It began in mid-February, as pitchers and catchers were returning to Tampa. The king's top sorcerer, Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman, reached into his magical fanny pack, conjured $3.5 million in gold Bitcoin, and signed the then-reigning National League home run king, Chris Carter, to a one-year blood covenant. The Gammonites rejoiced. "Brilliant," they marveled. "The wizard doth done it again!"
And how could it hurt? Carter was only 30, and in the previous season, he'd hit 41 dingers. What kingdom couldn't use 41 dingers? Nevertheless, a group of bitter, pock-faced, nay-saying bloggers criticized the deal. They said signing Carter meant the Yankees would play him at the expense of newborn rookies - and they harped upon his .222 batting average and league-leading 206 strikeouts, which altered his profile like a giant forehead tumor.
Almost immediately, Cashman's move proved genius. As if they were cursed, Tyler Austin broke his ankle, Greg Bird suffered a mystery foot disease, and the Yankees found themselves pondering Gi-Man Choi. The ailments paved the way for Carter to take over first base, where he showed the world what a veteran can do and silenced all his critics, forever. Carter became a Yankee hero, Cashman went straight to Cooperstown, and both sides lived happily ever after, world without end, amen...
Yeah. That would make a great bedtime story, eh?
One glitch. As we all know, Carter batted .201, fanned every third at bat, and hit as many double play balls (5) as doubles. For the record, let's note that Carter never griped about playing time or blamed anybody else, a solid clubhouse presence. He just didn't hit. And we wasted half a season, watching it play out. Today, Carter is a free agent, looking for another hookup.
These days, as we nay-sayers await Cashman's next foray, maybe it's time to remember Chris Carter. Everyone expects Cash to soon acquire a veteran infielder - someone to play 2B and/or 3B - another player heading to the pasture, another Chris Carter. And here's the reality of veterans: Once you sign them, all spring training competition ends.
Whether it's Brian Roberts, Stephen Drew, Kevin Youkilis or Dopey Dildox, once you bring in the veteran, he takes the job. You can have some of the top prospects in the game - and the Yankees have two, in Glyber Torres and Miguel Andujar - but it doesn't matter. The veteran shows up, the veteran plays.
Lately, we've heard talk of Cashman trading for Josh Harrison of the Pirates, (though it seems Pittsburgh has two sets of negotiation rules: one for the Yankees and one for other teams), and I cannot bash deals that haven't been made. (The devil is always in the details.) But let's be honest here:
If the Yankees drop $4-$6 million on a veteran 3B, it won't matter if Andujar hits .500 in Tampa. In fact, it'll be easier on everybody if he doesn't. Either way, he'll return to Scranton, where he hit .300 last year, disillusioned, depressed and probably on the trading block. And when he goes 1-29 to start the Triple A season, the Yankees will say, "See? We're vindicated!" Just as they did last April with Chris Carter.
Listen: The Yankees stand at an organizational crossroads. They will either be the team of rising young players, or revert back to being the team of former all-stars. Do we have faith in our rookies, or do we punt on them before winter is even over? Last year, we showed faith. Was it the new way, or just a false moon? The story is still to be written.
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When is there no pain?
No anguish?
No sleepless nights?
When can we stop worrying about stupid moves?
Is anything ever settled?
WillGreg Bird hurt his foot?
Will Didi marry a Royal and leave the game?
Stop already with the scenarios that ruin our dreams.
That is what whiskey is for.
I wrote what I thought was a decent post about how Brian Roberts's number is retired and displayed on the centerfield wall of the local high school baseball field here, and how it seemed to me that Cashman was on an eternal quest for middle infielders who are old enough to have their numbers retired and displayed on the centerfield wall of their high school field. I continued by discussing my long-held view that this could change if--and only if--Cashman were finally elected to the Catholic University of America's Athletics Hall of Fame. How that accolade might finally change his view of middle infielders. But then I clicked Publish Your Comment and it went away somewhere, I don't know where, but it's gone all the same. Maybe the Russians are monitoring my keystrokes. Maybe the Yankees are. I don't know. I want to take a bus to Scranton and go to City Hall or the public library there to use their Internet to research this further, although a nagging voice in my head says that the Internet won't have the answer, the answer will be on Microfiche in the Syracuse library. But I don't have the bus fare to make it all the way to Syracuse. What am I? A millionaire? I just ate two egg sandwiches and there goes my lunch money. My mother always said I burned through money like a drunken sailor, and she ought to know. She served on a minesweeper out of Borneo. I just get so frustrated with the Internet sometimes. Everything was easier in the Age of Microfiche.
TODD FRAZIER WILL PLAY 3RD FOR US IN 2018.
NO 3RD BASE COMPETITION.
NO "EXCITEMENT" ROOTING FOR ANDUJAR DURING SPRING TRAINING, OR THE REGULAR SEASON.
TO THE TUNE OF SAY, $10 MILLION FOR 1 YEAR, (INSTEAD OF THE LEAGUE MINIMUM WITH ANDUJAR).
THIS WILL LEAD TO MANNY MACHADO FOR A KING'S RANSOM TO THE TUNE OF $325 MILLION IN 2019.
COOPERSTOWN CAPS WOULD SAVE THE FRANCHISE $335 MILLION DOLLARS, BY SIMPLY TRUSTING MIGUEL ANDUJAR AT 3RD BASE IN 2018.
IF ANDUJAR TANKS AFTER GIVEN A REAL SHOT, THEN GO MAKE A DEAL BY JUNE OR JULY.(REMEMBER HOW DIDI STRUGGLED FOR MONTHS)?
I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ANDUJAR WOULD BE WORSE THAN STEPHEN DREW WAS, (OR EVEN CHASE HEADLEY, FOR THAT MATTER).
BE CAREFUL, COOP.
IF WE DEAL THIS KID TO AN A.L. TEAM, WE COULD QUICKLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANOTHER "YANKEE KILLER" FOR ANOTHER DECADE OR MORE (AS IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THEM)?
Two things. One, somebody has to say that Bill White posts a helluva comment. Two, Dopey Dildox never played for the Yankees, but he was the washroom attendant in our executive men's room.
Had to be said.
Great stuff, Bill White! And ALL-CAPS, this is my nightmare scenario, too.
I actually found myself excited by the Wade LeBlanc signing—'Hey, that's another mill that can't go to Josh Harrison/T. Frazier.'
Yep, as ALL-CAPS implies, an Andujar deal would have Mike Lowell written all over it. Our only remaining hopes are that a) Toddy is too greedy with his multi-year demands; b) the Mets are too desperate.
Meanwhile, the Times returned to soccer today, with a big piece about Morocco's 2026 World Cup bid. It is, save for my Moroccan-American brothers and sisters, an almost perfect, Zen realization of a piece that is completely devoid of interest for NYC readers. Congratulations!
Not even Wade LeBlanc, meanwhile, could break the Times boycott on Yankees news, putting the score this year at Soccer 9, Yankees 1.
There WAS, however, a small article on the "end of an era"...in Pittsburgh. Again, a masterpiece of irrelevance.
BUT it did lead me to think: instead of sitting around twiddling their thumbs and thinking up awful trades for us, and figure out how much the Pirates made during "the era," and how much they will make now.
Their payroll hit "an all-time high" of just over $95 million, in 2015. It figures to be about $75 mill this year, maybe much less. They drew almost 2.5 million in 2015, and have not been below 1.9 million in attendance since 2010.
Figure in at least $30 a fan, plus broadcast money, local and national, and revenue-sharing and luxury tax money from the likes of us...and we're talking a whopping profit. But hey, they're a small-market team...
Call me naive. But...
I see the Andujar situation differently. I say he gets his shot. Why?
Call me a calculating cold blooded calculating man. But...
If you hated spending money (Cough...Hal) and you had a chance to play a competent and potentially great rookie for the next 5 years for peanuts as opposed to an existing 3B who, while very good, could cost upwards of 300 million dollars wouldn't you want to at least see if the kid can do it.
Compare Aaron Judge (Peanuts! Hey get your peanuts!) vs. Stanton (Caviar Here! Ice Cold Caviar!) for pretty much the same output and I think you will see where I'm going on this.
Hal and Co. want Andujar. They need Andujar. How else will they be able to afford their diamond studded baseball diamond that they keep in the basement and run around in wearing nothing but underwear when they are sad?
Just sayin'
Doug K.
OK, some brilliant insight into the abyss.
The Yankees have everything they need on their roster to seriously contend for #28.
Frazier LF
Judge RF
Stanton DH
Bird 1B
Sanchez C
Gregarious SS
Hicks CF
Torres 2B
Andujar 3B
Trade Ellsbury for a large sausage and mushroom pizza
Gard, Tylers, Torreys, provide the backup.
If you SO desperately need a pitcher, sign Alex Cobb.
I tire of hearing/reading Yankee fans attack Jacoby Ellsbury. The guy signed a big contract, offered by Yankee Brass, same as any of us would have, and since he hasn't lived up to it, they blame the player. If you look at the second half numbers, Ellsbury was better than both Gardner, and Hicks. Hicks is exactly what his numbers say he is, has played in over 100 games in a season only one time, and never has he ever been a starting OF'er for a whole season. The guy's a below average player, and his numbers, something the Yankees are now in tune with, say he'll never be worth more than he is right now. Trade him, use Ellsbury to the fullest extent possible in the attempt to recover at least some of the stupid contract you offered him. Had Ellsbury signed a deal similar to that of Brett Gardner, Yankee fans would love him. Ellsbury is still a good player, Hicks never has been. Hicks doesn't even qualify as a "has been".
Ellsbury: He's been a good player periodically.
He's never been able to stay on the field for anything more. And considering where he was, when—Boston, 2011—that never-duplicated, suddenly-hit-twice-as-many-homers as I ever have, .928 OPS that established his superstar cred looks mighty suspicious.
Do we not "blame" guys who use PEDs to seem like much more than they are, then stop using once they sign a big contract? Isn't that ripping off not just owners (who cares) but us fans?
But you're right, Anon: I wouldn't turn down that money, either. And the Yanks have only themselves to blame for giving him a no-trade deal.
But all that said, if he can't make the team, he should be willing to go anywhere, not sit around and screw it up for everybody else. If he loves NYC so much, he can come back in the off-season, and enjoy our restaurants.
Meanwhile, (other) Anon, I like the lineup.
Here's mine:
Hicks, CF
Andujar, 3B
Judge, RF
Stanton, DH
Bird, 1B
Sanchez, C
Gregorius, SS
Frazier, LF
Torres, 2B
Nice Horace.
You took the more experienced Hicks to lead off, that is enlightening.
Andujar batting second might work as well, because he has proven to get on base in AAA.
All in all a very good line up that could be juggled if need be.
Now if they would just sign Cobb.
Yeah, I wouldn't mind taking a flyer on Cobb.
I figure, if Andujar sticks, he's probably hitting for a high average. Get him on base in front of the big guns.
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