Will the Yankees ever be bad again?

[redban]

Will the Yankees ever be a bad team again?

They haven't had a losing season since 1992.

Since then, their worst record was in 2000, at 87-74; and even then they won a World Series.

In that stretch, they've missed the playoffs just twice - in 2008 and in 1993. And they would have made it in 1993 if there was a wildcard.

Since I started watching MLB, I have never seen the Yankees as a bad team. Will I ever see a season where the pinstripes lose 90 games?

[Rich the Giants fan]

I'm sure they will, though money like they have sure helps cover up a lot of pimples.

Ah, thinking about it makes me reminisce about the golden era (1982-93).

[ian2813]

We had a thread on this very topic a while back.

With the new limits imposed on draft and international spending, teams who have the most money to spend on free agents (like the Yankees), will have a definite advantage in the future. It's possible we'll have to wait for them to experience some bad luck or shoot themselves in the foot at some point.

[redban]

I'm sure they will, though money like they have sure helps cover up a lot of pimples.

Ah, thinking about it makes me reminisce about the golden era (1982-93).

The Yanks were still good in 1982-1988. They finished above .500 each year and won 90 games 3 times. No playoffs, but there wasn't a wild-card.

From 1989-1992, they were bad. They recovered quick though.

[UnderPressure]

They haven't had a single homegrown star position player that they drafted since Jeter. And of course, he was drafted in the year when the Yankees last had a losing season.

[redban]

They haven't had a single homegrown star position player that they drafted since Jeter. And of course, he was drafted in the year when the Yankees last had a losing season.

They didn't draft him, but Robinson Cano is a homegrown star player...

[UnderPressure]

That is why I made it clear when I said "drafted"...

[dominik]

They haven't had a single homegrown star position player that they drafted since Jeter. And of course, he was drafted in the year when the Yankees last had a losing season.

It's hard to do that when your first round pick is about 23rd every year. sometimes you are lucky the someone like cano or pujols is overlooked but scouting got better and those cases rarer.

the new draft slot regulation will not help there either because the time for draft bonus negotiations is pretty much over with the hard slots. so it's no real option anymore for prospects to make them pushed back for signability issues to then get signed by a big team.

now the only thing is to wait for next years draft to get to a higher slot but this is a gamble to and won't bring them to thee yanks either.

[UnderPressure]

It's hard to do that when your first round pick is about 23rd every year. sometimes you are lucky the someone like cano or pujols is overlooked but scouting got better and those cases rarer.

the new draft slot regulation will not help there either because the time for draft bonus negotiations is pretty much over with the hard slots. so it's no real option anymore for prospects to make them pushed back for signability issues to then get signed by a big team.

now the only thing is to wait for next years draft to get to a higher slot but this is a gamble to and won't bring them to thee yanks either.

Cano was an international undrafted free agent from the Dominican Republic. While Pujols is from the same country, he was still a draftee out of an American junior college, so he was a product of the Cardinals' domestic scouts.

Mike Trout was drafted 25th overall. You'd think one of these days the Yankees' scouts inside the US would find a gem.

[BeatEmBucs]

Eventually...it may take a while, but it's gonna happen.

[TonyK]

The Yankees have roughly 20 to 50 million more dollars to spend annually so they go after the top free agents and try to sign one or two. But they also sign other good players who will make their roster numbers 20 through 25 superior to everyone elses.

It doesn't help them in the playoffs, but almost guarantees over the course of 162 games they won't fall below .500. This year, for example, they are right behind the Red Sox in most injuries according to one network yet it hasn't affected them one bit in the standings.

In the old days when a Jeter, Rivera, Pettite, etc. retired it meant a few lean years, but not anymore.

[Richard]

I was wondering the same thing. The Yanks have a solid farm system also.

[redban]

I notice many people are mentioning the Yankees money.

Well, don't other franchises also have a lot of money?

The Mets from 2005-2009 spent massive amounts of money on their team. For a few years, they were 2nd in payroll to the Yanks.

Still, they won 90 games only once (2006), made the playoffs only once (2006 again), and even had a 90-loss season on a $150 million payroll. (2009).

If spending was that important, the Cubs and Mets would be pennant winners every year.

[RaysFan_98]

Will the Yankees ever be a bad team again?

They haven't had a losing season since 1992.

Since then, their worst record was in 2000, at 87-74; and even then they won a World Series.

In that stretch, they've missed the playoffs just twice - in 2008 and in 1993. And they would have made it in 1993 if there was a wildcard.

Since I started watching MLB, I have never seen the Yankees as a bad team. Will I ever see a season where the pinstripes lose 90 games?

Don't yankee fans and such consider a losing season anything without a WS?

[drstrangelove]

Will the Yankees ever be a bad team again?

They haven't had a losing season since 1992.

Since then, their worst record was in 2000, at 87-74; and even then they won a World Series.

In that stretch, they've missed the playoffs just twice - in 2008 and in 1993. And they would have made it in 1993 if there was a wildcard.

Since I started watching MLB, I have never seen the Yankees as a bad team. Will I ever see a season where the pinstripes lose 90 games?

The answer is: it might happen if some strange combination of injuries and off-years occur, but it won't happen due to management not trying to win. Unlike many other ball clubs, the Yankees monetary market value derives from both cash flow and trademark worth. Given that they have a large cash flow, they have a good reason to spend it: a losing or mediocre Yankee team loses lots of real world worth. Since many franchises don't think or care about that (the list is endless), there are many teams willing to make short term decisions that involve putting mediocre teams on the field.

As long as there are 10-15 clubs willing to let their fans suffer droughts of 15 years+ of sub .500 performances, the Yankees will be able to sustain their runs.

IMO the Yankees simply recognized that people want to watch them if there's something to watch. Having no-name, home-grown, average players filling your line-up might make 15,000 fans and 1.2 share local TV audience happy, but if you want to be syndicated nationally, sell $$$ of hats and shirts, and draw 40,000 a game, you better have a consistently good / consistently interesting product on the field.