Buster Olney of espn.com weighs in on the Yankees’ signing of Chris Carter:
“The first conversations that the New York Yankees had about Chris Carter took place in the fall, as the Milwaukee Brewers sorted through their options with a slugger who was tied for the National League lead with 41 homers in 2016. The two sides didn’t work out a deal, the Brewers released Carter, and the Yankees signed Matt Holliday, presumably to take a lot of plate appearances at designated hitter.
Carter remained unsigned into December, into January, the price tag seemingly dropping. Carter’s agent, Dave Stewart, mentioned in a radio interview the possibility that his client would have to think about signing in Japan. This was something that Carter had no interest in: He wanted to play in the major leagues in 2017, and was resigned to the reality that he would get far less than he expected after a season in which he posted an .821 OPS.
Carter’s context had changed, and so had that of the Yankees. Late in the 2015 season, it appeared that Greg Bird might be the team’s first baseman of the future, but he missed all of the 2016 with a shoulder injury. When he returned to action in the Arizona Fall League, Bird really struggled, batting .215 with one homer and 17 strikeouts in 65 at-bats. As the Cleveland Indians learned with Michael Brantley, no injury bears so much uncertainty for a position player — for a hitter — as a shoulder problem. For the Yankees, Bird is something of a mystery with spring training looming. Tyler Austin is a candidate to play first base after a nice showing late last season, but he’s young, he has options, and he can be sent back to the minors.”
SU gets the logic but surely there were better options. Apparently, they are very nervous about Greg Bird and how he will respond from shoulder surgery. But it will be unbearable watching Carter strike out 200 times against ridiculous shifts. I would much rather see Judge and Tyler Austin get those at bats, and I have faith in Bird coming around. We were down to Ellsbury and Headley in the unwatchable category. Wrong move, wrong time.
Tanaka has an out clause this year if he wants to forego $23 million for the next 3 years. Given his elbow situation, why would any team take that chance? SU says this will be a non-issue and he will stay a Yankee through 2020.
Did you see what Porzingis had to say the other day? This from a quiet 2nd year player who is not looking to make waves. But if you watched any of the Laker game the other night, you saw how no-one was helping on defense and how the seas parted every time a Laker drove down the lane past Derrick Rose (who may be the worst defender in the NBA at this point in his career). The quote from KP:
“It’s kind of everybody for (themselves) a lot of times. Both ends of the floor.”
His game is suffering and he is regressing. For Phil Jackson, the issue isn’t making a good deal for Carmelo. It’s just moving him off the roster and starting over. That should be the priority at this point. Kevin Love is younger and he just scored 39 points the other night. Not happening.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Call in the Ghost Busters.
Its not just simply about busting up the team… again but busting up those “Ghosts” who prance around in their mighty lofts making decisions for this franchise. Jackson has continued to under perform and the results do not lie. Bill Parcels says “you are what your record is.” Whose going to mess with that quote. Bill’s other famous quote which Belichek mentioned in his post game interview is “when a fighter gets knocked down its how he gets up to respond.” The NY Knicks have been knocked down for a while now and any fringe changes made has kept them down for the count.
Try to trade Melo for a #1 draft choice. Use your other #1 draft pick and select the nucleus of the Knicks going forward. Anything less than this keeps us still on life support.
In 1973, out last taste of victory I was 17 years old and ready to get rid of my Schwinn Bike. I am now 60 years old and own a Schwinn stationary bike. That was a long time ago…. a very long time ago.
Interesting. As I stated in a comment yesterday, I don’t love it but I understand it. Olney and I are in agreement about Bird. I was as excited as the next guy when he had that nice brief stint with the team in 2015. I particularly enjoyed the clip of Surfin’ Bird they would play at the stadium when he came to the plate. But, injury aside, it was still a very limited audition. He was an emergency call-up to fill in for an injured Texeira and he was not considered one of their top prospects at the time. His minor league numbers are fine but not the kind of thing you build a franchise around. I am hopeful that he can play but fans are a little too giddy based on a few decent weeks on the team on top of a mediocre minor league resume.
In any case, Chris Carter needs a new agent. Baseball teams throw ridiculous amounts of money at bad players all the time. Unless there’s something else going on here, a Homerun champ should get more than $3 million. He wouldn’t have to do to much to be the best value on the Yankees roster. They paid Texeira $24 million last season to hit .200 with 15 HRs.
As I’ve commented here several times, no NBA team wants Carmelo Anthony. Not at any price. This was true a few years ago, when there was no market for him during his free agency and it’s even more true now after a few more years of negativity around his game, skills and health. There is no way a team would trade anybody for him, especially a young all star like Love. Perhaps Lebron James is allowing trade rumors to continue to preserve his friendship with Anthony. But make now mistake, James does not want Anthony on the Cavs. James essentially runs that team. If he wanted to give up Love for Anthony, it would have happened already.
I have my eye on somehow getting Boston’s Top 5 #1 pick they are getting from the Nets. If Phil can make that happen I’ll cast my vote for him for executive of the year. I am very doubtful that this would happen as awesome as it would be. Too bad the Nets down still own their own pick – they’d be dumb enough to do it.
After the Zen Master’s latest Twitter rant against Carmelo I am starting to look at this from another angle. Rather than trying to dump Carmelo is Phil trying to get himself fired so he can cash in some Dolan $ and move back to LA LA LAND!
If we can move Carmelo best case scenario for Knicks IMO is to trade him to Clippers for a 2018 or 2019 #1 plus a salary dump to pair off. The Clippers are in win now mode but are on the wrong side of the hill. They can turn into the New Jersey Nets pretty quickly.
Any Thoughts?
Agree 100% on D Rose. I have never seen an NBA player with so much talent just give up like a frustrated 12 year old night after night.
Well, some excellent comments here. I don’t think the Knicks can get equal value for Anthony. Agree that the NBA is wise to the Knicks’ predicament and unless you have Billy King still at the Nets as GM, no one is going to help out here. I think that includes any #1 pick. I really feel you have to start over and just get him off the roster. Do the salary dump to equalize payroll but that is all you can do now. Boston is mentioned as a possible destination and of course the Clippers who I do think could use the offensive firepower out West for a win now team.
CHARLES OAKLEY….CHARLES OAKLEY…..CHARLES OAKLEY
I think SU paid him off in order to let James Dolan know how pissed off “SU Nation” is after all these years of embarrassing the franchise and their fan base. Good for you Mr. SU for showing some revolutionary skills here. I’m sure the NSA will become one of your greatest supporters shortly. Maybe a knife company like Henkel will join in as well. I expect your wearing fatigues in and around town will be the norm now.
PS Dolan had some input in landing Carter as well. An all or nothing player is not the recipe on how this team should be going. Like Charles Oakley…. being a CONTACT player/hitter is what its all about.