Yankees 2023-2024 offseason

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Who knows, maybe 2 of the 4 pitchers will hit. King has pitched pretty well the last 2 years and made the transition to starting very nicely. He's been somewhat injury-prone, but what else is new.

 

Sure is a different-looking package from what the Sox got for Betts.

 

Betts was a patsy -- set up to take the fall in the David Price hit.

[Bellhorn04]

Betts was a patsy -- set up to take the fall in the David Price hit.

 

Yeah, that $45 million recapture, plus tax savings, surely watered down the talent take. And the fact they waited till February probably didn't help either. Just disgusting.

[moonslav59]

BTV Score:

 

SDP: +57

NYY: +33

(Basically, King or King and Higa for both OF'ers would have been even)

[jacksonianmarch]

BTV is a dumb score and always shades towards youth.

 

King isn’t somewhat injury prone. King’s elbow broke a couple years ago. I said at the time I thought his career would be immeasurably altered and for a year it wasn’t. But calloused bone never heals stronger than it was. His elbow is a time bomb. I think Cash was happy to offload him knowing this

[Dipre]

Oh man, Soto was my favorite Dominican player. Now I have to hate him.

[Bellhorn04]

Oh man, Soto was my favorite Dominican player. Now I have to hate him.

 

*Hopefully* just for one year.

[bkzwhitestrican]

The Soto signing brings a lot of hope for this year, but it's easy to forget that 7 out of 9 of our lineup spots last year were below average/black holes (Judge and Torres the only exclusions). If Rizzo still sucks because of his concussion, and Stanton hits .200, and Volpe/Peraza/Wells don't develop, and Lemahieu's 2nd half surge was just a fluke, then adding Soto is only going to matter so much.

[dgalehouse]

The Yankees were seriously lacking in left handed hitting. Soto, and to a lesser degree, Verdugo will certainly help in that area. It will be interesting to see if they can sign Soto longer term.

[moonslav59]

The Yankees were seriously lacking in left handed hitting. Soto, and to a lesser degree, Verdugo will certainly help in that area. It will be interesting to see if they can sign Soto longer term.

 

Adding 3 OF'ers sure addressed that big need area, quickly.

[Bellhorn04]

The Soto signing brings a lot of hope for this year, but it's easy to forget that 7 out of 9 of our lineup spots last year were below average/black holes (Judge and Torres the only exclusions). If Rizzo still sucks because of his concussion, and Stanton hits .200, and Volpe/Peraza/Wells don't develop, and Lemahieu's 2nd half surge was just a fluke, then adding Soto is only going to matter so much.

 

Yankee fans are a lot like Sox fans these days - skeptical and pessimistic.

[Bellhorn04]

Get ready for quite a few game highlights of Soto hitting balls over the porch - some of them way over it, of course. As the Stadium goes wild.

[notin]

The Yankees were seriously lacking in left handed hitting. Soto, and to a lesser degree, Verdugo will certainly help in that area. It will be interesting to see if they can sign Soto longer term.

 

I doubt Verdugo ever dons pinstripes…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I doubt Verdugo ever dons pinstripes…

 

If he does, he'll finally make the All-Star team, now that Soto is there to take all the pressure off...

 

... unless Dick Fitts gets called to Boston and outpitches King in always-sunny San Diego.

[jacksonianmarch]

1. Soto LF

2. Judge CF

3. Rizzo 1B

4. Torres 2B

5. Verdugo RF

6. Stanton DH

7. Volpe SS

8. Lemahieu/Peraza 3B

9. Trevino/Wells C

 

That is a much improved lineup for sure

[moonslav59]

I doubt Verdugo ever dons pinstripes…

 

Why not?

[moonslav59]

1. Soto LF

2. Judge CF

3. Rizzo 1B

4. Torres 2B

5. Verdugo RF

6. Stanton DH

7. Volpe SS

8. Lemahieu/Peraza 3B

9. Trevino/Wells C

 

That is a much improved lineup for sure

 

If you guys could get a legit leadoff hitter with a .380+ OBP, batting Soto & Judge 2-3 would be lethal.

 

(Torres came closest, last year, at .347.)

[notin]

Why not?

 

As of the Soto acquisition, he is a $9mill fourth outfielder. Even the Yankees don’t want the sat level of financial burden.

 

Unless they think playing the annually fragile Judge in the more demanding CF position, which is made unnecessary with the acquisition of the defensively gifted Trent Grisham.

 

They’ll move Verdugo in the near future…

[moonslav59]

As of the Soto acquisition, he is a $9mill fourth outfielder. Even the Yankees don’t want the sat level of financial burden.

 

Unless they think playing the annually fragile Judge in the more demanding CF position, which is made unnecessary with the acquisition of the defensively gifted Trent Grisham.

 

They’ll move Verdugo in the near future…

 

I think they put Judge in CF, and Grisham is the #4. If Grish batted RH'd, I'd platoon Dugo with him.

[Bellhorn04]

As of the Soto acquisition, he is a $9mill fourth outfielder. Even the Yankees don’t want the sat level of financial burden.

 

Unless they think playing the annually fragile Judge in the more demanding CF position, which is made unnecessary with the acquisition of the defensively gifted Trent Grisham.

 

They’ll move Verdugo in the near future…

 

But the Soto trade was in the works when they traded for Verdugo.

 

What was the point of the trade for Verdugo?

[notin]

But the Soto trade was in the works when they traded for Verdugo.

 

What was the point of the trade for Verdugo?

 

Got me. Send a message to SD that they can and will move on? Verdugo was Plan B?

 

Or maybe Grisham wasn’t in the Soto deal ye.

 

But if they bench Grisham and Jusge injures himself playing CF, they should fire Boone for putting him out there, fire Cashman for making it possible, and fire both their replacements just because…

[Bellhorn04]

Got me. Send a message to SD that they can and will move on? Verdugo was Plan B?

 

Or maybe Grisham wasn’t in the Soto deal ye.

 

But if they bench Grisham and Jusge injures himself playing CF, they should fire Boone for putting him out there, fire Cashman for making it possible, and fire both their replacements just because…

 

We'll see what shakes out. But I think Verdugo will be in pinstripes. $9 mill actually isn't that much for a 2 WAR player.

[notin]

I think they put Judge in CF, and Grisham is the #4. If Grish batted RH'd, I'd platoon Dugo with him.

 

And that would be stupid.

 

Why are they taking that kind of defensive hit and exposing Judge to more physical risk? To get Alex Verdugo into the lineup? When did Dugo morph into Tony Gwynn?

[moonslav59]

And that would be stupid.

 

Why are they taking that kind of defensive hit and exposing Judge to more physical risk? To get Alex Verdugo into the lineup? When did Dugo morph into Tony Gwynn?

 

Does CF have spikes in it, or what?

 

Judge could hurt himself crashing into the short RF wall, just as easily as stepping on a CF spike.

[notin]

Does CF have spikes in it, or what?

 

Judge could hurt himself crashing into the short RF wall, just as easily as stepping on a CF spike.

 

Center field does involve covering more ground. It’s more physically demanding than the corner spots. The Yankees could have played Judge in CF in the past but rarely did, and it wasn’t because they loved the hitting potential of Aaron Hicks and Harrison Bader…

[notin]

We'll see what shakes out. But I think Verdugo will be in pinstripes. $9 mill actually isn't that much for a 2 WAR player.

 

 

Apparently the consensus is the Yankees are going to rearrange to an inferior defense in order to get Verdugo’s 105 OPS+ into the lineup instead of Grisham’s 95 OPS+. And think it is a strangely obvious decision…

Edited December 8, 2023 by notin

[Bellhorn04]

Apparently the consensus is the Yankees are going to rearrange to an inferior defense in order to get Verdugo’s 105 OPS+ into the lineup instead of Grisham’s 95 OPS+. And think it is a strangely obvious decision…

 

Maybe it's insurance policies for both Judge and Stanton.

 

The important thing is, now one of us gets to say "I told you so."

[moonslav59]

Center field does involve covering more ground. It’s more physically demanding than the corner spots. The Yankees could have played Judge in CF in the past but rarely did, and it wasn’t because they loved the hitting potential of Aaron Hicks and Harrison Bader…

 

I realize CF is more demanding, especially in Yankee Stadium, but it's not a minefield.

[notin]

Maybe it's insurance policies for both Judge and Stanton.

 

The important thing is, now one of us gets to say "I told you so."

 

And if they start Judge in CF and he gets injured (which he will) or if the deal Verdugo between now and April, I can do the same.

 

The only way you get to do it if if the Yankees make the stupid move of downgrading their defense for a slight improvement defensively. You’re gloat is easily countered with “I thought the Yankees were smarter than that.”

[notin]

I realize CF is more demanding, especially in Yankee Stadium, but it's not a minefield.

 

So it’s worth any risk on Judge, not likely to get healthier as he ages, for the modest offensive improvement Verdugo brings over Grisham?

[moonslav59]

So it’s worth any risk on Judge, not likely to get healthier as he ages, for the modest offensive improvement Verdugo brings over Grisham?

 

There will likely be some shuffling, not matter where each player plays the most.

 

I've always felt Dugo should be platooned, so maybe Dugo plays the bigger corner OF slot vs RHPs, only, and although Grisham bats LH'd, too, play him vs LHPs, so Judge can play RF some of the time.

 

Maybe, they do trade Dugo, but if they don't, I think they try to play him vs all RHPs.