Monday, July 24, 2017

Seriously... what do we do with Ellsbury?

Breaking news: AARON HICKS IS ALIVE! That Fox & Friends' report that he'd gone missing on the calved Antarctica ice shelf proved inaccurate. Turns out, he swam to shore, cut open a yak, slept in its warm entrails, and became a god to a community of earnest penguins. He'll soon begin a rehab assignment to Tampa, Trenton and/or - gulp - Scranton. Before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, he could be back with the Yankees, as the team's sixth outfielder. 

Yes, six flycatchers - (counting Matt Holliday, which - okay, that's a stretch, but where else does he play? First-base? Ha.) To many cooks thicken the broth, because one always gets pushed in. Somebody's gotta go!

Of course, the person you all want gone is Aaron Judge. If we, say, packaged Judge with a few prospects, we might be able to obtain the great pitcher and humanitarian, Sonny Gray! I get shivers, just thinking about it. Sonny Gray in pinstripes! Wow! I mean, his ERA is a microscopic 3.66. That's no misprint: Three point six six. Last year, the Great Gray went 5-11 with an ERA of only 5.69! That's Koufax territory. If the Yankees had a hall of famer like Sonny, we could win the Wild Card. But let's be real: Because the Yankees are selling Judge jerseys, they probably won't deal him - not even for Gray the Gravy. So he's out.  

Hicks? Well, we can't trade the guy while he's hurt, right? If Hicks is smart, he'll report "tenderness" until after August 1. Also, Hicks was playing like an all-star before the injury, and we probably owe it to ourselves to see if he continues - or the first half was an illusion. 

Brett Gardner? He might be our best bet in a deal. But it would tear the Yankee soul to let him go. Gardy is the closest we have to a captain, and frankly, I don't want to see him go. 

Clint Frazier? This strikes terror in every Yankee fan who remembers the 1980s. If we trade him, it could be Ben Gamel-times-10. Lately, there has been a loud campaign among Yank fans, arguing that Frazier is a refreshing change. He's already a popular Yankee. If we trade him, even the team-owned media could not tamp down the seething, volcanic resentment that would be roused. If we trade Clint Frazier, I will devote my life to seeking emotional vengeance upon Hal Steinbrenner. There is no battalion of bodyguards, security beef or police presence that will keep me from ripping down the door to Steinbrenner's bedroom, and the things I will do to his soul is the stuff of 1960s comic books and bad HBO. Surely, Steinbrenner knows this. Surely, he will not trade Frazier.

Which brings us to Ellsbury, and I can already see your heads nodding. Unfortunately, the answer is not as easy as it sounds. We all want Ellsbury traded, the Yankees eating a ton of money, for a decent prospect. That won't happen. For such a trade to occur, we need a trading partner that Ellsbury would approve. Ironically, that disastrous trade that sent Gamel to Seattle last year undermined our chance to send Ellsbury to his West Coast homeland, because the Mariners don't need another fast, LH outfielder. They already got the better of the two. Why take Ellsbury?

If we waive him, we get zip. Were Ellsbury a headcase, I'd consider it. But you can talk a lot of trash about the Yankees, yet one problem they have avoided is poor clubhouse chemistry. Ellsbury has been a good teammate. To waive him - simply cut him and get nothing - that would hurt. And I ask one question: Do we want to see Boston using him as a pinch runner in the ninth inning of a key September game? Nope. We don't. 

There has to be some place in the universe, a last ditch location for Yankee retreads. And there is just such a planet. It's called "Pittsburgh." 

The Pirates are now a game below .500, 7.5 games out in the Wild Card. They're also eternally grousing about Andrew McCutchen, who is 30 and in his contract walk year. (The Pirates have a $14.7 million option for 2018; otherwise, he becomes a free agent.) The guy is hitting .292 with 17 HRs. Frankly, I don't want McCutchen in CF next year - I'd prefer to see a prospect, such as Dustin Fowler. (By the way, Jake Cave continues to rip in Scranton. Last night, he went 3-4, raising his average to .371. Good grief, the guy is knocking on .400.) Or Hicks. Or Gardy. But could there be a trade with Pittsburgh? Can we deal Holliday, who has had a "meh" season?
As a rule, I avoid suggesting trade scenarios. There is no bigger waste of humankind's communication skills than bloggers projecting baseball trades. But this is a move Cashman must finesse. We're always hearing about Cashman's genius. (Frankly, I think he writes Yankee news releases.) But now it's time to deliver: Either Ellsbury or Holliday needs to go. 

Barring injuries, we will soon have waaaaaay too many outfielders. This will either be Cashman's greatest moment, or we are about to do something disastrous. How lucky do you feel?

15 comments:

Parson Tom said...

I feel so lucky that I would like to suggest standing pat. Caleb Smith looked like a very good pitcher yesterday for three innings. The 4th, when the wheels came off, was two lucky hits, two walks and then a hard-hit double.

Chad Green looks like an extremely good pitcher, too. Give Cessa and Mitchell a real chance, too. The future's so bright for these kids. Let's see what they can do.

As for Ellsbury, cut him loose. If he winds up back in Boston, so be it. Let him go clog up their roster. He's got no pop in his bat, and his speed has either evaporated or he's gotten old enough to be really cautious. He's no Dave Roberts. And since Beantown is looking for a third baseman, may I suggest that Ellsbury take Todd Frazier with him. He'd be perfect for their pwetty wittle Gween Monstah. The wind he generates when he swings and misses will keep this historic artifact from wilting in the summer heat. (Picking guys up just to prevent Boston from signing them seems like a really stupid way to run a baseball team. Sounds like they already control everything -- sort of like the Russians and our government.)

Sonny Gray at the expense of young talent would be an extremely bad idea. Just the sort that our Baseball Executive of the Millennium ought to be resisting.

Local Bargain Jerk said...


Seriously... what do we do with Ellsbury?

We should seriously bench him until we decide what to do.

Leinstery said...

We have bigger problems than Ellsbury if the Giancarlo Stanton trade rumors are more than just speculation. Oh great a .275 hitter at his best who misses 2 months a year and has a contract so long it is only topped by those crazy things scientologists sign. Good thing the Marlins will only ask for (unjustly) Torres, Frazier (the good one), Adams and Kaprelian.

Anonymous said...

RIGHT ON THE MARK, TOM.


I BET THE SAME SCOUT,( AND CASHMAN), FEEL EXACTLY THE SAME WAY ABOUT JAKE CAVE,
AS THEY DID ABOUT BEN GAMEL.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
NOT A MAJOR LEAGUER.
CAREER MINOR LEAGUER.
NOT FLASHY ENOUGH.
BIT PLAYER.

THAT BEN GAMEL SURE DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A BIT PLAYER THIS PAST WEEKEND.

WATCH US DO THE SAME THING WITH CAVE, AND PRACTICALLY GIVE HIM AWAY WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

Anonymous said...

....FURTHERMORE!..LOL

IF THERE IS ANY TRUTH TO THESE GIANCARLO STANTON RUMORS, HOW STUPID CAN CASHMAN BE?
IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE, (UNLESS SOMEHOW HE TRIED TO GET THEM TO TAKE ELLSBURY AND HIS CONTRACT AS PART OF THE DEAL, WHICH I DOUBT)...

WE ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE BETTER THAN STANTON AND HE IS PRACTICALLY FREE!

PLUS, WE NEED A GOOD LEFTY BAT NOW, NOT A RIGHT HANDED ONE.

DON'T GET ME WRONG, I WOULD HAPPILY TAKE STANTON ON MY TEAM, BUT HE ISN'T A FIT NOW, NOT TO MENTION THE $325 MILLION CONTRACT STANTON HAS!

CASHMANIA!

Anonymous said...


The problem as I see it has to do with Cashman having preconceived notions of what a player is worth to the team and no amount of empirical evidence can move him off it. So Ben Gamel can't be good enough no matter what he does and neither can Jake Cave. Stephen Drew is better than Rob Refsnyder. and right now Greg Bird is our first baseman of the future. Frazier (The Elder) is better than Headley because the back of his baseball card says so. (To be fair -- he might be once he settles in. He looks pretty bad right now)

So in Cashman's mind our outfield of the future is Judge, Frazier (we can only hope, and Harper (because he's a big name star). All other outfielders are superfluous. Rutherford? He's not Harper. Gone. Mateo. Not Harper. Gone. Cave? Don't make me laugh. Notharpergone(TM). Frazier might have been traded because of Fowler (there's room for only one more low cost - not a big star rookie) but the injury and Cashman not wanting a riot on his hands will probably have to "stick" with Frazier (The Younger). So Fowler... Notharpergone TM)as soon as he builds his value back. After Gardner (who I also really really like) is gone after next year there is ONE slot. Who gets it? (Hint: It's Harper) BTW: Sadly Stanton and Harper are the same is Cashman's mind: big name/big bucks we need a star... so maybe him.

As to what to do with Elisbury. Well he gets benched. Like A-Rod, Like Brian McCann, until he realizes that there might be a better situation for him somewhere else. This too shall pass.

Doug K.

Anonymous said...

Also, Cashman believes Gleybar is our 3rd Baseman of the future.(Even though we don't know how he comes back from Tommy John.) So Andujar is notgleybargone(TM)even though the kid can rake. Maybe we can get Gerrit Cole for him and Cave and Mateo. Even though right now he's not that good. but heshouldhavebeenayankeeinthefirstplace(TM) (Sigh)

Doug K.

Alphonso said...

I would rather spend the next week fighting ISIS in Syria, than remain here in America, helpless, as we put the otherwise bright future of the Yankees in Brian Casman's hands.

Leinstery said...

How much does Tommy John affect a swing? It was on his left arm not his right so throwing shouldn't be an issue.

13bit said...

Let's hope Ellsbury gets Wally Pipp'ed ASAP.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Right now, every Yankees affiliate save for the Dominican Summer League team has a winning record.

As an organization, the Yankees are playing almost .600 ball.

And our general manager is not spending his every waking moment trying to find ways to unblock this landslide of talent, but how to build up an every greater wall against it, with still more washed-up or unreliable veterans.

Sigh.

Anonymous said...

VERY PERCEPTIVE HORACE...
WELL SAID.

HoraceClarke66 said...

Thanks, All-Caps!

And you're right about Cave. Our motto should be:

"Don't Cave On Cave!"

JM said...

Given their history, I cringe at what Steinbobble and Cashman are going to do in the next week. It's going to be ugly.

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