STATE OF THE YANKEES,
state of denial. After yesterday's ugly loss to the Halos, Derek Jeter declared, "We don't feel like here we go again. We don't feel like we're back to square one [following the Boston series]." this was the guy who used to say after every menaingful late season and postseason victory "it doesn't mean anything unless we win tomorrow." Well after today's still uglier loss--when Wang gives you 8 full with 3 earned, this line-up absolutely must win--the Yankees are significantly behind square one, in worse shape than they have been at any point this year, 11.5 behind Boston and 7.5 back of the wild card leaders, with many teams between them and the Tigers. They are getting no significant production from Giambi, Cano, Abreu, Cabrera and whoever is playing first, too little from Damon, Matsui and Arod. Only Posada and Jeter are playing to or beyond expectations and Jeter's own expectations for his teamates seem to have been lowered at some point in the process. I don't give them much chance to win tomorrow with Mussina on the mound and forgetting for the moment about the postseason, should they drop 6 games under 500, at what point during the season, if ever, can one expect them to get back to even. I'm thinking late June-early July, which will surely be too late to make any kind of run.
Yesterday I asked how we came to this point, showcasing Cashboy's malfeasance as GM. Today I ask where should we go from this point.
The first thing needed is to end the Brian and slow Joe show, and not merely out of anger vindictiveness or a sense of just desserts. They are managing and GM'ing the team to save their jobs, a task which involves winning now. They can only imagine winning now by playing the veterans, even though it has become increasingly clear that nothing of the sort is going to work. Bring in somebody with the charge to rebuild, really rebuild, accepting all the pain that entails for the present. Then start dealing. Trade Clemens back to the Astros. You'll have to eat a good deal of the contreact and you'll have to get Clemens to agree by telling him he's going to be in the bullpen here, which means he's always on call, never allowed to go home, and will in fact not get to pitch. The Astros have a real chance to get to the series, particularly if they get Clemens. Secure prospects. Trade AROD. He's going to opt oput at the end of this season anyway and the Yankees are never going to give him a raise. They know he's still not the clutch player they want and he's already getting a mint. Of course AROD can veto any deal, but you can make it clear to him that you are bringing up Eric Duncan or whoever else and if he elects to veto, he will be wasting an entire season on the bench, with rumors that the team has carefully nurtured swirling around him and threatening his next big deal. There is value to be secured for AROD. Trade Giambi for prospects. The Angels are interested. YOu'll have to pay most of his contract, but really we want him gone anyway. He too has a no-trade, but if there is a player more liable to soft blackmail, I don't know who it is. See if there is any market for Mussina. If not convert him into a middle relief guy. See if there is a market for Abreu. In any event, we should be playing Melky. He did pretty well as an everyday player last year. Are his struggles this year an indication that he just doesn't have it or are they an effect of part time status? We need to find out. Get rid of Farnsworth, Meyer, and Vizcaino--by any means necessary.
The pundits have started to circle the wagons around Cashman like they have always done for Joe. They say he's in trouble for trying to rebuild. Bullshit! He's in trouble for failing to rebuild and for failing in his rebuilding. He still goes for veterans at every opportunity and when he elects to get rid of them he's too impatient to find the moment of market pressure when they would bring the highest return (see Johnson and Sheffield).
It is time to really rebuild. Right now the Yankees are a collection of largely overpriced, underachieving, indisputably talented losers. The only way to return to dynasty level is to fill the team with young players who are winners, whatever their degree of talent. As recent history show, status quo Joe is no friend of youth. And as the Carl Pavano episode abundantly illustrates, Brian Cashboy, his unswerving apologist, is no judge of character. They should be fired, ASAP. Not because they have not turned things around, but because only their departure will create the conditions for doing so. The continued employment of these two gentlemen, as an index of some continued faith in their effectiveness, is in and of itself a state of denial.
Yesterday I asked how we came to this point, showcasing Cashboy's malfeasance as GM. Today I ask where should we go from this point.
The first thing needed is to end the Brian and slow Joe show, and not merely out of anger vindictiveness or a sense of just desserts. They are managing and GM'ing the team to save their jobs, a task which involves winning now. They can only imagine winning now by playing the veterans, even though it has become increasingly clear that nothing of the sort is going to work. Bring in somebody with the charge to rebuild, really rebuild, accepting all the pain that entails for the present. Then start dealing. Trade Clemens back to the Astros. You'll have to eat a good deal of the contreact and you'll have to get Clemens to agree by telling him he's going to be in the bullpen here, which means he's always on call, never allowed to go home, and will in fact not get to pitch. The Astros have a real chance to get to the series, particularly if they get Clemens. Secure prospects. Trade AROD. He's going to opt oput at the end of this season anyway and the Yankees are never going to give him a raise. They know he's still not the clutch player they want and he's already getting a mint. Of course AROD can veto any deal, but you can make it clear to him that you are bringing up Eric Duncan or whoever else and if he elects to veto, he will be wasting an entire season on the bench, with rumors that the team has carefully nurtured swirling around him and threatening his next big deal. There is value to be secured for AROD. Trade Giambi for prospects. The Angels are interested. YOu'll have to pay most of his contract, but really we want him gone anyway. He too has a no-trade, but if there is a player more liable to soft blackmail, I don't know who it is. See if there is any market for Mussina. If not convert him into a middle relief guy. See if there is a market for Abreu. In any event, we should be playing Melky. He did pretty well as an everyday player last year. Are his struggles this year an indication that he just doesn't have it or are they an effect of part time status? We need to find out. Get rid of Farnsworth, Meyer, and Vizcaino--by any means necessary.
The pundits have started to circle the wagons around Cashman like they have always done for Joe. They say he's in trouble for trying to rebuild. Bullshit! He's in trouble for failing to rebuild and for failing in his rebuilding. He still goes for veterans at every opportunity and when he elects to get rid of them he's too impatient to find the moment of market pressure when they would bring the highest return (see Johnson and Sheffield).
It is time to really rebuild. Right now the Yankees are a collection of largely overpriced, underachieving, indisputably talented losers. The only way to return to dynasty level is to fill the team with young players who are winners, whatever their degree of talent. As recent history show, status quo Joe is no friend of youth. And as the Carl Pavano episode abundantly illustrates, Brian Cashboy, his unswerving apologist, is no judge of character. They should be fired, ASAP. Not because they have not turned things around, but because only their departure will create the conditions for doing so. The continued employment of these two gentlemen, as an index of some continued faith in their effectiveness, is in and of itself a state of denial.
posted by joe valente | 11:15 PM
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