Yankees Can Be Thankful for the Red Sox?

It’s not often I’m happy about news out of Boston Red Sox camp. This week, I would actually like to thank the Sox for giving me, and all Yankees’ fans for that matter, a happy Thanksgiving. Why, you ask? The answer is simple: we should all be thankful the Red Sox stepped in and signed Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval before Brian Cashman got any cooky ideas.

It’s not that either are bad players as both have immense talents. Neither, however were right for the Yankees. Recently, there had been a lot of noise that people were coming around to the idea that the New York Yankees should go out and make a play at one, if not both of them. I was strongly opposed to this when free agency opened, and I am glad that the Red Sox squashed any further notions of it.

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Han Ram is an elite option at shortstop, but he just turned 30 and was looking for no less than a five-year deal. Ramirez hasn’t played a full season in two years and has been digressing each and every season. Furthermore, it would have been hypocritical in a sense to bring Hanley on board. The reason the Yankees fans turned on Robinson Cano had nothing to do with his talent. They felt he dogged it and then when Cano didn’t like the Yankees offer, they felt he had become arrogant and disrespectful to the pinstripes. Starting in Florida, this has always seemed to be Han Ram’s MO. He is a constant headache. The reward on Ramirez, that he will get back to the 30-30 threat and elite shortstop status, is not worth the risk on a shortstop on the decline only getting older.

Then there is Kung Fu Panda. Here, put these numbers next to each other:

.294, 398 runs scored, 106 homers, 462 RBI, .346 on base percentage over 3215 career at bats

.265, 426 runs scored, 93 homers, 418 RBI, .347 OBP over 3477 career at bats

Pretty identical numbers, right? The top is Panda’s career line and the bottom is Chase Headley’s. Panda is going to cost way more because of his playoff heroics. We shall see how well that meshes with Big Papi up in Beantown, but thankfully we won’t have to watch it in the Bronx. Sandoval’s asking price and contract length were primarily based on a couple great weeks in October every other year. Aside from that, Sandoval is no better than the average third baseman, like Chase Headley. Why would we as Yankees’ fans want to see the Yankees pursue Panda when Headley has already embraced the Bronx and has said he wants to play here? Again, Sandoval is a good signing, but not the right one for the Yankees. Who knows how long he has with his health and weight issues. That’s not worth a long-term big money deal in my eyes.

So, while dig into the day after leftovers, take a moment to continue to be thankful. Be thankful the Red Sox went out and spent money on guys the Yankees didn’t want or need. You should definitely be thankful that despite all off our pitching woes, at least we have Masahiro Tanaka as our ace and not Clay Buchholz!