Bleeding Yankee Blue: CASHMAN'S GOTTA CONVINCE HAL ABOUT QUINTANA

Friday, December 23, 2016

CASHMAN'S GOTTA CONVINCE HAL ABOUT QUINTANA

Have you heard the one about the Yankees being "interested" in Jose Quintana, the 27-year-old All-Star innings-eating southpaw? He's the guy with alleged Chris Sale-like talent and an economical Andrew Miller-like $36-mil/4years of team control. Yup... that guy.

Yeah, I heard it too. Good one, huh?

(Aug. 15, 2016 - Source: Jason Miller/Getty Images North America)

Look, of course the Yankees are interested. Who wouldn't be? They certainly have a farm ripe with plenty of low-hanging fruit sure to entice the White Sox and he would make perfect sense for the Yankees.

But if you think Brian had a hard time talking Hal into his newfound hobby of prospect-collecting-- and you know he did, try to imagine the tough conversation he'd have convincing him to part with about a half dozen of his coveted new collectibles. Think about that...

Cashman has proven to be an adept salesman of stars for potential future stars. But perhaps his greater sales job has been selling that idea to the bottom-line-oriented Hal, who you may recall denied for weeks he was even considering a sell-off. He must have laid awake nights agonizing over the very idea of unloading bankable, productive name players for possible future somebodies who today are still nobodies. You can't blame him. The concept violates a business model that was wildly successful for many years and one he was practically raised on. And to his credit as well as Brian's, he came to see it as a savvy, timely investment rather than a ticket-burning distress sale.

I have no doubt both Cash and Hal want the team to remain competitive as they await the farmhands they hope to see come of age fulfill their destinies in the Bronx. That's why they brought back Chapman and signed Holliday and continue to look for another big bullpen arm ... and, hopefully, another rotation arm.

In Photo: Yankee Prospect Dillon Tate

Well, I have news for you; Quintana could be that arm and he probably should be that arm. But he may be a particularly complicated argument for Cashman to make to Hal. After all, Hal may well ask, 'Who's to say one of my new kids isn't the next Jose Quintana?'

(Aug. 9, 2016 - Source: Ed Zurga/Getty Images North America)

Quintana finishing up his first year in the bigs with 22 starts and a 3.76 ERA under his belt. In 2016 his ERA improved to 3.20. A Yankee GM who was better even back in 2012 at dealing than developing realized his organization had swung and missed.

"...Right now it does not look like a good decision," Brian conceded back in 2012 as Quintana raced out to a blazing hot start in his rookie year. Five years, 951 innings and 781 strikeouts later, an understatement to say the least.

(Sept. 12, 2016 - Source: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)

Sure, I hope Brian tries to sell Hal on parting company with some of his shiny new prospects for Quintana. While we all don't agree here at BYB (Read Casey's piece UM... IT'S JOSE QUINTANA, NOT CY YOUNG), Clearly it makes sense to me.

God, I love the different thoughts here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Not only that, I'd give anything to see Hal's face while Cash tries to talk him into snagging Quintana.

We shall see...