Post by kevinfelixlee on Jun 9, 2011 21:17:33 GMT -5
The Yankees losing Joba Chamberlain will not stop them from making the playoffs. The bullpen should still be able to navigate the season thanks to the ageless Mariano Rivera. The starting pitching is good enough against just about any team not named Boston. They are, however, not a team that matches up well in the postseason. Yes, I believe they will win a first round series, but that is more due to my belief that Cleveland, or any of the AL West clubs are just not that good. I don¡¯t believe they can beat the Red Sox in a short series. It may turn out the Yankees will have to turn to their cross-town rivals to help get them to the promised land. That¡¯s where Sandy Alderson can dangle a World Series appearance in front of them by offering Brian Cashman K-Rod and Carlos Beltran.
Let¡¯s face it, Jorge Posada is done. What exactly is going to change in the next four weeks? We saw Carlos Delgado resurrect himself from the dead in 2008, but many believe it was too coincidental that it started right after the firing of Willie Randolph. It¡¯s clear that Posada¡¯s body has finally acted its age. Add in the fact that Nick Swisher has forgotten how to hit, and you have a lineup that lacks the usual length the Yankees are accustomed to. You have seen the last two nights how they can¡¯t slug with the Red Sox like prior years. Bringing in Carlos Beltran will give them an upgrade offensively and defensively in right. It will give them a veteran bat that is capable of putting on a show in the postseason. Right now, I think Beltran is a better hitter than Alex Rodriguez. He might be better than any Yankee not named Teixeira or Granderson. He will balance this lineup and give it the length that it needs.
Francisco Rodriguez would be the tough one to swallow. His on the field celebrations have never sat well with the Yankees. I was there in 2009 for Brian Bruney¡®s rant after a rehab start at Trenton. The Yankees loved the fact that Luis Castillo¡®s dropped popup happened with K-Rod on the mound. This is about winning now, and if that clubhouse can embrace Roger Clemens, they can accept K-Rod. Sure, he allows base runners, but regardless of what you think of him the man has guts. He doesn¡¯t fear the big stage; he embraces it, and I don¡¯t think he would mind setting up Mariano Rivera. I bet spending some time around the ¡°Great One¡± will make him a better pitcher. He certainly is more trustworthy in a big spot than Chamberlain. K-Rod has been there a long time, and been successful. Better yet, there is no concern about the vesting option since he won¡¯t be asked to finish many ballgames. Besides, why should the Yankees care? They are wasting about the same amount of money in three injured relievers already. A $17.5 million dollar vesting option on K-Rod is a better investment than the multiyear Rafael Soriano deal.
What will the Mets want? Salary relief. If they are going to subject their fans to watching two of their own potentially hoist a World Series championship trophy in the Bronx, they need to have a rationale for the deal. They need cash to try to sign Jose Reyes and their recent draft picks. The Mets are about 2012 and beyond, not 2011. If the Yankees don¡¯t want to take on the entire salary ask for a prospect like David Phelps, or Austin Romine. It¡¯s either cash savings or prospects, but the Yankees can¡¯t have both. I think that¡¯s reasonable.
At the end of the day this could be the perfect storm. The Mets need to look towards next year, and K-Rod and Beltran are current obstacles to future success. The Yankees need to squeeze another season out of their aging core, and need reinforcements in order to get past Boston. They still will need another starting arm, but the next best thing is importing K-Rod and Beltran to the mix.
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