Good morning all. Last season really put a damper on enthusiasm, hasn't it? No threads on ST or Yankees baseball. Even the addition of Juan Soto isn't enough to bring out the "faithful".
With pitchers and catchers reporting, I thought someone would have started a thread. With all this lack of talk, I suppose, most of you are not really expecting much this year. I know I am a bit disappointed with the offseason. Seems like pitching will be Gerrit Cole and some others. BP has a few arms and at least the team seems to find effective pitchers out of the pen.
As much as I love Nestor, I think adding that 3 or 4 mph really stresses his arm and he has trouble staying in the rotation. Schmidt was actually improving through the year and seems to be a reliable 4 or 5. Rodon, meh. Stroman - I liked him a few years back, but is he anything more than a 3 or 4 at this point? Anybody else you want to see from the Minors that could make the lineup?
Anyway, let's get the ball rolling on where we see them going this year. Have to believe Baltimore is still top of AL East with the Blue Jays not far behind.
Getting Peraza on the field would be good, perhaps moving Volpe to 2nd base. But the drop off in hitting from Torres to Peraza is big and at the moment lack of hitting is what really kills the Yankees.
I liked Stroman as a FA in 2018/19(?) and hoped the Yanks would get him then.
“The New York Yankees, who offered free-agent starter Blake Snell a five-year, $150 million contract before turning to Marcus Stroman last month, still have serious interest in him,” according to Nightengale. “They are waiting to see if his asking price drops on a long-term deal or if he agrees to take a short-term contract that could pay him in excess of $35 million a year.”
Link - ( New Window )
“The New York Yankees, who offered free-agent starter Blake Snell a five-year, $150 million contract before turning to Marcus Stroman last month, still have serious interest in him,” according to Nightengale. “They are waiting to see if his asking price drops on a long-term deal or if he agrees to take a short-term contract that could pay him in excess of $35 million a year.” Link - ( New Window )
That would make me smile...I like Snell. 5 year deal would get him to 36 y/o?
Keep making offers.
The point is it’s saying the Yankees still have interest. That is big because all we’ve heard to this point is they moved on to Stroman and were out completely on Snell
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would drop in our lap at some point this offseason on a short-term deal. Hope it works out.
His asking price needs to come way down. He is trying to cash in on best season in 5 years. In the previous 4 years, he never topped 128 innings or 8 wins. There's a reason he is sitting on the market with ST starting.
This. The last thing the Yankees need is another injury prone player.
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In comment 16401940 bceagle05 said:
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would drop in our lap at some point this offseason on a short-term deal. Hope it works out.
His asking price needs to come way down. He is trying to cash in on best season in 5 years. In the previous 4 years, he never topped 128 innings or 8 wins. There's a reason he is sitting on the market with ST starting.
This. The last thing the Yankees need is another injury prone player.
Snell on the Yankees' terms makes sense if you're going all in.
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But was there a known attempt at trying to sign Soto long term? Definitely get this feeling that he won't be here for the long haul. Hope I'm wrong.
Scott Boras is his agent. He’s hitting free agency
Boras’s concern for his own rep may get in the way of his clients’ best interest when you’re talking about the money they are putting at risk.
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Key take away from the article- Rodon’s velo is WAY up from last year, back at his 2021 and 2022 levels. This appears to be confirmation that he was never healthy last year with the forearm muscle issues. The Athletic article on Rodon - ( New Window )
Whatever. The Yankee beat reporters are more of a house organ than the Giant's beat reporters, if such a thing were possible. Let's see what he does come the season.
Obviously you never read the article- considering it was The Athletic and not Yankee beat writers. You are nothing if not consistent- bad hot takes all year long.
athletic - ( New Window )
With that said, the guy is a walking MASH unit and I’m not getting my hopes up. Still, if they can get 40 quality (and not average) IP out of the guy, I’d be pleasantly surprised.
Birdi comeback - ( New Window )
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In comment 16401946 HomerJones45 said:
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In comment 16401940 bceagle05 said:
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would drop in our lap at some point this offseason on a short-term deal. Hope it works out.
His asking price needs to come way down. He is trying to cash in on best season in 5 years. In the previous 4 years, he never topped 128 innings or 8 wins. There's a reason he is sitting on the market with ST starting.
This. The last thing the Yankees need is another injury prone player.
Snell on the Yankees' terms makes sense if you're going all in.
I disagree. In fact, I believe Snell would be a disaster in NY.
The guy throws a LOT of pitches, yet never gets out of the 5th- and sometimes doesn’t even finish the 5th. He walks a LOT of guys, which is a playoff nightmare. To top it off, he’s obviously more interested in a big payday than where he lands, which to me is a HUGE red flag- to me that implies that he’s in it for the payday and has no competitive drive- which is a MUST in NY.
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In comment 16401958 mitch300 said:
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In comment 16401946 HomerJones45 said:
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In comment 16401940 bceagle05 said:
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would drop in our lap at some point this offseason on a short-term deal. Hope it works out.
His asking price needs to come way down. He is trying to cash in on best season in 5 years. In the previous 4 years, he never topped 128 innings or 8 wins. There's a reason he is sitting on the market with ST starting.
This. The last thing the Yankees need is another injury prone player.
Snell on the Yankees' terms makes sense if you're going all in.
I disagree. In fact, I believe Snell would be a disaster in NY.
The guy throws a LOT of pitches, yet never gets out of the 5th- and sometimes doesn’t even finish the 5th. He walks a LOT of guys, which is a playoff nightmare. To top it off, he’s obviously more interested in a big payday than where he lands, which to me is a HUGE red flag- to me that implies that he’s in it for the payday and has no competitive drive- which is a MUST in NY.
Snell pitched 180 innings last season and struck out 234. This idea that he’s a 5 inning pitcher is based on his time with the Rays and had more to do with the Rays thinking they are the smartest team in the history of the sport more than it does Snell. They don’t let their pitchers see a lineup the third time. As far as the playoffs, the last time we seen Snell in the playoffs he was pitching a shutout against the Dodgers in the WS and inexplicably pulled while throwing only 73 pitches. Again, that’s the Rays trying to show the world how brilliant they are, nothing to do with Snell, specifically. He’s also won two Cy Youngs.
Yeah, who needs a guy like that because he wants to be paid? Just like every other free agent in the history of the sport
Snell pitched 180 innings last season and struck out 234. This idea that he’s a 5 inning pitcher is based on his time with the Rays and had more to do with the Rays thinking they are the smartest team in the history of the sport more than it does Snell. They don’t let their pitchers see a lineup the third time. As far as the playoffs, the last time we seen Snell in the playoffs he was pitching a shutout against the Dodgers in the WS and inexplicably pulled while throwing only 73 pitches. Again, that’s the Rays trying to show the world how brilliant they are, nothing to do with Snell, specifically. He’s also won two Cy Youngs.
Yeah, who needs a guy like that because he wants to be paid? Just like every other free agent in the history of the sport
Have to agree with BBS, rich in DC. Snell is a very good pitcher. I'd definitely roll the dice on a 1 year deal. I might even go 4 years...
With that said, the guy is a walking MASH unit and I’m not getting my hopes up. Still, if they can get 40 quality (and not average) IP out of the guy, I’d be pleasantly surprised.
Birdi comeback - ( New Window )
Check out Burdi from last season. Ignore the crazy graphics. The guy was throwing 100 mph.
Burdi - ( New Window )
"A noticeably slimmer Stanton reported to spring training Monday following an offseason in which his workouts were “more movement-based” with a simple goal in mind."
“Be a baseball player again,” Stanton said at his locker at Steinbrenner Field. “I just needed to be more mobile. A lot of setbacks [last season] kept me not moving the way I’d like to be.”
Link - ( New Window )
No, his velocity has been consistent. Are you thinking of Bieber maybe?
I disagree. In fact, I believe Snell would be a disaster in NY.
The guy throws a LOT of pitches, yet never gets out of the 5th- and sometimes doesn’t even finish the 5th. He walks a LOT of guys, which is a playoff nightmare. To top it off, he’s obviously more interested in a big payday than where he lands, which to me is a HUGE red flag- to me that implies that he’s in it for the payday and has no competitive drive- which is a MUST in NY.
I disagree that Snell is a playoff nightmare. His career postseason numbers are quite good. He does walk a lot of batters but it's not like his command is all over the place. From Fangraphs (linked below and there's a lot of data that supports this in the article)
That he has a propensity for giving up walks and preventing runs forces us to consider that walks alone might not be the best encapsulation of his command. His ability to live around the edges and leave his misses in low risk locations is a skill.
Also your last point is an assumption that may not reflect reality at all, especially when Boras is his agent. The Yankees offer is the only known one and it was pretty far off his projections. Turning it down isn't an indictment on whether or not he wants to win, especially when we're in the dark as to what his market is to begin with.
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I wonder if teams ask Boras about that contract.
I wonder if teams ask Boras about that contract.
What an absolute nightmare signing for the Angels. Vernon Wells part 2.
Before I go into on the field only mode, I have a few observations from a fan that's followed the Yankees for about 60 years.
1. I can't remember a time since the 1994 strike ended that the Yankee fan base was this apathetic. This year is the first time I've been getting "offers" from the Yankees for everything from buy one, get one free spring training tickets to $5000 for a private game suite in the Bronx and everything in between. Apparently, plenty of good seats are still available in the Bronx and Tampa.
2. The "management" of the Yankees has no idea how to "fix" things to get the fan base excited. The owner is perceived as bean counter, more interested in his bottom line than his won/loss record. The team president conducts himself as an embarrassing, ineffective bully and buffoon. The senior vice president and general manager is desperate to save his job and his "legacy" which has led to a top heavy roster of Judge, Cole and The Mysterians which doesn't seem to be inspiring former Yankee ticket buyers or the rest of the fan base.
3. I think #2 is what has caused #1 and there is no hope for change in sight. I’m not sure anything less than a World Series appearance will change the malaise era we’re in.
I listened to a podcast last week with Andy Martino and he said he's written a book that will be released on May 14th called:
The Yankee Way: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era.
He claims this book will help explain the excellence of the Yankees front office. One of the examples he mentioned is that when you read this book, you'll understand why trading Jordan Montgomery for Harrison Bader was well thought out and a good move.
He said something we’ve heard before. That the Yankees front office makes every move in vacuum, so they are evaluating each transaction on its own merits, and you’ll see why they all made sense and were well thought out at the time when you read the book.
I wonder how you can build a correct puzzle without looking at all the pieces, without a thought for how they fit the finished picture? That's something the Yankees front office wants to admit or worse brag about?
What do you guys think? If a front office explains their thinking for making a trade and the trade turns out horribly. Do they get a pass because it seemed like a good idea at the time? Martino talked a little but about Joey Gallo being acquired for defense and why that made sense too. I know for a fact that the majority of us who post here thought it was idiotic to add another guy who strikeouts out record rates to the Yankees lineup at the time. Who didn’t see how that was going to go except the Yankees front office?
I thought Bob Klapish had already written the Cashman legacy book in 2019. It was called Inside the Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees. We need another Cashman book? I guess one book detailing the genius of a top 3 payroll for over a decade without a World Series appearance wasn't enough?
Turning to the 2024 season on the field. I think the front office has improved the offense on paper, it's gotten younger and better bats in the outfield, I'm excited to watch Soto play. I'm curious to see how Verdugo fits in after quickly wearing out his welcome with the Dodgers and the Red Sox. Maybe the 3rd team is the charm. The Yankees have added a few questionable reputation players this off season. Maybe those players can bring something that helps with the daily grind and fuels a competitive edge that’s been missing. Maybe the gift of desperation helps to cure the less than intense play on the field the last few years?
I'm curious to see how Stanton and Torres handle the pressure they're both under. I'm skeptical that Stanton will be a positive contributor and I think the Torres questions about being a free agent at the end of the year are going to get old for him very quickly. With a good year Torres can play himself into life changing money. Personally, I’ll take the under on Torres. I wanted the Yankees to trade him after 2019.
I'm curious to see if Volpe gets away from swinging as hard as he can and trying to pull every pitch. For all the hype he was one of the worst offensive players in MLB last year. I still don't think he has the arm to stay at SS but his OBP is more important to me at this point. His defense was good enough last year. The Yankees need him to be on base 35% or more of the time and score a lot of runs. I think the infield depth will be tested. I expect both DJ and Rizzo to wear and/or break down as the season progresses. I hope I’m wrong.
The Yankees have 5 catchers on their 40 man. Trevino is the only one with any kind of positive MLB track record and he’s already injured (calf). Supposedly minor nothing to worry about. We will see. Ben Rortvedt was Cole’s personal catcher for a while last year, but Cole is probably a better hitter. Rortvedt has minor league options left. The Yankees want Austin Wells to hit enough that his defense is tolerable enough for him to get the bulk of the MLB at bats. Not many people I’ve read or heard think he can catch at the MLB level. I hope he can. A lefthanded catcher who can hit for some power would be a big lift for the lineup. Carlos Narvaez finished 2023 at AAA. Agustin Ramirez finished 2023 at AA. The Yankees also brought back Luis Torrens on a minor league invite. Rule 5 may have ruined his career. He’s never hit but also never gotten much of a chance to play regularly. He’s still only 28 years old without much tread on his tires. There is certainly a lot of catching depth but I’m not sure if there’s a plus everyday catcher when you combine offense and defense.
To me the pitching staff is Cole and the question marks. I have my fingers crossed hoping that Cole can throw another 200 innings near his 2023 level. I think Rodon, Stroman and Cortes are boom or bust based on their health/injuries again. All of them were hurt last year. IMO if the Yankees are going to be a top of the league team 3 of their top 4 starters are going to have to take almost all of their turns and be very good.
After those 4 there’s Clarke Schmidt who had a 93 ERA+ last year in 159 innings which was 100 more than his previous career high, rookies and AAAA players. If 2 of the top 4 starters get hurt or pitch poorly, we have to hope for a few big surprises from the Schmidt group.
The one consensus I hear and read from across all of the media is that the Yankees front office knows how to build a bullpen and that the Yankees will have a very good bullpen in 2024. What am I missing? Clay Holmes has had 2 really good seasons in a row. 2022 was a little bit better than 2023. In 2023 there were stretches where he couldn’t throw strikes, but he had a 155 and 152 ERA+ in 2022 and 2023. I think we would all sign up for a 150 ERA + in 2024. After Holmes the rest of the bullpen projects as Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton, Tommy Kahnle, Caleb Ferguson, Victor González, Luke Weaver and Ron Marinaccio. Do those names inspire confidence for anyone?
Unlike the football, baseball is played almost every day and unlike the football season the baseball season lasts 7 months. Things can change from a peak to a valley or vis versa in 2 weeks. Most of us will overreact in both directions during that roller coaster even though at this point we should know better.
I’ve read and heard that the Yankees front office and top players (Judge and Cole) think that a portion of last year’s injuries and slow start were from a lack of off-season training and commitment. Hopefully that’s not the case this year. At the end of last year Judge talked about not using April as extended spring training. I hope the manager and front office were listening. This what Gerrit Cole said the other day during an interview.
I know it was only a brief stint with Wells behind the plate, but he looked ok to me. As far as Trevino - he is already catching, so it is probably more of a tweak than injury.
It will be interesting to see how Stanton's loss of weight helps him. He was so stiff in previous seasons it is not surprising he was always pulling something. He hits the ball 15% to 20% harder than almost everyone, so he doesn't need all the muscle. I bet he still connects at the 112 mph range.
Not sure what to think with Verdugo - not one of my favorites, but that usually means he played well against the Yankees.
I do expect Cortes to have occasional issues because he tries to get so much out of his arm - lots of extra stress.
Finally - the pen. Whatever Cashman and Co. have done, building a pen is the one thing they do well. I suspect they will pick up additional arms before the spring is over.
I sure do wish Hal would spend more, and that Cash and the front office did things differently, but we're in a much better situation than almost every other fan base, besides who, the Dodgers, Braves, Texas Rangers, Astros, maybe Orioles? Imagine if the NY Giants fans could say that.
We're not going to be the '98 Yankees but we also won't be the 2023 Yankees.
I have a feeling Gleyber will have a monster pre-FA year. (However, there is some chance he over-tries and sucks, but I'm betting on the big season.)
If there are going to be big discounts due to fan apathy, I will be sure to take advantage.
All that said, I totally get why people are pissed.
They were never getting Yamamato. Like Ohtani, he was a West Coast player from the get go..
Well we know that now, but there was legit excitement over the past year and it was still a letdown when it became official.
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They were never getting Yamamato. Like Ohtani, he was a West Coast player from the get go..
Well we know that now, but there was legit excitement over the past year and it was still a letdown when it became official.
After the Ohtani debacle years before, you had to know in the back of your head he was staying out West. There was a tiny chance he would pick the Yanks or Mets.
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In comment 16402834 section125 said:
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They were never getting Yamamato. Like Ohtani, he was a West Coast player from the get go..
Well we know that now, but there was legit excitement over the past year and it was still a letdown when it became official.
After the Ohtani debacle years before, you had to know in the back of your head he was staying out West. There was a tiny chance he would pick the Yanks or Mets.
Yep, the Yankees were never seriously considered. Also when the Dodgers were able to defer most of Ohtani's salary, it was a clear sign he was headed there. I wouldn't doubt that Ohtani and Yamamoto worked this out well before free agency even started.
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In comment 16402837 bceagle05 said:
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In comment 16402834 section125 said:
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They were never getting Yamamato. Like Ohtani, he was a West Coast player from the get go..
Well we know that now, but there was legit excitement over the past year and it was still a letdown when it became official.
After the Ohtani debacle years before, you had to know in the back of your head he was staying out West. There was a tiny chance he would pick the Yanks or Mets.
Yep, the Yankees were never seriously considered. Also when the Dodgers were able to defer most of Ohtani's salary, it was a clear sign he was headed there. I wouldn't doubt that Ohtani and Yamamoto worked this out well before free agency even started.
Yep, use the Yanks and Mets to sweeten the pot and then take the Dodgers cash.
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In comment 16402876 section125 said:
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In comment 16402837 bceagle05 said:
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In comment 16402834 section125 said:
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They were never getting Yamamato. Like Ohtani, he was a West Coast player from the get go..
Well we know that now, but there was legit excitement over the past year and it was still a letdown when it became official.
After the Ohtani debacle years before, you had to know in the back of your head he was staying out West. There was a tiny chance he would pick the Yanks or Mets.
Yep, the Yankees were never seriously considered. Also when the Dodgers were able to defer most of Ohtani's salary, it was a clear sign he was headed there. I wouldn't doubt that Ohtani and Yamamoto worked this out well before free agency even started.
Yep, use the Yanks and Mets to sweeten the pot and then take the Dodgers cash.
Also looks like the latest Yankees "interest" in Snell was nothing more that fake news leaked by his agent Boras to generate some interest by other teams, if you believe Michael Kay and his contacts.
Also looks like the latest Yankees "interest" in Snell was nothing more that fake news leaked by his agent Boras to generate some interest by other teams, if you believe Michael Kay and his contacts.
Or the Yankees mouth piece is countering Boras' leak. It is lying season, even in baseball.
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In comment 16401969 GFAN52 said:
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In comment 16401958 mitch300 said:
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In comment 16401946 HomerJones45 said:
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In comment 16401940 bceagle05 said:
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would drop in our lap at some point this offseason on a short-term deal. Hope it works out.
His asking price needs to come way down. He is trying to cash in on best season in 5 years. In the previous 4 years, he never topped 128 innings or 8 wins. There's a reason he is sitting on the market with ST starting.
This. The last thing the Yankees need is another injury prone player.
Snell on the Yankees' terms makes sense if you're going all in.
I disagree. In fact, I believe Snell would be a disaster in NY.
The guy throws a LOT of pitches, yet never gets out of the 5th- and sometimes doesn’t even finish the 5th. He walks a LOT of guys, which is a playoff nightmare. To top it off, he’s obviously more interested in a big payday than where he lands, which to me is a HUGE red flag- to me that implies that he’s in it for the payday and has no competitive drive- which is a MUST in NY.
Snell pitched 180 innings last season and struck out 234. This idea that he’s a 5 inning pitcher is based on his time with the Rays and had more to do with the Rays thinking they are the smartest team in the history of the sport more than it does Snell. They don’t let their pitchers see a lineup the third time. As far as the playoffs, the last time we seen Snell in the playoffs he was pitching a shutout against the Dodgers in the WS and inexplicably pulled while throwing only 73 pitches. Again, that’s the Rays trying to show the world how brilliant they are, nothing to do with Snell, specifically. He’s also won two Cy Youngs.
Yeah, who needs a guy like that because he wants to be paid? Just like every other free agent in the history of the sport
Big miss there bub.
Take a look at the link below- even if the Rays limited him in some way (the facts don’t bear this out, but whatever), when you look at his average Innings per start, the first year with the padres, he didn’t even average 5 innings per start.
Year 2 and 3- both with the Padres- he averaged just over 5 innings per start.
Use facts, not made up thoughts
FACTS MATTER - ( New Window )
Before I go into on the field only mode, I have a few observations from a fan that's followed the Yankees for about 60 years.
1. I can't remember a time since the 1994 strike ended that the Yankee fan base was this apathetic. This year is the first time I've been getting "offers" from the Yankees for everything from buy one, get one free spring training tickets to $5000 for a private game suite in the Bronx and everything in between. Apparently, plenty of good seats are still available in the Bronx and Tampa.
2. The "management" of the Yankees has no idea how to "fix" things to get the fan base excited. The owner is perceived as bean counter, more interested in his bottom line than his won/loss record. The team president conducts himself as an embarrassing, ineffective bully and buffoon. The senior vice president and general manager is desperate to save his job and his "legacy" which has led to a top heavy roster of Judge, Cole and The Mysterians which doesn't seem to be inspiring former Yankee ticket buyers or the rest of the fan base.
3. I think #2 is what has caused #1 and there is no hope for change in sight. I’m not sure anything less than a World Series appearance will change the malaise era we’re in.
I listened to a podcast last week with Andy Martino and he said he's written a book that will be released on May 14th called:
The Yankee Way: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era.
He claims this book will help explain the excellence of the Yankees front office. One of the examples he mentioned is that when you read this book, you'll understand why trading Jordan Montgomery for Harrison Bader was well thought out and a good move.
He said something we’ve heard before. That the Yankees front office makes every move in vacuum, so they are evaluating each transaction on its own merits, and you’ll see why they all made sense and were well thought out at the time when you read the book.
I wonder how you can build a correct puzzle without looking at all the pieces, without a thought for how they fit the finished picture? That's something the Yankees front office wants to admit or worse brag about?
What do you guys think? If a front office explains their thinking for making a trade and the trade turns out horribly. Do they get a pass because it seemed like a good idea at the time? Martino talked a little but about Joey Gallo being acquired for defense and why that made sense too. I know for a fact that the majority of us who post here thought it was idiotic to add another guy who strikeouts out record rates to the Yankees lineup at the time. Who didn’t see how that was going to go except the Yankees front office?
I thought Bob Klapish had already written the Cashman legacy book in 2019. It was called Inside the Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees. We need another Cashman book? I guess one book detailing the genius of a top 3 payroll for over a decade without a World Series appearance wasn't enough?
Turning to the 2024 season on the field. I think the front office has improved the offense on paper, it's gotten younger and better bats in the outfield, I'm excited to watch Soto play. I'm curious to see how Verdugo fits in after quickly wearing out his welcome with the Dodgers and the Red Sox. Maybe the 3rd team is the charm. The Yankees have added a few questionable reputation players this off season. Maybe those players can bring something that helps with the daily grind and fuels a competitive edge that’s been missing. Maybe the gift of desperation helps to cure the less than intense play on the field the last few years?
I'm curious to see how Stanton and Torres handle the pressure they're both under. I'm skeptical that Stanton will be a positive contributor and I think the Torres questions about being a free agent at the end of the year are going to get old for him very quickly. With a good year Torres can play himself into life changing money. Personally, I’ll take the under on Torres. I wanted the Yankees to trade him after 2019.
I'm curious to see if Volpe gets away from swinging as hard as he can and trying to pull every pitch. For all the hype he was one of the worst offensive players in MLB last year. I still don't think he has the arm to stay at SS but his OBP is more important to me at this point. His defense was good enough last year. The Yankees need him to be on base 35% or more of the time and score a lot of runs. I think the infield depth will be tested. I expect both DJ and Rizzo to wear and/or break down as the season progresses. I hope I’m wrong.
The Yankees have 5 catchers on their 40 man. Trevino is the only one with any kind of positive MLB track record and he’s already injured (calf). Supposedly minor nothing to worry about. We will see. Ben Rortvedt was Cole’s personal catcher for a while last year, but Cole is probably a better hitter. Rortvedt has minor league options left. The Yankees want Austin Wells to hit enough that his defense is tolerable enough for him to get the bulk of the MLB at bats. Not many people I’ve read or heard think he can catch at the MLB level. I hope he can. A lefthanded catcher who can hit for some power would be a big lift for the lineup. Carlos Narvaez finished 2023 at AAA. Agustin Ramirez finished 2023 at AA. The Yankees also brought back Luis Torrens on a minor league invite. Rule 5 may have ruined his career. He’s never hit but also never gotten much of a chance to play regularly. He’s still only 28 years old without much tread on his tires. There is certainly a lot of catching depth but I’m not sure if there’s a plus everyday catcher when you combine offense and defense.
To me the pitching staff is Cole and the question marks. I have my fingers crossed hoping that Cole can throw another 200 innings near his 2023 level. I think Rodon, Stroman and Cortes are boom or bust based on their health/injuries again. All of them were hurt last year. IMO if the Yankees are going to be a top of the league team 3 of their top 4 starters are going to have to take almost all of their turns and be very good.
After those 4 there’s Clarke Schmidt who had a 93 ERA+ last year in 159 innings which was 100 more than his previous career high, rookies and AAAA players. If 2 of the top 4 starters get hurt or pitch poorly, we have to hope for a few big surprises from the Schmidt group.
The one consensus I hear and read from across all of the media is that the Yankees front office knows how to build a bullpen and that the Yankees will have a very good bullpen in 2024. What am I missing? Clay Holmes has had 2 really good seasons in a row. 2022 was a little bit better than 2023. In 2023 there were stretches where he couldn’t throw strikes, but he had a 155 and 152 ERA+ in 2022 and 2023. I think we would all sign up for a 150 ERA + in 2024. After Holmes the rest of the bullpen projects as Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton, Tommy Kahnle, Caleb Ferguson, Victor González, Luke Weaver and Ron Marinaccio. Do those names inspire confidence for anyone?
Unlike the football, baseball is played almost every day and unlike the football season the baseball season lasts 7 months. Things can change from a peak to a valley or vis versa in 2 weeks. Most of us will overreact in both directions during that roller coaster even though at this point we should know better.
I’ve read and heard that the Yankees front office and top players (Judge and Cole) think that a portion of last year’s injuries and slow start were from a lack of off-season training and commitment. Hopefully that’s not the case this year. At the end of last year Judge talked about not using April as extended spring training. I hope the manager and front office were listening. This what Gerrit Cole said the other day during an interview.
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"By and large you need to prepare in the offseason well," Cole offered when asked how to improve injury prevention. "This isn’t how it used to be even 10 years ago or so when I started where guys would come in and use spring training as a ramp-up. There’s a higher level of intensity much sooner and that forces the demand on the player to build a tank up, to build a capacity and tolerance in the offseason, that’s going to be your number one goal.”
WOW- holy lack of self-awareness Batman!
People on this site are NOT apathetic- they have been driven away by the constant moaning about how much you and others hate Cashman and how everything he does is wrong and only you are right.
In case you haven’t noticed (lack of self-awareness) NO ONE CARES about how much you hate Cashman. We want to talk about the Yanks, but the game threads are a crap fest that routinely gets taken over by the Cashman haters.
You even turn the ONLY positive thread we’ve had in months into a cesspool in just a single (novel length) post.
PLEASE GO AWAY and leave Yankee threads alone. Your anti-Cashman routine is old, tired and NO ONE CARES
He did the same thing after his terrible first season in the minors- and that went VERY well. If he can do it once, I believe he can do it again!
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Sad and pathetic.
Noticed that you posted all your insights on how this will be a good year....oh wait, you didn't. Got nothing to offer - STFU.
Lol. Sad.
Says the guy that still offers nothing while doing exactly what he says others do....