Saturday, June 10, 2017

Unfortunately It Looks Like Tanaka or Bust in 2017


The New York Yankees, despite the well documented struggles of their ace Masahiro Tanaka, are in first place in the American League East Division and rolling right along. With the July 31st trade deadline looming you have to think that some fans are hoping that the pitching problem at the top of the Yankees rotation can be solved with a simple trade but looking at the potential list of available starters New York may be in a bit of a predicament. It is looking more and more like it is Masahiro Tanaka or bust for the Yankees here in 2017.

Doesn’t it just figure that when the Yankees finally have not only the prospects to land an ace-type pitcher but have a surplus of prospects to land an ace-type pitcher that there isn’t many to be found on the trade market? Bad timing I guess for the Yankees because looking around this is looking like a barren wasteland for reliable and effective starters.

Gerrit Cole has struggled for the Pittsburgh Pirates and has struggled more and more since his 19-8 breakout season in 2015, but before I get called out for riding both sides of the fence I will reiterate that I would love to still have him here but it obviously and always will come down to the price needed to acquire him, leaving more question marks than answers surrounding him right now. The Yankees have enough question marks, they need certainty and they aren’t going to get certainty (talent, yes) by acquiring Cole.

Quintana is another pitcher we have talked about a ton here on the blog and all that talk has yielded me nothing but a big ole foot in the mouth. At the time of this writing Quintana is currently sporting a 2-7 record with a 5.30 ERA in a weak American League Central Division.

But the Atlanta Braves suck and they have Julio Teheran! Yeah, Teheran has a 5-4 record with a 5.40 ERA while giving up home runs faster than Masahiro Tanaka in possibly a weaker National League East Division. Teheran gets to face a pitcher three-to-four times a night too. Again, he’s talented just like Cole but the Yankees need certainty… not more question marks or hopes that a change of scenery will help.


So what do the Yankees do? All they can do is really stick to the plan and continue the youth movement. Call up Chance Adams when he is ready, hope that Luis Cessa continues to pitch out of his mind, keep throwing Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery out there every fifth day and simply hope for the best. It is Tanaka or bust for the Yankees in 2017 so let’s hope Larry Rothschild, Tanaka and his translator (screw you Jerry Remy) get it figured out. And fast. 

8 comments:

  1. The Yankees need to determine how good the young pitching talent is example Mongomery and Severino before they regret trading future young talent for someone else's marginal pitcher

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  2. When was the last time we traded away a pitcher before he was given a good chance to show he had talent but still needed work to become the pitcher another team counts on every 5th day to win for them?
    It is true that we have more than we need to position players and could well afford to trade a few of them for a good pitcher...not a 3, 4, or 5!
    Giving up one or two of the best we have makes NO Sense AT ALL! A good pitcher is no good without good players to defend and produce runs.

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    1. Ian Kennedy Cy Young award winner in 2011 went 21-4

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    2. Not a good player to bring up Ken H.
      He hasn't done much of anything other than that one season. Besides, I had him pitching in the BP with the Yankees, he is a one or two inning pitcher and very good in that situation. I said way back then he had the best stuff of the three pitchers but not enough pop on his fastball to make a hitter fear his fastball.
      Try Nova next time, he has been doing well!

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  3. Kennedy was never truly a high-end prospect. He was drafted because the Yankees thought he would move quickly through the system, and he did. He was always the third wheel in the Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes love triangle.

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    1. By the way how did Joba and Hughes turnout? Kennedy won a Cy Young award

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    2. Thus, I had him in the BP...as a Yankee anyhow. He did have the better stuff of the 3 but without a good fastball.

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  4. KH, I was trying to point out the Yankees have traded or gave way a good number of pitchers over the years that turned out ok for other teams.
    Joba could have been a much better pitcher if it wasn't for the way he always threw his slider, not only did I know this but after he was traded others said the same thing.
    As For Hughes, well...let's just say the manager messed him around so much he never really had a chance to develop as a starter or in the BP.
    None of them were top end pitchers, but the last two could have been a help in any rotation.
    Have fun this year KH!

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