Tanaka is a Yankee!

[Spudboy]

I have been reading this and other related threads with considerable interest.

 

One thing I have not seen discussed in detail is what the Yankees are likely to do before the start of the season. If I'm Cashman, I am very busy trying to shore up the infield, find bullpen help, and find a reserve outfielder. Yes, it is true that the Yankees had "an all-star team" on the DL. However, none of those players were really performing at an all-star level before they went down.

 

Expecting them to all produce as in their glory years is a wet dream.

 

Cashman is no dummy and he has a huge budget. It will be interesting to see what he does before April.

[rjortiz]

I have been reading this and other related threads with considerable interest.

 

One thing I have not seen discussed in detail is what the Yankees are likely to do before the start of the season. If I'm Cashman, I am very busy trying to shore up the infield, find bullpen help, and find a reserve outfielder. Yes, it is true that the Yankees had "an all-star team" on the DL. However, none of those players were really performing at an all-star level before they went down.

 

Expecting them to all produce as in their glory years is a wet dream.

 

Cashman is no dummy and he has a huge budget. It will be interesting to see what he does before April.

 

I think even the Yankees have a limit, and I think they're over $200 million with Tanaka. I'm curious how much more money they have available. I'm not too worried about it, because they're aren't any options to be had. The only one I can think of is Stephen Drew, and he still wouldn't make them favorites in the East. The other alternative is to make some trades, but that won't happen. That farm system is atrocious.

 

It's going to be hilarious when the 35 and ups on the roster show their age, and either Ellsbury or McCann goes down. They'll be fighting to stay out of the cellar. They spend a lot of money this offseason, but they've built one of the riskiest teams in MLB.

Edited January 22, 2014 by rjortiz

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Jeter and Teixeira are scrubs? This is news to me.

 

Jeter is done. Will have a blast watching him f***ing suck this year.

 

please what? We won 86 games a yr ago with an all star team on the DL. We've got them back plus added a ton of talent. We're gonna be hard to beat.

 

Tanaka a number 4, I mean really? Ohhhhhh you got Pineda back I'm so scared! You are always trying to scream "fear us" when you have so many what ifs. You don't know how half of your players will perform. Reading all your posts last year are freaking hilarious. I watched you backtrack the closer we got to the end of the season. I expect the same this year and you will eat a big plate of s***. Your team is old and you will have some serious problems down the road.

[rjortiz]

Why does he keep touting the 86 wins? It was actually 85 wins, and they allowed more runs then they scored. That's a better indicator of their talent level, which was around 79 wins. Also, who are these stars he's talking about? Jeter, Rodriguez, Teixeira, Granderson, and Nova? None of them are even close to all-stars. Teixeira and Jeter were complete negatives when they tried to play. Rodriguez and Granderson were somewhat useful, but they're gone. Nova is good, but he's not a star. I'll tell you who is a star. Robinson Cano. Where does he play now?

[Spudboy]

Everything you said is true. This is why I wonder what Cashman will do. I don't care about the Yankees being over the cap because they have never worried about it.

 

Cashman will do something. He has to. No one ( in the Yankee's nation )will be willing to tolerate another year like '13 for the Yankees

[a700hitter]

Everything you said is true. This is why I wonder what Cashman will do. I don't care about the Yankees being over the cap because they have never worried about it.

 

Cashman will do something. He has to. No one ( in the Yankee's nation )will be willing to tolerate another year like '13 for the Yankees

I don't understand the Sox fans who take glee in the Yankees overpaying for a player. It doesn't stop themfrom spending and they still got the player.

[Behindenemylines]

Irabu 2.0 be better

 

$pankees and budget, what a joke! This is why I hate them, and they can't loss enough as far as I'm concern. They can make one bad roster decision after another and they just buy their way out of those. They will pay ARod a %&it load of $$$$$$$ to go away and that is their way of dealing with a bad signing. I knew all along that the 189 million budget was a bunch of crap. A Sox championship means that the $pankees throw a ton of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ at any FA that is breathing during the following winter. We can only hope that they paid ace money for Irabu 2.0!

[VA Sox Fan]

Please let this be Dice-K part 2.

 

^ This!! Better NYY than us.

 

Let him burn the NYY like Dice-K did the Red Sox. Over paid, under achiever.

 

jacko, I can't believe you're so excited about this. LMAO!

[Bellhorn04]

None of us have a clue how Tanaka's stuff will translate to MLB.

[User Name]

And neither do scouts really. I still remember reading with my grandpa (when i was just learning English as my second language mind you), the rave reviews on Hideki Irabu.

 

Look at the reports, and you'll see that they're all over the place: Ace, #2, question mark, ticking time bomb are all used to describe Tanaka within the first page of a google search. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Thunder]

I'm just going to hope and pray the Tanaka turns out to be the next Dice-K.

 

I have a feeling. A good feeling. He is not going to do well in the US. Correct me if you actually look it up, but from what I've seen, around 1 out of every 5 Japanese pitchers who come over here have maintained success. Tanaka may have a good rookie year, as hitters try to figure him out, but it will get increasingly harder to be a constant force on the mound. I still think that Darvish will fall at some point. Investing in Japanese pitchers is too much of a risk to get involved in. The Yankees certainly have the wallet to get screwed on this one, and they had to take the chance to try and improve their pitching staff. Although, one thing that will help Tanaka is having Kuroda on the team. Kuroda provides the veteran presence, who can certainly relate, coming from Japan to a big market himself in LA, and speaks fluent Japanese, presumably one of the few in the clubhouse. Kuroda should serve as Tanaka's personal pitching coach in a sense, but that won't necessarily translate to good things.

 

 

Now that that's over, how's everyone been?

[VA Sox Fan]

I'm just going to hope and pray the Tanaka turns out to be the next Dice-K.

 

I have a feeling. A good feeling. He is not going to do well in the US. Correct me if you actually look it up, but from what I've seen, around 1 out of every 5 Japanese pitchers who come over here have maintained success. Tanaka may have a good rookie year, as hitters try to figure him out, but it will get increasingly harder to be a constant force on the mound. I still think that Darvish will fall at some point. Investing in Japanese pitchers is too much of a risk to get involved in. The Yankees certainly have the wallet to get screwed on this one, and they had to take the chance to try and improve their pitching staff. Although, one thing that will help Tanaka is having Kuroda on the team. Kuroda provides the veteran presence, who can certainly relate, coming from Japan to a big market himself in LA, and speaks fluent Japanese, presumably one of the few in the clubhouse. Kuroda should serve as Tanaka's personal pitching coach in a sense, but that won't necessarily translate to good things.

 

 

Now that that's over, how's everyone been?

 

Good and you?

 

Hate Winter, cold weather and no baseball.

[Thunder]

Good and you?

 

Hate Winter, cold weather and no baseball.

 

Well, it's exam week in school, had a snow day today, and have been really busy. The extreme cold has me yearning for summer and baseball, which will bring me closer and closer to the magical age of 16.

[NativeBostonian]

Meanwhile, the Red Sox are making smart signings. They just signed Grady Sizemore for one year six million.

[Thunder]

Meanwhile, the Red Sox are making smart signings. They just signed Grady Sizemore for one year six million.

 

I like the signing. I'm not ready for JBJ to be the everyday CF yet. Sox learned last year that one year contracts with sketchy players could pay big dividends.

[NativeBostonian]

Me too. I think it is smart to have a plan B. Just incase JBJ doesn't work.

[User Name]

I'm more than ready for JBJ to be the everyday CF, because that would mean he's tearing it up. I think y'all mean you're not ready to hand him the keys without a backup plan, which sounds a lot more reasonable.

[yankees228]

Jim Bowden threw out Dan Haren as the best comp for Tanaka, which seems reasonable (although I acknowledge that he has question marks). If that's what Tanaka turns out to be, then he'll definitely be the top pitcher on the staff next year. Certainly not the number four.

[NativeBostonian]

I'm more than ready for JBJ to be the everyday CF, because that would mean he's tearing it up. I think y'all mean you're not ready to hand him the keys without a backup plan, which sounds a lot more reasonable.

 

That's what I was thinking. I just don't like handing the keys to center-field without a backup. Last year, makes me nervous. He started out very strong. But, he kinda faded after a while. I do like his potential though.

[seabeachfred]

Me too. I think it is smart to have a plan B. Just incase JBJ doesn't work.

 

I have some mixed feelings about this signing. It tells me that no matter what the Red Sox brass has said they are not quite sure if Jackie Bradley will fill the bill offensively in center field for us and they are hedging their bets by signing Grady Sizemore. It could be just that or it could be that for all the talk about their prospects they still get cold feet when facing reality on this score. I think the stuff over Stephen Drew and the fear that Will Middlebrooks will crater is another example of this. OTOH, while Sizemore has been a MASH unit the past two seasons he was one of the best outfielders in the American League for a number of years and is still only 31 and could be a big help to us if he can still play well. I want to look at it as a win-win but since I am dead set against resigning Drew for that same reason I am a little suspicious about the plans the Red Sox have for JBjr.

[User Name]

I am flabbergasted at the logical leaps of faith inherent to fred's thought process.

[Bellhorn04]

It's probably worth pointing out that since Tanaka is the guy that puts the Yankees over the tax threshold, and their tax rate is 50%, he is effectively going to cost them about 33 million this year, and that doesn't factor in the revenue-sharing-disqualification thingamajig. Here is a link to their payroll figures, which don't include about 11 million in player benefits that also counts toward tax.

 

http://mlbreports.com/2014/01/22/tanaka-pay/

[User Name]

But remember, per SoxSport, they are making unlimited money off of YES network!

[iortiz]

Unlimited? no, but plenty of it to keep spending.

[Thunder]

That's what I was thinking. I just don't like handing the keys to center-field without a backup. Last year, makes me nervous. He started out very strong. But, he kinda faded after a while. I do like his potential though.

 

I would even consider trading him in July in exchange for a player at a spot that we really need. Curious to see how he will develop over the course of the season. Worst case scenario is having Victorino in CF, Nava in RF, and Gomes in LF, with Sizemore off the bench. I would take that anyday.

[Bellhorn04]

Well, in a way it's reassuring that the Yankees are back to their old 200 million+ payroll selves.

[Palodios]

Well, in a way it's reassuring that the Yankees are back to their old 200 million+ payroll selves.

 

Err, what?

[User Name]

I would even consider trading him in July in exchange for a player at a spot that we really need. Curious to see how he will develop over the course of the season. Worst case scenario is having Victorino in CF, Nava in RF, and Gomes in LF, with Sizemore off the bench. I would take that anyday.

 

Are you talking about trading JBJ?

[Bellhorn04]

Err, what?

 

Half-joking, but they just wouldn't be the same Yankees if they were serious about this 'under the tax threshold' nonsense.

 

And next year they'll have that little A-Rod expenditure back on the books.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Pretty sure he'll be our #2, or #3 behind Kuroda, scouts have said he may have the best splitter in baseball.

 

Scouts also raved about Dice-K having some magical pitch that could both strike out batters and cure cancer. All of the hype surrounding his coming to Boston was like the second coming of Jesus Christ. We all know how that turned out. I've seen this story before, and it ends with a minor league deal in Cleveland. How's Hideki Irabu doing? Or Hideo Nomo? Or Dice-K? Or Kaz Matsui? Kurt Suzuki? Akinori Iwamura? It's possible that Tanaka will end up being as great as everyone seems to think he will, but the weight of Japanese star's history is stacked against him. I'm not guaranteeing that he will tank, but temper your hilarious expectations of glory with reason. The Yankees are tossing one of the most inept defensive lineups I've ever seen out on the field in 2014, backing up a pitching staff full of guys who have either A: Never pitched a season in the major leagues, B: Faded quickly down the stretch last season, or C: Gained enough weight to qualify for their own seat on the United Nations council.