Thought I was about to catch a walk off grand slam but alas.
Of our free agents I’d ideally bring back McCutchen, DRob, Happ and Britton. It’s unlikely they bring back both relievers though. They’ll desperately need to add a starter, but I’m worried Corbin is Sonny 2.0.
I’d not pick up Gardner’s option.
huh?
RF - Judge
SS - Machado (F/A signing)
DH - Stanton
3B - Didi
2B - Torres
1B - Voit/NWalker
C - Wilson Ramos (F/A signing)
LF - Frazier/McCutch
SP
Jacob deGrom (ship Sanchez, Andujar and Monty to Mets)
Dallas Keuchel (F/A signing)
Tanaka
Happ (re-sign)
Severino
Great insight. Did you even pay attention to the moves he made in-season? Happ and Cutch breathed new life into the team. I don't think Britton worked out as well as we'd hoped, but it was definitely a no brainer. He did all that without really giving up a meaningful prospect. We have problems, but Cash is not even close to one of them.
To your point I'm done with Sanchez. The guy is such a lazy player, and has no plate discipline whatsoever. Give me Wilson Ramos and Romine as my catchers and ship out Sanchez and perhaps Andujar for some top-tier pitching.
Should the Yankees sign Machado they could Andujar to first or perhaps left field where his strong throwing arm would be an asset.
Should the Yankees sign Machado they could Andujar to first or perhaps left field where his strong throwing arm would be an asset.
Andujar is the one tradeable piece they have for pitching. They need starting pitching. Who is out there that we could have?
Should the Yankees sign Machado they could Andujar to first or perhaps left field where his strong throwing arm would be an asset.
Andujar is an infielder. Can’t just say “let’s stick him left where his arm willl be an asset”. Playing left at Yankee stadium is a tough task. Look at gardys catch. Very few left fielders make that play. I would love manny at third. Would def trade miggy and someone else for an arm
Andujar is the one tradeable piece they have for pitching. They need starting pitching. Who is out there that we could have?
the holdover established starters
1. Sevy
2. Tanaka
3. Gray
hoping to return from injury
4. Monty
likely to make his mlb debut next year
5. Justus Sheffield
hoping they improve heading into next season
6. Chance Adams
7. Domingo German
8. Jonathan Loaisiga
big name international free agent
Yusei Kikuchi
potential free agent targets
Patrick Corbin (29 years old, 5.7 WAR)
Dallas Keuchel (31, 3.4)
J.A. Happ (36, 2.5)
CC Sabathia (38, 2.2)
Nathan Eovaldi (29, 1.5)
Gio Gonzalez (33, 1.4)
plenty of pitching to be had for nothing other than money, without making a roster depleting trade for an ace.
The problem is it's not a great pitching market. Even if Kershaw opts out, he's on the decline. He's declining from being the best pitcher in baseball so if he's reasonably healthy they can still get some value, but he's a minimum $25 mil per. Corbin? Maybe, but the ask is going to be astronomical.
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Andujar is the one tradeable piece they have for pitching. They need starting pitching. Who is out there that we could have?
the holdover established starters
1. Sevy
2. Tanaka
3. Gray
hoping to return from injury
4. Monty
likely to make his mlb debut next year
5. Justus Sheffield
hoping they improve heading into next season
6. Chance Adams
7. Domingo German
8. Jonathan Loaisiga
big name international free agent
Yusei Kikuchi
potential free agent targets
Patrick Corbin (29 years old, 5.7 WAR)
Dallas Keuchel (31, 3.4)
J.A. Happ (36, 2.5)
CC Sabathia (38, 2.2)
Nathan Eovaldi (29, 1.5)
Gio Gonzalez (33, 1.4)
plenty of pitching to be had for nothing other than money, without making a roster depleting trade for an ace.
I'm sure JA Happ will be resigned. I would at least hope so.
I'm not saying they have to trade Andujar, but with Machado out there as a Free Agent, the Yanks could certainly sign him, and then trade Andujar for a pitching upgrade.
It doesn't have to happen.
Would love to see Justus play in the bigs as a starter.
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Machado is one of the worst shortstops in the game defensively but one of the elite third baseman defensively?
Should the Yankees sign Machado they could Andujar to first or perhaps left field where his strong throwing arm would be an asset.
Andujar is the one tradeable piece they have for pitching. They need starting pitching. Who is out there that we could have?
Degrom... period!
His arm was tired. I’m more concerned with injury than anything else. He was muscling up and lost command. I think sevy will be fine. He’s so young still.
They need a lefty bat. They do not need Cutch nor should they resign him. I think they’re going to get Harper. The Machado talk also doesn’t make sense unless you deal Andujar for a SP.
I don’t trade Gary while his value is low. Would be foolish.
Corbin is a New Yorker and not a weirdo so sonny gray comparison is off.
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In comment 14117251 Giantsfan79 said:
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Machado is one of the worst shortstops in the game defensively but one of the elite third baseman defensively?
Should the Yankees sign Machado they could Andujar to first or perhaps left field where his strong throwing arm would be an asset.
Andujar is the one tradeable piece they have for pitching. They need starting pitching. Who is out there that we could have?
Degrom... period!
Would love it. But the Mets already said unless Gleyber Torres is the first name going back the Yankees shouldn't even bother. Again would love Degrom but not sure I want to pay the Mets price.
He might be responsible for 2-3 wins in the regular season directly and maybe a handful more indirectly, but he was pretty much useless in the playoffs. How much better would we be had we signed JD Martinez instead?
And picking Boone as the manager was just pure arrogance, I am sure he regrets it but probably won’t do anything.
The system isn’t so stocked with ready prospects now, I fear we are looking at a couple of mega deals this offseason.
Having said that, doesn't it seem like we need some more contact hitters in the lineup? Guys who can work the count a little bit better than what we've got?
The only antidote I've seen for outstanding starting pitching in the playoffs is to have guys at the plate who are very good at running up the pitch count. Wasn't that a critical part of our success in years past? It seems that's what beats us too.
Got two strikes on me? Too bad, I'm going to foul off anything near the plate. I'll adjust my swing and turn it into at least 7 pitches to get me out. With any luck I'll find a way to get on base. If not, at least you won't likely get out of the fifth inning with less than 90 pitches or so.
I know that the starting pitching let us down. But then again, scoring matters right? 8 runs across three losses isn't exactly giving a ton of run support, is it?
Patrick Corbin
Other than that, it's about who is reasonably priced (whether it's a free agent or trade target).
Stanton is going nowhere. 9 more years probably 2000 more strikeouts. You would have thought after Arod the Yankees would know better but I guess not. I don't think any team would would take his contract if the Yankees put him on waivers which I'm not sure they could do since he has a full no trade.
The Yankees got nothing from Sanchez or Bird this year. Bird may not even be on the team going forward. Sanchez is one of their core players hopefully this year was just a bad dream. Is anyone sold on Voit as full time 1B going forward? He's another bad defender in an infield full of them except Didi.
They got a great unexpected regular season bat from Andujar. It remains to be seen if he learns how to be an elite hitter or he's just going to be a guy who puts up numbers over 162 games which is still very valuable. It remains to be seen if he can ever field well enough to stay at 3B. Do we think they can live with his historically bad defense for another year?
Torres disappointed me in some ways. Not that I expected a 21 year old to be fully developed at his age but his fielding wasn't good at all and he got away from being a hitter and tried to hit a HR on every pitch. Hopefully he doesn't go backward next year. He is one of their core players.
Sounds like they'll pick up Gardner's option and Ellsbury is still under contract. So they'll let McCutchen walk. Frazier will get a chance to make the team. Hicks, Judge & Stanton will all be back too.
The luxury tax has been reset so no more talk about Hal's money.
If I ran the Yankees I'd sign Manny to play 3B and trade Andujar for young pitchers plural. I'd sign Corbin. I'd resign CC. I'd resign Happ. I'd resign Britton & Robertson too
The way their offense is built to hit HR's and nothing else they're going to score a ton of regular season runs but they're also going to be wildly inconsistent. The pitching is going to have to be much more consistent and the starting pitching is going to have to be much better to win a World Series with this offense and defense.
5 games is a small sample size and we suffered from the injury bug this season.
Gary Sanchez needs to drop 15-20 lbs this offseason. Obviously he's never going to be a great defensive catcher, but his current level is indefensible and all that extra weight has got to be hell on the knees too.
Stanton is going nowhere. 9 more years probably 2000 more strikeouts. You would have thought after Arod the Yankees would know better but I guess not. I don't think any team would would take his contract if the Yankees put him on waivers which I'm not sure they could do since he has a full no trade.
The Yankees got nothing from Sanchez or Bird this year. Bird may not even be on the team going forward. Sanchez is one of their core players hopefully this year was just a bad dream. Is anyone sold on Voit as full time 1B going forward? He's another bad defender in an infield full of them except Didi.
They got a great unexpected regular season bat from Andujar. It remains to be seen if he learns how to be an elite hitter or he's just going to be a guy who puts up numbers over 162 games which is still very valuable. It remains to be seen if he can ever field well enough to stay at 3B. Do we think they can live with his historically bad defense for another year?
Torres disappointed me in some ways. Not that I expected a 21 year old to be fully developed at his age but his fielding wasn't good at all and he got away from being a hitter and tried to hit a HR on every pitch. Hopefully he doesn't go backward next year. He is one of their core players.
Sounds like they'll pick up Gardner's option and Ellsbury is still under contract. So they'll let McCutchen walk. Frazier will get a chance to make the team. Hicks, Judge & Stanton will all be back too.
The luxury tax has been reset so no more talk about Hal's money.
If I ran the Yankees I'd sign Manny to play 3B and trade Andujar for young pitchers plural. I'd sign Corbin. I'd resign CC. I'd resign Happ. I'd resign Britton & Robertson too
The way their offense is built to hit HR's and nothing else they're going to score a ton of regular season runs but they're also going to be wildly inconsistent. The pitching is going to have to be much more consistent and the starting pitching is going to have to be much better to win a World Series with this offense and defense.
Here's a blueprint on what not to do.
The Red Sox did not win because they're built like some small ball team. We have greater depth throughout the lineup. They won because in a small set of games they hit better than we did; there was largely no difference in fundamental philosophy.
Anyone who thinks Gleyber Torres was a disappointment this year has bizarre ideas on what to expect from their 2B. If Gleyber Torres literally had this year for the next 7-8 years and never progressed and played 145 games a year, we're talking about a multiple-time all star and one of the best offensive infielders of his generation. And that's WITHOUT any progression from a 21 year old.
Let's slow down.
RF - Judge
SS - Machado (F/A signing)
DH - Stanton
3B - Didi
2B - Torres
1B - Voit/NWalker
C - Wilson Ramos (F/A signing)
LF - Frazier/McCutch
SP
Jacob deGrom (ship Sanchez, Andujar and Monty to Mets)
Dallas Keuchel (F/A signing)
Tanaka
Happ (re-sign)
Severino
Lol!!!
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He traded suckass Starlin Castro and two longshot kids in the low minors for the reigning MVP. If you think that's a "bad" trade, then there's no reason to ever pay attention to anything you ever have to say in the future.
It's not about what was given up, it's about the guaranteed contract that still has ten years remaining on it. I'm not saying it was a bad trade, but it's worthy of debate.
Exactly, it was a horrendous contract to take on. Guy feasted on shitty NL pitching and is a choke artist.
Thanks for the clarification.
I'm talking about guys who adjust their swings on difficult pitches to make sure they stay alive in a count. Yes, I want patient hitters who work the count, but I also don't think we need so many guys who swing their hardest every time.
I saw several hitters this postseason adjust their swing to make sure to stay alive, almost always fouling off the ball but staying alive. It seems like the Yankees don't do a lot of that.
I'm also wondering about how much losing Gary Denbo might have hurt us. Also, is Thames the right hitting coach? Seems like we did better with Cockrell.
I know I'm going to get slammed with responses of how many runs we produced and how we set the record for homers. I just think maybe with the talent we had perhaps we underperformed from a hitting perspective.
Bingo, the “it’s not my money” argument is so stupid. It’s about the teams lack of ability to acquire other talent.
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tend to be two separate things. Patient hitters work the count; contact hitters tend to swing early and are more apt to swing at a close pitch than take it. The Yankees have a number of guys who rank among the league leaders in pitches per AB. Judge is a very patient hitter, while Andujar is a contact hitter.
Thanks for the clarification.
I'm talking about guys who adjust their swings on difficult pitches to make sure they stay alive in a count. Yes, I want patient hitters who work the count, but I also don't think we need so many guys who swing their hardest every time.
I saw several hitters this postseason adjust their swing to make sure to stay alive, almost always fouling off the ball but staying alive. It seems like the Yankees don't do a lot of that.
I'm also wondering about how much losing Gary Denbo might have hurt us. Also, is Thames the right hitting coach? Seems like we did better with Cockrell.
I know I'm going to get slammed with responses of how many runs we produced and how we set the record for homers. I just think maybe with the talent we had perhaps we underperformed from a hitting perspective.
I get what you're saying and I'm definitely not criticizing. Andujar and Torres will hopefully provide a little more of that dimension; they have different approaches, but neither would be confused for a three-outcome bat. Walker provided some of that too. Stanton and Judge aren't going anywhere and they certainly bring that dynamic, and this year Sanchez did too. But they may need to ensure that the people around them in the lineup are more complete hitters. It'll be interesting to see what sorts of smaller moves they make. They could bring back Cutch or Walker, even a Daniel Murphy, to be a 300-400 AB guy; a pinch hitter, injury insurance and a lineup change of pace. They could also make a move for Harper or Machado, they certainly have the money.
I agree 100% The problem is,Hal wants the payroll down. He's the reason Verlander isn't a Yankee & Sonny Gray is. Even the Stanton deal was Cashman promising a salary push when adding Stanton (Castro plus moving Headley w/Mitchell to Padres). I'm interested to see how this FA off season pans out. Yanks will be under so will Hal allow Cashman to pursue big name FAs w/o a money concerns or will he tell him he wants the Yankee salary at a certain number & it's up to Cashman to keep it there? Unfortunately,I think it's the latter so I think the big signing of the off season will be Corbin.
I don't know how they do it, but Houston works miracles with pitchers.
Opportunity cost. Assuming a budget of around $200 mil going forward, and understanding that the currently cost-controlled guys like Sevy, Judge and Sanchez will eventually need to get paid, is committing that $22 mil or whatever of luxury tax money to Stanton a wise allocation of resources? I think over the next four or five years it will be, but it has the potential to go south quickly if he sustains an injury or if the bat speed slows such that .260-.280 becomes .210-.230.
I don't know how they do it, but Houston works miracles with pitchers.
Same with Cole. A good but not great pitcher in Pittsburgh with filthy stuff, but didn't really put it together even with a consensus top 2 or 3 pitching coach in baseball. He goes to Houston and he's a legit Cy Young candidate. Does that happen here? Who knows?
Besides, he's a scumbag who screwed the Yankees.
-I don’t think that moving Stanton to the Dodgers is as far-fetched as some here might make it sound. They have a lot of money rolling off this offseason, with decent chunks more coming off the next two. Doesn’t make it a given or “likely”, but if the yanks feel Harper is the better long-term asset and wants to come, there very well might be a way.
-Hyun-Jin Ryu is a bit of an under-the-radar FA option that I find intriguing. Some injury history with groin injuries, but he’s done some really nice things when healthy. He looks to finally be 100%. (Certainly not suggesting that this is a panacea for the pitching situation)
-I’m a hard pass on bringing either of Gardner or CC back. Money better spent elsewhere. Will always appreciate those guys, but I don’t think I’d appreciate watching them in pinstripes in 2019.
I don't know how they do it, but Houston works miracles with pitchers.
You may be right but I also think part of it was Verlander was on a team that had become perennial losers & the most exciting thing that happened to the Tigers was the brawl with the Yankees. But,he would have come under the tutelage of Larry Rothschild who has managed to screw up the pitching staff under 2 different managers.
But I agree,the Astros take pitchers,analyze what they have been doing,make subtle changes to their delivery/pitch selection & turn out a new & improved version!
-I don’t think that moving Stanton to the Dodgers is as far-fetched as some here might make it sound. They have a lot of money rolling off this offseason, with decent chunks more coming off the next two. Doesn’t make it a given or “likely”, but if the yanks feel Harper is the better long-term asset and wants to come, there very well might be a way.
-Hyun-Jin Ryu is a bit of an under-the-radar FA option that I find intriguing. Some injury history with groin injuries, but he’s done some really nice things when healthy. He looks to finally be 100%. (Certainly not suggesting that this is a panacea for the pitching situation)
-I’m a hard pass on bringing either of Gardner or CC back. Money better spent elsewhere. Will always appreciate those guys, but I don’t think I’d appreciate watching them in pinstripes in 2019.
Stanton to the Dodgers--if possible--is a move we need to think about seriously. We've got a lot more leverage than Miami. We can keep him if we want. That said, if LAD offers some attractive talent, especially young arms, it would be worth exploring a trade.
Gun to my head, I do prefer Harper to Stanton, but pulling all that off would be tricky. You can't sign Harper unless you deal Stanton, and if you do deal Stanton then you need to be pretty damned sure that you will sign Harper, or else you've created a pretty big hole in the lineup.
One thought - if they did do that, and had an everyday outfield of Harper-Hicks-Judge, do you make Andujar a DH? I know they don't like having a young guy DH, but I want to keep his bat in the lineup and I don't think he will ever be even average at third.
Andujar's defense is a serious concern Greg. It's a shame since he's got such a wildly talented bat.
And Rothschild has to go. We need to learn how to develop pitching. I credit Pedro for sevy's improvement. We have too many pitchers come here and fall apart, meanwhile seeing guys leave to suddenly perform.
I think the big questions this offseason surround Andujar. Love the kid, love the bat, but the Yankees were rightly terrified of his defense in the playoffs. Do they try to work through that with him? Do they start working him at a new position? Or is he trade bait?
Pitching is obviously the priority but the free agent options are good, not great. We only have two starters we can say for sure that are locked into the rotation for next season in Tanaka and Sevy, the latter of which has his own questions to figure out this offseason. So Corbin alone isn't going to cut it.
With Machado available and seemingly in a flirtation with the Yankees all season, and a potential need to trade for pitching, I do wonder what the future holds for Miggy.
It's not even Stanton having a "down year". Just given the opportunity to exchange him for Harper, I wouldn't think twice.
ELLSBURY IS BACK NEXT YEAR!!
I was thinking the same thing. I think Stanton could be heading for a great season. Piling on him as the scapegoat, when the entire lineup did not hit outside of Judge, simply isn't fair.
Now as you guys were saying, if you're asking me would I prefer Harper or Stanton for similar money, I'd go Harper slightly. But pulling that off is easier said than done. I think Stanton is here for the long haul and I'm happy about that.
They’re set to pay-big-or-lose some big talent over the next 2 offseasons, their payroll is higher than they’d like it to be, and their farm system isn’t considered to be strong.
If Goldshmidt is out on offer, might be something to consider. Does taking the final 3 years ~$100m on Greinke raise or lower the price? Is NYY on his block list? Would he waive? (All rhetorical / unknowns).
Obviously some far-fetched scenarios here - but highlights that there may be many options to improve the club beyond the limited number of big ticket FA names we’ll hear ad nauseum.
I'm not sure I can see a Stanton trade working out. We have more pressing issues anyway.
1. Hicks CF
2. Judge RF
3. Harper LF
4. Stanton DH
5. Sanchez C
6. Gregorius SS
7. Andujar 3B
8. Voit/Bird 1B
9. Torres 2B
If Dodgers want to take on that contract, we should do it.
If Dodgers want to take on that contract, we should do it.
I don't think the Yankees ownership has said they are immediately going back to 250, but they have said they will spend over the cap in the coming years.
Would like to see them bring back Happ, and maybe sign
a Corbin. Britton will be a closer elsewhere next year,
he was a rental coming off an injury. D-Rob a maybe?
I don't see Machado playing 3B here, he has already said
he wants to play SS, with his new team in the future.
Maybe they just try and sign Didi, he is a free agent after the 2019 season.
I don't see Harper, with Stanton's contract here as well.
It was a disappointing ending to the season, losing both games at home, you don't pitch and you don't hit...
We collected stars for all those years and had 1 world series ring to show for it. Let’s stay with home grown talent and plug holes instead of creating a glut with a high price tag unnecessarily.
I mean, it sucked that Frazier was hurt all year. Because of Stanton, Sanchez and Andujar couldn’t DH, Frazier would’ve been blocked had he been healthy, and Ellsbury had to be stashed on the IR all year.
I think they do the 2 million buyout instead, time to move on there.
Baseball is a game of crazy fluctuations and in the postseason, timing is everything.
Obviously Hal doesn't want the payroll to balloon too much, but there's a lot of money coming off the books this winter and the end of Ellsbury's contract is starting to come into view. Not sure Bird and Sanchez are going to earn monster contracts down the line either. There's a way they could swing this without having a $280 million payroll.
If players are solely at fault for their poor performances, how do we actually judge the effect of a pitching coach? Pedro turned Sevy around. Holder came up with his slider/change in the minors. The rest are all horror stories, from Gray being a mental midget, to Kanhle shitting the bed, to Green not coming up with a secondary pitch and regressing, to Betances being wildly inconsistent. Were Eovaldi and Pineda under Rothschild? How many relievers from the minors sucked while they were here and only to blossom elsewhere?
I am not saying Rothschild is bad, cause I don’t know, but where is the evidence that he’s a good pitching coach?
Sonny Gray will be moved to other pastures, why would the
Yanks bother giving him a raise in arbitration?
He can't handle NYC, need to get him out of here!
Eovaldi's evolution began before his injury under the tutelage of Rothschild.
and Altuve, Correa, etc.
What a year that Bregman had, I didn't think he would improve THAT quickly, go 'Stros.
Yankee pitching is a total disaster. Happ was a good acquisition, but I have no idea how to fix the overall problem.
CC is done. Something has happened to Sevy: needs to be figured out and solved -- or replaced as a top pitcher. Britton does not look like a good get and Lynn borders on useless. Cessa and Loaisiga are useless. Sheffield might be, too. Chappy is iffy with his leg problem.
Get rid of the excess HR hitter types and get real hitters: good in the box against great pitching. Go for speed, infield skill, outfielding ability (stong, accurate arms). Get over justly beloved Gardner.
Yankee pitching is a total disaster. Happ was a good acquisition, but I have no idea how to fix the overall problem.
CC is done. Something has happened to Sevy: needs to be figured out and solved -- or replaced as a top pitcher. Britton does not look like a good get and Lynn borders on useless. Cessa and Loaisiga are useless. Sheffield might be, too. Chappy is iffy with his leg problem.
Get rid of the excess HR hitter types and get real hitters: good in the box against great pitching. Go for speed, infield skill, outfielding ability (stong, accurate arms). Get over justly beloved Gardner.
"Get real hitters."
I just have a hard time what people mean by this. This is the table of team hitting stats from the 2018 season:
The Red Sox are the outlier here and their stats at home (with the wall) are heavily inflated (.282). The Yanks are totally middle of the road average wise. This was despite a horrific season from an injury plagued Gary Sanchez and otherwise mediocre production from catcher. We're .05 below the Astros, an excellent offensive team. So, I'm having a hard time understanding what people want. The Sox were carried by two historically great seasons by their best two hitters. One of ours had a down year and the other was injured. The other member (Sanchez) I discussed above. Despite it all, we were an elite offensive team and totally average BA--wise (and this is not even getting at the value of that stat).
Now, we do strike out a ton and that is an issue (Boston and Houston do not). But we also had basically the same number of hits as Houston. Our offense isn't the issue.
3B: wRC+ 106, OPS+ 110
DH: wRC+ 110, OPS+ 112
1B: wRC+ 108, OPS+ 112
Andujar was far above average for the league and for 3B hitting. But it's not like they are getting so much additional value by being able to play him at 3B in the same way as if he were a C/2B/CF. Given how bad his defense is, the Yankees are likely better off putting him at DH if they can go out and get a strong defensive 3B who is decent at the bat.
And given the struggles of the starting staff, the Yankees would be better up shoring up the infield defense they way they did with the outfield.
3B: wRC+ 106, OPS+ 110
DH: wRC+ 110, OPS+ 112
1B: wRC+ 108, OPS+ 112
Andujar was far above average for the league and for 3B hitting. But it's not like they are getting so much additional value by being able to play him at 3B in the same way as if he were a C/2B/CF. Given how bad his defense is, the Yankees are likely better off putting him at DH if they can go out and get a strong defensive 3B who is decent at the bat.
And given the struggles of the starting staff, the Yankees would be better up shoring up the infield defense they way they did with the outfield.
That's the issue, though, right? We've got plenty of guys who've got bats but need DH days.
It's better to link to fangraphs to compare team hitting because of how many more metrics are available to compare.
What make the Astros so great is that they walk a lot, were 11th in HRs, but were also 29th/30 in K%. So they have enough power, but also put the ball in play. It makes a team dangerous against all types of pitchers and situations.
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-the yanks don’t need to move on from Didi (I wouldn’t criticize them for doing it), but I really don’t like having such an OBP-constrained bat in the dead heart of this order.
-I don’t think that moving Stanton to the Dodgers is as far-fetched as some here might make it sound. They have a lot of money rolling off this offseason, with decent chunks more coming off the next two. Doesn’t make it a given or “likely”, but if the yanks feel Harper is the better long-term asset and wants to come, there very well might be a way.
-Hyun-Jin Ryu is a bit of an under-the-radar FA option that I find intriguing. Some injury history with groin injuries, but he’s done some really nice things when healthy. He looks to finally be 100%. (Certainly not suggesting that this is a panacea for the pitching situation)
Stanton to the Dodgers--if possible--is a move we need to think about seriously. We've got a lot more leverage than Miami. We can keep him if we want. That said, if LAD offers some attractive talent, especially young arms, it would be worth exploring a trade.
Word out here id if Dodgers don't win the WS Stanton would be a very desirable target as the Dodgers, like the Yanks, will reset their luxury tax this season.
Yeah people are talking about this team like it's the Giants; maybe that frustration has carried over. This was a damn good team.
2) A 400obp guy missed 9 weeks in front of him and the guys who hit behind him this year were Sanchez and Bird. The years Bird and Sanchez had suppressed his average 10 pts and 10 hrs.
3) he is notoriously a guy of habits, so maybe year two gets a lift.
4) by all accounts a good teammate...that matters with a young team.
if all of the above is true, the year to trade him is not this year for Harper but rather at the deadline or the year after for every good pitcher in their minor league system?
They still won 100 games, got to the ALDS and had a chance to win the series.
That's pretty damned good. And we have some really spoiled, bratty, whiny fans. I've been that way here and there but also realize how lucky we are as Yankees fans.
Anyone on board with the idea that Pedro might've slipped the Sox advice on how to read Severino? Doesn't it feel at least a little funny to allow our most prized pitching asset to be brought under the tutelage of an agent of our enemy?
Flame away!
The need for another SP is clear and will be addressed. And then there's a ton of things we can do with the lineup. Whether it's making a trade, signing a bat, shuffling things around, etc.
This is a really good team that can and will improve. I expect the Yanks to be competitive with this core for a pretty good stretch.
Sometimes the posts I read or the people I hear call into WFAN make it seem like we had an awful year - I'd say expectations were probably exceeded if anything. The future is bright.
Anyone on board with the idea that Pedro might've slipped the Sox advice on how to read Severino? Doesn't it feel at least a little funny to allow our most prized pitching asset to be brought under the tutelage of an agent of our enemy?
Flame away!
Wouldn't surprise me, and wouldn't even be inappropriate. Players and ex-players from different teams train together, but they have all manner of personal relationships. If Mookie called Pedro for tips on hitting Sevy, and if Sevy called Pedro for tips on pitching to Mookie, he'd probably take both calls.
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Tinfoil hats on, everyone! I haven't got remotely one shred of evidence to support this, but it won't stop me from floating the following:
Anyone on board with the idea that Pedro might've slipped the Sox advice on how to read Severino? Doesn't it feel at least a little funny to allow our most prized pitching asset to be brought under the tutelage of an agent of our enemy?
Flame away!
Wouldn't surprise me, and wouldn't even be inappropriate. Players and ex-players from different teams train together, but they have all manner of personal relationships. If Mookie called Pedro for tips on hitting Sevy, and if Sevy called Pedro for tips on pitching to Mookie, he'd probably take both calls.
Pedro's the type of guy who would rather have his fellow countryman be successful than an employer
Totally agree. If they fail to make the WS next year the cute cuddly baby bombers narrative is going to get old after 3 straight post seasons. I think the roster is at a key point right now. They are good, but they are not as good as the Red Sox or Astros right now. Sure anything can happen in a 5 or even 7 game playoff series, but facts are facts those teams are just better right now and it showed this series. The Sox get on base better, work counts better, and field better than we do. We had the better pen, but in 3 of the 4 games they built up a big enough lead where that didn't come into play as much.
Good season, but extremely disappointing ending.
I don't like that. I get that we can expect improvements (roster, health, development of young players), and I get that even without improvements 100 wins ain't so bad. Both true statements.
But I don't like it because they're the NY Yankees. Winning a ton of games in the regular season isn't good enough. This team needs to win championships.
Right now we have two teams in this league alone that have figured out how to improve spin rates and turn decent pitchers into aces. The parts keep changing yet the results stay the same. They've got something going where their pitchers can be lights-out in the postseason. Yes, we can be competitive. Is that what we're shooting for? No, we want to be dominant.
How are we going to consistently beat THOSE teams? The only answer I know of is to get the aces out of the games and attack their bullpens.
I don't see any way around a system-wide focus of hitting that increases pitch count.
Justus Sheffield
Chance Adams
Domingo German
Jonathan Loaisiga
I'm not including Montgomery because I have no idea how long it is going to take to return from TJS.
I thought German did pretty well considering. I think he is close to being a #5 starter at least.
I guess my point is, if any of these youngsters take a step forward like Severino, things could be better sooner than expected. Also, may give Cashman less incentive to spend big in free agency.
I don't like that. I get that we can expect improvements (roster, health, development of young players), and I get that even without improvements 100 wins ain't so bad. Both true statements.
But I don't like it because they're the NY Yankees. Winning a ton of games in the regular season isn't good enough. This team needs to win championships.
Right now we have two teams in this league alone that have figured out how to improve spin rates and turn decent pitchers into aces. The parts keep changing yet the results stay the same. They've got something going where their pitchers can be lights-out in the postseason. Yes, we can be competitive. Is that what we're shooting for? No, we want to be dominant.
How are we going to consistently beat THOSE teams? The only answer I know of is to get the aces out of the games and attack their bullpens.
I don't see any way around a system-wide focus of hitting that increases pitch count.
I agree that the Yankees need to do a better job developing starting pitching.
But in terms of a system-wide focus on increasing pitch count, the Yankees ranked
Pitches/PA: 3rd most
Strike (looking)%: 11th lowest
% Pitches swung at: T-3rd lowest
% swinging at 1st pitch: 9th lowest
The Yankees worked the count
The biggest problem I see is that the Yankees were T-8th wrost in the percentage of strikes that they put into play and T-7th worst contact %
https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2018-pitches-batting.shtml - ( New Window )
The Yankees saw the lowest % of strikes in baseball this year.
% of PAs getting to a 2-0 count
Cle: 15.7
Bos: 15.3
Hou: 15.1
NYY: 15.0
% of PAs getting to a 3-0 count
CLE: 5.6
And yet, they still ended up 12th in strikeout percentage.
NYY: 5.5
WSN: 5.5
HOU: 5.4
CLE: 5.6
NYY: 5.5
WSN: 5.5
HOU: 5.4
And yet, they still ended up 12th in strikeout percentage.
The Red Sox hit .400 with men on base in the series. They lead baseball in situational hitting all year. The Yankees couldn't get the hit they needed in game 1 and they couldn't get the hit they needed in game 4. But they didn't get those hits all year either. Their base loaded hitting was horrible all year and it was horrible in game 1 and game 4.
As Bill James has pointed out over and over the past 10 years the fact there's not a sabr measurement for something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I hope the Yankees start paying more attention to K prevention in their AB's. It does matter even if it can't be measured.
Bill2 pointed out the players hitting around Stanton as one of the many reasons his first year in NY was good but not great. But if you talk to a lot of sabr people they'll tell you there's no such thing a lineup protection basically because they can't figure out how to measure it.
Anyone who ever pitched a baseball game at the age of 13 or over can tell you first hand you always know who is on deck and it affects how you pitch in a major way.
I think the Yankees need a better blend of analytics and baseball scouting. The Red Sox beat them to analytics and the Yankees scrambled to catch up. Now they've beat them to adjusting away from just 3 outcomes.
I don't like that. I get that we can expect improvements (roster, health, development of young players), and I get that even without improvements 100 wins ain't so bad. Both true statements.
But I don't like it because they're the NY Yankees. Winning a ton of games in the regular season isn't good enough. This team needs to win championships.
Right now we have two teams in this league alone that have figured out how to improve spin rates and turn decent pitchers into aces. The parts keep changing yet the results stay the same. They've got something going where their pitchers can be lights-out in the postseason. Yes, we can be competitive. Is that what we're shooting for? No, we want to be dominant.
How are we going to consistently beat THOSE teams? The only answer I know of is to get the aces out of the games and attack their bullpens.
I don't see any way around a system-wide focus of hitting that increases pitch count.
I think it's a matter of direction.
84 wins in 2016
91 wins in 2017
100 wins in 2018
So, this is what you want to see. Obviously they went further last year when October rolled around, but regardless - I think the team is clearly headed in the right direction with plenty of room for growth. They're just not a finished product yet and can still get better. The needs are pretty clear and can be addressed this winter.
Lineup construction definitely needs to be looked at.
I haven't really dove into numbers on this, but it felt like there were a lot of stretches where we struggled far too much offensively given the talent in the lineup. Basically the type of stuff we saw last night against Porcello where we'd watch a called strike one, then chase something out of the zone and quickly be down 0-2. He got through 4 innings throwing about 10 pitches per inning. It was like we were just falling behind in AB after AB.
The Red Sox were at the top of the majors in average and hits but were far less HR-reliant.
We hit about 60 more HR's than they did this year, yet they scored 25 more runs through the course of the season.
Sometimes it's not even that complicated.
I don't want to get into the whole "HR or bust" argument - I'm not against power hitters, but the type of lineup we have is probably more prone to being streaky and result in nights like last night where we just can't come up with that hit we need.
Boston led the majors in hitting with runners in scoring position while we were closer to league average.
Situational hitting needs to be a major sticking point this offseason and we need to find a way to be better at it.
They’re still learning how to win
2. A lefty bat.
He is perfect fit between Judge and Stanton in the line up. And his OPS and HR numbers will easily rival their's. He can also play a little first base apparently. It's a no-brainer if you ask me. Exactly what they've been saving up for these past two years of getting under the luxury tax ceiling.
Hicks will be back - he's an arb guy. Judge is penciled into RF. I'm thinking the Yanks probably won't pick up Gardy's option.
McCutchen is a guy I'd personally like back for a year if there's a way to make it work. I think ~8M for a year is probably enough.
Frazier is done with the minors. Either he's got to be up here or we need to deal him.
Harper hasn't played LF at all in about 4 years. So, positional fit might be a bit of an issue. He can play some 1B - but Voit certainly played himself into serious consideration for that job full-time heading into next year.
Obviously most of the guys above are not guys you let block you from Bryce Harper. But he will need a spot in the OF every day if we were to acquire him and LF really seems to be the only spot we can open up.
Otherwise, we are a young team and I think it is best to think of us as where the Sox were two or three years ago. We are still building to a peak, but the Sox are already there.
I'm sure they're already looking at it and have been.
But, whether it's tipping pitches or something else, they have to figure out how to get him back to the pitcher he was pre-ASB because that guy was a true ace.
He did have better outings towards the end - he was pretty good vs. OAK in the play-in. But the performance against BOS in game 3 just wasn't what you expect from your best SP and it really killed us in this series.
I think Kershaw is going to opt out of his 2 years but his back and recent injury history make me too nervous.
I'd definitely pursue Corbin and see about bringing Happ back for ~2 years. CC might just decide to walk away at this point. I'd like him in a swingman type of role for one more year, but I don't know if that'll be feasible or not.
Severino
Corbin
Tanaka
Happ
That's a really solid 4 to start with. We can probably fill the last spot internally - give Loaisaga a better look. Maybe Sheffield.
If we want to look outside the org, Jeremy Hellickson might be a cheap option to slot in at the back end. He had a pretty solid year for WSH when he was healthy. He only threw 91 innings this year, but for a 5th starter or depth we could do worse.
Hicks will be back - he's an arb guy. Judge is penciled into RF. I'm thinking the Yanks probably won't pick up Gardy's option.
McCutchen is a guy I'd personally like back for a year if there's a way to make it work. I think ~8M for a year is probably enough.
Frazier is done with the minors. Either he's got to be up here or we need to deal him.
Harper hasn't played LF at all in about 4 years. So, positional fit might be a bit of an issue. He can play some 1B - but Voit certainly played himself into serious consideration for that job full-time heading into next year.
Obviously most of the guys above are not guys you let block you from Bryce Harper. But he will need a spot in the OF every day if we were to acquire him and LF really seems to be the only spot we can open up.
He wasn't all trash. He had a good 2013 before he got hurt. He pitched well in an abbreviated 2015 then had a bad 2016 and a "meh" 2017.
Corbin is still 28. It's possible he's just figuring things out and getting on track now. I'm sure the NYY brass will have a good feel for whether 2018 was an outlier or a sign of things to come - but with a 2.47 FIP, I'm inclined to think it wasn't fluky.
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Problem is, where does Harper play? LF?
Hicks will be back - he's an arb guy. Judge is penciled into RF. I'm thinking the Yanks probably won't pick up Gardy's option.
McCutchen is a guy I'd personally like back for a year if there's a way to make it work. I think ~8M for a year is probably enough.
Frazier is done with the minors. Either he's got to be up here or we need to deal him.
Harper hasn't played LF at all in about 4 years. So, positional fit might be a bit of an issue. He can play some 1B - but Voit certainly played himself into serious consideration for that job full-time heading into next year.
Obviously most of the guys above are not guys you let block you from Bryce Harper. But he will need a spot in the OF every day if we were to acquire him and LF really seems to be the only spot we can open up.
Voit May end up being the answer at 1B, but he needs to prove it all over again through the spring and early next year. I wouldn’t blame cashman for signing a stop gap 1B this offseason and see where the pieces fit
I definitely think he'll need to re-establish himself next spring and prove that his run here wasn't smoke and mirrors.
I think some regression is just to be expected - the guy would be one of the best players in all of baseball if you extrapolated his sample size into a 162-game season.
But, he was so good that he'd have to be the front-runner for the job as it stands now.
Bird will also be in the mix - I'm guessing the Yanks won't give up on him entirely just yet, but obviously I have my doubts about him and I'm sure most of us do.
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.. makes me exceedingly nervous. I would almost rather take a shot on Kershaw. I admit I have not watched Corbin pitched, so I don't know why he suddenly spiked in 2018. His H/9, k/9 and whip are sexy as hell. But why suddenly this transformation into a dominator? If the Yanks determine it is for real, then sure... go for it. But this guy was trash before this season. If we pay top dollar and get the old Corbin it will be a disaster.
He wasn't all trash. He had a good 2013 before he got hurt. He pitched well in an abbreviated 2015 then had a bad 2016 and a "meh" 2017.
Corbin is still 28. It's possible he's just figuring things out and getting on track now. I'm sure the NYY brass will have a good feel for whether 2018 was an outlier or a sign of things to come - but with a 2.47 FIP, I'm inclined to think it wasn't fluky.
sorry I don't share your view of 2013. His h/9 was ok, not near the elite levels of this year. And his k/9 were not very good. If we paid ace dollars and got that performance the Yanks would be screwed. It is like paying for Sale and getting Rick Porcello. The only year worth ace money was 2018. Anything else and you are getting a borderline third starter. And I do not trust the Yankee brass that much since they thought getting Sonny Gray was a great idea. Gray was never going to be anything more than a number 3 or 4 for us. Of course he turned out a lot worse than that. But they thought adding him would solve our pitching woes. For some reason the Red Sox always get the best SP - they got Pedro, they got Sale... for once, I want us to get Pedro.
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.. makes me exceedingly nervous. I would almost rather take a shot on Kershaw. I admit I have not watched Corbin pitched, so I don't know why he suddenly spiked in 2018. His H/9, k/9 and whip are sexy as hell. But why suddenly this transformation into a dominator? If the Yanks determine it is for real, then sure... go for it. But this guy was trash before this season. If we pay top dollar and get the old Corbin it will be a disaster.
He wasn't all trash. He had a good 2013 before he got hurt. He pitched well in an abbreviated 2015 then had a bad 2016 and a "meh" 2017.
Corbin is still 28. It's possible he's just figuring things out and getting on track now. I'm sure the NYY brass will have a good feel for whether 2018 was an outlier or a sign of things to come - but with a 2.47 FIP, I'm inclined to think it wasn't fluky.
at least with Kershaw you are getting a pitcher with an established level of one of the greatest of all time. Not that I think the Dodgers are letting him get away.
I think we need to make a trade for a better option at SP. Corbin seems more like a younger Happ and realistically we need a 1b or a 2a, not a 3-4.
I like the idea of resigning Happ, and sign Corbin. Push Sheffield to the fifth spot and let him sink or swim with it. Sevy, Corbin, Happ, Tanaka and Sheffield is a good rotation.
Hitters, I love to see Stanton traded, but if not he should DH and play a little outfield.
Agreed with others on the need for a contact hitter who can get on base.
Keep either Robertson or Britton
Sevy - Greg may be correct that he just has fatigue. The problem was his slider was not being thrown for strikes and the changeup was inconsistent. When the secondary pitches are working he is deadly, when not he is Michael Pineda. Think about what makes Betances great. His 98 mph FB and accurate breaking ball. He can throw the breaking ball for strikes and often resets himself with the BBs when his FB is off. Sevy needs to work on control of the slider or learn a cutter.
Andujar - his problem is his throwing, not fielding the ball. He is hesitant when he throws, hence the double clutches, crow hop steps and sidearm deliveries on routine plays. ARod temporarily helped him midseason, but he fell back into his bad habits. This is definitely fixable.
I'm not sure you give up on him just yet. But it will come down to if they want Machado. If they want Machado and get him, Andujar will be available for a decent pitcher. A move to 1st base? I do not like shorter first baseman(6 fters). OF? they do not need OFs especially those who have not played the position.
Voit and Bird - I have said previously that I do not think Voit is a flash in the pan. His ABs have been steady and he has a good eye. He is willing to go oppo and may actually prefer it ala Jeter, but with power. Fielding is a matter of desire. If he works hard, he can get seriously better at the scoops which are his failing.
Bird will go to camp and I'd bet my bottom dollar that Cashman still loves him. So don't be surprised if Bird comes to camp and there is a legit battle for first base.
Sanchez - agree he needs to drop more weight. While on the DL he did lose 10 to 15 lbs and it showed up getting down the line where a few times he either did beat out an infield hit or was close - also on potential DPs. The pass ball thing is a matter of pride. The Yanks must appeal to his pride. In a few of the post season games he looked very good blocking balls only to miss a few in other games.
Harper - the only way I'd want Harper is if Stanton were to be traded. Cannot have two huge contracts in the OF because Judge will need to be paid soon enough.
Gardy - I'll leave that to Cashman. I love Gardy, but the plate appearances are getting less and less positive outcomes. He still eats pitches better than anyone, but the OBP has dropped. They have Hicks to do the same thing in a younger version with similar OF skills and a better arm. Time is now for Frazier, too. Get him into the lineup.
CC - love the man, but he is a weak link in the rotation. Too few innings per outing. I'd let him go in FA with all the thanks in the world.
DRob - love to have him back on a 2 yr deal.
Britton - it may come down to DRob vs Britton. Britton will likely get a better deal to be some team's closer or primary set up man. But he just said he enjoyed being on a winning team and maybe closing is not a necessity. A lot younger than DRob. Can be a closer when Chapman needs a break. (DRob, Betances and Britton all can do this)
JA Happ - want him back. 2 yrs with buyout/team option for year 3.
McCutchen - with Frazier on the horizon, I'd let Cutch go.
Hechavarria - he will sign elsewhere, but I'd keep him if possible to be the utility IF.
Torres - the future. He let HRs get in his head late in the season. He consistently chased high fastballs that were balls and abandoned his 2 strike approach when he came off the DL. Can't wait to see what he does next year when he resets over the winter.
Stanton - absolutely the weirdest swing I have seen. Almost no lower body movement, virtually all arms and an abbreviated swing. He looks stiff and unathletic. Yet, he crushes balls he hits. He seeming cannot get to pitches low and away and high and in. But looks are deceiving. I think he has a better year next year.
Coaches:
Boone: Rookie manager. Made a lot of mistakes and Joey Cora clearly out managed him. He's not a dummy and will review his year to make adjustments. Still think Girardi is the better manager, by far. But Cash felt he could not get along with the young guys. I think Boone will improve next year and beyond.
It is hard to judge Rothschild and Thames. I have not been a fan of Rothschild because the Yankees younger pitchers do not seem to develop when they get to the Majors, but I also do not know anything on pitching mechanics so it is also possible there is no further improvement in these pitchers and he is getting the most out of these guys. Also, WTF happened to Gray? Guy has great movement on 4 pitches and he completely shit the bed here. Moment to big? Difference in pitching philosophy he could not accept? Have to place some blame on the pitching coach here.
Thames? - supposedly the players love him and he is well thought of. IDK.
Free Agents:
They need a reliable SP, a #2. Keep Happ who in my view is about equivalent to Tanaka.
Machado - depending on $$, he is an upgrade over Andujar and only 2 years older, iirc, but he must play 3rd base, not SS.
Patrick Corbin Got Better, Then Worse, Then Better - ( New Window )
Reading is fundamental. Heard that his range is limited, especially to his right (IIRC), but he catches what he gets to. It is his throws are terrible. Again it is not fielding the ball, it is his throws and that is what the data says - coverted outs. Too many bad throws.
Yes. Is it able to be corrected? IDK. It probably is and it would probably be better if it was worked on in the minors.
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His footwork is trash, which limits his range, but presents the biggest problem for him once he already has the ball in his glove. It makes him take forever to load the gun and fire it, and it leads to a lot off the goofy (oft described as “lazy”) arm angles and bullshit.
Yes. Is it able to be corrected? IDK. It probably is and it would probably be better if it was worked on in the minors.
It is what the offseason is for. He has nothing to gain by being in the minors- the bat is too good.
I’m not suggesting that Andujar doesn’t possess those traits. I have no idea. They’re going to be what he needs to grow through it.
I like the idea of resigning Happ, and sign Corbin. Push Sheffield to the fifth spot and let him sink or swim with it. Sevy, Corbin, Happ, Tanaka and Sheffield is a good rotation.
Hitters, I love to see Stanton traded, but if not he should DH and play a little outfield.
Agreed with others on the need for a contact hitter who can get on base.
Keep either Robertson or Britton
It might sound crazy, but if the Yanks look to the trade route for a SP, I think they need to call the Rockies.
German Marquez had only decent overall stats- but when you dive deeper, you see a SP who desperately needs to get out of Colorado. His season road numbers were 8-5 with a 2.95 ERA. In 17 starts on the road, he threw 106.2 IP, with 120K and 6 walks and 79 hits- for a WHIP of 0.98- and gave up 11 HR in those innings. True power arm- who is only 23 and just finished his second full season.
That kind of arm in the middle of the rotation could make a difference. But, a trade would be expensive- I doubt the Rockies take anything less than Sheffield, Frazier and another prospect in return.
Another possibility, though perhaps less likely, would be to shop Stanton to the Dodgers, who have a TON of OF coming off their payroll this offseason. One possible ask would be Stanton for Walker Beuhler plus a couple good prospects.
I would note for those who say "Corbin is a FA- it only costs money"- that is not exactly true. Corbin will almost certainly be given a tender offer that he will turn down in favor of a longer term deal. That means that the Yanks would have to give up their second round pick in next year's draft at $500,000 of IFA pool money.
What is also important to remember is that once your IFA pool is reduced, that also reduces the amount that you can subsequently trade for. Since teams can trade for up to 75% of their IFA pool- which the Yanks have done every year- that effectively means that the Yanks will really be giving up around $850,000 in IFA money.
Corbin was good last year- but there isn't a track record that would indicate that this wasn't a career year. Caveat emptor.
Only fair to mention the humidor as well, but would definitely agree that there’s much more to his 2018 than just that. Just a disclosure thought.
Who would you view as the primary competition for him? San Diego? Cubs?
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he dealt with injuries, took significant time recovering from injuries, and then was dominant for a year. I would worry about giving him a big money deal based on such a limited body of work as a 1-2 (really a strong 2) but he kept the ball in the yard in a homer-happy park. I think the money will be too much, but he could be very good.
Only fair to mention the humidor as well, but would definitely agree that there’s much more to his 2018 than just that. Just a disclosure thought.
Who would you view as the primary competition for him? San Diego? Cubs?
I thought the humidor had been in place for a couple years but you're right, just 2018. So that changes my thinking somewhat.
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In comment 14118572 bigbluehoya said:
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His footwork is trash, which limits his range, but presents the biggest problem for him once he already has the ball in his glove. It makes him take forever to load the gun and fire it, and it leads to a lot off the goofy (oft described as “lazy”) arm angles and bullshit.
Yes. Is it able to be corrected? IDK. It probably is and it would probably be better if it was worked on in the minors.
It is what the offseason is for. He has nothing to gain by being in the minors- the bat is too good.
rich, not saying he should be in the minors. It would be better if he could work out his throwing there. But his bat is too good to be sent down. And yes he needs to work it out in the off season. Like I said, ARod in just a short couple hours partially corrected his steps and throwing before he regressed. He needs to work a few days per week on his feet and throws.
Of course if they go with Manny, he becomes trade bait.
“If a coach or a manager decides to do something with the lineup, or pitch usage, or play one player versus another, and if that comes at the expense of your philosophy or runs counter to your philosophy, then you’ve got to call that coach or manager on the carpet,” Cashman said. “Versus, ‘ah, let it slide.’ You can’t let things slide. You have to constantly reinforce and educate and do battle with it. You also challenge them.”
I've said for a while that it would be a shame to waste his arm at first base, but I think there's a nonzero chance that they try to move him across the diamond and try to sign Machado for third. Andujar's bat is too good to not want him in the lineup, and I think his trade value will be more limited than you would think due to his defensive deficiencies. Might be worth a shot.
I think the chances that the Yanks move Didi and sign Machado as a SS are understated.
Sentimental stuff aside because I really like Didi the person, I don’t think it would be a bad move.
I think the chances that the Yanks move Didi and sign Machado as a SS are understated.
Sentimental stuff aside because I really like Didi the person, I don’t think it would be a bad move.
The correct move is sign Machado as third baseman and leave Didi where he is at SS. (IMHO)
If Machado wants the money from New York, he plays 3rd base. The only other option is move Didi to 3rd base. He has the power to be a corner IF.
Or move Didi for pitching now, sign Machado to play short, bank on Andujar developing at third. If Andujar fails, slide Machado to third, Torres to second, and chase a 2B.
Lots of different options.
Once undecided, I’ve really drifted into the camp that I don’t want Didi on a 5 year/$80M type deal beginning at age 30.
He had a down year in terms of BA but he lead the NL in walks (130) and finished the year with a .393 OBP. And that was after an atypical slow start. In the second half of the season he batted .300 with a .434 OBP and a .972 OPS.
As a left handed hitter at Yankee Stadium batting between Judge and Stanton in the lineup, there's no telling what kind of numbers he could produce.
RF: Judge
LF: Harper
3B: Andujar
SS: Didi
C: Sanchez
DH: Murphy
1B: Voit
2B: Torres
Bench: Romine, Torreyes, Frazier
Thoughts?
He had a down year in terms of BA but he lead the NL in walks (130) and finished the year with a .393 OBP. And that was after an atypical slow start. In the second half of the season he batted .300 with a .434 OBP and a .972 OPS.
As a left handed hitter at Yankee Stadium batting between Judge and Stanton in the lineup, there's no telling what kind of numbers he could produce.
He's below average in the OF, both in CF and in RF. Could he handle LF? Sure. But he's a huge downgrade over Brett Gardner, perhaps 15-20 DRS over the course of the season.
I think this is right.
He has been outstanding for several years now. But, as the old saying goes, past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
“If a coach or a manager decides to do something with the lineup, or pitch usage, or play one player versus another, and if that comes at the expense of your philosophy or runs counter to your philosophy, then you’ve got to call that coach or manager on the carpet,” Cashman said. “Versus, ‘ah, let it slide.’ You can’t let things slide. You have to constantly reinforce and educate and do battle with it. You also challenge them.”
I know that you have this belief that Cashman is acting as the manager through Boone. However, I think this quote undermines your belief.
What I read him to be saying is that the Yanks have a philosophy, and the coaches have to be on-board. However, it also indicates that the day-to-day decisions are made by the manager and coaches- with oversight of those decisions by the front office.
This is not different from any other team using modern methods that go beyond "instinct and intuition." The Astros have a core philosophy and they required their manager to get on board. Same in Boston when they hired Cora.
I agree. I would have been nice to have him for a few more years, maybe through age 31 or 32, instead of having to give him a big money deal at age 30.
I'd love to shuffle things around to land Machado, but again, the positional fit is hard. Moving Didi would open up SS, but we're not going to want Machado playing there full time. It's more likely we'd slide Torres over which opens up 2B - but Machado can't play there either.
Dealing Andujar for pitching might also be a possibility. In that case, you can just plug Machado right in @ 3B.
We have a lot of options. A lot, lot, lot of options. A little creativity and forward thinking here could yield a WS contender without a doubt. We're close.
RF: Judge
LF: Harper
3B: Andujar
SS: Didi
C: Sanchez
DH: Murphy
1B: Voit
2B: Torres
Bench: Romine, Torreyes, Frazier
Thoughts?
Daniel Murphy? NFW...he's 33 years old.
Keep Hechavarria over Toe.
Put Frazier in LF and DH Harper, should they go that route. Would rather Machado.
I think the chances that the Yanks move Didi and sign Machado as a SS are understated.
Sentimental stuff aside because I really like Didi the person, I don’t think it would be a bad move.
I was one of the main cheerleaders of this move in the off-season and early this year. However, the defensive numbers in Baltimore were bad. There appears to have been improvement in LA- but he played a lot of 3B too when Turner went down.
How much of the Baltimore numbers were due to playing for nothing vs. being in the race in LA? How much is due to smaller sample size? I don't know the answer to these things.
However, I would note this- because Machado cannot be given a tender offer by the Dodgers (teams cannot give a tender offer to a pending FA acquired in-season), the Yanks would NOT lose picks or IFA money if they signed Machado- making a true "money only" transaction.
I think Didi's trade value would normally be high, but there appear to be a limited number of contending teams who need a SS. I think his market would be limited to teams that want to contend because he probably begins his decline around the time that teams that are rebuilding are ready to be good.
I think the Dodgers, Rockies, Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Angels, and Nats all have solid SS and likely would not be very interested in Didi.
I think that might leave the Brewers, Braves, Cardinals, Phillies, Cubs- and dare we say the Mets- as possibilities. Not having a lot of competition might drain his trade value. Also, that list of teams has little in the way of SP to trade- except the Mets and Braves. I know the Braves are loaded with young SP, but they have yet to see much ML success from that group.
As for Andujar, I suppose they could try him @ 1B - I'm not sure how well he'd play there, but they could give it a shot. I'm not desperate to deal him. But, if replacing him with Machado were a possibility and flipping him into pitching help was the corresponding move, I wouldn't hate it.
A WFAN caller brought up Stanton to the Mets - it would never happen as the Mets don’t want that contract, and no doubt he’d reject the trade anyway. But from a pure baseball perspective would be a good move for both sides, Mets get a big bopper who’s a respected star/clubhouse guy, Yanks could pry away a front line starter (Wheeler?)
Pointless discussion in the end as it won’t happen, oh well
Yup.
The Mets want nothing to do with helping the Yankees at all. They'd rather be worse than help the Yanks.
It's dumb, but that's how they operate.
As for Andujar, I suppose they could try him @ 1B - I'm not sure how well he'd play there, but they could give it a shot. I'm not desperate to deal him. But, if replacing him with Machado were a possibility and flipping him into pitching help was the corresponding move, I wouldn't hate it.
Another factor to consider.
Let's suppose the Yanks indulge Machado and promise he will play SS. Let's also suppose that in that scenario, the Yanks keep Andujar at 3B and trade Didi.
Let's further suppose that in 2019, Machado is a disaster at SS and Andujar does not improve or regresses defensively at 3B.
There could be Door B, behind which in 2020 the Yanks move Machado to 3B, Torres to SS- find a new 2B and trade Andujar (or change position).
I don't think we need to go shuffling too many pieces in the lineup.
I agree there.
However, he has long wanted to play for the Dodgers- who just like the Yanks, reset their luxury tax this season. The Dodgers probably go with Turner and Seager at 3B and SS, and let Machado walk- so they won't be spending money there.
If the Dodgers lose the Harper sweepstakes, I suspect that they will be more than willing to circle back to the Yanks and check what the cost to get Stanton will be. Keep in mind that all but 2 of the Dodgers current OF will be FA at the end of the year.
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He will not go back to a losing organization.
I agree there.
However, he has long wanted to play for the Dodgers- who just like the Yanks, reset their luxury tax this season. The Dodgers probably go with Turner and Seager at 3B and SS, and let Machado walk- so they won't be spending money there.
If the Dodgers lose the Harper sweepstakes, I suspect that they will be more than willing to circle back to the Yanks and check what the cost to get Stanton will be. Keep in mind that all but 2 of the Dodgers current OF will be FA at the end of the year.
rich, I doubt the Yanks trade Stanton without signing Harper. It is a catch 22 because they would not sign Harper unless they could move Stanton. Once they sign Harper, there is only one outlet for Stanton and the Yanks would be limited in the return value.
I think if anything they go for Machado.
I have actually thought about the possibility that the Yanks get Machado to play 3B- and instead of trading Andujar, trade Stanton and put Andujar at DH. IMO, that would improve the team defensively (essentially swapping Machado for Andujar) without hurting the team offensively. I see Machado and Stanton as almost a wash. Stanton will hit more HR, but Machado is just a better overall hitter.
I agree that Machado @ SS and Miggy @ 3B is too spooky defensively on the left side of the INF. I'd feel much better with Machado @ 3B and Didi @ SS.
But It's also true that Torres could be shifted to SS to push Machado over if Didi is dealt or not retained, then we'd be looking for a 2B and a new position or team for Andujar.
I am personally in no rush to get Miggy out of town - he's one of my favorite guys on the team. Just spitballing some ideas here.
I don't think we need to MAJORLY overhaul the lineup, but I'd really like to try and shuffle at least a tiny bit to try and construct a lineup that handles situational hitting better than this one did. We seemed too prone to slumps the way things were closing out this year.
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In comment 14119141 section125 said:
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He will not go back to a losing organization.
I agree there.
However, he has long wanted to play for the Dodgers- who just like the Yanks, reset their luxury tax this season. The Dodgers probably go with Turner and Seager at 3B and SS, and let Machado walk- so they won't be spending money there.
If the Dodgers lose the Harper sweepstakes, I suspect that they will be more than willing to circle back to the Yanks and check what the cost to get Stanton will be. Keep in mind that all but 2 of the Dodgers current OF will be FA at the end of the year.
rich, I doubt the Yanks trade Stanton without signing Harper. It is a catch 22 because they would not sign Harper unless they could move Stanton. Once they sign Harper, there is only one outlet for Stanton and the Yanks would be limited in the return value.
I think if anything they go for Machado.
I know I just suggested it to Kyle, but I'll suggest it again. What if the Yanks signed Machado to be the 3B- but then traded Stanton and moved Andujar to DH?
I think Stanton for Machado is a push- Stanton hits more HR, but Machado is the better overall hitter.
Stanton struck out over 100x more than Machado did this year.
I want to get some of the K's out of here. I'd prefer Machado if I was given the choice. Still plenty of power - but a more consistent hitter and the type that I think this lineup really needs.
Obviously when Stanton goes on tears, he's as scary a hitter as there is in baseball. I'm not in a rush to get rid of him, either.
I know I just suggested it to Kyle, but I'll suggest it again. What if the Yanks signed Machado to be the 3B- but then traded Stanton and moved Andujar to DH?
I think Stanton for Machado is a push- Stanton hits more HR, but Machado is the better overall hitter.
Agree, I think that Machado is about an equal swap for Stanton offensively as you said and at 3rd base it is a major upgrade. Hoping that Frazier recupes over winter. With the OF of, Judge, Hicks, Frazier and then keep Gardy one more year, unless Ellsbury is truly healed and he can be the swing OF a let Gardner go to save money.
Just his basic BA has fluctuated wildly over the last 4 years.
2015 - .330
2016 - .243
2017 - .319
2018 - .249
Obviously there's more under the hood - but he's just been tough to peg recently.
I'd love Harper's bat in this lineup, but the positional fit is going to be a little bit of a challenge because I don't think anyone is going to want him in LF full-time.
2018 is an outlier. I'm not saying he is not improved and can't possibly repeat his performance but I am not sure this player is worth $30 mil at this time.
Other folks here have said he has had two years of note. He has not. Most of his other years are trash and he had one ok year where it would be nice if he was a fourth starter. Anything less than his elite 2018 for $30 mil is a bust imo. How likely is he to repeat that performance. It is a very big risk.
Kershaw on the other hand is an injury risk but he has been one of the very best pitchers in the history of the game. And guess what, the Yankees can win 100 games without him. The importance of an SP like Kershaw is that you have him in peak form for the playoffs. Kershaw is a pitcher on Sale's level. Corbin is a wild card. I like him for a good price but for top pitcher money I think it is a big mistake.
It's sort of hard for me to understand how that wasn't figured out and corrected months ago when there was obviously something wrong and he was getting bashed around. Particularly the start @ CLE when it looked like they literally knew every single pitch he was about to throw.
I guess it's not as easy to correct as maybe it seems. But it's still really frustrating.
And Harper will fit snugly into left field (Gardener won't be back and Frazier is an unknown), whereas the addition of Machado means figuring out what to do with either Didi or Andujar.
He's not a good OF'er as it is, and then we're moving him into the tougher corner @ YS when he hasn't played LF at all in 4 years. He had a -3.2 dWAR this past year and that's not even playing any LF at all.
It would be a pretty big downgrade from Gardner.
If he puts up offensive years like 2015 or 2017, you live with it. But it wouldn't be ideal.
Now Manny is an elite defender at 3B and at least a capable SS. So it's not just about the bat. But the inconsistency that Bryce has held against him is a bit overblown. Just my opinion
Check out the video.
Yankees insiders believe Severino was tipping his pitches - ( New Window )
He's still an excellent pitcher, but he's seen DL time each of the last three years. He could certainly get more than two years, but is it worth walking away from 2/$70 to get 5/$90 or even 5/$100?
And Harper will fit snugly into left field (Gardener won't be back and Frazier is an unknown), whereas the addition of Machado means figuring out what to do with either Didi or Andujar.
Overall as players they are close. Harper has pretty much been the better hitter at least as far as OBP and SLG tells us. But Machado has been more durable and plays a much tougher position. It's sort of a push and I would be happy with either of them.
He's still an excellent pitcher, but he's seen DL time each of the last three years. He could certainly get more than two years, but is it worth walking away from 2/$70 to get 5/$90 or even 5/$100?
The word is that he will turn down the option. I am not sure that is a good idea or a bad idea. He will certainly get an enormous contract on the open market. Having said that, The Dodgers have as much money as anyone and I don't expect them to let him leave.
I like Brantley the player a lot - I don't like the injury history. But he's a real LFer and he can hit when he's healthy.
His name caught my eye yesterday when I was looking at the upcoming FA's.
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It's behind a pay wall so I won't link it. But tells you all you need to know about how the Yankees are being run.
“If a coach or a manager decides to do something with the lineup, or pitch usage, or play one player versus another, and if that comes at the expense of your philosophy or runs counter to your philosophy, then you’ve got to call that coach or manager on the carpet,” Cashman said. “Versus, ‘ah, let it slide.’ You can’t let things slide. You have to constantly reinforce and educate and do battle with it. You also challenge them.”
I know that you have this belief that Cashman is acting as the manager through Boone. However, I think this quote undermines your belief.
What I read him to be saying is that the Yanks have a philosophy, and the coaches have to be on-board. However, it also indicates that the day-to-day decisions are made by the manager and coaches- with oversight of those decisions by the front office.
This is not different from any other team using modern methods that go beyond "instinct and intuition." The Astros have a core philosophy and they required their manager to get on board. Same in Boston when they hired Cora.
Sorry, if anything, the quote supports the proposition that Boone is there to do Cash's bidding.
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CF: Hicks
RF: Judge
LF: Harper
3B: Andujar
SS: Didi
C: Sanchez
DH: Murphy
1B: Voit
2B: Torres
Bench: Romine, Torreyes, Frazier
Thoughts?
Daniel Murphy? NFW...he's 33 years old.
Keep Hechavarria over Toe.
Put Frazier in LF and DH Harper, should they go that route. Would rather Machado.
If Machado batted lefty, yes.
We need more balance.
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In comment 14118646 arniefez said:
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It's behind a pay wall so I won't link it. But tells you all you need to know about how the Yankees are being run.
“If a coach or a manager decides to do something with the lineup, or pitch usage, or play one player versus another, and if that comes at the expense of your philosophy or runs counter to your philosophy, then you’ve got to call that coach or manager on the carpet,” Cashman said. “Versus, ‘ah, let it slide.’ You can’t let things slide. You have to constantly reinforce and educate and do battle with it. You also challenge them.”
I know that you have this belief that Cashman is acting as the manager through Boone. However, I think this quote undermines your belief.
What I read him to be saying is that the Yanks have a philosophy, and the coaches have to be on-board. However, it also indicates that the day-to-day decisions are made by the manager and coaches- with oversight of those decisions by the front office.
This is not different from any other team using modern methods that go beyond "instinct and intuition." The Astros have a core philosophy and they required their manager to get on board. Same in Boston when they hired Cora.
How does that quote undermine the belief that the Yankee manager is Cash's puppet? "does something with the lineup, pitch usage"? You get called on the carpet by the FO for "philosophy", whatever that means. That is getting down in the managerial weeds.
Sorry, if anything, the quote supports the proposition that Boone is there to do Cash's bidding.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Remember that Girardi got fired, in large part, because he could not relate to the younger players- and by the end of last season, rarely even spoke to many of them- according to numerous reports. The Yanks are in a youth movement, and that is a team philosophy. So is communication.
Girardi was always a vet first, second and last guy. He really resisted playing the young players- especially pitchers. That ran against the team philosophy- and it got him fired when he couldn't change. Even getting to Game 7 of the ALCS couldn't save him.
What the quote shows, in my opinion, is that Cashman is trying to instill a organizational way of doing things. In the old days, the O's and Dodgers used to call it "the Dodger way" or "the Oriole way." There was a way of teaching the younger players, there was a way things were done, and there was a philosophy that guided the way the team was run on the field.
I don't think this is much different that what they did.
I know some here want to see some sort of nefarious interference by Cashman in the day-to-day managing a team, but I don't see the evidence for it. IMO, this is no different than a corporation putting out its corporate guidance and credos- it doesn't mean that the CEO is running the day-to-day of the company through the managers- it is just the way things are to be done (or supposed to be done).
I am sure that the numbers will never be seen publicly, but I suspect that the Yanks analytics guys have crunched the numbers for the shift and other defensive things- and applied them to the unique shape of the Stadium (small RF, huge LF). I also suspect that those numbers bear out that lefties are actually disadvantaged in Yankee Stadium.
Think how many times we saw all the lefties in recent years (especially Tex batting lefty) hit the ball a ton- only to have the 2B make the play in short RF. In contrast, we don't see too many defensive plays made in short LF by middle INF against righty hitters.
It might be that in this new age of shifts, defensive positioning and Stadium designs that it is better to be a righty hitting team in Yankee Stadium. I would suggest that Judge, Voit and other power guys have no problem taking the ball out to RF when it is pitched away.
Obviously, that may change on the road- but teams still pay 81 games at home out of 162, so you may as well design your team for your park.
It's sort of hard for me to understand how that wasn't figured out and corrected months ago when there was obviously something wrong and he was getting bashed around. Particularly the start @ CLE when it looked like they literally knew every single pitch he was about to throw.
I guess it's not as easy to correct as maybe it seems. But it's still really frustrating.
I still say it was his inability to throw his offspeed stuff for strikes - they were not near the plate. It must be a real easy tell if every batter knew in a millisecond what each pitch he was throwing.
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Unrelated, but unfortunately, the Yanks seem to have arrived at the same conclusion most of us did re: Sevy, which was that he was tipping pitches in game 3.
It's sort of hard for me to understand how that wasn't figured out and corrected months ago when there was obviously something wrong and he was getting bashed around. Particularly the start @ CLE when it looked like they literally knew every single pitch he was about to throw.
I guess it's not as easy to correct as maybe it seems. But it's still really frustrating.
I still say it was his inability to throw his offspeed stuff for strikes - they were not near the plate. It must be a real easy tell if every batter knew in a millisecond what each pitch he was throwing.
Just a thought. How about Sanchez tipping pitches by his set up for the pitch called? Batter could not see it but maybe base coaches could?
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Unrelated, but unfortunately, the Yanks seem to have arrived at the same conclusion most of us did re: Sevy, which was that he was tipping pitches in game 3.
It's sort of hard for me to understand how that wasn't figured out and corrected months ago when there was obviously something wrong and he was getting bashed around. Particularly the start @ CLE when it looked like they literally knew every single pitch he was about to throw.
I guess it's not as easy to correct as maybe it seems. But it's still really frustrating.
I still say it was his inability to throw his offspeed stuff for strikes - they were not near the plate. It must be a real easy tell if every batter knew in a millisecond what each pitch he was throwing.
I think that was also part of it - but I saw this during the game and was pretty startled...
At one point, NESN noted that Jackie Bradley Jr. mouthed “fastball” on the bench to Mookie Betts on an 0-and-2 pitch to Brock Holt.
I think they knew exactly what he was throwing before he was throwing it in a bunch of instances. It literally looked that way on the field.
Whatever it was, they have to figure it out and get him back to what he was in the first half of the season. Having that version of Severino is vital to this team and their success going forward.
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In comment 14119206 arcarsenal said:
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Unrelated, but unfortunately, the Yanks seem to have arrived at the same conclusion most of us did re: Sevy, which was that he was tipping pitches in game 3.
It's sort of hard for me to understand how that wasn't figured out and corrected months ago when there was obviously something wrong and he was getting bashed around. Particularly the start @ CLE when it looked like they literally knew every single pitch he was about to throw.
I guess it's not as easy to correct as maybe it seems. But it's still really frustrating.
I still say it was his inability to throw his offspeed stuff for strikes - they were not near the plate. It must be a real easy tell if every batter knew in a millisecond what each pitch he was throwing.
I think that was also part of it - but I saw this during the game and was pretty startled...
At one point, NESN noted that Jackie Bradley Jr. mouthed “fastball” on the bench to Mookie Betts on an 0-and-2 pitch to Brock Holt.
I think they knew exactly what he was throwing before he was throwing it in a bunch of instances. It literally looked that way on the field.
Whatever it was, they have to figure it out and get him back to what he was in the first half of the season. Having that version of Severino is vital to this team and their success going forward.
If it was that easy, I think other sources would come out with a tutorial and show what the tip was. Unless some scout, reporter, official somewhere comes out and shows what the tip was, I will be wary.
I thought maybe it was Sanchez. Does Sanchez set himself up differently for fastballs and sliders? But I also suppose Romine would be guilty as he was catching over the summer while Sanchez was on the DL, which is pretty far fetched.
Maybe Sanchez was doing something differently on slider calls to try and prevent a PB or WP. I really have no idea. But something was off and it definitely felt like Boston knew what he was throwing before he threw it.
There's definitely more to it, I think - but the Yankees themselves seem to believe there was a pitch tipping issue in addition to whatever else was happening.
Bottom line, I just hope they figure it out and get him back to first half Sevy.
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tick higher BA and SLG against RHP, lower OBP (.358 vs. .386). It matters, but it doesn't matter that much.
I am sure that the numbers will never be seen publicly, but I suspect that the Yanks analytics guys have crunched the numbers for the shift and other defensive things- and applied them to the unique shape of the Stadium (small RF, huge LF). I also suspect that those numbers bear out that lefties are actually disadvantaged in Yankee Stadium.
Think how many times we saw all the lefties in recent years (especially Tex batting lefty) hit the ball a ton- only to have the 2B make the play in short RF. In contrast, we don't see too many defensive plays made in short LF by middle INF against righty hitters.
It might be that in this new age of shifts, defensive positioning and Stadium designs that it is better to be a righty hitting team in Yankee Stadium. I would suggest that Judge, Voit and other power guys have no problem taking the ball out to RF when it is pitched away.
Obviously, that may change on the road- but teams still pay 81 games at home out of 162, so you may as well design your team for your park.
A pull-happy lefty in YS is definitely disadvantaged for everything but homeruns, and analytics-driven pitching can help to blunt the impact of that. It's hard to go oppo on someone living inside, especially with heat (which everyone has), so it's either going to be lined into the shift or, if he misses a spot, over the fence.