Procrastination 101: Taught by the New York Yankees themselves

Courtesy of Alexa Paige:
All that I could manage to write on my headline board over the weekend

Let's take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we? Remember back when you were in college and you knew you had tons of work to do. Meanwhile, you still chose to hit the bar with your buddies on a Thursday night because you were the King of Procrastination. Then when you came stumbling home at 2 A.M. it suddenly became the perfect time to start your 10+ page research paper that was due the next day. You send it off to the professor with a smile on your face, proud of your "finest" work.

Well, I am pretty sure this is exactly what the Yankees' front office did this weekend. Went out drinking, blew off some steam, and then suddenly remembered the trade deadline was two short days away. So what did they do? Naturally, they decided it was the perfect time to start making trades...trades that would make jaws drop as the ESPN ringtone resounded from cell phones nonstop on Sunday morning.

"I'm still trying to get over the fact that we traded the best of the best," Betances said (ESPN). 

Me too, man...me too.

It first started with the Aroldis Chapman trade last week, but we know this. I'm over it...really. But now Betances, myself, and the rest of the Yankee community are shaking our heads over the Andrew Miller trade. When you have a relief pitcher with a 1.39 ERA and nine saves for your team thus far in the 2016 season, you can't help but beg the question: what did he do wrong?

Now, of course, there is all this talk about the four, yes four, prospects that the Yankees picked up in the trade: Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and J.P. Feyereisen. Everyone is all excited and on their high horses because they are young, fresh, and ready to turn this struggling team around. But they are coming from the minor leagues, IN AUGUST.

Don't get me wrong. I know the Yankees are struggling and are acting on behalf of a desperate plea right now. I know we need this. I just don't agree that we needed to do this IN AUGUST, just to try and salvage the hopes of our post-season.

The Yankees are already knee-deep in the mud. You can call on a miracle, but don't think you received it in the form of four men from the minor leagues. This also brings up the point that I don't fully agree with this whole mid-season trade nonsense anyway. You're trading a player to suddenly be sent off to a different team with three, maybe three and a half months to play if he's lucky? Sure, the first baseman will still be playing first base like he knows how. He will still catch the ball, throw the ball, and tag the base like he has been doing all season.

Call me crazy, but there is something to say about team dynamic. And when you do a mid-season trade like this, you can kiss any such thing goodbye. The game is more than just talent; it's about how well everyone works together, on and off the field. That is what is going to take a team from good to great.

So I guess what I am saying is good luck, Yanks. I hope these newly acquired "angels" of yours just meld perfectly into the mold you have created over the past four months. And I know McCann, Beltran, and Nova are all on your radar as well...don't even think about it.

Oh and back to that term paper you handed in. How did that grade turn out? Exactly.

Cashman's decision on Chapman and the future

Okay, so yesterday I was way too angry to write this post. Thankfully, I have calmed down. And considering it made part of the USA Today front page that was thrown onto my front porch this morning, we need to talk about it: the Aroldis Chapman trade.

Courtesy of nypost.com

So we have known for weeks that the New York Yankees have been back and forth on whether or not they want to be buyers or sellers in the non-waiver trade, whose deadline is quickly approaching, might I add. And while the Chapman trade has still not determined what they will do next, it sure has made Brian Cashman one happy man.

You should've heard him this morning on Mike & Mike. The guy sounded like he was walking on cloud nine. He claims he is in "hunter and gathering mode" as he is trying to do what is best for the Yankees franchise. And what exactly does that look like you ask? "Executing my job description," said Cashman.

Right, so what does that look like? Well, thankfully it sounds like he will be doing lots of homework this week as he will be spending his time gathering information on what is available in the market and what kind of price tag it comes with.

Then Mike & Mike brought up a dreadful topic for a Yankees fan like me who cringes anytime there is a change made: the "rebuilding mode." A mode that Mike & Mike flat out said, "the fans won't allow it." And that right there is why this topic is so difficult for me, for us. We hate change! We like our men, for the most part, and its hard to see that uproot. But the harsh reality? We need it. If we want any chance of a post-season, ever, we need it.

It was Cashman's trip down memory lane that really put things into perspective. He discussed starting out with the Yankees in 1986 as an intern and how they were, in fact, going through a rebuilding period. From 1982 to their first playoff appearance in 1995, the Yankees struggled with finding their way back to the top, including feeling like "second-class citizens to the Mets" during the 80s. Yuck.

So what did they do? They spent time signing and drafting, national and international, and built what we look back on today and long for. May I remind you: 1996, World Series Champs...1997 just short of claiming AL division series...1998 World Series Champs...1999 World Series Champs...2000 World Series Champs.

So you see, it might be scary to think about, but the front office actually knows what they are doing. Cashman really drove this point home when he said: "I think we are always trying to do right by the future, as well as try to win in the present." They are not going to just spring all these changes at once. No one can afford that; financially or realistically. Change doesn't happen overnight. Building a dynasty doesn't happen overnight (see above paragraph).

So we need to continue to stay patient. Let the man do his job. And take it one game at a time.

And may we not forget, Aroldis Chapman is a free agent. We will see you again in no time, buddy.

An A-Bomb no longer just for A-Rod

Okay, so I am a Yankees fan. But that is not the reason I am writing this post. And anyone who is even the slightest baseball fan and has heard anything about last night's game would agree it was post-worthy.

Courtesy of CNN.com

Obviously there were two major moments for the Yankees in last night's contest against the Orioles. Starting off with the bomb in the bottom of the second. That's right, I am talking about the A-bomb from A-Rod. After 51 at-bats without a home run, Alex Rodriguez sent his drought sailing, 440ft to be exact. This helped close his gap in his chase to 700, claiming his 696th HR last night. It was like having the old A-Rod back at bat: smashing a fast ball and rounding the bases with class, blowing his pink bubble gum until reaching home.

But it didn't stop there. Later on in the top of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman was .1 mph from rewriting history books. He tied his own MLB record with a 105.0 MPH pitch to J.J. Hardy. Maybe last night's performance will help make Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner start seeing eye to eye as the non-waiver trade deadline quickly approaches? Yeah, probably not.

Since I brought it up, I guess there is something in the New York water that is causing everyone to not want to make decisions. I think we can all agree that the Yankees' post-All-Star break schedule is a grueling one, and might determine whether or not they decide to be buyers or sellers come August 1. Currently Chapman and teammate Carlos Beltran are both on the potential chopping block and the clock is ticking. Trust me, I understand at this point we don't want to do anything that would repeat last year's humiliation: earning the Wildcard just to waste it. But then again, I like these guys, and they are starting to prove themselves...just a little too late.


The gasps never get old.