Yankees acquire Rougned Odor

RIrooter09

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Don't get this move. A low OBP terrible defender with contact issues. Depth I guess?
 

EvilEmpire

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Well, I like it.

With all the big guys they already have, adding a proven striker like Odor to the mix should set them up for the next bench clearing brawl pretty well.

Seriously though, infield depth sucks, and this guy is already paid for. I like it.

Edit: I didn't realize that he has only played 2B. I thought he had some experience at the corners too. Hmm.
 

Ale Xander

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Well, I like it.

With all the big guys they already have, adding a proven striker like Odor to the mix should set them up for the next bench clearing brawl pretty well.

Seriously though, infield depth sucks, and this guy is already paid for. I like it.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HADz1jcAnI


I hate this move as a Red Sox fan, especially the part of Rangers paying much of the contract.
 

jon abbey

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Cashman getting out ahead of the new MLB rule that you have to play multiple 2B at once.
 

Murderer's Crow

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His splits are.....weird. About even in 2018, way better vs lefties in 2019, then better vs righties in 2020. I'm not scratching my head because we need the depth but I am wondering exactly why Odor was the target.
 

jon abbey

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So, unless there is an injury we don't know about (hopefully not), the only thing that makes even a bit of sense here is Jay Bruce DFAd, DJ to 1B, Odor plays 2B, until Voit is back. I don't see how else Odor can even get on the roster, since he has never played a game anywhere besides 2B and DH.
 

EvilEmpire

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With the contract super subsidized, I guess Odor might be easy to move for another, more useful piece.

Edit: do we know if those two minor leaguers were on the 40 man?
 

jon abbey

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Odor did just turn 27 in February, and that is the precise age Cashman likes to target underperforming players on other teams, but they have never had anywhere near this track record, 858 games already.
 

jon abbey

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Age when acquired by NY:

Rougned Odor-27 and 2 months

Gio Urshela-26 and 10 months
Luke Voit-27 and 5 months
Aaron Hicks-26 and 1 month
 

EvilEmpire

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It is hard to argue with those results. If the Yankees see something there and it works, Odor is super cheap now too.
 

jon abbey

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I really hope DJ isn't hurt:

Statcast's 2B Outs Above Average since 2016

39 DJ LeMahieu
30 Ian Kinsler
27 Kolten Wong
24 Jonathan Schoop
23 Rougned Odor
 

jon abbey

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Nervous about the prospects, but would like to see Mike Ford moved, hope he is one of them (I want Gittens to get a chance and Ford is in his way).
 

jon abbey

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The two prospects are Antonio Cabello and Josh Stowers, both actual prospects but both years away from being potentially ready to contribute.
 

jon abbey

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Stowers was going to be rule 5 eligible this winter, no way NY was going to protect him. Cabello is a legit prospect but hasn't played above rookie ball and he will be eligible for rule 5 after 2022.
 

jon abbey

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Odor played 13 of 15 games at 3B in spring training, clearly NY was watching. I think this is a Derek Dietrich replacement who can actually field 2B and 3B, presumably they will see if he can play 1B also.
 

EvilEmpire

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We talked about Gio getting work at SS. Is there any reporting discussing how he looked at SS? I'm really curious about that. If SS is solid without Wade on the roster, I like this move a good bit more.
 

jon abbey

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We talked about Gio getting work at SS. Is there any reporting discussing how he looked at SS? I'm really curious about that. If SS is solid without Wade on the roster, I like this move a good bit more.
Yeah, he looked OK, and with the shifts these days, the 3B is often positioned in the SS hole anyway.
 

jon abbey

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I'm also curious to see someone who knows (not Ken Rosenthal) analyze the impact of this on NY's cap number this year. NY was at $207.6M according to Cots before this, but I wonder if there is a loophole because Odor's AAV is $8.25M (he is on a 6/49.5 deal that has 2 years left) but TEX is sending NY all $12M that Odor is actually due this year, so I wonder if they get a $3.75M AAV credit or if a player can't go below zero. The difference between $203.8 M and $207.6M is huge when you are determined to stay under $210M.
 

Bergs

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I've loved Odor since he crushed Joey Bats. I'm annoyed he's a mfy now.
 

Humphrey

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The new york media is going to have fun with that name. I mean I can only imagine the first time he has an 0 for 5 game...]

I wish Bob Sheppard were still around to announce his name.
 

jon abbey

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This is really a fascinating move by Cashman, a lot of aspects. I have read way too much about it already and some older pieces about Odor, but I think the main thing is that it is Gio insurance for the next two seasons. Guys like Wade and Estrada and Holder are fine for utility infielders but if Gio or DJ goes out for a while, now they can try Odor first, clearly they think they can fix his swing in the meantime and they liked how he looked in the spring at 3B.

Everyone is predicting a bounceback season from Gary Sanchez, and it helps that the starting point is so low, but also the main reason usually given is the ridiculously low BABIP he had in the short season, second lowest in all of baseball even though he hits it hard. Odor profiles similarly, he hits the ball quite hard but his BABIP last year was fourth lowest in all of baseball, a lefty pull hitter who I think has really been hurt by the shift in recent years. Odor supposedly has a great attitude and work ethic, and it is crazy that he is still 27 and has 146 career HRs. and not even with the extreme home/road split you'd expect from someone at the AL Coors, 77/69. I am genuinely not comparing the two players, but he is 18 months younger than Bogaerts and has 146 HRs (3434 PAs) to Bogaerts' 118 (4172 PAs).
 

billy ashley

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Odor has looked done for a long while, but his spray charts and New York's ability to get value from nothing probably means he hits 30 homers in a season sometime soon.
 

EvilEmpire

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I agree; he doesn't look right. I hope it is more the cold weather and a little bit of post-recovery tentativeness than a shoulder that is still somewhat compromised.

Once Odor gets fully on board, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gio sit a bit more than usual as the problem is carefully managed, whatever it is.

I'll be curios to see where Odor gets his initial playing time. Is he ready for 3B or will we see DJ go to third and Odor play 2B? I'm guessing DJ to 3B, at least initially. But it would interesting if Yankees tested Odor at 3B right away.
 

jon abbey

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Odor played 3B a bunch this spring and DJ is not great there (he is adequate), but I was wondering if they might even give Gio ten days off to try to get healthier. I don’t think we know yet how game ready Odor is though, he’s been sitting in limbo for a while.
 

terrynever

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Odor played 3B a bunch this spring and DJ is not great there (he is adequate), but I was wondering if they might even give Gio ten days off to try to get healthier. I don’t think we know yet how game ready Odor is though, he’s been sitting in limbo for a while.
I second this. Cold weather is no good for Gio right now. I have no basis for saying this but I think the scar tissue will eventually toughen up and Gio won’t favor his elbow when he swings and misses. Funny part is when he makes contact, both hands stay on the bat. Missing the ball hurts.
 

jon abbey

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So in all the discussion about this seemingly very odd move, none of us (here or elsewhere) seemed to have any idea about this component, interesting to hear two former players weigh in, including Kratz who has been in the NY clubhouse the last couple years and is universally respected (maybe YES can get him into the announcer rotation):

View: https://twitter.com/middlebrooks/status/1385949898290442242
 

jon abbey

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Sorry for the dupe posts from the NY game thread, but this is a fascinating situation IMO. I wonder how much of the clubhouse thing is solely because he threw the best punch in MLB history (I asked my friend the boxing and baseball historian to confirm and he agrees as far as he is aware, the form was spectacular).

Edit: Here is the Q/A: "David, if you have a break in your boxing series, I’m looking for an expert opinion on whether new Yankee Rougned Odor’s right to Bautista’s jaw was the best punch in MLB history."

"It's the best I've ever seen. But Bautista took the punch extremely well, which makes me wonder whether Odor has less power than appears or whether Bautista has a granite chin. Beautiful form on the right cross, though, especially throwing it over Bautista's errant left jab like that."
 

luckiestman

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Sorry for the dupe posts from the NY game thread, but this is a fascinating situation IMO. I wonder how much of it is solely because he threw the best punch in MLB history (I asked my friend the boxing and baseball historian to confirm and he agrees, the form was spectacular).
I used to post with a boxing and baseball historian somewhere else. Big on Jack Dempsey knowledge. Same guy?
 

jon abbey

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My friend is this guy, there are his baseball credentials and he is currently doing an amazing series on his FB page counting down the top 50 fights of all time, rewatching each on Youtube and writing a long post about it. I tried to get him to do a blog with them and I think he is, I will edit here if I find it.

https://sabr.org/authors/david-jones/