From Bryan Hoch:
After considering both Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt as their choices against the Guardians for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Monday, the Yankees settled on the lefty Rodón for the assignment.
Rodón is pitching on extra rest after drawing the nod in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Royals on Monday. Schmidt would have been on regular rest after working ALDS Game 3 at Kansas City on Wednesday.
Cleveland is better against lefties, check.
Rodon pitched much worse than Schmidt in the previous series, check.
Rodon is a headcase who collapses at the slightest sign of pressure, check.
Yep, sounds like it has all of the hallmarks of a typical Yankee decision, so this all checks out.
Rodon managed to miss the Guardians in both series the two teams played this year, but to be fair, he DID have a really good game against the Guardians last season as a Yankee, in a season where he mostly sucked. And, of course, he famously no hit Cleveland in 2021 when he was a member of the White Sox.
But I still hate hate hate this decision.
Gotta justify the salary.
751 ops vs lh 685 rh
Did they decide on Rizzo?
I think they’re going to wait until the last possible moment, but it seems highly unlikely.
Cashman move. .
If it works he’ll able to brag how great his signing was. If it doesn’t,Boone will talk about what a tough lineup Cleveland has with all those tough lefties.
I hate Cashman – he’s getting to Chapman territory on my hate list.
Win, win
Fuck the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium for ruining the 2023 Yankees season.
Ex Pats 3 Expansion interlopers 0
How many consecutive scoreless innings have the dodgers thrown? 28 I think!
Mets look like the JV squad. I really don’t believe in their pitching.
I like how the announcers explain that it’s worse to be down 1 game in a five game series than a seven?
Well, they gave Holmes 13 chances to keep blowing games, this will only be Rodon’s 2nd postseason game blown. Maybe they’ll learn before he gets to 13? Maybe???
Cleveland hits 751 against LHPs, 685 against RHPs is a good reason not to want Rodon pitching two games.
Was there any way in hell Boone and Cash were going to mKe the decision to wait until Game 4 to start Rodon?
If not (and … it’s “not”) may as well chuck him in 1 when you have a shot of winning a slugfest. with the benefit of seeing where you’re at. steal a game or predictably 0-1. if Bibee were going in 1 or 3 it would make sense to sacrifice rodon in that matchup, but the rest of Cleveland pitching is mediocre. Yanks have the theoretical edge in a 8-6 kinda game.
the disaster scenario is rodon being just bad enough for boone to torch the bully in game 1 trying to keep it close.
It does seem that every toss up call they choose wrong.
If it’s a toss-up there’s no wrong or right.
You would think that.
9 out of 11 Athletic staff writes pick the Yankees to win the ALCS …
That pretty much spells doom, don’t it?
Indeed. Sounds like wish fulfillment; they’ll love Yankees-Dodgers, and love almost as much Yankees-Mets. They don’t want Cleveland.
RAB: Rizzo and Stroman on, Rice and Duke Ellis off. Not sure what the plan is for Rizzo. Does he step right back into the lineup as the starting 1B?
Why didn’t they give Rizzo a rehab game in Arizona if he’s actually ready? That’s what Mets did with McNeill.
https://x.com/yankees/status/1845838727106445576?s=61&t=fhOaqwtc8q2TMSXUDRjPeg
So odd.
Ellis seems like a potentially important weapon in the postseason.
Stroman seems like a thing to avoid.
It would be cool if Rizzo kicked ass.
Stroman is there to soak up innings when they’re losing. Otherwise you have to tax the good relievers or use a starter on a throw day. 7 games in 9 days you have to have a long man, would be Nestor but, duh. Hopefully he never pitches.
They probably feel that Ellis is superfluous with Dominguez on there since Verdugo is going to start all 7 games.
Plus Berti is there on the bench if Rizzo will be starting.
Berti stole 41 bases in 2022 and 16 in 2023. Jasson stole 40 in the minors in 2022 and 37 last year.
Lord, I didn’t realize how dreadful Verdugo was in the ALDS after Game 1: 12 PA, 1 Sac bunt, 1 single, no BBs, no Ks, .091 BA, .189 OPS. Add in Game 1 and he had a .481 OPS.
Judge had a “terrible” ALDS, yet he has a .620 OPS with 5 BBs and a SB.
Rizzo on first batting 8th in front of Verdugo. No pitcher would want to face those two back 2 back
https://x.com/yankees/status/1845902415943332343?s=61&t=fhOaqwtc8q2TMSXUDRjPeg
Game 1 is the house money game.
Better options for LF than Verdugo:
1) Any of Dominguez, Cabrera, or Grisham.
2) Judge in LF (Grisham in CF).
3) Dock Ellis. (Not Duke Ellis. Dock Ellis. Tripping balls, or dead for the last 16 years.)
Boone deliberated since last night on Rizzo.Rizzowas adamant that he’s ready to go. Boone’s on YES now.
The Yankees are going to pick up Rizzo’s option aren’t they
maybe even extend him
And re-sign Verdugo.
And Gleyber.
But not Soto.
Wells staying at cleanup.
This management of this team make them hard to root for. Who wants to root for stupidity? And if they actually win, cashman and Boone will think they are the reason!
They are an unserious organization. Rizzo, when playing in 2024, had a 637 OPS. What are they thinking? More ways to sabotage the team seems to be the answer.
Dave Roberts finds the guy who doesn’t have it.
Do one thing and do it well
Mets have a knack today.
I’ve been saying for two weeks that the mutts are a lock to win the World Series.
How is the Ex Pats rotation so weak? Speaking of which Kershaw wants to come back in 2025.
A lot of late in the season injuries.