Sucka got no juice*: Yanks pass on McPherson

April 3, 2009 by Joe Pawlikowski 40 Comments

In his latest column, our favorite Yankee-mocking columnist mentions that some Yankees scouts pondered the idea of signing Dallas McPherson. Yet they never brought the idea to Brian Cashman, so it’s not going to happen. Mike and I discussed this on the RAB Radio Show, and came to the same conclusion as Sucka: The Giants might be a good fit.

Sucka also mentions Melky Cabrera, “with rival clubs viewing him as a more inexpensive option than Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher.” I’m assuming the sentence read like this before editing: “with rival clubs viewing him as a more inexpensive and less productive option than Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher.” He goes onto say that the Yanks will only move him for the right price, which is what they should be thinking. Brett Gardner hasn’t proven much yet, and having Melky on the bench, especially when he is “playing as well as he ever has” (marketing speak if I’ve ever heard it), provides the Yanks with at least some insurance.

So it looks like the roster is set for now. We’ll see how things change over the course of April.

* Think this nickname for Rosenthal has staying power?

Chris C.

“Brett Gardner hasn’t proven much yet, and having Melky on the bench, especially when he is “playing as well as he ever has” (marketing speak if I’ve ever heard it), provides the Yanks with at least some insurance.”

The Yankees will keep Cabrera around because he can fill many roles (late game defensive fill-in, pinch runner for real slow guys, injury replacement, etc)
But Joe Girardi made it quite clear that Cabrera would not be on the bench waiting for Brett Gardner to go 0 for 4 so he could be in center the next day. In fact, the Yankees don’t want a scenario where Gardner is pressing because they guy on the bech is ready to take his job at the slightest slump.

I’m not 100% sold on girardi, but I think it was very smart of him to make the statement that Gardner in center was not just “temporary” before the season gets underway.
- http://www.mysoace.com/sloanbruno69 Bruno
  
  mos def
  - http://www.bronxbaseballdaily.com Bronx Baseball Daily
    
    I’m still trying to figure out who’s slower than Melky that he can pinch run for. Maybe Teixeira? Oh definitely Posada. Ok I get it.
    - Chris C.
      
      Teixeira, Posada, Molina, Matsui, Nady, Swisher, Cano, and before long, Jeter.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak
  
  Who are we kidding though? Of course Gardner in CF is temporary if he can’t hit. Just because Girardi doesn’t frame it as such doesn’t mean it’s not true.
  - Chris C.
    
    “Who are we kidding though? Of course Gardner in CF is temporary if he can’t hit.”
    
    Everybody’s temporary if they can’t hit. I was referring to the fact that Gardner will be given more rope this time around, and won’t be yanked if he slumps a few days.
    If he’s hitting .180 by June 1st, of course he’ll be replaced!
http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak

I can see the Yanks’ rationale on Melky but why not kick the tires on McPherson? He’s a low-cost player right now. Oh well. They have reasons I’m sure.
- http://GaryBusey GaryBusey
  
  Cause McPherson will be useless when A-Blop is back, whereas Gardner isn’t known so they need the insurance.
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak
    
    What does Gardner have to do with McPherson? The two have nothing to do with each other in terms of personnel decisions.
    - http://GaryBusey GaryBusey
      
      I thought you were drawing the lost-cost parallel between Melky and McPherson. So I was saying that I understand their rational on having Melky and on not having McPherson.
      
      Besides, why is he gonna come to a team that won’t need him in 6 to 9 weeks?
    - steve (different one)
      
      as for McPherson, their “reasons” are that he isn’t very good.
      
      “not good” for a low price isn’t much better than “not good” for a moderate price. the effect on the field is exactly the same.
      - http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak
        
        You won’t convince me that Cody Ransom and/or Angel Berroa are any better as a six-to-nine week replacement option.
        
        steve (different one)
        
        what if it’s 4 weeks?
        
        http://GaryBusey GaryBusey
        
        Never said that. The best option, by the splits, would be to platoon McPherson and Random. That, of course, being in the world where money grows on trees (which is close enough to where the Yankees live).
        
        But, if your Dallas McPherson, why subject yourself to playing second fiddle after a mere 45 days when you have a better shot with, say, the Giants?
        
        Unless, of course, the Yanks throw him more money… but then we’re leaving the “low-cost” zone. The question then becomes, is he worth, for the 6 to 9 weeks, more than the league minimum for the Yankees? You tell me.
        
        Chris C.
        
        “But, if your Dallas McPherson, why subject yourself to playing second fiddle after a mere 45 days when you have a better shot with, say, the Giants?”
        
        Because one team is the YANKEES, and the other is the giants. And since you’re Dallas McPherson and you stink anyway, you should probably be happy there’s a team out there of the Yankees stature that’s willing to even give you 45 days to fiddle your season away!
        
        That is, if he actually had that choice….which he doesn’t, apparently.
        
        Chris C.
        
        “You won’t convince me that Cody Ransom and/or Angel Berroa are any better as a six-to-nine week replacement option.”
        
        Unless your name is Brain Cashman, who gives a rats ass what you can’t be convinced of?
        McPherson??? What the hell do you even know about him anyway, other than the fact that he was once a much ballyhooed rookie?
        
        If that’s what you want, may as well stick Eric Duncan at 3rd if you’re gonna go the “this guy was once the shit, but now he sucks” route!
        
        jsbrendog
        
        -1
        
        http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
        
        -2
        
        (Seriously, dude. Ease back on the histrionics throttle. You’re like a racecar that’s always in the red. Try to make your point without the constant shouting and screaming and personal attacks.)
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph Pawlikowski
        
        That’s sassy.
- http://www.mysoace.com/sloanbruno69 Bruno
  
  1) pointless once A-Rod returns
  2) can only play 3B and 1B
  3) HR-or-nothing bat
steve (different one)

one thing that the Yankee brass have a better handle on than we do is A-Rod’s timetable.

if they are feeling super-duper confident that he’ll be back by the end of April, i can easily see why they’d pass on McPherson.
- http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/individual_player_postseason.jsp?c_id=nyy&playerID=121250&statType=2 Slugger27
  
  agreed 100%
- K.B.D.
  
  Yeah, but they rushed him back from his hammy last year. I think they’re not going to be as aggressive. The last thing they want is to rush him back only to have him suffer a setback and be gone another couple weeks.
- Chris C.
  
  “one thing that the Yankee brass have a better handle on than we do is A-Rod’s timetable.”
  
  I don’t think anybody really knows anything about Alex Rodriquez. I really don’t. Cashman goes by how AROD tells him he feels, but the guy is such a bullshitter that it’s hard to know what to believe.
  
  Heck, maybe he’s telling people he feels great just so he can make some news and remain relevant. Wouldn’t put it by him.
  - steve (different one)
    
    this post makes no sense.
    
    he’s presumably under the care of a team of doctors and trainers, who are making reports to the Yankee brass.
    
    i don’t understand why you are trying to turn this into an “Alex being Alex” situation. it isn’t.
    - Chris C.
      
      “he’s presumably under the care of a team of doctors and trainers, who are making reports to the Yankee brass.”
      
      And these trainers still have to rely on what he tells them. They report on how he tells them he feels. HE may do things that look perfectly fine, but the pain remains. I’m not saying he’d do this…..I’m just saying that you never know what goes on inside this guy’s head.
      
      “i don’t understand why you are trying to turn this into an “Alex being Alex” situation. it isn’t.”
      
      Wasn’t……just implying that very few people seem to have a handle on anything regarding Alex Rodriquez.
- Chris C.
  
  “if they are feeling super-duper confident that he’ll be back by the end of April, i can easily see why they’d pass on McPherson.”
  
  Maybe I’m missing the appeal of a guy who is almost 30, is a terrible hitter, strikes out a ton, gets on base less than 30% of the time, can’t run, has a questionable glove, and has about 10 major league at-bats since 2006.
  I don’t know why Cashman would sign the guy under ANY circumstances. What’s the point? May as well stay in house.
Yanks Tix

Anyone brave enough to go out in the rain can have my tickets for tonights game at cost, $53.75. Email me finderofquality@yahoo.com.
- jon
  
  Whos is going to buy tickets to a game that has a 90% chance of being rained out and 0% chance of being rescheduled
  
  Also wouldn’t you have paid like a dollar for those tickets?
  - Yanks Tix
    
    I wish. That is what I paid.
  - Chris C.
    
    “Whos is going to buy tickets to a game that has a 90% chance of being rained out and 0% chance of being rescheduled”
    
    People who are unemployed and living off a billion dollar trust fund.
Tripp

Wait, did I miss something? Did they declare Angel Berroa the back up?
- andrew
  
  They might. But they haven’t yet.
http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

Think this nickname for Rosenthal has staying power?

As long as I have breath in my lungs, yes. Yes it does.
- Yankee1010
  
  Ditto. He’s trying to give Gammons a run for his money.
  
  He actually gets paid to write drivel like this – http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9403602/Imagining-one-crazy-summer-in-New-York.
  - Chris C.
    
    I like that piece. It’s a joke, y’know.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph Pawlikowski
      
      Jokes are supposed to be funny.
      - Chris C.
        
        And I thought it was funny.
        C’mon, the part about Girardi telling reporters Burnett is fine, then he comes walking in with a sling?
        
        You don’t think that’s funny?
        
        It’s okay to laugh a little at the Yankees, dude. They aren’t paying your bills, or coming to your funeral. Stop taking it so seriously.
        
        Tampa Yankee
        
        Technically they are now aren’t they? I’m sure RAB is getting some ca$hmoney out of the YES deal? Speaking of, the YES network is now available here in Tampa but… if you subscribe to their sports package but… no games will be shown, only pre and post game stuff and other programming.
Eirias

The question is: Is he a JIVE sucka?