The Yankees’ season of underwhelming reached a crescendo with a stunning loss last night that saw them blow a four-run lead by yielding seven runs in the ninth inning. New York currently sits at 41-39 with a -3 run differential, an 8.5-game deficit in the AL East and a 5.5-game deficit in the AL Wild Card race. There’s been plenty of speculation about the team selling off some veteran pieces prior to the July 30 trade deadline, but Hal Steinbrenner made clear today when addressing reporters that he has no such plans.
“That’s not a direction I’m contemplating,” Steinbrenner said when asked whether the Yankees might be deadline sellers (Twitter links via Newsday’s Erik Boland). To the contrary, it seems rather that Steinbrenner expects his team will work to improve. The Yankees have taken plenty of flak for being the game’s most valuable franchise but staunchly refusing to exceed the luxury tax for a third straight season. Steinbrenner now, however, says he’ll consider crossing that line at the deadline if it gets his team over the edge.
The Yankees currently sit just under $4MM shy of the $210MM luxury barrier, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez, and it’s no coincidence that they so narrowly managed to limbo under that bar. The vast majority of the Yankees’ offseason moves made ownership’s desire to avoid that line transparent. The club targeted Jameson Taillon and his $2.55MM salary as its second rotation piece after inking Corey Kluber for a year and $11MM. The Yanks also traded right-hander Adam Ottavino to the archrival Red Sox in a trade that lopped around $8MM off their luxury obligations. (Ottavino, conversely, has pitched quite well for the first-place Red Sox.)
Late signings of Justin Wilson, Darren O’Day and Brett Gardner were all structured to include player options which were unlikely to be exercised but nevertheless lowered the luxury commitment on those additions because player options count as “guaranteed” money and thus drop a contract’s average annual value. From the jump this past offseason, nearly every decision the Yankees made was colored by a desire to drop under the luxury barrier.
If the Yankees do indeed end up crossing the line, the question will naturally be one of whether it’s too little or too late. Exceeding the barrier will come with the maximum dollar-for-dollar tax rate possible on any overages: 50 percent for the first $20MM, 62 percent for the next $20MM and 95 percent for any spending thereafter. It’s unlikely at this point that they’d spend to reach the top level of penalization, of course, but exceeding the tax this year would again subject the Yankees to luxury penalization in 2022 — assuming some iteration of the current system remains in place after the expiration of the 2016-21 collective bargaining agreement. Were they to remain under the tax, they’d “reset” their penalty level and only be subject to the first tier of luxury payments in 2022.
Steinbrenner also voiced confidence in general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, and the team’s coaching staff (Twitter links via Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). Steinbrenner noted that his GM has “done a good job” assembling the roster and praised his communication skills, scouting acumen and knowledge of analytics while suggesting that a clearly talented roster simply hasn’t performed up to standards. As for Boone and the coaches, Steinbrenner called them “absolutely” the right people to lead the team.
Yankee fans who’ve followed the team since Hal’s father, George, was running the ship are no doubt aware of the likelihood that the elder Steinbrenner would’ve cleaned house in the front office and the dugout by now. But Steinbrenner emphasized that he’s his own person while pointing out that oftentimes, his father’s more rash personnel decisions didn’t actually pay dividends.
On the whole, Steinbrenner’s comments are something of a mixed bag for Yankee fans. While many are surely relieved to hear that the club will finally consider exceeding the tax line, there’s no doubt frustration that said point wasn’t arrived upon back in the offseason. As with any struggling team, fans have become increasingly frustrated with the front office and field staff alike, so the vote of confidence in Cashman and Boone may not be as popular as it once would’ve been.
Nevertheless, Steinbrenner’s comments are telling of the Yankees’ direction not only over the next 30 days but perhaps in the coming offseason and beyond. A prolonged losing streak could ultimately change the organization’s calculus, but for the time being it seems we should expect today’s pickup of outfielder Tim Locastro in a small trade with the Diamondbacks to be the first of multiple acquisitions as the Yankees look to change their fortunes in what has been a challenging 2021 campaign.
MetsFan22
They really should. No chance of making the playoffs.
Planbchu
Haha
deweybelongsinthehall
it’s only July 1st. There is plenty of time. Where was Washington just two years ago at this point in the season? It’s not easy or likely but it can be done. That said, Boston has been amazing with very little starting pitching. They will likely make a move or two and then of course Sale will be back in four to six weeks.
dimitriinla
I wouldn’t go that far but there are several aspects to this roster that were questionable before the season even started: a lack of reliable pitching, as well as shoddy defense. Those are on Cashman. If they choose to buy rather than sell it could cost them in competitiveness down the road.
SoxRewl
They went cheap. Signed players coming off big injuries or down years. This is what you get.
Kemajic
Neither of those are the primary reasons they are losing. They are not hitting or scoring runs! Last in the League in BA with RISP, leading the league in outs on the bases, near the top in SOs and GIDPs.
Captain-Judge99
@MetsFan22- I totally disagree with you, a whole 2nd half to play of the season. Your Mets look great so far though.
MetsFan22
I think the Yankees are a good team but I think the Sox’s and rays are playing great. How do you feel about them? You watch them a lot more. Could those teams really blow the lead?
Sideline Redwine
The Rays have looked terrible for a while now–yes, they eked out some wins against Boston and the Angels, but pitching has looked rough and clutch hitting has disappeared. Yankees trade for one good starter and they are in an advantageous position, imo; the Rays, sadly, will likely not make a move (though it is time to bring up those pitching prospects once and for all). I am a Rays fan, and the last couple weeks have left me a bit more than concerned.
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
Hey MetsFan22, does the “Fan” stand for Fantasy & the 22 for your IQ?
its_happening
Yankees would be 10 games up in the NL East. Mets are the worst first place team in recent memory.
thecoffinnail
Iirc the Cardinals won their division in 2006 with only 83 wins and a .516 winning percentage. They went on to win the World Series that year. The 2021 Mets are similar to the 2015 Rangers. They won the AL West with only 88 wins. It’s not that the Mets are good this year it’s more of their division rivals all having a bad year. Except the Marlins. They are playing better than expected. The Mets expected to be competitive when they brought in Lindor, Corrasco, and Lucchesi. They dodged a huge bullet with Bauer. Their mistake was failing to sign a FA to replace Cano’s production after he was suspended. A good bat like Schwarber or Brantley would have been a good addition. The Mets could afford either to pair with Conforto in the corner OF. Since their farm is so top heavy it’s doubtful they will give up the prospects for Kimbrel but Bryant should be on their radar. Ginn, Baty or Allan headlining a package with a mid tier filler and a lottery ticket should be enough. Before Cubs fans crucify me think back to the Castellanos trade a couple of years ago. The Cubs will get a similar deal for Bryant. Rental position players don’t bring back elite prospects anymore. Kimbrel and Hendricks (if made available) will restock the Cubs farm. If they eat Kimbrel’s contract and include money for next year they could easily get a top 10 prospect for him. The Padres are a perfect match for him. Probably won’t be able to pry Gore away (unless they include Hendricks) but a package of Abrams and Lange is definitely possible. MLBTR should do a trade deadline contest like they do with off-season free agents.
Mickey777
We need new ownership!! Please sell the Yankees to someone who cares more about winning than financial consequences.
CrookedAsstros
There isn’t a single owner of a professional sports franchise left that cares about winning more than financial consequences.
Jean Matrac
CrookedAsstros:
Blanket statements are almost never true, let alone insightful. Such statements that all teams are the same, in regard to winning/financial considerations, is obviously not true. With even a cursory look at how differently teams operate financially, it’s clear there is a huge difference to the degree in which financial considerations affect any team’s desire to win.
Obviously finances play a role. Teams aren’t going to go bankrupt in an all out attempt to win. But teams do care about winning, and work hard to do so while being fiscally responsible. In general, owning sports teams is more about the prestige than making money. Billionaires don’t need the relatively small profits from sports teams, they could make elsewhere. There are better ways for them to make money. Winning is still the priority of most teams.
oldmansteve
Sir, this is a Wendy’s
Sideline Redwine
Nicely stated, tad. So many of these posts are so over-the-top…unfortunately, little critical thought goes into them!
Jean Matrac
Steve Nebraska:
I never said all blanket statements aren’t true, but just go ahead and purposefully misinterpret what I wrote to be contrary.
dimitriinla
As an Orioles fan (a team where cost issues have too often been over-prioritized) I can assure you that the team you root for cares about winning and is consistently willing to spend to do so.
KnicksFanCavsFan
you really think a single Steinbrenner DOESN’T care about winning? you sound like a spoiled fan. they have 2 players earning almost $70 mil for each of the next few seasons alone.
Poster formerly known as . . .
An owner who cares about winning is smart and is taking the right approach to assuring positive financial consequences, since winning will “put fannies in the seats” (to quote the late George Steinbrenner).
balloonknots
Pls Rays need new ownership where they spend 50mm on salary and owner pockets 50mm. Sad Yankees can’t compete with a budget 4 times as large.
A'sfaninUK
They have nothing to buy with.
Yankees haven’t finished under .500 since 1992 – that has to catch up with them at some point, or at least its would with all 29 other teams.
God this league is unfair.
seamaholic 2
Yanks farm is fine, they have plenty to buy with. They just aren’t willing to exceed the tax threshold. Thing is, between the possibility of there being no 2022 season, and a deal being worked out that substantially increases the lux tax threshold (which is the union’s #1 priority in negotiations, so very likely) this is less than a minor problem. It’s no problem at all.
dimitriinla
Wishful thinking (at best). Yanks farm is in fact below average and a current area of concern. Who’s ready now (or soon enough) to dramatically impact this underachieving roster?
seamaholic 2
“Who’s ready now” is irrelevant. The answer is no one, but that’s not what selling teams want anyway. They usually want guys in single A or lower, and that’s where the Yanks system is more than adequate.
Nick
The Yankees’ farm system right now is sort of where it was back in 2014-2015:
Middle-bottom ranking but anyone who is actually paying attention could tell you that is going to change in a year or two.
The 2014-2015 Yankees already had guys like Severino, Judge and Sanchez in the system but they were low down in A/rookie ball. People who were paying attention knew they were talented and that the farm system would climb the rankings as they climbed the minor league levels. By 2017 they were a top 5 farm system. People who had been paying attention weren’t particularly surprised.
A farm system’s spot in the consensus rankings is something that is mostly interesting to fans but they kind of lag behind MLB scouts and front offices in terms of knowing which players are the interesting one.
Within the next year or two you’ll see Oswald Peraza, Luis Medina and Anthony Volpe in particular shoot up the prospect lists. Right now none of the three are top 100 guys, but all three would have significant trade value.
A'sfaninUK
Disagree, Yankees farm outside Dominguez is all media hype, like usual. There might be one or two future MLB regulars in there but all the guys they will be offering are all going to be flameouts, as they historically always have been.
Dont forget: this league is lopsided towards NYC and its massive amounts of media over-covering the Yankees and Mets. Their prospects are always “future MVPs” when they are trade bait, but ultimately never do anything in MLB. Never believe Yankee prospect hype (other than maybe Dominguez).
Nick
It isn’t about “NYC hype”. If your understanding of who is a good prospect is dependent on the media telling you names, you’re doing it wrong…
Anyone and everyone can follow their team’s minor leagues on a daily basis without anyone in the media “telling” you anything.
milb.com/scores/new-york-yankees/2021-07-01
Takes 5 minutes a day to follow along.
The funny thing is you’re discounting players that you can actually follow ***without*** the media telling you anything about them and hyping up a guy who at age 18 has 5 professional at bats and 3 strikeouts because that same media tells you he’s really good.
(And I’m not saying that I don’t think Dominguez is good… just pointing out the irony there)
Ronk325
The whole narrative of Yankees prospects being overhyped by the media is so tired. Sure they have produced a lot of busts over the years but so have a lot other teams. Also most of the names you’re probably thinking of are guys who excelled in the minors but could never translate that to big league success. It’s not like the media chose to overhype them just because they were in the Yankees organization
Nick
Ronk325:
Yep… and that goes back to my previous post. “Prospect Media Hype” only works for casual observers. Baseball teams employee these guys called “scouts” so I don’t think they give much consideration to an article in the NY Post about the “next great Yankees!”
Ronk325
You’re spot on, the Yankees don’t have too many names that jump out right now but they have a handful of guys to watch over the next year. I’ll be completely honest and say I don’t see Deivi, Gil, or Medina as big league SPs but I think they can all be good in the bullpen. Peraza and Volpe and even Josh Smith to a lesser extent are shortstops with real potential. I also like Wells’ bat but wish they would accept that he isn’t a catcher
billysbballz
Actually you are wrong regarding the farm. Possibly in top ten when lists come out. They have some high end positional talent and some big arms. I love the farm. Don’t like the big club.
Kemajic
Ambergey and Park are raking at SWB while we have several on the roster that can’t hit .200.
its_happening
Yankees farm system is exactly how it’s supposed to look when you are perennially near the top of the standings. They aren’t frequent sellers at top value like the A’s. When they did they reloaded like they did in 2017.
Kemajic
Yank farm is at best middle of the road. If it was good some of the regulars hitting less than .200 would have been replaced.
Cosmo2
You can draft and develop just fine while winning every year. Don’t need high draft picks to succeed, just need to draft and develop well. Make smart trades. Being able to go over the threshold helps smooth out a lot of mistakes.
donotinteruptMYkungfu
Holy cow….
JerryBird
I am a Cardinal fan, I ask: why should the Yankees sell? Like the Cardinals, they have a good corp to compete in 2022, if they hold on to their assets. Also like the Cardinals, they will keep enough fan interest for the rest of this year. Neither team is hopeless this year, as they are not completely out of it. I’d prefer both teams to keep what they got and move forward to 2022, perhaps a meaningless wild card in 2021. I hate when good teams sell and then rebuild from deeper than necessary.
seamaholic 2
This. Hate to agree with a Cardinals fan, but this is so true. “Selling” has implications beyond the current season. Unless you have an elite upper farm system (which the Yankees don’t … their strength is much lower down) or there’s a killer free agent class coming up this off-season (there isn’t) you’re sacrificing the next season too. And maybe the one after that. There’s no reason they can’t just hold tight, do nothing or maybe add a piece or two and see if they get hot, and reload for next year.
Ronk325
You’re right on most points except for the upcoming free agent class. I’d say it’s very strong. Everyone knows about the shortstops but you also have guys like Freeman, Bryant, Rizzo, Semien, and Schwarber assuming he declines his option, just to name a few. On the pitching side there’s several big named veterans like Scherzer, Kershaw, Verlander, and Gausman. Plus established closers like Jansen, Hand, and Barnes. I’m sure there are plenty of others I’m forgetting about but just the guys I listed make it a pretty strong class
goastros123
No way Kershaw leaves the Dodgers.
Ronk325
I don’t expect him to but he is a free agent so there’s always an outside chance. Plus the Dodgers already have a huge payroll and several key players hitting free agency soon
seamaholic 2
Almost none of those guys will make it to free agency. Not with the CBA negotiations coming up. The incentive to re-up with their current teams to avoid the uncertainty of being unemployed during a lock-out is immense. Of the shortstops, I suspect only Story will turn out to be available. Freeman’s going nowhere. Rizzo ditto. Scherzer, Kershaw, Verlander, Gausman all the same. Yanks have no interest in relievers. So you’re looking at maybe (and it’s a big maybe) Bryant and Story, of the big names.
Ronk325
I don’t know where you got that idea from because I haven’t heard anyone say anything along those lines. There’s also a very real chance that Freeman leaves the Braves if they lowball him. I wasn’t necessarily saying the Yankees would target the relievers. I was just including them as part of the free agent class
Nick
I think the Yankee fans screaming for the team to sell are being foolish. The Red Sox did basically nothing of note over the offseason and went from being a last place team in 2020 to looking like a playoff lock this year. How did that happen? Because they had a core of talented hitters who bounced back from poor-mediocre seasons. Would anyone be shocked if Gleyber, Voit, even Frazier came back with a significantly better 2022?
I ***do*** think their could be some value in retooling because a lot of the parts on this roster don’t seem to fit together perfectly despite the talent.
If we’re really playing under the $210M luxury tax line for the forseeable future, does it really make sense to carry Aroldis Chapman as a $17M bullpen piece when Cashman has consistently shown the ability to build good bullpens on the cheap? Darren O’Day, Justin Wilson and Lucas Luetge were added this offseason for less than 1/3 of that combined. If you could get someone to take Chapman and give you a prospect or two in return it might make sense to reallocate that money.
Stanton is having a nice season but he’s one of THREE injury prone 1B/RF/DH types. If you managed to get someone to take say… $16M of his annual salary (Yankees are paying $22.5 in terms of AAV so they’d be stuck paying $6.5M AAV), does it make sense to spend that $16M elsewhere while opening DH at bats up for your injury prone RF, your injury prone 1B and your poor defensive catcher? If Stanton can’t be moved does it make sense to move Voit and try to get a little more left handed at 1B?
Maybe this is all stuff worth thinking about in the offseason, but I don’t think it should be off the table. Despite all the talent, there’s something that isn’t quite clicking.
whyhayzee
The Red Sox actually made a lot of moves. Just not the big splashy moves that fans want. But they strengthened their rotation, their bullpen, their outfield and infield flexibility, and they changed their manager. Yes, they have a core of talented players but it’s on the smaller side since they turned over their outfield. There are more on the way and Sale is making his way back. They’re surprisingly good this year, but some of that is a result of good moves made.
Nick
Agree to disagree.
“They strengthened their rotation” – they brought in Garret Richards and (back) Martin Perez. 4.96 ERA and 4.04 ERA respectively. So a #4 and a guy that should probably be a long reliever.
“their bullpen” – the one spot where I agree. Otto, Sawamura and Whitlock have been great additions to the pen.
“OF/IF flexibility” – ok… Enrique Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez and Danny Santana have .714, .574 and 0.485 OPSes respectively. I’ll give you Hernandez (I’m feeling generous) but the other two have sucked. Hunter Renfroe turned out to be a nice move.
I have a hard time attributing their turn around to Enrique Hernandez hitting .236 and Garret Richards’ 4-5 record when Xander Boagaerts (.867 to .942 OPS), Rafael Devers (0.793 to 0.926 OPS) and JD Martinez (0.680 to 0.918 OPS) are all staring me in the face.
whyhayzee
Lemme splain.
Richards replaces Chris Mazza or Ryan Weber in the 3rd spot. Perez replaces Zack Godley in the 4th or 5th spot. Erod comes back but struggles. Pivetta slots in for Perez, Eovaldi for Eovaldi.
Bullpen completely reconstructed with Barnes as closer, three new reliable arms and continued improvement from Taylor and Hernandez.
Hernandez, Gonzales, Santana replace Chavis, Peraza, Benintendi, Bradley. Chavis gets called up and performs about the same.
Cora replaces Roenicke.
Also, don’t discount the moves made last year during the fake season. Those helped, too.
Again, these are not eye-opening moves but solid improvements. If anyone doubts the abilities of Bogaerts, Devers and JD, they’re not paying attention. These three are great hitters. Period.
whyhayzee
Oops, I forgot about Renfro. He goes on the pile with Hernandez, Gonzalez and Santana.
amjr
Keep kidding yourselves.
Ronk325
As a Yankee fan I would have no problem with them selling off any impending free agent. Chapman would have also been a prime candidate to trade if he didn’t torpedo his trade value over the last few weeks, although there’s still time to restore some of that. It’s a tough pill to swallow but it’s looking very unlikely for them to turn their season around
mike156
I’d stand pat (except for tinkering). Right now, they don’t look like a championship-quality team. And, quite possibly, a payoff team. There’s no single trade (or two trades) that would transform them into a real contender. They need their existing roster to play better. And, stay on the field. They might as well stay under the cap because there’s no real upside to breaking it. As to selling….well, they can be opportunistic with a player or two if they are going no-where and a real contender comes shopping. 2021 doesn’t (right now) look like their year. It happens. As a long-time Yankees fan, I can cope more with no playoffs than really dumb trades.
driftcat28 2
All lip service. They won’t cross the luxury tax. The seasons a lost cause. Time for Cashman to go. Have him take his friend Boone with him
goastros123
They don’t need to sell. They got a good core and are fully capable of winning the world series some time with in the next few seasons. I know Yankees fans are used to seeing their team in the playoffs time after time so when their team doesn’t live up the standard set by the legacy of the franchise, some lash out by doing things like booing their own team. However, trust me: some times you gotta just be patient. Yankees will win it all again and the longer you gotta wait, the sweeter it will be.
Bob333
They need to sell now.The owner is a loser.They are going to win squat.Keep dreamin they are not good.Cashman is a fraud and Boone needs to go.
Ancient Pistol
This is a below-level IQ post.
Goose
George is gone but they made the same mistakes of a bad George team. Overpriced and one dimensional players that are all stats but no intangibles. Think of the 70’s and 90’s Yankees and you will find this group has more in common with the 80’s teams.
Captain-Judge99
@driftcat28 2- I totally disagree. If the Yankees want to be a wild card or try to win the division they more then likely will have to go over the luxury tax to obtain a lefty contact hitter and a lefty power hitter.
bot
Go get Cruz. I’m sure they can find a spot for 1 more DH
Ducky Buckin Fent
Well, this is where the rubber meets the road, fellas.
This is the approach I thought the Yanks would take.
First: of course we’re not going to sell. That was never a question.
Second: although Hal hates paying a nonsensical tax (hey, so do I) he loves that playoff loot. Teams make ~ 20 mil per playoff series.
Meaning, he’ll pay a few mil in tax to ensure that end of year free fall. Which makes total fiscal sense, uh?
I know fans all over baseball are excited to kick us while we’re down. Makes sense as we’ve patiently dismantled then stomped on the hearts of…well, all of you.
We will not go away quietly, gang.
goastros123
People love to kick the Astros more than the Yankees now. How’s it going, Ducky. Yankees are gonna be fine.
Ducky Buckin Fent
I know you guys are a pretty big hate target right now.
But Yankee hated is passed down from generation to generation oftentimes. The cheating scandal will fade. It already is.
That won’t happen with us.
Somewhere right now, a father is patiently teaching his son to hate the Big Bad Wolf.
Bet.
Vizionaire
in my kid’s baseball league there was a yankee team. oh, the kids hated that!
Jean Matrac
Hey Ducky,
You’re right. Yankee hate has been passed down from generation to generation.
But there are legitimate reasons for that. It stems from all those years up to the mid-60s, when there was no restrictions on how teams spent money. For decades the Yankees treated smaller market teams like their farm teams.
Every high school prospect was a free agent, as well as what college players there were. And who had the best chance to sign those top prospects? The richest team in baseball, and they signed many. So for all those decades people felt the NYYs just bought the best teams.
The institution of the draft, with the reserve clause, was an attempt to level the playing field. But, the reserve clause got over-turned in court, which eventually resulted in free-agency.
The draft did mitigate somewhat the huge advantages that existed previously, but free-agency left some of the power of the dollar of wealthier teams.
I don’t really hate the Yankees, hate isn’t the right word. They have definitely earned a lot of their titles through good scouting, drafting, and development. But they also have benefitted hugely from the power of the dollar. Seeing them in the position they’re now is not sad for me.
Ducky Buckin Fent
I understand the history of it, @tad.
But you recapped it well.
Here’s something: when the Yanks met the Twins in the postseason in ’19, I heard a radio call in show out here. The topic was: would you rather beat the Yankees or win the World Series.
Check it. “Beat the Yankees” won.
I just simply cannot imagine living like that.
Jean Matrac
I referenced the history, Ducky, because so many Yankee fans love to trot out the 27 titles. I don’t want to diminish what they’ve done, it’s impressive, but also that number is inflated from what it would have been with a more level playing field.
That said, I don’t hate the Yankees, although I don’t like to see them win. As a Giants fan, I don’t hate the Dodgers either, and I can’t imagine hating the fans of those teams. I enjoy conversing with you and Dodger fans like @Cey Hey, and @Before McCourt. I don’t always agree, but like you, they try to be objective when it comes to talking about my team as well as theirs. It’s so much more enjoyable to me than the trading of insults.
Ducky Buckin Fent
For real it was a good synopsis.
Yeah, man, I don’t even care for the “27 titles beyotches” stuff myself, @tad.
But I’ve certainly been fortunate to be a Yankee fan. I’ve gotten to see two dynasties & a spare title. The Yanks have always been relevant. Even in my lifetime, we’ve accrued “enemies”: Royals, A’s, Twins, Indians, Mariners, Ray’s…
I get it.
“It’s so much more enjoyable than trading insults.” Boy howdy.
To go just a bit deeper, you guys *are* my baseball community. I live in Minneapolis. It’s not a baseball town to begin with & well…Twins fans. Those folks loathe the Yanks.
When it comes to talking baseball…well, you guys are it. Ya know? & I like to talk baseball, man. Not fight.
backhandinbaptist
Yes I’m sure it’s his choice someone who made poor choices plays on the team he cheers for. Get outta here.
Ducky Buckin Fent
hat tip
whyhayzee
I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I’ve still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.
I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.
This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
I’m afraid. I’m afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I’m a… fraid.
Vizionaire
yanks are in the same leaky life boatsas angels are. no farm system to speak of, untradable expensive hitters and mediocre pitching.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Well, at least our bullpen is…awww, forget it, man.
thecrocusesareinbloom
For the Yankees to sit on their hands is delusional—they’re a team built around home runs that’s struggling to adapt to a new dead-ball era. If you want to get anything of value at all for these guys that came up as mashers during the launch angle craze, you’d better trade them now, before it’s too late.
bjhaas1977
Not selling because nobody is buying. They can get rid of those contracts.
seamaholic 2
This too. There’s gonna be a real shortage of buyers this deadline I suspect. No one’s got any money (in some cases self-inflicted) for one. Very few teams have sure-fire playoff chances for another, and the ones that do, don’t have very many holes. You’ll see relievers change hands, of course. And maybe a starter or two. But I bet not a single major position player (with a significant salary) gets traded this year.
adultsagainstthedh
I’ll bet Steinbrenner is behind Cashman and particularly Boone 1000 per cent. Make that 3K.
wait–is that over the Complete-Lack-Of-Credibility threshold?
Bob333
Can you say COOKED
Downwiththethickness
They won’t sell. Good. Whether they realize it or not, they don’t have much to sell.
The big contracts aren’t movable. They’d have to pay someone to take Hicks (and as is, he’s hurt), can’t see them moving DJ or Gleyber at low value, Sanchez and Judge are due arbitration raises and that probably doesn’t solve their problems anyway. Chapman?
Saying they won’t be sellers is fine. But it may not be for the reason Hal is thinking.
rocky7
Disagree with “they don’t have much to sell”! There’s always a team out there that will look at a Chapman, or Torres and say, they just need a tweek here and there, and a change of venue and they’ll be back….or who wouldn’t want Sanchez and immediately make him a part time catcher and full time DH given his power potential (see Schwarber this year). As far a DJ, the guy won’t hit .336 every year and if you watch how he is heating up and the plate over the last 10-15 games, while he may not win the batting title this year, he is as a solid contact hitter as they come….again regardless of his contract.
Value is in the eye of the receiver….the problem for the Yankees is what they might be able to net in a return….they most probably wouldn’t take what other teams might only be willing to give as these other teams would look to “win the trade”! Pittsburg has been famous for that over the last 10 years or so.
I do agree though, the trading deadline may be quieter this year than last given the uncertainty of a strike next season, and the lackluster gate most teams are seeing this season so far.
goastros123
Astros could use Chapman.
1984wasntamanual
Aren’t the Astros close to the Lux Tax line?
1984wasntamanual
I have a feeling that GMs are less bias in favor of the Yankees and their players than your evaluation.
kreckert
It’s somewhat extraordinary that Hal Steinbrenner learned exactly nothing–negative or positive–from watching his father run the team.
solaris602
Honestly the only players on the roster who are arguably tradeable are DJL, Torres, Frazier, and Voit, and what kinda return could you really expect? Nobody is gonna want Sanchez who can’t hit or catch, Stanton’s contract is pure poison, Chapman is a hot mess right now, Urshela has turned back into a pumpkin, etc. Judge would command a haul, but Yankee fans would riot in the stands if they dealt him. Bottom line is they’d have a tough time selling even if they wanted to.
rocky7
Do you or have you actually watched any Yankee games to make the statements you are making…..Sanchez is and has been pretty much carrying the team over the last 10-15 ball games….can he sustain is the question….but there are teams out there that would like to have his power in the DH spot with some part time catching also.
As far as Chapman….depends on what you think is issue is right now but he certainly hasn’t forgotten how to throw a baseball….just having confidence issues with the heater.
Urshela turning into a pumpkin……wrong again….Gold Glove defense at 3rd and good middle of the lineup contact hitter….
Again, you need to watch a few games before making comments just for making comments about a team.
JoeBrady
1-Sanchez is absolutely killing the ball right now. His YTD OPS+ is 130, and his OPS over the past month is probably north of 1.000.
2-Urshela is still a valuable player with a .760 OPS and good glove.
LetGoOfMyLeg
Do you think if Frazier went to the Red Sox he would play better?
TradeRumorUser
Frankly the yankee organization and their fans as a whole sicken me. So is their is some rule or law that makes it illegal for the Yankees to punt on a crap season so far? Selling off pieces they don’t want or need and getting something for the future in return but I forgot they are this big payroll franchise and aren’t allowed to rebuild only re tool. Now they are crying poor and didn’t upgrade the the roster enough in the offseason and surprised they are out of it. If I was a Yankee fan I would pissed about the state of the team all that money and for nothing. Can’t hit a lick unless it goes over the wall
Ducky Buckin Fent
So “…fans as a whole sicken me”.
Then “…if I was a Yankee fan…”
With all due respect looking at your opening salvo there bud, why would any of us care what you would theoretically do?
Ya know?
& anyone who categorically hates any group is typically a fairly questionable person anyway.
But you do you, bro.
JoeBrady
Well, I hate you and all Yankee fans. I’d love to have a couple of Guiness’s with you some day, but I’d still have to hate you. I cannot allow peace & love to interfere with the important things, like a good Yankee-RS hate-a-thon.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Sadly, I just can’t find it in my heart to hate red sox or even cowboy fans.
But tip some Guinness?
I could certainly do that. You’re my red sox guy. Whenever I see an article on the sox I read your takes.
Bottoms up.
TradeRumorUser
You do you as well and when you do hopefully it’s off a cliff. Much love bro
goastros123
What a miserable life you must have, TradeRumorUser. Either that or what a miserable human being you appear to be. Either response works.
Ducky Buckin Fent
You sound like a pretty bitter & depressed dude. I think “off a cliff” would be one of those Freudian slips.
It’s just a sport, bro.
If the doctors give you pills, you should take them, bro.
Best of luck.
DodgerOK
I think the Rays have shown that exceeding the payroll limits has nothing to do with fielding a winning team.
JoeBrady
IMO, the NYY will do nothing.
They more than likely cannot add a significant player without busting the cap. They can have a team pick up payroll, but to add a significant player, plus pick up payroll, the NYY will have to pay thru the teeth.
Nor do I see them trading anyone away. For the folks that want them to trade away Voit, Sanchez, and maybe Judge, what do you do next year when you need a 1B, catcher and rightfielder? Trading control players, so you can replace them with more costly free agents, seldom works. The only players that you can trade, and get some talent back, are Frazier & Torres, and you would likely be trading them way below their market value.
And, if they were going to bust the cap, they’d have done so long ago. They aren’t waiting until July 30, and have an 8-game deficit, to blow up the cap, with no guarantee of it making a difference.
IMHO, at this point, you play the cards you were dealt.
Jean Matrac
Hal Steinbrenner: We did everything right. Cashman did a good job. Boone, and his coaches, are doing a good job. Maybe the players are underperforming.
Really? If they’re considering exceeding the tax threshold now, when it’s maybe too late, that isn’t the fault of the players. Trading away pitching when it seems like they could use some pitching isn’t the players fault.
They have a team OPS+ of 99. above league average, 14th in MLB. They also have a team ERA+ 0f 114, 9th best in MLB.
Maybe the players are underperforming a little, but those numbers don’t seem like they are to a great extent. Maybe the owner, GM, or coaching staff should get a share of the blame.
Ducky Buckin Fent
The pitching has held it’s own, @ tad.
But a slightly below average offense is severely underperforming. In ’17-’19 Yanks were first or second in runs/game. Even in last year’s mini season, we finished 4th. Indeed, the Yankees reached home plate more times than any other team in baseball from 2017-2020.
When LeMahieu was brought back, the expectation around baseball was the Yanks would – once again – be a top 3 offense. Instead, we are 17th. 17th with the exact same guys. There are NL clubs scoring more than the Yanks!
The lineup is playing massively below their projections, back of their baseball cards, etc. & that is this squad’s problem. Lack of rotation depth is putting a lot of strain on the ‘pen but our offense is a much bigger problem.
Ancient Pistol
Hal is correct in one sense: there is no need to exceed the LT. Why should Yankee’s dollars go to the Rays? Also, Hal can look at Cashman and say “I gave you $210 million and you still can’t win.” So he’s correct there.
If, by the end of the month, prospects are looking poor than they should sell some pieces to actual contenders who need help. It’s good to shake things up somewhat. Perhaps if Sanchez keeps improving he can be moved to an offense-deficient team for a decent piece? I’d also consider moving some BP arms as those are always valuable. If Voit was playing like he did last year I’d move him and then make DJ the first basemen and move GT back to second. I’d then look for a left-handed SS.
The real question over what to sell, though, is always dependent on what the buyers need. If the teams is at or below .500 at the deadline, I’d even consider moving Judge since he’ll be expensive and he has health issues. He could really help teams like the Brewers, Giants, etc.
Even if things improve, the team really needs to shake a few things up.
oneiblnd
I don’t get the attraction of Odor. He brings nothing to the lineup.
dasit
he smells like victory
CravenMoorehead
If he cared as much about winning as he did about staying under the luxury tax they’d be in a different position. This team is a dysfunctional mess and I can only imagine how the locker room is at this point.
Ancient Pistol
It’s clear you’re not reading the above posts about why it’s logical for Hal to stay under the LT. But that’s okay since sports fans like to do nothing but rant and voice their opinions. What is really low-IQ is the “dysfunctional mess” comment. I’m not sure where you’re getting that from since not all if any losing teams deserve that label.
The ’77 and ’78 Yankees were as dysfunctional as you can get and they managed to win the WS.
CravenMoorehead
Thank you for your educated opinion, Hal!
GarryHarris
Reggie Jackson Vs. Billy Martin got a lot of ink but those late 70s Yankees were stacked and Billy was one of the greatest game-time managers ever. They were not as dysfunctional as the media made them out to be.
Mario93
Not too many years ago cashman did a great job tearing down the previous era, wiping the payroll clean.
Cashman did a great job rebuilding the Yankees, in a quick amount of time. I liked the direction they were going in, they were looking to be a powerhouse for years to come if they made the right moves.
Then all the payroll flexibility they had, all the young talent, instead of staying true to what they were doing. They decided to add the Giancarlo Stantons of the world, which was their first mistake. And I knew right off the bat it would be a mistake with that contract.
The Yankees are in trouble, Cole, Stanton contracts, I think Hicks is under a long deal. Some guys are due to get paid. This is the core they decided to settle on, and it was a flat out mistake. Period. They may be forced into rebuilding, or selling eventually, or the toxic, underachieving cycle will probably only continue.
balloonknots
I think the problem is the club house and Boone in particular. Head hunting the Rays with the tiny payroll… cmon man. Boone has to be first to go and the culture may change to a winning instead whining!!
dasit
there was never a chance they would sell, nor should they. they did a stealth rebuild just 5 years ago and the championship window is still open (if closing fast). they’ve constructed a roster based on the theory that a dominant line-up and bullpen can overcome a crappy rotation, but unfortunately 2021 has turned out to be the Year of the Starting Pitcher. it’s extremely unlikely that 3 of the Red Sox, Rays, Astros, A’s, and Indians are going to collapse, which means in order to have a chance, the yankees have to play at a 100-win pace starting now. the only way they can compete is to forget the luxury tax and buy a legit starter (germán márquez). even if torres and frazier remember how to play baseball (and odor learns how to play baseball), no team can survive a rotation with only 1 guy capable of going more than 4 innings. get márquez and pray that kluber and severino have miraculous comebacks. it also wouldn’t hurt to learn how to play defense and run the bases
Mynameisnoname
Unfortunately if youre a Yankees fan, they need to play closer to a 110 win pace for 96 wins, so even 100 win pace the ROS would probably fall short.
Certainly agree with their limited innings from the SP and luxury tax ifluenced signings and trades.
Gleyber was never a statcast darling and was better at spraying hits throughout his rise in the minors. His faux power due to BAL AAA pitchiny seems to have broken the young man turning his swing long with pathetic metrics the result. I would be surprised if the Yankees top 87 wins.
64' Yanks
Torres would have been better at second base, and the Yankees missed it by not signing Didi. He wanted to come back.
Cosmo2
You mean -0.6 WAR Didi? Think they dodged a bullet on that one actually.
Deminzzzzr 2
2021 is no longer the Year of the Starting Pitcher. Getting rid of the sticky stuff has already had a significant impact and that will continue through the end of the year with ERAs and OPS rising.
They don’t have to beat 3 of the Red Sox, Rays, Astros, As and Cleveland— just 2. Astro’s and A’s can both make it from the West. Red Sox can win the East and Chicago the Central. If the Yankees beat the Rays and Cleveland they’ll make the playoffs. Both the Rays and Cleveland are sinking fast and will continue to given their injuries to Starting Pitching. Yankees need to right the ship but could easily make the playoffs as a wildcard with this team.
Ww0907
They won’t do it but trading Chappy should be on the table. He makes 17 million a year so they’d clear space on the payroll and their bullpen is strong. They could move another guy to the 9th inning and I guarantee they’d get some solid prospects for Chapman if they moved him.
Yank4life52
Steinbrenner needs to wake up and smell the Rose’s. He has a leadership problem in the coaching staff. The players just don’t seem to be motivated. Too many players only looking for the homerun. We need them to hit singles and doubles, moving men over. Half the time they can’t get the ball out of the infield. George is probably rolling in his grave.
GarryHarris
Before NYY goes on a spending spree, I’d like to see them take a look at SP-L Matt Krook, CF Thomas Milone and IF/CF Hoy Jun Park from AAA. If anything, they will improve the porous defense. I also like RPs Zach Green and especially Stephen Ridings in AA. Estevan Florial is NOT the answer.
I assume NYY is trying to unload Aaron Hicks with prospects for SPs now.
Macho King OG
17th in Batting says it all. But we got Tim Locastro so it’s all good.
Rsox
17th in batting. 11th in strikouts, 23rd in runs scored. They are 10th in fewest runs allowed but have been outscored 332 to 329. They sit 9 games behind in the AL East and 7.5 behind the final wild card spot. There is a lot going against the Yankees right now
oneiblnd
What about a Tanaka return? He’s better than the starting HR pitchers they have now.