Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Yankees “Out” On Castillo Doesn’t Make Sense

Yesterday my friend Bryan Van Dusen posted the article that the New York Yankees were “out” on Cuban defecting outfielder Rusney Castillo. In the article it was stated that the Yankees weren’t crazy about his reported $10 million asking price and were prepared to move on from the Castillo sweepstakes. This makes absolutely no sense to me, none at all, does someone care to explain the logical thinking right here?

The Yankees have a long term need at shortstop, second base, and right field after this season and Castillo could fill at least two of those as early as 2015. Sure the Yankees have prospects like Robert Refsnyder, Jose Pirela, Tyler Austin, etc. in the minor leagues that could potentially fill in but just like Castillo none of those players are locks or guarantees. It’s not like the Yankees would shy away from simply stashing a struggling player and bad contract in Triple-A, see Kei Igawa, or designating that player for assignment, see Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano.

This team is being built on versatility in the hopes of giving manager Joe Girardi as many options in the field and in the lineup as possible. Castillo played center field in Cuba so obviously his range, speed, and arm strength is all there and could translate into the majors. Castillo could basically play all over the field much in the way that Martin Prado does now for a comparable salary (at a few years older than Castillo’s 27 years). Giving Girardi three options in is every day outfield that can play center field can help keep his players fresh and healthy all season long.

Austin is in Double-A so he would at least need part of the 2015 season to fine tune his play in Scranton making the right field position open for the time being. You hand that position to Castillo now and you worry about making the spot when you have to. New York will still have an old(er) team in 2015 and the need for days off, DH days for players like Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran, and injuries will occur. I would rather be prepared than caught flat footed again, especially for the same cost for an everyday player as we more than willingly paid a player that pitched once every five days (Carl Pavano) the two times he was healthy in four seasons.

I cannot say I am entirely mad over this, this isn’t one of the “can’t miss” type signings and I get that but you’re also not paying him like he is one either. You get what you pay for, you’ll see when someone else is paying Rusney Castillo for the foreseeable future. Castillo will be the next one in a long list of the ones that got away in my opinion. Hey, I was wrong once. 


  1. I guess I'm like you, in that I'm not made the Yankees are passing on him, but I'd like to see them try to bring him aboard. Our levels of wanting the team to try, though, are different. But that's cool.

  2. CASTILLO....maybe, it is not over.
    ESPN's Jason Stark : Moments ago....Yankees are still one of the teams in on Castillo.
    The roller coaster ride continues.
    Started work at 4:30 AM today....cocktail hour starts momentarily.

    Now lets win 12, of the next 13 !!

  4. The only way we don't get Castillo is if Tampa will not come up with the money, after all, they know more about running a team than the GM does...don't you know!
    Most want a new GM, who in the hell would want the job the way things are run with the Tampa Cabal?

  5. Here is a guy that would take the job.....Sleepy Joe T...
    Only someone like Joe T would take the job and hope he gets to play with the money and sign every player 28 and over just so he wouldn't have to play the kids....oh, wait, there wouldn't be anybody in AAA left after he got through making trades! Sleepy Joe is in the hall of fame for not playing the kids when told to do it, destroyed the career of Scott P, and never had to make out a line-up...except for the first game.
    Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Until he came and after he left, he never had a winning record as a manager. But, all the reporters loved him, he was like our wasn't my fault!

  6. " Rocket Reed, the ' spammer '.... one who survived,... Hell's Kitchen. Good evening.

    Agree, Joe Torre, should not be the next GM. A nice guy, but he got lucky. Very lucky.

    If, there is a new GM.....I think it will be an internal thing. Someone Tampa can work with.
    Someone Tampa is comfortable with.
    Like ?......I have no glue.

    Back to page one. I do not think Tampa will force Cashman out. Again, they are comfortable,
    with Brian. That's my take.

    1. I don't think they will either, I have said before, unless they put it in the contract, that he has control over the FULL baseball decisions he is gone. He said as much to George and he was given what he asked for back then. But George soon got sick.
      And we all know what happened after that.
      No matter what fans think of Cashman, without him, there would be NO prospects in the farm system. Stick, Watson and Showalter got things going but it has been Cashman that has stood up and not jump at deals that would deplete our farm system. Unless over-ruled.

  7. LIKE AN must be repeated.
    Trade Robertson,, to a contending team, that needs a great reliever. Demand a top
    prospect, you will get it.
    Trade Gardner to a contender, also. No more of this light hitting outfield stuff. Demand a top
    prospect, you will get it.

    Clears space, and improves our 2015 chances.

  8. Brett has 15 HRs this season and the 2nd best Slg% on the team along with being the best clutch hitter we have! No, no, no way do they trade Brett unless it is for a very heavy bat or a front line pitcher.
    D-Rob could be traded but then, how do they get to Dellin? Unless we have another Dellin somewhere they should sign D-Rob.
    Dellin in the closers roll sounds nice but, if something goes wrong with him....then what?
    Have another beer for me, maybe I should take up drinking, this team is just one of the top 10 all time worse teams in the last 50 years.

  9. patrick:

    The conflicting reports on Castillo are ridiculous. Andrew Marchand from ESPN tweeted us last night that the Yankees are in as long as the bidding doesn't get too high. If money keeps us from another play, Cuban born or not, I think I may get a tad bit upset. Stay tuned for that.

    NEXT GM: Billy Eppler. He is a huge advocate for the farm system and building from within, hence why we almost lost him to the San Diego Padres. He's been Cashman's assistant forever now. He knows what is he doing and he is ready.

    1. He also would demand the same stipulation Cashman would want...FULL CONTROL. No more going over his head to make him sign someone he thinks is washed-up!
      And yes, Eppler is Cashman all over again, except with Cashman going somewhere else, he should have a bit more negotiating power.
      I commend Cashman for having Eppler as his assistant, only one confident in their own ability's, would do that.

  10. He probably would, yes. I think any GM that wasn't a rookie or whatever would demand full control. Eppler is not Cashman all over again, in my opinion anyway. Eppler is more youth movement and build the farm where Cashman is build up the farm to AAA to trade them for 35 has-beens.

    1. How many of those trades other than O'brian, were his? And how many good (not great) players has he cut lose in trades, that didn't bring us a good or very good player? Jackson doesn't count because he didn't want to play with the Yankees and made himself a big pain in the ass. So they had to do something with him.
      Pavano #2 he had nothing to do with our 3rd baseman, he had nothing to do with and the Cano thing he had no choice...orders are orders!
      Not signing D-Rob is anyones guess as to why he was not offered a contract this year...! He has done more to build the Farm system than anyone else in the history of the Yankees. He brought the team into the Cyber era, hirerd Eppler and if Eppler takes over from him and does well, he will be happy for him...after all, Cashman has stuck around because he is A YANKEE!
      Like now, the Yankees say IF the price gets to high, they are out of any deal for Rasney!
      Bottom line is, we don't know who has pulled the strings on some of the bad or good deals.
      It may be better for Cashman to go, giving Eppler the job and better for the Yankees IF Eppler gets control!

  11. I don't want anyone to think I am taking the side of Cashman because he has made all the right deals and Tampa made all the bad deals. Every GM has made bad and good deals, look to some of the deals made this year by other GMs'! They are not perfect by any means!
    One thing that I found the hardest to do, was to be able to take orders that I knew were wrong. But, one learns to take orders before one can give orders that others may object to.
    The first time I was given an order I knew was not only wrong but stupid, I found the person had fallen down and broke his arm. So, we received new orders, and I was reprimanded again.
    Different time different place! Never happened again!

  12. The problem with all the trades is we won't know if they were Cashman trades or management driven trades. Probably never will know. And Cashman has done well recently, Solarte, O'Brien, etc for McCarthy and Headley were great trades.

    I am talking more about the 2000's Yankees.

  13. I don't think it will matter anyhow, as I have said many times; Cashman won't be back!
    He is out of here, and I think Eppler will get the job, for the same reasons you mentioned before. The last year or so, even longer than that, Cashman has refused to trade players (Brett) and this year Serverino and Mitchell, among others.
    Hopefully, Eppler will get the backing of the kids and have no more Tampa Cabal interference! He runs the show and Randy gets him the money for the players he needs...that is what his job is, not to shoot down deals, but get the money for them.
    I really believe Cashman will come up with a new club somewhere and not have to deal with other GMs' the way he had to as the Yankee GM...over paying for most every players!


Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)