Brian Cashman: Get Me David Price!
As
the July 31st trade deadline approaches, I am patiently watching
other teams wheel and deal, while the Yankees stand pant, seemingly content
with their current roster. I can only hope that Brian Cashman has some type of
plan up his sleeve. Contrary to many other fans, I didn’t really want the
Yankees to go after Johnny Cueto or Cole Hamels. David Price was my guy from
the beginning.
With
the notable exception of Hiroki Kuroda, most of the National League pitchers
Cashman has brought in have been busts, and I’m lost for an explanation as to
why. Possibly it’s due to the superior competition, or maybe they just cant
handle New York, but I have no desire to repeat past mistakes. David Price is a
proven commodity who has experience in the big spot. He pitched in pennant
races for the Tampa Bay Rays when the AL East was the dominant division we had grown
accustomed to it being. As currently comprised, the Yankees starting rotation
is the weakest point on the team. David Price is the type of pitcher you can
trust in Game 1 of a playoff series, and he will not crack under pressure.
At
the time of this writing, the Yankees have a six game lead in the division.
While this is a respectable lead, it can crumble very easily. Just look at the
2007 Mets, who blew a 7 game lead with 17 games left to play. I’m not in any
way comparing the two; I just want to note that our lead evaporating is not out
of the realm of possibility. The offense is pretty much set, with our only hole
being at second base. Since Stephen Drew is atrocious, and the Yankees have no
desire to give Rob Refsnyder a chance, I say call the Marlins and bring back
Martin Prado, who would supplant Drew very nicely. Our bullpen is one of the
most dominant in the league so I don’t see a need there either.
The
glaring need exists in our rotation. Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda have
proven time and again they are not dependable. They’ve shown flashes of
dominance, but neither one of them can be counted upon as a Game 1 starter in
the postseason. Ivan Nova and Nathan Eovaldi, although the latter has been much
better of late, are number 4 starters. Last but not least, CC Sabathia should
not even have a postseason roster spot. Even though we have five starters,
David Price is a NEED, not a luxury.
Battle
tested starters who have had success in high leverage situations do not end up
on the market everyday. With tomorrow’s deadline on the horizon, I expect
ownership to give Cashman the green light on this. As a Yankees fan who has
been deprived of the playoffs for two years, I am yearning to see my team back
on the big stage. That being said, I’d be extremely disappointed with an early
first round exit. Unfortunately, with our current rotation, that appears to be
the likely scenario. In the postseason, pitching wins games. Yes, the Royals
made it to Game 7 of the World Series with a rotation comparable to what the
Yankees have now, however we must look at who was the difference in that
series. Madison Bumgarner, a dominant number 1 starter, is the reason the San
Francisco Giants hoisted the trophy last October. I hope the Yankees come to
this realization sooner rather than later. With most of the dominoes off the
table, Cashman can either go all out for Price, or go for a secondary arm like
Mike Leake. While Leake does represent an incremental upgrade, he does not put
us over the top. I want a pitcher that puts us over the top. Folks, David Price
is said pitcher.
I
understand many fans are protective of our prospects, and they have every right
to be, however with the opportunity the Yankees have this year, I think the
benefits outweigh the risks. Considering Price would only be a rental, the
Yankees should not give up Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Greg Bird, or Jorge Mateo.
Everyone else should be on the table though. My offer to the Tigers would be as
followed: Rob Refsnyder, Ivan Nova, Bryan Mitchell/Adam Warren, and a B
prospect. If another team can top that, then I would continue to add to the
package until the Yankees give an offer that Detroit can’t turn down. Perhaps
Gary Sanchez could get it done.
Yankees
fans: the time is NOW. Barring an epic collapse, our Yankees will be back in
the playoffs this season for the first time since 2012, and I’m dying for them
to make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009, when we won
it all. I want to attend my first championship parade down the Canyon of
Heroes.
While
I am known to be a pessimist, I do have to acknowledge that the Yankees are in
a very good place right now. So why not build upon the success we are enjoying
right now? After all, successful companies always look to get improve, no
matter what their profit margins are. David Price is the missing piece to the
puzzle. Put him atop our inconsistent rotation, and you suddenly have a stopper
who is not afraid of the big stage, similar to what CC Sabathia was during our
2009 championship run. Brian Cashman cannot sit idly by while the Royals and
Angels, our two chief rivals in the American League, made improvements. So Mr.
Cashman, GET ME DAVID PRICE…NOW.
Article
by Steven Eareckson
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