The Yankees ENTIRE infield is a huge question mark for the 2014 season. Tex is coming off wrist surgery that he's STILL feeling stiffness in. Roberts hasn't seen a 100 game season in 4 years. Jeter is coming off major ankle surgery. And 3rd base is complete patch work. Come to think of it our entire infield may end up being patch work. Hopefully Johnson, Nunez, & Ryan can fill in sufficiently when called upon. I'm glad we have back up for 3rd, 2nd & short but its anyone's guess what the'll do for 1st if Tex goes down for any reason.
They could bring McCann for his bat out and play 1B I suppose. Hasn't Beltran played a little also. I agree with most that Tex of all the players coming back, is the most iffy.
Neither Beltran or McCann have EVER played 1st base. Like I said, if Tex goes down we're basically screwed.
I totally agree with you and I have been concerned about this. I think they should look into trading Gardner for a full time 2nd or 3rd baseman. They are fooling themselves if they think Roberts can play everyday again and Johnson is nice but he is not a full time player especially at 3rd base in my opinion. Also I think they need another arm or two in the bullpen. I would love Balfour.
Ownership and all those in charge are completely expecting that Jeter and Tex will be completely on their A game... have no legitimate plans for either as a back-up nor anything realistic at 2nd or 3rd... this is a major shortcoming of this team... Hopefully Jeter and Tex will be ready, I just doubt either will be...
I guess once we take the rose colored glasses off, the whole infield is a bunch of what ifs just like Rick opened with. The best we can hope for is the AA guys and Manny B to have an outstanding couple of months out of the box to raise their value and give Cashman assets to trade.
For comparable total $$$ outlay, would you rather have McCann or Salty+Infante+Balfour+Drew or Young (or with McCann vesting - Drew AND Young), with all of these guys in shorter terms deals than McCann's? $450M+ spent, and still questions in the IF, and possibly a closer, or another decent arm as a bridge to DRob if he ends up being the closer.
...the money is irrelevant...talent is what matters. ...salty had an anomalous career year and is not and will not be half the player McCann is...and I have yet to have anyone justify the importance of signing Drew.
Bottom line is we have an iffy infield with a few made out of glass. And STILL no back up option for 1st base.
5 players for the price of 1 and the associated $$$ is not relevant? Really? Even when the other 4 guys also fill holes as well?. Still not seeing how McCann is $64M higher investment than Salty. Talent is relevant, but the difference in talent between those 2 isn't $64M worth, and spending $456M and still having more holes isn't exactly being efficient, is it? Drew, Young, Balfour - you can't see Drew playing 3B or SS? Really? Young can't play 3B for a year? Really? Balfour can't close? And if DRob ends up close, who is the new 8th inning guy? if $$$ is not relevant, please tell us who plays 3B, who plays SS, who plays 2B, who closes, who is the 8th inning guy?
...ahhh, "the new math"...not to mention 20/20 hindsight. ...and again, "the money is irrelevant"...especially now. ...Drew is an average SS at best.
Nothing new about this math - it adds up. And as for being 20/20 - I've pushed these holes to be filled for a while now. I know you're not gonna on record and tell us who plays 3B, who plays 2B, who plays SS, who is the 8th inning guy if DRob closes, who is the closer if DRon goes back to the setup spot, who plays 1B if Tex can't go. As usual - no opinion.
...nothing but whining and bashing, as usual. Try typing so you can be understood...and again, opening day is when? ...Balfour, Drew, Salty, Young (est. 10 mil), Infante =approx $42 Mil per year.....but yeah, that's the same as McCann's $17 Mil AAV. "5 players for the price of 1"?....(hence "the new math") ...and if it's "substance" you're seeking I'd suggest a little Benefiber.
Ron without stealing a routine from Abbott & Costello, If Tex goes down for ANY period of time, WHO'S ON FIRST?
You really struggle with numbers, don't you? If $$$$ is irrelevant as you stated, why would you care what the AAV is? And if you are taking this year-to-year, perhaps you need to buy a calculator and see how much the team would invest in those 5 guys over a term of 3 years that is half as long as they have to keep McCann with no exit. If you haven't figured out the importance of the term, then you simply have your head in the sand as we all watch the clock slowly tick by on the contracts of CC, Tex, Arod (again after 2014), etc.
...rick, we discussed this the other day. I know you like Morales and he would fit but the fact of the matter is that we simply won't know if Tex is healed...I think he will be OK but again, we just don't know. And Morales wants multi years and like we discussed, what do we do with him if Tex returns to normalcy? Kinda hard to justify the contract for a player you may or may not need. I guess we just have to hope Tex can play and play well. If not, they'll have to address it at that time, but not now. Maybe they'll pick a utility guy up, I don't know.
...sorry, but no, I don't struggle with anything...you're the one who first brought up money, not me...I instead, pointed to "talent" and said "money is irrelevant, especially now" ...no one knows how long the other players (average annual value) contract would have been if they had signed with the Yanx...which is why "AAV" was used....try to keep up.
At this point I agree with you about Morales, it just boogles my mind why the Yankees don't even have a back up 1st baseman on there entire roster. I mean who the hell does that? With all the infielders we have we can put band aids on 3rd short & 2nd but NO ONE to cover 1st is just inexcusable.
