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They said it wasn't going to be done, but here we are. It began when they said Cashman wasn't going to DFA a long tenured outfielder who was an automatic out and had a piss-poor attitude. Weeks later, Aaron Hicks was dropped off the team. Now for the second time this season, something "unprecedented" has occurred. For the first time in Brian Cashman’s tenure as the General Manager, a coach has been fired during the season, with the recent news of Yankees hitting coach, Dillion Lawson, being relieved of his duties.
Between the Wells and Volpe stance change story over chicken parm dinner, losing to the Orioles 14-1, and getting shut out by Jameson Taillon (who as a 6+ ERA), clearly enough was enough. If those weren't glaring enough, you could just take a look at the Yankees. They fall near the bottom of the league in key offensive metrics. They rank 22nd in OPS (.709), 27th in OBP (.300), and 28th in batting average (.230), in what is almost the same exact lineup as last season. At first, it seemed like Lawson would be the scapegoat for the issues at hand, and someone within the organization would just continue to do the same approach as we limp into the fall. Now, reports are coming out via Brian Cashman that that the next hitting coach will come from outside the organization, and he wants the new person in place by the Colorado series coming out of the All-Star break.
That sounds better, but boy, do they have work to do. How do you fix Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and DJ LeMahieu? Three guys who should be competing at All-Star levels. From the looks of it, things seem complacent around here, and hopefully things to shake up.
In terms of a shake up, I mean Boone has to feel uneasy about this, and rightfully so. Clearly, it's apparent that no job is safe. I like Boone as a manager, especially when he fights for his guys. I can't stand Boone when he says "Donaldson is turning a corner" or "Gleyber is playing great defense", when these statements are the farthest thing from the truth.
So what's next? I mean, for starters, Josh Donaldson needs to be the next to go. Ten home runs are nice, but on 15 hits in the entire season, you've got to be kidding me. You have a young and surging Oswald Peraza waiting in the wings, or various options available at the deadline. Donaldson serves no purpose on this squad. Secondly, this team seems complacent. The starters do their jobs, and the bullpen (for the most part), keeps things moving, however the offense and defense are losing games. As owner and captain, Hal Steinbrenner and Aaron Judge need to make a statement. Create some urgency, light some fires, do something. And finally, changes need to be made. Major shakeups, not just one or two minor moves. This team needs a spark, a spark to save this season...