The Yankees Miss Out On Patrick Corbin, Now What?
Well, you’ve heard the news by now. Patrick Corbin, New York native and life-long Yankee fan, decided to sign with the Washington Nationals for six years and $140 million with no opt-out. Bottom line, it doesn’t matter who you grew up rooting for, what hat your brother put on during your wedding, it’s just about dollars and cents. The Yankees would not go past 5 years and $100 million and I’m honestly perfectly okay with that. I think that’s a very fair deal for a guy who has really only had one very good year in his career and his switching leagues. Do I think he’ll be very productive in Washington? Sure do, but the money and years (more importantly) didn’t make sense for Brian Cashman. Six years $140 million for Corbin is RIDICULOUS.
I had pretty good information that said his now-wife did not want to live in New York City and that may have come into play. Happy wife, happy life. Obviously the Nats also offered more years and money. I cannot fault Corbin for going where the money is significantly higher and his wife wanted to spend the next years of their life. I’ve got no ill-well towards him.
Red Sox fans, and any kind of fan that isn’t a Yankee fan for that matter, are celebrating right now that the Yankees missed out on a guy they were favorites on once again (Ohtani). This one feels different though. I think we’ll be totally fine making the rest of the offseason work. Corbin wasn’t make or break. He was probably gong to be the 3 or 4 guy in the rotation depending on if you rank Tanaka ahead or not. Carrabis was laughing in my face just now and I just don’t get it. If the Yankees signed Corbin he would’ve played it off like “oh wow you think Corbin is going to save you? blah blah blah he stinks.” I don’t really care what that inbred, twig-legged moron has to say. I’m sure he’s blogging the video he took of me as I type this. Good for him.
As for what is next for the Yankees, everyone has pointed to J.A. Happ or Nathan Eovaldi to fill out the final spot in the rotation. Quite the disappointment for a winter where lots was to be desired. Happ is for sure the safest answer and it’ll bore Yankees fans to death. He’s reliable for sure, but he’s nowhere near flashy and not the move you expected this offseason. I like to think of Happ as a last resort. Eovaldi scares the shit out of me. I don’t trust his arm to stay intact after the amount of mileage he put on it in October. That has disaster written all over it. If I’m New York I call Cleveland and try to get something done.
The Indians have three guys that would be answers for this rotation and make everyone forget about losing out on Corbin: Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer. I like all three. Obviously Kluber is the biggest name and his contract is very team friendly. Trevor Bauer is arbitration eligible for the next two years and will be a free agent in 2020. After that he said he wants to work on 1-year deals for the remainder of his career, which is bizarre. Carrasco has one year left on his deal for $9.7 million and then a team option for another $9.7. Any of those guys would match perfectly within the payroll. Can Cashman make a deal work? I don’t know. But if I were him that would be my next call.
Right now if I were to predict, and I’m really good at these remember Sonny Gray for Cy Young, I would say the Yanks bring back Happ and then go really hard after Machado/Harper. That’s where I’m at. I’m not too down we didn’t land Corbin. If you want to play devil’s advocate with the positives of Corbin then you can counter with the fact that he’s a soon-to-be 30 year old National League pitcher whose velocity was coming down. Cash didn’t want to give that guy six years? Alright, I see the logic big dog. Onto the next one, we’ve got a long winter ahead that is just getting started. Winter Meetings aren’t even until Sunday, I have a feeling he’ll be very busy.
Anyone but Lance Lynn.