SSTN Mailbag: Judge, Catcher, Williams, and AzFL Selections!

What a week.  If there’s a better way to look at a significant challenge and say, “check, please,” I don’t know of it.  Once again, the Yankee manager, Aaron Boone, has proven that he is unable to bring the best out of his players.  We have seen this story time and time again, and that’s just in terms of his ability to get his players to play their best; I’m not even talking about Boone’s poor bullpen and roster management.

Brian Cashman deserves blame here, but I don’t think it’s in the way most people think.  Cashman built a roster that should be near the top of the AL; his moves at the deadline should make the Yankees one of the two best teams in the AL.  However, his brazen insistence that Boone is a championship manager has largely squandered the prime of the best player the Yankees have employed in recent memory.  Now, a Yankee team that should be contending is floundering.

Hal Steinbrenner has enabled this mess.  Aaron Boone should be on the hot seat, but we know that Boone won’t be fired mid-season.  Why?  It has nothing to do with Cashman; all reporting that has come out about Steinbrenner’s managerial philosophy shows that he is unwilling to change management during the season.  So much for sending a message.

I have no confidence in Aaron Boone to get the job done. I so hope he proves me wrong, but little that I've seen has shown that's how the rest of the season will go down.

As always, thanks for the great questions and keep them coming to SSTNReadermail@gmail.com. In this week's SSTN Mailbag, we'll talk about Aaron Judge's flexor strain, the catching situation, Devin Williams, and AzFL selections! Let's get at it:

James K. asks: What are your thoughts on the plan to bring Judge back after the 10 day minimum? Are they risking further injury to a franchise cornerstone and can he be the same guy? I'm not even talking about playing Stanton in rf.......

I'm going to give you some very raw thoughts about Judge's injury, because it's one with which I have significant experience. I strained my flexor tendons (and exacerbated an old, previously undiscovered, UCL injury) back in April. Much of Judge's description of how the injury feels matches what I have felt for the last 4 months. The injury is to Judge's right hand, the top hand on the bat. I have seen much analysis, including from people whose work I really respect, talking about how much better it is that the right hand and forearm are impacted, as it will allow Judge to hit. I couldn't disagree more.

One of the most important attributes scouts evaluate when looking at a ballplayer is something you and I almost never learn about a player: hand strength. When scouts evaluate a ballplayer they like, they immediately try to meet them and shake the player's hand. This isn't just about formalities or niceties; scouts want to know if a guy has strong hands. It is an indication of power potential, bat control, and so many other aspects of playing the game. Without hand strength, a hitter can't be the same guy.

A standard flexor strain cut my hand strength (normally fairly significant) to less than 1/10 of its usual standard before significant pain set in. It's really only in the last month or so that I feel like I could swing a bat or a golf club if I wanted to. I only just realized that I'm capable of flipping a ball 45-50 MPH from 60-80 feet. The injury was to my top hand on a bat and my throwing arm, just like Judge.

I can't help but think that Judge is going through the same thing. I don't think he'll be the same guy the rest of this year. I also worry that he might do permanent damage by continuing to play. These factors alone should give the Yankees significant pause about allowing him to play this season as the franchise cornerstone.

Brian C. asks: Wells has been a huge disappointment this season and Rice at least brings potential to the table. How should the Yankees handle both players for the remainder of the season?

It's really pretty simple. I think Wells needs to sit with greater frequency until he finds himself at the plate again; Rice has earned more playing time and he's looked less rough than expected behind the plate (though I still don't see an everyday catcher). Wells should continue to get playing time by virtue of the fact that Paul Goldschmidt should almost never play against a right-handed pitcher. The splits are that bad.

Aaron Boone now has a flexible roster full of platoon options. He needs to use them effectively, and there will be plenty of playing time for everyone.

Mark S. asks: What should the Yankees do with Devin Williams and was it a mistake to hold on to him at the trade deadline? He looks like a turtle who wants to crawl back into his shell.

It's been obvious since the start of the season that the Williams experiment has been a massive failure. He looks uncomfortable in pressure situations and worse, uncomfortable in New York. I get why the Yankees held on to him, but he needs to be the last option out of the bullpen right now, and if he isn't right by mid-September, I think he's a DFA option. It's that bad.

Would you trust him in a playoff situation, if the Yankees make it? I sure wouldn't. That's answer enough about how this situation will end.

Alan B. asks: Andy: Now that the trade deadline has passed, let's start thinking about who we'd send to the AFL. If they're healthy, I'm sending both Pitchers Henry Lalane and Bryce (Opie) Cunningham. My other 2 guys that I'd want to send are Roderick Arias & Jackson Castillo or Dillon Lewis - which ever one gets stuck in High A for the season. I know each club gets 6 or 7 but this is all I got for now.

I'd go with 3 pitchers and 3 hitters. I agree with Lalane and Cunninham, and I'd add Hess to that list. On the hitter side, Brendan Jones has turned himself into an interesting prospect, and deserves a look on a bigger stage. Besides Jones? George Lombard Jr. is another obvious choice. I really can't decide on another, but Lewis might be my choice.