NFT: Yankees thread

So, with that in mind, I think they leave Torres alone at 2B and do not play him at SS. Didi is supposedly coming back at a decent time this year so I don't think they want to be switching Torres back and forth. I do think they will bounce Torres back amd forth in spring training but ultimately he'll be at 2B.

Then comes the question who plays short if and when Tulo gets hurt? I don't know.

Honestly, I don�t think so.

The Padres are in on trading for Kluber but would do so with the idea to flip him. Enter the Yankees and the Padres reported interest in Andujar and they have also looked at Sonny Gray.

So playing this out (and it does not include Machado, I think that ship has long sailed).

- Padres trade for Kluber
- Yankees and Padres reach deal for Kluber which will include Andujar and Gray as the headliners (and maybe other parts)
- LaMahieu takes over at 3rd base
- Give Tulo his shot at SS or if that's not working, then look to maybe shift Torres there. But ultimately it's holding down the fort until Didi is back.

So now you have a rotation of Kluber, Sevy, Tanaka, Paxton, Happ, and CC.

But we discussed in a thread last week how does Tulo fit in here, in this scenario, and with no Machado, Tulo would end up being needed until Didi is ready.

Interesting

In comment 14263823 The_Boss said:

Quote:

Honestly, I don�t think so.

Vegas thinks so

not to start the season unless Andujar is traded. But if he's not he won't stay at 3B very long.

Machado...but after thinking about it, I am ok with it. I think that dude could be cancer.

In comment 14263823 The_Boss said:

Quote:

Honestly, I don�t think so.

I don't get the warm and fuzzy. I think they still need:
1. Another front line SP
2. Another quality reliever
3. Someone to hit 3rd in the lineup (hopefully Manny)

of the running for Machado but everything from Machado's side seems to be pressuring the Yanks into making a better offer. When news comes out now it seems like it is either false or trying to bump up his price.

Here is my thinking (and this could be way off):

First, we heard that the Yanks have not make an offer to Machado so they were out. Well, at that point no team made an offer except for possibly Chicago.

Second, we hear that Chicago offered 8 years and could possibly go up from there. Well, not even a day later those reports were debunked and it is known that Chicago offered 7 and have not increased it.

Chicago made their offer. If Machado wanted that then he would have accepted it by now imo if he wanted to be there. The only way he plays in Chicago is if no other team comes close to what they offered.

Finally, there was a report that came out that Machado is going to the highest bidder and not team, not even the Yanks, will get a discount. Um, why is that public? Thay just screams to me, "Hey, Yanks! I want to play in NY so make me a better offer."

I am not saying he will end up with the Yanks but he is trying to squeeze every dime out of them before committing.

Oh, then we get into these mystery teams. Don't get me started on that. Machado was not heard from for weeks and then all of a sudden we start hearing thesd reports. When you put it all together it tells me he isn't happywith either the offers, the locations, or both. Imo, that favors the Yanks.

Based on recent reports, I think he will be more than adequate, possibly + with his glove. His bat is a real unknown.

As always, SP is still too much of a question mark. Even with Sevy regaining form and solving the mystery of last season.

Perhaps they will move even closer to SPs pitching less innings. This may be where our 'Triple AAAs' in the OP come in.

In comment 14263830 Tuckrule said:

Quote:

In comment 14263823 The_Boss said: Quote: Honestly, I don�t think so. Vegas thinks so

The Yanks had a better over/under last year too. How�d that work out?

I also don�t believe the Yankees are completely out of it on Machado, but if they are does trading Andujar really make sense long term? If you lose Andujar to gain Kluber its probably a plus, but Andujar was very important to the team last year. Does that move really put us past the Sox?

It doesn�t sit well that the Yankees are gonna pass on both Harper and Machado at a time that they happen to be at a lower than usual payroll. Those guys are both 26 and as good as it gets. I admit to being a spoiled Yankees fan, but they still need to spend to surpass Boston and Houston. I just can�t think of a good reason that they wouldn�t make a solid effort to land them.

In comment 14263920 mattyblue said:

Quote:

I also don�t believe the Yankees are completely out of it on Machado, but if they are does trading Andujar really make sense long term? If you lose Andujar to gain Kluber its probably a plus, but Andujar was very important to the team last year. Does that move really put us past the Sox? It doesn�t sit well that the Yankees are gonna pass on both Harper and Machado at a time that they happen to be at a lower than usual payroll. Those guys are both 26 and as good as it gets. I admit to being a spoiled Yankees fan, but they still need to spend to surpass Boston and Houston. I just can�t think of a good reason that they wouldn�t make a solid effort to land them.

But they aren't at a lower than usual payroll. If we do not get either player we will either be 2nd or 3rd in payroll in MLB.

Andujar for Kluber. Kluber is on the wrong side of 30, and may have just a few good seasons left. If they are going to trade a young guy like Andujar for a SP, I would rather it be for someone younger.

My guess for not aggressively pursuing Manny or Harper is that they are looking at the guys on the team that will be getting big paydays in the next few years.

he had a 126 OPS + which is good but certainly not great and he was the absolute worst fielding 3B in MLB since they started keeping defensive metrics. Andujar was farther from the 2nd worst 3B than the 2nd worst 3B was from the best. I'm not a fan of WAR as a reliable stat but for those who are he was 2.2. Only 1B had lower WAR for the Yankees last year. He wasn't and isn't a really important player.

In comment 14263962 robbieballs2003 said:

Quote:

In comment 14263920 mattyblue said: Quote: I also don�t believe the Yankees are completely out of it on Machado, but if they are does trading Andujar really make sense long term? If you lose Andujar to gain Kluber its probably a plus, but Andujar was very important to the team last year. Does that move really put us past the Sox? It doesn�t sit well that the Yankees are gonna pass on both Harper and Machado at a time that they happen to be at a lower than usual payroll. Those guys are both 26 and as good as it gets. I admit to being a spoiled Yankees fan, but they still need to spend to surpass Boston and Houston. I just can�t think of a good reason that they wouldn�t make a solid effort to land them. But they aren't at a lower than usual payroll. If we do not get either player we will either be 2nd or 3rd in payroll in MLB.

That�s true. I�m still greedy just greedy I suppose lol. I hate that the Sox seem to have a better team than us. I just hate passing on Harper, I know he was never in their plans but I really enjoy watching him play and was hoping to see him on the Yanks. Signing Machado would have been a pretty great consolation. Rarely do you get a shot at signing a 26 year old star in free agency, hate passing on them. Maybe it�s the smart move though.

In comment 14263973 arniefez said:

Quote:

he had a 126 OPS + which is good but certainly not great and he was the absolute worst fielding 3B in MLB since they started keeping defensive metrics. Andujar was farther from the 2nd worst 3B than the 2nd worst 3B was from the best. I'm not a fan of WAR as a reliable stat but for those who are he was 2.2. Only 1B had lower WAR for the Yankees last year. He wasn't and isn't a really important player.

He�s 23? and should have been the rookie of the year. He had a lot of big hits for the Yankees last year. I�d rather not lose him.

In comment 14263973 arniefez said:

Quote:

he had a 126 OPS + which is good but certainly not great and he was the absolute worst fielding 3B in MLB since they started keeping defensive metrics. Andujar was farther from the 2nd worst 3B than the 2nd worst 3B was from the best. I'm not a fan of WAR as a reliable stat but for those who are he was 2.2. Only 1B had lower WAR for the Yankees last year. He wasn't and isn't a really important player.

He was the most consistent offensive contributor on the team. OPS+ doesn't like him because he's not a big OBP guy, but they have other guys who walk. His offensive skill set was valuable; his lowest one-month OPS still saw him hit .287 and he was at his best in August. I like the new stats and I find them instructive, but let's acknowledge their limitations. A team needs different types of contributions and Andujar's were particularly valuable to a team battling slumps and injuries all year long.

I'd like to add another reliever - I'd still be looking at starters, too.

The more I think about it, the more I'm fine with passing on Machado unless the price comes down.

Like I said yesterday, the Yanks scored more runs last year than anyone in baseball outside of Boston - with our best hitter missing nearly 1/3 of the season. I don't know why Machado is really a major "need" here.

It's not that I'd be against signing him or be mad if we did - I just am not sure it's a necessary addition. It's like paying for an extravagant meal when you're not even that hungry. Is the ROI there?

NYY won 100 games in 2018 and can still improve as-is (I also expect another addition or two - smaller scale)

It's really not unique to us - Bryce Harper is a free agent right now and barely anyone seems interested. Think about that....

The FA landscape is in a spooky place right now. The teams just don't see the value in these megadeals and no one wants to give them out.

is likely selling high so I'm all for it. Is there a chance he improves his defense and gets even better as a hitter? Of course. But I think there's a better chance his defense doesn't improve that much, meaning he's a 1B/DH.

The one scenario I've always been on board with is dealing Miggy+ for Kluber, and then turning around and inking Machado to play 3B and re-up'ing Didi for ~4 years (assuming he shows no ill effects from the injury)

But dealing Miggy is easier said than done and finding the right match could be a challenge with his positional future sort of in flux.

I also think with him busting his butt every day to work on his defense, etc... the Yanks probably aren't too eager to reward that by shipping him away. I know in a vacuum, that shouldn't matter or have any bearing on what they do - but I think there's an undeniable human element and the brass probably wants Andujar to succeed here knowing he's putting in so much time to improve.

In comment 14263997 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

is likely selling high so I'm all for it. Is there a chance he improves his defense and gets even better as a hitter? Of course. But I think there's a better chance his defense doesn't improve that much, meaning he's a 1B/DH.

That�s a fair point, but Kluber will be 33 at the start of the season. Is that the right guy to get if you are selling high? He�s obviously a good pitcher but his age has to be a consideration.

If you watched the clip of it, he looks exactly the same. It's admirable that he's putting in so much work, but ultimately I don't think it's going to make any difference.

and they will worry about the future when it comes. That obviously didn't work with them only winning in 2009 so they went back and revamped the Farm.

The kids who came up are now producing and the Farm is very young now.

They really need another Lefty in the lineup and to add another Reliever.

The IF defense without Didi is also very scary right now.

Are the Yanks playing opossum with one of Manny/Harper?

remember they won 100 games last year. The Redsox did nothing to strengthen their B.P.

at 3B that Andujar lacks. He just does not react well to the ball off the bat and his first step is pretty slow. I'm not sure how much is correctable. They could clean up his throwing motion, maybe improve his range a bit. But to go from bad to even above average defensively seems unlikely. I don't want to trade him, unless it's for a true top of the rotation starter. I think his type of hit tool is very unique and important to this lineup. But I can't see him sticking at 3B

that it's not unreasonable to believe that Andujar's value will never be higher than it is now.

That doesn't make it correct, only time will tell. But it's not a given to me that he improves defensively.

In comment 14264032 mitch300 said:

Quote:

remember they won 100 games last year. The Redsox did nothing to strengthen their B.P.

true, Didi also missed a ton of games. With that, Boston and Houston were still better, deeper in the rotation.

next year. They will not keep up another 108 win pace, just simply by human nature.

Beyond that, Sale is a good bet to spend time on the DL, and would it stun anyone if he's shut down at some point in 2019 with arm troubles? The same can be said for Price. With a weakened bullpen, Boston is going to drop back to the pack a bit. If the Yankees can get a full year of health out of Judge, get Sanchez back in shape, and Stanton with now familiarity of the AL, I think the Red Sox and Yankees are at the least even, with the Yankees probably a shade better. If they are able to somehow maneuver and get a trade for Kluber, by any measure, the Yankees should/would be favored over Boston.

Bat for us, and if he fixes his throwing motion he�ll be an adequate 3B. And he�s only 23.

As for who plays SS, it seems apparent that Torres will swing to SS when Tulo needs a day off, unless DJ can play SS, which would surprise me.

I�d prefer that we sign Machado or Harper, but Harper�s personality may not be a good fit.

Red Sox. If they can fall off, so can the Yanks. Sox may not win 108, but 98-100 is not unreasonable. Just like 95-98 is not unreasonable for the Yanks - nor is 102.
Yanks will really miss Didi. Yet the SPs should be better, ergo the BP should not but under the same stress and it is basically better than a year ago. A full year of Britton, should be as good if not better than DRob.

But have to wait and see what transpires healthwise in ST.

Kyle hit on it - it's that his reactions to the ball off the bat always seems a step or two too slow, and I'm not sure that's something you can improve on very much.

and he didnt just have a fluky good year he progressed solidly throughout. He can learn to take more walks and can develop further defensively or move to another spot. he is far from a finished product and hasnt maxed out his value yet

In comment 14263997 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

is likely selling high so I'm all for it. Is there a chance he improves his defense and gets even better as a hitter? Of course. But I think there's a better chance his defense doesn't improve that much, meaning he's a 1B/DH.

There is also talk that he could be moved to the OF. He has been very erratic with his throws, but the line on him coming up through the system was that he has a rocket of an arm; which may work well in the OF.

In comment 14264108 Greg from LI said:

Quote:

Kyle hit on it - it's that his reactions to the ball off the bat always seems a step or two too slow, and I'm not sure that's something you can improve on very much.

Eh, he took too long to throw the ball. His footwork was poor and he had to rush the ball to 1st. The arm is strong, but he takes forever to throw it. It is what ARod was working with him on over the All Star break. Hopefully he kept working over the winter.

.

In comment 14264142 Greg from LI said:

Quote:

.

His range is ok, but if you can't make the throw to 1st, you aren't good, true. But if he corrects the throws, he isn't below average.

For all the hot air about Andujar, Machado, Bird and whoever else, their starting pitching may be shakier than last year. Severino is very good but he's not a true ace to the extent Sale is. After that every one is a question mark. Even Tanaka is a question mark. He has an awful lot of pitches on that arm, he doesn't have a great four seamer, and he's in such poor condition that he pulled both hamstrings running 90 feet. And then there's the elbow. When he starts to decline, it won't be gradual. He's going to fall off a cliff. After that we've got Happ who's good but probably not as good as what we saw last season, Paxton who's a question mark, and CC who's running on fumes. We'd better hope that Gray, Cessa or German can step it up. Montgomery will help when he comes back, but he's coming off TJ.

The throwing is not why Andujar grades out so poorly. He does not get to enough balls. His range is very poor. The throwing is easier to evaluate just watching the game because a ground ball out of the reach of Andujar for a single does not seem so bad. But he grades out so poorly in defensive metrics because of the range.

I�d take Sale over Sevi, but Paxton is equal to Price, Tanaka is better than Eovaldi, Porcello and Happ seem about equal, and CC and Rodriguez are a wash.

It would be great to land another ace, but we won 100 games with Sanchez out about 5 weeks, Judge missing a month and a half, no offense from 1B or C, Hicks out a bunch, Frazier missing the season, and two rookies in the infield. It�s not like we suck.

and pitching at full capability, particularly Severino, I like our rotation better. But Tanaka, Paxton, and CC are health risks and I'm not sure what to expect from Severino this season. Such a significant drop off from him in the second half last season.

Boston seems content to bring back pretty much the same team next season. Not the worst idea considering the success they had. But I'm counting on some regression there.

their starters were better, their situational hitting was superb, their defense was much better on the whole, their BP was good enough and frankly they were better coached. But they were also healthier, in that outside of Pedroia virtually nobody lost significant time due to injury. As with 2013 they had career bests from some good but not great players, including JBJ finding his stroke for the postseason and Eovaldi and Price doing what they did. The odds that all of that will come together again and that their stars will stay healthy is pretty low. It was an 8 game gap last year, we've got a solid chance to win the division this time around.

Also, can we expect some growth from Loisiaga or German?

In comment 14264175 yatqb said:

Quote:

I�d take Sale over Sevi, but Paxton is equal to Price, Tanaka is better than Eovaldi, Porcello and Happ seem about equal, and CC and Rodriguez are a wash. It would be great to land another ace, but we won 100 games with Sanchez out about 5 weeks, Judge missing a month and a half, no offense from 1B or C, Hicks out a bunch, Frazier missing the season, and two rookies in the infield. It�s not like we suck.

CC and Rodriguez are not a wash. E Rod has tremendous potential; CC does not.

That's a mite strong, no? He's been in the league for four seasons and been roughly around league average to slightly above average.

I don't mean to single you out. Just making a point. Andujar's range is horrific. It's not poor it's historically bad. He's a good hitter. He's very good at covering the plate. I think he has a better chance of improving his OBP by being a little more selective than he does improving his fielding. I think he's as good as he's going to get at 3B. I don't think his trade value is very high because it's no secret he can't play defense at all. We'll see how it plays out.

In comment 14264217 Greg from LI said:

Quote:

That's a mite strong, no? He's been in the league for four seasons and been roughly around league average to slightly above average.

Maybe a tad strong but he's a 25 year old lefty who had north of a 10 K/9 last year. He has the potential to make a leap to being a very good starter. We know what CC is.

have to do with whether an out is recorded on a given ball, not whether the defender gets to them. So throws that are double-clutched or balls that are just eaten are treated as analogous to balls he never reaches. If his throwing improves his range factors should improve. Again, not going to be Adrian Beltre. But he doesn't have to be.

his bat is just to good to move as he hit .410 against curve balls last year.

Defensively I am curious with all the shifting the Yankees do how he would do playing second?

In comment 14264152 Ron from Ninerland said:

Quote:

For all the hot air about Andujar, Machado, Bird and whoever else, their starting pitching may be shakier than last year. Severino is very good but he's not a true ace to the extent Sale is. After that every one is a question mark. Even Tanaka is a question mark. He has an awful lot of pitches on that arm, he doesn't have a great four seamer, and he's in such poor condition that he pulled both hamstrings running 90 feet. And then there's the elbow. When he starts to decline, it won't be gradual. He's going to fall off a cliff. After that we've got Happ who's good but probably not as good as what we saw last season, Paxton who's a question mark, and CC who's running on fumes. We'd better hope that Gray, Cessa or German can step it up. Montgomery will help when he comes back, but he's coming off TJ.

It's weird that you are concerned about Tanaka's health and consider him a question mark but say nothing about Sale's shoulder which wrecked his second half and is a massive concern for him going forward. And you are taking shots at Tanaka's "condition" cause of his baserunning? WTF? Happ was luckier with the Yankees. His peripherals between the Blue Jays and the Yankees were pretty similar and Happ has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball for a while. He is not going to come back to earth cause he is what he is. A very solid #3 starter. And how exactly is a LHP in his prime with a career 3.13 FIP in Paxson a question mark? For reference Patrick Corbin has a career 3.65 FIP and is getting 6 years based on 1 great year.

You couldn't be more negative about the Yankees starting pitching if you were the most biased and brain dead Red Sox fan ever. Congrats.

In comment 14264296 Deejboy said:

Quote:

In comment 14264152 Ron from Ninerland said: Quote: For all the hot air about Andujar, Machado, Bird and whoever else, their starting pitching may be shakier than last year. Severino is very good but he's not a true ace to the extent Sale is. After that every one is a question mark. Even Tanaka is a question mark. He has an awful lot of pitches on that arm, he doesn't have a great four seamer, and he's in such poor condition that he pulled both hamstrings running 90 feet. And then there's the elbow. When he starts to decline, it won't be gradual. He's going to fall off a cliff. After that we've got Happ who's good but probably not as good as what we saw last season, Paxton who's a question mark, and CC who's running on fumes. We'd better hope that Gray, Cessa or German can step it up. Montgomery will help when he comes back, but he's coming off TJ. It's weird that you are concerned about Tanaka's health and consider him a question mark but say nothing about Sale's shoulder which wrecked his second half and is a massive concern for him going forward. And you are taking shots at Tanaka's "condition" cause of his baserunning? WTF? Happ was luckier with the Yankees. His peripherals between the Blue Jays and the Yankees were pretty similar and Happ has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball for a while. He is not going to come back to earth cause he is what he is. A very solid #3 starter. And how exactly is a LHP in his prime with a career 3.13 FIP in Paxson a question mark? For reference Patrick Corbin has a career 3.65 FIP and is getting 6 years based on 1 great year. You couldn't be more negative about the Yankees starting pitching if you were the most biased and brain dead Red Sox fan ever. Congrats.

Paxton gets injured a lot; I assume that's what he was referencing.

In comment 14263820 robbieballs2003 said:

Quote:

So, with that in mind, I think they leave Torres alone at 2B and do not play him at SS. Didi is supposedly coming back at a decent time this year so I don't think they want to be switching Torres back and forth. I do think they will bounce Torres back amd forth in spring training but ultimately he'll be at 2B. Then comes the question who plays short if and when Tulo gets hurt? I don't know.

I hope you're right robbie but my main reason for not liking this signing is that Gleyber seems to be the one that will be moved. DJ is a 3 time Gold Glove at 2B w/little time at other positions. They jerked Gleyber around in the minors at 3B,SS & 2B so realistically he has far more experience at SS & 3B & logically seems to be the easier move.Like you,I had hoped they'd give him a full year at 2B to acclimate himself but that,at least to me,seems very unlikely now!

In comment 14264296 Deejboy said:

Quote:

In comment 14264152 Ron from Ninerland said: Quote: For all the hot air about Andujar, Machado, Bird and whoever else, their starting pitching may be shakier than last year. Severino is very good but he's not a true ace to the extent Sale is. After that every one is a question mark. Even Tanaka is a question mark. He has an awful lot of pitches on that arm, he doesn't have a great four seamer, and he's in such poor condition that he pulled both hamstrings running 90 feet. And then there's the elbow. When he starts to decline, it won't be gradual. He's going to fall off a cliff. After that we've got Happ who's good but probably not as good as what we saw last season, Paxton who's a question mark, and CC who's running on fumes. We'd better hope that Gray, Cessa or German can step it up. Montgomery will help when he comes back, but he's coming off TJ. It's weird that you are concerned about Tanaka's health and consider him a question mark but say nothing about Sale's shoulder which wrecked his second half and is a massive concern for him going forward. And you are taking shots at Tanaka's "condition" cause of his baserunning? WTF? Happ was luckier with the Yankees. His peripherals between the Blue Jays and the Yankees were pretty similar and Happ has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball for a while. He is not going to come back to earth cause he is what he is. A very solid #3 starter. And how exactly is a LHP in his prime with a career 3.13 FIP in Paxson a question mark? For reference Patrick Corbin has a career 3.65 FIP and is getting 6 years based on 1 great year. You couldn't be more negative about the Yankees starting pitching if you were the most biased and brain dead Red Sox fan ever. Congrats.

If you watched real baseball and lived in the real world rather than playing fantasy baseball you'd understand. While I'm optimistic that Paxton will work out in the long run, many pitchers have struggled when first coming to the Yankees. Even Clemens had his problems when he first came here. And yes, that base running injury of Tanaka's concerns me. The ability to run 90 feet is basic for any athlete and the fact that we are depending on a guy who can't is frightening. He's already shown inconsistency and he doesn't have a good enough fastball to bail him out if his sinker and breaking stuff aren't working. We'd better have a contingency plan in case Tanaka goes in the tank. As for CC I'll be amazed if we get much out of him all. Before the surgery the best hope was that he could hold the fort until Montgomery gets back.

After having a stent put in he needs to be on blood thinners for a period. If he's still on blood thinners, I don't see how he can pitch. If he has the slightest complication from his heart or his knee, he's done.

The Andujar debate really just doesn't have a clear answer. If we're spending all of this time trying to figure out where his best position is, I think it's safe to say that a team interested in trading for him would have to have a relatively clear DH spot since they wouldn't have an obvious place to put him either.

I don't expect him to look totally transformed less than 3 months after the season ended - but he's obviously working at it and we'll have to see if there's any improvement.

If he has to be moved, he has to be moved - but the options as far as where to move him aren't any easier. 1B is far from a guarantee - LF is not easy to play @ YS and if his first step is an issue, it's not going to be fixed out there. The only thing I see being an option would be if they feel that Stanton in a corner OF spot is less of a liability than Andujar @ 3B and they want to use Andujar as the DH more.

have read the post that takes the almighty cake!

You can't rely on a guy who pulled hamstrings running 90 feet.

It has to go up there with posts about no wind at night, employing sumo wrestlers on the line, deploying the 2-9 formation and how simple it is to catch a punt.

But you're worried about him falling apart because he pulled a hammy? Wha?

Oh wow, yeah that's a bizarre thing to worry about with Masa.

We're worried about an AL pitcher's hamstring because he tweaked 'em last summer?

Pretty sure that's not going to be something we need to concern ourselves with.

In comment 14264477 FatMan in Charlotte said:

Quote:

have read the post that takes the almighty cake! You can't rely on a guy who pulled hamstrings running 90 feet. It has to go up there with posts about no wind at night, employing sumo wrestlers on the line, deploying the 2-9 formation and how simple it is to catch a punt.

The no wind at night theory still destroys me. I'll never get over that one.

what you get. This is the team NYY is going to Spring Training with unless some super discount contract falls into Cashman's lap.

The Yankees love their depth and will let Spring Training play out where there are always injuries, surprises and etc.

I think they add another reliever in Ottavino if they are breaking the 226M tax barrier or Warren if they are scaling under 226M.

I am beginning to really think Gray is in Tampa for the start of ST. I never thought that was a possibility a few months ago.

but yeah, there's a good likelihood this is the team we're taking to ST. And it's a good team. Not perfect, not as good as many of us would have hoped, but still a good team.

In comment 14264498 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

In comment 14264477 FatMan in Charlotte said: Quote: have read the post that takes the almighty cake! You can't rely on a guy who pulled hamstrings running 90 feet. It has to go up there with posts about no wind at night, employing sumo wrestlers on the line, deploying the 2-9 formation and how simple it is to catch a punt. The no wind at night theory still destroys me. I'll never get over that one.

I'm not familiar with the "no wind at night" theory, someone please enlighten me (or en-dumb-en me)?

I thought I saw a blurb yesterday or the day before that some suitors and a market were starting to form a bit for Gray. I still think we'll manage to move him prior to Tampa, but we'll see.

I still expect a reliever like Ottavino (or maybe to a lesser degree, Warren) - but I think it's safe to say Machado/Harper aren't happening. Which is fine.

I don't think it's a bad strategy to go into the year and get some games under our belts and then reevaluate where we need to improve mid-year. It's not like we're married to 1-40 the second the season starts.

There will be players available at the deadline and things we can do. There should still be a good bit of flexibility.

they need to leave some shuttle space available to handle short starts and doubleheaders, and there are plenty of 40-man guys who can shuttle, a handful of whom could be a lot better than up and down guys.

In comment 14264569 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

they need to leave some shuttle space available to handle short starts and doubleheaders, and there are plenty of 40-man guys who can shuttle, a handful of whom could be a lot better than up and down guys.

I think they need to replace D-Rob Dunedin. Kahnle is the lottery ticket if he is healthy again, but I want another solid proven guy back there. Make the strength dominant to counter the Sox and Stros strengths versus NYY.

In comment 14264574 JPinstripes said:

Quote:

In comment 14264569 Dunedin81 said: Quote: they need to leave some shuttle space available to handle short starts and doubleheaders, and there are plenty of 40-man guys who can shuttle, a handful of whom could be a lot better than up and down guys. I think they need to replace D-Rob Dunedin. Kahnle is the lottery ticket if he is healthy again, but I want another solid proven guy back there. Make the strength dominant to counter the Sox and Stros strengths versus NYY.

What was the Britton signing?

In comment 14264577 adamg said:

Quote:

In comment 14264574 JPinstripes said: Quote: In comment 14264569 Dunedin81 said: Quote: they need to leave some shuttle space available to handle short starts and doubleheaders, and there are plenty of 40-man guys who can shuttle, a handful of whom could be a lot better than up and down guys. I think they need to replace D-Rob Dunedin. Kahnle is the lottery ticket if he is healthy again, but I want another solid proven guy back there. Make the strength dominant to counter the Sox and Stros strengths versus NYY. What was the Britton signing?

Britton replaced Britton... No?

Are not trading Andujar or Torres this season, they brought in Lemahieu to be the utility guy and in case one of the two kids, Torres and Andujar struggle, they have a gold glove player to plug in.

The Yanks can easily over take the Red Sox this season depending on the health of the team. They get healthy seasons from the starting staff for the most part, they should see upticks in production from Bird, Stanton, Judge, and Sanchez, that is more then enough offense. This teams starting pitching is where they will win or lose this thing.

The Big maple may be ready to stay healthy, and Severino has once again been working with Pedro, and last time he did that he went from starting flop and bullpen arm to top 5 starter in the AL. I am looking for that to happen once again. When you have Haap and Tanaka as your 3 and 4 you are in good shape, the worries here are not talent, they are health.

Underrate the Yanks imo. Our starting pitching is really good. We replaced Gray with Happ. We added Paxton. Our top of the rotation is super solid and Paxton and CC as your bottom two is much better than average.

I know CC can't seem to make it 6-7 innings anymore, but 5 innings of 3.7 ERA pitching is very solid from a 5th starter, especially in the ALE.

Sevy is as good an ace as you'll find outside of the top Cy Young candidates. Tanaka is a great 2. Happ is a solid 3. Paxton will be an awesome 4 with upside.

Obviously injury is always a concern. But, the point of going after a Kluber isn't because we have a weak rotation. It's because we could have the best rotation if we added another #1.

Maybe I'm just a homer. But, I'm not concerned about our starters winning games this year.

In comment 14264569 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

they need to leave some shuttle space available to handle short starts and doubleheaders, and there are plenty of 40-man guys who can shuttle, a handful of whom could be a lot better than up and down guys.

It's possible internal options emerge and make it less of a necessity - but I'd like us to have the same capacity we had last year, so I'd want to replace Robertson with another MLB quality reliever.

Bringing Britton back was great. I just think we should be adding one more. Cashman said the goal was to add 2 from the start anyway, so I think they're still looking at some.

Even if it's Warren coming back before he gets flipped again @ the deadline, that's fine.

I always kind of feel like you can never have a bullpen "too good"

like the idea of not rushing to get rid of Gray. I think he needs to go. However, Cashman waiting to trade him on the Yankee terms is good negotiations. Even waiting until after ST starts with injuries may be a good thing. I'm talking about injuries from pitches on other teams. He value will go up.

In comment 14264579 PaulN said:

Quote:

Are not trading Andujar or Torres this season, they brought in Lemahieu to be the utility guy and in case one of the two kids, Torres and Andujar struggle, they have a gold glove player to plug in.

I'd find it a bit odd if LeMahieu was just a utility guy. He was #2 amongst all MLB 2nd baseman in dwar last year, separated by .1. It would be silly to get that guy and not have him play D almost every day, even if it's at different spots.

I think it's more appropriate to compare this Yankees team with the Yankee team that lost the ALDS to the Sox rather opening day 2018 version.

To me this is the benchmark - we lost with most of this team to the Sox in 4 games and will likely play them again in a playoff series this year, regardless of which team wins the AL East.

Sox lost Kelly, but not much else. Kimbrel is still a pending FA and may land in again in Beantown...

when Chapman had a balky knee and the roster expansion was a month away. Remember too, Kahnle is out of options so they can't just stash him in AAA and hope the stuff gets better.

In comment 14264597 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

when Chapman had a balky knee and the roster expansion was a month away. Remember too, Kahnle is out of options so they can't just stash him in AAA and hope the stuff gets better.

The Sox were clearly the better team in the ALDS.

the year before, was not good enough against the Red Sox. In a 5-game series anything can happen, and while I have high hopes for Paxton I think they're still going to have to rely on Sevy and Tanaka for quality postseason starts.

In comment 14264606 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

the year before, was not good enough against the Red Sox. In a 5-game series anything can happen, and while I have high hopes for Paxton I think they're still going to have to rely on Sevy and Tanaka for quality postseason starts.

Rather, good enough against the Indians.

Jack Curry
‏Verified account @JackCurryYES
3m3 minutes ago

Spoke to Aaron Boone today for an upcoming feature on YES. He recently spent 3 days in the Dominican Republic and visited with Severino, Andujar, Torres and Florial. Sounded optimistic about the defensive strides Andujar is making.

but the Yankees have had a solid offseason.

Ownership appear very much concerned with keeping their core together and the prospective cost in a few years of doing that. Is it better for the long-term success of this team to trade Andujar for Machado now and then not keep one of the soon-to-be properly paid homegrown stars?

I'd rather they spend 400mm per season because i'm a fan and i'm both selfish in wanting all the best players and don't care about how profitable the team is for the owners. I also can't fault ownership for managing their-team, their-way.

For me, bottom line, they need a new CBA where players can get fairly paid much earlier in their careers. Ownership had no issue with paying players until they were 40 years old when they were looking the other way on PEDs and the players are now really getting squeezed.

In comment 14264606 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

the year before, was not good enough against the Red Sox. In a 5-game series anything can happen, and while I have high hopes for Paxton I think they're still going to have to rely on Sevy and Tanaka for quality postseason starts.

Subject to injury, the core of Severino, Tanaka, Paxton and Happ should be strong enough to win series' in the post-season. If they aren't, I don't think there are any additional offensive weapons that will make the difference.

In comment 14264424 Ron from Ninerland said:

Quote:

In comment 14264296 Deejboy said: Quote: In comment 14264152 Ron from Ninerland said: Quote: For all the hot air about Andujar, Machado, Bird and whoever else, their starting pitching may be shakier than last year. Severino is very good but he's not a true ace to the extent Sale is. After that every one is a question mark. Even Tanaka is a question mark. He has an awful lot of pitches on that arm, he doesn't have a great four seamer, and he's in such poor condition that he pulled both hamstrings running 90 feet. And then there's the elbow. When he starts to decline, it won't be gradual. He's going to fall off a cliff. After that we've got Happ who's good but probably not as good as what we saw last season, Paxton who's a question mark, and CC who's running on fumes. We'd better hope that Gray, Cessa or German can step it up. Montgomery will help when he comes back, but he's coming off TJ. It's weird that you are concerned about Tanaka's health and consider him a question mark but say nothing about Sale's shoulder which wrecked his second half and is a massive concern for him going forward. And you are taking shots at Tanaka's "condition" cause of his baserunning? WTF? Happ was luckier with the Yankees. His peripherals between the Blue Jays and the Yankees were pretty similar and Happ has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball for a while. He is not going to come back to earth cause he is what he is. A very solid #3 starter. And how exactly is a LHP in his prime with a career 3.13 FIP in Paxson a question mark? For reference Patrick Corbin has a career 3.65 FIP and is getting 6 years based on 1 great year. You couldn't be more negative about the Yankees starting pitching if you were the most biased and brain dead Red Sox fan ever. Congrats. If you watched real baseball and lived in the real world rather than playing fantasy baseball you'd understand. While I'm optimistic that Paxton will work out in the long run, many pitchers have struggled when first coming to the Yankees. Even Clemens had his problems when he first came here. And yes, that base running injury of Tanaka's concerns me. The ability to run 90 feet is basic for any athlete and the fact that we are depending on a guy who can't is frightening. He's already shown inconsistency and he doesn't have a good enough fastball to bail him out if his sinker and breaking stuff aren't working. We'd better have a contingency plan in case Tanaka goes in the tank. As for CC I'll be amazed if we get much out of him all. Before the surgery the best hope was that he could hold the fort until Montgomery gets back. After having a stent put in he needs to be on blood thinners for a period. If he's still on blood thinners, I don't see how he can pitch. If he has the slightest complication from his heart or his knee, he's done.

There's absolutely no reason why he couldn't pitch on blood thinners. Depending on which one he's on there may be some side effects like some shortness of breath but not everyone experiences side effects.

As for the thinners themselves, he'll most likely be on them for 6-12 months at most, depending on the type of stent. If he had a heart attack and then had the stent put in, he'd be on them for at least two years.

The only real major concern with being on thinners is a head injury. I don't think I'd want to play football on them becuase of this but pitching shouldn't be any sort of issue. As far as getting a normal cut, it just takes longer to stop the bleeding.

It's just a matter of being a little more cautious but they don't stop a person from doing what they normally do day to day.

Likes like emphasis is on getting minor league arm(s) back in return. Discussions with the Reds on going. Sorry, I�m unable to link currently.

Gelb is Phils' beat reporter for the Athletic. Report is with his byline and apparently supported by Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark, who also work for the Athletic.

Upshot: Given the overall lack of apparent competition, Phils are confident they will land either Harper or Machado.

They are not in a hurry to make something happen and a signing might not happen until February.

Phils have made it clear to Harper's and Manny's agents that in no event will they be signing both players.

Because the Athletic is behind a paywall, link is to article excerpt and discussion in a Philly rag.

Philly Voice - ( New Window )

In comment 14264660 Eman11 said:

Quote:

In comment 14264424 Ron from Ninerland said: Quote: In comment 14264296 Deejboy said: Quote: In comment 14264152 Ron from Ninerland said: Quote: For all the hot air about Andujar, Machado, Bird and whoever else, their starting pitching may be shakier than last year. Severino is very good but he's not a true ace to the extent Sale is. After that every one is a question mark. Even Tanaka is a question mark. He has an awful lot of pitches on that arm, he doesn't have a great four seamer, and he's in such poor condition that he pulled both hamstrings running 90 feet. And then there's the elbow. When he starts to decline, it won't be gradual. He's going to fall off a cliff. After that we've got Happ who's good but probably not as good as what we saw last season, Paxton who's a question mark, and CC who's running on fumes. We'd better hope that Gray, Cessa or German can step it up. Montgomery will help when he comes back, but he's coming off TJ. It's weird that you are concerned about Tanaka's health and consider him a question mark but say nothing about Sale's shoulder which wrecked his second half and is a massive concern for him going forward. And you are taking shots at Tanaka's "condition" cause of his baserunning? WTF? Happ was luckier with the Yankees. His peripherals between the Blue Jays and the Yankees were pretty similar and Happ has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball for a while. He is not going to come back to earth cause he is what he is. A very solid #3 starter. And how exactly is a LHP in his prime with a career 3.13 FIP in Paxson a question mark? For reference Patrick Corbin has a career 3.65 FIP and is getting 6 years based on 1 great year. You couldn't be more negative about the Yankees starting pitching if you were the most biased and brain dead Red Sox fan ever. Congrats. If you watched real baseball and lived in the real world rather than playing fantasy baseball you'd understand. While I'm optimistic that Paxton will work out in the long run, many pitchers have struggled when first coming to the Yankees. Even Clemens had his problems when he first came here. And yes, that base running injury of Tanaka's concerns me. The ability to run 90 feet is basic for any athlete and the fact that we are depending on a guy who can't is frightening. He's already shown inconsistency and he doesn't have a good enough fastball to bail him out if his sinker and breaking stuff aren't working. We'd better have a contingency plan in case Tanaka goes in the tank. As for CC I'll be amazed if we get much out of him all. Before the surgery the best hope was that he could hold the fort until Montgomery gets back. After having a stent put in he needs to be on blood thinners for a period. If he's still on blood thinners, I don't see how he can pitch. If he has the slightest complication from his heart or his knee, he's done. There's absolutely no reason why he couldn't pitch on blood thinners. Depending on which one he's on there may be some side effects like some shortness of breath but not everyone experiences side effects. As for the thinners themselves, he'll most likely be on them for 6-12 months at most, depending on the type of stent. If he had a heart attack and then had the stent put in, he'd be on them for at least two years. The only real major concern with being on thinners is a head injury. I don't think I'd want to play football on them becuase of this but pitching shouldn't be any sort of issue. As far as getting a normal cut, it just takes longer to stop the bleeding. It's just a matter of being a little more cautious but they don't stop a person from doing what they normally do day to day.

Pitchers, even when healthy have swelling after pitching. If he�s on some strong blood thinner isn�t the going to create problems ? Isn�t it at least going to require more recovery between starts ?

I'm not a Dr but no, I don't believe that should be a problem. One thing they do is a person is more prone to bruising and it takes longer for a bruise to go away.

I've had some stents put in after a heart attack and have been on some strong ones for almost three years now. I'm not a pitcher obviously but I haven't noticed any problems with healing from work, exercise, swelling or anything strenuous.

I'm sure CC has the best Cardiologist available and they'll be advising him and keeping a close eye on him but from all I've experienced the main concern would be a head injury. Another would be some type of internal bleeding in the stomach lining, but there are signs for that and I'm sure if that was a problem he'd have experienced it by now.

In comment 14264219 arniefez said:

Quote:

I don't mean to single you out. Just making a point. Andujar's range is horrific. It's not poor it's historically bad. He's a good hitter. He's very good at covering the plate. I think he has a better chance of improving his OBP by being a little more selective than he does improving his fielding. I think he's as good as he's going to get at 3B. I don't think his trade value is very high because it's no secret he can't play defense at all. We'll see how it plays out.

I disagree. His range is not horrible. I watched probably 145 games last year. His throws to 1st base are the problem and they became worse later in the year. There comes a time that the eye test is necessary. I don't have a problem with range. But they cannot have the double clutches, skips, hops bounced throws and late throws.
I'm not going to debate it further because I have a different observation than you. If he made his throws competently, there would be no discussion of his range.

I'm in agreement he must be better defensively.

In comment 14264718 section125 said:

Quote:

In comment 14264219 arniefez said: Quote: I don't mean to single you out. Just making a point. Andujar's range is horrific. It's not poor it's historically bad. He's a good hitter. He's very good at covering the plate. I think he has a better chance of improving his OBP by being a little more selective than he does improving his fielding. I think he's as good as he's going to get at 3B. I don't think his trade value is very high because it's no secret he can't play defense at all. We'll see how it plays out. I disagree. His range is not horrible. I watched probably 145 games last year. His throws to 1st base are the problem and they became worse later in the year. There comes a time that the eye test is necessary. I don't have a problem with range. But they cannot have the double clutches, skips, hops bounced throws and late throws. I'm not going to debate it further because I have a different observation than you. If he made his throws competently, there would be no discussion of his range. I'm in agreement he must be better defensively.

FWIW, I just read the article on Andujar in RAB. Mike pretty much says everything I just wrote.

some half-assed chatter the Astros are entertaining the notion of Bryce Harper.

In comment 14265073 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

some half-assed chatter the Astros are entertaining the notion of Bryce Harper.

Well that would suck

In comment 14265073 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

some half-assed chatter the Astros are entertaining the notion of Bryce Harper.

Oh man, if that were to happen the Hal backlash would be far crazier than it is even now.

,.

until the Stros found themselves with McCullers Jr. coming back from TJS and Forrest Whitley as their only starters under contract.

the odds of this happening are virtually nil. This smacks of Boras trying to get SOMEONE involved in competitive bidding. Right now it looks like the Phillies have an underwhelming offer and the Nationals have a good offer but one that for whatever reason (deferrals, a desire to leave Washington) Bryce does not particularly like.

are way under what people expected, I really wish we'd step in on one of them and get it done. I prefer Bryce but I'd be happy with either. We'd go from being on the same level as Sox and Stros (and to a lesser extent CLE) to favored over them.

.

We have a handful of arms who could be back-end types, like Mike King and German, and Johnny Lasagna probably has a mid-rotation ceiling. But the next wave of really exciting young arms (Deivi Garcia, Roansey Contreras, Clarke Schmidt) probably have realistic ETAs of mid-season 2020.

In comment 14265140 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

We have a handful of arms who could be back-end types, like Mike King and German, and Johnny Lasagna probably has a mid-rotation ceiling. But the next wave of really exciting young arms (Deivi Garcia, Roansey Contreras, Clarke Schmidt) probably have realistic ETAs of mid-season 2020.

Would you have put Sheffield in the exciting category and if so, did he fall out of it?

In comment 14265130 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

are way under what people expected, I really wish we'd step in on one of them and get it done. I prefer Bryce but I'd be happy with either. We'd go from being on the same level as Sox and Stros (and to a lesser extent CLE) to favored over them.

Where would you play Harper?

In comment 14265153 Jay in Toronto said:

Quote:

In comment 14265140 Dunedin81 said: Quote: We have a handful of arms who could be back-end types, like Mike King and German, and Johnny Lasagna probably has a mid-rotation ceiling. But the next wave of really exciting young arms (Deivi Garcia, Roansey Contreras, Clarke Schmidt) probably have realistic ETAs of mid-season 2020. Would you have put Sheffield in the exciting category and if so, did he fall out of it?

Yeah Sheffield was exciting to me. We'll be fortunate if any of those three gets to that prospect stature and that trade value.

In comment 14265154 Jay in Toronto said:

Quote:

In comment 14265130 Mike from SI said: Quote: are way under what people expected, I really wish we'd step in on one of them and get it done. I prefer Bryce but I'd be happy with either. We'd go from being on the same level as Sox and Stros (and to a lesser extent CLE) to favored over them. Where would you play Harper?

Rotate him through the OF spots with Judge and Stanton and have him also play 1B. We could use some lefty pop and he has immense talent. But Macahdo is more of a "fit" for what we need defensively, I understand that.

In comment 14265164 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

In comment 14265154 JIn comment 14265130 Mike from SI said: Quote: Rotate him through the OF spots with Judge and Stanton and have him also play 1B. We could use some lefty pop and he has immense talent. But Macahdo is more of a "fit" for what we need defensively, I understand that.

I agree re lefty, which is why I'm still hoping for Bird, though I know some consider him a lost cause.

In comment 14265169 Jay in Toronto said:

Quote:

In comment 14265164 Mike from SI said: Quote: In comment 14265154 JIn comment 14265130 Mike from SI said: Quote: Rotate him through the OF spots with Judge and Stanton and have him also play 1B. We could use some lefty pop and he has immense talent. But Macahdo is more of a "fit" for what we need defensively, I understand that. I agree re lefty, which is why I'm still hoping for Bird, though I know some consider him a lost cause.

I'm also holding out hope but this is probably the last year he gets a chance (rightfully so).

but yeah, if it doesn't work out this year he becomes a struggling team's reclamation project.

In comment 14265130 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

are way under what people expected, I really wish we'd step in on one of them and get it done. I prefer Bryce but I'd be happy with either. We'd go from being on the same level as Sox and Stros (and to a lesser extent CLE) to favored over them.

I don't really understand why they wouldn't at least have Harper in for a visit. They did it with both Corbin and Machado despite seemingly not being all that serious about either one. At the very least, it could drive the price up for other teams they might compete with for free agents in the next couple of years.

In comment 14264581 adamg said:

Quote:

Underrate the Yanks imo. Our starting pitching is really good. We replaced Gray with Happ. We added Paxton. Our top of the rotation is super solid and Paxton and CC as your bottom two is much better than average. I know CC can't seem to make it 6-7 innings anymore, but 5 innings of 3.7 ERA pitching is very solid from a 5th starter, especially in the ALE. Sevy is as good an ace as you'll find outside of the top Cy Young candidates. Tanaka is a great 2. Happ is a solid 3. Paxton will be an awesome 4 with upside. Obviously injury is always a concern. But, the point of going after a Kluber isn't because we have a weak rotation. It's because we could have the best rotation if we added another #1. Maybe I'm just a homer. But, I'm not concerned about our starters winning games this year.

No way paXton is a 4th starter imo

is top end of the rotation - a 1 or 2.

so specific numbers don't bother me, but there isn't a world that exists where JA Happ should be a higher 'rank' in a rotation than Paxton.

Personally, I consider Severino the #1 and I view the #2 as a really tight race between Paxton and Tanaka. Not much space overall between #1 and #3. Happ as a clear 4th, and Sabathia hopefully #6 by the time we get to OD.

Are these two statement the same thing?

Section 125 wrote:

Quote:

I disagree. His range is not horrible. I watched probably 145 games last year. His throws to 1st base are the problem and they became worse later in the year. There comes a time that the eye test is necessary. I don't have a problem with range. But they cannot have the double clutches, skips, hops bounced throws and late throws.

RAB wrote:

Quote:

Last month Erik Boland noted Andujar had spent time in Tampa to work with infield instructor Carlos Mendoza. �He came down for a few days a couple of weeks ago. We always talk about his work ethic, and the fact that it�s the offseason and he�s already working at his craft, not just physically but baseball-wise,� Mendoza said. �What we�re focusing on right now is his pre-pitch setup,� Mendoza added. �We�re trying to put him in the best position so he can react at contact. Making sure that he finds a spot where he�s comfortable on his setup so he can have a better first step, a better read on the ball to create better angles. It starts with his setup and his ready position.�

What am I missing? Look it really doesn't matter either way. Last year he had zero range and the few balls he got to he had trouble throwing to the bases. If he's not much better in 2019 he won't on 3B very long. We'll see soon enough.

In comment 14265280 bigbluehoya said:

Quote:

so specific numbers don't bother me, but there isn't a world that exists where JA Happ should be a higher 'rank' in a rotation than Paxton. Personally, I consider Severino the #1 and I view the #2 as a really tight race between Paxton and Tanaka. Not much space overall between #1 and #3. Happ as a clear 4th, and Sabathia hopefully #6 by the time we get to OD.

Just to make opposing teams have to adjust to the different styles and "stuff", I would prefer to have Sevy be the #1, Paxton the #2, Tanaka the #3, Happ the #4 and CC the #5.

Sevy is just an ace when not tipping pitches. Paxton is more FB reliant. Tanaka relies on off-speed and may throw fewer FB than anyone. Happ is also FB reliant. CC throws junk now.

It would make teams have to adjust day-to-day and might mess with swings. Sometimes little things matter.

My numbers were more just in terms of how I'd really view them in terms of a merit pecking order, but in terms of real life sequence, agree that putting some distance between the two most fastball reliant guys is a good approach.

$175M over 7 years. Lets say Harper goes to Philly and that's the only offer Machado has. How do the Yankees not reengage and offer the same thing or slightly lower?

And I�d offer more $.

In comment 14265400 Strahan91 said:

Quote:

$175M over 7 years. Lets say Harper goes to Philly and that's the only offer Machado has. How do the Yankees not reengage and offer the same thing or slightly lower?

totally agreed. I'd be fine with them matching that ($25M per)

In comment 14265408 Anando said:

Quote:

In comment 14265400 Strahan91 said: Quote: $175M over 7 years. Lets say Harper goes to Philly and that's the only offer Machado has. How do the Yankees not reengage and offer the same thing or slightly lower? totally agreed. I'd be fine with them matching that ($25M per)

I also agree. When they speculated at the end of last season that both would at least get 300/10 year contracts. 25 for 7 sounds really good. Isn't that hwat the Yanks offered Cano?

In comment 14265417 mitch300 said:

Quote:

In comment 14265408 Anando said: Quote: In comment 14265400 Strahan91 said: Quote: $175M over 7 years. Lets say Harper goes to Philly and that's the only offer Machado has. How do the Yankees not reengage and offer the same thing or slightly lower? totally agreed. I'd be fine with them matching that ($25M per) I also agree. When they speculated at the end of last season that both would at least get 300/10 year contracts. 25 for 7 sounds really good. Isn't that hwat the Yanks offered Cano?

It was right around there iirc. Hell, it's not much more than what they signed Ellsbury to

There will be tons of more teams in the mix now. Probably not true at all

River Ave. Blues
@RiverAveBlues
�
6m
Fully operational discount shoppers.



@RiverAveBlues
�
7m
If the Yankees can't beat 7/$175M it's time to close up shop

baseball insider. I trust him and that probably is the best offer right now.

for Machado in his prime years is an absolute steal.

I would be really disappointed if MM signs this 7 year deal with a team other than NYY.

Jon Heyman
‏Verified account @JonHeyman
3m3 minutes ago

While the Yankees are still shopping Sonny Gray, they are also looking around for a starting pitcher. Relief is on their radar as well. Talking to Ottavino, others.

it's nice to see they're not done yet. I wonder what tier of starter we're talking.

Jon Heyman Verified account @JonHeyman 3 minutes ago

While the Yankees are still shopping Sonny Gray, they are also looking around for a starting pitcher. Relief is on their radar as well. Talking to Ottavino, others.
Link - ( New Window )

Jon Heyman
‏
Verified account

@JonHeyman
9m9 minutes ago
More
Yankees attitude on Manny Machado is that while you never say never, it�s unlikely at this point. They are stacked on infield, and that�s before Didi returns (likely in 2nd half).

@JonHeyman
If true Chisox offer to Manny is only 175M for 7 (via
@Buster_ESPN
), Machado may have erred not making deal with #yankees back on dec. 19 when yanks dined w/MM and NYY was ready to talk turkey. Machado wasn�t talking $ yet but NYY would have paid more than 175. Back then anyway.

but I heard here that the Yankees just didn't bother to give him an offer...not that he wasn't ready to talk money.

but they're not stacked in that they have half a dozen sure things to play four positions.

If the price tag on Machado is going to stay under 200M, that changes things and NYY need to involve themselves.

I was not going to be annoyed if Machado went to CHW for 8 years and 275M... but if the current offer is 100M LESS than that, the Yanks need to get back into this thing.

I still don't know how the pieces would fit with Didi back in the fold late July/Aug (barring setback), but at this point, we can cross that bridge when we get to it. That stuff tends to work itself out a bit.

Feeling like NYY are still not going to bite - but at this price, they really should.

In comment 14265576 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

If the price tag on Machado is going to stay under 200M, that changes things and NYY need to involve themselves. I was not going to be annoyed if Machado went to CHW for 8 years and 275M... but if the current offer is 100M LESS than that, the Yanks need to get back into this thing. I still don't know how the pieces would fit with Didi back in the fold late July/Aug (barring setback), but at this point, we can cross that bridge when we get to it. That stuff tends to work itself out a bit. Feeling like NYY are still not going to bite - but at this price, they really should.

If Manny gets signed under 200M elsewhere I will have grave doubts about the Steinbrenners' commitment to this franchise. Sell the fucking team if you're only in it for the money--there are much better investments to make money on than sports teams.

In comment 14265596 Mike from SI said:

Quote:

Sell the fucking team if you're only in it for the money--there are much better investments to make money on than sports teams.

While I'm with you as concerns signing Machado at the WS offer or somewhat more, the Yankees have been a pretty good "investment to make money." George paid $8.7 million in 1973 and the team is valued at $4 billion today. That's a 460x increase, albeit over 45 years.

i mean they need another SP.

In comment 14265612 GMAN4LIFE said:

Quote:

i mean they need another SP.

They do and are looking for one according to Heyman. Not sure what that has to do with Machado...

In comment 14265602 Del Shofner said:

Quote:

In comment 14265596 Mike from SI said: Quote: Sell the fucking team if you're only in it for the money--there are much better investments to make money on than sports teams. While I'm with you as concerns signing Machado at the WS offer or somewhat more, the Yankees have been a pretty good "investment to make money." George paid $8.7 million in 1973 and the team is valued at $4 billion today. That's a 460x increase, albeit over 45 years.

Investing in sports teams from the 70s through mid 90s turned out to be a great bet. But that's not the current question facing Hank and Hal. If they're not in it to win, would they make more money by taking the $4 billion and investing it, or from owning the Yankees? I think it's the former by a wide margin.

In comment 14265614 Strahan91 said:

Quote:

In comment 14265612 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: i mean they need another SP. They do and are looking for one according to Heyman. Not sure what that has to do with Machado...

what it means is allocating money to that instead of another hitter. Pitching is needed

what I wrote on the Machado thread - the Yankees might be right to not sign Machado to 7/175 if that's what their advanced analytics tell them.

Having said that, they shouldn't have expressed interest in him if they weren't willing to go to that level to pay him. Were they seriously expecting him to go for less?

There are no aces available. Beat the drum all you want, it's not going to upgrade the rotation.

In comment 14265665 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

There are no aces available. Beat the drum all you want, it's not going to upgrade the rotation.

to back your FFS, i will jump that with at least getting a serviceable 4th or 5th guy. The rotation needs to be solidified. We have a semi ace, a number 2 and a 3rd. Gets real sketchy afterwards. the lineup is still powerful.

While i would love machado, but pitching will win the game. A freaking innings eater would be lovely.

In comment 14265671 GMAN4LIFE said:

Quote:

In comment 14265665 Dunedin81 said: Quote: There are no aces available. Beat the drum all you want, it's not going to upgrade the rotation. to back your FFS, i will jump that with at least getting a serviceable 4th or 5th guy. The rotation needs to be solidified. We have a semi ace, a number 2 and a 3rd. Gets real sketchy afterwards. the lineup is still powerful. While i would love machado, but pitching will win the game. A freaking innings eater would be lovely.

Who? Sonny Gray is actually better than any available FA starting pitcher on the market. It pains me to write that, but it's true - especially his stats away from YS3.

Dallas Keuchel

but he wants 4-5 years.

In comment 14265691 JPinstripes said:

Quote:

Dallas Keuchel

he is the one i want on the team. Fuck it. He isnt the true ace but he is better than Sonny gray

for Bumgarner, and then sign Harper. Imagine a lineup like this...

CF - Hicks/Gardner
RF - Judge
LF - Harper
DH - Stanton
SS - Didi/Tulowitski
C - Sanchez
2B - Torres
1B - Voit
3B - LaMahieu

And a rotation of Bumgarner, Sevy, Tanaka, Paxton, Happ/CC

b)There are a whole lotta miles on that arm, and I'm always leery of pitchers who are changing leagues.

that most around these parts, but I�m absolutely not doing it for one year of anybody.

In comment 14265349 arniefez said:

Quote:

What am I missing? Look it really doesn't matter either way. Last year he had zero range and the few balls he got to he had trouble throwing to the bases. If he's not much better in 2019 he won't on 3B very long. We'll see soon enough.

Clearly says it is his throwing. It says nothing about his range. His set up is to get him ready to make the transition from catching it, to the throw. His internal clock is off and he takes too long to throw.

He gets to balls. He screws up the throws.

First step and throwing across the diamond need to be more fluid - there are too many hitches. The double clutch always cost him throwing over to first and it seemed like most of the throws that came off a double clutch would sail.

Getting to batted balls is a tricky thing to judge because a guy with bad range will often just look "out" of a play and like he doesn't actually have a shot at it - while a player with better range might have an actual shot at those same groundballs, but find them just out of reach.

Player B actually has better range, but to the eye, might look like the "worse" defensive player because he had the range to actually make an attempt at playing it while Player A may just have had a first step too slow to even dive or make a true attempt at all.

The Yanks seem to be betting pretty big on Miggy improving. We'll see if he is able to reward that faith or not.

The Yanks traded Tim Locastro to the D�Backs for pitcher LHP Ronald Roman and cash.

Here�s a blurb on Roman from MLBTR:

Quote:

As for the 17-year-old Roman, he�s yet to even begin his professional career with the D-backs in earnest. He signed as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic back on July 2 when this year�s international class kicked off and has not pitched for any of the team�s Rookie-level affiliates. He�ll presumably head to the Yankees� affiliate in the Dominican Summer League this coming season, where he�ll make his in-game pro debut.

In comment 14265257 JPinstripes said:

Quote:

is top end of the rotation - a 1 or 2.

You're right. Flip Happ and him. I like Tanaka as the 2. He's been big in the big game.

In comment 14265925 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

First step and throwing across the diamond need to be more fluid - there are too many hitches. The double clutch always cost him throwing over to first and it seemed like most of the throws that came off a double clutch would sail. Getting to batted balls is a tricky thing to judge because a guy with bad range will often just look "out" of a play and like he doesn't actually have a shot at it - while a player with better range might have an actual shot at those same groundballs, but find them just out of reach. Player B actually has better range, but to the eye, might look like the "worse" defensive player because he had the range to actually make an attempt at playing it while Player A may just have had a first step too slow to even dive or make a true attempt at all. The Yanks seem to be betting pretty big on Miggy improving. We'll see if he is able to reward that faith or not.

There are definite "techniques" that are used to "set up" to field balls that put the fielder in a better position to throw immediately after catching it. Whether it is a crossover step, a slight step toward the plate as the pitcher throws the ball or something else. Good fielders are precise in their body set up at the time they catch the ball. He looks a bit like a statue at times because he has not set his body in position to throw off fielding the ball and then must reposition himself to make an accurate throw.
Going to take thousands of reps to get out of his bad set up and feel comfortable to the point that the throws are natural. He may not be "athletic" enough to get it, but obviously the Yankees think he is.

where I start geeking out over the coming minor league season. As with last year, which was a very good year for arms, they have a glut of pitchers with legit MLB ceilings fighting for 5-7 starter or piggyback jobs in Charleston, which is a fun problem to have.

every Yankee thread these days devolve into the claims that the team is cheap and unwilling to spend?

It literally ends up dominating the discussion.

In comment 14266165 FatMan in Charlotte said:

Quote:

every Yankee thread these days devolve into the claims that the team is cheap and unwilling to spend? It literally ends up dominating the discussion.

Because there is nothing else to bitch about, although I partially agree that not at least throwing a number at Machado and/or Harper is a bit "cheap."

comments are fair that if the rumored offer for Machado is really what it out there, then the Yankees should re-engage, but it is like a pile-on that ownership doesn't want to spend.

Somebody needs to tell Stanton how cheap the team is....

And the Yankees would (seem to) be on firmer ground if the Sox hadn't spent their way to a Series win last year. If they see the luxury tax as a virtual cap, understandable. But they're making record revenues and spending less as a percentage of that on salaries, with absolutely none of that savings passed on to the consumer, so I think some of the criticism is justified.

but it's not just the Yankees. There's a bigger issue here. The Cubs are doing the same thing. Their fans are just as surprised and pissed off that the checkbook is closed.

Boras used to always be able to find his one dumber owner but who is that owner now? With so much money being spent on analytics and so much bad history with long terms contracts maybe there isn't a dumb owner left?

Of course that still doesn't really explain the lack of interest in Machado and Harper at 26 years old by almost all of MLB. So I think there's some other factors at work among the owners too and that's going to lead to a long strike in a few years.

The Players Association is weaker than any time in MLB since Marvin Miller got involved they've mismanaged the latest CBA.

I think there are 2 or 3 years left before it's up for renewal.

In comment 14266159 Dunedin81 said:

Quote:

where I start geeking out over the coming minor league season. As with last year, which was a very good year for arms, they have a glut of pitchers with legit MLB ceilings fighting for 5-7 starter or piggyback jobs in Charleston, which is a fun problem to have.

Geek away!!! We all benefit from that :)

Yankees/Phillies (respectively) feel inevitable, like the Sox did last year. May wait until the last minute to close the deal.

In comment 14266322 Heisenberg said:

Quote:

Yankees/Phillies (respectively) feel inevitable, like the Sox did last year. May wait until the last minute to close the deal.

I think the Yankees have moved on from Machado. Don't see them making an official offer at this point.

In comment 14266322 Heisenberg said:

Quote:

Yankees/Phillies (respectively) feel inevitable, like the Sox did last year. May wait until the last minute to close the deal.

How do the Yanks and Phillies feel inevitable? If anything, NYY specifically, I get the sense that Cashman isn�t lurking in the weeds like he was with Teixiera back in 2008/2009. Unless he inks Ottavino for the bullpen, I honestly think they�re all done reshaping the roster for 2019.

Rumors also abound that neither player, Harper nor Manny, really wants to go to Philadelphia. And, really, who can blame them?

It just seems like that's how it will turn out to me.

In comment 14266351 The_Boss said:

Quote:

In comment 14266322 Heisenberg said: Quote: Yankees/Phillies (respectively) feel inevitable, like the Sox did last year. May wait until the last minute to close the deal. How do the Yanks and Phillies feel inevitable? If anything, NYY specifically, I get the sense that Cashman isn�t lurking in the weeds like he was with Teixiera back in 2008/2009. Unless he inks Ottavino for the bullpen, I honestly think they�re all done reshaping the roster for 2019. Rumors also abound that neither player, Harper nor Manny, really wants to go to Philadelphia. And, really, who can blame them?

There was virtually nobody in 2008/9 that had a sense Cashman was lurking in the weeds on Teixeira. That's kind of the thing about lurking in the weeds, when it's done correctly.

In comment 14266165 FatMan in Charlotte said:

Quote:

every Yankee thread these days devolve into the claims that the team is cheap and unwilling to spend? It literally ends up dominating the discussion.

I was the guilty party this time, but the reported lowball offer to Machado set me off. (Naturally, it was likely fake news; I'm gullible.) As others stated more articulately, the fans will have a somewhat legitimate beef if the Yanks don't ink any more FAs due to: rising revenues, high prices to the fans (savings not being passed on to consumer), and what looks like an unwillingness to dip into the bank to put the team over the top.

In comment 14266570 bigbluehoya said:

Quote:

In comment 14266351 The_Boss said: Quote: In comment 14266322 Heisenberg said: Quote: Yankees/Phillies (respectively) feel inevitable, like the Sox did last year. May wait until the last minute to close the deal. How do the Yanks and Phillies feel inevitable? If anything, NYY specifically, I get the sense that Cashman isn�t lurking in the weeds like he was with Teixiera back in 2008/2009. Unless he inks Ottavino for the bullpen, I honestly think they�re all done reshaping the roster for 2019. Rumors also abound that neither player, Harper nor Manny, really wants to go to Philadelphia. And, really, who can blame them? There was virtually nobody in 2008/9 that had a sense Cashman was lurking in the weeds on Teixeira. That's kind of the thing about lurking in the weeds, when it's done correctly.

Only that was 10 years ago & Hal approved of it because George didn't have long to live & Hal wanted one last championship for his Dad. Not sure Hal has that type of motivation to move the needle. But,yes,I hope he proves me wrong!

as it relates to Teixeira is that back then the Yankees traded for Nick Swisher during the same offseason to fill the hole at first left by Giambi's contract expiring. Swisher had played in the outfield as well but given the Yankees already had Damon, Matsui, Melky, Gardner and Nady so it was widely assumed that he was acquired to play first.

They key difference is what TheMick points out but it certainly felt similarly to the Yankees signing Tulo and LeMahieu this offseason.