The Yankees’ season so far from a different perspective

The season is underway for two weeks now. The Yankees are 6-7 after last night’s close loss vs Detroit. Disappointing? Yes and no. Disappointing because as a fan you always want your team to do well. Not disappointing because the team is rebuilding and that takes time and Sabathia did a LOT better than I expected.

For the first time in years I see a different approach. The Yankees are not trading away their most priced prospects. And apparently many Yankee fans are not used to that. They are still accustomed to the days of George Steinbrenner, when the Yankees only used prospects as trade bait. Of course they still send talents away but quite often those players are not living up to the expectations and/or are out of options. Take The Jesus Montero – Michael Pineda trade. Montero hit well during his short stint in the majors but his defense was questionable at best. And the Yankees needed pitching, so Pineda was heaven sent. Little did the Yankees know about the upcoming injury and Tommy John surgery, but eventually I think that the Yankees got the better part of the deal here.

Another example is the Martin Prado deal. Sure Prado  wasn’t a prospect, but the Yankees got a talented young pitcher in return. Nathan Eovaldi is still a diamond in the rough, but if Larry Rothschild does his job, he (Eovaldi) can turn into a good pitcher.

But of course, things aren’t going the way many Yankee fans are used to so far. A 6-7 record isn’t something to write home about according to their standards. And then the rumours start to swirl around. How about this one: “Braves prospect Jose Peraza drawing NYY’s interest“? In fact the deal could make sense if the Yankees are not willing to wait any longer for Refsnyder’s development. Peraza’s break through with the Braves will be blocked by Andrelton Simmons for the years to come; at least at the position of shortstop. But what would this deal mean for the Yankee players? Will this impact Stephen Drew or Didi Gregorius?
And how much truth is in the attached post? Personally I think that the article is only written to attract readers.

I saw another post the other day that disgusted me: “Yankees made painful Shane Greene trade out of desperation“. To me, this article is written out of pure frustration with the current performance of the Yankees as a team.
Do you really think that any ball club would make a trade out of desperation? And what is painfull about the trade? Sure Shane Greene has posted  some good numbers with the Tigers lately, but it remains to be seen how he would have done with the Yankees. RIght now the Tigers are the third best fielding team in de Major League, so it does not come as a surprise that Greene has allowed only two runs (one earned) so far.  Of course Greene will have some good stuff, but ERA is still a stat about team effort. We all see that Didi Gregorius is struggling at the plate so far and even has not shown the defense that he is known for, but give the kid a break. He has to fill a gap left by a legend. He is coming from a stage where the pressure wasn’t as high as it is in Yankee Stadium. He needs time to get accustomed to the surroundings, to the habits and especially to the demanding fans. It does not help him when you start to chant DE-REK-JE-TER. For once, look at fans in Japan. No matter how bad a player is performing there, they will never boo him. The worst thing that can happen to a player in Japan is that the crowd turns silent. At least those fans respect a player. It is something you can learn from.

I keep stepping up to Gregorius’ defense. If you have seen him play for the Netherlands during the 2011 World Cup, you know what he is capable of. Have you noticed that since the Yankees are on the road, his batting average is on the rise?
Could it be that these comments, Derek Jeter chants and negative blog articles get the best of him?

Once again, the season is only two weeks old. What can you expect of a new player? Remember Tino Martinez, when he replaced Don Mattingly? How did he struggle in the first weeks/months?

The team as a whole stinks. It is not only one player. But if the team is really in a rebuilding phase, what can you expect? Do you want the Yankees to muddle through like they did the last five years: Being ousted from the play offs in the first round or not even reaching the play offs? Or do you take a couple of losing seasons for granted, knowing that it will get better in the end.

I am convinced (*knock on wood*) that Gregorius will get better and that he will prove all the nay sayers wrong. But it will take some time. I know that there is nothing as unpredictable as the Yankees’ front office, but for the time being Gregorius has their support. Like it or not.