Just When It Was Safe To Feel Good Again...

 

Will Warren and Austin Wells (Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images)

Yankees make the best of a bad weekend…

A series loss is a series loss; any way you slice it. I am trying to find the positives in the weekend thrashing by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who took two of three games from their World Series rival and our beloved men in Pinstripes. Winning the getaway game on Sunday at least gave the team some sliver of hope after Saturday’s massacre and Friday’s loss despite an ace on the mound. It is not enough to make up for losing two of three games, but it is something. The downside is the injury news related to Luke Weaver and his hamstring, which could potentially land him on the Injured List, and the contusion on the left thumb of Jasson Dominguez.

The Yankees cannot afford to lose Luke Weaver for an extended period. The severity of the injury will obviously dictate the length of his absence so we can only hope and pray for the best. His absence would put Devin Williams back in line for his original Closing role. Williams has much to prove to give us any optimism that he can be the great Airbender he was in Milwaukee. I would like to see him succeed, but I am not confident he can. Some guys are not made for New York, and so far, Williams seems to be one of those guys who shy away from the brightest lights. I would like to be wrong, and maybe his Pinstriped start was just a product of learning life on America’s greatest stage. I want him to succeed, but it seems to me that he will exit the stage for a new and smaller city as soon as his contract expires this Fall, and free agency opens. Nevertheless, he gets another opportunity to prove he can finish what he starts.

Devin Williams (Photo Credit: SI.com)

I am concerned about losing Dominquez, but not as much as Weaver. To back up Dominguez, the Yankees could call up Everson Pereira, who certainly deserves another opportunity. Now twenty-four, Pereira is batting .275/.355/.504 with .859 OPS. He has nine home runs and twenty-three RBIs. He has swiped five bags while getting caught stealing only once. If Dominguez misses any time, I will have no qualms about bringing up Pereira to replace him. Pereira is one of those guys. He has nothing left to prove in the minors.

I was feeling good about the Yankees until the Dodgers series. Losing two games in early June is not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but after all the trash-talking the Dodgers did about the Yankees after the World Series, I did want a better outcome. At least the Yankees took the last game to prevent a sweep. I like challenges such as that series because it helps the Front Office identify clear and present needs (as if they do not already know). It shakes the belief to just stand pat with the present hand. The Yankees do need reinforcements and effective ones at that. Too often, GM Brian Cashman’s deadline acquisitions underwhelm. They proved they were not worth the cost. Every now and then, he hits a winner, but he errs more than he succeeds.

I know the Yankees will soon see the return of Giancarlo Stanton. It will be good to have him back, but it is hard not to wonder how the roster will be constructed when they must make room for him on the active roster. I am worried that the loser will be Ben Rice, who has proven he is a Major League baseball player. Long term, I would rather have Rice over Stanton,  so I do not want to see Rice suffer because of Stanton’s return. We are within the last few years of Stanton’s Yankees career. He is getting older…it happens…and he is not suddenly going to become an injury-free player. Stanton will get hurt and he will miss time (lots of it). I love the guy’s home runs, but with all sincerity, I would rather have a younger player (Rice) who has played consistently since the start of the season.

Ben Rice (Photo Credit: Newsbreak.com)

When the Yankees signed Ryan Yarbrough in the offseason, I thought it was just another scrap heap move. Of course, I thought the same when the Yankees signed Luke Weaver, but it is nice when Cashman and his cast of cronies catch lightning in a bottle with one of their low-risk signings. I hated it when Yarbrough pitched against the Yankees. I did not look back at the stats, but it seemed like he was always keeping the Yankees away from reaching home plate with his soft pitches. The guy who looks like he should be hittable but is not. There is no scenario I had pictured Yarbrough in the starting rotation, and yet, I do not want him to lose his current spot. He cannot sustain his effectiveness, but I am not sure the Yankees can do better at the deadline. It is not like frontline aces will be available for hire. Credit to Max Fried and Carlos Rodon for easing early concerns about the starting rotation. Fried, despite his disappointing start against the Dodgers a few days ago, has been a Godsend. Gerrit Cole is irreplaceable, yet Fried has held the door. Fried is, by far, my favorite free agent signing of the past few years, and the most unexpected.

I like Yankees manager Aaron Boone despite frustrations with him at times. I continue to see posts on social media that say the Yankees cannot win with Boone as the manager. I am not sure that I agree. I think, surrounded by the right players, Boone can lead the Yankees to the promised land. When people bash him, I always think, who is out there who could do better? I am sure Buck Showalter would get a few votes, but if he were so good, why is he not currently managing? Same with Joe Girardi. I like Joe, but I do not feel he is better than Boone. Rob Thomson has proven to be a better manager than Girardi in Philadelphia. If anything, the Yankees should have given Thomson a stronger chance for the Yankees' post before he left after Boone was hired.

Ironically, I feel better about the coaching staff on my favorite NFL team, a team that has NEVER won a championship, the Minnesota Vikings, than the Yankees. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is an offensive genius, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores is an elite defensive mind. I wish I had that confidence with the Yankees coaching staff. Outside of pitching coach Matt Blake, there is not really anyone who stands out. I temper it with who is out there (available) that can do better? I cannot find the answer to the question.

DJ LeMahieu had a nice game on Sunday. Thank you. But I am not buying into the belief that he will be a difference-maker. His age and his recent challenge with injuries place him in a high-risk category, and I do not want to pin any hopes on his health and ability to succeed. It sucks because I really liked LeMahieu when he was younger, but sadly, age happens. It does not help when a recent history of injuries accompanies it. It only gets worse from here. The talk is that Jazz Chisholm will be the third baseman upon his return, which would keep LeMahieu at second base. I do think second base is the best place to maximize LeMahieu’s talents, but for no other reason than age, I would prefer Jorbit Vivas. If the market dictates the availability of a better second baseman than third baseman who can help at the trade deadline, I think the Yankees should move on from David John LeMahieu. Heck, even if they did land a third baseman who can be a difference-maker, pushing Jazz to second, I would move on from DJ.

Why do people still talk about Juan Soto? He is a Met and will be for an exceedingly long time. I have moved on from him, and I do not care what he does (or does not do) with the Mets. Soto is not a Yankee, and he does not deserve any discussion in the Yankees Universe. That ship has sailed. It was Soto’s decision to leave. I have read people saying Hal Steinbrenner failed to keep him. Hal made an incredibly competitive offer, and Soto would have been a very wealthy man by staying with the Yankees and putting his name among the game’s all-time greats. It was his choice to leave. C’est La Vie.

I am a little annoyed that the Yankees keep giving the Boston Red Sox valuable pieces for their roster. Catcher Carlos Narvaez is obviously the latest example. I like JC Escarra, but I would have stayed with Narvaez as the backup for Austin Wells. I am old enough to remember when the Yankees would send talented catchers to the Pittsburgh Pirates. I wish they had done that with Narvaez (or just kept him). The Red Sox have benefited more from Yankees-developed talent than the Yankees have from Red Sox natives.

Hopefully, the Yankees can shake off their Dodgers series and return to their winning ways. The last thing the Yankees should do is let the Red Sox reignite hope in their lost season. Hopefully, every Yankee can bring their A game this weekend when the Yanks face their dreaded rival.

As always, Go Yankees!