FanPost

In a vacuum

The Yankees appeared to have finalized their 2021 roster with the spectacularly uninspiring re-signing of Brett Gardner. In a vacuum, it's not a horrible move. The guy is the last remnant from the 2009 World Series Champion Yankee team, provides a gritty left handed bat, and plays above average defense at all three outfield positions. The problem is that little caveat at the beginning of that statement - "In a vacuum." Virtually every move this off season has had the same descriptor attached. Why? Let's look at some of the Yankees signings to date and see.

Corey Kluber - Who wouldn't want a two time Cy Young winner in their rotation on a one year deal? When healthy, this guy is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The problem is - we haven't seen him healthy since 2018. This is the type of move a championship caliber team makes to add starting depth with high upside. Unfortunately, he will be the de-facto #2 starter on this squad.

Jameson Taillon - Gerrit Cole's Pirate Pal was one of the brightest young starting pitchers in baseball in 2018. He threw 191 innings to a 3.20 ERA, 1.178 WHIP, and led the league in complete games and shutouts that year. But, a second Tommy John surgery in 2019 puts a once promising future in doubt. His story is the kind you love to root for, while knowing the chances for success are slim. He's a lottery ticket that may pay off, but the Yankees are counting on him as a #3 starter.

Darren O'Day - RH middle reliever pitcher that's been terrorizing RH batters for over a decade. By itself, the side arm thrower gives the Yankees an interesting wrinkle to insert into the middle innings against RH bats. But the guy is 38 years old and hasn't pitched more than 20 innings in a season since 2017. He virtually takes the place of Adam Ottavino in the bullpen who despite uneven results, pitched 84 innings for the Yankees between 2019-2020.

Jay Bruce - LH bat that can play 1B/LF/RF. He may be far removed from his All Star days, but still carries a relatively potent LH bat that could help against the Yankees vulnerability to RH pitching late in games. A bench bat that could provide 20 HR power in 300AB's or less might be just what the doctor ordered, until...

Brett Gardner - Gardy has been a stabilizing force on this Yankee squad for many years. He's an above average defender at all three OF positions, and carries a gritty bat. He could be an ideal 4th outfielder, but he somehow finds his way into the starting lineup all too often. I almost have to question if he isn't a jinx, or maybe he sabotages the regular outfielders to gain more playing time. Maybe he holds some incriminating photos of Hal, Cash, or Boone. It's just so difficult to see how he's ALWAYS in the starting lineup.

Which brings me to the vacuum.

Each of these moves can easily be explained as an isolated transaction. The problem is, when you put them all together as a whole, there's just too little there.

The Yankees have too much of the same,...everywhere. They have too many RH bats. So, how do they combat that? By adding LH bats that all play the same positions? Gardy, Tauchman, Bruce, Allen - someone has to go, and we know it won't be Gardner. Bruce's paycheck becomes a problem if he makes the team with Gardy back. Too many question marks in the rotation so how do they answer? Kluber, Taillon, German all carry more questions than answers at this stage. They added Justin Wilson and Darren O'Day to the bullpen, which could be effective moves, but they've pitched a combined 80.1 innings in the past two years. The two pitchers they're replacing, Adam Ottavino and Tommy Kahnle pitched 147 innings during the same time.

With the budget limitations this team has faced, each of these moves is justifiable on it's own. The Yankees also have some young players that need to be inserted into the mix as well. But the finished product leaves a lot to be desired.

And we all know what vacuums do, right? They suck!...Let's hope this Yankees team doesn't do the same.

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