‘Selling’ Yankees Could Save Ratings with Their Youth

The New York Yankees, 44-46, are suffering from an identity crisis. General manager Brian Cashman is reportedly ready to wave the white flag and retool, but money-grabbing ownership is keeping the pedal to the metal, hoping the team can reverse its irregular play.

It’s a unique time to associate with the Yankees. The organization’s hierarchy is divided, the team has been stuck in neutral all season, and fans are willing to “buy” or “sell” with every win or loss.

Wallace Matthews of ESPN recently spoke with an anonymous source that claimed Cashman is preparing to tear down the Yankees’ current 25-man roster. Meanwhile, it is speculated that team president Randy Levine and owner Hal Steinbrenner tremble at the financial repercussions of a fire-sale, a rare rebuilding tactic in the Bronx that could cause Yankee Stadium’s attendance to plummet.

Hal has been criticized for not having a win-at-all-costs fire in his gut, but he’s an intelligent man that should be taking note of fans’ restlessness with the club’s murky philosophy and projection.

The Yankees are an organization of financial might that has become uncharacteristically frugal of late … It’s critical to develop prospects, yet they become blocked at the MLB level and caged in the minors … The Yanks want to add more youth, but don’t want to trade away chips that would garner such commodities … Hal truly believes the team can compete, but isn’t prepared to add short-term pieces for a meaningful run.

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With the organization engaged in a civil war of sorts, what are Yankees followers supposed to make of this?

Well, it turns out that many would rather turn off their televisions than keep up with ownership’s shenanigans — a direct result of the mediocre product on the field.

In early June, Richard Morgan of the New York Post cited that the Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network had taken a 10-percent hit in viewers this year, dropping the average set of eyes to 233,403 per game. For perspective, average tune-ins hovered around 400,000 during the network’s launch year in ’02 through ’11. Fluctuating from peak to low-point, ratings have dropped as far as 50 percent.

I may not speak for all fans with this assertion, but I believe most would rather flip on the television to watch up-and-coming talent than the lifeless aura surrounding this aging team.

With New York’s sky-high ticket prices, it’s understandable that people pay to see stars, not prospects. However, the only above-average, everyday veteran on the ’16 Yankees is Carlos Beltran. Youngster Didi Gregorius has been a staple in the lineup as well, but there has been no consistency outside of those two.

Rather than contemptuously “boo” the ghosts of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira on a daily basis, fans would be refreshed with a glimpse into the future.

Hal Steinbrenner, we would watch the youth your operations department has raved about for so long. In particular, Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge are two deserving talents on the cusp of major league promotions.

Sanchez is batting .281-9-40 with 29 total extra-base hits at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Keep in mind, that includes a two-week DL stint when a foul tip struck and fractured the catcher’s thumb. Sanchez was named to, and started in, both the Futures Game and Triple-A All-Star Game this summer. His defensive strides and offensive stats show he has nothing left to prove in the minors.

Judge went through a monster month of June before injury sidelined him July 8. The right fielder is expected to miss a month, but his .261-16-54 line indicates he shouldn’t require an extended tune-up before earning his big-league cup of coffee.

Not only has the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect displayed impressive power, he’s also cut down on strikeouts and improved his plate discipline.

It wouldn’t take a drastic tear-down to create room for the kids. Moving Beltran and one of Brian McCann or Austin Romine would open the gates for Judge and Sanchez.

Despite having a limited no-trade clause, Beltran has already been on-record admitting a willingness to waive for a beneficial deal, preferably to a contending team.

Speaking of contenders, the Yankees have the opportunity to be one of those next year. Allowing their top talents to endure major league adjustments is ideal during a losing season. Judge and Sanchez profile as future middle-of-the-order bats for the Yankees; the more exposure they can get, the better.

Cashing in on ace relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller would bring a prospect haul to beef up the farm. Some of those pieces, although unidentified so far, could hypothetically find themselves in a contributing role depending on the team’s needs next season.

The point is, the Yankees don’t need a roster of complimentary players to keep their audience’s attention. Prospect intrigue could hold them into the off-season, where a splashy trade could endear them to the fan base once again.

Winning is the yellow brick road to ratings, but these ’16 Yankees are not winners. Put into football terms, sometimes it’s better to punt than go for 1st and 10 on 4th down. It’s a defensive tactic designed to reassess and be victorious over the long-haul, delaying possession and turning the ball over when the odds of winning the drive aren’t favorable.

Next: Yankees Need Reinforcements from the Farm in Second Half

Hal Steinbrenner, Yankees fans would prefer to be perennial playoff threats. If selling this team is the sacrifice that returns the Bombers to October baseball, albeit not this season, we’re ready to persevere.