Giancarlo Stanton is, and will always be an albatross on the Yankees team payroll. He’s in pinstripes as a happenstance only, and the Yankees would be wise to trade him now, rather than absorb the cost later.
Giancarlo Stanton, if you recall, became a Yankee in veiled circumstances. One day he was a Marlin, the next minute he was a Yankee turning the baseball world upside down. It was almost like Brian Cashman was on the seventh call of his daily check with other GM’s, hitting on Derek Jeter with his next call.
Jeter, having just emptied his bank account to purchase the Marlins, anxiously fielded the call from Cashman with an opener that might have gone something like this: “Hey Brian, talk to me. Why are you calling, Christian Yellich or Stanton? Take your pick, this is a one-day sale, and I mean it because the Dodgers are on hold.”
Yankees fans, let’s face it. Giancarlo Stanton walked into the Yankees lap. He was not Luke Voit, pursued by Cashman and his scouting team for more than a year. Nor was he Gleyber Torres, who Cashman stole from the Cubs, as planned when the Cubbies were desperate for a closer (Aroldis Chapman) on their way to a World Championship.
Whether the Yankees agree or not, since that moment when Giancarlo Stanton joined Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and co., I have always believed that (quietly) the Yankees considered him to be a one-year rental. Coming off an MVP season, okay (they theorized), let’s see if he can be the guy to put us over the top and on our way number 28.
It didn’t turn out that way. The Red Sox snatched J.D. Martinez off the free agent market at the last moment, and it was Martinez, not Giancarlo Stanton, who produced the numbers the Sox needed to step over that final hurdle on their way to their fourth title in the 21st Century.
Stanton put up respectable, but not overwhelming numbers for the Yankees. His 38 home runs, 100 RBI are commonplace in the major leagues these days. But these numbers are offset by the fact that Giancarlo Stanton struck out in 30 percent of his plate appearances (211 K’s), the most Stanton has put up in his seven-year career. Remembrances of these failures are painful…(video)
Overall, the Yankees had the ninth most strikeouts in the majors, while Boston had the fifth fewest. You can’t score runs and win if you don’t put the ball in play. To draw a parallel, it was J.D. Martinez who set the tone for the Red Sox in the World Series with that two-out two-run bloop single to the opposite field that fell in front of Yasiel Puig, giving the Red Sox the win in Game 2.
The Yankees led the universe in home runs last season. Houston, Milwaukee, the Dodgers, Oakland, and Cleveland all finished in the top ten in home runs. Notice anything similar among these teams that include the Bronx Bombers? Right, they are all losers in the playoffs. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Giancarlo Stanton looks magnificent in a New York Yankees uniform. He is a marquee player, under contract until he reaches the age of 38. It’s one of those back-end loaded deals holding the Yankees responsible for $260 million moving forward. Did anyone say, Alex Rodriguez?
I know what you are thinking. Who wants this guy (oh, lots of teams), and who can afford him (just a handful)? So, how can the Yankees trade Giancarlo Stanton?
Patience and stealth is the only way. The Dodgers, Angels, both bursting with money, and Hollywood are a perfect match, especially considering the Dodgers have gone to the World Series two years straight, coming home with nothing.
Chances of a deal over the winter are minimal, with teams concentrating more on the free agent market. But again, how did Stanton arrive in New York in the first place?
When June and July arrive, though, everything changes with teams in the midst of a pennant race deciding to go all in, snatching up a player like Stanton to provide a jolt of hope for their city’s fan base.
Brian Cashman saw the candy left on the table, and he snatched it up, providing visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. The parade down Broadway in October was a fait accompli…except it wasn’t.
Giancarlo Stanton alone is not responsible for the disappointing way the season ended for the Yankees. But I still can’t balance the bang against the buck when it comes to a player like Stanton. The flashiness of Stanton, Judge, and Gary Sanchez hitting back to back is appealing. But timely hitting and stringing four or five hits together in an inning is what wins ballgames.
Keep it quiet. Brian. But be ready to strike when the time comes to unload this fine piece of artwork in your gallery.
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
