But June ju-lies.
Bathroom graffiti, Elmira NY, 1972
When the Yankees went 21-7 in May, cradling baseball's best record in June, the 2024 postseason beckoned to us like a long-whispered revelation.
Despite his failures over the last 15 years, Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman had finally delivered. We might fret over all the walk-year contracts, most notably for the new superstar, Juan Soto. But the Yankees looked destined for greatness, and surely a ride down the Canyon of Heroes would transform Soto into a Yankee for life. This team was for real, and poised for greatness.
It was nice, wasn't it? Swallowing the bullshit?
We actually believed a bullpen full of castoffs could dominate the AL, and that a lineup of players approaching their twilights - Stanton, Verdugo, LeMahieu, Rizzo, Rodon, Stroman, et al - were suddenly five years younger and tweak-free. Our joyous delirium lasted into July 15, when the rug was yanked out by Boston, which ran wild on the bases in two humiliating losses. Ever since, the Yankees have been an elevator in freefall - a record of 4-13, including sweeps by the Mets and the lowly Reds.
Next up: The dreaded Cashman Makeover.
As has done - unsuccessfully, we should note - for the last 15 years, Cashman will empty the Yankee farm system for the annual tranche of faded veterans, as the GM seeks to salvage another lost season.
In the final hours of July - barely three weeks from now - Cash will trade a bevy of young prospects in the low minors for some closer who was lights out in 2019, and several bullpen lug nuts already nearing their career highs in innings and games. In each case, the Gammonites of the NYC press will join the YES barkers in marveling over the harvest - practically a heist! - as the Yankees received name-brand stars, without giving up anything.
The Yankee farm system - drained for 15 years like a vampiric blood bank - will once again be described as an unending, bubbling oasis of talent, so overflowing that the deals needed to be made. The infusion will boost the Yankees for at least two or three weeks into August, before the next wheels fall off the cart.
Yep. Strap yourselves in, folks. It's coming, the annual makeover. Come August 1, the Yankees will be buyers, not sellers, firmly committed to securing the final wild card slot on the expanded playoffs system - the new Yankee destiny: Stay in contention until October 1, then who cares? And next year, repeat the cycle.
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17 comments:
He more or less stood pat last year, I think. But the 2022 trade deadline fiasco was a professional humiliation unrivaled in the history of American sports management. Enough wreckage for 2, 5, 10 years. It's amazing, and alarming, that he's still employed in professional baseball, in any capacity.
Cut bait and bring up the kids
"He more or less stood pat last year, I think. But the 2022 trade deadline fiasco was a professional humiliation unrivaled in the history of American sports management. Enough wreckage for 2, 5, 10 years. It's amazing, and alarming, that he's still employed in professional baseball, in any capacity."
This x100!
Today, Carlos Antonio Rodón looks to win his tenth game.
The question we all have to ask ourselves is:
Where is he going to look for it?
El Duque....you have Cahman's M.O. down pat.
@ The Ghost..... The Yankees farm system has fewer kids than other MLB organizations because Cashman blocks their advancement by acquiring over-the-hill veterans. They are left in the minors for "seasoning". Just scan the Scranton roster and try not to laugh. The roster is older than quite a few MLB teams.
https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/stats/minor~2024~14097/
Compare the SWB roster to the current Yankees main nemesis, The Oriole's AAA team, The Norfolk Tides
https://www.milb.com/norfolk/roster
Most other teams know what they're doing with their minor league player development.
Spencer Jones might come up in September for a few games, but only if the Yankees are out of it. Chances are, he might come up at the end of 2026. I'm pretty sure he's not coming up next year.
The Martian must've been playing with a stitch in his side or maybe he didn't know it until that check swing, which was the straw that broke the camel's back. I looked at the video multiple times. It wasn't much of a check swing. No way that one little check swing caused an 8 week injury. Anyway, don't bother looking for The Martian until maybe July 2025. And if Stanton is healthy at that time, The Martian won't be up here until September 2025 at the earliest.
Verdugo hasn't really made much of an impact this year, eh? He's had his moments, but not enough. Too many long droughts. I've said many a time, Boston Red Sox know when to get rid of their players. DO NOT BRING IN EX-RED SOX!!!
Which is precisely why Cashman will re-sign Verdugo. Which is why the outfield will stay a logjam. Which is why Spencer Jones and The Martian are pretty much doomed to waste their careers down in the minors. They'll be lucky to come up by end of 2026. By that time, they'll have played much of their best baseball in the minors. They'll become rotten seeds. They'll never achieve their major league potential.
The Martian will be up by September of this year. Unless he's dead.
Cashman might bring back Sonny Gray, Gunslinger Chapman and Gary Sanchez. I'm serious. Cashman loves to bring back guys who've been here before. There is a pretty good shot of that happening.
Those three guys, I'm pretty amazed that Cashman did let them go when he did. Usually, if you're a veteran and you suck, you're a Yankee for life. If you're a young player and you want to get the hell out of here, all you have to do is play well and show some potential. He'll trade you away for a bag of money or some dude who sucks right now but used to be great six years ago.
But Carl, how is that possible? Their docs said 8 weeks? I don't see how he can get back to baseball shape again and come up by September?
Re: "Our joyous delirium lasted into July 15"
...no. It did not!
Well, June julies after all.
I think most of the denizens of this benighted blog saw knew the early season success was unsustainable. The rapidity of the downfall was a bit surprising. No soft landings here!
The saving grace at the T/D might be Steingrubber’s penuriousness. He’s already on record squealing like the pig he so closely resembles about the salary cap. Ironic, since he was a staunch supporter of same. His unwillingness to add salary may mute crashman’s poor decision making, and keep him from hollowing out what little talent there is in the minors.
Re JD, I agree he was likely injured before the check swing heard ‘round Y/U. Definitely concerning that such a young player has suffered 2 significant injuries over a few months playing time. However, I think we could see him in Sept. By that time, we could be struggling to stay above .500, and the team will need to juice attendance/ratings for another wise Sad September. This org is all about the 💲💲💲in case you haven’t noticed.
I had to look up penuriousness. The holes in my education are showing.
Haven't seen Spider here in a while. But it does bring to mind that we've been watching the ghost of DJ LeMay, the ghost of Anthony Rizzo, the ghost of Gleyber Torres, the ghost of Clay Holmes, the on and off ghost of Carlos Rodent, and the only partially dead ghost of Jose Trevino. Is Stroman turning into a ghost yet, or is he still clinging to life in the oxygen tent? He'll be really scary when he goes full-bore ghosty.
Boone has been a ghost since he fucked up his career playing basketball. Actually, that told us everything we had to know about him. He's performed exactly to that level of stupidity as manager.
Cashman has been a ghost for years, too. The eyes gave it away. So deep-set, so hollow, so...dead. He haunts us still, to this very day...boogie boogie boogie.
CA$hole will get the Yankees the needed replacements at the deadline.
ALL IS WELL PEOPLE!
I now return you to your previouely programmed horseshit.
Carry on all!.
Mongo Santa Maria!
They want to fucking lose.
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