In a recent, unsettling development for the New York Yankees, the team’s pitching roster has taken a significant hit with Jonathan Loaisiga being placed on the 60-day injured list due to a right flexor strain. This announcement comes at a crucial time as the Yankees were gearing up for their first home game after an impressive 6-1 start on the road since opening day. The injury, announced via the Yankees’ official Twitter account, casts a shadow over the team’s robust start to the season, especially given Jonathan Loáisiga’s pivotal role in the bullpen.
To address the sudden gap in their bullpen, the Yankees have moved swiftly, signing right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana to a Major League contract. Santana, who will don jersey number 53, has been selected for the active roster, indicating the team’s strategy to maintain its pitching strength amidst unforeseen challenges. As the team prepares to face the next stretch of the season, all eyes will be on how they navigate this latest setback and whether their new addition can help sustain their winning momentum. What do you think? Leave your comment below!
Why does Brainless Brian Cashman still have a job?
Cashman, the architect of SO MANY DISASTROUS YANKEE ROSTERS, was perfectly comfortable having Jonathan Loaisiga as the Yankees’ Long Reliever in 2024. Only an imbecile would think that was a good idea on a Pennant Contending Team, given that:
* Loaisiga has appeared in 50 games only TWICE in his 5 non-Covid seasons.
* Loaisiga averaged 29.6 appearances in his 5 non-Covid seasons.
NOTE: In Michale Kings’ prior 2 seasons as the Yankees Unquestioned Long Reliever, he average 41.5 appearances a year. That’s a Long Reliever, Brian!
* If you throw out his two outlier seasons when Loaisiga somehow managed to pitch in 50 games (50 & 57), Loaisiga has averaged 13.25 games a year, including the Covid 2020 season, and 13.66 games excluding the Covid season.
* Loaisiga has been on the INJURED LIST — WITH AN ARM INJURY — EVERY YEAR SINCE 2016, except the shortened 60-game 2020 Covid season. (80 games & he would have been screwed!)
* In 2023, Loaisiga’s elbow inflammation limited him to 17 games, which any sentient GMs would have taken as a bad omen for 2024 . . . but not Brainless Brian Cashman! Noooo, that was a good sign, right Brian?
* The only thing that Jonathan Loaisiga has been CONSISTENTLY LONG ON in his career is INJURIES.
* Loaisiga getting injured is as reliable as the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano in March, yet Brainless Brian Cashman couldn’t see this coming.
Based on the above, what GM With a Functioning Brain would think: Yea, THAT’S MY GUY as a Long Reliever?
If Brian Cashman had been running the IT Industry the last 40+ years, we’d still be using TYPEWRITERS. He’s that @$#% STUPID!
In the top of the 7th inning, when Ferguson came in, as the replacement long reliever for the injured Loaisiga, and promptly gave up the winning HR, Paul O’Neil said the obvious that that would have been when Loaisiga would normally have come in.
And Michael Kay responded with dead silence. Now, I love listening to Kay call Yankee games, I enjoy his sports talk show, and I think his interviewing show on YES with athletes & celebrates is Exceptional.
Having said that, I also understand that he may well have built up a friendship with Brian Cashman in his long association with the Yankees, and Cashman may well be a really nice guy, BUT he’s an AWFUL GM, and once again, through his abject stupidity, he gambled on an injury-prone player in Loaisiga to assume a key role on the 2024 Yankees. That was Indefensible.
Now, would the Yankees have won their NY opener if Cashman had gotten a quality Long Reliever, instead of gambling on Loaisiga remaining healthy? Probably not, given how putrid the Yankee bats were in the opener.
But not having a quality Long Reliever may well haunt the Yankees ALL YEAR because All-Knowing Cashman gambled on an injury-prone pit her as his Long Man, which was stupid.
Getting back to Michael Kay: What Paul O’Neil said was a VALID POINT. Why didn’t you say ANYTHING, Kay. The Yankees were facing a possible loss because their Long Reliever was down & out, as usual, and you didn’t think that was worthy of comment?
Come on, Michael, you’re better than that. So, I can only assume you didn’t want, even obliquely, to make a comment that might reflect negatively back on Cashman for betting the House that Ruth Didn’t Build on a healthy Loaisiga.
We expect better than that from you, Michael. You’re always upfront in letting Yankee fans know when the Yankees getting the better of a bad call, and I RESPECT YOU FOR THAT HONESTY. So, don’t chicken out on saying the truth on this issue.
The idea that Cashman expected Loaisiga to fill the vital role of Long Reliever was Idiotic & Completely Indefensible—and you know it, Michael Kay. You failed fans as much “today” as the Yankee hitters who failed to move runners over or get key hits. That’s NOT who you are normally, Michael.
As the Great Bard noted, Michael: “This above all: to thine own self be true . . . Thou (Can)NOT THEN BE FALSE TO ANY MAN” (emphasis added).