New York Yankees, In Search of 28: 5 Musts For the Off-Season
Not to sound awkward, but it’s a good thing George Steinbrenner wasn't here to witness the disintegration of his New York Yankees.
And not just in the ALCS—They looked off their game more or less since September.
In fact, if not for the catastrophic injuries to the Red Sox this year, they may not have made it to the playoffs at all.
The Core Four (Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte) and Alex Rodriguez will all be past their mid-30s next year. If they hope to return to contention and win a title, there are (at least) five issues they need to tackle.
Apologize to Cliff Lee's Wife
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My mom often says that the Yankees haven’t had good starting pitching since Guidry.
Okay, so maybe that’s an exaggeration, but her larger point remains: Despite their highest-in-the-majors payroll and a phenomenal closer in Mo, it seems like Yankees fans are always grumbling about pitching.
This year was no exception.
On Monday, the Yankees announced the firing of their pitching coach, Dave Eiland, though apparently not in response to the collapse of the starting rotation. General Manager Brian Cashman linked his termination to a personal leave of absence Eiland took in June.
Eiland was widely liked among his pitchers and credited for developing Phil Hughes, resurrecting Kerry Wood and for guiding A.J. Burnett—until he went on leave and Burnett imploded, never able to recover.
It’s unclear what Cashman intends to do about a starting rotation that entered the ALCS with no healthy, experienced, reliable starters, other than trying to sign Texas ace, Cliff Lee.
Admittedly, that’s a great idea. Too bad a few drunk Yankees fans spat, shouted obscenities and threw beer on Rangers family members, including Cliff Lee's wife, seated in the visitor’s section of Yankee Stadium during the ALCS.
In the short-term, the Yankees probably have to hope Mrs. Lee will turn the other cheek and that Burnett finds a fairy godmother with a magic wand.
But in the long-term, the Yankees need to get serious about developing home grown talent. So, for example, when a player is hurt (Pettitte) or not performing up to expectations (Burnett) there are alternatives that don’t involve trading away prospects, signing Kei Igawa or shelling out so much money that only Jay Z and Donald Trump can afford to go to the games.
Transition Posada to DH
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Hip Hip Jorge! I love Jorge Posada. I love his intensity, his attitude and the fact that he doesn’t wear batting gloves like the rest of the prima donnas—but injuries and age have taken a toll.
Even my grandmother could have stolen a base on him this year. Sigh. Poor Georgie.
His backup this year, Francisco Cervelli, is scrappy. I like the fact that he’s willing to be ridiculed for wearing a concussion-safe helmet so that he still remembers his name on Old Timer’s Day. Still, his hitting is inconsistent, and he’s had some notable defensive blunders. I’m not writing him off, but he will have to improve to earn the starting job.
The other (much-talked about) option is bringing up Jesus Montero from the minors.
He’s only 21 though, so it’s hard to imagine how he’s going to fair in a pressure cooker like New York without some additional experience under his belt.
One thing seems clear: Posada’s day as a starting catcher are over. His role should evolve into a DH and mentor to his probable replacements.
Re-Sign Jeter and Rivera
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Love or hate the Yankees, if you love baseball, then it’s hard to argue that Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera aren't two of the classiest players in the game. For just how long, still remains to be seen.
Both of their contracts expire this winter. The Yankees must re-sign both of them and make plans for their eventual retirement.
Rivera, who will turn 41 next month, had a lowly 1.80 ERA in the regular season. In fact, in only four years was his ERA lower and in just three years did he hold hitters to a lower batting average. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s pitching when he’s 60.
But since he’s a pitcher, you can count on Cashman and the front office to mismanage him over the next few years. The Steinbrenner family should sign him to a contract that automatically renews every year as long as his overall statistics are better than half of the closers in a couple of key categories, such as ERA and opponents batting average. If he falls below that, then Rivera and the team will have to work out a deal.
Jeter’s another story. After an MVP-like season last year, he struggled mightily at the plate. One of the most consistent hitters in baseball, his batting average was down 44 points. Maybe he had an off year. Maybe Minka is bad luck.
Or maybe it’s age catching up with him.
Most people think Jeter will know when it’s time to retire, but just in case, the Yankees should begin discussions with him about his fate to make sure they're on the same page. Before they agree to another lengthy, and costly, contract renewal.
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Don't Renew Joe Girardi's Contract
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Years ago when we were kids, my brother won a “pitch, hit and run” competition. He got a gold medal, and our neighbors photo-shopped him onto the cover of a Wheaties box, which was kind of cool.
But based on his (mis)management of pitching, hitting and running, I’m not putting Joe Girardi on any Wheaties box or renewing his contract, which expires in a few days.
For starters, his bullpen management philosophy escapes me. I’m not sure a game went by where I didn’t ask myself, "Why’s he doing that?" Judging from comments left on baseball blogs throughout the Tri-State Area, I wasn’t alone.
It was also unclear who was in charge of hitting: Girardi and the hitting coach, Kevin Long, or the players.
Both Girardi and Long were quoted as crediting outfielder Curtis Granderson with approaching Long about his hitting difficulties. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? If a player, such as Jeter, is struggling at the plate, isn’t it the job of the manager and the coaches to intervene?
And though this may seem trivial to some, allowing players to stroll to first base like they're on a home garden tour is aggravating, even if lots of teams do it. For the amount of money they’re paid (and fans are paying for crappy seats and/or a high-priced cable bill) they should show some hustle. I would probably make them sprint even if they were walked.
Winning the World Series is hard. It takes full effort every day, on every play. The manager should demand nothing less.
Cashman has said the Yankees intend on renewing Girardi’s contract, and I suspect most people would probably agree. After all, they won the World Series last year and were a starting rotation away from returning to the Fall Classic this year. And, admittedly, not everyone’s going to want to manage in New York.
Girardi isn’t a terrible manager, but I wouldn’t renew his contract without being clear that I expected him to pitch, hit and run.
Get Young Guys Who Can Run Like Gardner and Even Granderson
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With a couple of exceptions, the Yankees don’t have any speed, and it seems like everyone else they play does. This is Cashman’s responsibility alone.
He needs to stop signing dinosaurs who can only DH and start recognizing what every other team figured out long ago: Speed wins ball games by stealing runners into scoring position and by stretching hits for extra bases and runs. Speedy base runners also distract and disrupt pitchers who have to worry about them.
Typically, faster players are younger players.
All the more reason to focus on developing a farm system that can compete with the best of them.
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