HEYYYYOOOOOOOO!!! Welcome back to Furn Talk. We are
back for 2021 providing my hot takes for MLB and for our
beloved New York Yankees. There is so much to talk about with Opening Day only
1 week away! So exciting.
The Offseason:
This offseason the Yankees Re-Signed DJ LeMahieu (6
yrs. $90M, we will talk about him in the next article), Signed Corey Kluber
(1yr. $11M), and traded for Jameson Taillon, and signed Justin Wilson and
Darren O’Day.
Clearly Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees front
office wanted to upgrade the rotation and did just that. Unfortunately, we lost
Masahiro Tanaka this offseason, as he goes back to Japan. He was a favorite
amongst Yankee Fans and will be dearly missed. A great Postseason pitcher and a
great clubhouse presence, Tanaka’s contributions to the Yankees will not be
forgotten.
The Rotation:
Keeping on the Pitching Staff, the Yankees are entering
their last week of Spring Training. Here is a potential Opening Day Rotation for
the Yankees:
Starting Rotation:
SP1- Gerrit Cole
SP2- Corey Kluber
SP3- Jameson Taillon
SP4- Jordan
Montgomery
SP5- Domingo German
(Coming back from Suspension, looked really sharp this spring).
The Rotation and Their Health:
I am really excited to watch this rotation this
year, I think this could really be what this team needed to not only solidify
their Top Rank in the AL East, but to dominate in the postseason as well lead
by our ace Gerrit Cole (who needs no introduction). The issue has been and will
always be health. Taillon and Kluber combined for 1 whole inning in 2020 and
are big question marks for this season. However, they looked good in Spring
Training and their workouts, so the consensus is that they will perform well in
2021.
Domingo German:
Domingo German will edge out Deivi Garcia and
Michael King for that 5th roster spot. While German was suspended
for Domestic Abuse in 2019 at C.C. Sabathia’s charity event, German has been
suspended and has apologized for his terrible actions. He has not been in the
right headspace the last two years with many eruptions on Social Media, and
fake retirements and does not fit the vibe in the clubhouse well. Despite his poor
choices, he has made Yankee fans shut their mouths with one of the most
dominant pitching performances this Spring (3 Games, 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0.00 ERA, 13 K’s,
.667 WHIP). If the man can get his mind right and climb out of the Rock-Bottom hole
he was in 2019-2020, then maybe he has a chance of making an impact on this
team.
Luis Severino:
It is also worth noting Luis Severino will rejoin
the team after Recovering from Tommy John Surgery last year. He has already
thrown off a mound and looks to be recovering well. He will be a great addition
for the 2nd half of the 2021 season. With this in mind, I would be
shocked if the Yankees traded for another Starting Pitcher by the deadline,
Luis Severino would provide much more for Yankees than virtually anyone other
pitcher could by acquiring them by the Trade Deadline.
The Bullpen:
The bullpen is a little less concrete than the
Rotation. With Zack Britton’s bone chip, this means that the Yankees will need someone
to fill that void for the first half of the season. Britton has been sneakily
one of the best relievers in baseball. He has dominated on the Yankees having a
200+ ERA+ and a sub 2 ERA (with the exception of 2018). So where do you find
his replacement. Justin Wilson is a solid lefty that could have helped fill
that role, but he is injured (Day-to-Day) right now with shoulder tightness in his
throwing arm. Not great!
Here is how I see the bullpen right now:
CL- Aroldis Chapman
Middle Relief- Zack Britton (60 Day IL)
Middle Relief- Darren O’Day
Middle Relief- Justin Wilson (Day-to-Day)
Middle/Long Relief: Jonathan Loaisiga
Middle/Long Relief: Luis Cessa
Middle/Long Relief: Nick Nelson
Long Relief- Lucas Luetge
Long Relief- Chad Green
Bullpen Notables:
LHP Lucas Luetge has not pitched in the majors since
2015. In spring he has looked phenomenal with 16 K’s and 1.93 ERA in 9.1
innings. Spring Training does not matter as much, but besides having a great
name 😊,
Lucas Luetge is promising for the bullpen especially with the injuries. Nick
Nelson has also looked great in Spring Training with a 1.04 ERA in 8.2 Innings
with a WHIP of .692. Expect Nelson to play a bigger role on the bump this year,
despite having a sub-par year in 2020.
That wraps up the snapshot of the Bronx Bombers on
the bump. I have real high hopes for the team and think that this staff has the
firepower to dominate for the 2021 season. I cannot wait to hear that PC Richard
& Son Strikeout Jingle soon (not an ad).
Tomorrow, I will be dropping my takes on the Yankees
Lineup and Position Players, so stay tuned.
Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate
everyone who reads this. Send this to a friend if you like what I had to say
and Let’s Go Yankees!
-Furns
Photo Credits
Gerrit Cole: Elite Sports New York
Taillon and Kluber: New York Post
Luis Severino: Elite Sports New York
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