Sign blah blah blah... Trade blah blah blah... Look for blah blah blah...
Let's face it. Nobody knows what Brian Cashman will do. Worse, Brian Cashman doesn't know. For example, in the next few days, Brett Gardner will unveil his plans for 2022 - return, retire, or become a free agent: Gardy is the butterfly flapping its wings in China, which eventually creates the tornado at the Walmart in Topeka. His decision knocks over the first domino. From there, the best way of projecting things: Blah blah blah...
So, if this is merely a clickbait parlor game - (spoiler alert: it is) - let's reverse gears. Instead of figuring out who must go, let's decide who should stay. Who are the Yankee Rocks of Gibraltar -players we can count on for, say, three years? (Note: Rocks of Gibraltar aren't what they used to be.)
Here's my short list. Remember, we are not judging contracts. These are simply players who should remain competent through 2024, when Trump takes over and human history ends.
1. Aaron Judge. This is easy. He's the face of the Yankees, an evolving team leader, a rock in RF, and it's hard to imagine him being Mookied. Pencil him in annually for 30 HRs and 90 RBIs. He's 29.
2. Gio Urshela. He's a Gold Glove-level 3B, and I will not forget his spectacular Jeter-like vault into the Blue Jays' dugout to snare a foul, as the season climaxed. He nearly saved our season by accepting a move to SS. I keep hearing how the Yankees should sign a big free agent SS - and then move the guy to 3B next year, when Anthony Volpe arrives. Excuse me, but isn't that certifiable? Isn't it how we got into this mess? We have a rock at 3B. He's 30. Leave him alone. He's a gamer.
3. Gerrit Cole. I know, I know... the wild card game. Well, what pitcher anywhere, ever again, can ever be counted on, for anything? Cole is our ace. A rock. He's 31.
4. Jordan Montgomery. He made an incredible, unheralded step in 2021. His 6-7 record belied his work. With run support - which would have lessened the stress on him - Monty could have won 15 games and maybe shortlisted for the Cy Young. He's 28.
And that's all, folks. Sorry, but everybody else -LeMahieu, Gleyber, Voit, Severino, et al - either fell apart in 2021 and/or faces a career crossroads. And that is the problem.
I don't envy Cashman, though he painted himself into this corner. Every move will dictate a secondary deal. If we land a catcher, what happens to Gary Sanchez? If we trade Luke Voit, who's on first? And the SS decision is less a domino drop than a landslide. Still, we have a Core 4, sorta. Everything else is blah blah blah...
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16 comments:
Let's start here: You can't do anything with Stanton, Cole, DJ, Hicks or Chapman. No one taking those contracts. Then there's Sanchez, Voit, Gallo, Severino & Torres. You might be able to trade these players for another teams talented disappointment and hope a change of scenery helps. Then you have Judge, Monty and Urshela. They are keepers, although certainly not flawed. I really think 2022 will be more of the same, taking flyers on injured pitchers and signing some HR/SO vets. To quote David Bryne: "Same as it ever was"
Looking at this team I can easily see a repeat of 2016, sellers at the deadline and Peraza and Cabrera coming up to play short and second, probably Sands coming in at catcher.
Djl, Torres, Sanchez all gone at deadline along with Chapman if the eh can get him to waive the ntc.
I tend to agree with Celerino. Rinse and repeat. And the 2022 team will be even worse than the 2021 iteration.
The positive spin on 2022:
1. Hicks joins a nunnery. Gardy is beamed up to the Enterprise. Judge takes over in CF.
2. Sanchez decides to pursue a career in buying/selling bitcoin. Someone else (or several someones else) plays catcher. Those persons might not hit a ton (does Gary?) -- but they catch nearly flawlessly -- framing pitches well, handling pitchers well, and so forth. Maybe even throwing out baserunners without sailing some throws into the outfield???
3. Someone not named Gleyber plays SS. I love Gleyber, but as long as he's not creating a sinkhole at that position, I don't care what happens to him.
There you have it -- strength up the middle -- SS C CF.
Then add about 19 new pitchers, and we've got it.
Why get rid of Sevarino? He's one of the better pitchers and is only27?
I pretty much agree, guys.
Ironically, DJ's hernia gives me hope. It provides a medical explanation for why he sucked so badly—maybe. And while I was enraged at Rizzo for not getting vaxxed, he's probably worth re-signing.
Also, I say go ahead and sign the big-name SS. We can find something to do with Volpe and the other guy, if they are for real. (Such as replace Torres, whose problems I think may be more extensive than just where he plays)...
So...
Picture an Opening Day lineup of Rizzo, Gleyber, Correa, and Urshela, with DJ filling in everywhere and anywhere, and backed by Wade and Velazquez in the infield.
OF is Judge and Stanton—dare I say it, maybe over their perpetual injury woes???—plus they should at last give Florial and/or Greg Allen a full shot. Hicks as a back-up. And, I guess, Gallo if they can't get rid of him.
C, we're stuck with Sancho. At least for now. And Higgy as a back-up.
Not exactly Murderers' Row, but these days what passes for a competitive roster...
The problem, as it usually is for a Cashman team, will be pitching.
Let's hope Cole bounces back and has got over the sticky stuff. Monty, as Duque notes, made considerable progress last year.
And the rest...?
We're right back to wishin' an' hopin' an' thinkin' an' prayin' on German and Taillon and...Hey Lady! again.
Sevvy might well bolster the bullpen, which COULD be much better—especially if we get rid of ol' Niagara Falls. But as things look now, it's most likely to fall apart again from overwork.
And what the new collective agreement negotiations bring...
I'm with you Carl. Severino, Montgomery and Cole make a pretty fierce trio.
Rizzo ought to be signed if we can get him on a three-year. With a clause to lose some weight.
And to all you Gary haters out there, don't bet on him going anywhere. He may not be Johnny Bench, but he'll do just fine. The Yankees have so many problems and he is not on the short list.
Let Gardy go. Anywhere. Good back up CF gloves are a dime a dozen and will cost less.
Keep Gleyber at 2B. Run him out there every day and forget about him.
Wade and Velasquez can be perfectly adequate at SS.
And lastly, keep praying.
Imagine we sign Freddie Freeman.
That's all.
I can’t - Freddie is a Braves lifer - why would he leave home at the top of his game?
I don't understand the crush on Urshela. He is a SLOW, unathletic player, a good fielder but mediocre hitter. Another of the Yankees' patented sub-1-WAR millstones. I think Wade has more upside at third if he would finally get regular playing time.
This ^^^^
I know Correa is a very good player, but if the Yankees sign him, I can't go to the games when Asstros are in town to boo at those fucking cheats.
On the other hand, I'm again not planning to go to the Stadium and give Hal any of the pandemic dollars I got, so, whatever, sign him.
I agree with Barney, Gio is slow, covers little ground (he Does make the plays that he gets too, but watching the playoffs, it's obvious how piss-poor Gio and most of our infield is), and his bat is sorely lacking for a corner position player.
If Brain is going to limit our starters to 75-100 pitches then it is IMPERATIVE that we have three more starters, at least, who are strong and good enough to throw 170-200 innings per year. This lack of at least average talent through the rotation has doomed us over fifteen years. Obviously Hal isn't going to spring five Coles, but the bullpen MUST be protected. This isn't anything new, all of this talk about bullpens throwing gas is really a bait and switch to save money, and face.
Unless we get quality defense up the middle, i.e. C, SS, CF, 2B we'll never see a ring. Sleepy Sanchez must be tossed, as well as Higgy. Wade is nothing more than a decent utility player, at best.
BTW, I'm suspicious of all these gains in power that Volpe is showing. Scouts are of course proven wrong, Jasson, cough, cough, but I have gone back in my various scouting publications and nobody was talking power as an expected part of his tool shed. To be continued.......
Is this amnesia?
Sancho = absolute death
It’s not the pitching, but the ABYSMAL hitting
We can’t drive in a run and this is a DECADES OLD ISSUE
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