2018 Post Mortem

[jacksonianmarch]

It was a heck of a ride and it ended in NY against our rivals. You tip the cap and try to get better. Two things were clear in this series. The sox were better and the Yanks were too young and too vulnerable. Our pitching, led by a solid starter in Severino, didn't show much poise outside of Tanaka's typically brilliant post season start (he has been ridiculous in the playoffs). While Severino is the "ace" of the club, he has had two erratic post seasons with multiple solid starts and multiple utter flops. It is probably a bit of immaturity on his part and partly on the load he has shouldered the last two years. He is only 24 yrs old after all and will likely only get better, but the Yanks needed more from him and I am not sure if it is there when the lights get bright. He needs to take his stuff to the next level in the post season, not shrink down to a #3 or #4 starter. He will get that chance next year. Our vaunted offense was exposed in this one as well. We scored 4 runs in 24.1IP against right handers in this series before Kimbrel made the game interesting. Also, Kimbrel allowed one of those runs earlier as well. Our team is built far too right handed. And in our stadium, that is not conducive to winning. It wasn't meant to be that way. We were supposed to have Bird and Gardner with Hicks and Walker switching hitting. Well, Bird sucked, Gardy lost his job and Walker was a bench bat. We also had lineups that couldn't separate the same sized players. You cannot stack Judge with Stanton or Stanton with Voit. It is the same look, the same angle, the same rotation for the pitcher. With what we had on the squad, we couldn't do that. The kids didn't rise either, with Gleyber hitting mostly infield hits (.308 average but entirely empty) and Andujar going into the tank. I said it from the beginning and I will say it again, the Yanks team was disjointed from day 1. We won 100 games, but with our talent, we should have done more. We added Stanton who ended up being a good hitter, just not what we needed. Rather than a RH boom or bust guy, we need hitters.

 

This is why I am wondering if we even jump into the Machado-Harper sweepstakes. Our lineup is good as it is. We led the majors in homeruns. But we don't have balance and we have too many guys who sit on mistakes and become easy outs for good RH pitchers. We kill lefties, but I am willing to sacrifice some of that for some consistency against right handed pitching. We battled vs Sale, killed Price and dominated ERod in this series. We couldn't hit Nathan Eovaldi or Rick Porcello, which is surprising to say the least.

 

I wonder if a guy like Michael Brantley ends up making the most sense for us. Left handed bat that actually hits the ball. Has some power and can still steal bases. Not a great OFer, but should be a good balanced leadoff hitter who doesn't strike out often at all. He'd be cheaper than Machado or Harper as well, allowing us to plow finances into the rotation and pen. On the rotation front, we need some arms that don't wear down and have playoff experience. I like the idea of Keuchel and Corbin, but I am wondering if we go bigger. I am wondering if we use some of our financial might and still solid minor league system to get a true top of the rotation starter. Maybe make a play for a package of Brandon Belt and Bumgarner as Belt isn't hitting well enough in that park to justify the contract. Maybe we re-engage the Mets on one of their top 2 guys. If we don't go the trade route, we need to get Keuchel or Corbin. CC has to go. Happ is probably right behind him. I liked Happ, but a guy who will get a 3 yr deal at 35 isn't the guy we need, especially when our last memory of him was getting his brains beaten in at Fenway. He is a nice starter to have, not a guy to lead a rotation. If we add Sevy and Tanaka to a penciled in top 5, consider the 5 spot Sheffield's to lose, we will have 2 spots open at the starts of the season. Maybe we get both? Who knows, but additions to the rotation will be necessary and we can afford to use the 5th spot as a Sheffield position as Montgomery will be back after the ASB and could take the spot over again if he struggles.

 

Going to the pen, there will be some turnover. Do the Yanks hold onto Kahnle and try him again? Do the Yankees try to re-up KRob? I don't think there's any chance they pony up for Britton, he is heading for a closers role somewhere. If all guys who are ticketed to depart leave, our pen becomes

 

Chapman

Betances

Holder

Green

Tarpley

Cole

Kahnle

 

Better than most Rivera years, but considerable downgrade from the jump. We do still have guys with fire in their arms in the minors, but have been reticent or unable to use them. This might be the chance

 

Either way, our core is intact. Our rotation has lots of holes. Our pen needs probably a single addition. And the Yanks have tons of cash and prospect capital to play with. Our kids won't be kids next year and Stanton will be in year 2, a historically good season for big time pickups. I see bright things, but I also think it starts in November

[Station 13]

R.I.P in Pieces

[Thunder]

Very down to earth, reasonable post. I agree that Brantley would be a good fit. He could have a similar effect that Pearce has had for us. Not a big name per se, but fits the need perfectly, and really ups your total production. Not sure if Keuchel's style of pitching would be good in New York, however. I do agree that Happ is not what you need long term, and that CC should call it a career while he still has his dignity

[Bellhorn04]

The fans at Yankee Stadium are the best, for booing Severino and Stanton. What a great place to play!

[jacksonianmarch]

The fans at Yankee Stadium are the best, for booing Severino and Stanton. What a great place to play!

 

What should they do when their ace and highest paid player take a dump on the field?

[Slasher9]

yankees fans are animals. and got exactly what they deserved. the Red Sox players and Red Sox fans celebrating in their stadium.

[moonslav59]

When the Yankess advanced last year with such a young team, all we heard was "wait until next year."

 

Now, after you guys added vets like Stanton, Happ, Lynn, Britton, McCutchen, Walker & Drury, we hear you lost because of youth.

 

The truth is Happ, CC & Lynn just are not better than Eovaldi, Porcello & ERod. You thought they were, but they weren't. Severino is not Chris Freakin' Sale, either. Tanaka outpitched Price in the series, but he's sketchy, too.

 

You guys lived and died with the HR, just like Sox teams of old. You added a ton of vet talent during the year, and still came up short.

 

Get the gold clubs out and dust 'em off!

[moonslav59]

What should they do when their ace and highest paid player take a dump on the field?

 

You need more than one "ace", so if one takes a dump, like Price, you have a couple more (like Sale & Porcello) to pick up the slack. I admit, Eovaldi was not expected to do what he did, but it does highlight your weakness against just decent righties.

[jacksonianmarch]

Lol, we definitely added veteran talent during the year, I agree there. We just didn't add enough of it. We still had 5 players in our lineup who were at or below 2 years of service time. We were built far too dependent on the longball. We had a pen for the ages, but they were handed a deficit three times in the series in 4 games. The sox were better. What they did was build equally through pitching and hitting and they added the one piece that was missing in JD. The Yankees were a good hitting team last year and they added to the offense and didn't add pitching in the off season. It led to a scramble for Happ and Lynn and it didn't work out. I think we will be taking an entirely different approach this year with the financial constraints off

[moonslav59]

Lol, we definitely added veteran talent during the year, I agree there. We just didn't add enough of it. We still had 5 players in our lineup who were at or below 2 years of service time. We were built far too dependent on the longball. We had a pen for the ages, but they were handed a deficit three times in the series in 4 games. The sox were better. What they did was build equally through pitching and hitting and they added the one piece that was missing in JD. The Yankees were a good hitting team last year and they added to the offense and didn't add pitching in the off season. It led to a scramble for Happ and Lynn and it didn't work out. I think we will be taking an entirely different approach this year with the financial constraints off

 

One would have thought adding Stanton equalled JD.

 

We "scrambled" and picked up Eovaldi, but apparently Happ was supposed to be better. Lynn did pretty well for you guys compared to what he did earlier in the year. You got Gray at the end of last year, so to say you didn't really address the rotation rings hollow. Severino imploded. He was on pace for the Cy Young at one point, then poof. CC is aging and has been for a while. Maybe his glory days blinded Yankee fans to the obvious steeper-than-you-thought decline.

 

Your pen was spectacular, and I think this is where you guys erred. You bought into the script that to win, you have to duplicate the most recent winning teams, and the new fad is building the strongest pen.

 

Yes, adding Britton helped, but you guys had bigger holes, and the normal way to improve a team is not to upgrade where you are already the strongest, but to improve where you are weakest. Cashman dropped the ball. McCutchen was a nice get. You needed more like him not Britton. (I'm not saying this post mordem. I said it at the time. Getting Britton was a waste.)

 

Also, Boone sucks- plain and simple.

[BillyWilliams]

One would have thought adding Stanton equalled JD.

 

We "scrambled" and picked up Eovaldi, but apparently Happ was supposed to be better. Lynn did pretty well for you guys compared to what he did earlier in the year. You got Gray at the end of last year, so to say you didn't really address the rotation rings hollow. Severino imploded. He was on pace for the Cy Young at one point, then poof. CC is aging and has been for a while. Maybe his glory days blinded Yankee fans to the obvious steeper-than-you-thought decline.

 

Your pen was spectacular, and I think this is where you guys erred. You bought into the script that to win, you have to duplicate the most recent winning teams, and the new fad is building the strongest pen.

 

Yes, adding Britton helped, but you guys had bigger holes, and the normal way to improve a team is not to upgrade where you are already the strongest, but to improve where you are weakest. Cashman dropped the ball. McCutchen was a nice get. You needed more like him not Britton. (I'm not saying this post mordem. I said it at the time. Getting Britton was a waste.)

 

Also, Boone sucks- plain and simple.

 

We needed 2 starters and a decent bat, that could be had for around $50M.

 

Or pretty much the difference between the 2 clubs payrolls ..............

[BillyWilliams]

When the Yankess advanced last year with such a young team, all we heard was "wait until next year."

 

Now, after you guys added vets like Stanton, Happ, Lynn, Britton, McCutchen, Walker & Drury, we hear you lost because of youth.

 

The truth is Happ, CC & Lynn just are not better than Eovaldi, Porcello & ERod. You thought they were, but they weren't. Severino is not Chris Freakin' Sale, either. Tanaka outpitched Price in the series, but he's sketchy, too.

 

You guys lived and died with the HR, just like Sox teams of old. You added a ton of vet talent during the year, and still came up short.

 

Get the gold clubs out and dust 'em off!

 

We'll save a tee time for you.........

[bkzwhitestrican]

I could pretend to be gracious but I'm not. As Lombardi said, show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser. To get shutdown by two mediocre starters at home in the biggest spot of the year is a disaster. I'm gonna be hearing s*** from all my Sawx friends and co-workers for at least another year. f*** this. Boston played better and deserved to win based on how they played, that's all the praise I'll give. That said, all I can hope for now is that the Astros (a team I very much dislike) pummel them into the ground so at least all these Sam Adams breathing yokels can feel a modicum of my despair.

 

/end rant

[Bellhorn04]

We needed 2 starters and a decent bat, that could be had for around $50M.

 

Or pretty much the difference between the 2 clubs payrolls ..............

 

We had some dead money on the payroll and you had some good young cheap talent that won't stay that way long. It's just baseball economics and it's just temporary.

 

It is pretty funny for a Yankee fan to play the payroll card though.

[mvp 78]

Great offense. Great bullpen. That rotation f***ing sucks though. Not impressive for what it should be.

[moonslav59]

We needed 2 starters and a decent bat, that could be had for around $50M.

 

Or pretty much the difference between the 2 clubs payrolls ..............

 

You guys went farther than us last year and added a lot of vet talent. You Yankee fans seemed awfully confident just 3 days ago. Now, you speak like you were doomed from the start.

 

[moonslav59]

We'll save a tee time for you.........

 

Golf is for sissies and Yankee fans, oh I forgot, they're the same thing!

[moonslav59]

We had some dead money on the payroll and you had some good young cheap talent that won't stay that way long. It's just baseball economics and it's just temporary.

 

It is pretty funny for a Yankee fan to play the payroll card though.

 

True, Pablo and HRam were just about the whole difference.

[jacksonianmarch]

Eovaldi was coming in as your 5th starter. By the time we got Happ, Tanaka had just gotten off the DL, CC had started his slide and Sevy had just started getting eviscerated while also having a big hole in the 5 spot with German falling off and Loaisiga getting hurt. Happ was our ace down the stretch.

 

In terms of adding to the pen, Girardi would have been a better manager than Boone in the playoffs (hard to say that). There was one thing Girardi was not afraid of, and that was going to his pen. Boone went to his early, but not early enough in an elimination game. You don't let CC hang a 3 spot in the third. Girardi would have pulled him with 2 on and no outs with JD up. Maybe we get out of it, maybe we don't, but don't leave the season on the line with a pusballing, overweight and over the hill starter facing one of the best hitters in all of baseball. Use your advantage. Game 1 was out of hand from the jump, so I don't bemoan his managing there. Game 3, his use of Lynn was downright criminal. We likely don't win that game anyway, but don't allow it to be a laugher. Yesterday, he should have had the pen warming from the first inning on. When you have Green, Britton, Betances, Holder, Chapman and Robertson and your back is against the wall, you use them.

[Bellhorn04]

Boone is getting eviscerated on the NYY Fan Forum.

[jacksonianmarch]

We had some dead money on the payroll and you had some good young cheap talent that won't stay that way long. It's just baseball economics and it's just temporary.

 

It is pretty funny for a Yankee fan to play the payroll card though.

 

The difference this year was the Yankees were CLEARLY trying to stay below the limit. We had a cap on how good we could be because of that fact alone. The gloves come off this off-season.

[jacksonianmarch]

Boone is getting eviscerated on the NYY Fan Forum.

 

he should be

[Bellhorn04]

The difference this year was the Yankees were CLEARLY trying to stay below the limit. We had a cap on how good we could be because of that fact alone. The gloves come off this off-season.

 

Hopefully you sign Machado and Harper. You guys need more home run hitters.

[jacksonianmarch]

Hopefully you sign Machado and Harper. You guys need more home run hitters.

 

After seeing how Porcello and Eovaldi exposed our weakness, I am okay with Harper but am not in the camp of adding Machado. I would rather Brantley and then go for broke in the rotation. Our lineup got far too unbalanced in the wrong way. We should have lefties up and down this lineup for our park. Instead, we have righties galore and the only lefty worth his salt is only a power hitter because of the stadium (Didi). We need more lefty talent

[moonslav59]

Eovaldi was coming in as your 5th starter. By the time we got Happ, Tanaka had just gotten off the DL, CC had started his slide and Sevy had just started getting eviscerated while also having a big hole in the 5 spot with German falling off and Loaisiga getting hurt. Happ was our ace down the stretch.

 

In terms of adding to the pen, Girardi would have been a better manager than Boone in the playoffs (hard to say that). There was one thing Girardi was not afraid of, and that was going to his pen. Boone went to his early, but not early enough in an elimination game. You don't let CC hang a 3 spot in the third. Girardi would have pulled him with 2 on and no outs with JD up. Maybe we get out of it, maybe we don't, but don't leave the season on the line with a pusballing, overweight and over the hill starter facing one of the best hitters in all of baseball. Use your advantage. Game 1 was out of hand from the jump, so I don't bemoan his managing there. Game 3, his use of Lynn was downright criminal. We likely don't win that game anyway, but don't allow it to be a laugher. Yesterday, he should have had the pen warming from the first inning on. When you have Green, Britton, Betances, Holder, Chapman and Robertson and your back is against the wall, you use them.

 

CC's decline started in 2013 not mid season. This highlight's the blind spot Cashman, Boone and Yankee fans had for their former hero. His WHIP has been over 1.314 every year from 2013-2018, except one, when it was 1.27 last year.

 

Severino fell apart. That was unforeseen, but nothing else was. Weak starting pitching, at least when compared to other playoff teams, is never a good strategy.

 

[Slasher9]

We'll save a tee time for you.........

 

lol. another pre-2004 Red Sox fan mantra.

too funny.

[jacksonianmarch]

Well, you must also remember that Gray was an ace in Oakland and wasn't terrible last year in limited time with us. We also had Montgomery in the original rotation this year. Our rotation coming into the season had CC as the #5, which he is more than capable of being, especially at his price and duration. With the shackles off, I expect more wheeling and dealing this year. Our rotation will look vastly different.

[moonslav59]

After seeing how Porcello and Eovaldi exposed our weakness, I am okay with Harper but am not in the camp of adding Machado. I would rather Brantley and then go for broke in the rotation. Our lineup got far too unbalanced in the wrong way. We should have lefties up and down this lineup for our park. Instead, we have righties galore and the only lefty worth his salt is only a power hitter because of the stadium (Didi). We need more lefty talent

 

Agreed, teams like the Sox went out and stacked their rotations with lefties, so we could beat teams like the Yanks. You guys overcompensated with your adjustment.

 

You need a lefty (or two) who gets on base 40% of the time. You don't need more power.

 

You need an ace (or two).

 

You need to replace (or re-sign) some of the vet role players you may lose to free agency.

 

Your new budget should allow you to get that without trading anyone away.

[Slasher9]

We needed 2 starters and a decent bat, that could be had for around $50M.

 

Or pretty much the difference between the 2 clubs payrolls ..............

 

hahahahaha. another pre-2004 Red Sox fan comment.

Red Sox: Hammer

Yankees: Nail

[Slasher9]

I could pretend to be gracious but I'm not. As Lombardi said, show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser. To get shutdown by two mediocre starters at home in the biggest spot of the year is a disaster. I'm gonna be hearing s*** from all my Sawx friends and co-workers for at least another year. f*** this. Boston played better and deserved to win based on how they played, that's all the praise I'll give. That said, all I can hope for now is that the Astros (a team I very much dislike) pummel them into the ground so at least all these Sam Adams breathing yokels can feel a modicum of my despair.

 

/end rant

 

honest post. respect.