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Sunday, June 16, 2019

By acquiring Encarnacion, Yankees shore up 4-man starting rotation... at DH

You know the old saying: "Baseball is 90 percent DH-ing, DH-ing, DH-ing...!" And the Yankees last night placed a big fat cherry atop their already strong DH starting rotation, making it arguably the deepest in baseball.

The self-proclaimed "Death Star" obtained 36-year-old, lead-gloved slugger Edwin Encarnacion - currently hitting .241 with 21 HRs - from Seattle. (Insert Ken Phelps joke here.) - strengthening the Yankees' Designated Hitter lineup. Imagine our DH starting rotation in the playoffs.

Game One: Giancarlo Stanton, (assuming he's not hurt.) 

Game Two: Encarnacion. 

Game Three: Gary Sanchez, (day off from catching.)

Game Four: Kendrys Morales (assuming he's not bagging groceries.)

Actually, I keyboarded Morales here with disappearing ether. He will probably vanish and be deleted from the fossil record, like the classic Twilight Zone episode where the terror-stricken astronauts disappear, one by one. Within two weeks, no one will recall his name, number, statistics, or that he ever played with the Yankees. He will simply be gone, like - um - all the others we cannot remember. (Why does the name "Ji-Man Choi" pop into my head?)

Trouble is, also disappearing will be Clint Frazier, the Yankees' best hitter over the last month. We now can see the future, crystal clear and starkly painful: 

Frazier will be traded for a bum. 

We know this. For months, we have feared it. The witches foretold of it, and the red skies confirmed it. We thought there was a chance that continuing injuries would tether Frazier to the team. But a brief window of health is emerging - soon, for maybe a week or two, the lineup will be at full strength - and the Yankees will surely use that moment to push the button on a trade: Frazier for a bum. At this point, unless they want a five-man DH rotation, they have no choice.

By acquiring Encarnacion, it's hard to imagine Frazier staying through the end of June. Once Stanton and Aaron Judge return, he'll have to be demoted to Scranton- (keep in mind, he's hitting .385 over the last two weeks, .325 over the last month.) He'll be demoralized and disillusioned, until a trade liberates him. And then, of course, the injuries will return (perhaps even restoring Kendrys Morales? Don't laugh. It could happen!) 

Listen: I'm not slamming Encarnacion. The old coot can still hit, and all we gave up is a Single A pitcher, certainly a flexible commodity in the era of Tommy John. I just wonder what the Yankees intend to do about their dearth of starting pitchers, and I hate the obvious answer: They will deal the most exciting hitter we've developed since Judge. If we trade Frazier to - say -  Toronto for Marcus Stroman, we better be prepared for him to bomb us for the next decade.

In every trade, the devil is in the details, and right now, we don't have many. According to Baseball Reference, Encarnacion remains on the Cleveland payroll, due $20 million next year (with a $5 million buyout, which the Indians surely will invoke.) He won't bust us financially. Like I said, the geezer can hit, and he looks mean coming off the bus. He draws a shitload of walks, with an on base percentage of .356. He will land in the middle of the batting order and occasionally play 1B. In the short term, he's an upgrade over Frazier in one area: Strikeouts. Encarnacion has struck out 55 times in 289 at-bats; Frazier has fanned 56 times in about 90 fewer times to the plate. 

Trouble is, we're exchanging a guy who is just getting started for one who is wrapping up his career. We will trade our future for a one-shot October, and we'll end up over-paying mightily for whomever we get. One other thing: When did Cashman last successfully acquire a solid starting pitcher in a trade? Class? Anybody? Surely, he must have done it once? Can anybody refresh my memory? When has such a deal last worked?

Last night, the Yankees held on, thanks to Nestor Ocasio-Cortes Jr. - (who might also be gone in a trade, because that's how these things happen.) Let the record show that, when the Yankees obtained Encarnacion, they were leading the AL East. Cashman is about to remake this roster. And Clint Frazier is as good as gone.

37 comments:

Unknown said...

Another dumb move. Why is it that every Yankee fan knows Stanton sucks, Sabathia is long done, Happ brings nothing to the table and Gardner needs to go home, except Cashman. He has spent his way past dozens of mistakes for years. He must have compromising photos of the Steinbrenners. Best move we could make is yo trade Cashman for Epstein. How come these other clubs can unload their washed up or overated people on the Yankees, but the Yankees cant dump Stanton and the like on anyone else?

The Ghost of Yankees Past said...

This move may be all about increasing the Yankees trade options. I can see younger players in the Yankee system going elsewhere to bring pitchers, as el Duque points out . Encarnacion will then be a needed bat. Or, Encarnacion could be traded to a team wanting to enhance their playoff chances, bringing the Yankees prospects.

13bit said...

Hello All.

Not to detract from Duque's post, but this is an update one the group meetup and game.

So far, we have 7 eminent group members committed to going to the game on Monday, the 12th of August. It's at 1:05 against our arch-rivals from Baltimore. We are looking into getting a deal for a block of tickets.

It should be fun.

I’m going to continue to collect emails and phone numbers - if you want to give your phone number - before we buy the tickets. We will be looking for reasonably cheap seats The main thing is the joy of meeting up in real life and eating expensive e-coli-laced food. Everyone is welcome.

Please send me an email at motelsign@protonmail.com from a real email account - or at least from one that you check regularly. If you want to include your phone, even better, but we don’t have to worry about logistics for the moment. We are looking at setting up a private Facebook page for logistics, but I understand that not everyone is on Facebook, so we may go another method.

If you email, I’ll respond. That much is sure. If I doubt your identify - and I don’t see that happening -I may have you post something from your username on the blog, just to verify.

Again, email me at motelsign@protonmail.com if you are interested in meeting up on August 12th.

I love you all.

~Paul

ranger_lp said...

Edwin's postseason career stats includes an OPS of .748. I'm sure Cash looked at this...

13bit said...

By the way, if anybody can think of a better name than "The First Royal International IIHIIF Open Live and In-The-Flesh Gathering of the Herd," please feel free to chime in. I don't really like that name.

el duque said...

For whatever it's worth, I am seriously considering going to this game.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

In honor of William Gaines, I'd prefer to think of us as the usual gang of idiots.

I think we are, in a mad sort of way.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

...not angry mad though...

ranger_lp said...

@Rufus...more like "I have a mind to join a club and beat you over the head with it."

Scottish Yankee fan said...

Wish I could come to the meet up

Would be great to talk to you abut baseball

You can explain to me in person why the Yankees need another slugger when they have zero fit pitchers as I just don't understand it at all it make no sense to me.

Then get me to calm down when I realise every single promising player is going to be traded for a rental or some over the hill *power arm* bum who Cashman continues to have a blind spot for.

Awa ra best from Scotland
John

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Ranger,

To quote a very wise(ass) man, "I don't want to belong to a club that would accept people like me as a member".

TheWinWarblist said...

I have no idea if my schedule will allow me to make the Aug 12th game. I'll try to figure that out in the next couple of weeks.

Anonymous said...

I CAN'T LIE...

WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE DEAL LAST NIGHT, I WAS HAPPY.

HE IS A TOUGH, DANGEROUS, AND PROVEN POST-SEASON HITTER

.....BUT THEN MY MIND WENT THROUGH IT'S MACHINATIONS....

MY SECOND THOUGHT ABOUT THE DEAL WAS, "SOMEONE IS GOING IN A TRADE, REAL SOON."

IT'S FUNNY HOW THE MIND WORKS....

MY MIND WENT DIRECTLY TO GIANCARLO STANTON AS THE GUY WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE GOING.....ENCARNACION IS STRICTLY A DH....AND SO IS STANTON. (HOW RIDICULOUS OF ME).

THEN, AS I WATCHED LAST NIGHT'S GAME, DAVID CONE WAS EXPLAINING HOW WHEN A TRADE HAPPENS "IN-GAME", THE PLAYERS ALL KNOW ABOUT IT.

THAT MAY EXPLAIN WHY THE NEXT TIME FRAZIER WAS UP, HE HIT ONE OF THOSE SQUIBBERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PLATE....AND HE DIDN'T EVEN RUN.

I ACTUALLY FELT THE AIR WAS SUCKED OUT OF HIM BECAUSE OF THAT TRADE.

OF COURSE, FRAZIER KNOWS THAT DEAL MEANS HE IS GOING.

WHAT A SHAME.

MAYBE OUR MOST LETHAL CLUTCH HITTER AT 24 YEARS OLD HAS TO GO?

I WANT BUMGARNER, BUT ISN'T THERE A WAY COOP CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN WITHOUT GIVING UP THIS FUTURE STUD?.....OFFER FLORIAL INSTEAD!...AND SOME TOP ARMS IN THE MINORS- (WE HAVE PLENTY).

MAKE NO MISTAKE, FRAZIER IS FOR REAL. DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIS DEFENSE FOR NOW. HE IS AN ALL-STAR IN THE MAKING....FOR A DECADE.

THIS ENCARNACION TRADE DOES MEAN ONE THING FOR SURE....

WE ARE GOING FOR IT, BIG TIME, THIS YEAR.

NOTHING, AND NO ONE IS SAFE.

PUT ON YOUR CRASH HELMETS.

HERE WE GO......





Ken of Brooklyn said...

El Duque and The Mighty Winwarblist, I really do hope you can make it to the meet up!

And, Urrgggggg, I'm dreading the eventual trade of Frazier, he's a dynamic presence and should be able to sort out his defensive issues,,, I'm officially apologizing to the JuJu gods for calling him Red Blunder!

Anonymous said...

Several things.

1) Sigh. Sometimes living in CA sucks. (Not often, as I have been know to sit in an outdoor Jacuzzi drinking Johnny Walker Black with a beautiful woman in the middle of a warm February night.) This however is one of those times. I would have like to have joined all of you for the game. I'm sure it will be great.

2) If you go with The Usual Gang of Idiots you might want to look at this tee shirt.

(h)ttps://cbldf.myshopify.com/products/bill-gaines-was-right

It's a great org regardless. Sort of an ACLU for for the comic book field. I'm a member.

3) If you don't "Sons of Houk" has a nice ring to it. (plus it's fathers day and happy that to whom all it applies. If it wasn't for my late Dad I probably wouldn't be here (on this site and on Earth). A great Yankee fan and a great man.

4) To the news of the day. I hope they don't trade Clint. The guy that needs to go is Gardner. But they won't do that. The back up should be Maybin. and the guy who should really go is Stanton. The only other team I ever saw him connected to (in terms of waiving his No Trade is the Dodgers. I don't think they need him and they're not giving up the starter we need so maybe a three team .

5) Last thing on Clint. Sadly this may be the story of his life. Rightly or wrongly and none of us are in the room, he was traded from Cleveland (and said he had trouble fitting in) and says he has trouble here. He may end up as one of those guys. GREAT talent. Always a team to trade for him but never finding a home. If they trade him (and again I'd really rather they didn't) I hope it's to the NL. would suck though.

Again, Happy Fathers Day!

Doug K.

Carl J. Weitz said...

I thought the same as Ghost Of Yankees Past, that the team got him so they could spin him into a pitcher or be a significant part of the trade to spare a Frazier or Florial leaving. Of course, it would only be to a team that wants to win this year, has at least 1 excess decent starter and who needs a power bat in their lineup. Maybe to Oakland or Cleveland as part of a bigger package.

Mark my words: Cashman will likely target one pitcher available that is exactly like most of the others he has flopped on in the past. A pitcher in his mid-late 20's with a "power arm" that has never lived up to his ability except for the current season and has a lifetime losing record. That pitcher will be: Matt Boyd. Bank on this happening.

Duque, I can actually think of 1 decent Cashman trade for a pitcher that did well for the Yankees. It was only last year. Happ went 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA. However, re-signing him again for 14 million probably was not a good move.

ranger_lp said...

I've emailed 13bit so I'm on for 8/12.

HoraceClarke66 said...

I continue to hold out hope for retaining Frazier, which is a strange feeling for me, because I have hope for very little in this great big beautiful, 21st century America of ours.

But I think it's possible that The Red Whiner himself may have ruined his trade value.

Teams that have REAL general managers—not just puffed-up office politicians—running their teams, will look long and hard at whether they want to trade even an expendable pitcher for a guy who just missed a year with concussions, moans on and on about how he doesn't fit in anywhere, and was last seen playing right field like a rodeo clown.

I suspect that most of them will want something more—a LOT more, and not just quantity but quality.

Here is where Coops' incompetent profligacy is also likely to boomerang on him. I don't know if these other teams really WILL take a brace of his, "Trust Me They're Future Super-Duper Stars" Single-A pitchers to go with Big Red. I don't know if they will take unproven entities such as Thairo the Pharaoh or Estevan Florial, either.

I think it's highly possible that Coops has reduced this organization to the point where a Bumgarner or a Strohman or a Matt Boyd (who I agree is the main threat) is more likely to go to a club—Houston? Boston?—that can offer one true, blue-chip prospect.

That ain't us.

Joe of AZ said...

Look we need pitching but I'm given up a guy named "Then" Now to get a guy like Encarnacion... After all how long do you think before Hicks comes up with some injury right when he's on of his Blazing hot streaks. Gardner and his inevitable 2nd half meltdown and Giancarlos 400 ks.... Trust me Encarnacion AND Frazier will wind up being on the same active roster.

I mean who needs pitcher to last more than 4innings when you score ten plus...just ask the Texas rangers...oh wait ....

ranger_lp said...

Someone suggested that reason to getting Encarnación was to take him away from Tampa Bay and Boston...

Rufus T. Firefly said...

If that's the case, let's hope he's not another Canseco.

TheWinWarblist said...

Was that a quality start?? I think it was, but somebody please recheck my math and/or vision. I don't think I remember what one looks like.




Fuckers.

TheWinWarblist said...

By the way, if you people get to the game, I expect a live blog, dammit.

TheWinWarblist said...

And a 5-run inning without a homer!??

JM said...

Encarnacion is an upgrade over Stanton, except he doesn't have much time left. Maybe a couple years. Maybe.

This is an interesting development. Let's see what Braniac Cashman does with this. Keeping him away from Boston and Tampa is not stupid, but the roster issues...

There was some small talk on yesterday's game TV broadcast about why Stanton hasn't been called up since he's hitting home runs. Not rushing him, was the answer. But as a fragile giant, as is Judge, ya might wonder. Would be nice to have reliable power in the DH slot.

And then there's the unthinkable: is Judge turning into Nick Johnson? Has Stanton already reached that status?

Is Bird not coming back? Would be fine, but another roster issue if they refuse to give up on him.

Scottish Yankee fan said...

Again please forgive me Im always trying to learn about baseball

Frazier been optioned to make room for Encarnacion

Tauchman is still there but Clint isn't?

Can anyone please explain this move to me with Frazier because it is not making a lot of sense to me at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Clint Frazier was just sent down to AAA--one of the team's best young players, who has been performing superbly, sent down to make way for an old fart. That's it. I've had it with Cashman's stupidity and incompetence and the overall insanity of this organization. Fuck them. I hope that Frazier gets traded to a first-rate organization as soon as possible.

Rufus T. Firefly said...

I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. (Or maybe a bunch o' shoes)

Ca$hmoney has to free up roster space somehow. Can't think he'd stand where he's at.

Oasisdave said...

Frazier will be gone by this time next week. No other reason to send him back to AAA

Scottish Yankee fan said...

Frazier said he was "pretty surprised" at being demoted.

Said Boone told him: "This is the reality of things. Guess I'm facing reality right now. It's a tough pill to swallow.

It's never fun, especially with how much I've felt like I've felt like I've contributed to this team."

TheWinWarblist said...

Send down Torres! Send down Gio! Send down everyone you miserable fuckers!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have little doubt that Hal is behind this--he couldn't brook having an independent spirit marring the dutiful gray uniformity his column of zombified, newspeaking good soldiers. This is punishment for not groveling to the press and for his having sounded off, justifiably, for the bullshit he's had to endure from this team, from the pressure to cut his hair, Kay's dumbass insensitivity about his recovery from his concussion, and then his faceoff with the jackals of the daily press corps. This team precisely could use some spirit, moxie, a splatter of impudent youth. Instead, we get a dull parade of Cashman's castoffs and an endless string of strikeouts from the usual suspects. I hope this team sinks, and sinks fast, while Frazier becomes an all-star at his next stop. If karma is a thing, that's what will happen.

Retired Stratman said...

This.

Anonymous said...

DID WE SEND FRAZIER DOWN??????

I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I WENT ON THIS WONDERFUL WEBSITE....

WE ARE ONE FUCKED UP ORGANIZATION.....

BEST CLUTCH HITTER WE HAVE......(UNTIL HE HEARD ABOUT THE TRADE).....

INSANITY.

FUCK CASHMAN.

FUCK CASHMAN UP THE ASS.

CASHMAN IS INCAPABLE OF MAKING ANY KIND OF FAVORABLE DEAL FOR US WHEN IT COMES TO PITCHING.

I'M RESIGNED TO THE FACT WE ARE TRADING FRAZIER....IT'S OBVIOUS NOW.....

.....BUT IF CASHMAN DOES NOT GET BUMGARNER OR SCHERZER.....WE ARE FUCKED....

CARL WEITZ HAS OPENED MY EYES, AND I'M FEELING MATT BOYD.

THAT WOULD BE CASHMAN THINKING LIKE HE IS A GENIUS, GETTING THE GUY NO ONE EXPECTS, BECAUSE HE IS SO CLAIRVOYANT.

HOLY SHIT, IS THIS HORRIFYING.

ranger_lp said...

Maybe they will teach Frazier how to put on a baseball glove?

Rufus T. Firefly said...

Pure speculation, but wondering if they want Frazier in the minors while Judge is rehabbing there. Maybe have some of his attitude rub off while enjoying the luxurious amenities of Scranton.

Or maybe they just want to get him ABs.

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