Friday, April 24, 2015

The Carlos Beltran Rotation


I tend to write my articles, or at least brain storm for them and start them, a few days before you see them here on The Greedy Pinstripes. The last time I wrote about the fact that Carlos Beltran was worrying me he started the next game out with a double and looked to be well on his way to recovery. Beltran has continued to slip a little once again and saw his batting average well under the Mendoza Line before a couple hits against David Price and the Tigers brought him back to .200. In hope of turning him around once again, and because I really think it should happen, today we will discuss not a platoon for Beltran but a rotation that keeps him out of the lineup as much as possible.

Chris Young has rejuvenated himself since putting on the pinstripes after struggling with the Mendoza Line himself as a member of the New York Mets. Young adds a power hitting right handed power bat the Yankees have been lacking off the bench since the days of #TooManyDamnHRs in 2012 and has the ability to play all three outfield positions. He can even out a batting order and can fill in at center field either to start a game or later on in the contest making him invaluable to the team as long as he’s hitting. Beltran is looking more and more like a statue not only at the plate but in right field and adds little versatility to the team begging the comparisons between him and the 2014 version of Alfonso Soriano.

The only time Beltran should play is when Brett Gardner or Jacoby Ellsbury needs a day off. Young should get the bulk of the right field at bats as long as he’s hitting because Beltran has become a black hole in the middle of the Yankees lineup. Last season he had the excuse that his elbow spur was bothering him and he needed surgery, he has the surgery now and through three weeks of the season looks no different, or better, than he did in 2015. I know three weeks is not a great sample size but this has carried over from the entire spring training camp leading many to believe that this is not simply bad luck or a slow start, this may be what Beltran is now as a player.


The only problem with this scenario is delegating Beltran once again to a part time DH player takes at bats away from Alex Rodriguez and especially from Garrett Jones. Beltran has two years left at basically $30 million so the team will not eat the salary and let him go presumably and no team would trade him even if he waived his no trade protection so we may have the latest in the long line of suffocating contracts that will keep the team down not only in 2015 but 2016 as well. Either way limiting Beltran’s at bats, at least for now, is the best thing for the team and should be implemented immediately. 

20 comments:

  1. Nice article Burch, however I think you know the Beltran experiment will never happen with all the salary he is taking home. I would look for him to be traded at the latest when the playoff rosters are to freeze and help a team that needs a push or is in and needs the playoff stick. The Yanks will eat most of the contract and get little on return and Beltran will then go off for his other team and we will all be saying where was that when he played for us?

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    1. That's why I suggested a rotation and not a flat out release or trade. Problem is he has no trade protection so I doubt he even accepts a trade out of town without a lengthy benching. Then you run into a catch 22 where you lose trade value when you bench him.

      Long story short I think we're stuck with him two more years.

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    2. I don't know. They benched Jorge in his retirement year, and that was unexpected/hard to do.

      I'm hoping Chris Young will force them to bench Beltran. Young's just been too good for the bench

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  2. You guys know my opinions by now. I want the best 40 players in the system on the 40 man roster. I want the 25 best on the active roster. I want the best 9 in the lineup, and I don't think salary or service time should have anything to do with it. If Beltran isn't hitting and Young is, Beltran should be on the bench. I also feel that teams should be able to send a player to AAA if he's underperforming, regardless of options. The player would still be making his millions. (Kei Igawa!) I don't care If he has to ride the bus to work and stay in crappy hotels!

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    1. Problem with players like Beltran going to the minors is with the service time rules and such he would have to accept the demotion and lord knows he wont.

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    2. I understand service time, options, etc. What I'm suggesting is that players should not have that option. I think that there should be some rule changes that give the team the freedom to send up or down any player on their 40 man roster as long as they were willing to pay their full salary. And I also realize that nothing like that will ever happen under this or any other Collective Bargaining Agreement, but it should. I as a fan, want to see my team have the best chance possible to win, and that only happens when you have the best players playing. With Young outperforming him, and Heathcott, Austin, and Judge in the minors, Beltran is seventh on the depth chart. Maybe even eighth if you want to include Flores. And the only reason he's playing is because he can refuse an assignment? Contracts are supposed to protect both parties. If the Yankees signed Beltran for $45 million, they did so based on performance. If he's not performing then he's not living up to his part of the contract.

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    3. The Yankees have that option, they can cut him. If they are going to pay him to play in Scranton for $15 million it's about as useful as paying him $15 million to play for ken Hans Black Mulch softball team.

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  3. WHO WOULD PLAY FOR HANS ?...Not me.

    If there was a 'Black Mulch softball team', they would have to be sorry assed souls.
    I can see them as cowardly young men, who dress like their mothers.

    Hans would brow beat these losers, and brutalize them verbally.

    Poor old Ken is now linked to Moses, and he is also ignorant.
    How did that happen ? Perhaps by voting for Obama has confused Gretel ? That must be it.

    Some may think I'm picking on Hans-el, but I'm not.
    He is a welcomed piece to this eclectic puzzle...known as the Greedy Site.
    Hear the Elf laughing ?

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    1. Wouldn't vote for Obama so the odor of the Peat Moss is just foul stench on your part buy hey what else is new

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  4. Jeff Levin.....what say you ?

    What is your take on Gregorius ?
    Is he for real ? Are we seeing the real player ? Some say he lacks mentally.
    Should he be Fed-Exed else where ? Should Drew take his job ?
    What say you ?

    Just in case you thought otherwise....Little p never performed in porno with midgets.
    Just in case............

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    1. I've got video that says otherwise. You used to deny it until I saw the bag of fertilizer and the tulip bulbs in the background next to the Coors Light empty 12 pack box.

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    2. Unfortunately, I partly agree with Hans when it comes to Didi. I say partly because I don't think he's as bad as Hans does. I think he'll settle down and be at least an average shortstop. I don't blame Cashman for making the trade though. At the time he did it, Drew was not signed. There was no other options. And I don't want to hear Hans say we had the same player in Ryan already. Two things Ken. Where is Ryan right now? And if you look at the "back of their baseball card", Didi hits like an all star compared to Ryan.

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    3. Levin it is true we had Ryan and no one can predict an injury so your comment is wrong. Ryan is an excellent glove, numbers show that. I will give you my assessment of Didi and tell me if I'm saying anything out of line. He has great range, great arm, lack of baseball acumen at this time with not knowing where to go with the ball or running the bases. Can be an adequate hitter against righties and isn't a player that can hit lefty pitching. A bad trade in my mind and not because Greene is dealing right now. I said bad deal when it happened because you gave up a kid that eats innings and showed you he can compete for the 4 or 5 spot. He is better than Warren. So Levin what is wrong with what I said so far

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    4. It's a lot harder to find a shortstop that can play defense and hold his own with the bat (for his position) than it is to find a guy who can eat innings at the fourth or fifth spot in the lineup. And sure Greene was dealing until he gave up nine runs, eight earned, in just four innings last night.

      Example number one why you have to wait at least a half a season to judge a trade, preferably longer.

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    5. Here's what is wrong with your statement Hans. Ryan is not a starting shortstop on any team. He was released by Seattle when Seattle was absolutely awful. When Cashman made the trade, we had Ryan and Ryan only. I agreed with what you said about Didi. Partly any way. You just can't ever be reasoned with. You're always right and we're all a bunch of idiots for not bowing down to your unparalleled knowledge. Didi is an average shortstop at best. That is what I said. But Cashman gave up an average starter at best. We have plenty of Shane Greens in the minors. We have nobody that can even challenge Didi in our system.

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    6. Now you're coming to your senses Levin. Didi is not an everyday SS as well. He will be here because Cashman has to show the trade was a good trade. Burch I'm not saying Greene is a Cy Young candidate, I'm saying we would get more out of him than Didi. I don't buy this getting acclimated stuff. McCann still isn't hitting so does that mean he isn't acclimated or intimidated by NY? Outlandish

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  5. DAM THOSE TULIP BULBS !

    Midgets always screw things up. Yes, that was me. I thought it had vanished into the internet.
    I was a walk on. Remember my character ?......'The Compost Heap'.
    I just grunted, no real speaking lines.

    In the last scene, I chased the midgets around with a 'bush whacker'.
    Until we all fainted in a heap. Sort of like a compost heap mound of flesh.
    Hence, my characters name.

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    1. speaking of midgets we beat the crap out of the Mets today and ended their 11 game winning streak.

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  6. It's...it's...it's...MAGNIFICENT EOVALDI time !!!

    Fear not cowgirls, the Mets will be shown the door this evening.
    Eovaldi may not be the 'Black Knight', but his is the 'Good Knight'. And he will
    send those blue & orange skunks packing.

    It was once Prado time, but no longer. Now it's Eovaldi time.
    Stay strong, and vanquish.

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  7. Happy Eovaldo Day? Is that a thing yet?

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