The Yankees are about to embark on a week that may change the course of their history. The Winter Meetings start today in Las Vegas and many expect for Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman to make a splash. One that comes with truckloads of green in name of Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. The question is which one is a better fit in the Bronx. What if I told you neither was the answer? Would if Cashman agreed with me and didn't sign either of them? Let's take a look at both.
Manny Machado would seem as the obvious target for Cashman given that the everyday shortstop (SS) Didi Gregorius is out until June. The Yanks are shopping Miguel Andujar as early as this week for a front end Starting Pitcher. It's a puzzle that Cashman needs to put together. The way he puts it together could lead to a World Series championship or two, or three or none!
The question here is definitely a puzzling one. How much better can you make a 100 win team? A team that went to Game 7 of the ALCS two seasons ago. They already added a 10 year superstar contract in Giancarlo Stanton last offseason, so why is another one needed? The Red Sox has a magical season. If Aaron Judge doesn't get hurt for two months this summer then maybe just maybe the Yankees finish with 105 wins and the Red Sox 104. Maybe the Sox play the one game Wild Card against the A's. Maybe the Sox don't win that game. It's a lot of what-ifs but the fact is the Yankees in my opinon took a step back in 2018 and they added a reigning MVP. How much better can Manny make the Yankees?
Bryce Harper is intriguing because he's a lefty and he could easily hit 50 home runs a year in the Bronx. It was reported that he was willing to play First Base (1B) if he came to the Bronx. I like that idea alot more than Manny replacing Didi and/or Andujar. If he was added to the mix then it adds to his value. Although much like Manny, he's going to command a 10 year deal in order to get a deal done. That in lies the problem. The length of the deal.
Ten years. Ten years. Ten Years. It's going to take the Yankees or someone to go that far in order to land one of these generational talents. I think both Machado and Harper are unbelievable talents and they should go out and get as much as they can but that doesn't mean the Yankees should be the one to give it to them. The Yanks are already loaded with talent, perennial MVPs and bloated contracts, they don't need another.
Stanton's contract is already looking like an albatross judging by how his October went. 9 more years of that? Oy vey. He was supposed to be the missing piece to get them to their 28th championship. He didn't get them to a game 5 in the ALDS, much less the ALCS, where they were a year prior. He didn't get them the division. He only played Aaron Judge over the summer when the slugger went down. I don't see Manny or Bryce being the savior in NY. I see just another overpaid superstar chasing stardom, headlines, late night shows, and shadows of their former selves.
Maybe I'm wrong but the Bronx doesn't need Manny and the Bronx doesn't need Bryce. The Bronx needs the $30-35 million a year for the next 10 years for pitching, for our home grown stars, for our bullpen, for our scouting, for whatever our team needs in order to win a championship. It doesn't need to go to someone to hog up a roster spot.
I'll take pass on these two generational talents....we already have them.
Ten years. Ten years. Ten Years. It's going to take the Yankees or someone to go that far in order to land one of these generational talents. I think both Machado and Harper are unbelievable talents and they should go out and get as much as they can but that doesn't mean the Yankees should be the one to give it to them. The Yanks are already loaded with talent, perennial MVPs and bloated contracts, they don't need another.
Maybe I'm wrong but the Bronx doesn't need Manny and the Bronx doesn't need Bryce. The Bronx needs the $30-35 million a year for the next 10 years for pitching, for our home grown stars, for our bullpen, for our scouting, for whatever our team needs in order to win a championship. It doesn't need to go to someone to hog up a roster spot.
I'll take pass on these two generational talents....we already have them.
Post a Comment