Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Johan: The Next Great Gamble

So, with the news being so slow of late you cannot help but scrape for everything and anything. The coaching staff seems to be all wrapped up, but is the pitching staff? One time great, Johan Santana, is now back out there trying to regain his old form and help a team. Help them with what, I am not sure but to me it seems like by actually throwing from the mound. He is currently pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League, like we haven't heard that joke before, and hopes that teams desperate enough for his services will come calling. So right now we have a once great pitcher, lengthy injury history, and mid to late 30's. Qualifications that Brain Cashman loves to hear.

Johan would be a work in progress, has been ever since he left the Twins. The man was so smooth, no doubt about that. Yet, can he come back like Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, can he show he still has something left in the tank like those old heads that reclaimed their careers for a spell with the Yankees? All questions I hope we do not have to answer, ever. Santana is a great guy, and I would love for him to fight back and earn a job on some team, preferably in the NL West.



The Yankees are doing their "due diligence" by scouting him at the Winter Leagues and hoping that his stuff is still there. Last season the Yankees also were all about the game of love with Santana. Seeing him as another project for Rothschild and company; why not take a chance. Santana however decided to sign with the Orioles, and thus went out and tore his Achilles tendon in an extended spring training game before ever reaching the major league club that year effectively ruining a shot at a comeback. Santana however has worked his evil ways, and is back again looking for the Yankees to come calling with an opportunity to help the club. Do I see him being a better option than Chris Capuano, yes, but then again Babe Ruth is a better option than Capuano and I do not see us bringing him in anytime soon.

I do hope you are feeling better, Santana. Yet, I do not want to have to root for you to save our club and instead just save your career. I know it is a long shot, it is hard to come back from shoulder surgeries. In the end we can only pray that if Cashman is serious that he can bring you in cheaply and hopefully you work some black magic man. I would rather take a chance with Shields, but I know money is an issue there. Why not just buy low, expect the worst and hope for the best. I will root for you regardless Santana because honestly I love reclamation projects and you are too good of a person to not have a comeback. Good luck to you, and hopefully you catch on somewhere if not with us.

4 comments:

  1. JOHAN SANTANA..........
    Can you imagine him coming to the Yankees, and all those ailments that Nick listed, put
    in the rear view mirror ?
    Life is a series of mysteries. Will it happen ? Doubt it... Can it happen ? Maybe. And that is
    what makes us go on stage each night.

    @ If we lost Ken Hans, that is a debauchery. Dumb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If he is signed to act like Jason Giambi and simply mentor, fine.
      If he is signed and counted on to do something either in Triple-A or the Bronx, not fine.

      Delete
  2. If he is as serious as he was last season I doubt he comes on to do anything other than pitch. Being a mentor comes with the age and experience but he will not come to just do that. It will be interesting to say the least.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can play and be a mentor at the same time though, no? You would always see Mariano Rivera teaching others for many years.

      Delete

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