2017 Official Regular Season Thread

[ymike673]

Somebody help me out here. In the 9th inning instead of having Kozma bat Girardi PH him with Carter. Who would have played SS if the Yankees managed to tie it up or take the lead? Romine was the only player left on the bench.

Castro would have moved to SS, Romine would have played 2B.

[Portbb]

For me, and I think most posters here, the expectation is that Sanchez, Bird, and probably Judge are going to hit at a high level, regardless of the team record. If they do not and take steps back, there is going to be a lot of disappointment that the rebuild is not working. Similarly, there are also expectations for some key minor leaguers that could result in disappointment.

Team record is less important, but we can still hope that the questionable rotation some how is adequate and that the team does well. I know I will.

Those three players each have between 28 and 56 career big league games. How can they take steps back when they haven't taken steps forward? Really this their rookie season, even if technically not.

[NelsonMuntz]

At least we didn't give Heyward $180M. Dear God is he atrocious and the Cubs will be ruing that contract for the next decade. (something I said could happen when people insisted he'd opt out b/c he'd outperform the front end of the contract)

He just got a "base hit" because the 1B couldn't step on the bag on a routine grounder and instead tried to turn two. That's about the only way he can get on base these days.

Cubs "tinkered" with his swing in the offseason. He rewarded them with a .164 batting average this ST which, oddly enough, is exactly the AVG he posted in the 2016 spring. Fantastic adjustment.

But guysm, he saves like 80 bajillion runs with his defense in RF guys!!!!1111


For real though, we dodged a few free agent bullets that offseason. Right now the Upton and Price contracts aren't looking so hot either.

[hairnovaaa]

Somebody help me out here. In the 9th inning instead of having Kozma bat Girardi PH him with Carter. Who would have played SS if the Yankees managed to tie it up or take the lead? Romine was the only player left on the bench.

The plan was:

1B - Carter
2B - Headley
SS - Castro
3B - Bird

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/...d_at_thir.html

[rajah]

Those three players each have between 28 and 56 career big league games. How can they take steps back when they haven't taken steps forward? Really this their rookie season, even if technically not.

??? They have been taking steps toward being productive major leaguers since they started playing baseball. Steps toward that end do not begin in MLB.

Anyway, I think my point was clear. Most of us are going to be disappointed if we do not see production in the young players, including some like Torres who may not even be taking his steps in the majors, young players who need to be part of the core of any great team that emerges in the following couple of years. This season will give us a much better indication of whether that team is likely to emerge, regardless of the team's won-loss record and the performance of the older players.

[Portbb]

??? They have been taking steps toward being productive major leaguers since they started playing baseball. Steps toward that end do not begin in MLB.

Anyway, I think my point was clear. Most of us are going to be disappointed if we do not see production in the young players, including some like Torres who may not even be taking his steps in the majors, young players who need to be part of the core of any great team that emerges in the following couple of years. This season will give us a much better indication of whether that team is likely to emerge, regardless of the team's won-loss record and the performance of the older players.

Over a 162 game season they'll take steps backwards. Slumps, errors, everything that the players they've replaced went thru. It's not a straight route upwards is my point. If Sanchez starts slowly, no big deal. Develop at the big leagues with ups and downs. Better than the free agent of the day or trading for the Chase Headleys of the world.

[ClownPickle]

Why the F is there an off-day today?

[Art Vanderlay]

I knew the spring training outcome was going to blow up expectations.

It's going to be a long year for many if you don't scale it back a bit and accept that this season is not going to be a playoff season. Which is okay. The direction is the right one.

Not sure how old you are but anyone thats been watching baseball for more than a few years knows that Spring Training results mean zero. Personally I assess a team's prospects for the season by looking at the talent on the 25 man roster. My expectations coming into this season are low given the state of the rotation and the bottom half of the lineup. They could have won every game in March and it would not have changed my expectations. What would change my expectations is if they upgrade the talent on the ML roster during the season.

[ymike673]

Why the F is there an off-day today?

Only a three game series. If they played today and tomorrow then 2 days off before Friday's game. Blame MLB for moving opener up a day.

[spanky185]

Why the F is there an off-day today?

Tradition? Not going to get rained out in TB so.....

[Melancynic]

Tradition? Not going to get rained out in TB so.....

hah exactly. Super annoying because I am actually off today after working a Saturday shift. Would've been awesome to have Yankees baseball on.

[jcarey]

Ellsbury for Heyward straight up.

~$90M through 2020 (assuming $5M buyout for 2021) vs. ~$150M through 2023.

[melon]

Ellsbury for Heyward straight up.

~$90M through 2020 (assuming $5M buyout for 2021) vs. ~$150M through 2023.

This is an interesting hypothetical trade. I think posters would be somewhat split on this. I'd be learning towards no.

[flymick24]

Yeah Ellsbury is more likely to be league average going forward

Barring some sort of miracle healing in his back, Heyward looks like he's toast

[mbn007]

Yeah Ellsbury is more likely to be league average going forward

Barring some sort of miracle healing in his back, Heyward looks like he's toast

Agree. While I think Ellsbury will actually trend to below league average the next few years, Heyward is completely lost offensively. I have not seen enough of his play to understand where he is defensively, but I doubt that it would make up for his feebleness at the plate.

[rajah]

Over a 162 game season they'll take steps backwards. Slumps, errors, everything that the players they've replaced went thru. It's not a straight route upwards is my point. If Sanchez starts slowly, no big deal. Develop at the big leagues with ups and downs. Better than the free agent of the day or trading for the Chase Headleys of the world.

Of course. All players have ups and downs during the season. But it will not be a good sign for the rebuild if the season as a whole is a down for these three guys. I am excited about the youth and the rebuild and hope it goes well. But it would be a big deal if the youth had disappointing seasons. I am pretty sure you would be down about that as well.

[jcarey]

Yeah Ellsbury is more likely to be league average going forward

Barring some sort of miracle healing in his back, Heyward looks like he's toast

I'd rather have literal toast in CF than Ellsbury.

[Portbb]

Of course. All players have ups and downs during the season. But it will not be a good sign for the rebuild if the season as a whole is a down for these three guys. I am excited about the youth and the rebuild and hope it goes well. But it would be a big deal if the youth had disappointing seasons. I am pretty sure you would be down about that as well.

Yep. I think at least Bird and Sanchez will be very good. Judge, hopefully.

[2JAY]

It was no secret going into this season that the starting rotation was the biggest question mark for this team and will probably be the main reason for its struggles. I think that Tanaka will be fine and give this team what it needs to be a successful. But in order for the team to have that success, Tanaka cannot be a one man show.

[awy]

i'd say no to heyward as well.

[Donnybaseball72]

The plan was:

1B - Carter
2B - Headley
SS - Castro
3B - Bird

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/...d_at_thir.html

What?! Has Girdardi lost his mind. Headley has never played 2nd and Bird hasn't played 3rd. Carter hit .100 in ST. Why would he put his team in such a bad defensive position.

I can't believe no one is alarmed by this.

[2JAY]

What?! Has Girdardi lost his mind. Headley has never played 2nd and Bird hasn't played 3rd. Carter hit .100 in ST. Why would he put his team in such a bad defensive position.

I can't believe no one is alarmed by this.

Only if the Yankees had tied or taken the lead though. Joe sent Carter up hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a big HR and it did not work. This is not the first, nor last time, that we have seen Joe, and many other managers, try to win a game by putting players out of position.

[pleasepassthesoup]

What?! Has Girdardi lost his mind. Headley has never played 2nd and Bird hasn't played 3rd. Carter hit .100 in ST. Why would he put his team in such a bad defensive position.

I can't believe no one is alarmed by this.

The other option was letting Pete Kozma hit, so it's hard to argue with Joe PHing there.

[Donnybaseball72]

Only if the Yankees had tied or taken the lead though. Joe sent Carter up hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a big HR and it did not work. This is not the first, nor last time, that we have seen Joe, and many other managers, try to win a game by putting players out of position.

We complain about Didi getting injured while unnecessarily playing out of position in the WBC. Wouldn't this be the same thing had Bird or Headley gotten hurt trying to do something they have never done? Usually manager are forced to make defensive shifts like this when there is an injury or two (i.e. Soriano and Jeter purposely getting drilled by that coward Pedro in 03). In this case Girardi would have purposely put his team in this poor defensive alignment into the bottom on the 9th where Kevin Cash would have instructed his hitters to keep hitting to 3rd and hope Bird mess up.

I know Kozma isn't a good hitter but at some point he is going to need to take an AB. Down 4 runs in the 9th would have been that scenario.

[ojo]

What?! Has Girdardi lost his mind. Headley has never played 2nd and Bird hasn't played 3rd. Carter hit .100 in ST. Why would he put his team in such a bad defensive position.

I can't believe no one is alarmed by this.

Carter was the useful tool to send up there to hit a mistake pitch into the upper deck: nothing more, nothing less.

Only if the Yankees had tied or taken the lead though. Joe sent Carter up hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a big HR and it did not work. This is not the first, nor last time, that we have seen Joe, and many other managers, try to win a game by putting players out of position.

Carter was a stupid signing, because he's too cumbersome to put anywhere in the field really outside of stashing him at 1B for a few innings. He'd have made sense if not for Holliday's signing.