12/21/24
May 20, 2006
MORE Bad News for Yankees: The Yankees can't catch a break lately. With a pitching staff that is old and stale, and an outfield full of AAA players, the Yankees are in serious trouble. Will Pavano ever pitch for the Yanks again??
posted by redsoxrgay to baseball at 02:08 PM - 23 comments
Yea sorry about the 3X post... my computer froze up when I tried to post this. But anyways, I dont think the Yanks are totally screwed yet. They signed Terrance Long to a minor league deal, and are pursuing free agent Richard Hidalgo. I also heard some trade rumors for Soriano and Willis on ESPN insider, but injuries are really starting to catch up to them. I think its just that the team is getting older, and everything is starting to catch up to them.
posted by redsoxrgay at 03:38 PM on May 20, 2006
Seriously, though, as a Yankee fan, I seldom even think of Pavano when contemplating the Yankees and their immediate future. Same here. I didn't have any hopes for him to contribute significantly in '06; the guy just always seemed too fragile. The injury situation sucks hard for the Yanks right now, but you know what? It's a long season, and every time is gonna go through some version of this. Every year there are injuries, every year teams end up with a roster that doesn't look like what it was supposed to, and every year there are surprises, rookies who show some surprising stuff and veterans who reinvent themselves in new situations. Of course they'll need luck, but so will everyone else; no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, and all that. Oh, and Original Poster? Your nick still sucks.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:39 PM on May 20, 2006
Don't forget that Kyle Farnsworth's back is tight now too. And Bernie and Tanyon Sturtze are hurt. But if you ask me, those are positives, not negatives.
posted by Bernreuther at 08:17 PM on May 20, 2006
What Jeter can't carry the whole team?
posted by markhjohn at 08:50 PM on May 20, 2006
They signed Terrance Long to a minor league deal, and are pursuing free agent Richard Hidalgo. When you get cut by the KC Royals (and have a career OPS below league average), you (Long) aren't going to be much of a factor to a pennant race. Hidalgo might have some value, but even that might not help. I also heard some trade rumors for Soriano and Willis on ESPN insider, What the hell do they have left to trade? Their minor leagues are empty, half their squad is overpaid or over-the-hill, and the other half is just too valuable to give up (ARod, Jeter, Posada, Mussina). Unless it's an outright purchase of a player (something I'm pretty sure the league would reject, based on previous precedent), I don't see what they can possibly bargain with...
posted by grum@work at 09:05 PM on May 20, 2006
They would be seperate trades. For Soriano, the main part of the deal suprisingly, is Jaret Wright. They would have to throw in some AAA players and pay off most of his contract, but thats what the rumor was. As for Willis, the Yanks would trade Robinson Cano, an emerging star. As for Long and Hidalgo- niether one is guaranteed to be on the team. Long is signed to a minor league deal, and they haven't signed Hidalgo yet. So who knows... maybe some good can come out of these injuries.
posted by redsoxrgay at 09:26 PM on May 20, 2006
The Yankees have a lot more to trade now than they've had in years... people saying the cupboard is bare are just repeating what everyone's been saying forever without paying attention. I hope to god they don't go after Soriano though, or really anyone for that matter. They're getting by just fine with the scrubs they have right now. It's not as if Matsui was even tearing it up this year before he went down - his presence was more intimidating than his actual numbers. The team would be better off if Torre would simply play the guys in the field who can actually field well... and leave Bernie on the damn bench. That move alone will save them almost as many runs allowed as they're losing by having the better hitters out. I'm also amused when people say they desperately need pitching (like all those Clemens segments they're wasting time on on ESPN). At least recently, they were 4th in ERA and doing just fine, with the exception of the unit. Now that they have a pitching coach who can coach, they don't have as many guys underperforming. There was Sturtze, who is gone, and now just Johnson, who is old. Take those two guys out of the mix and the rest of the staff looks great. So yeah, I'm a little tired of all the trade talk. most of it is just coming up because people don't have anything interesting to talk about, or refuse to talk about things like the Tigers because they don't consider anything outside of the AL East interesting.
posted by Bernreuther at 09:28 PM on May 20, 2006
I dont think the Yanks are totally screwed yet. They signed Terrance Long to a minor league deal if you're actually optimistic that Terrance Long is going to have a positive contribution to club than you're an even more delusional Yankee fan than i (and i'm pretty delusional). hopefully they'll keep Magellan in AAA fill to in for the Columbus kids while they're up in the bronx. yeah, the injuries (especially to Matsui and Sheff) suck big time. but at the very least this gives some AAA kids a shot and it forces the rest of the team find other ways to win. they had huge come from behind wins on tuesday and today, with role players making big contributions in both. on preview: their best prospect is Phillip Hughes. Eric Duncan is also another chip, but his stock has dropped since last year. J.B. Cox, Matt DeSalvo, and Jose Tabata are just a few of their other prospects that could sweeten a trade. any package for a big trade would probably have to include Hughes and i would hope they wouldn't want to do that. he's been touted as their best pitching prospect since Pettitte. and more preview (at this point i'll never sumbit this comment): Cano for Willis? no thanks. last i looked Willis has been getting knock around pretty good this year. plus he's a DL stint waiting to happen with that leg kick he has. i'd much rather keep Cano. if they do make a trade (which for now, i hope won't happen), it should be for an outfielder not named Soriano. there are other, cheaper alternatives out there. one last preview: Bern, it's nice to see you posting again.
posted by goddam at 09:49 PM on May 20, 2006
Yea- but when I said that they weren't totally screwed, I meant that they were thinking of signing Hidalgo. Hidalgo is a decent fielder, with power. Long as I stated earlier, is signed to a minor league deal. He's not on the roster, he's in AAA. Long obviously wont be a major impact, we all know that. I was only stating that the Yankees could aquire additional help for their injury plagued outfield.
posted by redsoxrgay at 10:04 PM on May 20, 2006
I'm lov'n it.
posted by dpierick at 10:10 PM on May 20, 2006
fair enough. i stopped after the Willis for Cano comment. Hidalgo may not be a bad pickup. but he's probably not in game shape and would be a few weeks away from the majors.
posted by goddam at 10:28 PM on May 20, 2006
Everyone always seems to look down on the yankees but they're right up at the top of the division and are getting along fine. As for willis or soriano i think either one is a good move but i think they should only give up cano for soriano and see if they can work out a deal for mabey andy phillips who is pretty young and on track to be descent, some money and mabey a guy like wright for willis
posted by bronxbomber at 10:40 PM on May 20, 2006
They're getting by just fine with the scrubs they have right now. You really think so? I can watch the red sox win 5 straight and not feel good about the team. Other times I can watch them lose 5 straight and feel pretty good. If I was a yankee fan, even though it's early, I'd be a little worried. Unless RJ comes around, even with their early success, I think they're going to have to go out and get somebody. No way do they stick with the staff they have now. I do think all the panic after matsui went down a little funny. Even without matsui and sheffield the yankees have a lineup most teams would kill for. That said, ny could have easily lost 6 of their last 7. Those were two thrilling come from behind wins, but you can't count on that type of thing the whole season. It'll catch up to them. They kind of remind me of the old sox. Lots of runs, lots of errors. But it's early. They've turned it around before. Off topic, I'm amazed at the free ride damon has gotten so far. Arod sneezes and fans boo. So far damon has looked old. He's looked old before and snapped out of it, but one day he's just gonna be old. Hitting .269 with a .345 obp? For 13 million?
posted by justgary at 11:57 PM on May 20, 2006
They would be seperate trades. For Soriano, the main part of the deal suprisingly, is Jaret Wright. They would have to throw in some AAA players and pay off most of his contract, but thats what the rumor was. Why would the Nationals do this deal? Soriano can go for a lot more in the open market than Wright, cash and some AAA players of middling repute. Just because the Yankees WANT a player, doesn't mean that a team HAS to trade him to the Yankees. I know that Bowden's a drunken idiot, but even HE would realize that's a zero-benefit trade for his team. The Yankees have a lot more to trade now than they've had in years... people saying the cupboard is bare are just repeating what everyone's been saying forever without paying attention. Well, Baseball Prospectus ranked the top 50 prospects (plus 14 honourable mentions), and there was only one Yankee propsect: Hughes, at #40. Franchises like Arizona and LA Dodgers had six in the list. Boston, LA Angels and Florida had five. The Cubs and Mariners had four. Brewers and Royals had three. Cleveland, San Diego, Philadelphia, Texas and Detroit had two. Every other team (except the Jays and Reds) had one. Believe me, the cupboard really doesn't have much in it. It's very easy to look at your favourite team's prospects and overrate them. As a Jays fan, I've seen my fair share of Eddie Zoskys and Rob Duceys.
posted by grum@work at 01:16 AM on May 21, 2006
The Yanks problem is fielding, 5th in the league in pitching and 6th in hitting, yet 27th in field %. It worrisome, but I think hard to see continuing at quite this pathetic level for the entire season. If it does, I agree it will be tough for them to go far. Hopefully, the injuries will pass, although its hard to see a lineup this aged getting stronger throughthe dog days of summer. As far as Bernie goes, I've been his biggest cheerleader over the decline of the last few years, but while he has some big hits recently, you can't have an OF hitting .240.
posted by sfts2 at 05:34 AM on May 21, 2006
i'm lov'n it. Yeah, well, that's what comes of eating too many Happy Meals.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:45 AM on May 21, 2006
hats off to lil_brown_bat.:p
posted by ptluigi at 11:57 AM on May 21, 2006
As for Willis, the Yanks would trade Robinson Cano, an emerging star. Seriously? You are the guy calling FAN asking if "we would get value" on your proposed trade of Bubba Crosby for Jesus and an Archangel to be named later, aren't you? Assuming Willis returns to form, Robinson Cano wouldn't even get you past the velvet rope to get into the Willis trade negotiations.
posted by yerfatma at 01:07 PM on May 21, 2006
Hey- like I said 10 times already, I heard the rumor on ESPN insider. Read the dam convo.
posted by redsoxrgay at 02:55 PM on May 21, 2006
Yeah, and I read where the Time Cube is the answer to all life's questions. That was on the Internet too. Somehow I was able to apply my own critical thinking facilities and sort shit out.
posted by yerfatma at 04:57 PM on May 21, 2006
Seriously? You are the guy calling FAN asking if "we would get value" on your proposed trade of Bubba Crosby for Jesus and an Archangel to be named later, aren't you? Does Jesus bat left or right?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:11 PM on May 21, 2006
Everyone always seems to look down on strongly dislike the yankees That seems a little more accurate. People know who the Yankees are, and smart baseball fans actually look up to them as a successful organization. Even we BoSox fans (most of us, anyway) respect them as a ballclub, and as the premier threat to our success. Yeah, well, that's what comes of eating too many Happy Meals. Dammit, they've got toys in them! Toys! Does Jesus bat left or right? He's a switch-hitter with power to all fields, also hits for average, has an incredible jump on the ball in the field, a real all-around talent. Only problem is, he refuses to steal bases. Something about a "moral imperative."
posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:33 PM on May 21, 2006
You don't have to rub it in by posting this three times! Seriously, though, as a Yankee fan, I seldom even think of Pavano when contemplating the Yankees and their immediate future. In my opinion, he'll never see the mound again. With Sheffield's recovery not going quite as planned, Damon banged up, Matsui out for the year (again, my prediction), Posada with a bad back, Crosby out, Johnson looking every bit a pitcher pushing mid-40s, etc., the Yanks will be lucky to keep close in the race.