The Yankee Braintrust Farts It Up Once Again

I wasn't on board with the Russell Martin signing for the Yankees. I get a team like the Yanks not wanting to hand the starting catcher job over to a rookie right after the bat. I get that, I really do. What I don't get is bringing in a guy whose upside can be described as "ahhh" and whose downside is probably similar to one of the young kids taking on the role.
Martin hasn't been good in two years. Last year, not only was he bad, he was injured. That injury is still a concern. It was a concern when the Yankees signed him. It was a concern coming into spring training, to the point where Martin didn't even play for the first week or so, and it remains a concern today. So, not only is Martin suspect talent wise, he is suspect health wise.
If you were going to opt for the veteran rather than the rookie, wouldn't you have gone for the sure thing catcher? If not, why not either let Posada catch, or give one of the kids a shot?
Okay, you made your move, committed to Russell Martin. Fine. So the Yankees come into spring with the backup catcher spot up for grabs. The candidates? Francisco Cervelli, last year's backup to Posada; Austin Romine, the defensive-minded catcher whose bat is yet to come; and Jesus Montero, the stud offensive prospect whose defense remained a question mark.
Right off the bat, Cervelli got injured, essentially taking him out of the mix. That left Romine and Montero. The opinion was, one of the two was going to win the backup spot. Why was that the opinion? Mainly because Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman all but said that was the case. Would having a top prospect serve as a backup stunt growth? Not at all, Joe Girardi insisted. In fact, it might help that growth. How else are you suppose to learn. Was a possible jump by Romine from AA to the majors a concern? Of course not, the little general insisted. In fact, Girardi had made that very same jump in his career and been fine.
All signs pointed to one of the two kids winning a spot.
Now, at the end of March, it appears a darkhorse has taken the lead for the backup role - Gustavo Molina. Not familiar with Gustavo, the pride of Venezuela? Here is a brief bio: Molina is 29, has played a total of 23 games over 3 seasons in the majors (he didn't play in 2009 for some unknown reason), has a total of five hits and 10 strikeouts. Pretty impressive. Oh, and by the way, Molina is currently hitting .077 this spring. He has had 13 at bats, he has one hit. Say hello to your backup catcher, Yankee fans.
I can't even begin to express what a fucking disaster of a decision this is. Let's start with Molina. He stinks, pure and simple. He can't hit. Actually, it's worse than that. He's an automatic out. Maybe his defense is solid but, honestly, how solid could it be? He has played in 23 games in 3 seasons, and sat out the 2009 season seemingly because no one wanted him. If he were a good defensive catcher, and above-average backstop, wouldn't someone, somewhere, have given him a backup role already? The answer is yes. Taking Molina to New York to backup Martin is sort of like making Lawrence Taylor Charlie Sheen's new life coach. It makes no sense. If you have a catcher with injury problems and the possibility of stinking up the joint, do you really want the backup to be someone you KNOW can't fill in as a starter? Hell, Molina has no business being a backup, let alone a hamstring away from catching in the Bronx five out of seven days. It's actually a joke that the Yankees even have this kid on the roster. It is a testament to how bad Brian Cashman is at life.
Another ridiculous angle to this story is how the Yankees treated this entire thing. They flat out TOLD Montero that he didn't have to worry about hitting, just had to worry about catching, then Girardi made constant comments that Montero was looking better behind the plate. Suddenly, a week ago, both the manager and general manager decided to denegrate Montero's catching (it didn't seem much had changed) and made a big deal out of the fact that the young man wasn't hitting (remember, they told everyone they didn't give a shit if he hit AT ALL in the spring). Okay, so you have an official mindfuck going on with your best prospect. Yet, the Yankees weren't content with that. Next up on the chopping block - Austin Romine. Romine has hit a little bit, played very good defense. When it became clear that the powers that be had soured on Montero, Romine seemed to move to the front of the class. That feeling was solidified even more when Girardi made it a point to say that a jump by Romine to the majors from AA wasn't any big shakes. Yet, somehow, Romine, like Montero, has somehow lost his chance to make the club because an average (at best) catcher, with NO bat, who has played in 23 games in the majors, is on the squad. What a fucking joke.
So, now you have successfully shit on your two best catching prospects. You told Montero he didn't need to hit, then killed him for not hitting. You kept making a big deal about how well he was playing behind the plate, then said he wasn't really all that good back there, to be honest. For Romine, you made a big deal out of his defense and said his AA experience wasn't a big deal, then said he need more time in the minors before making this kind of jump. Now, Montero goes back to AAA, a league he DOMINATED in the second half of last year, and Romine goes back to AA, seemingly a MILE away from the bigs. And why? Not because another catcher outplayed them. Because your douchebag manager and asswipe general manager somehow decided that 23 putrid games in the majors counts for something more than proof that someone doesn't belong. How much you want to bet both get off to shitty starts down in the minors this year?
Again, I don't mind the Yankees not handing a spot to Montero or Romine. However, if you're going to send them down to the minors, make that decision right away. If not, then give them a chance to win the spot. Yeah, neither Romine or Montero hit much at all. Here's the thing........Molina is FUCKING WORSE!!!!!! In reality, BOTH Romine and Montero outhit that shit kind Molina, even with their .220 averages.
My major problem? What the fuck is the upside to having Molina on the team? There is none. It's not a zero, it's a -10. He will almost definitely be a detriment to the team. He will do nothing to help. What is the upside? He doesn't fucking kill someone on the field. Simple as that.
The downside to Montero or Romine? Can it be worse than Molina? Nope. The upside? HUGE! Either Montero or Romine could simply take off. Either one could tap into the talent that has had them ranked as two of baseball's best prospects. Montero could be an impact bat, even at 20 years old. Romine could be a top defender and a good bat.
There is a lot to hate about Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman. If I were a player, what I would hate the most is that both are, simply put, liars. They set the bar, then move it. Remember a few years ago, when Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner were fighting for the center field spot? Girardi announced that Gardner would be the starter. Within a few weeks, he was out and Melky was in. Girardi's word that Gardner would be the starter, even if he struggled, was good for about 2 minutes. That's the type of franchise Cashman and his little toady Girardi runs. This year, they tell Montero to focus on defense and forget about hitting. He does. Then, you decide hitting matters.....A LOT! Girardi states that Montero's development wouldn't be stunted if he made the major league squad. Then, he says he wants Montero to play everyday in the minors so they don't "stunt his growth." Girardi says defense is top priority for a backup. He then points to an inferior defensive player in Molina to play over Romine.
Here's the rule: if Joe Girardi's mouth is moving, he isn't being truthful. He's a fucking liar.
I can't tell you how much I despise Joe Girardi. The backup catcher fiasco is the first of what, I have no doubt, will be a series of shitty decisions by the manager and the general manager that will result in an bad year in the Bronx.