So, did anyone else see this whole Cliff Lee to the Phillies thing coming? No? I'm not the only one? Good. I just can't help but wonder if this was some sort of master plan that Lee worked out with Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro, Jr. before they traded him to the Mariners last offseason and none of us were the wiser. The Phillies outsmarted everybody! I could go on about how much this screws up the Yankees' plans for this offseason (and I will in a minute), but it's seriously unfair to think about just how good the Phillies might be next year. First off, they've got a rotation that includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. That's mid-90's Braves unfair. Then you add in a lineup that includes Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, etc. Seriously, who's going to beat them? I'm predicting something in the 110-win range for the 2011 Phillies.
And what about the 2011 Yankees? That's a different story. I'm not saying I think the Yankees will suck next season (because they certainly won't), but building your whole winter on getting one guy, then having to conjure up some sort of Plan B doesn't exactly mean you had the best offseason. The rotation of Sabathia, Lee, Pettitte, Burnett, Hughes certainly looks a lot better than Sabathia, Burnett, Hughes, (hopefully) Pettitte and some random schmo not named Javy Vazquez. Just saying. They did make a slight upgrade at DH, swapping the useless waste of space known as Nick Johnson for Russell Martin, who isn't as good as he was a couple years ago, but at least won't be on the DL for the entire season. OK, technically, they didn't swap Johnson for Martin, since Posada's probably going to be the primary DH next year (and Johnson never played despite Brian Cashman's man crush on him). It probably means that Jesus Montero isn't going to be just handed the catching job after all, which makes me think Montero is back to being trade bait.
The Yankees still need to go out and get a starter. Anybody who has a brain knows that. Since Cliff Lee picked the Phillies, the best available starter out there is probably Carl Pavano. We all know how well Pavano worked out the first time. And the whole bringing Javy Vazquez back thing didn't really work out that well. So, basically, Pavano's not really an option. I've also heard Brandon Webb mentioned. That would work. But my favorite option is Zack Greinke, last season's Cy Young Award winner. Greinke's not a free agent, so getting him would require giving the Royals something worthwhile in a trade, which is where Montero comes in. Now that they have Lee back, the Phillies are looking to unload Joe Blanton, and he'd be a good fit, too. And it looks like Jerry Hairston (a guy who I'm not really sure why they didn't re-sign him after last season, anyway) might be coming back to be the utility guy that the Yankees needed and didn't have this season. Once Cashman works his magic and gets another starter (either via trade or free agency, I'll take either, I'm not picky), the Yankees will still set up pretty nicely for 2011. Of course, this is all assuming that Andy Pettitte agrees to come back for another season.
Now, with all that being said, I'm still not buying this whole "Red Sux are unbeatable" crap that their obnoxious fans love to proclaim every offseason. OK, so they got Carl Crawford. Who didn't see that coming? Not a big deal. But I've gotta say it, I don't get the whole Adrian Gonzalez signing. This continues Theo Epstein's obsession with signing only guys who play the same three positions (first base, catcher and starting pitcher) (Theo, only four guys who play those three positions can be on the field at once) while paying no regard for the rest of the field. I guess this means Kevin Youkilis moves to third next season, but with that team, who the hell really knows? I'm actually kind of surprised that they didn't make a run at Lee. But in the end, they're gonna end up where they always end up. Second place. Oh wait, that's not where they always end up. They finished third this year. (That won't happen again, though, since Tampa Bay's not as good.)
Before I go, respects must be paid to "Rapid Robert," Bob Feller, who passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 92. Probably the greatest player in Indians history, Feller broke into the Majors in 1936 and won 266 games despite missing four full seasons in his prime serving in the Navy during World War II (after enlisting on December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, meaning he was a Hall of Famer for more than half his life. And he showed up at the induction ceremony every year until the end. Bob Feller, a Hall of Fame pitcher and a Hall of Fame man.
And loyal blog readers, I've decided that my final blog of the year (or my first of 2011, depending on which day I decide to do it) will be a "Games of the Year" list. I know you're all excited, but you'll have to wait two weeks for that one. Gotta keep the fans wanting more, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment