December 30, 2024

34 thoughts on “Yankees.com: Cole returns to Yanks without skipping a beat, K’s 5 in loss to O’s”

  1. That write up is exactly the reason the yanks won’t win a WS or even make the WS even if they have the best record in baseball. Because sooner or later there will be a playoff game (playoffs? Playoffs?) that they lose because their manager is an idiot and their GM always leaves them a player or two short.

  2. Counting on Rizzo to recover was always a big question, I don’t think they had much of a choice there though. Gleyber absolutely sucking to begin the season and settling into below average to bad since has been a huge blow to the length of the lineup.

    But this has mostly been the Yankees of the last 5 years – good to great pitching and a roughly average offense on the back of Judge and whoever else is hot at any given moment. Soto is a massive improvement, but 2 guys can only carry an offense so far.

    Do the Yankees have the flexibility, imagination or prospects resources to address the infield? I’m not worried about the relief corps, but the infield’s best hitter is Volpe and he’s not a reliably good hitter yet. He’s also the only good defender. It’s fucking rough. And I don’t think the Yankees FO is going to navigate this well.

    1. I don’t think that’s quite fair. Stanton’s virtually at 800 OPS for the season. Volpe had a great night – if he was just in a slump, then he’s been a good offensive player – before that slump he was over 800 OPS himself.
      And Wells (after a crazy dry start) and Trevino have been pretty good offensively. They’re really NOT just Judge and Soto.
      When Verdugo was in the high 700s, the first half of the line-up was a terror. Switch out one of the black holes near the bottom of the line-up for something decent, this is a fearsome line-up overall. Rice could be a big deal that way. DJ getting healthy and on track (if that happens) could be a big deal that way. A decent pinch hitter could help.
      I mean, look where they are in the league in runs scored. They’re already really good – and they’re really, really close to being something remarkable.

    2. The offense is better this year, but it’s not so much better that it’s not part of the pattern.

      Stanton is the same as he’s been for the last 2 years – really low average, but when he does get a hold of one it goes out. If he was still showing very good to elite discipline, that would be fantastic, but he’s OBP under .300.

      I like Volpe, but he’s not consistent. Until last night he hadn’t walked in over 2 weeks! That’s pretty not great for a leadoff hitter.

      Offense from catcher has been nice, but the rest of the infield is still bad. I’m hopeful for Rice, but at least the rest of them could play defense.

    3. Volpe – yes, I was more concerned over that than most people, but that IS the slump we’re talking about. And even including that slump he’s around 800 OPS. So even with the inconsistency he’s pretty damned good as it is.
      And Stanton’s been getting non-HR hits in key situation… his on-base is under 300? Wouldn’t have expected it. But even so, he’s been good, and not only with HRs. If he OBP’s 400, he’d be over 900 OPS.

      The problem with the offense was Gleyber’s fall-off, Rizzo’s untimely death, and DJLM/Oswaldo. Well, and Wells’ incredible bad luck. Some of those require action, some will sort themselves out. This offense is at the top of the league – and it’s performing that way. It’s a good thing that the negatives are so clear – they’re not attached to the positives, they can be fixed.

      Also “the only good defender” – DJ’s still a good defender, right? And Oswaldo’s looked good. Vertigo makes some terrific plays. Judge gets to everything he should, and he was really good until obviously they decided he shouldn’t take risks out there. But even so, he’s a +, not a -. Soto’s at least good out there. In fact, who AM I worried about on defense? Gleyber. Now Trevino behind the plate. I think that’s about it.

      UPD: Stanton’s OBP is actually (just) above 300, FWIW. And rising – 323 last 30 games, 382 last 15 games, 469 last 5 games.

    4. I was talking about IF defense, the OF is generally fine on defense. Not sure on DJLM, he wasn’t all that good last year, he’s been good so far this year, but the sample size is too small to be at all meaningful. Cabrera does appear to be a below average IF though.

      It would be nice if Stanton rewound time a few years, I just don’t expect him to maintain an OBP over .300 for long.

    5. Defensive statistics… I’m really not sure what to make of them a lot of the time. Too volatile to evoke trust. Or are they better now?

      Regardless, if DJ’s playing well so far (defensively), Volpe’s good, and Rice is at 1B, then the only known infield problem is Gleyber, right?

      No idea what to expect from Stanton. His demise struck me as to early and to extreme to attribute to age. And isn’t a batting eye usually a skill that erodes less than others with time? He’s a mystery. But after the last two ridiculously awful years, this is at the very least promising. I expected nothing out of that position, but we’re getting pretty good production thus far.

    1. [basically agreeing with Brian:]

      Judge instead of Grissom probably would have won this game.
      Having 2 better relievers – or all the relievers not slumping would have won this game.
      Having a better manager, meaning less bat-shit insane bench usage and bullpen usage and possibly another out from Cole, might well have won this game.

      Really good to see a really good offensive game from Volpe. (Just so long as what Volpe needs is not Judge to be absent.) Apparently a decent game from Rice? That could make a huge difference.

    2. …
      Okay, watched the condensed game. Some great fielding – Volpe, Verdugo… Rice smacked the ball, only a great play turned a double into a sac fly in a crucial position.
      Really all on the bullpen and – especially – the manager.

  4. I do not get what’s going on with with Trevino.
    Weakest arm among catchers, fine, but one of the best pop times – so he makes up for it with footwork, transfer time, and he must get rid of it as quickly as Marino. Until suddenly he can’t throw anyone out. Again, the claim is that it’s because of his weak arm. But that’s been true for years (they have the stats, I checked). And it never led to him being unable to throw people out. So that is NOT THE EXPLANATION. It’s so bizarre.
    But one thing is true – if he can’t throw ANYBODY out, he can’t play that position. Good for Wells, yes?

    2. Clay, but neither was Trevino (arm strength or no, it got to the player on second base quickly). And yet Wells surely hasn’t had anything even remotely resemblingg the godawful baserunning problems Trevino’s suddenly mired in.

  7. Tim hill is such a cashman move. Almost certainly won’t work but if it does he gets called a genius. And if in the interim he costs us a game or two in June he’ll get released and people will forget how dumb the move was.

    1. I have no problem with dumpster diving for relievers. My issue is pos player depth.

    1. Yeah, some awful timing on injuries/paternity leave this season. They have had their full lineup against the two best teams for just two of those nine games.

      Even just Judge/Soto have missed four of the nine.

  11. When a player makes a bad play they’re expected to own it. “I shouldn’t have tried for the extra base. I should have gone for the sure out at first.” Does Boone ever stand up there and explain any dumb decisions? “If I had to do it again I would have kept X in the game and not pinch-run.” Why should he be less accountable than the players he puts in position to fail?

    1. He should be.
      In his “defense,” he never admits to even being aware of any of the players’ failings, either. Whitewashing is all he does.

    2. He’d be in a no-win situation there. Public figures like him are best served by being like the British royals: never explain, never apologize.

    3. There have been many managers who DID discuss their better and worse decisions. And those of their players. It’s perfectly possible to actually talk to the press and the fans, instead of playing a tired and insiped game that fools no one.

      UPD: I am perfectly aware, of course, that he’ll be choosing the tired and insipid game that fools no one.

  12. Mr. Judge is, apparently, in the line-up tonight.

    What would happen if they hit him again? That kind of thing has happened to the Yankees in Baltimore.

    1. I did say a minimum of 2 weeks. Those injuries are tricky, a real PITA. Seems to be injury prone too.

    2. They want to rest Rice after that grueling two-game marathon they put him through.

  14. What time is it there? Isn’t the game supposed to start in 3 minutes?
    Gameday hasn’t gone to warm-up, and there’s not game thread here.

    UPD: Never Mind.

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