The Tuesday Discussion: Who Will You Most Miss?
We asked our writers to tell us which 2019 Yankee who won’t be on the team in 2020 will they miss the most?
Here are their answers:
Paul Semendinger – Stop Spreading the News…this one is easy, Didi Gregorius. I loved Didi’s enthusiasm. I loved his positive energy. I loved his style and grace. I loved the bat flip. I also loved his Tweets “Start Spreading the News…” (I did think it was time for Gleyber Torres to assume his place at shortstop, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t miss Didi.)
Derek McAdam – The Yankees player I will miss the most may actually surprise some. Austin Romine will be the player I miss the most. Romine was one of those players that would always seem to be productive whenever he was called upon. Gary Sanchez went through several injury slumps, and Romine was right there to take his place. He did not offer the power that Sanchez has, but was able to put together productive at-bats and have a solid game behind the plate. The Yankees value backups, and Romine could have been one of the most valuable backups to lose. I wish him the best of luck in Detroit!
Matthew Cohen – Dellin Betances. I followed him from his early days in the minors until his last game as a Yankee. When he had control he was almost unhittable. It’s too bad that he’s gone. I’d rather have a healthy Betances than Ottavino.
Lincoln Mitchell – I will miss Deilin Betances most. He was erratic at times, but overall was an excellent pitcher who, if healthy, would have been a real asset to the Yankees in 2020.
Mike Whiteman – The Yankee I’ll miss most is Didi Gregorius. I think he’s due for a significant bounce back season. Living in a Philadelphia market, I may get to watch him rake for the Phillies and lament his leaving all summer!
Ed Botti – Hands down it’s Didi Gregorius. Didi came into his job with the Yankees given an incredibly difficult task; replace Derek Jeter. He did an outstanding job during his time in the Bronx (2015-2019), and was what appeared to be a great teammate. His left handed bat and slick fielding will be sorely missed. I still contend that he should have been retained.
John Nocero – Dellin Betances. I know Joe Girardi overworked him and he likely would not be the same pitcher if he came back this year, but I believe he was sorely missed last year. Yes, Jonathan Loiasiga may be able to step into that role, but don’t you believe that the Yankees evaluated that before they started talking about trading for Brewers P Josh Hader? With both Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu in the infield, I don’t worry about the drop off without Didi Gregorious at all. It is the loss of Betances that I fear the most.
Patrick Gunn – This is tough, because Didi Gregorius and Dellin Betances have both been two of my favorite players on the Yankees’ recent group. Both have been leaders in the clubhouse while performing well on the big stage. Gregorius has the more memorable moments in the post season, but I think I will give the slight edge to Betances because of his slightly longer history in Pinstripes. I have been following his journey since he was one of the Killer-B’s in the minor leagues. While he never became an ace-level starter, Betances still became one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. His presence on the mound was sorely missed last year even with the Yankees’ bullpen still being fantastic, and I will miss seeing him in the Bronx this year. Luckily, he is only a subway trip away from the Bronx, so at least Betances is staying close to home.
Andy Singer – I’m going to cheat a little bit: because the scope of the question is open to interpretation, I’m going to tell you who I will miss the most on an emotional level, but then tell you who I’ll miss the most from an analytical perspective.
On an emotional level, I’ll miss Didi the most. I was a fan of Didi’s even before he became a Yankee. I didn’t think that he got a fair shake in Arizona, and I was stoked when the Yankees dealt for him. Didi became an above-average everyday shortstop in New York, more than capably replacing Derek Jeter, not only on the field, but away from it as well. As much as I liked Didi as a prospect, what surprised me was how much I liked watching him play every single day. Didi was rarely without a giant smile when he was around Yankee Stadium. It was obvious that as seriously as he prepared to play the game, he also never lost the boyish enjoyment for the game like so many other professionals do at some point. I’m going to miss scanning the dugout or the field to find what Didi was up to. As good as Didi was on the field as a Yankee, I’ll miss his positive, fun aura more.
On the field, I think that the Yankees will miss Dellin Betances the most. The Yankees have a budding star replacing Didi at SS (and yes, I think Torres will be fine defensively). While the Yankees may very well be able to take one of the numerous imperfect young starters in their ranks and turn them into a viable late-inning reliever, that likelihood is far from a certainty. Over his 5 years in pinstripes, I would venture to say that Betances was the best reliever in baseball year-over-year. Even if he is somewhat diminished after last year’s injury woes, I think that Dellin Betances would make the 2020 bullpen that much better.
