Ed Botti
December 29, 2024
"It gets late early out there" Yogi Berra famously stated with respect to the sun's effect on late-season games in the old Yankee Stadium. When it comes to the busy 2024 offseason, it may be a little extreme to say it’s getting late on December 29th.
They have done a lot since the off season began. That is for sure. And quite frankly, they needed to. Despite the AL Pennant, the 2024 team had holes and weaknesses that had to be fixed.
But here is my point, the World Series ended 60 days ago. I know, it really hasn’t been that long ago, so I won’t say it’s late in the offseason, but it certainly isn’t day break either.
When I read and consume the digital content about all that has been done so far by the Yankees this offseason, and how great of a job they have done since Juan Soto and his mother decided to take Steve Cohen’s money, I can’t help myself by feeling a little apprehensive as of today.
Yes, they have improved the outfield defense quite a bit by simply moving Aaron Judge back to where he belongs in right field, and by acquiring a very good defender, and lefty bat in Bellinger to go along with the fulfillment of a 5 and ½ year buildup of Jasson Domínguez as an everyday MLB player.
How they decide to position Bellinger and Dominguez is still unknown at this point. Who plays center field and who plays left field is still undecided, but as we all know already, playing left field at Yankee Stadium requires coverage of almost as many square feet as center field does.
They then went and replaced Anthony Rizzo at first base with veteran Paul Goldschmidt. I’m not quite sure that is an actual improvement. But, Rizzo never seemed to get over that brutal concussion he suffered and played through for almost 66 days in 2023 before it was diagnosed.
That still makes my blood boil.
They added a solid lefty starter in Max Fried and a solid righty late inning guy in Devin Williams.
All good.
But still wide open are two spots that have not been filled.
With the departure of Gleyber Torres, in my book it makes sense to shift Jazz Chisholm to second base, where he will not require a learning curve and afterschool tutoring to effectively play the position like it should be played at the MLB level.
So that leaves a huge defensive hole wide open. Third Base. One of the more coveted and celebrated positions ever for this franchise.
We have had coverage at this position by players such as ARod, Nettles, Boyer, Rolfe, Brosius, Boggs, Brown, Dugan and Pags.
They desperately need a quality third baseman if they truly want to repeat as AL Champs.
In the last 24 hours, I have heard them float the concept of DJ LeMahieu and Wally Cabrera splitting duty to cover third base.
That doesn’t work for me. If this was 4 years ago, absolutely play DJ. But, injuries and age have not been friendly to our old pal, DJ.
Cabrera is not an everyday player, at least not on a team that wants to repeat as AL Champs and win it all in October.
The other and sometimes overlooked position still unsettled for years is not on the defensive side of the ball.
It is a critical offensive position; leadoff hitter.
Many may not agree and will fall back on new age stats that attempt to make arguments that diminish the true role of a leadoff hitter. You know the arguments. One of them I always find humorous is to bat your best hitter leadoff so he gets more at bats over the course of a season. To me that is nothing more than gauging your driving range 3 wood swing vs your fairway 3 wood swing, which takes much more into consideration then just how far you hit it off of a flat surface.
Unfortunately, there is no Rickey Henderson available, and probably never will be again. He was the greatest at that position (IMO). I was fortunate enough to have seen his career, and will always remember those 4 + years he played in the Bronx.
Regardless, this team has overlooked that critical position year after year lately.
Since Bret Gardner and Derek Jeter started alternating at this spot in 2010 - 2014, and then they sprinkled in Jacoby Ellsbury for a stretch, it has been a weak spot. Believe it or not, in 2022 the opening day leadoff hitter was none other than Josh Donaldson, in 2023 it was DJ LeMahieu, and in 2024 it was Gleyber Torres (who is now a Tiger).
The leadoff hitter has been one of the most transformed positions in baseball during the analytical era. Through most of the preceding history of baseball, the most significant trait from a leadoff hitter has been speed and the ability to steal bases.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, a shift in the leadoff hitter was launched, some like to say. That was to place high walk and high on-base hitters at leadoff ahead of hitters with speed.
I don’t entirely agree with that revisionist history platform.
Regardless, the spot needs to be addressed. What skills should they be looking for to fill this spot?
In my book there are 4 traits that I look for.
1. Get on base for your best hitters in the lineup (2-5). Scoring probability increases 2 fold when the leadoff hitter gets on base.
2. See pitches, make the pitcher work and take your walks. I like a walk % of at least 12 - 15%. To do so, the hitter must have a keen eye and not chase bad pitches.
3. Make contact and avoid striking out at all costs, as a leadoff strike out can more often than not crush your scoring opportunities in that inning.
4. Run the bases well. Put pressure on the defense. Force the pitcher to make great pitches to the best hitters (2-5) on the team.
So, who on this current roster bats leadoff? Who on this this roster possesses those skills? Or is that person still not on the roster?
For a bit of this winter we heard that they may give that opportunity to Caleb Durbin, then they traded him.
They are in a challenging spot here, because the on field position unresolved (in my opinion) is third base, and third baseman generally possess different offensive abilities and skill sets.
I hear talk amongst baseball pundits and fans about Alex Bregman as an option for the Yanks. But, he bats in the middle of the order, as you would expect. If they did add Bregman, they would still have the same hole.
Alec Bohm is also available, but he is not a very good base runner, amongst other issues and challenges on the field.
The answer may just be trading someone from the current roster and then filling 2 defensive spots.
My solution would be trading Jazz Chisholm in a deal for Ryan McMahon in Colorado. I’d make McMahon my starting third baseman.
My next move? Rumor is that Luis Arraez can be acquired. Since we already know that Brian Cashman and A.J. Preller can work deals together, and now that Jackson Merrill looks like he is the real deal and can hit leadoff, I’d be on the phone to work a deal and install Arraez as my second baseman and leadoff hitter.
Arraez, may not check all of the above boxes such as walks, but he more than makes up for that with his incredible bat to ball skills.
He may not be a gold glove fielder either, but we just ended 6 years of Gleyber Torres and his brain freezes and defensive weaknesses in the middle of the diamond.
I’d love to hear other scenarios, so please let me know your thoughts.
But, bottom line for me is they need a leadoff hitter, and they need a third baseman if they want to be an elite team, and I don’t see that as one player.
I saw an interesting piece in the NY Post about how the last reiteration of the Baby Bombers played out now that we have the benefit of history to now use.
These were the gifted core of players that were supposed to succeed Derek Jeter and the “Core Four” as the exemplary long-term Yankees that would carry on the tradition of championships.
Just in case you need a refresher, they were:
Aaron Judge
Gleyber Torres
Miguel Andujar
Gary Sanchez
Luis Severino
Greg Bird
Clint Frazier
Tyler Austin
Slade Heathcott
I know what you’re thinking, “here he goes again bashing Brian Cashman”.
Sorry to disappoint you, but that is not the case. Sometimes, you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
What this tells me is how difficult it actually is to project future performance, and how you also need a little luck along the way.
I didn’t know many people back in 2015 - 2017 that had a problem with any of the above players, including me. In fact, most of us couldn’t wait for them to play together.
I don’t need to go over how history played out for these guys, we all know it.
As great of a player Aaron Judge has turned into, when I look over that list 1 single moment comes to mind.
What a moment!!
This one might just be number 2.
Both of them are gone from the team, and both of them can be called disappointments.
Baseball is hard to play, and it is almost as difficult to find the guys to play it at the MLB level. Sometimes we may forget that. I know I do.
Who knows how Volpe, Wells, Dominguez, Schmidt and Jones will do over the next 3 or so years. We see signs with them just as we did with the 2015 – 2017 Baby Bombers.
Hopefully, they have a different destiny.
What we do know is that when Gene Michael rebuilt the Yankees back in the early 90’s, he knew what he was doing, and he also was subject to a little luck, and even some bad luck.
In case you need a reminder:
What could have been?
So, it has now been reported that the Dodgers signed Teoscar Hernandez to a three-year, $66 million deal with a $15 million club option for 2028.
And, you will never guess what they did?
Let’s start here, originally, the name "Dodgers" comes from the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, the team's original name in 1896. The name refers to the fans who would dodge the electric trolley tracks in front of Eastern Park to get to the park. The name was shortened to "Dodgers" in 1932.
Today, it seems that they are living up to that name, however instead of dodging trolleys these days, they are dodging the Luxury Tax.
Deferred salaries help teams manipulate MLB Luxury Tax Rules distributing the financial obligation and allowing for better player signings.
Hernández's deal includes a $23 million signing bonus and more than $23 million in deferred money.
In business using loopholes in regulations to minimize tax liabilities, strategically utilizing intellectual property laws to protect competitive advantages, exploiting zoning laws to build larger structures in a specific area, or leveraging employment laws to reduce labor costs through loopholes in hiring practices, all while technically remaining within legal boundaries but potentially pushing the ethical limits, are used in some circumstances.
The Dodgers now owe eight players more than $1 billion in deferred money from 2028 to 2046.
When the Dodgers keep deferring contracts to sign every star player they want, it skews the competitive balance system.
Sometimes, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. There is no way this is good for the game.
Since this started with the “Dodgers” we have heard crickets from Mr. Manfred.
Another thing I wanted to discuss (vent) is cutting the cord.
I touched on this matter a few years back. Internet television and streaming was sold to us as the wave of the future. It was sold to us as being considerably cheaper. Remember?
As an example, filling this “need” was YouTube TV for a manageable $35 a month.
As a matter of background, way back in 2017, we were told to dump those gluttonous cable companies and their $200+ a-month bills and sign up for a streaming service. Then you could soak up all your favorite channels for half the cost.
By 2019, it soared to $50.00. In 2020, it went up to $65.00. In 2023 it went up to $73.00.
Well, YouTube TV just announced they’re increasing their price, once again. Beginning January 13, 2025, it will be $83.00 a month for their base plan.
The innovative charm of cutting the cord was sold as ease of use, less costs and watch what you want. OK, what’s the catch, I thought.
Now?
People are overwhelmed in subscription services and fees. I did a little research, and for me (New Jersey resident) to see what I am accustomed to viewing in one nice clean package, it would now look like the below.
Further, those are just to view shows. To have my normal high quality resolution, that’s an extra $9.99 per month.
It’s not necessarily just the cost; it’s the aggravation and inconvenience. I am a channel surfer. When commercials hit, I am moving on to 2 minutes of something else, then back to my show or game. I love my “previous channel” button and I use it. I must go through 20 AA batteries a year.
If you stream, you have to sort through numerous different apps to find out who currently owns the streaming rights to a show you want to watch. If you want to tune into live sports, it’s even worse.
Many of the games are blacked out, or are on some service I didn’t even know about.
Flipping back and forth is history, and was a deal breaker for me. I am glad I was so stubborn.
I didn’t go that route.
Cable/Fiber Optics is much more user friendly, and doesn’t require me to memorize a ton of passwords, and based on the current rate sheets, I am not so sure it is even more expensive when you factor in the Internet package that gets bundled with my fiber optic deal.
As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
Happy New Year, folks!
can the Yankees afford to trade young pitchers to the Cubs
in order to acquire Hoerner?
Here's another question for the SSTN Commentariat: If before the trade you were mentally slotting in Caleb Durbin (0 MLB PAs) as the lead-off hitter, why the qualms about having Jasson Dominguez (100 MLB PAs) there?
They traded away Caleb Durbin, another leadoff candidate. They've tried at different times, for different lengths of time, but at this point neither Volpe nor Peraza are leadoff guys. Do they bat Jazz at leadoff then move Judge back to the 2 hole? Right now, I have Dominguez as the leadoff hitter, but this being the Yankees, they will try to stick Volpe back at the top. Sigh!
But as 3B goes, with what is on the roster right now in DJ & Cabrera, they are covered there defensively. Peraza, like Jazz could play 2B or 3B. But the problem is at the plate. I do not believe Cabrera is an everyday play, and sticking him one position in my…
Anyone complaining about AAV being based on present value, please give me $1 million (or literally any amount of money). I'll give it back to you in 20 years and will even promise not to do anything with it other than buy government bonds.
I will stick with DirecTv. Can’t keep up with all these streamers. Besides, its the only way I’ve found to get YES if you live out of zone.
Seems only the Dodgers are able to take advantage of these deferrals in a meaningful way.
Certainly is something to address in the next CB agreement. At the very least, the percentage of the deferral must be capped. The Ohtani contract is an abomination and a clear attempt to circumvent the cap.