Yankees: Stymied By Good Fortune, They Look For Solutions

The Yankees are playing a game of seven card stud with three aces showing on the table. They seem paralyzed by their good fortune and stymied as to where to hide the rest of their cards, lest it becomes known that they have that fourth ace in the hole. Problems, problems all day long.

The Yankees have a problem they are not used to dealing with. Usually, at this time of the year, they are more concerned with creaky old bodies that are rebelling against the potential wear and tear of another upcoming six months of travel and day games after night games.

If they had a hole or two to fill, they’ve already filled it over the winter by signing a free agent veteran to a three-year deal that will carry him to the age of 38, but that’s a problem to be addressed down the road.

For all the talk about the Baby Bombers over the winter, no one could have predicted that the team’s young talent would come into camp and produce the results we see now

And by now, Brian Cashman would have poured over the Yankees dwindling farm system in search of a high-level prospect or two he can deal to fill the hole that appeared just yesterday when one of his starting pitchers wrenched his knee and will be out for 4-6 weeks.

That Was Then – This Is Now

Today, the  Yankees find themselves sailing in unchartered waters, and a perfect storm is upon them. The rain has come up suddenly over the past six months when Captain Cashman took on an additional crew of tender, but very talented young men.

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Now, he’s facing a perplexing problem, and if he can steer the ship back into port, he knows he cannot bear the load, and some of the crew will need to be cut away from the mastership.

Okay, enough of that. Here’s the real-time problem for Cashman and the Yankees. The team appears paralyzed by their sudden good fortune and are especially chagrined that not one of the kids is faltering enough to give the team a good reason to ship them out.

In fact, it’s just the opposite. Gleyber Torres continues to marvel and could still force his way onto the team. Apparently, Billy McKinney didn’t get the memo that he’s the centerfielder in 2020 and not 2017. James Kaprielian enjoys a miraculous recovery from injury, and Jordan Montgomery pitches lights out for four innings forcing the Yankees to give him a start later this week.

How can a team have such bad luck? And to make matters worse, the team is winning!

The Yankees Never Had A Plan B

For all the talk about the Baby Bombers over the winter, no one could have predicted that the team’s young talent would come into camp and produce the results we see now. Normally, two or three prospects “open eyes” in Spring Training, not seven or ten, all at the same time.

And it’s causing the Yankees to appear flat-footed at times, as in the way they handled the demotion of Jorge Mateo. Does anyone believe for a second that the Yankees have tagged him as their next super-utility player and that’s the reason why they want him in Tampa? Really?

Because, how many Ben Zobrist‘s do they need. They already have Tyler Austin at first and all three outfield positions. And they previously tagged Tyler Wade for a similar role in the infield. Or, maybe they’ve forgotten that Rob Refsnyder is still on the roster and has already filled that role.

 There’s No Plan B Because There Can’t Be One

The Yankees are muddling through this conundrum as best they can, and there is no way they could have planned for what’s transpired so far this spring. Names like Dustin Fowler, McKinney, Montgomery, Justus Sheffield, Torres, Wade, Mateo, and so on were “out there,” but nowhere in anyone’s mind did anyone think they would worm their way into the conversation about the composition of the 25-man roster.

Sheffield and Mateo have been disposed of, and if you think my choice of words is odd, think again because that’s precisely what the Yankees have done with them. All of the players listed above, plus Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier remain on the Yankees to-do list by Opening Day.

And it’s anyone’s guess as to who will stay and who will go. Unchartered waters or not, the Yankees need to get used to this because the team will be dealing with this overabundance of talent for the next several years.

Yankees: Four Reasons Why They’ll Make The Playoffs In 2017

The Yankees are showing their fans a lot during this Preseason. But there's more to come and the opportunity to play baseball is a real possibility.

So far, the team is showing their rookie blemishes in this new era. And as with the Baby Bombers, mistakes on the field are forgiven as part of the growing process; it’s likely that Yankees fans may need to do the same with management.