I have something in common with Carlos Beltran: a sore right hamstring. In fact, I am currently on the running disabled list because of it! My running coach wants me to get some rest and get this better as soon as possible, so that I will be able to run this year’s New York City Marathon. So I haven’t been able to run since Sunday. Tuesday night I walked the track instead of running it in our usual speed workouts. When we went to dinner afterwards with my running club to celebrate Coach M’s birthday, I get a text message alert from Squawker Jon saying: “Beltran pulls up lame running the bases. Removed from game. Speculation is hamstring. Wonder if Beltran will have to skip his long run.” Heh.
Then Jon texted me: “Cashman frantically trying to trade him to someone without web access.” Dare to dream!
Now, Beltran is not on the DL, although he hasn’t played since Tuesday because his hamstring is achy. But this brings up an important topic: that it’s time — maybe even long past time — for the Yankees to be sellers. Right now, the Yankees are 38-39, nine games out of first, and in fourth place. And the season is nearly half over. As Bill Parcell used to say, you are who your record says you are, and right now, the Yanks are a mediocre team.
Yes, I know they’re “only” 3.5 games out of the wild card, although they’d have to leap six teams to get that spot. And at any rate, is that worth not being sellers this year? Because they might get a wild card spot and sleepwalk through their elimination game? I don’t think so.
I did agree with Joel Sherman’s piece the other day in the New York Post in which he suggests trading both Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, pointing out that the Yankees have had great success with grooming and growing and finding relief pitchers. It’s true; one of the only good things I can say about Brian Cashman is that he has consistently done a good job of finding such bullpen arms. And without Joe Torre to overwork those arms, they can actually have real careers and everything!
So I’m fine with trading Beltran, Miller, Chapman, even CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner, or Masahiro Tanaka (who has an opt-out clause after next year) if buyers are available. My one concern is that Cashman doesn’t always make the best trades. But if it’s a choice of a trade or him getting a draft pick, he may actually have more success with a trade.
Of course, I’d also like Hal Steinbrenner to clean house, but that doesn’t seem to be likely to happen any time soon.
At any rate, Cashman ought to start moving people now, regardless of last night’s great walkoff win. Because this team isn’t going anywhere.
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