by Paul Semendinger
November 26, 2023
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At the end of this week, we'll be in December. It's at that time that Jung Hoo Lee will be posted - the word is he'll be posted by early December. We've had some good discussion about Lee here at SSTN. No one knows if he'll be a good Major Leaguer, a great Major Leaguer, or a bust. But, by the same token, no one knew if Ichiro Suzuki would make the transition to American baseball. They didn't know if Hideki Matsui would be a star either. There were a lot of questions at the time. Those two players made the transition to MLB successfully. Not all players do. Again, Lee might, but he might not. Assuming the risks involved, I hope the Yankees take the chance on him.
I believe that Lee is worth taking a chance on. He is younger than Cody Bellinger. He will also (most likely) come for far fewer years and for tens (hundreds) of millions less than Bellinger. I am not convinced that Cody Bellinger is the answer, or even an answer. If he's not, and he signs for 10 to 12 years, the Yankees will have another large bloated contract on their hands - one that will take them out of the running for the next player (or the next players - plural) they'll need in that time period. I'd much prefer the shorter deal (let's assume five years) that it would take to secure Jung Hoo Lee.
I want the Yankees to be aggressive in all areas. Acquiring Jung Hoo Lee is an aggressive move. This would excite me a great deal. I like the idea of possibilities. He brings a ton of possibilities.
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As baseball becomes more and more an international game, it would be great for one of the greatest players from Korea to be wearing Yankees pinstripes. That's another reason in favor of Jung Hoo Lee.
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According to MLBTR, the Yankees are interested in pursuing Jordan Montgomery. I think it is clear that Brian Cashman did a terrible job when he traded Monty for Harrison Bader. I think if asked, and if he were honest, Brian Cashman would even admit that.
So many people justified that trade by diminishing what Monty had given the Yankees and by speculating that Harrison Bader was a better player than he was. They made Montgomery seem like a bum while praising Bader as a potential difference maker. None of that ever made sense to me. Monty was not a bum. And Bader was highly over-rated by the Yankee faithful. His actual numbers told a different story. It was so clear - as soon as the trade was made.
Simple rule of thumb - if you team is in a pennant race, don't trade a starting pitcher doing well when you need pitching. Further, don't trade your pitcher for a guy who is injured and won't play for more than a month and who has a history of being injured.
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This winter, MLBTR ranks Jordan Montgomery as the 6th best free agent in all of MLB. Harrison Bader is ranked 36th.
MLBTR predicts Montgomery will get a six-year contract worth $150 million.
MLBTR predicts Bader will get a two-year contract worth $20 million.
The difference between the two players, less than a year after the trade, is now measured in light years (or $130 million dollars).
Yet, I still read of people defending the trade. It was a disaster, plain and simple.
A disaster.
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I hope the Yankees make a huge deal soon. I know there is time, but it's so fun when they make big deals. Big deals create excitement.
The Yankees need to do things to excite their fan base.
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I was 100% in favor of the Mets signing Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
I was 100% in favor of the Jets signing Aaron Rodgers.
I said, a lot, over the summer that the Rodgers deal could end up like the Mets' deals. But I still think it was worth it. To win, you have to take chances and Rodgers was the best option for the Jets.
Still, investing in old players is risky business and it doesn't always work out.
This is why the Yankees should go all out in signing and trading for 25-year old players with huge talent.
You can read this as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jung Hoo Lee, and Juan Soto. You're only young once. This is the age teams should be acquiring top players.
If I owned the Yankees, I would acquire them all.
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Ethan is slowly building a complete set of 1959 Topps baseball cards. For birthdays and holidays, for years, and for some special occasions, I have been helping him along by acquiring some big stars. His set has a long way to go, but he has most of the big stars. The 1959 Mickey Mantle card remains elusive. It's just too darn expensive.
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Being part of the Yankees, when they win, is something special that lasts forever. This is one reason the Mick is so hard to get for the 1959 set. The Yankees won all the time back then, and Mantle was, of course, great.
I'd love for the second half of Aaron Judge's career to be filled with championship moments.
By playing big, the Yankees can make that happen.
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I watched The Natural the other day. I love that movie. I know we have at least one reader here who hates it because it deviates from the novel.
Consider me crazy, but I like when the hero wins in the end.
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Let's Go Yankees!
