We are almost at a half season now. Too soon, obviously, to make big-picture statements about the Yankees’ offensive decisions last offseason.
Yet we now have enough information to at least ponder this question today and continue to keep score into the future:
Would the Yankees have been better off doing what they did and investing 15 years at $285 million on Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann or 14 years at $295 million on Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson?
Actually, I believe if the Yankees had been proactive, the total price tag on Cano and Granderson would have been less. Cano, just before signing for 10 years at $240 million with the Mariners, told the Yankees he would do 10 years at $235 million with them. Plus, I have heard contradictory testimony that Cano insisted on receiving 10 years versus folks who think if the Yanks had shown the love early and bid eight years at $200 million, it would have gotten things done.
Granderson signed for four years at $60 million with the Mets. But, again, if the Yankees had been proactive, might they have kept Granderson for three years at $42 million to $45 million? This falls into the category between “maybe” and “probably.”
Obviously, the Yankees were scared off on Cano for a variety of reasons, notably the length of contract, worry about how his thick body would age, concerns that his focus was being diverted off the field and more. Still, they were willing to invest seven years at $153 million in Ellsbury, who had one season in his career (back in 2011) as good as Cano’s past six.
Plus, the Yankees decided to give up on going under the luxury-tax threshold and spend around half a billion dollars to — as always — try to win now. So — yes, with some 20-20 hindsight — who would be helping the Yankees win more now: Beltran/Ellsbury/McCann or Cano/Granderson?
And here might be the more problematic issue: Whose contracts are going to be more troublesome going forward, the current Yankee trio’s or Cano/Granderson’s? Maybe the answer is all five. But if that turns out to be true, then who helps in the present will be even more accentuated.
The Yankees were 20th in the majors in runs. Due to injury and poor performance, Ellsbury has been cast (miscast?) as a No. 3 hitter. Cano remains a no-doubt No. 3 force. With bad hitting, dominant pitching and relentless shifting leading to the AL having its lowest average (.254) since 1972 (the last year pre-DH), Cano was second in the league with a .330 average.
He has just four homers, but there seems little doubt if he were still playing home games at Yankee Stadium, not spacious Safeco Field, that number would be doubled or tripled — maybe more. Because he is still hitting the ball hard.
Granderson, too, is adapting to a much bigger Citi Field, plus playing regularly after last year’s injury-interrupted season. His first month was a mess, generating comps to Jason Bay. But since April 29, Granderson has hit .287 with a .411 on-base percentage and a .919 OPS.
The injuries, his age (33 in March) and the mounting strikeouts convinced the Yankees to do nothing more than make him a qualifying offer and forget that they obtained him because his swing was tailor-made for Yankee Stadium (MLB-best 84 homers in 2011-12). So they ended up signing an even older player in Beltran (37) and another player they believed had a swing meant for Yankee Stadium in McCann.
Now, Granderson struggled early with the Yankees and actually had fewer homers and RBIs (six and 20) in his first 69 games than McCann had in his (eight and 34). So, perhaps McCann will follow the same trajectory. And Beltran was purchased for his switch-hitting skills and clutch history, and maybe that will mix in over time.
Ellsbury, meanwhile, has been good, but not better than Brett Gardner, who would be playing center had the Yanks gone with the Cano/Granderson decision. Plus — if you want to drive yourself crazy as a Yankee fan — would the organization, having decided to blow by the luxury-tax threshold, have been the one to sign Nelson Cruz late in free agency for one year in the $8 million range rather than the Orioles (there was a lot of buzz he wanted to be a Yankee)?
In which case, the 3-4-5 in the Yankees order right now would be Cano, Cruz and Granderson.
Yes, there is some Monday morning quarterbacking here (is that Tuesday morning shortstopping in baseball?). But it is hard to ignore those first snapshots of the Yankees’ remade lineup. And the initial information suggests they should have stayed same as they ever were.
Another pitcher Mets passed on flies to Cardinals
Last season — just a year removed from being drafted — Michael Wacha was promoted to the Cardinal rotation and quick stardom. That maneuver also led to questions about why the Mets used the 12th pick in the 2012 draft on shortstop Gavin Cecchini rather than Wacha, who went 19th.
Now, Wacha has gone to the DL with bone damage in his right shoulder and — a year removed from being drafted — lefty Marco Gonzales is being summoned to start Wednesday in his home state against Colorado. He had been scheduled to start the Double-A All-Star Game the same night. Now, he will begin a career and spark perhaps more questions the Mets will not want to hear — notably, why did they pick first baseman Dominic Smith 11th rather than Gonzales, who lasted to the pitching-rich Cards at No. 19? Smith is a well-regarded prospect who is just 19 and struggling (.652 OPS) at Low-A.
Gonzales is viewed by outside executives as lacking high-octane stuff but is considered a top athlete with a repeatable delivery, a precocious understanding of how to pitch, a good fastball (91-93 mph), an average curve and a high-end changeup.
Shoulder injuries to Wacha and lefty Jaime Garcia have outside executives now wondering whether the Cardinals will continue to trust their pitching pipeline or use their strong system to try to land a starter such as David Price in their attempts to overtake the Brewers in the NL Central.
Rocky patch won’t cause major Colorado sale
The Rockies lost their seventh straight game Monday to fall eight games under .500. They believe they will get third baseman Nolan Arenado and lefty reliever Boone Logan back from the DL before the All-Star break, but others — such as starters Brett Anderson and Tyler Chatwood and outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer — are not expected to return until after the break and even into mid-August.
They are telling interested clubs they would love to see what their team could do healthy. But even their officials know that might not occur nearly in time to salvage this season. So, more and more, they are scouring systems thinking about trades. There are no signs they would consider moving franchise cornerstone Troy Tulowitzki, and Gonzalez, who had a tumor removed from a finger, probably won’t even be back playing by July 31.
So lefty starter Jorge de la Rosa, closer LaTroy Hawkins and setup man Rex Brothers could be the key items they dangle.