2021-2022 Off Season Thread

[Bauer]

I've asked this question before: How does MLB determine what is an ok sticky substance, and what is forbidden ? I mean, what's the difference, the degree of stickiness ? Why is Rosin ok, but Spider Tack not ?

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Re the famous incident--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8UjLR5nvx0-- where Molina looks all around him for the ball only to find it sticking to his chest protector: surely the substance at issue was not rosin but Spider T. or something comparable to it. Was the ball loaded by the pitcher that day? Can the catcher, rather than the pitcher, somehow load the ball? Or was it just a meaningless oddity of Mama Nature that made the ball stick? I'd say that any substance that's capable of making a ball that sticky should be banned. However, as others have noted here, the hitters seem able to pine tar up with impunity. They might say this helps keeping a flying bat from braining a player, an ump, or even a spectator. The pitchers can reply that, well, rosin helps them not to hit the batters.

It's utterly unlikely that MLB will ban the use of pine tar on bats. They might, though, look into some slight upgrade in stickiness to the rosin bag. Both substances provide a certain safety, but does the pine tar provide a performance advantage to hitters that rosin does not provide to the pitchers? Hell if I know.

[Bauer]

I find it weird that no official news on Boone yet.

If they didn't want to renew his contract it would be Big News, and aren't teams asked not to go around trying to scoop the post-season action with administrative spectacles?

[ymike673]

If they didn't want to renew his contract it would be Big News, and aren't teams asked not to go around trying to scoop the post-season action with administrative spectacles?

That did not stop the Cardinals from dumping their manager.

[ymike673]

Here is what I think the Yankees will do, not what I want them to do…

Keep Gallo
Move Stanton back to full time DH
Resign Gardner as the backup OFer

Trade Voit
Sign a mid market LH 1B. Best case is Rizzo*.
Sign a SS.
Move Gleyber to 2B.
Gio at 3B.
Move DJLM back to the super backup he was signed to be 3 years ago.

Keep Sanchez.
Slight upgrade in BUC if possible.

Cole, Sevy, Monty, Taillon, in house competition for #5.
Minor changes to the bullpen

*Rizzo I only see happening if his price comes down, but I see that happening. I kind of hope it isn’t Rizzo as I think he appears to be already declining.

Unfortunately you are probably 100% right on every point.

[Obnoxio]

The shouldve given Girardi the opportunity to finish what he started with that '17 club

Cashman wanted the glory for himself

[Yankee Tripper]

I'm not going to defend Girardi as a managing savant, but this does raise questions about Boone. Why did they get rid of Girardi? Because they wanted someone who got along better with the younger players, and Sanchez was specifically mentioned. One example:

https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/brian-...ry?id=50971046

How's that going?

I’m not saying Boone was the right guy to replace Girardi just that letting him go wasn’t necessarily the wrong move.

[Bauer]

Unfortunately you are probably 100% right on every point.

Well, if they do, then, move Stanton back to full-time dh'ing, they're beyond redemption. He hits better when he is also part of the full-game's action. He may not be a Kiermaier in the outfield, but he's OK.

[YFIB]

I’m not saying Boone was the right guy to replace Girardi just that letting him go wasn’t necessarily the wrong move.

I don't disagree. I just think it's funny to think about their rationale and where we are today.

[Yankee Tripper]

If they didn't want to renew his contract it would be Big News, and aren't teams asked not to go around trying to scoop the post-season action with administrative spectacles?

There has been t least one off day where it could have been announced and as others have mentioned the Cardinals had a fairly high profile split.

speculation on MLBTV is that they want Boone back or would have let him go already but that things could fall apart if Boone wants too much or Yanks low ball him. Mind you that’s only speculation.

[Obnoxio]

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Re the famous incident--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8UjLR5nvx0-- where Molina looks all around him for the ball only to find it sticking to his chest protector: surely the substance at issue was not rosin but Spider T. or something comparable to it. Was the ball loaded by the pitcher that day? Can the catcher, rather than the pitcher, somehow load the ball? Or was it just a meaningless oddity of Mama Nature that made the ball stick? I'd say that any substance that's capable of making a ball that sticky should be banned. However, as others have noted here, the hitters seem able to pine tar up with impunity. They might say this helps keeping a flying bat from braining a player, an ump, or even a spectator. The pitchers can reply that, well, rosin helps them not to hit the batters.

It's utterly unlikely that MLB will ban the use of pine tar on bats. They might, though, look into some slight upgrade in stickiness to the rosin bag. Both substances provide a certain safety, but does the pine tar provide a performance advantage to hitters that rosin does not provide to the pitchers? Hell if I know.

I asked a similar question. I was told that the sticky stuff goes on your hand and not the ball.

[JDPNYY]

The Yankees parted ways with Girardi for one reason.
It wasn't that his shelf life expired.
It wasn't because he couldn't relate to young players.

The Yankees parted ways with Joe Girardi because he started to sound whiny in the post game press conferences. Which conveyed the idea that he wasn't all about The Process. So, that was the end for him.

Enter Boone, the mouthpiece. Lambchop.

[ymike673]

There has been t least one off day where it could have been announced and as others have mentioned the Cardinals had a fairly high profile split.

speculation on MLBTV is that they want Boone back or would have let him go already but that things could fall apart if Boone wants too much or Yanks low ball him. Mind you that’s only speculation.

Does it really matter? Boone or just a Boone clone to replace him? The main problem is Cashman and he stays.

[newhampfan]

There has been t least one off day where it could have been announced and as others have mentioned the Cardinals had a fairly high profile split.

speculation on MLBTV is that they want Boone back or would have let him go already but that things could fall apart if Boone wants too much or Yanks low ball him. Mind you that’s only speculation.

I come back to my theory: Boone wants more years guaranteed than the Big Yank is willing to give at the moment; hence the delay. Myself, I 'd let Boone drift off to San Diego or St. Louis or wherever.

[False1]

RE Torres:-I believe he is a keeper at 2nd
SNY’s Anthony McCarron talked to a pair of MLB scouts, who advocated for the Yankees keeping Torres at second base.

Scout No. 1: “He’s too talented and too young not to rebound. I think he will.”

Scout No. 2: “I think he was thinking about those errors at shortstop. Then he was hurt and I think it all contributed to it. I think he was reading the newspapers. You start trying to hit three home runs in one at-bat, try to do too much. ... Torres’ best position is second base. You can see it -- he looks more comfortable there. His offense won’t rebound at shortstop.”

Torres, who his .259 with nine home runs in 127 games this year, is eligible for arbitration this winter. MLB Trade Rumorsprojects Torres’ 2022 arbitration salary at $5.9 million; He made $4 million in 2021. According to Spotrac, Torres is eligible for free agency following the 2024 season.

I mean, I'm no professional scout, and these scouts aren't named... but these comments sound super hokey to me. "Too talented and too young not to rebound"? I mean, how many young and talented players have made an impact in their first year or two and never rebounded? Just in terms of position players that Gley himself has lined up with, we have Sanchez, Bird, Odor all meeting that criteria... with possibly Frazier and Andujar to get added to that list. Young and talented players flame out all the time.

If this is how scouts still feel, all the more reason to trade him this offseason. The Yankees have 2B locked up for the next several seasons. They really can't move DJL's contract, and if they subscribe to this theory (which I also think is soft) that moving people out of the position they are most comfortable at defensively, why would you move GG 2B DJL to 1B or 3B?

If the Yankees make a big splash at SS this offseason, and then Peraza/Volpe emerge over the next two seasons, I think the odds of Gleyber following in Sanchez' footsteps (maybe one more year with one more tweak and he'll be what he was!) are much higher than the odds of seller's remorse. Make Gley a piece of a trade for JRam or Olson.

[jnewmark]

Cashman wanted the glory for himself

As I recall at the time, a lot of people here were screaming to get rid of Joe, on a daily basis.