This Week on the Blog
Giants: The Giant lines are decimated, but if they can find a way to beat Washington today, their playoff picture brightens. Hakeem Nicks is active and we'll see if he and Eli have any of their old chemistry. Ruben Randle has never adequately replaced what Nicks was in his first few years, and Nicks is the model for a WR that could compliment Odell. I'd feel a lot better if Pugh and Richburg were playing, though.
Rangers: Everything that the Rangers had been doing wrong while they were winning, finally came back to bite them in their collective ass this week. Sheesh. Their inabiility to clear their zone and tendancy to get bottled up in their own end is embarrassing. And not only is Stepan now missing but Kreider is missing in action and has been all season. Something's got to change, and I'd love to see if Brady Skjei, who can really skate, could help solve the breakout problem they have.
Knicks: The Knicks 4 game winning streak morphed into a 3 game losing streak. That doesn't bother me terribly because they are still being built. What does bother me is that young players like O'Quinn, Grant and Galloway are losing minutes to guys who won't be around when the Knicks are ready to rumble. Thus development is not being properly administered by Coach Fisher, and combined with his lack of late game strategy it seems pretty pointless to have him as the Knicks coach. It would be better to find a current version of Hubie Brown while these kids are learning their way, but I'm not sure who that is. But the job here and now is to develop the kids, and eventually move Melo.
Yankees: The Yanks look like they'll stay trade-centric this offseason, and those could start at any minute. They haven't been linkey too heavily with any of the free agents, and their really isn't anyone I'd want to see them give up their picks to sign. So, once again this year we are probably hoping harder against the negatives (giving up the picks or trading the prospects) than we are for adding talent. It's an interesting position in which we find ourselves.
In any event, a Giant win better be on the way, and it would be nice if the Knicks could win later today, too. Have a great week, everyone.
posted by Kalel9 @ 10:05 AM
78 Comments:
The injuries are magnified because they lack quality depth because Reese's drafts suck beyond the first two rounds. Are they run like a top tier team? Not even close. Blow this shit up.
If not this season when? How much more will Mara tolerate?
A horrible week for Us YGKR fans.
Derek Fisher calls plays from his ass.
The day Caldrone leaves is the day I am buying drinks.
Seriously, I am still pissed.
I have no idea how KP only gets 13 shots in a game where Melo is not playing. He should have had a new high tonight.
Chris Young just got a multi-year deal from the Sox. I get signing him, but for more than one year? Color me unimpressed with the new Sox FO so far.
I'm not a Young fan. His splits are good v. LHP but he is inconsistent and he was blocking better players. The same may be true, however, of Hicks.
As for the Sox, if you have deep pockets, Price is low-hanging fruit.
He makes so much sense given the way Hal views his business model.
Yanks talking Shelby Miller but not for Severino as that would be counter productive.
Channel surfing, I see Early is in the D League.
The Braves apparently think they can make a killing on Miller, but it could backfire because people may ask why do they want to trade him
Why would we trade Severino for someone whom he'll be better than this coming season if he isn't already? Miller is 25 and this will be his second time traded, right?
Per Early, he needs to play... Meanwhile Jimmer came back last week and I wonder if they're calling him up to be the 15th man or something.
He can't be worse than Vujacic.
He is having an awesome game, off the dribble, from the field, and dishing off.
His handle isn't great, and he's short for a 2, but he can shoot a range of shots.
The roster is littered with the dumber ways Hal has found to spend his money:
The Red Sox’s top priority is an ace, and there is a strong industry feeling they are willing to be the top bidder for David Price. However, Price will have many suitors and may prefer to stay out of Boston and go to the NL at a time when the Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers and Giants could pursue him.
Price to Boston. Way too much money, but at least there is an opt-out after three seasons. Bet they hope he takes it.
Big overpay
Called it. Hal is a fucking asshole. Now, I wouldn't mind if he truly wanted to go young, but he traded Murphy instead of McCann.
The guy us a phony and a clown.
Watch them sign Zobrist Hal will say were ready to do battle.
By the way just to clarify, yes what they gave Price is too much money, but the Yankees have so many bad contracts and they claim to pretend every year. So how do you salvage that? David Price.
I didn't want Price. I've seen this movie too many times.
What movie could be worse than the mess they are in the next few years ?
What did Hal do? $31mil AAV for a 30 year old? No thanks.
They can't or won't trade McCann, Teix, Ellsbury, A-Rod, CC,. Tanaka and Pineda are fragile So they are stuck pretending to win it all with no chance of winning it all. They are letting these expensive, aging, declining players block younger better players. How does that offer an effective baseball or business model?
And note, I usually kill Cashman, and I think deservedly so, this is on the owner.
The movie where they act like 30 or 31 or 32 is still young, instead of just relatively young in comparison to where the rest of the money is bing spent.
I want to take our lumps, make our picks and keep collecting young talent.
Sometimes you have to go against the grain to salvage sunk costs.That's where they are.
As I said, if they were trading McCann and keeping Murphy and letting Bird start every day, it's a different story.
To me, that's the movie I don't want to see.
Price didn't cost picks.
If they are even giving the appearance of contending, they will fortify the roster at midseason with veterans. They are lump-averse.
I think what Lawyer may also be alluding to is the fact that Hal has refused to significantly increase spending despite nearly every other team doing so following the wave of TV deals.
Still didn't want Price for that much.
Glad Price went to Boston...They will be sorry after 2 seasons with him.
Cashman will make some trades now.
Price will have a hard time playing in Boston. I also wouldn't count on his opting out of 4 X $30+M per at age 34, which will likely be a real albatross.
Don't see him opting out either. This is going to look just like the Sabathia contract in the end.
I'm merely saying that they are in a situation in which they don't want to play young players because of the issues I mentioned, and I don't they want to add what it takes to actually win now. That's the worst place to be in sports.
And again, they is the owners
They won't even commit to one of the better young second baseman around when they have a glaring need! What?
The Knicks no longer have to play a winless team tomorrow.
I think Ackley will surprise some folks at 2B as he will get the bulk of the playing time platooning with Refsnyder.
His defense makes Refs look like a gold glover
I wasn't trying to defend the Yankees' FO (goodness knows they deserve a lot of criticism of late), merely saying they were right not to pursue Price if he wanted that much.
We disagree. That's fine.
I am sure Ryan will see alot of games at 2B coming in late for defense for both players.
The mentally challenged George King thinks the Yankees can respond is by signing Chris Davis. As dumb as any caller...ever.
The worst thing they could do would be to sign anyone who would cost a pick. If they did that, after passing on Price...
I had another thought about Price.
What do they do that significantly separates them from other organizations?
Really only one thing: acquire fungible relievers and extract value, and their track record of successfully converting starters into relievers, albeit with real collateral costs.
Since Stick's incredible and enduring foundation (which granted may have been partially the result of luck), they haven't consistently developed starters or position players, and their free agent signings have been mixed at best.
Now, some will argue that the owner blocks players from getting an extended opportunity, or that the managers have impeded development, but even granting that point, for the sake of argument, the result is the same.
So really, their strength has been their ability to outspend their mistakes, and imo, their failure to do that recently has been a large reason why they have been stuck in mediocrity since the core declined.
Couple that with their persistent reluctance to give young players a shot, even when the alternative is Drew or Roberts, and the case for spending becomes even more compelling.
Despite the latest wave of promising youth we still can't be 100% certain that they will get their chance like Didi has, and probably like Hicks will, because for some reason, the greatest patience has been show to OPP (other people's um...prospects).
I hope that changes, but that remains to be seen.
Etem's sick so the Rangers have re-called Tanner Glass. That's pretty much a nightmare scenario..
Price as a value proposition:
According to Jayson Stark, Samardzija is telling teams he already has a $100-million offer on the table.
If he did, he would have already taken it.
I thought that about Headley's high offer last year and he ultimately received a similar offer from the NYY.
http://nypost.com/2015/12/02/phil-jackson-breaks-silence-to-explain-kristaps-porzingis-magic/
https://twitter.com/BenBadler/status/672239174947364865
Big, big news out of Cuba: 2B Jose Miguel Fernandez has left Cuba to come to MLB.
Sign him and you will have another trade chip in Refsnyder.
Just stop.
Given his abilities as an on-base guy, I would sign him.
He's had a long layoff, though, so even if the Yankees did sign the guy, I wouldn't immediately trade Refsnyder or anyone else out of an assumption that Fernandez can immediately slide into that slot.
(Who are we kidding, though? Hal isn't about to sign off on acquiring a Cuban. He's not "marketable" enough.)
LINJ,
I'm hopeful the avoiding of big contracts like what Price got is indicative of a shift in philosophy where the team doesn't hand out such deals to guys over 30 anymore. In a perfect world, the Steinbrenners have realized the need to develop within while reserving the big money deals to bonafide stars like Bryce Harper. The rest of the roster, meanwhile, would be filled out with smart trade acquisitions and free agent signings.
(Let me give you an example of what I think would be a smart signing this offseason, if there were a need: Alex Gordon. He's a plus defender in left and has a good bat but won't cost a ridiculous amount like Yoenis Cespedes. Of course, the reality is the outfield is pretty set with Gardner, Ellsbury and Beltran with Williams/Heathcott in the wing and Judge probably ready at some point in the next year, but a player like Gordon would be an excellent addition to any roster at a reasonable cost.)
The reality, though, is a bit more complex. While Hal does seem to have realized the need for player development in that he went big on international amateur talent back in 2014 and made the lack of player development success a point of emphasis during team meetings in recent years, his not going all in on Yoan Moncada was baffling considering he's exactly the type of player you do sign to offset bigger costs at the major league level. Couple this with the fact that he hasn't significantly increased spending while most other teams have, which I previously mentioned, and you get the feeling that he isn't driven to get younger because he thinks younger wins, he just wants to save money as much as possible while doing what he believes is just enough to win.
Then there's the obsession with, as you so eloquently put it, OPP, and the fact that they get longer leashes/opportunities than the Yankees' own homegrown talent.
What the Yankees SHOULD be excelling at is innovative ways of thinking by hiring the best baseball minds in the business, going big on draft and international spending, especially when a guy like Moncada or Darvish is there for the taking (kudos to at least getting Tanaka) and handling most of the big-league contract negotiations the way Theo Epstein did in Boston before he lost his way.
Fernandez would improve the club but I doubt Hal will spend the money so we are stuck with Refsnyder/Ackley platoon.
What we are stuck with is the overpaid and over-the-hill gang in center and right and at third, first, dh, and c. Putting together a core of younger (and most importantly less injury prone) players is the first step to becoming a serious championship contender.
In the case of Refs, from what I've seen at the ML level, he has potential to be above average at second; average glove, significantly better bat. Not Cano, but far preferable over Daniel Murphy. Paired with Didi and you have pretty good D in the middle infield for the foreseeable future. Then you can look for a superstar somewhere else, i.e. have extra bucks to go after Harper if he's injury free.
Stot's 100% right.
This dude hates Refs. Whatever. It's very revealing.
Mike,
Going into the offseason, McCann was thought by some to be one of the contracts they could move. They didn't do that even though he is steadily declining, and if they are a couple of seasons away from being able to fulfill their latest plan, how does it make sense to keep him?
It only makes sense if you think you kind of sort of think you can contend at the margins, iow, pretend enough to fool some fans and media.
So as I said, Price was a way to convert pretending into bona fide contending, and if Jeff S to Z gets $100m, and/or they end up giving up a 1 for a middling SP, then he would have been a bargain.
On the larger points, I agree with you. Hal is a poseur ninja businessman (to your point, by not increasing spending when other teams are spending more, in relative terms he is spending less), and Cashman is no Theo, but if he thinks he can be Theo without his hands being tied, he should have the balls to try it elsewhere. I do think he has significantly more power than many people think. The idea that all good moves are his and all bad moves are Randy's means that he is just taking a paycheck and mailing it in. I just don't believe that. I also think he still loves Joey G.
It is very troubling that last year Cashman said he would try to emulate KC's formula with the strength of the pen, but this year we aren't hearing anything about emulating their true formula for success: grinding, OBP, and using the whole field.
To try to be positive, they do have some assets in place to make this work, but the follow-through could be painful. They have never shown the stamina and discipline to endure that. Remember how long the Hughes, Joba, IPK rotation experiment lasted?
The difference this time is that the Mets are finally a true contender for the sports discretionary dollar in NY, and they could win a WS or three over the next five years.
So Hal's cash cow may be more vulnerable than he has imagined.
Of course, he could always sell...
btw, You forgot Hicks. He's going to get an extended opportunity.
Jennings could be wrong but if he's not this could mean a talent downgrade at multiple positions:
1. Austin Romine could get a real opportunity
Because he’s still out of options — and because he can now refuse an outright assignment — there’s no reason to keep Romine on the 40-man unless the Yankees see at least some chance for him to open next season in the big leagues. The Yankees have always liked Romine behind the plate, and right now it’s either him or Gary Sanchez for the backup catcher job. Romine’s trade value is very limited, so tendering a contract offer suggests the Yankees are willing at least to give him a look.
Nate Behre's cousin is apparently one of those killed by those scumbags in California.
Apparently Cashman isn't willing to deal Sanchez. A good sign.
http://nypost.com/2015/12/02/yankees-talks-on-shelby-miller-dormant-with-no-on-big-3-prospects/
He's their best pure hitting prospect and is a credible catcher. He would need to be committed if he did.
I just heard part of Cashman with Kay. On the one hand it's talking about their youth movement, but on the other it's out all his aging declining over babe veterans are going to bounce back strong next year
And he also says that the owners are spending more than their father, but of course he neglects to mention the revenue differential.
Our offense deteriorated from August through September,” Cashman said. “And that was a head-scratcher."
Who could've known that aging, declining, or fragile players might decline as the season where is on? Oh yeah, some of us!
Via that Berman guy:
Incredible. Hawks send Tim Hardaway Jr. to D-League team, Canton Charge.
Kenta Maeda will soon be posted. 20M fee for him and no draft pick compensation, he will be in demand.
As he’s said to just about anyone who will listen, Cashman reiterated this morning that he is not in a position to be a heavy hitter in the free agent market this offseason. Two years ago, the Yankees committed nearly a half-billion dollars in new contracts. Last winter, they hit the trade market heavily to significantly overhaul their infield and bullpen, while also adding a young starter.
This winter, it’s so far Aaron Hicks and nothing else.
Cashman said he was never seriously involved in the bidding for David Price, who he considers the kind of guy a team commits to when it feels it is one big piece away from being a contender.
“I don’t have the money to be a piece away that way,” Cashman said. “Our money has been directed and committed already.”
Each of those major signings from 2014 is still on the roster, and the only key pieces missing from last winter’s flurry of activity are Stephen Drew and Chris Young. The Winter Meetings start on Monday, and Cashman said he expects to stay heavily engaged in trade talks, but the big free agents are not realistic targets. Doesn’t mean the Yankees won’t sign someone, but Zack Greinke and Jason Heyward are out of the picture barring a significant change of plans (or a blatant case of misdirection).
“I feel that we have a good, strong process,” Cashman said. “We’ve evolved. We’ve grown. The way I do business today is radically different than the way I did business back in the day, and I’m proud of that. I’m proud of how we’ve moved forward, despite (the fact that) as you’re going through the turbulence of remaking your 25-man roster with all the variables that go into that, I know patience is important. I trust our process. I believe in it."
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In what world is their process strong? The money they spent in 2014, except for Miller, was basically set on fire.
There is an idiotic media meme from some places that pushes the line that the Yankees are run more cost-effectively under Hal than George.
That is a steaming pile of shit.
Spending big only when money comes off the books is a recipe for massively overpaying suboptimal players.
That has become the Yankee Way under Hal.
And again, some continue to want to believe that Cashman bears no responsibility for anything bad, but this roster is a mess and he is the GM who refuses to leave.
The NYP is reporting from a source that Reese is safe but Coughlin isn't.
This talent is pedestrian. There isn't another coach that could win more.
If one goes, it should be Reese. There isn't an OL starter that was drafted after Round 2. That has not only caused them to sign fungible junk, but it also forces them to have to forego non-OL talent in the first two rounds, like Gurley. Their OL failures alone should have sent Reese out of here years ago.
Wasting picks on Nasab was crazy.
Yes, he has done slightly better in recent drafts, but not enough to compensate for his abundant draft failures.
The TE position is a joke even when they are all healthy. They have drafted so many bad LB that drafting Kennard seems a matter of luck.
John Mara obviously has no burning desire to employ the best possible employees.
Here's Cashman talking up Sanchez as the backup:
http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2015/12/gm_brian_cashman_on_catcher_gary_sanchez_for_2016.html
"He's going to make a significant run at it," Cashman said of the Yanks' No. 2 catching job next year. "I'm not promising him the position, but he's clearly continued his domination of development, which has pushed him into the mix, and made me comfortable enough to trade from that area of depth."
Though I still don't like trading Murphy, who has starter potential, for a backup OFer, if they truly are dedicated to Sanchez long-term, I can live with it even if that's all Hicks turns out to be.
The more I think about it, the more I'd like the Yankees to sign Jose Fernandez, as he could be an OBP Jesus-type player. If Refsnyder turns out to be a big-league regular, maybe shift Fernandez to third?
Lawyer, you're correct that the policy of only signing big contracts when more big contracts come off the books is a poor management philosophy. My hope, as I've said previously, is the team will get away from handing out big contracts to players on the wrong side of 30 and instead build from within while supplementing the team with smart signings and acquisitions along with the occasional youngish superstar who's worth the money.
If Cashman was truly surprised to see his offense fall off a map late in the season, then hopefully this past season was a wake-up call to consider anything you can get out of your older players as a bonus, not something upon which you rely heavily.
A source has confirmed the Yankees have signed former Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma to a minor league deal.
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This is why Ryan was a ridic contact. Guys like this, replacement level, are always almost available and should almost never play, and certainly not in a close game for defense as our last two Joes have been wont to do.
Mike
If they keep underperforming in the season leading up to contracts expiring, or if an opening develops and there is no obvious choice, it's hard to believe they won't spend as stupidly as they have, as they did with Ellsbury et al in the former case, and Headley in the later.
Again, they are currently stuck in mediocrity and that's the worst possible place to be in sports.
I mean, even for the Cashman lovers, isn't it possible (possible??), that they can get some fresh eyes to do an Alderson type of job?
Also, I think Cashman's comments are pure CYA...a blatant attempt to justify his terrible veteran signings to those above him...unless you believe that he is actually against every stupid move they make but takes a paycheck anyway.
That would be true Cashman bashing, btw.
I just think he has become stale in the job.
I can't defend signing Ellsbury, Headley or even Beltran (though at least that was a short-term deal). McCann I could understand at the time, though you could still argue they should have put the depth in their system to use.
It's really more of a hope that the team has learned its lesson than it is an actual declarative statement it has done so. Looking at next year's free agent class (with some money coming off the book), the only player I'd be even remotely interested in signing is Strasburg. And given the chatter surrounding his mechanics, I'm not sure I want him signed to a long-term deal.
Yanks and SD talking Nova.
Knicks are going off.
Greinke got more money than many big CEOs that actually create jobs.
Bird may yet have a position:
Mark Teixeira’s broken leg — “He’s out of his boot. He’s, I’d say, healthy. He’s walking around, doing activities. I can’t say if he’s running yet or not, so I can’t give you an update on that.”
Essentially, in choosing to spend lavishly in 2013, Cashman took himself out of this rich 2015 market.
“You can’t predict free agency multiple years out,” Cashman said. “I can’t project availability. Obviously if you turn the clock back and look at projecting (David) Price’s availability, (it was impossible to know), would he be healthy? He’s been with three teams since. It’s such a guessing game when you go through that process that far out to forecast.”
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It is precisely because predicting the future is high that smart people have some funds available at all times rather than shooting their load in any given fiscal year.
Cashman actually did that when he waited well over a year to spend for CC as a FA rather than mak a trade.
As I have said, he "got it" years ago. He was humble and said smart things.
Now, he has become arrogant and myopically focused on pitching and defense, while losing sight of grinders who have the hit tool, and has saddled himself with a terrible manager who reinforces this nonsense.
Jeff S...j...a. 95m
The good news is that, unless Cashman is crazy or incompetent, they aren't going to sign a 30+ free agent pitcher for 7 figures and blow a draft choice. Had that been their plan, they should have made a serious play for Price or even Greinke (realizing that it would be unlikely for him to come to NY).
So maybe, despite blowing smoke to the contrary to appease their season ticket holders and sponsors, they won't push hard to make another perfunctory post-season appearance, but instead will see what they have in Judge, Bird, Refs, Sanchez, Kaprelian, Clarkin, Acevedo, et al., and then complement it by getting A+ talent if they do a free agent grab or a major trade.
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