* The Yankees reportedly offered $25 million for Justin Verlander, only to be easily outbid by Houston.
* The Blue Jays re-signed Jose Berrios, perhaps the best No. 2 pitcher on the free agent market.
* The Yankees waived Clint Frazer and Tyler Wade, eliminating their value as trade chips.
* Hal Steinbrenner gave an unbridled vote of confidence to Joey Gallo.
* Brett Gardner indicated, via rumors, that he'll return in 2022.
* A report suggested the Yankees won't sign a big free agent SS, because their two best prospects play SS.
* Oakland indicated it wants a huge package of prospects, including at least one of the Yankees young shortstops, in any trade for Matt Olson.
Yeesh. Fun times, eh? You'd almost think Joe Manchin is running the team: It costs too much money to sign a star, and it will cost too many prospects to trade for one. So, WTF do we do?
Now and then, you sense a terrifying answer: Nothing.
You'd almost think the Yankees feel that - as winners of the 2021 AL Away-Team Wild Card Slot - they don't need to blow up their roster. Close your eyes, and you can imagine an opening day lineup that looks distressingly similar to the most disappointing Yankee team in this millennium.
Which leads me to the Existential Question of the Day:
Could the Yankees stand pat?
Seriously? Could Cooperstown Cashman decide that...
1) Aaron Hicks, Luke Voit, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino and Aroldis Chapman all have another year in them? And that, in their current incarnations, none has redeemable trade value?
2) Either Gio Urshela - or a lower tier free agent - can solve the hole at SS until the prospects arrive?
3) The bullpen can always be rebuilt from the scrap heap? There's always a Nestor Cortez out there.
And 4) All the Yankees really need to do is win one more game than last year, and gain the home field advantage in the wild card? From there, anything can happen.
Wait... there's also talk of expanded playoffs. Thus, the Yankees don't need to improve on 2021. Making the playoffs will be easier than ever before. Finish a game or two above .500, that's all.
One of these days, somebody is going to pony up $300 million and sign Carlos Correa or Cory Seager - the two shortstops most coveted by the Yankees. That will fire the starter's bazooka on the 2021-22 free agent fraternity rush.
The Yankees have two choices: Blow up the roster, or hold their water.
Thus far, they haven't shown their plans.
Ever get the feeling they haven't yet settled on one?
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18 comments:
Ever get the feeling they don’t have a plan?
The Yankees made money last year. Why bother spending if you don’t have to?
My god man! Do you think this has anything to do with baseball? We’re running a business here!
Very little doubt that the Yanks will stand pat, more or less. A marginal signing here or there...Anderson Simmons or Freddy Galvis as SS stopgap until Cabrera is ready, a couple bullpen arms, that kind of thing. Hal and Cash think they were a few feet of altitude (Stanton's WC game hits in Boston) from making another deep run. No need for radical moves. Judge gets big money in a year. Nobody before then .
Nobody is going to come and save us.
A sad tale for a chilly November morning…
* the Yankees draft James Kaprielian in the 1st round of the 2015 Draft (at No. 16, he was the highest Yankee draft pick since 1993), passing on Walker Buehler, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Austin Riley, etc.
* the Yankees trade James Kaprielian as the headliner for Sonny Gray in July 2017
* the Yankees trade Sonny Gray to the Reds for Shed Long in January 2019 after Gray’s disappointing tenure in New York
* the Yankees trade Shed Long to the Mariners for Josh Stowers in January 2019
* the Yankees trade Josh Stowers to the Rangers for Rougned Odor in April 2021
* the Yankees DFA Rougned Odor in November 2021
I guess you might be right but it's still November and...
1) "The Yankees reportedly offered $25 million for Justin Verlander, only to be easily outbid by Houston."
Who here in the commentariat (Given that we won't have a 250M payroll thought giving him a two year 50M contract was a good idea. I'm thinking no one.
2) "The Blue Jays re-signed Jose Berrios, perhaps the best No. 2 pitcher on the free agent market."
Key word. Re-signed. That said the Yankees should have made a major offer. He signed for 7 years 110M. We could have beaten that. We should have beaten that. This was not a good thing.
3) "The Yankees waived Clint Frazer and Tyler Wade, eliminating their value as trade chips."
There has to be market. I'm positive Brain made calls and found no takers. They have a week left for someone to step up and needed room on the 40. While Tyler was a good 26th man for some reason they never saw him as more and would rather give the ABs to a kid. I'm good with it if they actually do it.
4) "Hal Steinbrenner gave an unbridled vote of confidence to Joey Gallo." Hopefully, I say HOPEFULLY he is just trying to preserve his trade value for a later move. Did I mention HOPEFULLY.
5) " Brett Gardner indicated, via rumors, that he'll return in 2022"
This better not happen. Enough of this guy. Seriously. Make him a coach if you like him in the clubhouse but NO MORE GARDNER.
6) "A report suggested the Yankees won't sign a big free agent SS, because their two best prospects play SS." I'm good with this. If they spend the money elsewhere.
7) "Oakland indicated it wants a huge package of prospects, including at least one of the Yankees young shortstops, in any trade for Matt Olson." Well wanting and getting are different things. That said, yeah they should. The guy is a very good baseball player in an area of need for the Yankees. As Tom Jones once sang, "It's not unreasonable"
To sum up. It's November. Doesn't Brain always make his biggest move while rappelling down that building?
Doug K said Key word. Re-signed. That said the Yankees should have made a major offer. He signed for 7 years 110M. We could have beaten that. We should have beaten that. This was not a good thing.
They could off...but signing any pitcher to a 7 year deal is very high risk...like you're expecting Berrios to remain healthy for that period of time...I strongly feel that Cole's contract is the last of the more than 4 year deals...too risky in this age of injury and EL periods...would not be surprised for the Yanks to offer Judge 4 years 120 Mil and Judge testing the waters for a longer term deal when the time comes...
I think I have this right.
We're doomed. Cashman sucks. Hal is an asshole. Boone is an idiot.
I guess the last three are why the first is true. And the last three are all true.
Man to man, smoke a Roi Tan.
Jose Berrios WAS NOT a re-sign, he signed a contract extension, he was set to be a fre agent after 2022. You can make the argument they should’ve tried to acquire him from the Twins but there was nothing the Yanks can do once he got to Toronto
Dantes,
Ah. My bad. Sorry. Yes, should have gotten him from the Twins if possible.
I hope we do nothing. See if Jacoby can still run and give him a shot at center.
We must still have that guy in AA or AAA who was a great glove no hit shortstop. Or Mason Williams?
Letting Nick Nelson go was a help.
Who cares?
Actually, Tom Jones sang "It's not UNUSUAL."
What would be unusual if The Intern knew anything about how to assemble a baseball team that could be expected to compete for a title. He is not. What he is capable of doing is maintaining the status quo, which in Harold's world means reasonable return on equity.
I don't know why any of you are complaining about anything this moribund franchise does or doesn't do. The key word in that last sentence is FRANCHISE. Like McDonalds is a franchise, or - take your pick - any other franchise for that matter. You think we are pissed off? Imagine what it's like to be a fan of the Pirates or Orioles. Those two FRANCHISES have been terrible dreadful horrible for decades. Do you think ownership cares? They are PROFITABLE and their value as a FRANCHISE increases every year and fuck you as a fan. Baseball FRANCHISES are selling emotion, not success. I go to McDonalds knowing I won't die from botulism or Ecoli, but I die with each Yankees loss. I'm a fan, so fuck me.
Nobody roots for better burgers or more winning coffee from a FRANCHISE. Nobody expects McDonalds to come out with a trophy, only a higher profit margin. The same is true for the Yankees.
It's all a scam. They keep you screaming bloody murder, but as long as you keep coming back, the bucks keep rolling in. Harold, The Intern and Booooone are corporate hacks, but good ones in that they are keeping the FRANCHISE profitable. And nothing else matters, not even you. Or me. Or any of us.
Maybe I'll just kill myself. Or become a Met's fan.
Which is essentially the same thing.
You're right, Dick Allen—but sooner or later, if you don't do basic maintenance, the most profitable of franchises melt down. We may have a McDonald's, but the health violations keep piling up, there are constant fires in the kitchen, and the fries have been reheated so often that the customers are beginning to visit the Arby's down the block.
The most salient feature of this Yankees team is that the pitching staff is Swiss cheese. Somehow, it survived anyway this season. It could easily fall apart next year, and then what?
I suppose they'll still make money—it's almost impossible NOT to in major-league sports—but it will be a fraction of what it was, and what will HAL think then?
Doug K., I agree with you on most of this. Except:
If you ARE planning to try the kids at short, why let Wade go? If they completely flame out, don't you want him there? Don't you want him around in general, since he can play almost every position and our players are constantly hurt?
I honestly don't understand what they expect in the way of a back-up.
I also don't understand the basic plan. Are the Yankees rebuilding? Are they not rebuilding? What??? Every move so far seems to contradict every other.
To quote Martin Sheen in "Apocalypse Now": "I don't see any plan at all."
Our Col. Kurtz has gone up the river.
Seriously, Horace: Arbys?!?!?
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