OK, the reviews and comments are in: mostly positive. Paxton sounds like a feisty competitor, wants to be in NY, he’s a lefty and is in his prime. The only downside – and this may be a big downside – is that he rarely makes every start and has had pretty much every possible injury you can have over the years. Now, the good news is that his arm should have less wear and tear as he is never making 30+ starts a year. But the Yankees will have to be a little wary of this going forward.
While Sheffield may turn out to be the real deal, SU does not have the attachment to this guy as of yet and as we all know, the Yankee prospects are always over-hyped.
So, what happens next? SU says the key is what they do with Aaron Hicks. If Cashman re-signs him, then they won’t sign either Harper or Machado. If Hicks leaves, then SU predicts the Yankees will be all in for Bryce Harper. I don’t see any Machado scenario unless they are going to trade Andujar which would be stupid. Give him a chance to work on his fielding or make him a first baseman. And please: all the talk of a partial season shortstop solution – there are a million guys out there that can fill that void. Didi is the man – he will be fine and they should not give up on him. Plus he’s one of your few left-handed hitters.
Did you see last night’s Chiefs – Rams game? I must admit that while I love the offense, at some point it’s a little ridiculous. Can it really be that easy? Only a handful of teams fire on all cylinders like that it’s surprising how the defenses are unable to cover receivers without being penalized. Last night may also be a function of playing in a warm weather city. That may not happen in January when it’s windy and cold.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
If this guy is the real deal then of course we should all get excited. During the season the Sox had there share of injuries to Sales and still managed to win 108 games. However, losing Didi until halfway through the season and really even longer until he got his timing back and assuming he is all the way back in throwing the ball well and hitting with power how can you blame the Yanks for not wanting to replace him with Machado? Torreyes is definitely not the answer for that length of time. What’s happening with Clint Frazier? McCutchen? I hope we sign Hicks.
Isn’t Hicks a free agent next year?
Hmm that appears to be the case. Free agent in 2020. Arbitration eligible for this coming year. So that is even worse then. Do you sign Harper and trade Hicks who makes a lot less and is just coming into his own? No way McCutchen is back. They can always bring back Echevarria to fill in at shortstop if they want to for Didi. If they need to sign one of the two (Harper or Machado), I would go for Harper as they need the left-handed bat in the line up.
I thought Hicks has another year to go before becoming a free agent. He is a valuable player but has never truly established himself as a full time starter. There seems to be an injury every time he plays more than a few weeks in a row. The Yankee version of Juan Lagares. Can’t still be talking potential when you are approaching 30. He can easily be replaced by Clint Frazier, who also can hit the DL every other month, but at a much lower cost.
The Rams Vs Chiefs game was an amazing display of air power, almost like a video game. The NFL has changed the rules to promote this type of play. We need some fresh stars and these two young QBs are the future of the game. A few more TDs and a few less head injuries are a good thing. I say let it rip.
One writer is reporting that Yankees are discussing internally extensions for Hicks and Betances, who is also a free agent next year.
Off topic: So JR Smith not wanting a buyout from the Cavs because it isn’t “fair to the fans and doesn’t want to be remembered like that” has me confused. If he doesn’t negotiate a buyout and the Cavs don’t play him or have him practice with the team – isn’t that the same as getting paid full price to do nothing? Why is that a magnanimous gesture? Or maybe I should just consider that it is JR Smith we are talking about here and it clearly isn’t.
Well, you are correct that it is JR Smith so hard to follow the logic and probably not worth the effort to do so. He wants out but doesn’t want to be hated. Hard to have it both ways. Someone will take a flyer on him just like they’ll take one on Carmelo. There is always a coach out there who believes he can turn guys like this around.
T
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