THE YANKEES ARE STILL THRIFT SHOPPING

“I’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 dollars in my pocket. I'm, I’m hunting, looking for a come up. This is f**king awesome.” 

–Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Listening to that great tune Thrift Shop, I pictured this music video above featuring Brian Cashman walking through Thrift Shops and picking out all the players that cost absolutely nothing. He’s collecting a group a characters that he is hoping will compete hard against each other this spring. Then, in his eyes, we will get the best makeup for the 2013 New York Yankees…made up of really bad outfits and spare parts, in other words, guys "we think” can do the job and “just need an an opportunity.”

(In Photo: Jack Cust, 2012)
We’ve heard this song before…remember Russell Branyan and Jack Cust? Anyway,  for me personally, I’m not sure why Cashman would be aiming to have any of these guys “compete”.   I mean, I’m still holding a grudge ever since Francisco Cervelli  had a “competition” of a lifetime but was still bagged and sent off to Triple A on the last day of the Spring in 2012.

Yep, the Yankees are Thrift Shopping this winter and Lord knows I want it to end.  But, as I said on Benchwarmers podcast the other day, listen HERE, These are the "new" New York Yankees and those days of big spending are obviously over… for now at least.  Sure, I wake up every morning listening to 1010 Wins wondering if I’m going to hear about a blockbuster deal that brings my obsession, Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees, but it ain’t happening, no matter how hard I think about it. Those days are over. 

Yep, I still remember when Mark Teixeira and Johnny Damon were signed in the dead of night.  These days, it’s Freddy Teixeira, and Tom Damon…a different Yankee world to say the least.

Yep, the Yankees are Thrift Shopping. We’re getting guys like Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera and Thomas Neal.  We are now looking for players who are cheap but have the ability to be big in the Bronx, maybe.  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, sure, it could happen, but you need a very special player to do it. 

Never forget Scott Brosius, a guy no one had faith in, yet, he quieted the doubters, me included.  It could happen again, sure, but Yankee fans don’t have the patience for that, especially if we you grew up in the Steinbrenner era like me.

Brian Cashman knows what his limits are these days, which is why we’re Thrift Shopping.  He knows his limits not because of his own budget and constraint, but by what Yankee brass dictates. He’s no longer calling the shots, at least, that’s my opinion from the outside looking in.  Cashman’s hands are tied, so he’s Thrift Shopping in the hopes that maybe something real good happens.  Can you blame him? I wouldn’t.  I would suggest however that there were very reasonable deals out there that could have been made.

There were trades that would not have cost us a fortune in prospects. But no, the Yankees stayed pat and did nothing.  No Michael Morse, No Justin Upton… no nothing.

The Yankee kids could prove to be big this season, like David Adams for instance at third base.  We could use him with Kevin Youkilis, just to spice things up, but it only depends on whether or not the Yankees actually give them a shot.  I’m tired of hearing how great these kids are, yet, we never see them on a major league level, and if we do, it’s in another uniform because of a knee jerk trade reaction.  Everyone wanted Jesus Montero to shine in the Bronx, but we now have Michael Pineda.  

(In Photo: Jay Buhner)
It reminds me a lot of Ken Phelps  for Jay Buhner… sometimes the Yankees are just on the wrong end of the trade. Sure, the jury is still out on that Montero-Pineda trade and Pineda could end up being awesome, but fans wonder a lot, especially Yankee fans. I am right now.

Yep, the Yankees are Thrift Shopping.  Why else would be pass on Raul Ibanez for Travis Hafner? Well it started out as money.  The Yankees probably thougt they could get Hafner cheaper than Ibanez. Actually, that move was proved silly, especially when it comes to the dollars.  Ibanez would have commanded the same contract as Hafner. I believe that.  And sure, Hafner is young, but considering what Ibanez did and Hafner’s injury record, it’s a wash.  Yanks know they should have signed Ibanez on loyalty alone, but that doesn’t exist anymore.

Bottom line, the Yankees are Thrift Shopping and we need to get used to it.  Yeah, just close your eyes and picture Brian Cashman, walking around in a 1970’s shirt, a pair of Elvis Glasses and looking through the Free Agent racks, finding the guy with the lowest price, but best potential.  Sure, sometimes it works, but no always.

Hopefully our collection of characters surprise us all this season… but if not, you have BYB as a reference… we’d be the ones that told them straight, "We told you so."

That's my take anyway.

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