#SportsRants with Diane Quail: Yankees add Stanton, and nothing else? What gives?!

Let’s start this article at the very end of 2017.. The Yankees traded Starlin Castro and two prospects to the Marlins for Giancarlo Stanton. Yankee fans were ecstatic, Marlins fans hated Derek Jeter more than they already did. Then just days later the Yankees trade Chase Headley for nothing. Well not nothing, but for nothing worth noting. It seemed like the Yankees were going all out and getting ready to sign someone big, a top pitcher or I don’t know, a top third baseman?

It appeared to the average fan that the Yankees were in win now mode during December. Now here we are, just days before pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training and the Yankees did not sign an ace, nor did they fill the third base hole…. and if we’re being critical, which I am, they did not sign a second baseman either!!!

So I know what the typical fan is thinking while reading this, “this girl’s crazy, we have Torreyes, as well as Miguel Andujar coming up. And besides we have Judge and Stanton who cares about the rest of the team.” One I am crazy, two, all of my readers will learn quickly I HATE when people say “we” about the team they cheer for…. last time I checked you’re not employed by the Yankees. Anyway back to baseball… I’ll say it, I am genuinely concerned about the 2018 season — and how the Bronx Bombers stack up against the rest of the league. (I really hope I eat my words come April, but hey.)

The Yankees have the two best home run hitters in baseball right now….they’re still also an all or nothing team. Very rarely do we see Aaron Judge win a 1-0 game for the Yankees. This is a team that either scores eight runs or bust. We saw that in game seven of the ALCS, the Yankees simply got out pitched. So one would think that Brian Cashman’s top priority would be to sign a pitcher. It clearly wasn’t….. so what’s next? The free agent market is kind of “meh” for pitchers this season, so I’ll give Cashman the benefit of the doubt.

Next problem, third base, I assumed as soon as the Yankees traded Headley that Todd Frazier was coming to the Yankees…. Now there were rumors that Frazier wanted a big contract…. he signed with the Mets for two years. TWO years —- you’re really telling me the Yankees couldn’t shell out the cash for a fan favorite, clubhouse favorite and all around decent baseball player….something doesn’t feel right.

I did do my research before writing this, and the numbers are promising for Andujar, they really are, but numbers are numbers. I want to see him play a full season. And I am willing to, I am also willing to see Gleyber Torres in the majors, I just don’t know how I feel about the well if they’re busts there’s still Judge and Stanton. What if one of them gets hurt? What if the dynamic duo just does not get it done? Those are just two of my biggest what if’s for this season. The list can go on and on.

With that being said, April is a long way away and I would be shocked if the Yankees were done shopping. I see a middle of March deal happening…what it is, I’m not too sure. What I would love, I would love to sign Jake Arrieta, but in reality the Cubs know something that the Yankees don’t… and they’re not giving him a deal so I would be careful if I was the GM…but hey what do I know .

Anyway that’s it for this week’s rant!