Soto or Nowhere: The Official 2024 New York Yankees Off-Season Thread

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

Out of his prime years. Paul was 30 when he got to the Yankees.

I don't really consider that your peak.

Plenty of guys prime lasts to the mid 30’s though. I doubt anyone expected him to be as good as he was here though. In 9 years here compared to 8 (really 6) there he drove in 447 more runs, hit 89 more homers, hit 157 more doubles, stole 19 more bases, and posted an ops 102 points higher and won a batting title. Went from a .259 hitter to a .303 and his OBP here was .377 compared to .336 with the reds.

 

[tremonthustler1]

The 1990 Yankees were bad.
67-95 bad.

The Yankees Scouting Director at the time: Brian Sabean -- who would draft or sign Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and JT Snow.

Random: Tim Leary went 9-19 that season for the Yankees. And led the majors with 23 Wild Pitches. I don't even remember Tim Leary.

The 1991 Yankees had only one player strike out 100 times: Kevin Maas with 128. But that's only because Jesse Barfield (80 strikeouts) only played 84 games.

The 1993 Yankees were trending upward, largely in part to 3 players they acquired:

Mike Stanley in 1992, signed as a free agent.
Wade Boggs in 1993, signed as a free agent.
Paul O'Neill in 1993, traded Roberto Kelly.

All of them "out of their prime" but still had a lot left in the tank.

Sabean's here now

 

[Remote]

Sabean's here now

He should be the GM.
But to be honest, that octopus that was picking World Cup Winners in 2008 would be a better GM than the guy we have now.