Yankees Update: Things Have Been Better
Things are not good in the Bronx right now. I’ve been putting off admitting it for as long as I could, but the time has come. This Yankee team can’t win a World Series this year. There is just no way that with these guys, we make the playoffs and have any sort of run. However, the beauty of being a Yankees fan, with just a few moves we can.
A month ago I would have said our biggest issue is going to be the injured pitchers, but it turns out our real issue is that we can’t hit our way out of a wet paper bag right now. Our big free agents aren’t delivering and Tex can’t stay healthy enough to keep his hot streak going. Above all, our biggest problem is Soriano right now. Without a home run since May 17th, Alfonso struck out 35% of the time in May. These are numbers that just can’t be in an MLB lineup everyday. It doesn’t matter if you’re the Yankees or the Astros, you can’t have a 38 year old in your lineup with those numbers. We need Beltran fully back and Soriano to the bench, if not off this team. He played great last year but this team can’t waste at bats on him “figuring it out.”
The other big move we need with this lineup, is for Jeter to step up and be a real captain. Unfortunately, he needs to go to Girardi and give his blessing to be moved down in the lineup. If Joe is going to say “I’m not here to manage and farewell tour”, there is no better time to prove that. It sucks, because we all love Jeter, but the last thing this team needs batting second is a .260 ground ball machine. Who knows, maybe moving down will help relax him.
Lastly, our pitching hasn’t been that terrible. A few nights ago is a prime example of Kuroda pitching a good game and the bullpen blowing the save, but you can’t put that on Betances. You can’t even put it on Warren for giving up all of those runs in extra innings. This rests solely on the offense again, because you need to score more than 2 runs in that game. With the way our rotation is set right now, we have young guys giving us 5 or 6 innings and a chance to win, but they aren’t all Tanaka and need more support.
Other Yankee Shit
– Trading Betances is not the right move in my opinion. He has been solid for us and is a native New Yorker, which makes for a great story that could play out over the next few years. If it were to get us a Samardzija I can see having the conversation but you are losing a guy who has been dominant 3-4 times a week for a guy who is dominant once a week, and you still don’t have the bats to get Samardzija wins.
– Robertson is our closer. That’s it plain and simple, and people calling for his head already to be replaced by Betances are fools. Yes he has blown 2 games recently, but that is something that happens. Mariano used to do the same thing every year. People would wonder if he was done and question his ability but he always got his 40 saves.
– Look to see the Yankees opening their wallets and the farm system very soon. With this being Jeter’s last year, they want to win and they want to make sure he gets a shot at a title. What gaps we fill with trades will develop over the next 2 weeks are we know more about Beltran, Tex, Pineda and CC.
-Tanaka is the man. I wish there was a more poetic way to describe him, but he is the only reliable player we have right now. No matter how often he gives up a first inning home run, I never worry about him not figuring it out and getting the win. I look for him to start the ASG.
– June 21st the Orioles are coming to town and myself, Charlie Wisco and a bunch of Stoolies will be in attendance and at Stan’s before the game. I am working on some official Barstool events, but we will be there that day, drinking, and so should you.