About the Off-Day: Meanderings of My Mind
By Tim Kabel
August 18, 2023
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The last-place Yankees limped out of Atlanta after being swept by the Braves. The Yankees are 2-8 in their last 10 games and now stand at 60-61 for the season. The last time they had a record of 60-61 was 1995. That team rallied to win the Wild Card. Does anyone realistically believe that this team will do the same thing? The answer is no. The Yankees will begin a three-game series against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium tonight. The Red Sox are just one of several teams the Yankees trail in the standings. This off-day is the perfect time to discuss multiple topics concerning the Yankees.
The other day, Pedro Martinez compared the Yankees to chihuahuas. I think that is completely ridiculous, unfair and insulting. What did chihuahuas ever do to Pedro Martinez that he would besmirch them so savagely? The current Yankee team would have to increase its toughness level ten-fold to be considered chihuahuas. They are as intimidating as chinchillas.
When Aaron Boone spouts off about this team making "an unlikely run", it simply provides more evidence that he is completely out of touch and needs to go.
I read an article describing how the Yankees' offense has not improved under Sean Casey. I really don't think it's fair to expect him or anyone else to transform a team in less than a month. There have been some signs of the team making improvement offensively, but Casey needs to be given more of an opportunity. At the very least, he seems to be communicating openly and regularly with his players.
Many people, myself included, have stated that the Yankees should fire both Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone. Ideally, that should happen now so that the new GM could begin assessing what changes need to be made to the roster as soon as possible. However, Hal Steinbrenner has apparently gone on record stating that Brian Cashman will be retained. I think Hal is afraid to sail into uncharted waters. He relies very heavily on Brian Cashman and has since taking over the team from his father. Removing both the manager and general manager would leave Hal without a shoulder to lean on. Therefore, it's almost a given that Cashman will be back.
Former Yankees' prospect, Ben Ruta, ripped the organization the other day. He claimed the Yankees do not teach young players fundamentals or how to play the game. The obsession with analytics has seemingly infiltrated the Yankees' organization at all levels. Many fans have criticized Cashman's over-reliance on analytics for quite a while. The claim by Ruta, combined with the Major League team's collapse this season, may lead to monumental changes within the organization.
Since it is fairly obvious that Brian Cashman will be back, what needs to be done and what can be done with him as the General Manager? If the team is not going to have a new general manager, this general manager needs to do things differently. Analytics do play a role in the game, but there has to be a blend. There has to be a combination of traditional, old-school methods as well as the new. The firing of Dillon Lawson as the hitting coach and the fact that he was replaced with Sean Casey was the first step in this direction. I think there will be major changes in the organization, particularly at the Major League level.
While I believe there will be changes in the organizational structure and the manager and coaching staff at the Major League level, I do believe that Matt Blake and his staff will be retained. I think that whoever the new manager is, he will need to work with and accept Matt Blake as his pitching coach. A major part of this is that Matt Blake seems to have the support of Gerrit Cole and other prominent pictures on the team.
When the Yankees begin the series against the Red Sox tonight, Oswald Peraza and Everson Pereira should be in the starting lineup. They most likely will not be but, they should be.
On the day that Everson Pereira joins the major league club, Jasson Dominguez needs to be in the starting lineup for Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Much like the team did with Anthony Volpe last year, Dominguez needs to get his feet wet at the AAA level this season.
Billy McKinney has not been bad for the Yankees. However, he is not part of the long-term solution for this team. He needs to be cut loose today, to make room for Pereira. A similar move needs to be made to get Oswald Pereza on the roster. He should be playing third base every day for the rest of the season for the Yankees.
The Yankees are not a lost cause. They have a lot of very good pieces and will not require a major rebuilding process. However, there are several players who need to be removed from this team.
There is no way in the world that Luis Severino should be re-signed. He has become awful, and I suspect he may be hiding an injury. Regardless, his inconsistencies and injuries have made him too much of a liability. He needs to go elsewhere.
Harrison Bader has been a fine player for the Yankees but, he is injury prone, and I believe we would all be regretting his contract long before it reached its completion if the Yankees signed him.
The Yankees need to find takers for DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton. I like both of them but,in order for the Yankees to be successful, they need to get younger and more athletic.
If Josh Donaldson is able to play by the middle of September, he should be restricted to minor league games or simulated games. Playing him at the Major League level this season serves no purpose. The team is not going anywhere, and neither is he. He would simply occupy a roster spot and a position in the lineup that could be better used on other players. The team should treat him to a 99 burger and a milkshake and send him on his way.
There are several people, including Michael Kay, who have stated that the failure of the Yankees this year is not Aaron Boone's fault. Maybe it isn't entirely his fault but, he has been the manager for six seasons and has done nothing. There is major evidence to support the idea that he is not an effective communicator with his players, and he has done nothing to develop young talent. There is a lot of young talent already here and more on the way. The Yankees need a manager who can work with and develop Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, Everson Pereira, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jasson Dominguez, and Austin Wells.
I would like to see the Yankees hire Don Mattingly to be their next manager. I think they need to take a step back from someone who is committed to following the analytic path exclusively. I know some people have criticized Mattingly. But people criticized Joe Torre when he was hired as well. John Flaherty, the Yankees broadcaster, has spoken at great length about how Mattingly helped him improve and develop as a hitter when he played for the Yankees. I think Mattingly would be a tremendous choice to work with the young players the Yankees want to be part of their future.
Whether or not Anthony Rizzo is able to play again this season, it is reasonable to expect that he will be playing first base for the Yankees next year. Until he suffered that concussion in the game against San Diego, he was off to a great start. If the Yankees retain Gleyber Torres to play second base, the starting infield could very well be Rizzo at first, Torres at second base, Anthony Volpe at shortstop, and Oswald Peraza at third base. If the Yankees trade Torres, Peraza and Volpe could handle the middle infield positions, and the Yankees could find someone else to play third base.
In addition to bringing Peraza and Pereira up now, the Yankees should work very hard in spring training to accelerate the development of Austin Wells and Jasson Dominguez.
Developing and promoting their young players will give the Yankees a solid base. They can add to that through trades and free agent signings. With Severino leaving the team, they will have an opening for a starting pitcher. If they are able to trade Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees would theoretically be able to sign Shohei Ohtani to be both the designated hitter and part of the starting rotation.
Cody Bellinger could also be another possibility as a free agent signing. He could play centerfield or leftfield until Jasson Dominguez is ready and then move to first base to replace Rizzo moving forward.
The potential additions of Ohtani and Bellinger, along with the development of Austin Wells, would provide the Yankees with significantly more left-handed hitting and power. Imagine, if you will, this lineup:
1.Volpe SS
2.Judge RF
3. Ohtani DH
4.Torres 2B
5. Bellinger CF
6. Pereira LF
7. Rizzo 1B
8.Peraza 3B
9.Trevino/ Wells C
That would be a younger, more athletic, and balanced lineup than what they have currently. Oswaldo Cabrera could fill the utility role, as could isiah Kiner-Falefa, if he were re-signed. However, the key would be using IKF judiciously and not having a manager who is convinced that he needs to be an everyday player. IKF as a role player is much more desirable than having him as a mainstay. The lineup that I present above does not require multiple free agent signings or trades. It requires the addition of two players. It also requires the removal of a few players, many of whom will be free agents at the end of this season. This is not an unreasonable or unrealistic lineup.
For those people who say that Ohtani can't be signed by the Yankees, I ask, why not? He will be signed by somebody. It might as well be the Yankees. They were in on the bidding when he chose the Angels. Hal Steinbrenner has proven that although he is not his father, he can make a few moves here or there, when needed. After all, he did sign Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole, and he was instrumental in re-signing Aaton Judge. I predict that if the Yankees put forth a line up similar to the one I have presented here, they will have a successful season next year. In addition, they will be building a team that can take them into the future.
