Machado and Harper still aren't signed - Harper to PHI seems to be gaining steam. SD seems fairly serious in their pursuits. Wouldn't be totally stunned if Machado landed there.
Didi may be able to begin swinging with two hands in a few weeks. He's begun a throwing program and I would bet that he's back on the earlier end of the timetable. (Admittedly hopeful, but knowing how Didi is... he'll be back as soon as humanly possible)
Kahnle has shed some weight. Apparently he wanted to put some on last year to help with durability and velocity and it didn't work for him. He's supposedly down about 25 lbs.
Ellsbury will predictably start the year on the injured list.
Mike King was sent to minor league camp to rehab.
Sounds like Hicksie will be the leadoff guy most of the time - which is where I really like him. But Boone says Torres will get some looks there and he could even go Judge/Stanton at the top against LHPs which could be kind of cool.
First ST game is only 5 days away - picking up right back where we left off against BOS.
Getting closer....
IMHO, Hicks will be the next guy they sign to an extended contract. Good ball player and a seemingly good guy. If their plan is to slowly start locking up the young talent, then passing on Harper and Machado was probably the right thing to do.(Although I still would have liked Machado!)
He'll probably feel a lot better - even if he hates it! :)
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So, that's really great news.
I preferred Britton to Robertson, personally - and would be willing to bet Britton has the better year.
That would be huge. He was pretty decent with some control issues last fall. He would definitely be an option to close, along with Dellin, should Chapman need a break.
So, that's really great news.
I preferred Britton to Robertson, personally - and would be willing to bet Britton has the better year.
When he is at his best, it's like hitting a friggin
bowling ball. That's the guy I want to see this year!
I think it is important to keep Tulo in the 7/8 spot because he will be a base-clogger. You don't want him in front of Hicks because he will cost extra bases on balls down the line or in the gaps- and at this point, Gardner is more likely to have the higher OBP, which in turn puts more guys on base ahead of the big bats.
I have to believe that he recovers. I really think that shoulder was a problem.
I expect .282 ba, 30-32 hrs and 85-95 rbi's depending on his spot in the order. If he returns to early Gary, I expect him at #4 or #5 and the rbi may approach 100.
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Last year injuries crushed his performance but I can see .275 ba 25-30 hrs and 90 rbis
I have to believe that he recovers. I really think that shoulder was a problem.
I expect .282 ba, 30-32 hrs and 85-95 rbi's depending on his spot in the order. If he returns to early Gary, I expect him at #4 or #5 and the rbi may approach 100.
Did the 8njured shoulder make him chase balls way outside? Because if not, the shoulder was not the problem.
Look, I really want him to return to 2016 form, but his problems last year were much more a result in mental lapses as well as lapses in effort in my opinion.
The sub-.200 BABIP will be literally impossible to replicate - he won't do that again even if he wants to (obviously he won't want to!)
Boone really loves him and I think the two of them have forged a good foundation to build their relationship on.
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In comment 14299334 superspynyg said:
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Last year injuries crushed his performance but I can see .275 ba 25-30 hrs and 90 rbis
I have to believe that he recovers. I really think that shoulder was a problem.
I expect .282 ba, 30-32 hrs and 85-95 rbi's depending on his spot in the order. If he returns to early Gary, I expect him at #4 or #5 and the rbi may approach 100.
Did the 8njured shoulder make him chase balls way outside? Because if not, the shoulder was not the problem.
Look, I really want him to return to 2016 form, but his problems last year were much more a result in mental lapses as well as lapses in effort in my opinion.
If he felt he could not catch up to a pitch because he lacked the bat speed, then yes he would start the swing earlier to compensate, before recognizing the pitch.
IDK, but hard to believe he was .100 less than the year before and it was swinging for the fences..
That's my story and I'm sticking with it!
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In comment 14299337 section125 said:
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In comment 14299334 superspynyg said:
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Last year injuries crushed his performance but I can see .275 ba 25-30 hrs and 90 rbis
I have to believe that he recovers. I really think that shoulder was a problem.
I expect .282 ba, 30-32 hrs and 85-95 rbi's depending on his spot in the order. If he returns to early Gary, I expect him at #4 or #5 and the rbi may approach 100.
Did the 8njured shoulder make him chase balls way outside? Because if not, the shoulder was not the problem.
Look, I really want him to return to 2016 form, but his problems last year were much more a result in mental lapses as well as lapses in effort in my opinion.
If he felt he could not catch up to a pitch because he lacked the bat speed, then yes he would start the swing earlier to compensate, before recognizing the pitch.
IDK, but hard to believe he was .100 less than the year before and it was swinging for the fences..
That's my story and I'm sticking with it!
Again, that's the wrong approach. And yes Im saying that as a non-pro, but a baseball guy. You swing at strikes, you don't force strikes. If you cant catch up, you cant catch up. But swinging at balls diving towards the left handed batter's ankles is about as poor an approach as you can get. You look fastball all the time and make him throw sliders for strikes. They werent. The pitchers were practically licking their fingertips before the ball hit the catchers glove.
Also, if his shoulder was so bad he couldnt catch up to fastballs, he shouldve been removed from the lineup. Period. He was an empty space last year and a liability on defense.
Again, that's the wrong approach. And yes Im saying that as a non-pro, but a baseball guy. You swing at strikes, you don't force strikes. If you cant catch up, you cant catch up. But swinging at balls diving towards the left handed batter's ankles is about as poor an approach as you can get. You look fastball all the time and make him throw sliders for strikes. They werent. The pitchers were practically licking their fingertips before the ball hit the catchers glove.
Also, if his shoulder was so bad he couldnt catch up to fastballs, he shouldve been removed from the lineup. Period. He was an empty space last year and a liability on defense.
Yes and ARod and Stanton should not be guess hitters, but they were/are. Many players are guess hitters. I don't know Gary's approach, but I think you are being naive to think it is as simple as you say. Like Judge swinging at low and away all the time. He should not do that, but he does. And to say that Gary should sit if the shoulder was bad, well MLB players play hurt all the time. A bad Gary is still better than a good Romine(well by the end of the season).
I will still stick with the bad shoulder being part of the problem. We will find out soon.
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Last year injuries crushed his performance but I can see .275 ba 25-30 hrs and 90 rbis
I have to believe that he recovers. I really think that shoulder was a problem.
I expect .282 ba, 30-32 hrs and 85-95 rbi's depending on his spot in the order. If he returns to early Gary, I expect him at #4 or #5 and the rbi may approach 100.
That would easily put him as the best catcher in baseball and a MVP candidate. For all the hype J.T. Realmuto gets as the best catcher in baseball his career year at age 27 is .277/.340/.484. Realmuto's peak is an average Jorge Posada season. Sanchez's peak is prime Johnny Bench/Mike Piazza. That is how valuable and important Sanchez is to the Yankees cause you don't get that production from a C.
MLB package works well. I'm ready!!!
Clint Frazier is on the roster bubble. Gardner will certainly be on the roster, but he should be under examination given his age and horrendous second half: .288 OBP in 241 plate appearances.
Depending on what we see in ST, a roster that allows a lineup variation of Bird or Voit at DH and Stanton in the OF may look attractive. And that roster could function with a 3-man bench.
They both have multiple options actually. Bird has 3 and Voit has 2. Which is a good thing. Whoever plays well will play and stick, if they don't they'll flip flop. So we can always look to ride the hot hand this year. But I can assure you one will be on ML roster and other will be in AAA.
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In comment 14299334 superspynyg said:
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Last year injuries crushed his performance but I can see .275 ba 25-30 hrs and 90 rbis
I have to believe that he recovers. I really think that shoulder was a problem.
I expect .282 ba, 30-32 hrs and 85-95 rbi's depending on his spot in the order. If he returns to early Gary, I expect him at #4 or #5 and the rbi may approach 100.
That would easily put him as the best catcher in baseball and a MVP candidate. For all the hype J.T. Realmuto gets as the best catcher in baseball his career year at age 27 is .277/.340/.484. Realmuto's peak is an average Jorge Posada season. Sanchez's peak is prime Johnny Bench/Mike Piazza. That is how valuable and important Sanchez is to the Yankees cause you don't get that production from a C.
Agreed. He and Sev are the linchpins to the team's success. If they both have big years we could win it all.
Gardner's bat always slips in late months due to overuse & last year it was even more apparent after Judge then Hicks got hurt.Instead of trading for a MLB OFer at the trade deadline,Cashman waited until the end of August to get McCutcheon when his salary wouldn't have an adverse effect on the cap. Yankees only other option became Shane Robinson,who was no option at all! If Yanks platoon Gardy,come August-October, we'll get the early months Gardy & this narrative will end.
But, I'd even say his defense started to decline in September - well he wasn't impeccable, he missed a few plays he usually makes.
I do think he is still an elite LF with above average CF skills. His baserunning is still elite and he will still grind out at bats. I think there is a good chance Frazier replaces him as starter by July.
Achilles tendon, not knee. Chapman's and CC's knees.
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He’s going to have a dominant season. Yankees bullpen, if able to stay healthy, is by far the best in baseball.
Achilles tendon, not knee. Chapman's and CC's knees.
If he's back to that level this bullpen could be amazing.
My note of caution is that Frazier has just over 630 ABs over the last two seasons combined- both major and minor league ABs. For a developing player, that's not ideal. While we can expect a veteran ML hitter to be able to adjust to a lengthy layoff, Frazier is probably not a finished product.
Give him 200-300 ABs to get the swing down (remember that was one of the big adjustments the Yanks made for him last year- cutting down on the swing plane so the bat spent more time in the "hitting zone). The results were encouraging, but before just throwing him out to the ML pitchers, make sure that the layoff hasn't affected his timing or new habits at the plate.
Once he shows he's ready, bring him up.
I think when he was he was somewhere in the late teens / early 20's. Is that about where he'd still be looked at?
I think when he was he was somewhere in the late teens / early 20's. Is that about where he'd still be looked at?
Fangraphs actually had a blurb on him today.
They have him as a PV50, which would put him at the top of the prospect list.
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See link. 2017 was the last year Frazier was on prospect lists. Acuna shot up after 2017 when Frazier was no longer eligible to be ranked. MLB.com's 2016 ranks had him at #15, higher than Judge and Gleyber.
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Gardner is an elite defensive LF, even late in his career. Frazier should be above average, probably not elite, but still pretty good. Frazier/Hicks/Judge is a Top 10 defensive OF in baseball, maybe Top 5.
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#1 on some lists. Frazier was never at that level. But he showed some really promising things in 2017, lots of extra base hits, nice exit velocity, etc. I always assumed he'd end up traded, but the injuries sort of nixed that possibility. And now LF has really opened up for him. I hope he can grab the job full time at some point this season
See link. 2017 was the last year Frazier was on prospect lists. Acuna shot up after 2017 when Frazier was no longer eligible to be ranked. MLB.com's 2016 ranks had him at #15, higher than Judge and Gleyber. Link - ( New Window )
I get your point, and it's hard to estimate where Frazier may have ranked last season if he hadn't graduated prospect status. But I don't think he'd have been near Acuna who had shot up to #1. That's ok though, Frazier could end up a very good player while not approaching what Acuna has done/is going to do