Chris Stewart & Francisco Cervelli
Posted by Steve L. on February 5th, 2013 · Comments (15)
Via the AP today -
[Joe] Girardi and [Brian] Cashman said Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli are likely to compete for the starting catcher’s job. After missing most of last season because of a back injury, Austin Romine has only an outside chance.
Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli probably wouldn’t make the 25-man rosters of most teams in the majors today. Heck, it’s questionable as to whether or not they would make the 40-man roster of most teams. And, yet, one of them is going to be the Yankees starting catcher in 2013. Man, that just blows my mind…
I know Brian Cashman said Romine begins the season in the minors however I believe Romine will be the starting catcher when the Yanks come north. I think Cashman should have said let these three guys play it out in spring training and Joe will decide the best two.
privey wrote:
I think Romine has a chance to get significant playing time in 2013 but I don’t think it’ll be right out of camp.
privey wrote:
I’m actually fine that Romine wasn’t mentioned. If Romine plays his way into the equation, that’s fantastic. But better to let the situation sort itself out instead of giving Romine a reason to put pressure on himself (or, worse, a sense that he has an inside track to a permanent promotion to the majors).
The catching situation represents a spectacular management failure. The Yankees could have kept Martin, who would have been a very adequate transition player until Romine proved he could stay healthy or Sanchez was ready for the majors.
Catchers who are marginal big leaguers put the team at a disadvantage in a year when it is supposed to be competitive. By mid-season, Cashman will be looking for catching help, and he will have to overpay to get it. Letting Martin get away was just plain stupid.
I think of Romine has a nice Spring at the plate than he will get the starting job regardless of what Cash and Girardi have mentioned….
Bubby Crosby was our starting CFer after all.
@ Scout:
You’re ascribing blame for Martin’s departure to Cashman when it’s really shared blame between Martin (who turned down a better offer last year to sign for less this year) and Steinbrenner (who wouldn’t green-light a modest expenditure on an important role player like Martin).
Corey wrote:
I think it’s possible that Romine plays in the Bronx in 2013 but I think it’s unlikely that he breaks camp with the team. He has no experience above the Double-A level and I find it hard to believe that the Yankees will turn over the keys to a multi-million dollar pitching staff to a rookie without further seasoning.
@ MJ Recanati:
Cause Cervelli and Stewart are that much more seasoned?
@ Corey:
Rough day; that came out dicky didn’t mean it that way.
@ MJ Recanati: I said “management failure,” because it is never clear outside of the organization who has made a decision. We’ll never know whether Cashman wanted to make a two-year offer and Hal said no, whether Hal invoked the $189 million 2014 budget, or whether Cashman himself decided two years was too long or the money too much. Frankly, I don’t much care who made the call. In the end, all that matters is that the team has a black hole behind the plate.
“Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli probably wouldn’t make the 25-man rosters of most teams in the majors today. Heck, it’s questionable as to whether or not they would make the 40-man roster of most teams.”
Geez, Steve, what’s the word I can best use to describe this analysis…umm…rubbish? Horse manure? Nonsense? Hyperbolic bombastic balderdash?
Lemme see, here…it seems to me that a certain Francisco Cervelli was the backup catcher for a title-winning team just 4 years ago. He would’ve on the Yankees’ 25-man roster all of last year if he didn’t have an option left. THAT player has no right being on a 25-man roster? THAT player man is 50/50 not to make anyone’s 40-man roster?
And just for funsies, where did the Yanks did up Stewart from? Was he not on the 25-man roster of the Giants when they traded him to the Yankees?
OK, so neither is anything like a good starting catcher at the major league level; that much is true.
But not good enough to even be on any team’s roster? Pfffffffbbbbbttttt.
Or even most of them? I dunno. Way, way out there.
You know who may end up being the Yanks starting catcher in July?
Russell Martin
I have to agree with Scout. The Yanks really screwed this one up big time. Last year they offered Martin a $30M/3yr contract so they were willing to pay him an average of $10M a year even with their future salary cap constraints. Yet this year they refuse to better the Pirates offer which averages just over $8M. I know Martin had a terrible year but it seems they are being penny wise and pound foolish.
Corey wrote:
Cervelli – 177 MLB games at catcher
Stewart – 141 MLB games at catcher
Romine – 8 MLB games at catcher
Two guys have the equivalent of a full season at the MLB level split over several years. The third has a week’s experience. By comparison, yes, Cervelli and Stewart are more seasoned.
Corey wrote:
No worries bro.