Martian, but even so, his potential upside is infinitely higher than Dylan Cease's. I doubt if Cashman would make that trade, either. The Martian is the player he needs so he can tell us that it doesn't matter that Soto is moving on.

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  11. I'm with you on that HAL idea, Duque.

    My only disagreement: I don't think Cashie ever thought they could sign YY. I think he would've fallen into a coma if Yamamoto had accepted the deal.

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  12. Our best hope is Ca$hole *actually being* one of the underage Epstein entourage.

    I read the whole post and missed Duquette's name. Thought it was little Jimmy Toadlet posting from his mommy's basement. He does the impossible. He makes Ca$hole look competent. (I can't believe I just wrote that!?!)

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  13. Make the intern look competent?

    That's not possible.

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