Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Standing Pat Means Getting Worse


The New York Yankees have what many believe to be a comfortable lead in the American League East Division race with the July 31st trading deadline looming in a couple of days. The Toronto Blue Jays have already made the most significant trade to date when the team sent Jose Reyes and three pitching prospects to the Colorado Rockies for Troy Tulowitzki while teams like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Mets, the Kansas City Royals and others seem to be going all in. The window for the New York Yankees to win with this team is extremely small, it may be 2015 or bust with all the aging veterans on the team, and standing pat at the deadline is not an option. In a seller’s market where all the teams behind the Yankees are getting better standing pat means getting worse for New York.

Truth be told, as we looked at earlier this morning, the Toronto Blue Jays only marginally improved as a team with their acquisition of Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins while the Boston Red Sox are making moves towards the future. The Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are the real dark horses in the division though, in my opinion of course, as Baltimore has already had discussions regarding Justin Upton of the San Diego Padres while the Rays have the farm system to go and get any player they want within reason. The division is not what worries me the most, it is the postseason. The postseason is an entirely new season and the two teams that are legitimate threats to the Yankees in the American League are improving as well.

The Kansas City Royals sent three left-handed starting pitchers including Brandon Finnegan to the Cincinnati Reds for ace RHP Johnny Cueto to begin the final countdown to the trading deadline. The Royals really had one weakness on this team and they shored that up a bit with their acquisition of Cueto. In Cueto the team has a real threat that could win three games in a seven game series or two games in a five game series. Cueto isn’t exactly playoff tested nor is he tested in the American League where he won’t see much small ball or pitchers hitting but you have to think for what Kansas City gave up the team is much better. 

The Angels are seemingly strapped for cash but have been able to solidify their outfield position and their weakest link with the acquisition of Shane Victorino from the Boston Red Sox. The cost of infielder Josh Rutledge was minimal while Boston chipped in some cash to make the deal worth it for both sides. The Angels have a good pitching staff, a filthy bullpen and an offense to match and one of their only “automatic outs” in the lineup, Matt Joyce, has now been platooned.


The Yankees are falling farther and farther behind with every acquisition another team makes. Standing pat is not an option, standing pat is getting worse and opening the door for the rest of the American League to steal #28 away from the team, the city and the franchise.

20 comments:

  1. Standing pat does translate to getting worse. I think you have to go big or go home though. Marginal upgrades can be made with our farm system though. If your not going to go after a pitcher like Price or a bat like Cespedes though, what's the point?

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    1. Don't worry Levin, we got Dustin Ackley!!!

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    2. Burch the Ackley move is a dumpster dive move. Also look at the two GM's that the elf does business all the time. They are the Tigers and Mariners, why is that?

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    3. I've always kind of thought that many GM's and teams have an "eff the Yankees" policy so Cashman does his work where he can. That or Cashman has an old cell phone that only stores so many phone numbers.... Dombrowski's, Frank Wren's, The Mariners GM that I won't even attempt to spell and his mistresses.

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    4. If this doesn't show you the elf is outclassed in the land of GM's then nothing will convince people. The yanks have weakened themselves by not doing anything. I believe the partnership of Cashman and Hal is like having a terminal disease.

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  2. David Price at 29 years old will want a long contract...8-10 years @ about $25,000,000 per year. We have been down that road many times. He is not a post season pitcher, very bad numbers, he also has a lot of miles on his arm (as per CC).
    Give up Severino and Refsy + for him? Not in this day and age.
    Cespedes would be a good bat to have, but the same goes for him 29 years old, a right-handed good power bat but another long contract.

    After the trade deadline bring up Severino and Refsy to give us some new young hungry blood and put CC in the BP or AAA to work on his pitching. I thought they were just keeping them down because they can play and play well. Why advertise them if one isn't going to trade them...out of sight, out of mind, sometimes!I would say that would fall under the heading of, "Not standing pat"!

    Giving Serverino starts before the play-offs is common sense just to see what and how he will react to the Big Time and the same for Refsy. Not every player comes up and is lights out until they have had the time to feel their way a bit.

    That be my opinion

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    1. Nick Goody and Bryan Mitchell coming up, Pineda to the DL and Price to the Blue Jays. Everything you say is true Mr. Reed but that doesn't make me feel any better right now. Maybe tomorrow.

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  3. MISTER...Mister ?....The label is missing, how much will David Price cost me ?

    Interesting, hmmmmmm....I rightly don't know what the price is, son.
    My guess, an arm, and a leg. How much you got in your pocket ?

    Uh....I have a Nova, a Sanchez, and a cool Capuano, hardly used. Deal ?

    Son, you're a idiot. Put that junk back in your pocket. And don't let the door hit you in the ass !

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    1. Blue Jays gave up their top prospect so it definitely would have cost Severino to acquire him.

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  4. CHRIS CAPUANO....was a tough watch last night.

    You could see Capuano was tight. He was being reevaluated again.
    His body language, and pitching performance screamed it. He stunk, and he knew it.

    You could see his whole baseball life passing in front of him. From Little League,
    to his career in MLB. All going down the tube. At the end, when he could not throw a
    strike, and he walked in a run......he mouthed the F bomb.

    Sorry to watch.

    Today....he was designated for assignment. We all saw it coming.

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  5. The Trade Deadline is upon us, and I can't find anything substantial. Just blather / BS.

    What I do feel, is that Prado will be a Yankee by Friday.
    The Price thing is all over the place, but at what cost ?
    Kimbrel is out there also, but pitching, and 2nd base are the needs.

    So....either fasten your seatbelts, or go over to Ken's house, and listen to dead jazz
    musicians, on a scratchy 33 RPM-LP. Don't look for any Coors Light, or snacks.
    Well....maybe a spread of Slim Jims, with a dip.

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  6. With Price now gone shows the elf can't pull off a major trade. The elf has been dominated by Dombrowski of the Tigers in the past so it might not be a bad thing Price is gone. Personally I think we have just taken a step back to the Jays this past week,however we shall see if our lead holds up by standing pat or making a minor move. There is no ace on this staff that can be counted on except the Water Pistol NOT!!!! If Hal is holding back the purse strings or the elf can't get it done then someone needs to be held accountable

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  7. I agree Hans. If you want premium players, you have to give up premium prospects. A 2 month rental of Price may have been worth Severino and a couple others. I guess Toronto just wants it more than New York.

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    1. Levin I just believe in my heart that the duo of the elf and the coupon clipper are bad for Yankee baseball. Hal talks a great game about wanting a winner but does nothing and elf is just an inferior GM that was at one time able to write checks for players. All his moves are secondary now.

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  8. Dr. patrick, tries to find a way.....

    Dr. patrick...So whats ailing you Chasten Charles ?
    C.C....Gee Doc, I just had a three nothing lead, and now its 3-3, in the first inning !
    ..........Am I just missing spots ?
    Dr. patrick...Spots ! Are you nuts ? Drink one gallon of Maalox, and go away forever !
    C.C...Yes, my homeboy ! Maybe I can still catch a ride with Chris Capriano.

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  9. Elf Elf Elf let's give the guy a rousing applause for sitting back. The elf could screw up a wet dream

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  10. HANS....don't take this the wrong way, but at times I think you are nuts.

    The Elf thing is wearing thin, the team is in first place, Eovaldi is gaining strides, and
    the trade deadline is not until 4PM Friday.

    And there you sit, uttering nonsense about Elfs, and wet dreams.

    When you are wrong, you go silent. When you are right, not often, you blast blather
    all over. Like a backed up septic tank.
    I'll hammer Brian if he fails to improve the team. But there is still time on the clock. And
    all our blue chips are still in hand.

    You are so much smarter than what you post.
    Hang tuff, reinforcements may be on the way !

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    1. Patty nuts I may be but wrong on elf I am not. Proof is in the pudding and the elf sitting still and continuously bring people up from triple A and then sounding them down is not what I call having reinforcements on the way. When I sit quiet it's due to stupid answers I get back and my frustration says don't answer because it isn't worth the aggravation. I still don't think I'm wrong on the water pistol. I can point to numerous pitchers or players who have had success for various reasons and really not be that good in reality. Does he have double digit wins? Yes but look at the pitching numbers Patty they don't exactly scream 10 win pitcher.

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  11. BECAUSE MY MOTHER...said I did not know anything.....I leave my cards on the table.

    If one was to look, my cards to be used at the trading deadline, say.....

    Martin Prado...will be a Yankee.
    Craig Kimbrel...will be a Yankee ( this one could be very good, in so many ways )

    Those are my cards, that's the best I could do.
    See ya'all Friday. Fingers crossed for upgrades.

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  12. Unacceptable to trade Severino for Price! A very good pitcher, Price may be but for only this year? Then what do you do next year? Severino may be a stud...or not...but we have him for years and he has the stuff to be a very good pitcher.
    2nd basemen are hard to come by unless we keep Refsy to play 2nd we would have to trade for a good one. Refsy is about as good (and cheaper) as anyone out there without trading the farm.

    If things were to be done the right way Mr. Hal would let Cashman do his job without having to pass everything by the front office every time. There were a plethora of Cuban players Cashman wanted to sign and one we almost got! But "Why not", you ask, and I will tell you...because he wasn't given a few more $$$$$ to get said player, that is why!
    In the years, Cashman has been GM he has built the Farm System from a bunch of nobodies into a strong talented group of players.

    Has anyone taken the time to wonder why Hal let Cash spend so much $$$$$ on the International Free Agent Market players and not on the Cubans? Or why we can't sign any real good players even in Free Agency?
    Simple, MONEY!
    Follow The Money! You ask, "why not play Refsy and bring up Severino, again let me reiterate...MONEY!
    And for those of you saying Cashman hasn't done much in the drafts, I counted 25 ML ready players or players in the ML playing now! Not bad after having the WORSE farm system in the Big Time.

    First it was King George trading away everything we had in the system than it was Hal not wanting to spend money at all and bringing in washed up players on long expensive contracts. CC second contract, Jeter's last contract, Beltran, Drew, and A-Rods second contract.
    IF Hal had any balls he would just DFA Beltran, Ryan, and CC To be replaced with Judge(?), Refsy and Severino/Warren.

    Are there better GM's out there than what we have? I am sure there are but, one thing they have going for them is...they are able to do their jobs with little to no interference from the front Office people. Can we say that of our GM? NO!

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