Thursday, May 19, 2016

How Badly Do the Yankees Want Bryce Harper?


It’s a simple question, how badly do the New York Yankees want Bryce Harper when he becomes a free agent after the 2018 season. In life it seems like the most simplest of questions turn out to be the hardest to answer for whatever reason and this one definitely falls into that category. This is so hard to answer mainly because we still have parts of three MLB seasons to go before the question really needs to be answered and a whole lot can happen between now and then but let’s pretend the Nationals All-Star is set to become a free agent now, today, how badly do the Yankees want him and how far would they be willing to go?

I’m not talking about money here ladies and gentleman because let’s face it. The Yankees have the money and the Yankees aren’t afraid to spend the money if it means making the money. Bryce Harper is a draw to any stadium whether you want to boo him or you want to cheer him and the Yankees could give him a billion dollar contract and he’d probably double their investment in the first five years. He’s that special. It’s the other aspects of the organization that make the Yankees unique, borderline archaic but unique nonetheless, that I am discussing here.

Would the Yankees relax on their “no facial hair policy” for Harper and would they change their uniform policy to allow Harper to leave his top button or three undone as long as he mashes home runs and tracks down everything that is hit his way in center field? You have to think they would, no?

I mean I get it and I appreciate the fact that this is a storied franchise with an absolute ton of history behind it but you also have to keep us with the Joneses. At one point the team had to stop throwing money at every free agent while sacrificing the farm system year in and year out. At one point they couldn’t make up for their losses in the draft by simply throwing money at international market and at some point they had to stop letting all their big money free agents hit the free agent market because the team refuses to negotiate a contract while the current contract was up.


If Harper wants to wear a beard let the man wear a beard. If the man wants to leave a button or two undone and look like a complete slob you let the boy look like a complete slob. That’s how bad I want Bryce Harper on the Yankees but the question is how bad do the Yankees want Bryce Harper? We have three years to talk about it. 

7 comments:

  1. Burch I find your comment about the Yankees willingness to spend money to make money inaccurate. If that was the case they would've been on numerous FA players especially the Cuban's. They aren't George's Yanks anymore.

    They are the Coupon Clippers Yanks. He doesn't want to spend money. He wants you the fan to eat shit and spend money at the stadium, at the stores buying Yankee merchandise. He wants you to spend on anything and everything that will bring the money in.

    And as far as Harper goes his father is a Yankee fan and Harper understands the dynamics of the Yankees along with he traditions involved so facial hair to me is not the problem. The problem lies down in Tampa and his reluctence to spend the money needed to be relevant again. Face it the Met's are the team of NY right now even though the Yanks will still own the back page. My prediction is that Harper won't make it to FA as the Nats will spend money to keep him and even if he does make it to FA the Yanks can't afford him and yes said the word can't afford him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hans,

      Was that not the reasoning behind the McCann, Beltran, Tanaka etc. signings and the Gardner extension? That's what we were sold on anyway.

      And while George was still alive he had given much, if not all, of the team control to Hank and Hal in 2009. Another spending spree.

      Delete
    2. Hank got control because George was dying, when George had his faculties he wasn't given either son the reigns. Hal spent the money because he new Cashman shit the bed with the lack of producing talent through the draft. He hasn't opened his wallet unless it was to put money into it.

      Don't kid yourself he isn't spending money next year or the year after or the year after that. The guy has no clue that both he and the elf are the cause of this current situation. I'm not sure why you don't see that and I don't want to hear about the Tampa Mafia controlling what the elf does because that just puts the onus back on Hal and has band of marching idiots

      Delete
  2. I have no Cristal Ball so, I can't see the future or what the Yankees will or won't do.
    One thing I can say is, Hal better wise up, this is not a business that can recover from a bad press every day. There are no Babe Ruth's around anymore to help recover from the situation he has put us into by being so cheap as to force Joe to play with the team he has.
    He has no real understanding of the game nor the fans demand for a 1st class team. The Yankees had very competitive teams and gave no quarter to anyone even when they were not winning every year. The one thing they had was players that knew the game and used all their (sometimes limited) talent and energy to play tough until the game was over.
    Right now we have a few very good players and many 2nd rate players. By 2nd rate, I don't mean talent, I mean knowing how the game is to be played and playing hard. Not overthrowing the cut-off man, throw to the right base, hit to the other side of a shift once in a while (when needed) give yourself up to score a run. No need for an HR every time one is at the plate, sometimes a hit is all that is needed.
    We have a great pitcher that doesn't know how to KEEP a lead. We have a pitcher that was a great one but, is now a different type and may becoming the pitcher he is (this is good) not what he was. Another is a kid (with great talent) that thinks his fastball is to good to be hit and will not follow the directions of his catcher...grow-up kid, learn the game. We have another pitcher that is much better than given credit for but will be in the BP again, soon...big mistake!
    And then we come to a badly misunderstood pitcher I call "Evo". I said last year, "he has the arm, he needs to work hard and learn other pitches. He will be as good as he wants to be!". He has shown his hard work and has four pitches now (counting his fastball with movement). He could be a very good addition to a good rotation if the others can correct the problems they have.
    Wise up Hal, give Cash the money to make deals as he has done in the past, without interference from the Tampa Cabal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know this took you three hours to post and I appreciate it because you hit a lot of nails right on the head. Hal needs to get out of his own way as do many of his players, Luis Severino leads that category.

      Delete
    2. Amen! And you are right on the time also!

      Delete
  3. Luis Severino is a stubborn kid that (thinks he knows how to pitch) will ride his own bad choices to AAA. Then unless he admits to himself that guys like McCann know more than he about how to pitch in the Big Show. I think he is in the same position as "Evo" was last year but, for different reasons.

    ReplyDelete

Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)