Wednesday, June 20, 2018

After a statement win over Seattle, more calls to stand pat

The world must be ending, the asteroid closing in. Horde canned food. Buy guns and Kevlar. If you've got a shovel, start digging. The end is near. That's the only way to explain this...  

Today, in the Murdoch-owned Post, Joel Sherman actually bucks the Illuminati Gammonite Secret World Command Orthodoxy, which requires the Yankees to soon bundle their best prospects for the likes of some rented tin can, such as J.A. Happ or Cole Hamels - or as I like to think of them, Happ and Hapless. In a breathtaking dissertation, which suggests that free will can still defeat predestination, Sherman argues that the Yankees actually do not have to do what the rest of baseball wants, and mortgage their future for twice-blown Goodyear retread:

In the 52 games since the team’s shaky 9-9 outset to the season, the rotation has a 3.38 ERA (sixth best in the majors). Over the past 21 games it is 2.77, second best. That latter result was produced without Montgomery and mostly without Tanaka, but with German sure looking more and more like a trustworthy starter.

To the rest of baseball, such words are terrifying. In the forums and sport sections across the nation, the great summer parlor game is to rate the top Yankee prospects, and then draw lines through each name as it sails off to Oakland or San Diego for the next Jaime Garcia. You can hear them plotting merrily: Domingo German, Jonathan Loiasiga and Clint Frazier for Happ? SOLD! Brandon Drury, Tyler Wade and Justus Sheffield for Lance Lynn? MAKE IT SO! 

But what if it doesn't happen? One of the greatest general managers of all time, Pat Gillick, built the Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners and Phillies, and was named to the Hall of Fame in 2011. Gillick was nicknamed "Stand Pat," because he refused to sacrifice vast sections of the future for an August-September sugar high. He made his trades in December or January, when teams were equal, and not in the frenzy of a pennant race, when sellers hold all the bargaining power.

Of course, the Yankees are staring into the cold teeth of Houston's rotation, headed by Jason Verlander, last year's great future-dump trade acquisition. For sure, Verlander is formidable. But in September, he'll be four months from age 36 and another 100 innings into the 2018 season. Old arms break down. We'll see.

Today. Fangraphs has a piece on what they're calling the Yankees Player Development Machine. In our lives, has anyone ever so defined the Yankees? It describes a farm system with a great success rate in finding and developing pitchers. It's a story that will scare the crap out of anyone from Boston, where the Redsocks find themselves in a $230 million payroll hole and nobody young to trade.

Tonight, Loiasiga takes the mound for his second MLB start. Generally, the thing with rookies is consistency; they have none. They look good one day, get hammered the next. Loiasiga shows an unnatural maturity for his age, but he's still a rookie. And tonight, he could be holding back the dike on a flood of trades that could define the Yankee future. Just imagine... a young lineup AND a young rotation. The world must be ending. That's the only way to explain it.


19 comments:

TheWinWarblist said...

Hallowed be the name of The Great One.

So endeth the JuJu.

JM said...

Last night, I found myself thinking the unthinkable. I realized I would rather have German and Lasagna in the rotation and performing like the Next Severinos, than seeing the Ol' Perfessor back with his poor, damaged hammies. (What? Run 90 feet? Good Lord, man, are you crazy?)

Watching kids is just plain more interesting and more exciting. Which is why, if anything, we need more of 'em. We just have to get Walker the hell out of here to make room for Toe or Clint, permanently. Both would be nice.

If we could only live without Mr. .200 and one bullpen lugnut, they'd be with the big club for good. And tell me again why we need so many pitchers? Are they all as fragile as Tanaka's hamstrings? Do we really need to be prepared for back-to-back early exits so we can cover six or so innings two games in a row?

This is pissing me off. Damn it.

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


Thanks for the Fangraphs story link. It was refreshingly positive!

And: Didn't mention Chance or Justus, Kahnle, or others in Scranton.

KD said...

may the Spirit of Stick guide young Lasagna to another great performance tonight. We've placed a heavy burden on the young'un. We desire he thwart the historic predilection of the Yankees F.O. to trade youth for gristle. He did it once, why not again?

and duque, it isn't an unholy apparition we're seeing now. Not the End 'O da World. The Gammmonite's have finally caught on to IIH. Way to go, My Man!!

KD said...

John M: it can't be unthinkable when I am thinking the exact same thing. Like, do we really need a pitcher than shows up once a month?

Stang said...

The ads on Fangraphs are so annoying I thought it was 2007. But the story was worth it.

TheWinWarblist said...

Tonight, Lasagna! Hopefully with a side of Red Thunder.

KD said...

Mmmmm... Red Thunder.... Just want the Doc ordered!

Anonymous said...

I also enjoy watching the kids but it isn't an either or when it comes to Tanaka. Where's the love?

The guy is 29. Gives his all. Including running so hard he blew out his hammys and is a big game pitcher.

His playoff ERA is 1.44 with a WHIP of .800

Win–loss record 59–30
Earned run average 3.66
Strikeouts 712
WHIP 1.10

And while he's been off this year he's still 7-2.

Here are Ron Guidry's Stats (One of my all time favorites)

Lifetime: 170-91 (Tanaka X 3 = 177-90)

Guidry's age 29 season 17-10 3.56
Tanaka's career Avg season based on a 162 Games: 17-9 3.66
Guidry's career avg based on 162 game season: 17-9 3.29

Granted the above stats are cherry picked but it doesn't make them any less true. Tanaka has been a very good pitcher for the Yankees overall.

Not saying he's Guidry, no one is. but give the man his due.

Doug K.

TheWinWarblist said...

Hey! Hey everyone! We had a late night appearance of Buck's Puckered Hemorrhoids last night!! I'm so happy he's back. Wheeeheeee!!

TheWinWarblist said...

Puckered's sleep must have been disturbed by our discourse. Awakened, ze undulated out from under whatever detritus in which zir lurks during daylight. Feasting on invective and strawmen and grubs enveloped in it's own questionable aroma ze whiles away the darkness. Ze then returns to it's moulding lair before being burned by the rays of the rising sun. Ah Puckered, dear sweet addled Puckered.

Local Bargain Jerk said...


TWW: Please let's let sleeping dogs lie. #DoNotFeedTheTroll

Anonymous said...

TEND TO AGREE WITH DOUG K. ON TANAKA....

...ON OTHER MATTERS...

I LOVED THE LINEUP WE HAD LAST NIGHT...

RED THUNDER HITTING 9TH.

GLEYBER, ANDUJAR AND BIRD JUST BEFORE CLINT, LOVED IT.

DOMINGO GERMAN WAS FANTASTIC AGAINST A TOUGH TEAM LAST NIGHT.

QUICK INNINGS TOO.

DON'T MAKE ANY DEALS!

KEEP GERMAN!!

KEEP RED THUNDER!!

LET THE LASAGNA COOK!!

P.S.) MIGUEL ANDUJAR HAS HAD A BOATLOAD OF CLUTCH GAME BREAKING HITS ALREADY, THIS SEASON.....WHY DO I FEEL CASHMAN DOESN'T LIKE HIS OBP AND MAY DO SOMETHING STUPID?

TheWinWarblist said...

Cashman will always always ever and always do something stupid. It's like Cashman's mind is cursed by the Ghost of the Jose Rijo Trade.

TheWinWarblist said...

LBJ, wink wink nudge nudge.

HoraceClarke66 said...

I like Tanaka, too, Doug K. But that elbow permanently hanging by a thread gives me pause.

But yes, very positive developments. Now get rid of Walker!!!

HoraceClarke66 said...

And I love "Happ and Hapless"!

TheWinWarblist said...

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/domingo-german-seems-incredibly-talented/

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