I agree with your logic, but anything can happen. I do think tha the Yankess and Mets are the finalists. I find it frustrrating that they have not made any significant signings to fill some of the obvious holes, but maybe they have to cheap out if they are confident they are getting Soto. I still think they need to go big at first base and sign Walker ot trade for Diaz. Also, it doesnt matter whether they get Soto or not- they need a swing and miss relief pitcher with a track record. I suspect we will know who Soto chooses tonight or tomorrow.
I'm really concerned about 1st base. We haven't heard any rumors since hearing that they were interested in Walker about a month ago. I'm having flashbacks to two years ago, when they tried to trade for a left fielder but couldn't make a deal with anyone.
Seriously. I imagine they could have Carlos Santana if they really want it, but Cashman holds out for the magic trade and ends up getting stuck with Josh Bell or something for basically the same price.
So it looks like Soto to Mets. Lets see if Cashman can get off his rear end and make some good moves. Toronto and Boston are gearing up for some of the same players. Trades also might work.
It would have been a real gut punch to lose Judge. I'm prepared to lose Soto at this point, even if I think the Yankees are favorites to sign him. It's so much money that it starts to become a questionable baseball move.
To me, Estrada is not a sure fire upgrade to Durbin.
The money being talked about with Soto tells me its now a 15 year deal.
I still see 1B/3B being solved by the trade route. My free agent darkhorse is a one year deal to Paul Goldschmidt to play 1B, while a bunch of guys are in AAA and one should emerge as his successor, especially if both Dominguez & Durbin (or Peraza) work out.
I'm paying close attention to offseason scouting reports on Durbin (probably will have a post if he's still in contention to start when everything settles down with free agency). So far, no one has a ton of faith in him. BP has him as the 12th best Yankee prospect in a terrible farm system, BA even farther down. MLB.com had him as the 22nd best prospect in the AZFL. No one seems to think that he's going to hit even something like .270/.350/.350 in the majors, and that his arm isn't strong enough to play anything other than 2nd.
They could be wrong. I remember when Brett Gardner was a nothing prospect. Estrada might have a slightly lower offensive ceiling, but his defense is incredible. My guess is that if they sign Estrada, he gets a chance in Spring Training to show that his wrist is healthy, but Durbin or a Peraza/Cabrera platoon has a chance to start too.
I gotta disagree with you about it's a terrible farm system. There is tons of talent, but as I keep saying their coaching down there is just absolutely horrific. But it's also on the big league level too. If national announcers can see and tell us what's wrong with Volpe's swing, why can't they see it and do something about it? Why is it always up to Volpe to fix himself? Or why was Holmes allowed to struggle for 3 months this season, and they finally tried to fix him on the last road trip of the year? Why was Edgar Barclay (AAA) allowed to be a BP for over a year before they tried to fix him? What about the report that when Jones went back to AA after Spring Training, they decided to change his swing, after he worked with Judge's personal HC, and look at what he did in Spring Training?
To me the problem is not nearly the quality of players, but it has a lot more to do with the lack of real baseball coaching, and that Cashman refuses to put ANY blame on the coaches, the methods, and/or the philosophies.
As for Durbin, I've always liked him best at 2B. Can he play other spots? Yup, but more for a game here or there, or, a short term move due to injury. But Durbin doesn't have enough of the measurables that front offices likes in today's players. He can run, a real baseball stealer, plays solid D, doesn't strike out, & hit above .280 with some power in Triple-A. Clubs today rely too much on cold hard stats than what their eyes are seeing. Does it all mean that he will be the OD 2025 starter at 2B? Nope, but to me he has done enough that I am willing to give him a real, legit shot in Spring Training to earn the starting gig if it's still open. But I do honestly believe that either 1B or 2B will have a kid starter come OD.
About your cold - I hope you didn't catch something from your baby. Take care of yourself.
I'll comment more when I do a full review after offseason scouting reports are complete (waiting on MLB.com, Fangraphs and maybe The Athletic), but I think you'll be surprised by how low evaluators rank the Yankee system.
I was surprised a couple of years ago when they had the Yankees Farm ranked 7th or 8th. I had them at 10 or 11. But nothing surprised me when it comes to prospect rankings. Yankees get dinged for the older age of their prospects, even if the are at AA along with their draft contemporaries. Other clubs get a higher ranking for their guys athleticism. I think the overall depth of the Yankees talent is infinitely more that the Red Sox, but since the Sox have more projects or MLB players they get a higher ranking. I've said it over and over, the Yankees development program is 38th, so even if I have the Yankees talent level at about 9th or 10th overall, with their garbage program, I cannot see them being ranked really any higher than #22 or #23.
But again, the coaching is just as bad for the Yankees at the big league level, so, if they, meaning the NYY FO, is stubborn enough to not change their methodology or methods at the big league level, how can you even think they would change what they do down on the Farm?
I agree with your logic, but anything can happen. I do think tha the Yankess and Mets are the finalists. I find it frustrrating that they have not made any significant signings to fill some of the obvious holes, but maybe they have to cheap out if they are confident they are getting Soto. I still think they need to go big at first base and sign Walker ot trade for Diaz. Also, it doesnt matter whether they get Soto or not- they need a swing and miss relief pitcher with a track record. I suspect we will know who Soto chooses tonight or tomorrow.
I'm really concerned about 1st base. We haven't heard any rumors since hearing that they were interested in Walker about a month ago. I'm having flashbacks to two years ago, when they tried to trade for a left fielder but couldn't make a deal with anyone.
Sounds like typical Cashman. Wait and Wait and then sign third or fourth choice.
Seriously. I imagine they could have Carlos Santana if they really want it, but Cashman holds out for the magic trade and ends up getting stuck with Josh Bell or something for basically the same price.
So it looks like Soto to Mets. Lets see if Cashman can get off his rear end and make some good moves. Toronto and Boston are gearing up for some of the same players. Trades also might work.
I haven’t been this nervous about contract negotiations since…well, Judge.
It would have been a real gut punch to lose Judge. I'm prepared to lose Soto at this point, even if I think the Yankees are favorites to sign him. It's so much money that it starts to become a questionable baseball move.
To me, Estrada is not a sure fire upgrade to Durbin.
The money being talked about with Soto tells me its now a 15 year deal.
I still see 1B/3B being solved by the trade route. My free agent darkhorse is a one year deal to Paul Goldschmidt to play 1B, while a bunch of guys are in AAA and one should emerge as his successor, especially if both Dominguez & Durbin (or Peraza) work out.
I'm paying close attention to offseason scouting reports on Durbin (probably will have a post if he's still in contention to start when everything settles down with free agency). So far, no one has a ton of faith in him. BP has him as the 12th best Yankee prospect in a terrible farm system, BA even farther down. MLB.com had him as the 22nd best prospect in the AZFL. No one seems to think that he's going to hit even something like .270/.350/.350 in the majors, and that his arm isn't strong enough to play anything other than 2nd.
They could be wrong. I remember when Brett Gardner was a nothing prospect. Estrada might have a slightly lower offensive ceiling, but his defense is incredible. My guess is that if they sign Estrada, he gets a chance in Spring Training to show that his wrist is healthy, but Durbin or a Peraza/Cabrera platoon has a chance to start too.
I gotta disagree with you about it's a terrible farm system. There is tons of talent, but as I keep saying their coaching down there is just absolutely horrific. But it's also on the big league level too. If national announcers can see and tell us what's wrong with Volpe's swing, why can't they see it and do something about it? Why is it always up to Volpe to fix himself? Or why was Holmes allowed to struggle for 3 months this season, and they finally tried to fix him on the last road trip of the year? Why was Edgar Barclay (AAA) allowed to be a BP for over a year before they tried to fix him? What about the report that when Jones went back to AA after Spring Training, they decided to change his swing, after he worked with Judge's personal HC, and look at what he did in Spring Training?
To me the problem is not nearly the quality of players, but it has a lot more to do with the lack of real baseball coaching, and that Cashman refuses to put ANY blame on the coaches, the methods, and/or the philosophies.
As for Durbin, I've always liked him best at 2B. Can he play other spots? Yup, but more for a game here or there, or, a short term move due to injury. But Durbin doesn't have enough of the measurables that front offices likes in today's players. He can run, a real baseball stealer, plays solid D, doesn't strike out, & hit above .280 with some power in Triple-A. Clubs today rely too much on cold hard stats than what their eyes are seeing. Does it all mean that he will be the OD 2025 starter at 2B? Nope, but to me he has done enough that I am willing to give him a real, legit shot in Spring Training to earn the starting gig if it's still open. But I do honestly believe that either 1B or 2B will have a kid starter come OD.
About your cold - I hope you didn't catch something from your baby. Take care of yourself.
I'll comment more when I do a full review after offseason scouting reports are complete (waiting on MLB.com, Fangraphs and maybe The Athletic), but I think you'll be surprised by how low evaluators rank the Yankee system.
I was surprised a couple of years ago when they had the Yankees Farm ranked 7th or 8th. I had them at 10 or 11. But nothing surprised me when it comes to prospect rankings. Yankees get dinged for the older age of their prospects, even if the are at AA along with their draft contemporaries. Other clubs get a higher ranking for their guys athleticism. I think the overall depth of the Yankees talent is infinitely more that the Red Sox, but since the Sox have more projects or MLB players they get a higher ranking. I've said it over and over, the Yankees development program is 38th, so even if I have the Yankees talent level at about 9th or 10th overall, with their garbage program, I cannot see them being ranked really any higher than #22 or #23.
But again, the coaching is just as bad for the Yankees at the big league level, so, if they, meaning the NYY FO, is stubborn enough to not change their methodology or methods at the big league level, how can you even think they would change what they do down on the Farm?