Wednesday, September 3, 2014

The Argument Against Jacob Lindgren Stinks


The argument against calling up Jacob Lindgren in a word, stinks. All I have heard is how Lindgren has thrown too many innings this season between his time at Mississippi State and the Yankees minor league affiliates. Yankees fans are quick to point out that the one troubling inning that Lindgren had at the end of the season was a telltale sign enough to keep him in the minor leagues until Spring Training, what kind of logic is that? When did the team start making excuses to keep guys like Josh Outman on the team and not call up flame throwers and exciting young arms like Lindgren? When did we start to ignore 79 innings of sample size and blame one bad inning or outing for a relief pitcher for why we cannot call up a player?

One has to keep in mind that the Yankees manager is still Joe Girardi and Girardi has shown an unwillingness to use rookies in any capacity lately, especially in the pitching staff. Bryan Mitchell was called up three different times this season before he was used (and he pitched well by the way before being sent right back down for a veteran struggling arm in Matt Daley) and we all by now know the story of Shane Greene and how he burst onto the scene out of necessity in the starting rotation out of necessity. If the innings are really a concern, which they aren’t because Lindgren was a starting pitcher not too awful long ago, then how many innings will Girardi realistically give to Lindgren? Is thinking that Girardi would give Lindgren five innings be being too generous to Joe?

Also when did one bad outing damn a relief pitcher? What if the Yankees had used that same approach with David Robertson? Robertson was sent down to the minors multiple times before sticking as the Yankees set up man and now is the closer that replaced the great Mariano Rivera. Speaking of Rivera he was also demoted in his time as a Yankees reliever and was a failed starter as well, good thing we called him up anyway. Dellin Betances struggled in 2013 when he was called up but was used this season out of necessity, look how well that turned out. Don’t base your decision off one bad outing down in Double-A is all I am saying.


If you want to keep Lindgren down because of the 40 man roster crunch I can get behind that and understand that, I don’t necessarily agree with it but still. Call a spade a spade, don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining. Don’t tell me you’re going to let Matt Thornton go so you can call up guys like Jacob Lindgren and Tyler Webb only to shove more journeyman LOOGY’s down my throat. I’m tired of being lied to and I’m tired of losing with mediocre talent while good talent rots in the minor leagues praying to be traded so they can play. That is all. 

8 comments:

  1. You hit the nail on the head Daniel. If you take a look at the moves made by Cashman, it's truly puzzling. They don't seem to be geared around winning now, or building for the future. I liked the Headley, Prado, and McCarthy move. I'm struggling with Drew. We could have just designated Johnson and brought up Refsnyder with the roster spot. I'm also struggling with Young and Richardson over somebody like Austin or Judge. Shouldn't you want the best talent possible for playoff push?

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  2. The argument against Refsnyder has been his defense, ability to turn the double play, etc. That's what I get when I talk to people that cover the Thunder anyway, Dan Pfieffer, Matt Kardos, etc. specifically.

    I agree with Austin as he needs to be protected on the 40 man roster anyway for the Rule 5 Draft. Judge we can afford to be patient with. Young is here because he is right handed, I can get behind that if it didn't come at the expense of Zoilo. Richardson puzzles me because the team isnt struggling in the base running or base stealing departments, they are struggling in the hitting and power departments.

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    1. That is why they moved him to the OF. From what I have read you are right! I wondered why they were not in a hurry to bring him up, so I did some digging. It seems as thought he is not flexable enough, therefore, his footwork sucks. Having spent many years at 2nd base getting knocked into left field and cuts on my arms...my how the game has changed...one must be flexable and have good footwork or get hurt, not so much in the game they play nowadays.
      Between Refy and Pirela, I think Pirela is the better player, even in the OF.

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  3. No way Pirela is the better player.You have to remember there is a reason he is 27 years old (going off memory, might have him confused with Kyle Roller) and still in AAA. Pirela is a free agent at the end of this season for a reason unfortunately.

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    1. I may have mixed them up. I'll go back and check! Thanks for the heads up, I don't want to mislead anyone.

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  4. Pirela is 24 and turns 25 @ end of November. Refsnyder is a better player overall. The knock on Refsnyder was his play at 2B... but i think he has ironed out a lot of his issues...he is leaps and bounds better than what he was in Tampa.. as for Lindgren I get why they would be worried about his total work load as a whole... the last outing is something that happens... he will be at instructs in Tampa soon... I think when i came down to it they are more looking into the 40 man shuffle and that is why they didnt really infuse youth in september... spring will be really interesting though...

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    1. Like I said I thought I was mixing him up with Roller. I know he has been in the organization six or seven years now so I kind of guessed.

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  5. Change of subject...
    You Guys should watch the program "13 Hours At Benghazi" it is on Fox News...will be shown a few more times. Maybe you can get an idea of what it was like...not much, if you haven't been there and done that!

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