The New Year is for new resolutions, life changes and new plans. This applies for your real life but it applies for baseball as well. The New York Yankees made their resolutions already on the blog, see that fictional post if you missed it, and now I am making my bold predictions for the club this season. Last year I think I did pretty well with these for once. I predicted the comeback of Alex Rodriguez, an overall healthy season from Mark Teixeira and the emergence of Didi Gregorius at shortstop despite the monkey on his back named Derek Jeter. Who gets the good luck nod from Mr. Burch this season? Keep reading.
--Robinson Cano who? That's going to be something I feel like I'm going to be saying a lot this season. "Robinson Cano who" will be this season's "Stephen Drew sucks." Why? Starlin Castro and his .280 batting average and his 22 home runs in the second hole of the Yankees batting order.
--Speaking of second base I can see Chase Headley missing some time this season, he played in almost all 162 games last season, and will have at least one trip to the disabled list. That will allow Robert Refsnyder to force the issue from the bench, he'll still spend less than a month on the MLB roster though.
--Speaking of spending time on the MLB roster Refsnyder will spend about as much time on the roster as Greg Bird thanks to Mark Teixeira getting into 140+ games and having a hell of a contract season. 30 more home runs at least for Teixeira and he will finally drive in those 100 RBI.
--Alex Rodriguez will not be able to replicate his huge 2015 campaign, although he will stay healthy once again and hit over 20 home runs once again. The decline will be obvious but he will be kept out of the lineup more often with Gary Sanchez on the roster
--Quite possibly the biggest bold prediction will be one that has to do with the Yankees starting rotation. The health specifically of the starting rotation. None of Masahiro Tanaka, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda or Luis Severino will head to the disabled list this season. Yeah, I said BOLD predictions.
--The final prediction is quite bold given the state of the division. The Yankees will make the playoffs once again as a Wild Card team.
Burch maybe a little too much egg nog this holiday season. Castro will find trouble hitting this year, first coming into a new league and second better overall pitching in the American league. Should've stayed with Refsnyder on that trade along with keeping Warren.
ReplyDeleteTex will trip over the first base line and will be out significant time this year and will hit under 30 dingers and 82 RBI.
I agree with you on Arod, however as you BOLDLY said, I on the other hand confidently disagree with the staff prediction. Tanaka, Pineda, and Possibly Eovaldi will all hit the DL. You are missing CC who will make his yearly trek to the DL and I believe Severino will be the only pitcher of your list to say off it.
Obama has a better chance at getting re-elected for President than the Yanks do at making the Wild Card. Oh that's right Obama can't be re-elected. The Sox and the Jays are right now superior to the Yanks. I have the Yanks battling the O's for third or 4th.
People, I believe including yourself, scoffed when I predicted 90 wins and the Wild Card last season... was off by, what, two wins?
DeleteAlso predicted the emergence of Didi and the return of A Rod and Teixera. I have a good track record going, at least recently. Doesn't mean I can't be 100% wrong this season.
Plus you have to take some chances, that's why they are BOLD predictions. Oh and by the way (in my opinion) the Red Sox are one significant arm injury from David Price away from being in the gutter again.
They have a closer and picked up a nice bull pen arm. They are going to win the division in my opinion right now. If there is any team that I hate in this world it is the Roid Sux, however on paper and yes I know its only paper and you have to play the games but right now they look to be the best team
DeleteWhat good is a closer if your offense can't score, and it couldn't last season and is relatively unchanged, if your starters can't hold the lead, and outside of Price they haven't improved or changed this either, or if your bullpen can't hold a lead, and besides Kimbrel what have they done?
DeleteSure Kimbrel is great but if he doesn't have a lead to protect then what's the point? I'm not saying they will finish in last place again but I'm not etching their name on the AL Pennant either.
Big time Predictions aren't they, Daniel?
ReplyDelete--Starlin Castro should be a big upgrade from what we had last year...true!
IF Castro has problems we do have Refsnyder to call on but, my thinking is...they may try Refsy at 3rd base/2nd base this year and have him as a backup or utility player for the bench. His arm is rated at a 50 so it should be strong enough for 3rd.
--Alex Rodriguez is a special player and I will not underestimate him at all. With more rest and IF he makes the adjustments needed...front leg lower hit more with his upper body and hands more. I think his Avg will be up, HRs may be lower (maybe).
--CC, will be limited to the BP unless he comes out pitching better than the last few years
--Injury bug will bite the starting rotation a couple times and Evo will improve and Mitchell comes back things could look up no matter the injury bug.
You could play second base at 78-years old and be an upgrade over what we had last year, no offense... :)
DeleteMaybe at 61-years old but not now! LOL
DeleteYes, and I still say...until I see Castro play for a month or so...Refsy could have done the job from what I saw of him on TV. It was night and day from the first time he was playing 2nd but we may never know!
I've seen very little of Castro outside of Baseball Tonight highlights and such. I'm very excited to see him live and all season long. His defense should be better than Refsnyder's unfortunately, although he's not a great defender, but I am more worried about his bat.
DeleteI said it multiple times last season, this team needs more offense. More right-handed offense specifically. I am willing to sacrifice some defense for offense, which is part of the reason why I beat the drum so loudly for Refsnyder when Drew's defense and home runs once a month were stinking up the joint.
Miguel Andujar may be the answer at 3rd base in a year or so IF he can hit righties as well as he does lefties
ReplyDeleteHas anyone noticed the trend in the way the farm system (starting last year) are teaching? Nothing drastic, we had been doing it but only with one or so players. Every outfielder learns to play all 3 positions, every (SS) infielder learns to play 2nd and SS. I do mean Learns, not the one to 10 games a year as was the case before. I do believe it is about time someone made the change, others have been doing it for a while now. There is always a guy that is able to handle multiple positions and do well. If the tools are there...use them, some of the time one finds a player that is good at many spots on the infield and won't hurt you at the plate. These guys are worth keeping and paying to do just that.
You are quite high on Andujar. I can't see him in a year or so unless a year or so means 2018, that's just me. Prospects fly through the system all the time. I'm not banking on him though. He's still young and raw in his development.
DeleteAndujar is raw and will be 21 this year but if he works out well enough he could be up in 2018+/- 10 years.
DeleteThere is no reason to rush him, Headley's contract will cover the next 2 or three(?) years anyhow. Of course, we also have an SS or two that may end up outgrowing SS and move to 3rd like Dermis Garcia a big guy with very good power and outgrow SS.
Yes, I sorta like what Andujar has going for himself; above Avg. arm can hit for Avg. and power with good coaching he could become a fine 3rd baseman.
Three years left on Headley's contract so if Andujar can be ready in two years (DH Headley in final year I guess if you need to) that would be idea. Would be 23/24 years old, not out of the realm of possibilities... not even on the Yankees.
DeleteI read a lot and I do mean a lot of the scouting reports on these players but, I can't give an honest to goodness evaluation of them without seeing them play a few games. The reports we get are what most of the writers get...which is nothing. We don't know if something is fixable or not a chance. Without seeing them for more than a couple of games and seeing how they go about their game, we don't know if an infielder reaches for the ball or is quick enough to get there in the right position at the right time...and yadda, yadda, and so forth!
ReplyDelete