The New York Yankees have been fairly idle this off-season. But fear not. Here are five moves that the team should make to give fans a very Merry Christmas.
By Israel Gonzalez
But this is what life is like for the New York Yankees’ hierarchy. The Yankees are arguably the most heavily scrutinized team in all of sports. This includes teams like Real Madrid and Manchester United. No matter what the Yankees do, it is bound to be criticized.
If the Yankees sign Bryce Harper, it will be criticized. If the Yankees hire Bernie Williams as a bench coach, it will be criticized. If the Yankees hire a new batboy, something that has no consequence, it will be criticized.
For that reason, and that reason only, I have decided to compile a top five list of sorts. In this top five list, the plan is to choose five things, either trades, signing, or cuts, that will make the majority of Yankees fans happy.
Here we go.
Trade Ivan Nova and Rob Refsnyder for a starting pitcher
This is the big one. Since coming back from Tommy John surgery, Ivan Nova, unsurprisingly, has not returned to being the starting pitcher we all know that he is. With a record of 6-11 and an earned run average of 5.07, Nova has become expendable. But while trading Nova won’t bring back anyone particularly good, pairing him with Rob Refsnyder might be enough to land the Yankees, at the very least, a middle of the rotation starting pitcher.
Refsnyder, like Nova, has become expendable. Let’s be honest, he was never given a fair chance to earn the starting second baseman job, nor was he going to be given a chance down the road. That conundrum was amplified by the Yankees when they traded for Starlin Castro.
While talented in his own right, Refsnyder’s best chance at major league glory, will have to come with a different team.
The current starting pitchers on the Yankees are Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Luis Severino, Ivan Nova, and Nathan Eovaldi. That doesn’t necessarily bring fear to the hearts of opposing team. Tanaka is flirting with Tommy John Surgery. Pineda can’t stay 100% healthy. Sabathia is trying to make a comeback from a substance abuse problem. Severino is a rookie. Nova, as mentioned earlier, is still trying to find his footing after coming back from surgery. That leaves Eovaldi, who dealt with injury woes last season, as the most reliable starting pitcher.
Not exactly inspiring stuff.
Sign Yoenis Cespedes for 5-years, $100 million
Look, I never said that these options weren’t crazy. To be clear, there is no way that Yoenis Cespedes is accepting any five-year deal. Just not happening. But if he did, and the money was right, the New York Yankees should jump all over it.
In 57 games with the New York Mets last season, Cespedes hit .287 with 17 homeruns and 44 runs batted in. He also had 66 hits, with 14 coming via doubles and four via triples. Cespedes finished the season batting .291, while hitting 35 homeruns and driving in 105.
By comparison, Carlos Beltran hit .276, while hitting 19 homeruns and driving in 76. While those numbers aren’t bad, per se, they are simply not good enough for a corner outfielder. Signing Cespedes on a club-friendly contract will shore up some of the outfield power problems that have plagued the Yankees since Curtis Granderson left for the New York Mets.
To put things into perspective, Cespedes hit just about as many homeruns (35) as Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Brett Gardner combined (42).
Case closed.
For God’s sake, no more Chris Capuano
You know life is tough when my wife, a die-hard New York Yankees fan, calls you Cappuccino, instead of calling you by your real name.
In 22 games (four starts) with the New York Yankees, Chris Capuano pitched 40.2 innings, gave up 52 hits, 38 runs, six homeruns, had a WHIP of 1.82, and had an earned run average of 7.97. Those numbers aren’t misleading, either. He was that bad.
But what’s worse is that Joe Girardi kept sending him out there.
The last time that Capuano had a respectable season was in 2012 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The last time that Capuano was better than average was in 2005 with the Milwaukee Brewers. So yeah, Capuano hasn’t been good in 10 years.
With youngsters like Jacob Lindgren, Nick Goody, and Rookie Davis waiting in the wings, there is no reason why the Yankees should bring back Capuano.
Heck, if they need someone to pitch an inning while giving up 25 homeruns and walking no fewer than 102, I’m ready to go to work, boss.
Trade Brett Gardner to the Cleveland Indians
A while back, there were reports that the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians were discussing a trade that would send Brett Gardner to Cleveland for Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco.
Quite frankly, this is a trade that should have happened yesterday. Any time you get to unload an aging outfielder for two starting pitchers, both under the age of 29, you do it. Never mind the fact that neither player, alone, is better than Gardner. Combined, and this is the big picture, they will give the New York Yankees quite the return on a potential investment.
Last season, Salazar went 14-10, had an earned run average of 3.45, and struck out 195 batters. Carrasco went 14-12, had an earned run average of 3.63, and struck out 216 batters. Carrasco also signed a four-year, $22 million extension with Cleveland. More importantly, his contract contains club options for 2019 and 2020.
Quite frankly, if the Indians offer only one of these guys, the Yankees would be wise to accept.
Sign Yovani Gallardo
Last season, Yovani Gallardo went 13-11 and had an earned run average of 3.42. While those are not the best numbers in the world, they are good enough for a number three or four starting pitcher.
Even as he closes in on his 30th birthday, Gallardo is still one of the most reliable and consistent starters still on the market. To be honest, I’m surprised that a team hasn’t taken a chance on him. Especially when the chance is minimal.
In 247 career games, 244 of those as a starter, Gallardo is 102-75 and has an earned run average of 3.66. Those numbers, as well as his 2015 numbers, don’t jump off the page, but do scream consistency.
The current New York Yankees starting pitcher rotation is Tanaka, Pineda, Eovaldi, Sabathia, and Severino. If the Yankees trade Gardner for either Salazar or Carrasco and sign Gallardo, their starting rotation could be significantly better. Their rotation could be Tanaka, Pineda, Eovaldi, Salazar (or Carrasco), Gallardo, and Severino. I understand that there are six starting pitchers there, but with the innings limit placed on Severino, this rotation makes sense.
Two deals involving starting pitchers makes this Yankees starting rotation much more formidable.
Aside from the fact that everything on your list except Capuano is 100% totally the exact opposite of what the Yankees should do, I have only one Christmas wish for the Yankees. I wish that God will send down a lighting bolt that whacks both Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi, because as long as either one of them is associated with the Yankees, the Yankees will never win another World Series.