First a shout out to B in ALB for yeoman's work these past three games coming through when it counted. Also, a reminder of the great work by Denny in Denville in getting us through the ALDS.
Tanaka - wow. Does he need juice to pitch well? Do regular season games bore him? My, my what he has done post season is the guy we remember that 1st year prior to the injury. So the questions is, if he opts out, do the Yankees look to re-sign him? I find it hard to say no. He has the partial tear, but I heard that it is not uncommon among pitchers. He is 28, seems to be a stud. Do they extend him a couple additional years and bump him to $25 mill per or more?
DH - Have to ride Headley for this last game(hopefully) and then use him against the Dodgers? Seems he has figured it out and is hot again.
Batting order - seems that Judge comes up often as leadoff (perception?). Not sure I like him in the 2 hole. But I know Joe wants him to get as many looks as possible - and who could blame him.
Bird - Looks like a #4 hitter to me. Maybe not this year, but Judge, Bird, Sanchez (3-4-5) looks pretty good to me. Can Didi go to the 2 hole? Lack of walks probably eliminates him and he has about a 16% K rate.
Hicks & Castro - somebody has to be cold and these guys look like it. Castro got the big double off Keuchel yesterday, but his wild undisciplined swings don't work post season. Hicks? Yeesh. He looks the most lost. Looks like he is over swinging and trying for the bomb every at bat.
If they make the WS - any chance Joe picks Heller over Betances for the bull pen. Heller really looked good late in the season and has high octane stuff, too. I'm throwing it out there because Betances at this point is eating a spot and Joe just doesn't trust him at all and you cannot blame him.
Anyway, thoughts for the day.
He could get 100 mil over 5 years if he opted out. He has pitched great this post season. I suspect he will opt out.
Quote:
has 65M guaranteed for the next 3 seasons. Would be shocked if he opted out of that.
He could get 100 mil over 5 years if he opted out. He has pitched great this post season. I suspect he will opt out.
Yeah, it's just like when CC opted out and his annual salary didn't really go up, but the length of the contract sure did. I expect this to be the same for Tanaka. He'll opt out and the Yanks will probably sign him and there may be some years on that contract where his health makes that a sketchy decision, just like it happened with CC.
I think the debate about the batting order is for the offseason...now that Judge and Sanchez are hitting, i wouldn’t mix up the lineup at this point in the game. Judge still sees a lot of pitches, and I think he catches a Verlander fastball tomorrow night
I think the debate about the batting order is for the offseason...now that Judge and Sanchez are hitting, i wouldn’t mix up the lineup at this point in the game. Judge still sees a lot of pitches, and I think he catches a Verlander fastball tomorrow night
Gardy looks like he needs a day or two off. But tired Gardy is better than Ellsbury and his defense is better.
Verlander is mainly a FB pitcher. The Yankees have more trouble with junk ballers. But I feel that the crappy lighting (IMHO) in Minute Maid throws them off. I still believe they get to Verlander. Sanchez and Judge (and Headley) are starting to pick it up.
They have to make Verlander work, be patient and get him out of the game early even if they don't score off him, and get into that pen.
I feel pretty good about the Yanks taking the flag.
Dont forget Clint Frasier.... funny thing, he is supposed to be the best of them.... man o man, what a good problem to have.
If you mean 5 on top of the remaining 3, I agree. If you mean 2 additional for a 5 year total, I disagree. #1s don't grow on trees and he'd be 33-34 at the end of the deal which is not an unreasonable age.
They speculate Morton, but I would not be surprised to see Keuchel, if only for a few innings or out of the pen. He is still their horse and still a dominating pitcher.
McCullers pitched better than Morton did, but throwing him on short rest when he had a back injury earlier this year and hasn't pitched deep into games since July seems awfully risky.
Quote:
who goes for Houston? the guy that started game 3 or the one from game 4?
McCullers pitched better than Morton did, but throwing him on short rest when he had a back injury earlier this year and hasn't pitched deep into games since July seems awfully risky.
I could see them going McCullers for 4, Keuchel for 2-3, and then their normal BP guys.
If Tanaka does opt out (I don't think he will), ageree with section that at 28 it's okay to give him 5 yrs total, but not 5 in addition to the 3 remiang (8 total).
2. Tanaka WILL opt out, they always do. You pay him. The contract is ripped up when he opts out, so you give him around 5/100 and call it a day. letting a 28 year old top of the rotation guy go would be silly if you are a contender. Some of you have had him ready for TJ surgery 4 times the past 3 years. If the elbow goes it goes, he rehabs it a year and comes back.
Quote:
and assuming he is still the manager after this year, and assuming everyone stay healthy, I think a likely future lineup for the baby bomber is 2-Judge, 3-Bird, 4-Sanchez
Dont forget Clint Frasier.... funny thing, he is supposed to be the best of them.... man o man, what a good problem to have.
I think the debate about the batting order is for the offseason...now that Judge and Sanchez are hitting, i wouldn’t mix up the lineup at this point in the game. Judge still sees a lot of pitches, and I think he catches a Verlander fastball tomorrow night
I think Verlander and Keuchel are different stories. Whereas Keuchel is what he is and you have to adjust to it, I think Verlander is more of a situation where its up to him. If he's insanely hitting his spots strike 1 and 2 like game 2 he'll be really tough. If he's a little off then we can get to him because we fair much better against fastball guys.
Quote:
who goes for Houston? the guy that started game 3 or the one from game 4?
They speculate Morton, but I would not be surprised to see Keuchel, if only for a few innings or out of the pen. He is still their horse and still a dominating pitcher.
On two days rest? Maybe out of the pen for an inning, but definitely not to start.
Verlander being a veteran should help, but if we keep it close or have a lead going to the pen - I think we'll win. Need to get Verlander's pitch count up there and battle like they did last night.
But cross that bridge when the time comes.
Quote:
Gardy hasn’t been hitting too much, and coming off a tough one against Keuchel, but think he has some good old fashioned Gardy ABs to work the count and get on base.
I think the debate about the batting order is for the offseason...now that Judge and Sanchez are hitting, i wouldn’t mix up the lineup at this point in the game. Judge still sees a lot of pitches, and I think he catches a Verlander fastball tomorrow night
I think Verlander and Keuchel are different stories. Whereas Keuchel is what he is and you have to adjust to it, I think Verlander is more of a situation where its up to him. If he's insanely hitting his spots strike 1 and 2 like game 2 he'll be really tough. If he's a little off then we can get to him because we fair much better against fastball guys.
Stu, with Verlander, he just goes up like Sevy and says here is the heater, try and hit it. He tosses up some good sliders to seed some indecision. With Keuchel you are as much at the mercy of the umpire as the pitcher. With Verlander, he's not trying to fool every batter each at bat. It is not easy to hit a 96 mph fastball, but it is easier than trying to hit garbage at or below the bottom of the zone when the ump has a 50-50 chance of calling a ball a strike.
As far as running up his pitch count - he just threw 124 pitches and looked great in the 8th and 9th. Verlander is a bull. Can he do 120 pitches back to back? IDK. Can he give you 85-90 - absolutely. Does he start to miss his spots after 60-70, maybe, but I doubt it. But the Yankees lineup is about hitting FBs, Toddfather is more likley to catch a 96 mph FB than 88 mph slider or cutter (as are Casto and Hicks).
Not gonna get much in return for him, either, which is unfortunate.
ARod, CC, and Cano were all approaching their mid 30s. Tanaka will be 29. There are already 3 years left on his deal anyway, adding 2 more is not going to be crippling. It's certainly not "dumb."
Not gonna get much in return for him, either, which is unfortunate.
I was a proponent of dealing him this offseason (I like him a lot, but he's a luxury at this point) but I think you need to attempt to rebuild his value a bit before dealing him. They'd be selling awful low on a 4 time all star.
I know the additions at the trade deadline improved the team dramatically, but to me it's the reemergence of Tanaka and Chapman that makes us championship caliber.
And that assumes he can pitch like Dellin Betances again in NY. I'm not sure he can. He needs a fresh start somewhere else.
An off-season trade for pennies on the dollar would be unfortunate though. But I agree there just isn't a place for him anymore.
You never know if that's the issue with Betances or not or if Kahnle or Robertson will fall off a cliff.
Quote:
Gardy hasn’t been hitting too much, and coming off a tough one against Keuchel, but think he has some good old fashioned Gardy ABs to work the count and get on base.
I think the debate about the batting order is for the offseason...now that Judge and Sanchez are hitting, i wouldn’t mix up the lineup at this point in the game. Judge still sees a lot of pitches, and I think he catches a Verlander fastball tomorrow night
Gardy looks like he needs a day or two off. But tired Gardy is better than Ellsbury and his defense is better.
Verlander is mainly a FB pitcher. The Yankees have more trouble with junk ballers. But I feel that the crappy lighting (IMHO) in Minute Maid throws them off. I still believe they get to Verlander. Sanchez and Judge (and Headley) are starting to pick it up.
Well hopefully that crappy lighting will make them blind to Sevvy's FBs.
But I agree that Betances has thrown his last pitch of the season.
Green might very well be moved back to being a starter, sepecially if they keep Robertson. Kahnle, Robertson, Warren, Chapman is a pretty good group. And they have German and Heller in the wings.
Or, depending on recovery, progress of Torres and where you play him, package Castro, Betances and a prospect for a front line starter? Lots of potetnial options when you develop players.
Isn't Betances in arbitration again this year?
I'm not sure he is done as a Yankee. I think he can be used far less next year and remain effective longer, plus if he regains form his value goes up. As with last season, he loses his mechanics but regains with time off.
DRob is signed through 2019..
Sometimes I wonder if he feels extra pressure pitching in his hometown.
Quote:
In comment 13655963 mfsd said:
Quote:
Gardy hasn’t been hitting too much, and coming off a tough one against Keuchel, but think he has some good old fashioned Gardy ABs to work the count and get on base.
I think the debate about the batting order is for the offseason...now that Judge and Sanchez are hitting, i wouldn’t mix up the lineup at this point in the game. Judge still sees a lot of pitches, and I think he catches a Verlander fastball tomorrow night
I think Verlander and Keuchel are different stories. Whereas Keuchel is what he is and you have to adjust to it, I think Verlander is more of a situation where its up to him. If he's insanely hitting his spots strike 1 and 2 like game 2 he'll be really tough. If he's a little off then we can get to him because we fair much better against fastball guys.
Stu, with Verlander, he just goes up like Sevy and says here is the heater, try and hit it. He tosses up some good sliders to seed some indecision. With Keuchel you are as much at the mercy of the umpire as the pitcher. With Verlander, he's not trying to fool every batter each at bat. It is not easy to hit a 96 mph fastball, but it is easier than trying to hit garbage at or below the bottom of the zone when the ump has a 50-50 chance of calling a ball a strike.
As far as running up his pitch count - he just threw 124 pitches and looked great in the 8th and 9th. Verlander is a bull. Can he do 120 pitches back to back? IDK. Can he give you 85-90 - absolutely. Does he start to miss his spots after 60-70, maybe, but I doubt it. But the Yankees lineup is about hitting FBs, Toddfather is more likley to catch a 96 mph FB than 88 mph slider or cutter (as are Casto and Hicks).
Thats pretty much what I was saying. The thing is in game 2 he was dotting the corners strike 1 and 2. If he does that again he's tough to beat. I think the odds are against him being that good again. Probably more like his usual self- 2 or 3 runs over 7. Any hand wringing over his pitch count is meaningless. He'll have an extra day and the guy is a horse. He's no stranger to 120 pitch outings.