It’s no longer 'early' for the 2016 Yankees

On May 24, the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-0 for their sixth straight win. It brought their record to 22-22, a real accomplishment because the team had been as low as 7-games under .500. Since then they are 3-6 and have devolved back into their April ways. Last week I wrote that the current 18-game stretch the Yankees are on will determine if they will be contenders or sellers in 2016. We are now 10 games into that 18-game stretch and can no longer use the “it’s early” excuse. Have you looked at a calendar recently? It’s June. Roughly 33% of the season is over and the Yankees are muddling below .500. They are 4th-to-the-bottom in runs scored and the offense doesn't appear to be turning it around, despite what Joe Girardi says. After watching 50+ games, I’ve come to the conclusion that the 2016 Yankees stink. There are plenty of reasons why they stink. One, the Yankees are old. Teixeira and ARod have been non-existent, and therefore the middle of the batting order has been unproductive. The rest of the lineup is filled with inconsistencies like McCann and Castro, guys who are over-the-hill like Headley, and guys who are injury-prone like Ellsbury and Gardner. The starting pitching is erratic, to put it nicely. For every good start by Tanaka, CC and Eovaldi, they have had horrendous starts from Severino and Pineda.

Simply put, this team does not have what it takes to make the playoffs. I see their successes in May as a mirage, which is what I feared last week. So, Brian Cashman and the Yankees ownership have a decision to make. Do they hang on for dear life, only to finish 2016 like 2013-14 did? Or do they lick their wounds and regroup with an eye on the future? Here’s what I would do, player-by-player:

Brian McCann: I know Buster Olney got everybody hot and bothered by floating a McCann for Gallo rumor, but I actually think the Yankees would be best served keeping him. McCann can still hit a bunch of homers at Yankee Stadium and his C/1B versatility will come in handy when Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez are going through growing pains in 2017. Mark Teixeira: Unfortunately, I don’t think the Yankees can do anything with Tex except let his contract expire. He is having the worst season of his career (.181/.273/.265) and there are no signs of that changing. His nagging injuries are the only consistent thing about him, which means he has no value on the trade market. At the end of this season, Yankees fans should thank Teixeira for playing a key role in the 2009 championship and start looking forward to Greg Bird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4gn2yeFTh4 Starlin Castro: Castro is locked-in as the Yankees second baseman – or possibly third baseman – for the foreseeable future. His hot April (.305/.345/.488) was met with a slow May (.200/.241/.355). While I absolutely love the Castro-for-Warren trade because it was the right move in the short- and long-term, Castro does have room for improvement. He and the Yankees should focus on plate discipline for the remainder of 2016. While I’d love for him to increase his OBP, I care more about pitch selection; Castro takes himself out of too many at-bats in key situations by swinging at bad pitches.

Didi Gregorius: I have the least amount of complaints about Didi of all the position players. Does he make poor base running decisions? Yes. But his stellar defense and improved offense – especially against lefties – more than makes up for any bone-headed plays he makes. He, like Castro, is locked-in to an infield position on this team. Chase Headley: Yeah, he hit .298 in May and actually had some extra base hits, but that does not change the fact that he is one of the biggest mistakes Brian Cashman has made in recent years. Headley is under contract through 2018, but that should not matter. Cut him, trade him for some big league chew, or just pay him to mow the outfield. Either way, he needs to be off this team ASAP. Brett Gardner: Second-half Brett showed up in May this year! Despite his .184 average during the month, he still managed to have a .324 OBP which could make him attractive on the open market. Add in the fact that he’s (only) owed $36.5M over the next 3 seasons and you could convince a team to send a prospect or two in exchange for Gardy. Cleveland has lost two outfielders to PED suspensions and the AL Central leading Royals have had a myriad of injuries. Both could be a potential landing spot for some of the Yankees outfielders, which brings me to… Carlos Beltran: The only real run producer for the Yankees this season is in the last year of his deal. A homecoming with the Royals seems like a nice fit. If not KC, then there are a number of cities (Cleveland, Seattle, Chicago, etc.) that I’m sure would love to host Beltran's swansong. Jacoby Ellsbury: Remember I said that Chase Headley was one of Cashman’s biggest mistakes? Well, Ellsbury is the biggest mistake Cashman has made in recent years. Because his contract is so ludicrous, the Yankees are stuck with him. Saddle up everybody, we get to enjoy Jacoby Ellsbury through the 2020 season! Alex Rodriguez: What do you want me to say? It’s a shame that ARod isn’t producing like he did in 2015, but I think we all saw that writing on the wall. His body has been through too many games, injuries, surgeries, and needles to stay healthy into his forty’s. Maybe the Yankees should sit him the remainder of this season in hopes he can reclaim some of that 2015 magic in ‘17 thanks to R&R. Besides, AROD CORP could use some attending to. Masahiro Tanaka: Cross your fingers and hope to die that Tanaka’s elbow, wrist, forearm, hand, shoulder, and anything else connected to his right arm stays in one piece. Michael Pineda: Michael Pineda is the worst starting pitcher in baseball. Michael Pineda is a head case. Michael Pineda should be demoted to Triple-A before June 14, which is when he will qualify for 5 years of MLB service time and the Yankees will no longer have the option to send him to the minors without his consent. Maybe he and Severino can figure their crap out in Scranton and actually pitch to their potential during the second half for the Yanks.

Nathan Eovaldi: Eovaldi put up an Arrieta-like May. That might be a stretch, but he was the Yankees best starting pitcher throughout the month by far. So much so that he grabbed the attention of the Cubs, and possibly some other teams looking to make deep playoff runs. The Yanks should listen to any and all trade offers they get, but unless a team blows them away like Arizona did with Shelby Miller, they should keep the Nasty one. CC Sabathia: Believe it or not, but CC may have reinvented himself as Andy Pettitte 2.0. His high-80’s fastball that was being sent to the moon last season is getting softer contact thanks to some added movement and improved location. Hopefully the big fella can stay healthy so we can see what he’s got for the next season and a half. Ivan Nova: Sell! Sell! Sell! As a starter, Nova has a 3.41 ERA in 5 starts and shown the ability to keep his team in ballgames. Is he a front-end starter? Hell no. Will he ever be? Nope. But thanks to his solid performance he now has some trade value. And for anybody saying the Yankees should resign him as the 5th starter next season – I’ve seen Ivan Nova blow-up too many times to fall for that trick. Dellin Betances: No sense in overusing him this season if the team is going to stink anyways.

Andrew Miller: Miller has the most trade value of anybody on the team. Since he’s locked up for two more seasons, could close on just about every team in baseball, and proven that he’s a team-first guy, the Yankees could get a nice return for him. The Red Sox got Eduardo Rodriguez, a 23-year old left-handed starting pitcher, for Miller in 2014 who was just a rental. Imagine what the Yankees could get now? Aroldis Chapman: Assuming the Yankees move Miller, I’d actually consider resigning Chapman. Yes, he’s going to want BIG money but the Yankees can afford it and having another two-headed monster next season will be a luxury the team will most likely need. Enjoy Close BMC while it lasts.

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— Bronx Pinstripes (@BronxPinstripes) June 1, 2016

The rest of the pen is a crapshoot. Chasen Shreve, assuming he’s not disabled for long, Kirby Yates, Luis Cessa, Nick Goody, and anybody else who finds himself riding the Scranton shuttle, should be pitching for their jobs the remainder of the season. If the Yankees move on from their current failing starters, it could open playing time for Aaron Hicks, Rob Refsnyder, Ronald Torreyes, Ben Gamel, Jake Cave, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez, who could all benefit from major league experience. Will that team stink? You bet. They will probably finish near the bottom of the American League. But I will sure as hell enjoy watching that team more than the current one they’re trotting out.