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.
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.