Snow in Atlanta! So let's talk about the Stanton Deal!

[Edwards Kings]

In early December? I am already wandering by the grocery store news stands for the first baseball rags....what next?



Got 4+ inches....now I know what it is like in Iola.

I want Spring (yes, I know it is not officially winter yet)!

[DOUGHBOYS]

In Colorado, most ski areas are closed because of lack of snow.
In California, fires rage.
In Atlanta, it snows.
In Texas, it snows
Crazy early winter.

[Edwards Kings]

10:05 AM - Six to eight inches of snow fell. Finally stopped. Roads "slushy". Under pressure. Survival instincts kicking in. Deciding ability to and long term impacts of locking my wife in a closet so I do no have to share my last case of beer.

[Bronx Yankees]

Wow. It’s just raining sluggers in New York.

[Edwards Kings]

Wow. It’s just raining sluggers in New York.

Stanton and Judge in the middle of the order...pssshaww....nothing to it!

Note to self...move Boston, Toronto, Tampa, and Baltimore pitchers down a notch or two.....

[Edwards Kings]

But the Marlins dumped Gordon, and maybe picked up Castro who makes about as much in 2018 and 2019 and more in 2020? Guess the Marlins can flip Castro....

[DOUGHBOYS]

Yep, they couldn't flip Ellsbury, so Castro is the target.
The fantasy player who loses in this deal looks to be Aaron Hicks.

[Edwards Kings]

Yep, they couldn't flip Ellsbury, so Castro is the target.
The fantasy player who loses in this deal looks to be Aaron Hicks.

Actually, I think Frazier will be out in the cold or traded. Earlier (certainly could just be noise) the Yanks committed to Hicks in Center. Ellsbury, Gardner and Hicks sharing one OF spot and DH?

[DOUGHBOYS]

Yep, they couldn't flip Ellsbury, so Castro is the target.
The fantasy player who loses in this deal looks to be Aaron Hicks.

Actually, I think Frazier will be out in the cold or traded. Earlier (certainly could just be noise) the Yanks committed to Hicks in Center. Ellsbury, Gardner and Hicks sharing one OF spot and DH?

I don't think Frazier was a starter anyway, but that's arbitrary.
Hicks loses at bats, Gardner loses at bats too.
The DH is certainly there, but it is used a lot to give 'half days' off to Sanchez, Stanton, Judge, infielders, and whoever else needs a blow.
It'll cut Hicks and nick Gardner and slash Ellsbury.

Frazier traded?

Can Hicks try out at 2B?

[Edwards Kings]

I didn't think Frazier would be (or should be) a starter either, but with the ages of Gardner and Ellsbury, I thought he might be in line for some AB. Now he is strictly AAA or out of town.

Poor Yankees...so many OF, so few third basemen....

[DOUGHBOYS]

I didn't think Frazier would be (or should be) a starter either, but with the ages of Gardner and Ellsbury, I thought he might be in line for some AB. Now he is strictly AAA or out of town.

Poor Yankees...so many OF, so few third basemen....

Gardner has 'Ichiro'd'.
In his 20's, playing like Byron Buxton, Gardner averaged under 300 at bats a season.
In his 30's, realizing that fence vs. player ends up with the fence winning, Gardner has averaged over 550 at bats a season.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Poor Yankees...so many OF, so few third basemen....

The Yankees have been historically poor there, right?
ARod and Boggs, two 'sloppy seconds' players, being their largest contributors at the position.
Craig Nettles, a thought also.

[Bronx Yankees]

Yep, they couldn't flip Ellsbury, so Castro is the target.
The fantasy player who loses in this deal looks to be Aaron Hicks.

Actually, I think Frazier will be out in the cold or traded. Earlier (certainly could just be noise) the Yanks committed to Hicks in Center. Ellsbury, Gardner and Hicks sharing one OF spot and DH?

I don't think Frazier was a starter anyway, but that's arbitrary.
Hicks loses at bats, Gardner loses at bats too.
The DH is certainly there, but it is used a lot to give 'half days' off to Sanchez, Stanton, Judge, infielders, and whoever else needs a blow.
It'll cut Hicks and nick Gardner and slash Ellsbury.

Frazier traded?

Frazier becomes a trade chip for pitching, I think. If he can’t bring back a decent back-end starter, then they’ll probably hold onto him in case of injuries. Certainly kills Frazier’s 2018 fantasy value unless the trade scenario happens.

Not sure Hicks and Gardner are the biggest losers in terms of fantasy value. My first thought is that it also hurts Sanchez.

Without question, Sanchez is the best-hitting catcher and is the clear top catcher. But, I think part of the appeal putting him so high up the draft board is an expectation that when not catching, he will get a lot of at bats at DH. The Yankees really like Hicks, and prefer Gardner in LF. Of course an injury to Stanton, Judge, Hicks or Gardner eliminates the “extra” OF and frees up DH at bats. But, if all four OF are healthy, I would expect Hicks to be the regular CF and Stanton, Judge and Gardner will take up the two corner OF spots and the DH slot most days, potentially costing Sanchez some DH at bats. In the end, I’d say Hicks, Gardner and Sanchez all will lose some ABs absent an injury, but we’ll see.

Mike

[DOUGHBOYS]

'The Yankees really like Hicks' is tempered with new Management and Hicks injury history to be sure.

Somewhere, some place, there is a man in front of a hairbrush, practicing already....

"HE HITS IT FAR! HE HITS IT DEEP! IT'S GONE!
OH GIANCARLO....YOU HIT THAT ONE FAR THOUGH!"

no, no, wait

"HE HITS IT FAR! HE HITS IT DEEP! IT'S GONE!
GIANCARLO STANTON HITS ONE THAT HAS THEM DUCKING IN CANTON!"

[DOUGHBOYS]

At the same time, Gardner, Hicks, Bird, and Didi will be helped in that right handers will probably be the weapon of choice among teams facing the Yankees.
As the fantasy world turns....

[DOUGHBOYS]

Aaron Boone- "What, me worry?"

[Bronx Yankees]

That telephone you hear ringing is Boras calling the Red Sox to talk JD Martinez.

Mike

[DOUGHBOYS]

That telephone you hear ringing is Boras calling the Red Sox to talk JD Martinez. Mike

1B- JD Martinez

[Edwards Kings]

That telephone you hear ringing is Boras calling the Red Sox to talk JD Martinez. Mike

1B- JD Martinez

Yeah...Boston just about has to make some sort of splash move to at least give the apprentice that they are trying to keep up.

[Edwards Kings]

In both Toronto and Tampa, the GM's are sending emails to admins saying "Print Fire-Sale banners!"

[DOUGHBOYS]

In real baseball, the Stanton trade may not effect any player in the American League more than this National Leaguer.
Bryce Harper, most likely, lost a suitor and leverage for next years free agent talks....

[Edwards Kings]

In real baseball, the Stanton trade may not effect any player in the American League more than this National Leaguer.
Bryce Harper, most likely, lost a suitor and leverage for next years free agent talks....

Yeah...anytime the Yankees are on the sideline, leverage is lost...good point.

[Greg Ambrosius]

How does Jeter do that trade without DEMANDING Gleybar Torres? At least get Clint Frazier in the deal. He has no chance of playing in New York now, right?

What was the hurry to unload Stanton, Jeets? Hold out a little longer and get the Red Sox involved. Anyone to force the Yankees' hand a little. Torres HAD to be in that deal if you're serious about rebuilding, which I'm not sure you are.

Good luck Marlins' fans. That shiny new house you paid for with your taxes has no furniture in it. It's barren.

[Bronx Yankees]

How does Jeter do that trade without DEMANDING Gleybar Torres? At least get Clint Frazier in the deal. He has no chance of playing in New York now, right?

What was the hurry to unload Stanton, Jeets? Hold out a little longer and get the Red Sox involved. Anyone to force the Yankees' hand a little. Torres HAD to be in that deal if you're serious about rebuilding, which I'm not sure you are.

Good luck Marlins' fans. That shiny new house you paid for with your taxes has no furniture in it. It's barren.

Kudos to my Yankees for taking advantage of the situation and significantly improving themselves but, no, this whole deal is not good for the Marlins or baseball in general.

I think the Marlins' finances must be really bad. Sounds like they have a lot of debt. That being noted, I do not really see the point of spending $1.3 billion to buy the team if you immediately have to gut it. The Marlins fans have been through this before, and this will not help with attendance in 2018 and beyond.

From a baseball perspective, it is a terrible deal for Miami - a pure salary dump. Because the Yankees are taking on almost the entire contract, they could play hardball with the prospects going back.

I also think the Marlins misplayed things. They spent weeks negotiating trades with the Cardinals and Giants only to have Stanton refuse to waive his no-trade clause, putting the Marlins in a horrible bargaining position (if you accept that they had to do something soon, which they did not). Seemingly would have been better to get a list of acceptable teams from Stanton first - or get him to commit to certain exclusions to the no-trade clause - and then negotiate with those teams instead of wasting all that time with the Cardinals and Giants. Stanton did not do the Marlins any favors, but given that the team assured him that they would be competitive when he signed his deal and now just a few years later was intent on trading him or everyone of value around him, I do not blame him for putting his own interests first. Also, even if the Marlins were intent on trading Stanton at some point soon, it would have been preferable to be coy about it and work behind the scenes to get the best possible return. Instead, they announced to the whole world that they were desperate.

I do not think the Yankees were going to include Torres in the deal. He is viewed very highly by the organization and is expected to contribute this year. That said, the return for the reigning MVP in terms of talent seems very low. Neither prospect is elite, although one is supposed to be pretty good, but is very young. Castro was expendable and it arguably was to the Yankees' advantage to include him in the deal. I agree that to not get Frazier was very surprising. Inasmuch as the Yankees have Judge, Gardner, Hicks, Ellsbury and now Stanton, Frazier is blocked for the foreseeable future absent another trade and/or injury. Thus, one would have thought that the Marlins could have insisted on Frazier coming back and gotten him, but perhaps not (the Yankees of today view their own prospects much more highly than in years past). Frazier now is a potential trade chip for the Yankees for starting pitching help. (Hello, Tampa.)

As a Yankees' fan, I love the trade. As a baseball fan, it is not good for the sport.

Mike

[DOUGHBOYS]

How does Jeter do that trade without DEMANDING Gleybar Torres? At least get Clint Frazier in the deal. He has no chance of playing in New York now, right?

What was the hurry to unload Stanton, Jeets? Hold out a little longer and get the Red Sox involved. Anyone to force the Yankees' hand a little. Torres HAD to be in that deal if you're serious about rebuilding, which I'm not sure you are.

Good luck Marlins' fans. That shiny new house you paid for with your taxes has no furniture in it. It's barren.

The Marlins have spent weeks wasting their time making deals with the Giants and Cards.
Stanton held all the power, not Jeter.
Stanton, and now, time, became the Marlins enemy.
The Red Sox cannot be in play because Stanton didn't list them as acceptable.
Truly, Jeter and the Marlins had no leverage.
If not making a deal rather quickly, with teams Stanton found acceptable, the Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs would make deals with free agents.
Making their payrolls larger and leaving no room for Stanton.
They are in no position to demand anything. Only hope to get Stanton's salary off the books.

If any fans are used to a barren house, it's Marlins fans.