Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Looking at the 2016 Schedule: Skipping CC Sabathia


No matter what the New York Yankees say they let the contract and the number of years on the back of the baseball card dictate the playing time. If they didn't Robert Refsnyder would still be in major league spring training camp about to break camp with the team and CC Sabathia wouldn't even be in a 5th starter competition with Ivan Nova and Bryan Mitchell. Mitchell has actually earned the spot while Nova has pitched better than Sabathia although all signs point to Sabathia winning the 5th spot in the Yankees rotation anyway. Let's just assume that Sabathia wins the last rotation spot, can the Yankees skip his starts with all the extra days off at the beginning of the season?

4/4 - Masahiro Tanaka (5+)
-off-
4/6 - Michael Pineda (5+)
4/7 - Nathan Eovaldi (5+)
4/8 - Luis Severino (5+)
4/9 - CC Sabathia (5+) or Tanaka on 4 days rest
4/10 - Masahiro Tanaka (5)
-off-
4/12 - Michael Pineda (5)
4/13 - Nathan Eovaldi (5)
4/14 - Luis Severino (5)
4/15 - CC Sabathia (5) or Tanaka on 4 days rest
4/16 - Masahiro Tanaka (5)
4/17 - Michael Pineda (4)
-off-
4/19 - Nathan Eovaldi (5)
4/20 - Luis Severino (5)
4/21 - CC Sabathia (5) or Tanaka on 4 days rest
4/22 - Masahiro Tanaka (5)
4/23 - Michael Pineda (5)
4/24 - Nathan Eovaldi (4)
4/25 - Luis Severino (4)
4/26 - CC Sabathia (4)
4/27 - Masahiro Tanaka (4)
-off-
4/29 - Michael Pineda (5)
4/30 - Nathan Eovaldi (5)

The number in the parenthesis shows how many days of rest these pitchers would have. Is it possible to skip a couple CC or 5th starter starts in the early days of the season? Unfortunately it doesn't look like it. In plenty of situations Tanaka could be used on normal rest but the rest of the rotation would not fall in line behind him. Unfortunately it looks like New York will not be able to take advantage of the extra days off during the first month of the season and that means we should see plenty of Sabathia, Mitchell, Nova or whoever wins that final slot. I hope they are up to the task.

33 comments:

  1. Burch it wasn't the number of years on CC's card it was the $25 mill owed this year. We all know the Coupon Clipper aka Hal the wad of tight isn't willing to part with any money from his 3.4 billion dollar business. We can only pray that Coupon Clipper a pilot flies off course and some how flies over N Korea and gets shot down and taken hostage and never seen of again. Hey dreams can come true.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kind of harsh isn't it Ken H?
      Ok, maybe not so much after all!
      One of your better dreams, I hope!
      The answer to CC missing games is simple...plug in someone from the farm or let Bryan/Nova pitch here and there!

      Delete
    2. If they were smart and eat the 2016 contract the 2017 vesting option can't vest. It's $25 million now or $50 million later.

      Delete
    3. NORTH KOREA !...Still laughing. Best line in weeks. Adding Nova
      as his navigator would be a plus also.

      I'm so with Daniel, regarding Sabathia, that my tinnitus has
      subsided.
      So many great reasons to pay him off, and hug good-bye.
      What would they pay Mitchell to pitch this year..$500K..? Whats
      the big deal ? And you save $25 million !
      Give Sabathia a monument on the Major Deegan Expressway. And,
      lets move on, for gods sake.

      Finally...I called Dustin Ackley all sorts of names last year.
      At the time, they were my true feelings.
      I've come to learn that he could become a fine talent as
      he moves ahead with the Yankees. Nice addition.

      Delete
    4. It's not that they're not that smart. It's that they're stones aren't that big. The Giants didn't worry about hurting Tim Lincecum or Barry Zito's feelings. Both $20 million pitchers that didn't have guaranteed rotation spots when they weren't performing. They both spent time in the pen. But the Yankees shouldn't follow their example. They've only won 3 World Series in the last 6 years.

      Delete
    5. Three in the last 6 years, damn, that must mean they have some idea of what it takes to win! I wonder when the Yankee ownership will get some BIG Balls and do what it takes to win.
      Going by what a player makes per season is BS. I am a competitor, can I go out in the field and run with the guys in Iraq again? Hell NO, I am way to old and I know it, when you are done you are done...think of the team, not the individual and his EGO!
      My rant for the week...thank you very much people!

      Delete
    6. It's balls and it comes down to the finances as well. They don't have the balls to blow past everyone in salary like they did under George. They don't have the balls to send CC home for the summer because they want some "value" out of their investment. It's a bit of both the more I think about it.

      Delete
  2. I think it is time for some great music to calm the savage beast...time for Chopin!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KEN REED........' CHOPIN '.
      Don't tell I know it. I really do. Ahhhhh, got it !
      Chopin played saxophone for the Doors on "L.A. Women"...Yes ?

      Delete
    2. You got it the first time Patrick, how is it going?

      Delete
  3. Burch Excellent point on eating the contract and not having to pay CC his vesting option. I just don't understand their business model with all that money. I read an interesting article last week how attendance is down yet gross profits rose due to increase in parking, concessions and merchandising of the brand along with other areas of growth.

    This clown thinks his customer base are stupid people like Met's fans. He cries all the way to the bank whether we show up or not apparently. A few of you are saying once the money comes off the books he will spend again. I really can't agree with that assessment at this present time due to his alligator arms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah because they jacked the prices up on almost everything. That doesn't work when you have a regular old team playing in regular old games but they add up when you have Joe Torre Day and Jorge Posada Day and Bernie Williams Day and blah blah and blah.

      Delete
  4. BRYAN MITCHELL.....to miss at least 3 months.

    Yes, and if he had been named the fifth starter as he had earned,
    he would not of been in that game as a reliever. And, this injury
    would not have occurred.

    That's Irish think. And it is correct.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jesus! At this rate, we will be forced to re-sign Kai Igawa and Chris Capuano.

      Delete
    2. Three months? For a toe?? Are you kidding me? It's a toe.

      Delete
    3. If it was any of the other 9 toes, it wouldn't be an issue! could probably just cut them off!

      but I feel like this spot takes the majority of the load on release. done while covering first. jeez.

      Delete
    4. Yes Daniel, a Toe...
      Put a stone in your shoe and try throwing the ball!
      Did you not read what I wrote about Dizzy Dean and his toe? One big change in one's mechanics must take time or one has arm trouble...that is a fact jack!
      If a pitcher loses his base (as with a hitter) he is done. A pitcher can make adjustments, but not quickly. Do you not see CC and his trouble with C&C. CC has lost his C&C, well he never really had real good C&C anyhow. Most pitchers that go from fast ball to spot pitchers have good C&C, he is still trying to do something he never had to do...throw to spots. He still favors his knee...balance is off.
      I know, I am and old man and don't know what I am saying...oh, well!

      Delete
    5. Ken,

      My "it's just a toe" comment was pretty tongue in cheek. I know that doesn't always translate well through text, for that I apologize.

      I did read your comment about Dean also and I actually didn't know that's what ruined him. Good to know, I was actually working on a comparison post to Mitchell.

      Delete
    6. Misunderstood, I apologize!
      I was under the impression Mitchell was going to take the place of our swing man. He is going to be missed, not many can do that job and do it well. He is more valuable to the team as a swing man than as a starter anyhow.
      Hopefully, he will be back in time for the push to a play-off spot.

      Delete
    7. No need to apologize sir. It happens, I do it quite often actually.

      Delete
  5. Something tells me we can't just cut Sabathia and save from the vesting option. Seems way too simple, and the union would fight it hard too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm honestly not sure how the whole option thing works out. You may be right since he technically wouldn't end the season on the DL. That's a question a room of lawyers need to answer I guess.

      Delete
    2. You are right Bryan there is no ambiguity in the contract it is what it says. It would be $50,000,000!

      Delete
  6. Sabathia's option is one of the strangest ones I've seen. The only thing that prevents it from vesting is his left shoulder. He can be on the DL all year with a knee injury, and it will vest. But the confusing part is that it comes with a $5 million buy-out. Does that mean the Yankees can buy-out the option even if it vests?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, that means if the option doesn't vest, CC will get $5 million.

      Delete
  7. JOSE REYES...Almost a felon.

    Once again the Dominican Ju-Ju has crept into his wife's soul. The Ju-Ju
    is like an all purpose cleaner, all goes away. Like Kaboom !
    So predictable.

    She was going to not remember anything, once she realized she would be going back to a tin roofed shack in the Dominican Republic.

    A $5 million dollar home, here on Long Island, is a hell of a lot
    better than using a dirt hole in some room as a toilet, back
    in the hood.
    Charges dropped....he did nothing ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probably won't get suspended either. So no charges in any of the three cases and only one will get suspended, the Yankee.

      Delete
  8. Daniel...good evening. How's your young wranglers ?

    Are you watching how the posting is going, and how it flows ?

    The contributors seem to like adding on to a continuous flowing
    thread......sort of like a conversation...one right after another.
    We all here, see your posts/ thoughts, but the comments almost are always
    joined on to the continuous thread.

    Old Ken, and I, learned that way. The conversation stays uniform.

    That can be good. Just an observation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patrick,

      They are good. My oldest just took cap and gown pictures and is ready to graduate kindergarten in a couple months. My youngest is going through a "I have to be naked all he time" phase. He must read your comments, I joke.

      I can try to change it Patrick but I don't think I can. This is the way Google has it set up. I could try to transfer the whole site to Wordpress but that would take days. If it even worked. We have a lot of information here now.

      Delete
  9. I also learned that sometimes I write to much and therefore it is not read...sorry about that!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kenneth....One can spend hours on a piece/thought, and place it
    inside a post that prompted you.
    At the end of the day,it ends up in the darkness of your sewer system.

    Your nice piece of work sits unread, because the others are following
    the stream of conversation.
    I've put up some of my best stuff, and I know that no one ever laid
    an eye on it. I've learned, will never happen again.

    *** Guess where I obtained a 'war worn' rifle sling for my
    refurbished M-14 ?.....Vietmam..On line, E-Bay, it was listed as used..'in war'. Got my attention quick.
    Was not looking for a new modern day type sling.

    It looks like it was in a fire-fight. Rusted, and frayed. Almost like you
    ordered it into harms way. It has a feel...like it was in the Nam.
    The field weapon is now at home.
    Thought you would enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is cool Patrick, I have a few (very few) things from the old days. They will be going to my Grandson or Great-grandson depends on which makes it into the Rangers.
      I have never shot or carried an M-14, that was standard just before (or after) my team left in 1964(?), for (hot spots) unattached duties elsewhere!

      Delete

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