Fixing the Yankees

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Another loss dropped the Yankees to 37-37 on the season, a .500 record. Every team is average once in awhile, but for a team with a $200 Million payroll, an average season is an embarassment. Yankee fans want success, and to that end change may be necessary. So what can be done to fix this beleaguered franchise?

 

Many fans assume a problem with the Yankees is their offense. Surely Jason Giambi taking at bats and eating millions is a serious problem. While it is a problem, the Yankees have far worse issues than Giambi. Right now the Yankees rate second in the league in runs scored and twelveth in runs allowed. They are scoring enough runs to win. Jason Giambi has raised his average to .254, and his OBP is nearly .400. I am not so much of an OBP that I will deny Giambi is a problem player despite the OBP, but the point is a team can live with it for now.

 

The major problem with the offense is Tony Womack. Womack is playing what is traditionally a power hitter's position, hitting .240/.275/.264 in the process. Believe me, there are dozens of inexpensive corner outfielders who could hit better, and a few of them play in Columbus, the Yankees' AAA farm affiliate. Mitch Jones would hit .230 and strikeout maybe 175 times in a full season, but he would slug at least .450, more than Womack is contributing.

 

The big problem is the Yankees' pitching staff. Kevin Brown and Jaret Wright hit the disabled list, and Carl Pavano has been less than advertised. This came as a complete shock to everyone except those of us who read Baseball Prospectus. Sean Henn has bombed in the rotation and it is time to give another pitcher a shot. It is time the Yankees gave Alex Graman another shot. Graman is posting a fine strikeout rate at AAA Columbus, and he's a lefty as well. Is he the answer? I doubt it, but you never know, and it could not be worse than trotting out Sean Henn for another start.

 

The bullpen has struggled outside of Mariano Rivera, Tom Gordon and Tanyon Sturtze. The Yankees have an excellent minor league pitcher in their system named Colter Bean. Bean sports an amazing 11.5 K/9 ratio. Will those numbers translate to the majors? Having watched Bean live, I figure if Chad Bradford made it, there is no reason Colter Bean can not do so as well. Minor league hurler Wayne Franklin, a lefty, has pitched well in Columbus, and also deserves a fair shot.

 

The big problem with the Yankees is their defense. They lack a center fielder with range. Hideki Matsui is adequate, but when your left fielder is unfamiliar with his position, it makes for some long nights. Plus, Miracle Fielding Boy's defense is inadequate, Robinson Cano's defense was questionable through the minors, and Alex Rodriguez has lost a step at third base. The Yankees should explore adding a defensive player to their lineup at the expense of offense.

 

If I could do ONE thing to improve the Yankees (assuming I wanted to), I would trade for a good defensive center fielder. This would improve the defense and in turn the pitching, and allow Hideki Matsui to move back to left (benching Tony Womack in the process). Any other move the Yankees can make from within, but they MUST find a defensive player for center if they hope to make a run for the pennant.

[snuffbox 0]

They'll just spend 300 million next year

[devo 0]

If I could do ONE thing to improve the Yankees (assuming I wanted to), I would trade for a good defensive center fielder. This would improve the defense and in turn the pitching, and allow Hideki Matsui to move back to left (benching Tony Womack in the process). Any other move the Yankees can make from within, but they MUST find a defensive player for center if they hope to make a run for the pennant.

 

My dad keeps saying that the Yankees made a huge mistake in not signing Carlos Beltran, and I'm beginning to think he's right. An outfield of Matsui/Belran/Williams in the Bronx wouldn't be bad at all (though Bernie's been looking pretty pathetic recently).

 

As it is, I've been hearing rumblings that the Mets are going to trade Cameron. If they do, the Yankees would be retarded to not pounce on him. He's having a career year and would probably love the chance to play center fielder again.

 

'Course I'd be vehemently opposed to that move, but there's not much I can do about it. =)

[Brett Favre 0]

Mark Kotsay. We're going to get him. Probably overpay.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I believe that the Yankees can turn it around, but it won't happen this year. It just seems to me that this year's team is the kind of team that's real patchwork, as evident with them plugging Womack in the OF. That is obviously a problem, but the most glaring flaw with the Yankees will be with the pitching and defense. The pitching, as you guys have pointed out, isn't very strong, and in conjecture with a weak defense, this just spells disaster. On one hand it's amusing to see the Yankees not do well, on the other, it's getting to the point where watching them is pitiful. This is a team that has made the playoffs every year for a long while, and all of sudden they're in danger of missing out. What the Yankees should do is try to trade away Pavano and Henn for one serviceable starter, call up Graman as Al said, and see how that kind of rotation works. Randy Johnson is still too valuable to the club to just give up on. Granted he is probably going to keep declining but you're still guaranteed at least 10 wins with him, if not more. They also need to remove Womack and plug in a guy from AAA or find some way to move around guys. This is probably a good time for them to do so, because the current set isn't working.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

The big problem with the Yankees is their defense.

 

The Yankees should explore adding a defensive player to their lineup at the expense of offense.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I believe they already have. Except he isn't playing as much as he should be.

 

[Brett Favre 0]

He has some foot injury. Also Matsui isn't playing the outfield because he's hurt too.

[Precious Roy 0]

They just need to do what I did in OOTP6: Trade Pavano and Wright for Pedro, Giambi for Vlad Guerrero, Womack and cash for Lyle Overbay, and combinations of pitching prospects, OF prospects and cash for Carl Crawford, BJ Ryan and Brett Myers respectively. It's billed as the most realistic baseball simulation on the market, so I have no doubt Cashman can pull off most of those moves.

 

Seriously though, one player doesn't turn things around. I won't give up on this team unless we're eliminated by math, but on the other hand I haven't seen a whole lot to make me believe we can win a championship this season. Defense is full of holes and mental mistakes, pitching is inconsistent or just down right awful at times, and the offense puts up runs in bunches or not at all. The fact that we're #2 in runs and 12th in runs allowed doesn't really surprise me, we win games 8-3 and lose them 5-2. I'd rather see us put a great team on the field in 2007, 2008, 2009 then mortgage our future right now for a team that hasn't given us any real reason to believe in them. I won't advocate giving up much of anything for short-term help unless it's a guy who's reasonably young and can help us for a couple years, though I'll gladly show Sean Henn the door at this point.

[snuffbox 0]

Im not so sure the Brewers are still a farm-system for NY/Boston/Chi/LA, the new owner seems commited. But Lyle Overbay might be expendable with the recent successes of Bill Hall, Richie Weeks, and Prince Fielder.

[Precious Roy 0]

Oh, Overbay is good as gone once they're ready to bring up Fielder full-time, but I read something where their GM said he would hold him til the offseason, because he feels the market for hitters is much stronger then.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Yankees need to also give Colter Bean a shot at being a starter.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Pedro is doing great for the Mets right now, he won't move an inch. I'd worry that he'd fold under pressure in pinstripes too. If he couldn't handle losing to them, he's not going to handle losing with them either.

 

Guerrero is too important to the Angels, Moreno would be crazy to get rid of Vlad for Jason Giambi. This is the team that is likely going to repeat in the AL West unless the Rangers pull off an upset.

 

You could get Overbay from Milwaukee, since he's all but gone at the end of the year to make room for Prince Fielder. However, he's doing well for himself now, Prince still looks rough around the edges, and it seems like the Brewers are committed to their best finish in years. Then again, I said that before last year's All-Star Break, and suddenly the team fell apart. It was weird. I could see this trade, though.

 

But like you said, I think the best idea is to write off 2005 and concentrate on building for 2006 and beyond. If they're way out of it at the deadline, the guys at the ends of their contracts should go. I bet Gary Sheffield could be of help to the Braves again, who are teeming with rookies that aren't ready for the majors just yet.

[Precious Roy 0]

The FIRST thing we need to do is cut Steinbrenner's Tampa yes men out of the loop and give full confidence to Cashman and Michaels.

 

I still can't believe we didn't go after Beltran when EVERYONE knew we needed a CF, and it was the Tampa "braintrust" that were behind that.

 

I like the idea of Matsui waiving his no trade clause, getting moved for prospects, and then resigning with NY in the off-season. Entirely unrealistic, but it's time to get creative...

[The Czech Republic 0]

Who are these Tampa yes-men? I'm unclear as to how the Yankees are run. I thought Cashman was the GM, who was then just overridden by Steinbrenner all the time.

[Precious Roy 0]

Who are these Tampa yes-men? I'm unclear as to how the Yankees are run. I thought Cashman was the GM, who was then just overridden by Steinbrenner all the time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

More or less. Steinbrenner lives in Tampa during the off-season, he has a team of "consultants" and scouts there who's opinion he measures against that of Cashman and former GM/current consultant Gene Michaels. They're basically two warring factions trying to get Steinbrenner's ear, and Steinbrenner almost always sides with the opinions of the Tampa group, likely because they're better at feeding his ego. Cashman is the GM in title only, because he really has little control over the team. If the NY sports press is to be believed they were the ones who sold Steinbrenner on going after Sheff rather than Vlad Guerrero (George liked the fact that Sheff was a Tampa native and related to Doc Gooden), advocated the signing of Wright, and nixed going after Beltran. It's also the Tampa group that favors drafting low ceiling college prospects over high schoolers, because they know George likes it when his minor league teams win their leagues rather than take risks developing really young players.

 

The whole thing is a mess that has greatly contributed to the post-2001 downfall of this organization

[The Czech Republic 0]

Yeah, but Billy Beane favors college players over high schoolers and he's lauded as a genius.

 

As for Guerrero over Sheffield, he would've been helpful, yes, but it's hard to call Gary Sheffield a flop. Wasn't he a contender for the AL MVP? Or did Anglesault just make it seem that way? Either way, I'd say Sheff was a big part of getting the Yankees to the ALCS, and though older, is still a good player. You could pawn him off for helpful prospects at the deadline.

[Precious Roy 0]

I'm not calling Sheff a flop by any stretch, he's been great, but he's 7 years older than Vlad

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Sheffield finished second to Guerrero in MVP voting last year. He is currently on year 2 of a 3 year deal, I don't see a team taking him without the Yanks paying a considerable ammount of what is left on the deal.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I thought Sheffield was on the last year of his contract, like Matsui, Brown, and Williams. Brown is damaged goods, Bernie is a Yankee-4-Life, so Matsui is all they can really unload then, I suppose.

[UZI Suicide 0]

They just need to do what I did in OOTP6:  Trade Pavano and Wright for Pedro, Giambi for Vlad Guerrero, Womack and cash for Lyle Overbay, and combinations of pitching prospects, OF prospects and cash for Carl Crawford, BJ Ryan and Brett Myers respectively.  It's billed as the most realistic baseball simulation on the market, so I have no doubt Cashman can pull off most of those moves.

 

Seriously though, one player doesn't turn things around.  I won't give up on this team unless we're eliminated by math, but on the other hand I haven't seen a whole lot to make me believe we can win a championship this season.  Defense is full of holes and mental mistakes, pitching is inconsistent or just down right awful at times, and the offense puts up runs in bunches or not at all.  The fact that we're #2 in runs and 12th in runs allowed doesn't really surprise me, we win games 8-3 and lose them 5-2.  I'd rather see us put a great team on the field in 2007, 2008, 2009 then mortgage our future right now for a team that hasn't given us any real reason to believe in them.  I won't advocate giving up much of anything for short-term help unless it's a guy who's reasonably young and can help us for a couple years, though I'll gladly show Sean Henn the door at this point.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

how is that game? I've actually never played any OOTP games. And is it free?

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

As far as I know, it was a 3-year/$30 something mil contract signed for the 2004 season.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I'm sure you're right, as you'd know more about the Yankees than I would. I think he was just lumped in as being someone who could go at the deadline, so I figured he was only under a two-year deal.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Just look at how well Lofton has done for Philly. Could've solved the OF problem right there.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I thought Lofton was the Womack of '04.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

He was pretty much a bench player/pinch runner type, had they kept him around for his 2 year contract, he would have fit in rather nicely this season. The reliever the Yanks got in return has been down with an injury since like April.

[Precious Roy 0]

Lofton never even got a chance to be the Womack of that team. Womack was playing every single day until recently, Lofton was lucky to get 2 or 3 starts a week.

 

how is that game? I've actually never played any OOTP games. And is it free?

 

1) It's a lot of fun if you're into franchise mode/simulation/career building type stuff. Very in depth, and a lot of stuff to tool around with. The actual manager mode in-game sims are good, though I wish they were a little more hands on. You can download a historical database and play from any point in baseball history. So if you want to begin with say, the 1918 Red Sox, and avoid the curse all the way to 2005, you could do that, or any other scenario from baseball history you can imagine. For example, I did a Yankees sim begining in 1987, the first year I can remember really being a baseball fan, traded for Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds in their rookie years, and proceeded to watch both of them set insane, 800+ career HR records and waltz into the hall of fame.

 

2) It's not free, but it's not too expensive either. I'm not sure what it costs now, but I purchased it when they had a sale going and I think it was $20 or something like that. I've definitely got my money's worth with all the hours I've spent messing around with it.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

He basically bitched about playing time until they shipped him out, since he assumed he would be starting over Bernie everyday.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Yeah, but Billy Beane favors college players over high schoolers and he's lauded as a genius.

 

The Yankees problem wasn't drafting college players. Honestly, I have never heard anything about their drafting strategy. The reason the draft works for Oakland and does not for the Yankees is because Oakland stocks up on compensation draft picks received for departed free agents, while the Yankees frequently lose draft picks to sign free agents. That gives the Yankees no room for error when it comes to the draft.

[megaadvice 0]

So you want a centre fielder look no further than the hitting machine that is Grady Sizemore

[the max 0]

I'm sure the Indians will give him up!