(I’m just anticipating John Sterling’s home run call for the Yankees’ new right fielder with that headline.)
Anyhow, while I was busily enjoying my Friday night, I seem to have missed the latest FA signing. Given the loss of offensive power from Cano and Granderson, I’m glad we got Beltran. Yes, he’s no spring chicken and yes, he got three years instead of the two the Yankees wanted and yes, he was a bust in New York with the Mets, but can he ever hit, as demonstrated by his great run with the Cardinals. Between him and McCann and Soriano and a hopefully rehabbed Teixeira, that’s nice offense right there.
It sounds like there’s still money for a pitcher in the Steinbrenner vault, though the Japanese pitcher they covet has a complicated posting situation that may put him out of reach. And the FA pitchers available aren’t exactly top caliber. Matt Garza, for example, doesn’t interest me at all. Might there be a trade for a pitcher? Sure. But I hope they don’t deal Gardner. That would hurt.
As for Cano, I still don’t get how the Yankees could give Ellsbury, a lesser player, that big/long contract and not make a bigger effort to keep their best player. Ten years was crazy. So was the money Jay Z was asking for. But I’m beginning to see that something else was going on behind the scenes. It was more than the money and the years that annoyed them. Maybe it was Jay Z despite the fact that Cashman claims “it was just like dealing with any other agent.” Maybe it was that they thought Cano was headed down a glitzy, show-biz-y road and too cozy with the music mogul a la A-Rod. Maybe they didn’t think Cano had enough marquee value for what he was asking for. Maybe it was the hustle thing. But he’s gone and I guess they think Kelly Johnson will fill in at second? (Now there’s a deal I don’t get. Wouldn’t Jayson Nix have served the same purpose?)
It’s been a busy week in Yankeeland for sure.
P.S. Just saw this from George King at the Post. If true, then Cano is a big baby. But you never know who these so-called “friends/sources” are.
According to three people who know Cano, he didn’t enjoy playing for manager Joe Girardi and that may have factored into the decision, though the Mariners giving him $60 million more than the Yankees offered ($175 million) likely had more to do with him leaving.
“Robbie didn’t like batting second, he wanted to bat in the middle of the order,’’ one person said. “The Yankees wanted him second because that was best for the team. He wanted to hit in the middle of the order to drive in runs [to increase his value].’’
Through the middle of June, Cano shuttled between second and third in a lineup that didn’t have Derek Jeter to hit second or Rodriguez in the cleanup spot.
For the season, Cano batted third in 110 games, hitting .319 with 16 homers, 73 RBIs and an OPS of .886. As the No. 2 hitter in 42 games, he hit .308 with 10 homers, 30 RBIs and a .955 OPS.
“He told me he didn’t want to play for [Girardi],’’ a friend of Cano’s said.
7 outfielders, few infielders who we know are healthy and good and not enough pitching but the offense should be more fun.
I was missing those bombs into the seats, Barbara, so this year should be more fun in that regard. Wouldn’t it be nice if CC had a fabulous rebound season too? We can hope.
and pineda is the pitcher of our dreams!
Haha. I keep forgetting about him and I shouldn’t. He could actually turn out to be a good #3?
I’m really worried about them trading Gardner too, Jane, but there really isn’t much else on the team worth trying to trade, other than those who have “no trade” clauses. And again, we need a couple of starting pitchers so there may not be much else they can do. I’m going to save my usual closing statement for the start of the regular season…unless the team makes a great deal before then.
I wouldn’t be heartbroken if they traded Ichiro to the Giants, as per the rumor that floated last week, Diane. Not that he’d bring in much at this point, but maybe a reliever. But Gardner’s such a gamer and a fabulous outfielder. His offense is very streaky and he doesn’t always steal when he should, but I like that the team has more speed with him and Ellsbury.
News flash from the B.S. department (as in Buffalo Springfield, “For What It’s Worth’):
MLB.com had a chatter item today about one of the Cardinals’ ace pitchers (either Carpenter or Wainwright), who claimed to have had a dream a few months back that Beltran was playing in the World Series, and WINNING it…
Here’s what made it Unique. The pitcher dreamed that Beltran was a YANKEE. I’m not sayin’; I’m just sayin’…