Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Listen, I’m All for Getting Greedy But We Are NOT Getting Giancarlo Stanton


How is that for a little bit of irony? The guy who owns The GREEDY Pinstripes and the guy screaming up and down to “get greedy” and to sign this guy and that guy is about to make a post about how the New York Yankees are NOT going to get probably the top player available this winter via trade. Yes, it’s true and no, hell has not frozen over. I have always been greedy but that doesn’t mean I have always been levelheaded at the same time. With that in mind I am prepared to explain to you why the New York Yankees will not acquire Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton this winter, even if it means that Stanton heads to the Boston Red Sox.  

The New York Yankees set out years ago to get under the luxury tax threshold and while losing Robinson Cano to the Seattle Mariners and the domino effect of big signings that followed including the signings of Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury put that thought process on hold the plan is back and is now in full effect. This is the year that the Yankees get under and stay under the threshold for the entire 2018 season thus resetting the penalties that the team pays for every dollar they spend over the luxury tax threshold just in time to blow by the threshold again in 2019. Remember, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado lead a very strong free agent class next season that the Yankees are positioning themselves to take advantage of next season. Stanton will not win the Yankees a World Series Championship alone in 2018 and Stanton will all but keep the Yankees “financially strapped” and away from those big time free agents.  

Now I want to say that I believe Stanton is an amazing talent, an amazing selling point and attraction to the fans and that I personally, Daniel Burch the fan, would love to see Stanton in pinstripes playing alongside Aaron Judge next season. I would, but I cannot fathom the Yankees not only giving up the major prospects that it would take to acquire Stanton but I also cannot see the team being willing to pay the richest contract in Major League Baseball again just a month or two after getting out from under the last richest contract in MLB history before Stanton’s mega deal and a few other notable deals since including the Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw deals. It’s just not going to happen. Period. 

Stanton is 28-years old and is owed $295 million over the final ten seasons of his contract. No, that is not a typo. Stanton has ten years LEFT on his contract. Stanton has a full no-trade clause, something that would limit the Yankees down the road if he were to… I don’t know… not live up to the deal a la Alex Rodriguez, and would be under contract through his age 38 season. This would be a huge undertaking for a team that can usually afford to take these chances, but the team cannot here this offseason. They just can’t. The Yankees are looking to get under the $197 million tax threshold and giving Giancarlo Stanton $25 million (his AAV is much higher) just doesn’t fit the budget and is fiscally irresponsible for the team. 


Pipe dreams are nice every once in a while, but sometimes they have to remain just that, dreams. Giancarlo Stanton will not be a New York Yankees in 2018, period. Next question. 

5 comments:

  1. Cpuld we use him yes , do we need him No.
    I would rather have Otani and we really don't need him either.
    I think Sheffield and Adams will be quality starting pitchers.Need to lower payroll.

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    1. Giancarlo would have no bearing either way on Otani. Otani is international free agent money, Stanton is going to cost money and prospects. Actually getting Otani, if the Yankees were dumb, would help Giancarlo being in the Bronx as it would allow the team to give up a Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield, Jordan Montgomery or even a Luis Severino.

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  2. If the Yankees can find a way to get under the threshold and get Stanton, then I'm all for it. Otherwise... no. This team already is stacked with young talent, and there's more on the way.

    As an example let's say Miguel Andujar looks bad in the Majors this year, and the Yankees already traded Castro to open up 2B for Torres. That would mean it would make all the sense in the World to go after Manny Machado. But if the Yankees trade for Stanton now, and don't get under the Tax threshold, they may limit their offer for Machado and lose him to another team.

    Or say Montgomery loses it and has to be removed from the rotation, and Adams... like some people believe... is a bust. Oh, and Otani goes elsewhere. So after this season the rotation looks like Severino-Gray-Tanaka-Sheffield, which leaves an opening. Instead of throwing all sorts of money at Clayton Kershaw, they have to dumpster dive for another starter. Would they be ok? Yeah, probably with those other 4. But adding Kershaw at that point would be incredible.

    Adding Giancarlo to Judge, Sanchez, and Bird would be insane. But it's not necessary enough to justify the cost and possible outcome.

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  3. I'm with you Bryan. I think technically the Yankees could afford Stanton both in terms of prospects and luxury tax. Especially if they move veterans such as Gardner, Headley, Ellsbury, and Castro. Those salaries alone could pay Stanton. I don't like the idea of losing all the prospects. I wouldn't be upset if Cashman made the move, I just don't think it's necessary.

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  4. I must say I agree with both of you! I have always said,"Want and Need" are the easy trades or non trades to make...don't need, don't trade!
    I would concentrate on Otani, let CC walk...along with Ells, Castro, Hicks! We have strong candidates for the jobs they held>

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