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Yankees Editorial: Redemption Years For Brian McCann And Alex Rodriguez

By Tyler Angelo

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There is $39 million locked up in disappointment heading into 2014. A massive $22 million of that is owed to a player who looked like he couldn’t catch up to a fastball in 2013 and then missed the entire 2014 season for failing to keep his lies in order. You guessed it, Alex Rodriguez.

His contract was a record breaking signing and huge success for the player’s union. He was locked up and supposed to be a fan favorite for years to come. It was a great business move because of the possibilities of home run records and explosive offense that Rodriguez promised. The front office would make their money back and then some with all of the Arod hype. However, in the PED scandal Rodriguez became the poster boy for cheating and lying.

The other $17 million is owed to Brian McCann who was part of the $400 million revamping in free agency in the 2013 off-season. We saw the Yankees bring in a bunch of big names who were supposed to once again lead the New York Yankees to the promise land.

McCann was supposed to be the key piece offensively and defensively. His proven track record of being a left handed threat that can hit for contact and power, combined with his tremendous game calling behind the plate was supposed to be a sure thing. It was enough to have coach Joe Girardi deem him “the next great Yankee catcher”. However, McCann was far from impressive and no where near what was advertised.

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In 2015, both A-Rod and McCann will need to step up and show that they aren’t a waste of money. Rodriguez will need to let his bat do the talking and prove to people that he is not a waste of money. It isn’t just the fans at this point who are doubting him, it is also the front office.

Brian Cashman made it very clear that A-rod will not be the third baseman this season. The initial plan was to have Martin Prado play third but then he was traded and Cashman re-signed a natural third baseman in Chase Headley. This trade also eliminated the idea of A-rod being the every day DH with the addition of Garrett Jones.

A-rod has become nothing more than a name on paper and until he proves himself the Yankees seem willing to eat the salary and let him rot on the bench. He has been making a lot of noise with meetings and “hard work” but it is all words at this point.

McCann hasn’t turned the New York fan base against him the way Arod has so he has an easier path ahead of him. He can be the leader that the Yankees need with a young pitching staff and can help to groom them. If the shift is indeed banned like commissioner Rob Manfred hinted at, then McCann will be a stud.

However, it is more than likely that the shift will continue to be used to stop batters like the pull strong McCann. He will need to learn to go against the shift and become a more of a well rounded hitter. He can potentially return to the All-Star level of performance that he was known for with the Atlanta Braves.

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