SPANISH HARLEM – With two of the biggest holidays drawing closer, most baseball teams know where their team is headed. Some like the Yankees are looking to add players that can help them win going into the season. Other teams like the Mets are looking to find a diamond in the rough that won’t brake the bank. Spending money in baseball won’t guarantee a championship but it does add excitement to fans that want to see their team be proactive. This is the tale of two New York baseball teams.
Mets
I caught an article today in the New York Post that Steve Phillips sent out a tweet defending the Wilpons, who seem to be stuck in spending limbo so far this off-season. He wanted to let the fans know that the Wilpons really want to win. The crazy thing is that the Wilpons have showed no such empathy to their fans, who have cried out for the last couple of years for the organization to shell out some money for players that could help this ball club. Money doesn’t spend itself, so when you have players that would help in free agency – like Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce – you would think they would pounce and sign them early. I don’t think Mets fans want to see their team to spend money like the Yankees or the Dodgers but I’m sure they do expect them to be competitive for talent when it’s out there. That’s something this team hasn’t done in years. I get that they lost a lot of money to Bernie Madoff but when will this organization stop using that as an excuse and really give the fans something they can be proud of?
I don’t believe for one second, the Wilpons knew what Madoff was doing. I heard his name every week for 13 years in the Mets front office and never thought there was a conspiracy. I was there for the deferrals we did with Bonilla and Vaughn. There was nothing fishy at all.
— Steve Phillips (@StevePhillipsGM) December 20, 2017
Yankees
The front office decided to bring back CC Sabathia on a one deal worth 10 million. I personally did not want to see Sabathia leave via free agency because he is a veteran presence with playoff experience and a championship to boot. Does he have another great season in him? Probably not but he won’t be expected to either. He is still a gamer that wants the ball when his team needs him the most. He was great in games after a loss last season and those are the things you dream of for a 4th or 5th starter. He may have less bullets in the chamber but that’s not why the Yankees signed him. They signed him to be a leader, a shoulder to lean on for guys that are still getting used to the pressure that comes with dawning the pinstripes.
On the organizational front, the Yankees still are looking to add another pitcher into the fold. The word is that they are looking at pitchers like Garrett Cole and Patrick Corbin, who would be cost effective and add depth to the rotation. The Yankees are stacked at the minor league level with players that are close to ready but do they really need to trade players like Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar to get what they want. Brian Cashman has been shrewd lately when it comes to trading the most important chips he has and will do well to wait it out. My bet is that they sign someone on the cheap and hope that players like Chance Adams and Justus Sheffield will be ready to contribute at some point next season. This organization has young players that other teams covet so why not wait a little more to see who blinks first.
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