Yankees: Hal Speaks
So Hal is not cheap. What Hal is, is stupid. What Hal doesn't understand is how his payroll got so high, and what remains the only way to fix it. Cheap young talent from strong drafts and strong IFA classes who can play for the Yanks on introductory deals.
Okay, so Moncada was going to cost a lot. Even with the penalty he was going to cost less than McCann got for 5 years and they were going to be getting more than 6 years of control. It would not have counted against the payroll. What Moncada would have allowed them to do is replace ARod or what ARod used to be, and do if for minimal money over the first few years.
Every year the Yanks spend a ton on luxury tax and revenue sharing. And they get absolutley nothing in return for those millions. They would have gotten a chance at a great player for fewer millions with Moncada, but they were too stupid to see it that way and make the right move.
Hal did bring up their IFA splurge from last July, and that was a really great thing. Unfortunately, it was the only great thing Hal has okayed for the Yankee system on his watch. He refused to go big in the drafts after he took over and before MLB changed the rules. And, that, along with the corruption that was going on in our Dominican operation for years, is why the Yanks don't have great young talent in the bigs right now.
So, what Hal did tonight was not recognize the fact that they needed the July infusions of IFA talent, because Hal had blown off spending on the and in IFA up till then. And he also failed to recognize than Yoan Moncada is three years older and closer to the majors than the other IFA kids. He had a chance to really set the Yanks up for the short and long term and he balked at it.
He made a collosal mistake, tantamount to when his dad let Reggie walk in `82, but his father always owned that, and never let one of his guys get away again.
Hal doesn't have guys yet, but Moncada could have been that, too.
When Hal took over, he said the Yanks would still be the Yanks. They weren't the Yanks on Monday, and, other than last July, they haven't been the Yanks in amateur spending at all on his watch.
posted by Kalel9 @ 6:22 PM
11 Comments:
Here is the actual quote concerning Moncada:
“For Moncada, that was just how far I was going to go for a player who is 19 years old and at least two years away from the majors with all the uncertainties that can happen with a prospect even that good,” Steinbrenner said. “It was a hell of an offer. It might have ended up at $35 million if I continued to be in it. You can’t gauge how much someone else wants him. I can only make a sound judgment as how far I should go for a 19-year-old that is two years away, maybe three years away from contributing to the major league club. Right or wrong, everyone has their opinions.”
And it illustrates what is wrong with him as an owner. No, he's not cheap, he just spends poorly and has no discernible plan or philosophy.
The main problem here is there are too many cooks in the kitchen with differing ideas. The entire Red Sox FO puts 100% confidence in their baseball ops department and is willing to follow their plan, whether it's short or long term.
In Yankee land, that unfortunately is not the case. You have FO members who prioritize the business side over building a well-oiled machine, which conflicts directly with baseball ops.
Moncada is a clear case in point; He will cost 60$ mil but will return close to nothing for roughly 2 years. No merchandise sales, no production for the MLB team, etc.
The Red Sox ownership trusts the baseball ops evaluations and is comfortable with the long term view and cashing in on the return from years 3-8.
The Yanks ownership unfortunately has 2 sides that don't see eye to eye. You have baseball ops who see the long term view and then you have the Levine side who sees it as a huge risk for a player that won't produce a return for years. Hal listens to both but Levine & co wield too much power.
Maybe one day we will see a FO that is all on the same page but until then, we are left with good strategies that are never executed to their fullest extent.
Hal bid just enough to lose Moncada and he knows it. It was a sham offer, but he has people like Chad Jennings defending him, who acts like it's a family budget. Nope.
The biggest problem is that Hal wants it both ways, and it's not possible unless he spends big on every available top asset.
So he would be better off if he just blew up the team and hired a GM with a demonstrated record of developing talent.
We don't know what kind of advice Cashman and others supposed baseball people are giving him.
They should not have spent big on IFA in July unless he was also willing to spend on Moncada,
Was he told that? Who knows?
As far as the luxury tax, he loves it. It keeps him from spending more.
I believe that the Yankees will be sold. I have know idea how their trusts are set up, so they may have to wait until Mrs. Steinbrenner passes.
Right now, I think they are trying to use their cash flow to support an opulent life for four siblings. Before George dies, they may have just received a healthy allowance.
The Yankees should be better for the money they spent, but no one particularly smart is in any top position.
I've read Yankee fans on message boards and comments sections saying they now have to root for Moncada to fail.
No, they need to root for him to rake, so that Hal can see the folly of passing on him because of "risk" and "no immediate return."
It won't make a difference what he does.
The only thing that will move Hal is declining attendance, viewership, and merchandise sales.
The deals they made for IFA were done months before Moncada even left Cuba. No one could have foreseen that. While we lost and most definitely should have won, I don't see how offering $25mil, which is 300% more then any player ever received is a sham offer. Hal took advice from the wrong people on whether or not to go further. Sucks.
And I highly doubt Hal loves the luxury tax. I'm sure donating tens of millions to other owners each year is exactly how he wants to spend the money.
Wrong. Top players have been coming out of Cuba for over five years.
And wrong about the offer. George King nailed it all along. He probably got that from the Yankees themselves.
Doubt all you want. Who cares?
Wrong? Tell me smart guy, of the top cuban players that have come out over the past 5 years, how many were subject to IFA rules?
ZERO. That's right, Puig, Soler, Abreu, Cespedes were able to be signed to major league deals.
So as I said, no one could have foreseen Moncada being available because the typical defector is past the age for IFA.
Keep listening to George King. I'm sure you believe everything Fox News says too.
There's a new post.
You're missing it again. The point is the overall environment of leaving Cuba for the US, and people have been speculating about Moncada for a long time.
It's not that I'm smart. It is that I deal in reality, unlike you, who invents it.
Fox News? Like I said, you know shit about me, or anything for that matter.
You guys are good posters and this is a good humor place, so be as passionate as you want about the teams, but keep the personal sniping to a bare minimum, please.
We don't learn anything for it, and I don't want anyone leaving.
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