2021-2022 Off Season Thread

[Benefactor]

Astros back in the ALCS again. Guess they didn’t get the memo the playoffs are a crapshoot

The series was basically a pick'em..... or a crapshoot.

[jnewmark]

What do you think is going to happen that differs in any significant way from the past few years? The press is already spinning away, Hal is blaming the players, Cashgod is untouchable and you've got an almost assured re-hire of Boone.

You'll hear about the lack of payroll flexibility next and how they expect Severino to give them 180+ innings this year.

(I can almost hear the distant repetitive echos of how Greg Bird has the best swing Brian Cashman has ever seen..)

It's the same predictable pattern year in and out - no need for them to "announce" a thing.

Ok.

[Yankee Tripper]

Astros back in the ALCS again. Guess they didn’t get the memo the playoffs are a crapshoot

Rays are out, guess they did get the memo.

[matt2351]

Too bad the real World Series is only 5 games this year.

[False1]

The Yankees paid above slot to get him, they knew his talent. Not protecting him was a colossal blunder.

Exactly. He was well regarded within the organization and within the industry. The ONLY concern was his TJS, which as we know is not a real value limitation at that stage. In fact, the Yankees drafted Clarke Schmidt that same draft who had just undergone TJS. And they used the 16th pick of the draft on him.

I think I'm the only one that really vocalizes (via keyboard) his complete amazement with the backstory on who they protected from rule V. I know there's a degree of anger and facepalming that Whitlock was selected and is thriving in Boston. But what's unforgivable in my opinion is that they rolled the dice by not protecting Whitlock gambling that he wouldn't get drafted when clearly they could have left a few other more fungible arms unprotected...

OR...

...they could have left Thairo Estrada unprotected. They gave him to the Giants just a few weeks later for CASH. Which is exactly what they would have gotten if someone had selected and kept him via rule V. There is no way Estrada went from worth protecting to not worth protecting in that window of time. Especially after he hit 3 HR in 27 spring training at bats. So clearly, they didn't value him prior to the draft yet protected him anyway, when they could have protected Whitlock. Making matters worse, Estrada just put up a 118 OPS+ in 120 AB for the Giants, fielding every position except C, 1B and CF. So they were wrong on that evaluation as well.

[False1]

The series was basically a pick'em..... or a crapshoot.

A pick'em =/= a crap shoot at all. Pick'em basically means 50/50 odds. A crapshoot is more along the lines of a "shot in the dark" where better teams will lose disproportionately to worse teams. Random events are far more determinative than talent is the theory, so no need to invest Hal's revenues paid for by fans back into the team. It's a crapshoot, where teams with 10/90 or 20/80 in series after series are as likely to win as teams with 70/30 odds. It's garbage.

I'm not trying to be Captain Literal but I wholly reject what Cashman and Hal are trying to feed to the fan base. Don't eat it.

[Yankee Tripper]

A pick'em =/= a crap shoot at all. Pick'em basically means 50/50 odds. A crapshoot is more along the lines of a "shot in the dark" where better teams will lose disproportionately to worse teams. Random events are far more determinative than talent is the theory, so no need to invest Hal's revenues paid for by fans back into the team. It's a crapshoot, where teams with 10/90 or 20/80 in series after series are as likely to win as teams with 70/30 odds. It's garbage.

I'm not trying to be Captain Literal but I wholly reject what Cashman and Hal are trying to feed to the fan base. Don't eat it.

If every series is 50/50 that’s pretty much the definition of random crap shoot tournament. Obviously the better the team the better odds of advancing. But in baseball the better team doesn’t always win a 5 or 7 game series.

Rays probably were close to 60/40 favorite to beat Red Sox and yet Red Sox advanced in 4 games.

Rays were 8 games better than Boston, had a run differential 136 runs better than Boston, Had beaten Boston 11 of the pst 15 meetings.

[Benefactor]

A pick'em =/= a crap shoot at all. Pick'em basically means 50/50 odds. A crapshoot is more along the lines of a "shot in the dark" where better teams will lose disproportionately to worse teams. Random events are far more determinative than talent is the theory, so no need to invest Hal's revenues paid for by fans back into the team. It's a crapshoot, where teams with 10/90 or 20/80 in series after series are as likely to win as teams with 70/30 odds. It's garbage.

I'm not trying to be Captain Literal but I wholly reject what Cashman and Hal are trying to feed to the fan base. Don't eat it.

"Shot in the dark" and "crapshoot" aren't synonymous with one another. A crapshoot is something that is uncertain or unpredictable like a baseball series with even odds. Also, this is what Billy Beane had to say about it...... ""My 'expletive' doesn't work on in the play-offs. My job is getting us to the play-offs. What happens after that is 'expletive' luck." So it's not just Hal and Cashman that feel this way.

https://theweek.com/articles/458933/...-work-playoffs

[ojo]

"Shot in the dark" and "crapshoot" aren't synonymous with one another. A crapshoot is something that is uncertain or unpredictable like a baseball series with even odds. Randomness has nothing to do with it. Also, this is what Billy Beane had to say about it...... ""My 'expletive' doesn't work on in the play-offs. My job is getting us to the play-offs. What happens after that is 'expletive' luck." So it's not just Hal and Cashman that feel this way.

https://theweek.com/articles/458933/...-work-playoffs

Billy Beane ran a small market club. Cashman doesn’t get to use that excuse.

[yank4life2005]

I thought DJ was having surgery for his sports hernia...Hope they don't wait until right before Opening Day next year to get this done.

Really wonder how long this was bothering him this past season. I can't see a guy drop off all of a sudden from last year like this.

[TexasYank23]

I thought DJ was having surgery for his sports hernia...Hope they don't wait until right before Opening Day next year to get this done.

Really wonder how long this was bothering him this past season. I can't see a guy drop off all of a sudden from last year like this.

I think he had it during the week of the WC game

[yank4life2005]

I think he had it during the week of the WC game

Great TY for that...I tried to google it but couldn't find anything.

I wouldn't mind DJ at 3B next year as Urshela could be the stopgap at SS until Peraza/Volpe is ready and then go for the big bat in Freeman for 1B.

[ppa79]

Great TY for that...I tried to google it but couldn't find anything.

I wouldn't mind DJ at 3B next year as Urshela could be the stopgap at SS until Peraza/Volpe is ready and then go for the big bat in Freeman for 1B.

The Yankees need a real shortstop. Trade either DJ, Torres, or Urshela.

[ymike673]

Exactly. He was well regarded within the organization and within the industry. The ONLY concern was his TJS, which as we know is not a real value limitation at that stage. In fact, the Yankees drafted Clarke Schmidt that same draft who had just undergone TJS. And they used the 16th pick of the draft on him.

I think I'm the only one that really vocalizes (via keyboard) his complete amazement with the backstory on who they protected from rule V. I know there's a degree of anger and facepalming that Whitlock was selected and is thriving in Boston. But what's unforgivable in my opinion is that they rolled the dice by not protecting Whitlock gambling that he wouldn't get drafted when clearly they could have left a few other more fungible arms unprotected...

OR...

...they could have left Thairo Estrada unprotected. They gave him to the Giants just a few weeks later for CASH. Which is exactly what they would have gotten if someone had selected and kept him via rule V. There is no way Estrada went from worth protecting to not worth protecting in that window of time. Especially after he hit 3 HR in 27 spring training at bats. So clearly, they didn't value him prior to the draft yet protected him anyway, when they could have protected Whitlock. Making matters worse, Estrada just put up a 118 OPS+ in 120 AB for the Giants, fielding every position except C, 1B and CF. So they were wrong on that evaluation as well.

The entire thing with Estrada is what really steams me. If you want to say you protected another pitcher instead of Whitlock for whatever reason at least that might be understandable. But to protect Estrada over Whitlock just to sell him off a few weeks later just shows how incompetent this organization is.

[yank4life2005]

The Yankees need a real shortstop. Trade either DJ, Torres, or Urshela.

Torres' value is down so you would hope that he rebounds with a full year at 2B. DJ should rebound after dealing with COVID/Sports hernia issues.

Yes I agree they need a SS, but to use those resources to put into a Freeman at 1B who provides power, elite defense and on a winning team would be tremendous.

They could try for Simmons on a 2 year deal to save some cash for other needs.