Well...the last time I made an offseason thread, the Yankees got CC and Teixeira...so think I'll make another go for Cliff Lee and another big acquisition. I really hope Andy comes back for another season. He still has a lot left in his tank, physically, though mentally he keeps saying its time to be with the family.
I'm nervous about both Pettitte returning and us getting Lee. I'm not sure either will happen, and that will be devastating. I had started laying off the "Get Crawford" chant late in the year, once Granderson starting turning things around, but I'm back on the bandwagon again. He'd help make a nice outfield platoon, and allow Swisher to play first once in a while to give Teixeira more rest. Yes, it would mean guys would be playing out of position, like Gardner or Granderson, but whatever. Right field isn't as hard to play as center. I'd love for them to tell Girardi they won't be giving him a new contract. It's not going to happen though. He'll be back, binder in hand, in February. I'd love for them to pick up Wood's option ($13.5M I think.) Yeah, it's "too much" to pay a setup man, but 1) we don't have anyone more capable and 2) we need to start thinking post-42 as a very near time approaches. Apart from those things I just want to see Cashman stop making clown moves. Dumping Matsui and Damon for Thames and Johnson. Javier Vazquez. Chad Gaudin. Oh, and please release Marte already. That shitbag is out until at least July after surgery. WTF?!?
Getting rid of Damon and Matsui cost us another trip to the World Series, and bringing in Javy made absolutely zero sense. We need Cliff Lee, but that's not nearly enough.
I'm out on Crawford. The lineup is fine when they hit. They have enough talent in the lineup to also make up for those in a slump. Thames had a great year stepping up to a larger role when the team needed him, but do we honestly see him having another year like this? They should really start grooming Ramiro Pena to take over for Jeter at some point...Pena is excellent with the glove and I think he can improve his hitting. But they still need another utility guy...Kearns and Berkman should go. I agree with you though Alio...down the stretch Wood looked excellent there were moments I thought to myself "How did they let this guy go..." But he has a large price tag and is injury prone too. I really wish they would turn the everyday catching keys over to someone else. Posada's injury rate is going up and he takes a lot longer to recover with the bat now.
I would like to see Cliff Lee in New York but if the Yankees can't get that deal done, I'd like them to make a run at Felix Hernandez, Greinke...Brandon Webb? type pitcher.
Sounds like you have come around to just about everything I have been saying for a year...one mistake though..I think it was Damon and Matsui for Granderson, not Thames. Still not a good move.
Link???????????????????? Edit: Confirmed http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5725982 They are going to try to extend Girardi then decide who the next pitching coach will be.
If not Crawford, then maybe Werth? I don't despise Thames, but he didn't provide the spark Matsui or Damon used to. As for Pena, he'll never be a starter for the Yankees, or maybe any MLB team. He'll never hit well enough. Berkman is almost certainly gone. He was here as a rental but he'll be back in Houston by camp. Kearns is done here I assume. He didn't even sniff the field the past few weeks. Like I said, I'd eat Wood's price tag. If he pans out again, I'd start considering him for the actual closer role. As for Posada, I'm done with seeing him behind the plate. If not for the disgusting striking out looking and then bitching about it I'd probably not be saying anything, but I just can't stand a catcher who bitches about balls/strikes at the plate. You know you're going to want that same call later and now you won't get it. Not fired, just not returning. Cashman said it was a "private matter" and speculation is that it's related to the same thing that he took that leave for earlier this year. It's unfortunate. I like Eiland. I think he did good things with the staff. My pitching issues were more related to mishandling in-game, which is the responsiblity of the manager, not pitching coach. I wonder who the replacement will be. I really hope it's not the pen coach. I was not a fan while he filled in for Eiland.
Any of those guys would have to be traded for. That's messy, and you know that Montero's name will be on every GM's tongue if the Yankees come calling. For King Felix, sure, I'd give Montero, but probably not for anyone else not named Lee or Halladay. As for Greinke, word is the Yankees aren't interested because it's believed he doesn't have the mental makeup to play in NY. If that's the case, I'd rather not go through another Kenny Rogers/Randy Johnson-type situation.
^ I never heard that about Greinke...but after seeing it with countless pitchers, knowing now the validity of the whole "You haven't pitched until you pitch in the Bronx..." I would opt out. But, yeah, a trade for Felix or Webb
They loved Eiland, I would guess based on what Cashman said that this is not necessarily baseball related at all.
Agreed. I bet this has something to do with his unplanned leave of absence this summer. I'm surprised to see so many people bashing Cashman for not resigning Matsui--he really didn't have a great season, and the Yankees needed a free DH spot to give A-Rod, Posada and Swisher occasional rest. As for Girardi, I maintain that he gets a very unfair rep because he's a dick to the media. For example, everybody was ripping him for dropping Pettitte back to game 3 in the ALCS, but now that it's been reported that the move was necessitated by Pettitte's injuries nobody is rushing to issue a mea culpa.
i have to say no way to kerry woods option. he pitched great while he was here but that guy is highly likely to blow up/get injured at any time. If he was smart he'd resign for reasonable money and stay here instead of going after the biggest contract like he did last time with the indians.
Likewise. Damon had a putrid season, and Matsui's definitely declining. Thames had a great year at the plate; I don't think those moves were bad ones.
Whoever the next pitching coach is, I'll be fine with as long as he gets Hughes to quit fucking around with the cutter and really work to make the curveball what it was when he was a prospect. Without it, Hughes is just a middle of the rotation starter. With it, a perennial Cy Young contender. Utley and Howard probably think Marte is a shitbag.
I think the question is, does Matsui have that bad season in NY? If you believe that there is no human element in the game, then sure, it was a better move. Needless to say, I do not subscribe to that school of thought. As for Girardi, the media adores him, at least as far as I can tell. Girardi gets a bad rep from me because he's a terrible in-game manager, just like his predecessor. More specifically, the way he and Torre manage themselves right out of games. EDIT: FTR, I agreed with making Pettitte the third starter. I expected much better from an 18-game winner than Hughes gave. Agreed on all counts. I'm actually curious to know what he was screaming at Eiland about when his night finally ended the other day. I don't know if they showed/mentioned it on the telecast, but Sterling and Waldman were saying he was literally screaming at Eiland in the dugout. As for Marte, when he has pitched, he's generally been okay, and was great in the playoffs last year. That said, Glass Carla pitched okay when he was actually healthy too.
I was kind of shocked to hear about Eiland leaving but I understand he has family issues so I can see why he is leaving. I want Cliff Lee..BADLY, I dont need to go into detail I would love to see if cashman could make a move for Brandon Webb, though I havent heard a lot of encouraging signs about his health. I havent decided if I think we need a pitcher yet. I dont know what the projections are with when Montero is going to be ready to hit bombs in the stadium, but that is a big key if we decide to acquire Adam Dunn this offseason. Most importantly Rivera has to resign, its a given I know but he has to be back.
