Ya know, it astounding to me how Michael Kay doesn't understand the team he is covering. Unlike everyone in the sports media, he is in the "inside" of the Yankee organization. How come he doesn't understand anything?

If someone like him is going to criticize the front office, then do so accurately,.....PLEASE!!!

Michael Kay should be at "EXPERT LEVEL" when it comes to the Yankees, but he clearly is  NOT. It's perhaps of no wonder, why he can never never be #1 is NY Sports Radio. 

I am referring to Josh Donaldson and how said "That deal is going to haunt them for a long time, a long time.”

LOL....no it's not. Not really.

Here is what he said,

“The Yankees big move last year, last offseason, the big move, let’s all be honest with each other, was the trade with the Minnesota Twins,” said Kay. “You got Josh Donaldson, who is not near the offensive player you thought he would be. Not near the offensive player. Not near the former MVP. You didn’t get anything approximating what you thought he was going to give you.”

“You got rid of Sanchez and Urshela and you took on $50 million in contractual obligations for a former MVP who just didn't play like that this year, at least on the offensive end. These are questions that [Yankees owner] Hal Steinbrenner has to ask the front office, 'What made you guys do this?'"

Obviously it's true that the Yankees didn't get what they expected to get from Josh Donaldson. But all you have to do, to understand WHY THE TRADE was made, is to look at the Donaldson's past stats again. Again ...LOOK.AT.THE.RECORD.....Michael Kay.

Michael Kay should, by this time, well know that the Yankees look at OPS. Donaldson OPS this year is .682 which is about .70 points below what is considered "average." Prior coming to the Yankees, his OPS was well OVER .800! Again,....

OVER .800

Yes, his .BA average has been down, but that is no longer a priority when it comes to the Yankees' offense. The proof of that is NO ONE COMPLAINS about Anthony Rizzo's low batting average. 

If Michael Kay just looks at Donaldson's stats (click here), it can tell you why the Yankees decided to acquire Donaldson. For his salary, the Yankees clearly wanted superior defense at 3rd, which "everyone" still says he has, and above average run production. Unfortunately, the Yankee pinstripes, like many other players who wore them in the past 40 years, may be too heavy on Josh Donaldson. But that's not the Yankees' fault.

BUT THAT is why the Yankees got him.

For people who don't know or understand what OPS is, it's OBP+SLG. For Josh Donaldson, when he is Oakland is OPS average was .805. In Toronto, it was (lol)....931. In his two years with Minnesota, it was .829.

For those people who don't know, this what you need to know about OPS:

What is a good OPS in baseball?

A good OPS in baseball at the major league level is .800 or higher, which indicates the hitter is having an above-average season at the plate. An OPS of .900 or higher means the player is having an All-Star season, and a 1.000 OPS or higher suggests the hitter is having an MVP season.

The average OPS in Major League Baseball changes from season to season but usually ranges from .720 to .760. 

A hitter with an OPS of .800 or better is having a solid season at the plate. On the other hand, a hitter with an OPS of .900 or better is having an All-Star season.

A player with an OPS of 1.000 or better is enjoying an MVP-caliber season.

(Source: click here)

It's amazing how Michael Kay,....doesn't understand this stuff. If he did, he wouldn't have said this.

"These are questions that [Yankees owner] Hal Steinbrenner has to ask the front office, 'What made you guys do this?'"

Michael Kay should've KNOWN all this! Not just that, but he should have at least mentioned it on his radio show. I know he thinks that for him to have better ratings than his "opposites" on WFAN but blasting the Yankees, but this is not the way.

Plus, when the Yankee made the trade with the Twins, they did so with Anthony Volpe in mind. From what I remember, IKF was the stop gap, with Donaldson, sorta, being the stop gap for IKF who would later move to 3rd base. PLUS, the Yankees really wanted Ben Rortvedt because they really didn't have a catcher for the future at the time.

All in all, Michael Kay should act like a professional "baseball man" and not like a amateur "Youtuber" depending on the number of views one gets. 

Perhaps the Yankees should replace him in the broadcasting booth. Perhaps they should replace with Ryan Ruocco, who i think is excellent. That way, Michael Kay can just concentrate on his radio show or whatever gig ESPN wants to give him. I am sure Michael Kay will be fine, if the Yankees/YES decide to let him go, which I think they should because he keeps "misleading" the Yankee universe. I am not saying that he's doing this on purpose, but he's like the blind leading the blind.

The criticism should all be on Donaldson. Not the Yankee front office.

Bats out.

Oct 26, 2022 -- 8:56PM, Paterson wrote:

Oct 25, 2022 -- 5:42PM, SSBob wrote:

Everyone, including Michael Kay, understands the reasoning behind the acquisition of Donaldson. The fact that he didn't produce as expected based on past performance and probably never will, plus the $30M he is still owed which will limit their ability to acquire other players is the reason the deal will "haunt" them.

   Does the acquisisiton of Donaldson highlight the importance Cash & co. place on statistics over scouting ?   Upon the trade announcement we all made our views know and I recall a comment from you that friends in the Minnesota area thought the guy was in decline in '21.  (maybe I misremember ?) The trade is defended by some, including the OP, based on season long stats.  Again, did the stats mislead the Front Office ? 

~~~~~~~~~~

To begin with, the OP rarely knows what he's talking about. Besides, his post makes absolutely no sense on several levels, and to top it off he ends with..."The criticism should all be on Donaldson".

There's been plenty of that.

Your recollection re the "report" I got re Donaldson's decline is accurate. The deal was convoluted with several objectives...shoring up the defense at SS / catcher while dumping Sanchez' salary. It's been said here that Cashman gambled and lost. IMO, that's an understatement.