Hello again Yankees family. This offseason, as I have been
doing for a couple offseason’s now, saw me take a bit of a break after the
season. Refresh the batteries, keep me sane, whatever. LOL. Either way, you
have my apologies for being “pathetic” and for missing five days of rumors, and
no real subsequent news of any capacity. Sorry. Let’s get caught back up.
Miguel Andujar finished second in the American League Rookie
of the Year Award balloting behind the Angels star Shohei Ohtani. Gleyber
Torres finished third. Honestly, I feel like Andujar got robbed and should have
won the award, but I don’t mean that to discredit what Ohtani does. When
someone can say, for good reason anyway, that this is the first time something
has happened since Babe Ruth… I’m sorry, but people take notice. When I
submitted by IBWAA awards ballot I had Ohtani third, some called it bias,
others called it being a homer, but I called it my opinion. I think if you look
at the stats that Ohtani was the third best rookie. If you think differently
and want a vote, create a blog or a publication, pay your dues, and apply for
an IBWAA membership. One thing I will make mention of, though, is Baseball
Reference’s formula for WAR. Ohtani’s 2018 WAR was 3.9 while Andujar’s was 2.2.
With Ohtani playing DH a ton and pitching I feel like WAR was the only, and the
fairest, way to judge and compare these two players… and that number would
explain the landslide in the voting, so I feel like I am not alone here.
Dallas Keuchel will shave his beard to be a Yankee. Cool. I
guess this is one of the rumors I missed and declined to talk about, because
this site has always kind of done it their own way and refused to simply
recycle the same garbage as everyone else does. That’s likely what drew you
here, but for some reason… now it’s different.
Bryce Harper turned down 10-years and $300 million from the
Nationals before the end of the season. Okay. Maybe he wanted to test free
agency? Maybe he doesn’t want to play in Washington? Maybe Scott Boras made him?
It’s not news, it’s speculation, and it has no bearing on his free agency goals
this winter until we hear from either him, another team with actual
information, or his agent otherwise. Not news. Neither was the fact that he got
offered to the Houston Astros in a trade last July. The Yankees say there is no
chance he will sign here, but neither would Johnny Damon, Bubba Crosby is out
starting center fielder, blah blah blah. Why would Brian Cashman show his hand
now? Why would he bid against himself? I’ll answer that, he wouldn’t.
The Yankees requested medicals on Manny Machado as well as backgrounds
information. That’s news. I bet they did on Patrick Corbin, Adam Ottavino,
Bryce Harper, and a slew of others… but that never made the news. It doesn’t
mean a signing is imminent, it means that Cashman is doing his due diligence,
and his job. WHEN it becomes more than that, I will be here to speak on it.
Trust me.
News on Patrick Corbin and the Yankees, aside from Cashman mentioning
his agent by name (still not news, hence why it wasn’t reported… because I don’t
feel the need to post garbage just for views and clicks), has been hard to come
by. Isn’t that kind of Cashman’s thing? When all is quiet on the western front,
that is when the players are generally signed or acquired. I expect Corbin to
be with the Yankees before, or during, the Winter Meetings.
The Yankees are interested in James Paxton. Awesome. This is
an arm that Cashman has coveted since the lefty broke into the league, or that’s
the way it feels anyway. Would I give up a top 3 prospect for him? I’d
personally be reluctant to do so, but I would get it if the Yankees did. I
would just hate to give up on Justus Sheffield while he is on the cusp of the
Major League level for a Major League starter that would come with less control
and more dollars attached to him. Especially if we got similar or comparable production.
That’s why I wouldn’t trade Sheffield for a guy like Paxton, Madison Bumgarner,
etc., but I would ship him up myself for someone with team control like Carlos Carrasco
and Jacob deGrom. Paxton is great, don’t get me wrong, but his injuries, and a
potential bidding war with the Houston Astros, scares me.
Sonny Gray is still a Yankee.
Corey Kluber also scares me, his velocity is down, and his
walks are up and all the other stuff you have read all over the internet while
I was being pathetic. The thing is though, the window to win in the Bronx is
now (it is wider than just now, but the team is expected to win in 2019… no
more excuses), and Kluber helps the Yankees win now. Kluber helps the Yankees
win next year. Kluber likely helps the Yankees win throughout the remainder of
his contract. As a prospect humper I suggest trading a top prospect or two for
Kluber. Sheffield and Florial? Reluctantly, I’d do it. Loaisiga and Florial? I’d
wrap a bow around them myself and welcome Kluber in with open arms. These types
of trades hurt, but that is because they generally work for the better. Oh, and
the Indians don’t need a third baseman… so please stop offering Miguel Andujar
in the trade (or in any trade, but I digress). Stop offering up Giancarlo
Stanton in trades as well. He has never said he would or that he wanted to go
to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he ultimately controls his fate. He came here
because he wanted to be here, and one year in the Bronx is not likely to change
that.
I’m sure I missed something, but that will do for now. Love
you guys, and I have missed you terribly. Now, let’s get to work.
Miggy got robbed,I understand the Ohtani hype pitching and hitting but to me Miggy never really slumped and Ohtani did.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't care who won the AL ROY. We know that Miguel Andujar had a rookie season that rattled the franchise rookie records and he is no less a player because he didn't get a piece of hardware. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is a World Series championship and Andujar will be sporting one of those long before Shohei Ohtani ever gets a sniff of one.
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