Yankees 2021-2022 Offseason Thread

[jacksonianmarch]

Lot to unwind here. I needed a good long workout to get the stink of last night out of me. This was an underachieving team built as a 3 true outcome offense that can easily be shut down by good pitching. We were .500 at the ASB and barely won the season series vs one of the worst teams in history in the Orioles. We couldnt win the season series vs the sox, jays, or rays, which might be the first time in history we lost the season series to all three of those teams in one season.

 

That being said, going on the run we did post ASB and the moves made by Cashman at the deadline reinvigorated the team and pushed them to the POs, so I cannot be entirely upset. But, we do need to shake things up. I think we keep Cashman as he has shown the ability to win trades and upgrade on the fly while building a solid farm. I think we keep Matt Blake, a guy who has turned plenty an underachieving pitcher into a solid performer. And that is about it. The rest can go as far as I am concerned. Boone, Thames, Nevin, everyone else. Take the trainer too. Boone's managerial style does not work with this crew. He is the positive reinforcement, everyone is my buddy manager that continually gets less out of his team than is expected. While I don't think a true disciplinarian is needed, a guy who will preach accountability and also hold players to it would be best.

 

On the personnel front, we continue to have the same issues. Too many starters on the IL. Lemahieu, Hicks, Frazier, Voit. All 4 were in the opening day lineup, all 4 on the IL for the WC game. Lemahieu's issue is easily fixed and his history as an iron man puts him more in the likelihood of a solid rebound candidate for 2022. The others cannot be counted on out of the gate without having a true starting caliber backup. So, here goes

 

Catcher: It is time for Gary Sanchez to go. He will likely top $10 mil in arb and he just isnt worth it. His defense is atrocious, his game calling sucks and his hitting can be counted on for one month of the year. Time to deal him off or cut him entirely. I do not think this team needs to have an offense first catcher. With our pitching staff, we need guys who can call games and play defense. I think Higgy is the perfect person to be the RH platoon for the position in 2022. The other guy I would want is Tucker Barnhart. He's a lefty hitting catcher known for his defense. Not much pop, K's a lot, who cares. Save some cash, sign the guy and platoon the two

 

First Base: You cannot go into 2022 with Luke Voit as your starting 1b. He had meniscus surgery, then had swelling in the knee they called a bone bruise, then went on the 60 day a week ago after running to 1b. The guy has an arthritic condition in the knee. I look to deal him to a team with an open DH spot. I actually think the 2022 1b may be DJ Lemahieu. DJ will come off his core surgery and return like gangbusters. Calling it now, he will be the comeback player of the year. DJ has been billed as having a "groin injury" as early as ST and he clearly wasn't right all year. Surgery is curative.

 

Second Base Gleyber Torres stays at 2b. He was moved to 2b off SS the final 6 weeks of 2021 and he responded offensively with an OPS over .800. He starts 2022 as a 2b and we don't move him around. He is too good yet too emotionally fragile to handle the Yankee SS position

 

Short Stop Corey Seager. There has never been a more obvious fit for a need than this guy. Lefty, power, OBP, average and has a playoff pedigree. He will cost a lot, but the Yanks have the money

 

Third Base Kyle Seager. Crazy, bring the two brothers together. There are a few reasons why I like this. The guy plays a mean 3b. The guy has lefty power and moving from Seattle to NY can only help. He will also come cheap and can be platooned with Urshela. This has the sounds of a Brosius type move to me.

 

Outfield to come

[moonslav59]

Lot to unwind here. I needed a good long workout to get the stink of last night out of me. This was an underachieving team built as a 3 true outcome offense that can easily be shut down by good pitching. We were .500 at the ASB and barely won the season series vs one of the worst teams in history in the Orioles. We couldnt win the season series vs the sox, jays, or rays, which might be the first time in history we lost the season series to all three of those teams in one season.

 

That being said, going on the run we did post ASB and the moves made by Cashman at the deadline reinvigorated the team and pushed them to the POs, so I cannot be entirely upset. But, we do need to shake things up. I think we keep Cashman as he has shown the ability to win trades and upgrade on the fly while building a solid farm. I think we keep Matt Blake, a guy who has turned plenty an underachieving pitcher into a solid performer. And that is about it. The rest can go as far as I am concerned. Boone, Thames, Nevin, everyone else. Take the trainer too. Boone's managerial style does not work with this crew. He is the positive reinforcement, everyone is my buddy manager that continually gets less out of his team than is expected. While I don't think a true disciplinarian is needed, a guy who will preach accountability and also hold players to it would be best.

 

On the personnel front, we continue to have the same issues. Too many starters on the IL. Lemahieu, Hicks, Frazier, Voit. All 4 were in the opening day lineup, all 4 on the IL for the WC game. Lemahieu's issue is easily fixed and his history as an iron man puts him more in the likelihood of a solid rebound candidate for 2022. The others cannot be counted on out of the gate without having a true starting caliber backup. So, here goes

 

Catcher: It is time for Gary Sanchez to go. He will likely top $10 mil in arb and he just isnt worth it. His defense is atrocious, his game calling sucks and his hitting can be counted on for one month of the year. Time to deal him off or cut him entirely. I do not think this team needs to have an offense first catcher. With our pitching staff, we need guys who can call games and play defense. I think Higgy is the perfect person to be the RH platoon for the position in 2022. The other guy I would want is Tucker Barnhart. He's a lefty hitting catcher known for his defense. Not much pop, K's a lot, who cares. Save some cash, sign the guy and platoon the two

 

First Base: You cannot go into 2022 with Luke Voit as your starting 1b. He had meniscus surgery, then had swelling in the knee they called a bone bruise, then went on the 60 day a week ago after running to 1b. The guy has an arthritic condition in the knee. I look to deal him to a team with an open DH spot. I actually think the 2022 1b may be DJ Lemahieu. DJ will come off his core surgery and return like gangbusters. Calling it now, he will be the comeback player of the year. DJ has been billed as having a "groin injury" as early as ST and he clearly wasn't right all year. Surgery is curative.

 

Second Base Gleyber Torres stays at 2b. He was moved to 2b off SS the final 6 weeks of 2021 and he responded offensively with an OPS over .800. He starts 2022 as a 2b and we don't move him around. He is too good yet too emotionally fragile to handle the Yankee SS position

 

Short Stop Corey Seager. There has never been a more obvious fit for a need than this guy. Lefty, power, OBP, average and has a playoff pedigree. He will cost a lot, but the Yanks have the money

 

Third Base Kyle Seager. Crazy, bring the two brothers together. There are a few reasons why I like this. The guy plays a mean 3b. The guy has lefty power and moving from Seattle to NY can only help. He will also come cheap and can be platooned with Urshela. This has the sounds of a Brosius type move to me.

 

Outfield to come

 

Why are Sox players over the hill at 31 and 32, but Lemahieu will be great next year at age 33-34?

 

I'm curious about your pitcher predictions, too.

 

I appreciate you putting your opinions out there, instead of preaching vagaries.

.

[jacksonianmarch]

Lemahieu has been hurt from day 1. He missed time in ST with a “groin strain”, was help out of the lineup early for a game or two with the same and then we got word in early September that he was dealing with a “hip issue” all year. Sports hernia’s hurt like hell when you twist your core, ie hit. I’m shocked he played as much as he did

[Bellhorn04]

Lemahieu has been hurt from day 1. He missed time in ST with a “groin strain”, was help out of the lineup early for a game or two with the same and then we got word in early September that he was dealing with a “hip issue” all year. Sports hernia’s hurt like hell when you twist your core, ie hit. I’m shocked he played as much as he did

 

These things happen when you have a badly managed team.

[jacksonianmarch]

These things happen when you have a badly managed team.

 

Agreed. If DJ comes back next year and is a .260/.700 batter then I’ll ascribe to being over the hill.

 

FYI, totally fine with Rizzo returning or even a guy like Belt and moving DJ to 3rd, but I’m assuming those guys get multi year deals. Kyle Seager will likely take a one or two year deal at shorter money, which is why I’d want him. Plays good D and can flip flop out with Urshela for lefties. Copy the Rays. They’re adaptable. Having Wade swap in for Torres vs a tough right, Urshela in for K Seager for tough lefties.

[moonslav59]

Agreed. If DJ comes back next year and is a .260/.700 batter then I’ll ascribe to being over the hill.

 

FYI, totally fine with Rizzo returning or even a guy like Belt and moving DJ to 3rd, but I’m assuming those guys get multi year deals. Kyle Seager will likely take a one or two year deal at shorter money, which is why I’d want him. Plays good D and can flip flop out with Urshela for lefties. Copy the Rays. They’re adaptable. Having Wade swap in for Torres vs a tough right, Urshela in for K Seager for tough lefties.

 

He turns 34 during next season. You called JD over the hill at age 32-33 after a 60 game season.

 

Both are in decline, but over the hill is a strong word.

 

BTW, several Sox posters joined you in the opinion JD was toast.

[moonslav59]

Yankee FAs, this winter:

Rizzo

Kluber

Odor

 

Ages of Key Yanks in 2022:

 

Pitchers listed by most IP in 2021:

31 Cole

29 Montgomery

30 Taillon

29 German

27 Cortes

31 Green

35 Luetage

27 Loaisiga

27 King

34 Chapman

30 Peralta

30 Cesa

26 Abreu

24 Gil

29 Holmes

34 Britton

(28 Severino)

 

Batters listed by most PAs

33 LeMahieu

30 Judge

32 Stanton

25 Torres

38 Gardner

30 Ushela

29 Sanchez

31 Voit

28 Gallo

21 Higgy

27 Andujar

27 Wade

32 Hicks

27 Velazquez

[jacksonianmarch]

He turns 34 during next season. You called JD over the hill at age 32-33 after a 60 game season.

 

Both are in decline, but over the hill is a strong word.

 

BTW, several Sox posters joined you in the opinion JD was toast.

 

There was no injury with JD. He just fell off a cliff. Hard to say JD is in a decline yet. Like I said, the guy had an injury that literally hurt every time he twisted his core. I am absolutely shocked he could play at all, let alone play as much as he did. His issue is typically cured with surgery. If he stays healthy next year, he is a .300 hitter and I think most people would agree with that.

[moonslav59]

There was no injury with JD. He just fell off a cliff. Hard to say JD is in a decline yet. Like I said, the guy had an injury that literally hurt every time he twisted his core. I am absolutely shocked he could play at all, let alone play as much as he did. His issue is typically cured with surgery. If he stays healthy next year, he is a .300 hitter and I think most people would agree with that.

 

Dude, it was a 54 game season for JD (237 PAs), and you jumped at it like it was the only evidence that mattered.

 

You are the one who uses age more than anyone I know.

 

You use LeMahieu's 50 game sample size as if it is everything.

 

I'm not doubting he can hit .300 in 2022, but in the overall sense of his age-related trend, he should continue declining- NOT from his 2021 numbers but in the context of his bell curve by age.

 

OPS by age:

.663 at 25

.746 at 26

.911 at 27 (could be viewed as an outlier)

.783 at 28 (He had an .824 stretch in a 339 PA stretch.)

.749 at 29 (He had an .809 stretch in 163 PA stretch.)

.893 at 30 (might show maybe 2016 was not an outlier)

1.011 at 31 in just 216 PAs (Seeing what he did is similar stretches at age 28 & 29, one wonders if this was sustainable over 600 PAs)

.711 at age 32 (2nd largest sample size season of his career)

 

Let's look at 2 season samples:

.667 '13-'14

.828 '15-'16

.767 '17-'18

.922 '19-'20 (.831 '19-'21)

 

Jump 2013:

.708 '14-'15

.844 '16-'17

.825 '18-'19

.784 '20-'21

(This one looks more like a typical bell curve.)

 

I'd expect something like .790 to .850 in 2022, assuming he's healthy, and more likely near .840.

 

JD is less than a year older than LeMahieu, and I'd be interested to know what you project for him, next year.

 

JD's 2 year numbers:

.893 '14-'15

.985 '16-'17

.985 '18-'19

.816 '20-'21

(To me, his curve seems tighter and more to form- more predictable, perhaps.)

I'd expect something between .800 and .880 for JD, next year but likely closer to.870.

 

[jacksonianmarch]

On to the OF/DH

 

Judge RF. That’s the easy one. He’s as good as it gets out there.

 

Stanton DH/part time LF. I can’t see him playing more than 40-50 games in the OF. But his offense more than makes up for it.

 

That’s where the easy parts end. We have Hicks under contract, and unless someone wants his contract, I’m anticipating he is back, but he cannot be counted on as a starter. I’ll call him our CF/4th OFer

 

Gallo, great defender, tons of walks, huge homer totals, he’s a true mistake only hitter and that doesn’t help you come crunch time. Gallo’s tough to predict. If he comes back, I bring him back as a starting CFer. His defense is good, he’s quick, cannon arm. He’s done it before. If he gives an .800 OPS year and holds down CF, then he’s worth rostering. If the Yanks don’t want to use him there, then you’ve got to deal him.

 

Regardless of Gallo’s situation, I want us to sign an offense first, left handed LFer. We could look at Schwarber, but he’s better suited as a DH. I like Michael Conforto especially coming off a down year. We could consider Bellinger if the Dodgers non tender him. Then there’s the trade market with Brian Reynolds out of PIT.

 

If Gallo is gone, we would need a partner to play CF should Hicks not be able to go. I’d add a veteran like a Tommy Pham to the OF, not a masher. A guy who can play some D, run a bit, make contact and draw some walks.

 

 

So overall….

 

C- Barnhart/Higashioka

1b- Lemahieu/Rizzo/Belt

2b- Torres

SS- C Seager

3b- K Seager/Lemahieu

LF- Conforto/Schwarber

CF- Gallo or Hicks/Pham/Wade combo

RF- Judge

DH- Stanton

 

Urshela and Wade make the team as backups. If Voit doesn’t have an arthritic knee, he gets tendered and is rostered or dealt. The lineup is far more balanced, far more deep and gets a bit younger, which we need

[jacksonianmarch]

Lineup would be

 

1. Lemahieu 1b

2. C Seager SS

3. Judge RF

4. Conforto LF

5. Stanton DH

6. K Seager 3B

7. Torres 2B

8. Gallo CF

9. Barnhart/Higashioka C

[moonslav59]

Lineup would be

 

1. Lemahieu 1b

2. C Seager SS

3. Judge RF

4. Conforto LF

5. Stanton DH

6. K Seager 3B

7. Torres 2B

8. Gallo CF

9. Barnhart/Higashioka C

 

Lots of changes for a team that was destined for greatness, this year.

[jacksonianmarch]

Frazier’s career essentially ended, Voit’s was immeasurably altered, Hicks missed the season and has developed the fragile label. Lineup coming into 21 was deep. Unfortunately, we lost three guys early and will have longer term issues attached to them. It’s a rare thing, really

[moonslav59]

Frazier’s career essentially ended, Voit’s was immeasurably altered, Hicks missed the season and has developed the fragile label. Lineup coming into 21 was deep. Unfortunately, we lost three guys early and will have longer term issues attached to them. It’s a rare thing, really

 

Did you really not expect any injuries? Was the loss of these 3 really the main reason you guys missed out on greatness?

 

If I had guessed, I'd have said Stanton would have missed more time than he did.

[jacksonianmarch]

Voit was the HR champion of the short sprint. Frazier was a .900+ OPS OFer from 2020.

Hicks had a .380 OBP and a 3 WAR equivalent sprint.

 

Those three guys above had a full season effective value of 11.6 WAR in 2020 and they essentially gave us nothing.

 

Those three guys were very big in 2020 and were essentially non existent in 21. Lemahieu hit .367 in 20 and cut his BA by one hundred points for 2021 mostly due to injury (although he wasn’t gonna hit .367 again). DJ’s drop in full season Equivalent WAR was a staggering 4.35. When considering those four guys alone, Yanks lost 16 WAR

[Fan_since_Boggs]

I don't know if spending all that dough on Seager makes sense, and he will cost a fortune. And with Judge needing to be resigned at the end of the year, along with Tallion, maybe Gallo, the Yankees aren't going to spend on Seager. More importantly, the Yankees actually have a couple of quality shortstops in their system. Peraza isn't far away. In fact, it wouldn't be outrageous for Peraza to be the Yankees starting SS on opening day. It would be an aggressive promotion but not unheard of. Maybe the Yankees look for an older veteran SS to hold down the position for a few months until Peraza is ready.

[moonslav59]

Voit was the HR champion of the short sprint. Frazier was a .900+ OPS OFer from 2020.

Hicks had a .380 OBP and a 3 WAR equivalent sprint.

 

Those three guys above had a full season effective value of 11.6 WAR in 2020 and they essentially gave us nothing.

 

Those three guys were very big in 2020 and were essentially non existent in 21. Lemahieu hit .367 in 20 and cut his BA by one hundred points for 2021 mostly due to injury (although he wasn’t gonna hit .367 again). DJ’s drop in full season Equivalent WAR was a staggering 4.35. When considering those four guys alone, Yanks lost 16 WAR

 

That wasn't my point.

 

My point was about why you'd expect good health, when you never get it.

[jacksonianmarch]

We had supposed depth early. Losing 3 starters crumbled that depth and overexposed players who were better off as role players which started a chain reaction that didn’t get patched until the deadline

[jacksonianmarch]

We never stay healthy, that’s true, but we rarely have multiple season ending injuries before May 1, especially to starting position players

[jacksonianmarch]

https://www.pinstripealley.com/2021/10/9/22717057/yankees-hitting-coach-marcus-thames-mlb-matt-blake-brian-cashman-aaron-boone-innovation-analytics

[jacksonianmarch]

I don't know if spending all that dough on Seager makes sense, and he will cost a fortune. And with Judge needing to be resigned at the end of the year, along with Tallion, maybe Gallo, the Yankees aren't going to spend on Seager. More importantly, the Yankees actually have a couple of quality shortstops in their system. Peraza isn't far away. In fact, it wouldn't be outrageous for Peraza to be the Yankees starting SS on opening day. It would be an aggressive promotion but not unheard of. Maybe the Yankees look for an older veteran SS to hold down the position for a few months until Peraza is ready.

 

I love Peraza and love Volpe even more, but the Yanks cannot pin their hopes and dreams on a 21 yr old rookie with 8 games under his belt at AAA. It has NEVER been the way the Yanks do it. They have always brought in veterans on short term deals (or had entrenched veterans who could be let go easily) in the way of their big prospects and forced the hand of the GM by earning their stripes. Also, Gleyber Torres is vulnerable right now. If we nab Seager for SS, Torres is the next domino to fall if he doesn't prove his late season surge with his position switch is permanent. And if we nab the other Seager on a 1 year deal, we will have a second position in the infield that will be up for grabs if there is an injury, etc. There are worse things than having three shortstop capable players in your infield so long as they can deliver offense.

 

Biggest thing we need is to get players who can be dynamic. Seager is dynamic in that he runs the bases well, is a solid defender, takes walks, hits for average and for power AND avoids the K. With this Yankee team essentially a 3 true outcome team, they need to get away from that mentality. That is why I really like Rizzo too, but also don't think he is going to be worth his next contract as a 1b with an OPS at or below .800. Maybe that is the way they go, re-up Rizzo, move DJ to third and signing Seager and call it a day in the infield. I also think fresh eyes from a hitting coach capability will help. Thames maximized his success from 18-20, but clearly his adjustments werent working and it is time to try another philosophy.

[jacksonianmarch]

I actually think the infield is the easiest to predict. We are gonna sign a big middle infielder. Could it be Semien, Seager, Correa? I think it will be Seager, but there is too much smoke for there not to be any fire here. We also need a CIF, likely on a shorter term deal. The biggest variable here is the OF. You've got RF set and will probably re-sign him this offseason. You've got about 40 games in LF and 100 games (god willing) at the DH spot covered in Stanton. We have Hicks under contract, but he isn't someone you can pencil into a starting spot with his spotty injury history. Gallo would theoretically be penciled into LF, but he responded horrendously as a Yankee raising some questions as to whether he can handle YS. Add in his absurd 37% K rate and it is time to make a change UNLESS you make Gallo more of your CF or a CF platoon with Hicks (Hicks has historically hit lefties better). This opens up LF for someone. Cannot count on Frazier, heck he might have to retire. Gardner should not be brought back. I would like to see a guy who can play LF who can be at least a good cog in the machine. Either someone who brings speed, contact and OBP (like Grossman), or a guy coming off an off year still in prime who would be a great fit for YS (like Conforto). Or maybe the Yanks do a Rays-eque type move and deal off Gallo and sign McCutchen (who demolishes lefties) and deal for Naquin from the Reds (who crushes righties). I have literally no idea which way they are gonna go, but I do not like the idea of going into 2022 with the OF as is.

[jacksonianmarch]

Onto the starting pitching staff.

 

Cole got a lot of s*** for how his season ended, yet he may win or finish runner up for the CY. He tweaked his hammy early September and wasn’t the same. Assuming the hammy isn’t a recurring problem, I’m happy with him leading the 22 rotation.

 

Jordan Montgomery has quietly had two solid career seasons bookending 2 injury ravaged ones and a better than the results seemed sprint in 20. He’s not counted on for more than 5 innings a start, but when he’s on the hill he is steady as can be. Going into a contract year, I expect him to continue his steadiness.

 

Jameson Taillon also enters a contract year and he was one of the best pitchers in baseball the second half. He did end the year with a partial ankle tendon tear that will likely need surgery. Assuming all goes well, he’s locked into the rotation.

 

Luis Severino will be transitioned to the rotation for his contract year as well. While I expect the Yanks to ramp him up real slow, he’s now finally healthy after a series of mis or delayed diagnoses cost him three years.

 

Domingo German quietly posted his best year by peripherals of his career, albeit in only 18 starts. Coming off his domestic violence suspension, he was handled pretty gingerly, but was arguably our best pitcher for a 4 week stretch prior to his shoulder issue. He slots in as a very capable 5th starter

 

Nestor Cortes threw nearly 100 innings of sub 3 ERA ball. While the FIP wasn’t as kind (3.70), it’s still far better than most 6th starter options in baseball. He may be the find of the year as he added 2.5 mph to his fastball and experimented with arm angles to keep hitters off balance.

 

Luis Gil set a Yankee mark by starting his career with 15 scoreless innings as a starter, but command issues essentially wrecked his final 3 starts. Gil is likely ticketed for AAA to iron out his command. 22 will be a big year in determining if he ends up as a multi inning reliever or a starter long term.

 

For starting depth beyond these 6, Michael King, Deivi Garcia, and Clarke Schmidt will all get looks, although the latter two will likely start 22 in AAA and King will be a multi inning weapon out of the pen, a role he effectively carried once demoted from the rotation.

 

The Yanks have their depth in the rotation, and for 21, they were a very effective group of misfits. I’d be entirely fine with the Yanks rolling into 22 with no major upgrades, but this is the Yankees and the one thing they could use is some added veteran experience that Kluber couldn’t add since he missed 3 months. While there are always big names on the pitching front, there’s one dark horse name out there who just got burned by his team and that’s Verlander. The Yanks were narrowly edged out by Houston for his services when Detroit dealt him and that was a major tilting factor in two of the Yankees defeats in October. Also, nearing 40 and coming off two missed seasons, there’s a good chance he can be had on a prove it deal. That’s the move I make in the rotation. Go out and sweet talk Verlander into a 1 yr $10 mil deal, offer a $10 mil player option for year two that kicks him a $5 mil buyout if he declines and see if he bites. I doubt anyone will offer him $15 mil guaranteed for one year and $20 mil for two.

[jacksonianmarch]

Final piece is Pen. I will tell you Matt Blake deserves a ton of credit for revamping this pitching staff. When the gutting of management occurs, this kid needs to be kept and even extended.

 

It all starts with the closer, Chapman. Chapman averaged 98.5mph on his heater, so he hasn't lost his power. He added a split. His ERA of 3.36 was the highest of his career since his rookie year. His walk rate spiked over 6, attributed to a loss of command of his fastball. As long as he doesn't have a major injury, he is a lock to be a late inning reliever, although I think his days of being the unquestioned closer are over while with the Yanks. Yanks pen is too deep and too good to shoe horn Chapman into spots where others could be utilized. Might also add longevity to him.

 

For setup men, the list is long. But it starts with Loaisiga. Johnny Lasagna had a 2.4 WAR as a reliever. He dominated 2021 and became the Yanks highest leverage pitcher outside of Chapman. A late shoulder issue nearly derailed his breakout year, but he did return. He is locked in as the highest leverage setup man.

 

Chad Green goes into a contract year as the Steady Eddie of our pen. He's been a dominant entity out there for years and will enter his last contractual year in pinstripes out there. I do wonder if the Yanks pull a Rays and deal him off prior to his contract year and re-tool some parts, but for now, he is a welcome addition to a deep pen

 

Clay Holmes is the newcomer to the late inning reliable arms. He has a high octane arm but couldnt harness it as a Pirate. He came to NY and immediately became untouchable. He added 4mph to his heater from 2020, ramped down his curve and ramped up his slider and fastball usage. Cashman, as usual, found a diamond in the rough and a guy who should enter 2022 as the third reliable arm in the bridge.

 

Wandy Peralta was an afterthought when the Yanks got him from SF for Mike Tauchman. He rapidly became a dominant force from the left side for the Yanks. He went from a guy who threw equal parts slider, circle change and fastball to a change up dominated pitcher throwing it almost 50% of the time. Match that to his 95mph sinker and his FB change combo led to multiple ground balls and a very effective approach.

 

Lucas Luetge was a find out of ST. He was a non roster invitee who's spin rate made his lower velocity play up. To his credit, he also reinvigorated his stuff to become a lefty with no straight pitch. He throws a 89 mph cutter 60% of the time rounding out his arsenal with a slider and a curve. Luetge threw 72IP with a 2.74 ERA and a 1.5WAR as mostly a lower leverage reliever. He is 34, so no spring chicken, but he was awesome to watch in a surprise 21. He should come into 22 with a lock on a roster spot unless he gets dealt elsewhere.

 

Joely Rodriguez was an under the radar trade at the deadline, but he did pay off. A lefty with good power and mostly a FB change pitcher, he moved over to NY and saw his ERA dip below 3 by ramping up his changeup rate which saw a drop in his HR rate. He will be on the roster bubble, but is another addition that paid immediate dividends once putting on the pinstripes.

 

Michael King was a starter out of ST but transitioned really well to a multi inning relief role. He saw every metric improve and had an ERA well under 3 out of the pen.

 

That is 8 guys above with the likelihood that the Yanks carry their current top 5 and Cortes. No additions needed, as a matter of fact, there is a strong chance one or more of the above are dealt.

 

Internal options abound. As with the rotation, Schmidt and Gil are options out of the pen. Albert Abreu has tremendous power, but needs to find his location. He could easily be the next failed starter who turns into a multi inning shut down reliever. Nick Nelson is running out of chances as a guy who can hit 100 but is surprisingly hittable. Dark horse high end prospect Luis Medina could become a lights out reliever currently topping out at 103mph, but the Yanks are trying him out of the rotation. Should a need arise, he would be the next kid to watch. Lord knows what he could do in short stint

[moonslav59]

We never stay healthy, that’s true, but we rarely have multiple season ending injuries before May 1, especially to starting position players

 

Last year, Stanton, Judge and Andujar played less than half the games. Several other everyday players missed time, too. Don't pretend the injuries have only occurred to your pitchers. It's been an ongoing reality for several years in a row.

 

Didn't Stanton miss pretty much all of 2019? That's almost as bad as losing the 3 you mentioned, this year, but you had other injuries that year, too- not just to pitchers. I think Gregorius & Judge missed a bunch of games...maybe Hicks, too.

 

The Yanks set a record in 2019. Have you forgotten that?

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-set-mlb-record-for-most-injured-players-in-a-single-season-as-gio-urshela-hits-il/

 

Now, you act like it should be a surprise.

 

I think your GM or your new GM will have to change his roster building strategy to address the amount of injury-prone players on your roster, year-after-year.

 

You can point to how great your team is on paper, but if they never play, what good are they?

 

Edited October 10, 2021 by moonslav59

[jacksonianmarch]

Last year, Stanton, Judge and Andujar played less than half the games. Several other everyday players missed time, too. Don't pretend the injuries have only occurred to your pitchers. It's been an ongoing reality for several years in a row.

 

Didn't Stanton miss pretty much all of 2019? That's almost as bad as losing the 3 you mentioned, this year, but you had other injuries that year, too- not just to pitchers. I think Gregorius & Judge missed a bunch of games...maybe Hicks, too.

 

The Yanks set a record in 2019. Have you forgotten that?

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-set-mlb-record-for-most-injured-players-in-a-single-season-as-gio-urshela-hits-il/

 

Now, you act like it should be a surprise.

 

I think your GM or your new GM will have to change his roster building strategy to address the amount of injury-prone players on your roster, year-after-year.

 

You can point to how great your team is on paper, but if they never play, what good are they?

 

 

We haven’t had an overhaul on the offensive side in awhile. Pulling Voit, Hicks, Frazier, and Gio from the starting lineup should help our health.

[Bellhorn04]

No one can say you don't maintain a positive attitude.

[jacksonianmarch]

No one can say you don't maintain a positive attitude.

 

Yanks need a lot of change offensively. Pitching was nails all year, offense sucked all year.

[Kimmi]

Onto the starting pitching staff.

 

Cole got a lot of s*** for how his season ended, yet he may win or finish runner up for the CY. He tweaked his hammy early September and wasn’t the same. Assuming the hammy isn’t a recurring problem, I’m happy with him leading the 22 rotation.

 

I found this piece to be rather interesting:

 

Former MLB exec: Gerrit Cole isn’t an ace without sticky stuff so Yankees are working on solution with Commissioner’s Office

 

Former Miami Marlins president David Samson joined The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday, and laid into Cole, who didn’t make it out of the third inning in New York’s 6-2 loss in the American League Wild Card Game.

 

“Gerrit Cole has a great contract on paper. He makes a ton of money. But at the end of the day, without foreign substances, he’s far less effective. He’s not really an ace.”

 

That led to this exchange between Eisen and Samson:

 

Eisen: “So are you saying Gerrit Cole is not going to be the same pitcher because the sticky stuff is no longer allowed? Is that truly what you are saying?”

 

Samson: “I’m saying that the New York Yankees are working very closely with the Commissioner’s Office and they are trying to develop a foreign substance that is agreed to by the union as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and they are testing that substance by calling up Gerrit Cole and saying, ‘Hey, do you like this one? Do you like that one?’ Gotta do something.”

 

I don't know how much truth there is to that, but I hope the Commissioner's Office is not catering to Gerrit Cole and the Yankees.

[moonslav59]

We haven’t had an overhaul on the offensive side in awhile. Pulling Voit, Hicks, Frazier, and Gio from the starting lineup should help our health.

 

You still have Stanton, Judge, Andujar and whatever big bulky new injury-prone players Cashman adds.