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Saturday, April 14, 2018

Okay. I'll wait Until June.....

As you all know, I was one of the few "voices in the wilderness "when the Yankees dealt for Giovanni Stanton.

By that, I mean, I opposed the trade.

I was aware of Stanton's numbers, and his NL MVP status.  Pretty damn high accomplishments.

However:

1.  He was a right fielder and showed no athleticism to be good in either left or center.
2.  That meant Judge had to move, or Stanton and Judge would trade off the DH spot.
3.  Judge is too good a right fielder and a hitter to mess up the formula of 2017.
4.  The Yankee " brass" would never allow a manager to utilize a $265 million player as a DH only.
5.  But to convert Stanton to left field could be a disaster.  Weakens our defense.
6.  And it creates a problem with Gardy or Hicks.
7.  It further blocks the potential for guys like " Red Thunder."
8.  Strike outs in the heart of the order are rally killers, and hope killers.  He leads the league.
9.  He is paid to drive in key runs, by getting big hits at big times. When there is game pressure on.
10 Take a look at the number of runners he has left on base in scoring position.
11.  We haven't seen the last golden or platinum sombrero from Stanton.
12.  He isn't doing his job on offense or defense, and is looking bad trying.
13.  We gave up a pile of young talent in the trade.  Talent that the Yankees may well need.
14.  I really liked Castro and second base remains a disaster ( give it to Torreyes ).

Okay.  It is a new league.  New pitchers.  New teammates. Colder weather.  And maybe the pumpkin  seeds aren't as tasty.  I saw the video last night, where Giovanni took a fastball to the face and missed a season.  So I understand why he tends to step back from the plate when he swings.

But that isn't a workable approach.

What time in June will I be able to breathe easy on this dude?  I want to.  We need him to be great, not a strike out with the bases loaded.  He can't be the guy pitchers walk others to " get to."

What date?  June what?


9 comments:

Anonymous said...


LOL. Well said. I was just going to write after "June What?" June Taylor Dancers. But I agree with so much that you wrote I wanted to acknowledge it.

1-7 Yep. Can't argue with that.

8. He turns it around by June 3rd. After that we're screwed.

9. June 14th.

10. See 9

11. Yep

12. See 9

13. Sorry man, but Starlin Castro, pitching prospect Jorge Guzman and infield prospect Jose Devers, does not qualify as a ton of talent. Plus I never liked Castro and in less than two weeks we'll be looking at Gleybar there for what I hope is the beginning of a ten year run. So the second base stuff is moot. As I said above I agree with your earlier outfield comments and the problems he causes.

14. See 13.

Oh well. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Mine is shaping up from hell.

Doug K.

Anonymous said...

ALL DUE RESPECT DOUG K....

....BUT WAIT ON JORGE GUZMAN.

THAT IS THE PIECE I BELIEVE WE WILL REGRET THE MOST.

Local Bargain Jerk said...


I hope I don't ultimately have to eat these words, but an MVP doesn't stop being an MVP, a consistent 35+ HR hitter doesn't stop hitting 35+ HRs each year, and .260+ hitter doesn't stop being a .260+ hitter just because he switched cities, jumped leagues, and has involuntarily been introduced to a steady diet of sliders.

I don't think NL pitchers, managers, and scouts are that dumb or that untalented not to have figured all this out prior to 2018. I also don't think his end-of-season BA will be his current .220.

I still like this trade on paper -- a lot -- BUT, jaysus, I hope I don't have to eat these words.

Alphonso said...

I hope no one has to eat any words. Just cheesesteaks with jalapeños.

However, today is a wash out, so Saturday is ruined.

Is there a fish fry today in Syracuse?

HoraceClarke66 said...

ALL-CAPS, you may well be right about Guzman, who I like, too. But just getting into, what, high A ball at 22 is not exactly rapid progress. Waiting another 2-3 years for him to be MLB-ready—maybe—while giving up a chance to grab the NL MVP?

I gotta go with Cashman—and Doug K.—on this one.

Castro's a decent player who had a very good season for us (when he was healthy) last year.

But he's 28 now, his game has never quite returned to the level it was at when he first broke in, he's a lifetime. 202 hitter in 6 postseason series, he strikes out a ton, he has stopped stealing bases, he's somewhat erratic in the field, we have a ton of middle infield talent coming up, and he's from Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Tthe Stanton deal, per se, was irresistible.

What could be much more damaging is if we get stuck with Giancarlo for 11 years, while his game steadily deteriorates.

But that's something else to deal with down the road, and as Calvin Coolidge liked to say, if you see ten troubles coming down the road, nine of them will go into a ditch before they get to you. (He also said the other one will be named Jacoby Ellsbury. Nobody knew what he meant at the time. A visionary, that Cal.)

But there's something else, too: with the horrendous injuries to Red Thunder and McKinney, and the usual, crippling toe stubs for Jacoby, we're very short of outfielders as is.

Sure, I suppose we would not have traded Jake Cave (currently hitting .261 in Rochester) for a flounder if we didn't have Giancarlo, but that still strikes me as being a little thin. We know Gardner is going to miss his customary one-third of the season, and Hicks has already been on the DL.

Stanton's not the problem with Stanton, just as A-Rod wasn't the problem with A-Rod. It's pitching. Cashman probably should have picked up one or two of those free-agent starters floating around last offseason.

Local Bargain Jerk said...


Based on the fact that 1) there's no game on and 2) Todd Frazier took both tabloid back pages today, I feel the need to state for the record that that booger (Frazier) is currently hitting .282. Why can't we get a 3rd baseman like that?

13bit said...

He'll be fine by May 23rd, possibly even the 17th.

You're welcome from the future.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

"June Taylor Dancers"

Priceless.

Is Topo Gigio up next?

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