Sunday, March 1, 2020

As it now stands, the Yankee opening day roster still looks strong

Today, the Yankiverse faces a deep sense of unease. This is not a hoax or a witch hunt. It is very real: 

Something is wrong with Aaron Judge's right pectoral muscle. 

Yes... a barking tit. 

He was supposed to miss a few days. Now, it's another week. I don't want to go full Chicken Little, but we've seen this movie before: Until the monster reveals itself, everything just gets scarier. Right now, Judge's bad boob remains a mystery, and Harrison Ford is too old to save us. 

For now, let's assume Judge and Giancarlo Stanton miss several months. (Considering their histories, we'd be naive to expect anything else.) So, barring yet another plateful of injuries, here's the opening day roster, more or less.

The good news - and we should embrace it, but cautiously - is that this team still looks capable of 95-100 wins. Here's the roster:

Batting orderDJ LeMahieu 2B
Gleyber Torres SS

Miguel Andujar LF
Gary Sanchez C

Luke Voit 1B
Mike Ford DH
Clint Frazier RF
Gio Urshela 3B
Brett Gardner CF


Questions: Can Frazier and Andujar play OF? Are Ford and Urshela for real? Do we have enough LH offense? Do we have a RH DH?

Bench
Kyle Higashioka
Tyler Wade
Thairo Estrada
Mike Tauchman


Questions: Who backs up Higgy, when Sanchez goes down? Do we need another full-time OF? Or a veteran bat (this year's Kendrys Morales?)

RotationGerrit Cole
Masahiro Tanaka
J.A. Happ
Jordan Montgomery

Luis Cessa

Questions: Realistically, who fills the final two slots? Should we dare subject Deivi Garcia, at age 20, to MLB pressures? (I say no.) After Cole, is anything certain? (Another nope.)

Bullpen
Aroldis Chapman
Zack Britton
Adam Ottavino

Tommy Kahnle
Chad Green

Jonathan Holder 
Ben Heller (?)

Questions: Will age catch up to Chapman, Britton, Ottavino? Which Kahnle shows up? Will one of the young arms take over? (We could use another lefty; we have none.)

26th Man: 
Unnamed pitcher or outfielder

What's amazing is what's missing: Stanton, Judge, Hicks, Severino and Paxton. Let's wipe off Sevy; he's gone, maybe for good. Let's assume Stanton never plays more than 60 games in a season; moreover, he's a full-time DH. Hicks and Paxton should return by mid-summer. Judge? It's very troubling, the corrupted jug. 

The real concern: The next set of injuries. We've lost our trade chips. If we lose another key player - or more - this looks like an AL East runner-up. 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'M STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS SHIT IS ONLY HAPPENING TO US YEAR AFTER YEAR TO THIS SCALE.

WEIRD SHIT TOO.

PECTORAL MUSCLE PAIN?

REMEMBER BIRD WITH THE ANKLE?

WHAT WAS THAT CALLED, OS TRIGONUM?

THIS WEIRD SHIT IS DATING BACK TO 2016 WHEN COOP CASHMAN SHOCKED US BY SAYING BIRD WOULD NEED A SHOULDER OPERATION, RIGHT BEFORE SPRING TRAINING STARTED, (IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY)...

SOUND FAMILIAR?

ALL I KNOW IS WE ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

ranger_lp said...

Someone on the radio asked...who will play more games this year...Stanton or Cespedes?

Carl J. Weitz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carl J. Weitz said...

Duque, the real reason Judge hurt his pectoral muscle is due to the strain it took holding a clipboard too high, over shoulder height, when he was canvassing for Bernie Sanders this winter in California. So, like the stock market crash, it is the Democrats fault that Judge will likely start the season on the IL.

I agree with your roster for the most part but I don't think (and pray) that Cessa won't be in the rotation or the team. Also, I think the order will be Cole, Happ, Tanaka, Montgomery and one of the kids from AAA. Either King, Schmidt or Garcia.This will keep the opposition from seeing 2 right-handers or left-handers in a row. If Sanchez does get hurt and Higgy has to start for an extended period of time, expect the team to make a trade for a catcher or most likely they will have plucked a better catcher off the waiver wire at the end of Spring Training and jettisoned one or two of those .125 career lifetime hitters that were ticked to Scranton.

DickAllen said...



Watching only parts of games so far, and admittedly way too small a sample size, it looks like:

Frazier is wound really tight, and

Andujar actually looks comfortable in left. The bat speaks for itself.

I can live without the two precious towers posing as athletes, and I think Red just needs a lot of reps to get comfortable - I would want that bat in the lineup regularly as well.

The thought of Stanton whiffing at pitches two feet outside makes me sick. Apparently it’s making him sick as well.

Alphonso said...

I don't think Red will ever be an outfielder capable off major league defense.

I think Andujar will.

I think Mike Ford is a better first baseman than Vopit.

The 26th man must be one of those veteran catchers. Sanchez will either not hit, or get hit.

Forget about Garcia as a starter. for a while.

The guy is Clark Schmidt. Just roll the dice. He is the man.

I think Lasagne belongs in the bullpen.

I agree that Cessa is horrid.

Anonymous said...



I also prefer Ford to Luke.

Frazier is a better defender in right than left. So we will be ok.

Doug K.




13bit said...

There seems to be a swiftly growing consensus, kind of like a brokered convention, that the IIHIIF Wild Huckleberry Meetup for 2020 ought to be at this game:

Thursday, July 23rd vs Angels at 1:05

People seem to not want to sit high up, which is fine, although I do like being shielded from the elements.

Who else is in on this and who would like to help with the arrangements?

LBJ, are you there, circling the airport? Please key your mic twice or alert the tower of your whereabouts.

Carl J. Weitz said...

13Bit...if you need any help let me know.

Anon said...

Also missing, German. As said, that's some amazing (potential) talent on the missing list.

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