It’s time to stop being cute. It’s time to stop being delusional. It’s time to sell. I hate to say it but unless you’re content with a team with a minus-31 run differential and 84 wins, it’s time to face reality and let the purge begin. If your name isn’t Dellin Betances, Didi Gregorius or Andrew Miller (unless the right haul price comes along), the New York Yankees should be trading their assets for prospects and handing out pink slips to the deadwood.
If ownership is leery of TV ratings, attendance and merchandise sales dropping, don’t worry, it’s already happening. If you’re worried about ceding the city to the New York Mets, don’t worry, they’re probably not making the playoffs this year either.
Let’s face it folks, getting knocked around by the cellar dwelling Tampa Bay Rays and batting 41-year-old Alex Rodriguez and his golden sombrero four-strikeout performance, cleanup, is a road to nowhere. Trotting out Mark Teixeira, aka sir limps a lot and his .192 batting average, is a waste of time. We’ve seen enough of Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova, knowing that the Yankees would be better off finding out about Chad Green, Luis Severino and Luis Cessa.
Seriously, get what you can for whomever you can.
Deal Carlos Beltran and Brett Gardner and find out what you have in the outfield with Aaron Judge, Ben Gamel, Mason Williams and Tyler Austin. I’d say deal Jacoby Ellsbury too but his contract is a complete albatross.
Cut A-Rod and Teixeira and find more plate appearances for Rob Refsnyder and possibly more at-bats for Brian McCann at first base and or designated hitter.
Regardless of whether or not they find a suitor for McCann, those corresponding moves also open the door for calling up Gary Sanchez and letting him catch.
Sell big and sell it to Yankee fans. We’re holding players accountable and cleaning house. They’ll love it and they’ll eat it up. Fans will be excited about watching a team full of fresh new young and hungry players. At times it won’t be pretty but what’s happening on the field right now sure isn’t pretty.
Here’s what an August 2 roster could look like, minus the bench and underbelly of the bullpen:
CF: Ellsbury, LF: Gamel, RF: Judge, 3B: Chase Headley, SS: Gregorius, 2B: Starlin Castro, 1B: Refsnyder, C: Sanchez, DH: McCann.
Rotation: Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Green, Severino, Cessa.
Bullpen: Miller, Betances, Adam Warren.
