Credit: Associated Press
CC Sabathia. What to do…
There’s no doubt we would not have celebrated a World Series championship in 2009 if not for the efforts of one Carsten Charles Sabathia, Jr. For the first three years of his contract with the Yankees, he was the epitome of an Ace. I would never want to dismiss the contributions he has made to the Yankees organization or the value he has held as a leading voice in the clubhouse.
The times they are a-changin (with a hat tip to Bob Dylan). Sabathia is now 36 and is clearly no longer the pitcher he once was. He’ll be 37 in a couple of months, and despite his long talks with Andy Pettitte, he has not successfully made the transition to an older pitcher. I was fooled for the first couple of starts this year, but we’ve seen the real Sabathia over the last few starts…and it hasn’t been pretty.
At age 32 and before, CC could be counted on for double-digit wins every year. From age 33 forward, last year’s 9 wins has been the season high. Betting whether or not Sabathia passes last season’s win total is not a bet I would make even if I was using your money. Pro Sports can be illogical at times when certain players start because of high contracts or past performance even though there are younger, more talented players waiting in the wings. Years ago, a friend told me that baseball players should be paid a flat base salary and then commissions for production. Applying that to different positions and players is much easier said than done, but the core logic that players should be paid for today’s production (not yesterday) makes so much sense to me. We’re in the final year of Sabathia’s contract with $25 million remaining. Does Sabathia deserve a spot in the rotation simply because he is the team’s highest paid player? If he is not producing, then no. Why pay money to lose when you can win?
In looking at the Yankees rotation, if they made a trade for a frontline starting pitcher, who do you pull? At this point, Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and Luis Severino are locked in. The latter two have shown signs of being a part of the next championship run. Jordan Montgomery has been a very pleasant surprise who will continue to get better. So, realistically, the loser would have to be Sabathia. I don’t know that I’d pull Sabathia for Chad Green or Luis Cessa, but Chance Adams is charging fast for the Major Leagues. He may not be ready now, but his time is rapidly approaching. If the Yankees go out and trade for someone like Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole, I’d gladly part with Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield and others to bring the talented young pitcher to the Bronx. For Sabathia, I’d pull out a Michael Kay line, “See ya!”.
There’s no way that Sabathia is pulling on the pinstripes in 2018. We are approaching the point where every start could be his last in the Bronx. If he continues to thwart winning streaks, then it is time to cut our losses. Swallow the remainder of the $25 mil and move on.
Thanks for the memories, CC. We’ll save you a place for Old Timer’s Day…
Credit: Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News
I have mixed feelings about Aaron Judge’s appearance on the May 15th cover of Sports Illustrated. I grew up at a time where it was a curse to appear on the cover. So, I still have those thoughts in the back of my head even if bad things never happen. I have been quite pleased with Judge’s season so far and he gives New York a potential superstar. But admittedly, I liked it better when Judge was able to out-produce expectations. With heightened expectations, can he sustain the production? That will be one of the keys for the rest of the season. We’ll inevitably hit a stretch where he can’t (hit). The ebbs and flows of Baseball ensures that everyone stays humble. So, for now, congrats Aaron, but please hit a homer on May 16th (Yankees are off on the 15th) so that I know the SI Cover is not a jinx.
I’d like to send out thoughts and prayers to Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, whom the Yankees faced on April 22nd in an 11-5 victory over the Pirates. He underwent surgery for suspected testicular cancer earlier this week. Hopefully it was caught early and he’ll make a full and complete recovery. Taillon is one of the game’s promising young talents and I look for many future years of his participation. All the best to Jameson on his road to a winning recovery. Here is a tweet that he sent out after the surgery:
I think all Baseball fans support Taillon. Well written words by the tall young right-hander. Here's looking forward to the day that he is able to take the mound at PNC Park again.
Yesterday, the Yankees demoted Chad Green to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after one inning of scoreless relief on Tuesday in Cincinnati. The Yankees did not immediately announce who will be taking Green's spot, but the speculation is right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos. If so, this will be his Major League debut assuming that he gets into a game. He is currently 0-1 with 3.86 ERA. It's his strikeouts that stand out to me. He has struck out 26 batters in 14 innings for the RailRiders with only 6 walks.
The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, so the Yankees and O's head into today's action in a first place tie in the AL East.
Yesterday, the Yankees demoted Chad Green to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after one inning of scoreless relief on Tuesday in Cincinnati. The Yankees did not immediately announce who will be taking Green's spot, but the speculation is right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos. If so, this will be his Major League debut assuming that he gets into a game. He is currently 0-1 with 3.86 ERA. It's his strikeouts that stand out to me. He has struck out 26 batters in 14 innings for the RailRiders with only 6 walks.
The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, so the Yankees and O's head into today's action in a first place tie in the AL East.
Have a great Thursday! Let’s hose the ‘Stros!
