Today's Athletic conjures up a thumb-sucker that argues the Yankees this winter should chase free agent OF Kyle Tucker, first and foremost, at the expense of Cory Bellinger, son of Clay.
The article harkens back to the gilded era of Old George, when Trump was a harpy and the Bombers always signed their main free agent target. The modern reality: In modern bidding wars, the Yankees finish second.
Still, the piece makes some points. The stats generally favor Tucker over Bellinger, and - at 28 - he's two years younger. Over a long-term deal, that could save us from a LeMahieu Redux. (And, by the way, isn't it sad that we remember DJ in such a manner?)
Still, looming over any OF decision is a simpler question:
Wither goeth Jasson Dominguez?
The Martian turns 23 in February. Last year, in 381 ABs, he hit .257 with 10 HRs and 23 SBs. (A nice surprise, he is really fast.) Unfortunately, he played left field like a sheet metal worker with a Peyronie's erection, so awkwardly that every pop fly became a terrorist plot. He looked so troubled, so worrisome, that it became reasonable, if not fashionable, to wonder if Dominguez is a Ron Bloomberg - a botched asset and career DH?
It's been eight years since he became the most expensive 16-year-old on the planet, so blessed with potential that he was nicknamed after a planet.
In the next two months, the Yankees must decide whether The Martian has a future in the Bronx.
Listen: His numbers for last year weren't puke-in-the-bucket horrible. (You want horrible: Anthony Volpe.) And Dominguez can spend the winter replaying his last plate appearance - a double to right center, as he pinch hit for the clinically depressed Volpe. But here's the rub:
Tucker is a corner outfielder. So is Aaron Judge. If they do sign Tucker, the Yankees would probably need a defense-first CF - (I believe Trent Grisham is gone to greener pastures) - and that's not Dominguez. It could be Bellinger, who can play CF. But what about The Martian? Do they sit on him for another year? Or do they trade their most hyped prospect for the 2020s?
(At this point, we should mention Spencer Jones, the 24-year-old, 6'7" outfielder at Scranton. He looks like the Second Coming of Joey Gallo - the three true outcomes, most of which are Ks. Last year, at Double and Triple A, Jones hit .274 with 35 HRs. He led all Yankee farmhands in HRs. A hot spring would create havoc. The Yankees claim Jones is a fine fielding CF. Then again, they said Dominguez could play LF. We won't know until we see him.)
So, before anything happens, the Yankees must decide if The Martian is in their future.
Should we have confidence in those who will make that decision?
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31 comments:
When it comes to the Martian, we can be sure that Yankees management will remain consistent and completely fuck things up.
The kid is only 23. Theoretically, he could be the fourth outfielder if we sign Tucker. Tucker, Bellinger, and Judge is not a bad outfield.
But will that fuck with Dominguez's head--already suffering from our stellar management---to the point that he becomes useless? Or almost useless?
I don't know. But any team that dismisses John Flaherty after 20 years and considers Paul "The Hick" O'Neill one of their star analysts will not do the right thing.
Ah, Ron Bloomberg! I recall reading his autobiography, Designated Hebrew: The Ron Bloomberg Story. (Yes, that was the title) Injuries and the team’s curious handling had him out of MLB by age 30,; A quick perusal of his stats show a pretty decent hitter though.
Not greatly impressed with what I saw of JD last year; it’s understood that he is still a developing player, and the best may be yet to come, though his fielding and poor performances from the right side of the plate gives one pause.
Jones seems like a bust waiting to happen. The Judge comparisons seem a bit tortured to me. He had one extended hot streak last year, otherwise he was mostly sub par. And those strikeouts!
Very doubtful the team ponies up the dough to sign Tucker. I think they will swallow hard and re-sign Bellinger, who can also handle 1B if needed.
I hadn’t heard the team dismissed John Flaherty. I enjoyed his studio work for YES. Perhaps that lumbering ox Dellin Betances will take his place.
The bloated front office and entire Yankees organization are the antithesis of sound decision-making. Regarding Spencer Jones, it was about 10 years ago that many people/scouts were saying the exact same thing about Judge-he would never be a good MLB hitter because he was too tall and had a bad loop in his swing. The whiffs would be prolific. There's a good chance that Jones could follow in his footsteps. But who knows? I wouldn't bet the Yankees do.
I think The Martian has all the tools to be a very good player. But, as Clint Frazier says in his podcast, the organization took a kid who is an excellent center fielder, and at the MLB level, thrust him into a position he was not comfortable with, especially in a ballpark where that position is more difficult to play.
As much as I love Kyle Tucker, I'd rather see the kids in the outfield. Besides, Hal would rather be waterboarded than pay Tucker close to half a billion dollars. And even if he ponied up, his load would be shot, and other areas of concern would not be addressed.
Hey…..has anybody seen faith ?
I believe that she could be misplaced.
Maybe even lost forever.
yep, yep, and yep...
This hot stove season will be the usual bungling mass of errors, bad decisions, bullshit, prevarications, lies, smoke and fog, and meaningless pronunciamentos from the Cabal. La plus qui change and all that crap. Nothing will change. Garbage in, garbage out. Brains is running the show and HIS FUCKING RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. How anyone with his success record could keep their job is way beyond me. I guess we have to take what he says on Faith, AA. I hear she knows what she's doing, that girl...
Hell, I think The Martian is (or was) a great hitter, but Yankee management has completely fucked up his development. Hard to believe, but as far as hitting is concerned, they've turned him into a left handed IKF! (And he has completely forgotten how to swing a bat right handed.) And yes, he is playing out of position: he'd never played left field before. I feel so sorry for him. The best thing for Jasson would be if the Yankees traded him away pronto. Almost any other team would be a great destination. I don't know if they'd be able to fix him, but they'd have a hell of a lot better chance of it than Yankee coaching. If he stays here, his development will stall. He'll never be anything more than a .250 singles hitter. There is a chance that he gets worse next year. He could be a .210 singles hitter next year.
He takes fastballs over the plate for strikes. Doesn't even think about swinging. Even turns away from them. He looks for breaking pitches away and hits little liners and grounders the other way for singles. This is from the left side of the plate.
The right side of the plate has become a complete zero. Because they never let him take at-bats right handed any more. Even though that's his natural side. From the right side, he can't even foul off a pitch. He's completely helpless. A three pitch strikeout candidate every time.
He wasn't like this before he came up to the big club. This was a hitter with monstrous power from both sides of the plate. Now, he's a lefty singles hitter who couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag. You can't make this stuff up.
I suppose there's a chance that maybe the right elbow UCL injury and surgery has something to do with all this. And that maybe the power comes back next year. And that he remembers how to hit again righthanded. Better hope that's the case. But I wouldn't bet on it.
"I think The Martian has all the tools to be a very good player. But, as Clint Frazier says in his podcast, the organization took a kid who is an excellent center fielder..."
Carl
He wasn't an excellent CF. His routes were bad. He's just fast.
I've told this story here before but when I saw him at Hudson Valley I noticed that the RF and the LF were taking balls that should have gone to him and was told by season ticket holders that they were protecting him because he takes bad routes.
If you watch him in left (and yes it's a harder position) a lot of the time he seems clueless.
I still like him but, if this were the Yankees of old, they'd sign Belli AND Tucker and have an outfield of Judge, Beli, Tucker for the next five years and then trade Jasson and Spenser for some frontline pitching or a new SS.
If we know anything about Cashman, this is what Brain Dead will do:
1. Resign Trent Grisham to a hefty 7 yr contract. When his agent tells him about Cashman's offer, Grisham will rush out of the shower and run to the ballpark in his bathrobe, pen in hand. "Where do I sign?"
2. Grisham will play CF for the next 7 yrs and it'll be Aaron Hicks Redux.
3. Austin Slater (or someone equivalent) will get the left field job next year.
4. The Martian will be the designated Bench Boy. At some point, they might send him back to AAA. Because "he needs to play everyday".
5. Spencer Jones will never get a shot in the majors, at least not until he's age 28 or 29. Because Cashman likes his players "finished" before he brings them up. Yeah, Jones'll be finished all right. As in, his career will be finished.
I seem to recall that John Flaherty got into it on air with major blowhard Michael Kay. Too bad. He is a much better announcer than Kay and a better analyst than Paulie.
If they're never going to develop them properly, I hope they trade them. Because their careers will get ruined if they stay here.
And if Dominguez can't play the outfield, that's a major reason why they should trade (or jettison) Stanton. You don't really like a kid to be the DH, but better that than have him rot on the bench or in the minors.
Michael Kay should get canned. The broadcast booth should be Flaherty & Cone.
Watching the game last night, I was struck by how well coached the players are on both sides. But especially the Blue Jays hitters. They put on a clinic on how to hit good pitching. Snell was pretty good. They ambushed him in the 1st inning for a couple of solo homers. Then they scratched a few runs off him and the bullpen. Carlos Rodon, after getting his butt handed to him by the Blue Jays earlier this year, said these guys are fundamentally sound, foul off good pitches, make contact, hit liners the other way. Good scouting report.
Well, I'm glad about one thing: the Blue Jays are not just Yankee killers. It was not just a case of Yankee Killeritis that doomed us. They're doing the same thing to the pickpockets. Perhaps I didn't give them enough credit. Half their lineup is made up of minor league mediocrities who know how to take professional at-bats. The other half, I said it years ago, was already better than anything the Yankees had.
Now, they've developed and they're ONE fucking win away from a World Series Championship. I hope they beat Yamamoto and wrap this up in Game 6.
The problem with the Yankee management is that they will not play the kids, even if they don't get Tucker. They will re-sign Grisham to play CF and Austin Slater will play LF. Fucking Brain Dead Cashman. Fucking HAL, who keeps Cashman in charge.
Yesavage comes straight over the top, doesn't he? I don't know if I've ever seen a guy who throws like that. Gotta be bad for the old shoulder. Not great for the back either. He has to arch his back to get the ball down in the zone. A few years from now, he's going to be all washed up with a bad shoulder, herniated and bulging discs in the spine. But right now, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball! From single A to the major league World Series within the same year!
The Yankees would never allow one of their pitching prospects to throw like that. They'd have converted his mechanics to that of a standard pitcher. And he would never have become an effective minor league pitcher, let alone lead his team to victory in Game 5 of the World Series.
Here’s a thought: Sign Tucker, move Jazz to center and go trade for a ss/2b. Have JD go back to his natural cf position, if need be aaa, to relearn it. At the deadline if Jd and Jones are still around, whichever is playing better can get a call up and you move Jazz for whatever you need at that point. They aren’t going to re sign him anyways.
They should deal Jizz Chasm away this winter. He'd be on my trade list, for sure. No need to wait until the trade deadline next year. If he plays like crap for half a season, his trade value will plummet. They have holes at 3B, SS, 2B, 1B. They could use two more starting pitchers. They have plenty of positions to fill. They should also trade Volpe, Wells, Rodon.
If Jasson Dominguez played for the Blue Jays, he'd already be a superstar. Now that the Yankees have ruined him, I don't know that he'd be able to reach his potential. What would the Yankees get if they traded him? Maybe another bullpen lugnut. If I was another team's GM, why would I give anything significant?
If the Yankees were to trade Rodon, I think he has significant trade value. He should be traded. This winter might be the last best chance to move him. He'll probably pitch like shit next year for the Yankees. But I'm pretty sure that he'd do great on a team like the Blue Jays. Or the Red Sox. Or the Dodgers. Or the Mariners. All much better coached than the Yankees.
I saw here down by the docks, smoking weed with Hope. They looked pretty bad, even the old sailors weren't interested.
I'm with Hammer. Kay and O'Neill stink separately but together the air is unbreathable.
We need to trade for a better front office.
I don't usually watch much of other teams. So the playoffs & World Series are a good chance for me to do some scouting.
Here's a trade proposal: The Martian for Tommy Edman. If I remember correctly, we could've had Edman for a song back when he was available, but the pickpockets got him. Would solve our 2B situation.
Second trade proposal: The Martian for Seranthony Dominguez. It would be painful to watch if The Martian turns out to be a better hitter than Vlad the Impaler. But if we keep him, The Martian will never be any better than IKF. Why would Toronto do this trade? Well, like I said, he's still got a chance to be better than Fat Dracula. A switch hitter capable of hitting .330 with fearsome power? I think I'd do it if I was Toronto. I'd take a chance that my batting coaches will get him back on track.
Sadly, if Cashman trades The Martian to Toronto, we'd likely get back fucking IKF. Then all the media will be like "Cashman is such a genius; he traded away a guy who was warming the bench for an everyday utility player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B; what a smart move, etc etc."
The more I watch the World Series every year, the more disgusted I am with the coaching on the Yankees. True, it's not all on our coaches, because I'm sure they take marching orders from the analytics department. Which is why the analytics has to be purged and upgraded as well.
This all started when the Houston ASS-stros brought in non-baseball analytics guys into their analytics department. But the difference there was that they had baseball guys who knew what they were doing, not just blindly following orders from computer geeks. Brain Dead Cashman has the computer geeks running the show, and our manager and coaches are too stupid (or too mercenary/career minded) to object to anything. So the computer geeks run the show here, and this shit show is what you get every year.
Going by what almost always happens with the Yankees player development, I'd be shocked if The Martian is able to develop here. Retrogression is a VIRTUAL CERTAINTY. I'd be surprised if he hits any better than .210 next year.
Not sure why opposing pitchers throw any off speed to him. If I was a pitcher, I'd throw nothing but heat to him. He'd go down on three pitches every time. Most of the time looking (or turning away). He'd have to prove to me that he can get the head of the bat out and drive the fastball. Nothing wrong with his bat speed. He is simply geared for the off-speed pitches, the local. Not getting the head out on the express. Swinging when the ball is in the catcher's glove. All crossed up fundamentals: we all know you can't hit the express if you're geared for the local. You can adjust to the local, even when you're looking for heat, but not the other way around. It's just physics & biology, the way hitting works, the way nature works.
I just checked baseballreference.com & it says Seranthony Dominguez is a free agent for 2026. So scratch the trade proposal: they can get sign this guy as a free agent this winter. So much for that trade!
So who might we get from the Blue Jays for Jasson Dominguez? How about Ernie Clement?
Why would the Blue Jays do that? Well, I don't know who they have in their system as a 3B, and that would obviously have an effect, but The Martian (at least potentially) is a better hitter than Clement. Wouldn't The Martian be an upgrade for their left field over Davis Schneider?
Have you ever seen a team that is as bad at developing a third baseman as the Yankees? It's amazing. Miguel Andujar was the last guy who seemed like he might be the answer, but he got hurt and only lasted one year. Before that, we had guys who were imported from other teams, but when was the last time we had a guy who was developed here to be a 3B? Mike Pagliarulo? He hit .239 every year until he got canned. I can't remember ever seeing a home grown 3B for this team that lasted more than a year or two.
Doug, I'm not doubting what you saw, but how many times did you observe him? A game or two? Scouts have compared him to Bo Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Mike Trout. You don't see that comparison very much. Have the Yankees hyped him?...sure they have. But the scouts agree. I concur that he can be better with his outfield routes. But Mickey Mantle had the same problem that his speed allowed him to overcome. Below is the scouting report on JD. That will be followed by Mickey's scouting report. You will see that they are quite similar, except JD was rated higher defensively.
JD Overview: "Jasson Dominguez is a five-tool switch-hitter with elite power and speed, but his minor league scouting reports also highlight a need for improvement in plate discipline and hitting for average. His athleticism is compared to that of Bo Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Mike Trout, and he possesses the tools to become a five-tool player. While his raw ability is undeniable, some reports mention his inconsistency, especially against certain pitch types, and the need to improve his launch angle and ground ball rate. He is seen as a well-rounded prospect with the potential to contribute offensively in multiple ways."
Specifically:
Strengths
Hitting: Switch-hitter with exceptional bat speed and power potential from both sides of the plate.
Power: Generates a high level of exit velocity and has a strong ability to barrel the ball.
Speed: Possesses surprising speed for his build, which aids him on the basepaths and in the outfield.
Athleticism: Possesses a high level of athleticism and quickness, making him a potential five-tool player.
Plate Discipline: Shows good plate discipline with a low chase rate, and has made progress in controlling the strike zone.
Weaknesses:
Consistency: Has struggled with consistency, especially against certain pitch types, and has been prone to striking out.
Launch Angle/Ground Balls: Has a low launch angle and a tendency to hit too many ground balls.
Defense: His defensive reads and routes in center field need to improve, which could lead to a move to a corner outfield position.
Overall Profile: Some scouts are hesitant about whether his ability to hit for average and maintain a consistent offensive output will match his power potential.
Overall Outlook
Five-Tool Prospect: Dominguez is considered a five-tool prospect with the potential to become a star, thanks to his elite combination of power, speed, and athleticism.
High Upside: His high ceiling makes him a highly-touted prospect, but his floor is also relatively high given his advanced tools.
Major League Ready: His minor league performance has shown he has the talent to become a regular, but he still needs to prove he can consistently get on base and hit for average against major league pitching.
Now Mickey's scouting report from 1950
Overview:
Early scouting reports described Mickey Mantle as a phenomenal hitter with exceptional speed but a weak fielder, noting his switch-hitting power and blazing speed as his most outstanding traits. After being moved from shortstop to the outfield, particularly center field, his speed and natural talent allowed him to become a good defensive player, despite a rough start with errors at shortstop. Over time, his outfield play became a strength, with his speed allowing him to reach balls that should have been hits, though his throwing arm was not considered his best skill.
Scouting report details
Hitting: The report highlighted his exceptional hitting ability, calling him a "Great hitter" with great speed. He would go on to win the Western Association batting title with a .383 average that season.
Fielding: His defense was described as "Fair," but his arm was "good".
Strengths
Speed: Mantle possessed world-class speed that allowed him to leg out infield hits and play a great center field.
Hitting: He was a phenomenal switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate, known for his home runs' incredible distance.
Outfield Play: After moving to the outfield, he developed into a good defensive player, using his speed and knowledge to cover a lot of ground.
Attitude: His "Attitude and disposition" were described as "good".
Future outlook: The scout recommended he play in Class A or higher, and his future was marked with an "M" for Majors.
Weaknesses
Defense (Early Career): As a young player, Mantle was a "butcher" at shortstop, committing many errors, which led to his move to the outfield.
Arm: While his throwing arm was considered good enough for the outfield, it was not considered his best skill, and he was not known for his accuracy.
Impact of the scouting report
The report accurately predicted Mantle's hitting prowess would be enough for him to advance to the AAA level, but his defensive limitations as a shortstop would be a problem.
Despite the concerns about his fielding, his hitting was so exceptional that the Yankees moved him to the outfield, where he could utilize his speed and strength to better advantage.
The report is considered a remarkable piece of sports memorabilia because it so accurately predicted the future, while also providing an interesting look at a young player before he became a legend.
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