Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our bi-weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks: Who do you think will be the biggest name player the Yankees acquire this offseason? And please let the answer not be Cade Winquest.
It feels like the end result will be Cody Bellinger and some parts, after all the theories and waiting. There just
hasn’t been momentum in any of these major markets so we’re all standing around waiting for something to drop, but it works out in the Yankees’ favor if there isn’t any rampant outbidding going on this year. Bellinger fit like a glove into the offense last season, and gambling on whether the kids could take over reliably when the superstars are pushing into their mid-30s doesn’t seem like the smart play — getting Bellinger to return would be a win for the offseason, even if it probably won’t feel like they did much if the headliner is a returning player. Tatsuya Imai would be a solid addition as well, but I’m willing to lean more towards Jack Curry’s reporting that there hasn’t been a connection there compared to the rest of the media pitting the Yanks as a favorite — state media has been more reliable than not over the years. I’d be pleasantly surprised to see Imai in pinstripes, but even in a world where they swung for both I think Bellinger would be the bigger get.
workermonkey781 asks: Is trading Jazz for pitching and then signing a FA 2B really an upgrade unless its Bo Bichette?
No, it wouldn’t be — outside of Bichette, the top second baseman available to sign would be names like Willi Castro or Isiah Kiner-Falefa, guys who have been decent at times but never hit the heights that Bichette or Chisholm have been at (let alone as consistently as they have). Now, is there a world where a Chisholm trade pending a Bichette signing makes sense? Sure, but the Yankees already know that Chisholm fits pretty well in New York, and there’s pitching options available right now for just money. The easier route is available, the problem has been whether or not the Yankees will pony up the money or not. That problem is still there if they opened up a hole at second base that would need to be filled by Bichette or else risk a major downgrade, and the depth in the organization at least has the potential to fill the pitching problem over the course of the year whereas the middle infield talent is still a bit away from the majors. I’d steer clear of trading Chisholm personally, but the Yankees have made it clear that they’re thinking of the long-term payroll more often than not.
Madvillian asks: Does the team owe it to Judge to get better?
Considering he’s the best player they’ve developed since the Core Four by a long shot, signed a long-term extension that he’s already proving to be a relative bargain despite it setting the market at the time, and is carrying the torch of the captaincy that has meant so much to the franchise’s history, I’d sure say so. But the team has taken a lot of Judge’s thoughts into consideration when constructing their rosters over the years, favored players that he thinks will perform well whether he was right or wrong on the matter, so it’s not like they’re leaving him out to dry. They’ll contend, and they’ll maybe find the right squad that goes on a hot streak at the right time to finally win one with him in pinstripes, but they’re not moving with the intent to build a dynasty around him. Considering where his stats may end up placing him on the all-time leaderboards when it’s all said and done, it’s disappointing that that’s the case, but hardly shocking anymore.
