Well this may be one of the hardest things I've ever had to say, but here goes. I think I like what the Yankees are doing this offseason. Wow I never thought that I would have to use the words 'like' and 'Yankees' in the same sentence, but its true. I really like how they are going about their business this offseason, especially what they did yesterday. I think it took some real savy and intelligence to not fall into a trap and overpay Cano. Do I think Cano can be a top 2 second baseman in this league? Of course I do, but do I think he's worth dedicating 10 years / $240million to? Most certainly not. Yankee Stadium gives the Yankees the ability to get a little more power out of someone who may not necessarily have it, giving the Yankees a chance to add a fill in second baseman who can have some success, especially in the power department.
Letting Granderson walk was the next best thing the Yankees did yesterday. Yes, he is a great player with fantastic power in center, but there are signs of decline. He hasn't hit over .240 in either of the past two years, and if you exclude 2011, he hasn't been over .250 since 2008. ! With a crowded outfield already, the Yankees can do much better than that, especially at 15 million a year. Yes his average may creep up slightly in 2014 with the move to Citi Field as well as his hand being healed up, but the move will make a dent in his power numbers. Citi Field has been helped a bit by the fences moving in, but it is still not Yankee Stadium. His AB/HR ratio fell from 1/15 to 1/30 last year and I don't think he will ever get back into the teens. Don't get me wrong he can still be a good player, but the Yankees needed to cut ties here, which they did. Another good call here by the Yanks.
To compensate for the loss of Granderson, the Yankees found a suitable replacement in Carlos Beltran last night. At 3 years / $45 million, Beltran will have the same AAV as Granderson, and is 4 years older. Although he doesn't have the same power potential as Granderson, Beltran is not slouch in the power department and is a lot more proven at hitting for average. His war has been higher than Granderson's in each of that past two years, and Beltran knows how to hit on the biggest stages, both in New York and in the Postseason. The Yankees are making the smart investment here and taking the proven veteran over the flashy power potential.
This signing coupled with the earlier signings of Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann give the Yankees an extremely enviable lineup. There outfield now consists of Soriano, Ellsbury, and Beltran, all guys capable of putting up a 3+ WAR season. With guys like Brett Gardner and Ichiro now as backups, the Yankees now have either a fantastic bench or strong trade chips. Ichiro might not net much and is probably better suited for a fourth outfield spot at this point in his career, but Gardner could net the Yankees a significant player in a trade, whether it be an infielder or a starter. I think it would be wise for the Yankees to target another starter with Gardner. Toronto could be a fit for Gardner possibly giving up JA Happ in a deal, or even to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. The pitching staff has to be a target to upgrade for the Yankees at this point, which leads me to another good signing they made yesterday.
The Yankees succeeded in locking up Hiroki Kuroda for another year at $16 million yesterday. This deal was a must for the Yankees as there pitching staff is their clear Achilles heel at the moment. Other than CC, the Yankees had not other well established major league quality starters in their rotation, and Kuroda most certainly fits the bill. He is a workhorse who has thrown 421 inning for the Yankees the past two years. With Kuroda, the Yankees can pencil in 200 innings with an ERA sub-3.50, and that's just what they were looking for with this signing. The Yankees did well in keeping Kuroda from going back to Japan and will love to have his services this next year.
Amongst these bigger and more newsworthy signings from the Yankees, were some smaller but still important signings. Bringing back Derek Jeter for another year qualifies for that category. He is getting older and losing range in the field, but compared to their other options at the position, he is by far the best fit. The Yankees also signed Kelly Johnson, who can help them in a super utility role.
The Yankees have succeeded in upgrading their roster this offseason while at the same time cutting some unnecessary monetary commitments. If they can upgrade their rotation just little more as well as finding another infielder to fill the Cano gap, they can be a legitimate Championship contender. Should Masahiro Tanaka become a free agent the Yankees should no doubt target him, and by not resigning Cano, they have to money to do so also. Should he not be posted the Yankees could target guys like Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez. No matter who they target, their rotation should be their biggest target. Overall, the Yankees have once again used the free agent market to build a World Series contender, and this time, I am impressed.
Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to contact me with ideas or requests. Thanks for reading!
Letting Granderson walk was the next best thing the Yankees did yesterday. Yes, he is a great player with fantastic power in center, but there are signs of decline. He hasn't hit over .240 in either of the past two years, and if you exclude 2011, he hasn't been over .250 since 2008. ! With a crowded outfield already, the Yankees can do much better than that, especially at 15 million a year. Yes his average may creep up slightly in 2014 with the move to Citi Field as well as his hand being healed up, but the move will make a dent in his power numbers. Citi Field has been helped a bit by the fences moving in, but it is still not Yankee Stadium. His AB/HR ratio fell from 1/15 to 1/30 last year and I don't think he will ever get back into the teens. Don't get me wrong he can still be a good player, but the Yankees needed to cut ties here, which they did. Another good call here by the Yanks.
To compensate for the loss of Granderson, the Yankees found a suitable replacement in Carlos Beltran last night. At 3 years / $45 million, Beltran will have the same AAV as Granderson, and is 4 years older. Although he doesn't have the same power potential as Granderson, Beltran is not slouch in the power department and is a lot more proven at hitting for average. His war has been higher than Granderson's in each of that past two years, and Beltran knows how to hit on the biggest stages, both in New York and in the Postseason. The Yankees are making the smart investment here and taking the proven veteran over the flashy power potential.
This signing coupled with the earlier signings of Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann give the Yankees an extremely enviable lineup. There outfield now consists of Soriano, Ellsbury, and Beltran, all guys capable of putting up a 3+ WAR season. With guys like Brett Gardner and Ichiro now as backups, the Yankees now have either a fantastic bench or strong trade chips. Ichiro might not net much and is probably better suited for a fourth outfield spot at this point in his career, but Gardner could net the Yankees a significant player in a trade, whether it be an infielder or a starter. I think it would be wise for the Yankees to target another starter with Gardner. Toronto could be a fit for Gardner possibly giving up JA Happ in a deal, or even to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. The pitching staff has to be a target to upgrade for the Yankees at this point, which leads me to another good signing they made yesterday.
The Yankees succeeded in locking up Hiroki Kuroda for another year at $16 million yesterday. This deal was a must for the Yankees as there pitching staff is their clear Achilles heel at the moment. Other than CC, the Yankees had not other well established major league quality starters in their rotation, and Kuroda most certainly fits the bill. He is a workhorse who has thrown 421 inning for the Yankees the past two years. With Kuroda, the Yankees can pencil in 200 innings with an ERA sub-3.50, and that's just what they were looking for with this signing. The Yankees did well in keeping Kuroda from going back to Japan and will love to have his services this next year.
Amongst these bigger and more newsworthy signings from the Yankees, were some smaller but still important signings. Bringing back Derek Jeter for another year qualifies for that category. He is getting older and losing range in the field, but compared to their other options at the position, he is by far the best fit. The Yankees also signed Kelly Johnson, who can help them in a super utility role.
The Yankees have succeeded in upgrading their roster this offseason while at the same time cutting some unnecessary monetary commitments. If they can upgrade their rotation just little more as well as finding another infielder to fill the Cano gap, they can be a legitimate Championship contender. Should Masahiro Tanaka become a free agent the Yankees should no doubt target him, and by not resigning Cano, they have to money to do so also. Should he not be posted the Yankees could target guys like Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez. No matter who they target, their rotation should be their biggest target. Overall, the Yankees have once again used the free agent market to build a World Series contender, and this time, I am impressed.
Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to contact me with ideas or requests. Thanks for reading!