Eovaldi was coming in as your 5th starter. By the time we got Happ, Tanaka had just gotten off the DL, CC had started his slide and Sevy had just started getting eviscerated while also having a big hole in the 5 spot with German falling off and Loaisiga getting hurt. Happ was our ace down the stretch.
In terms of adding to the pen, Girardi would have been a better manager than Boone in the playoffs (hard to say that). There was one thing Girardi was not afraid of, and that was going to his pen. Boone went to his early, but not early enough in an elimination game. You don't let CC hang a 3 spot in the third. Girardi would have pulled him with 2 on and no outs with JD up. Maybe we get out of it, maybe we don't, but don't leave the season on the line with a pusballing, overweight and over the hill starter facing one of the best hitters in all of baseball. Use your advantage. Game 1 was out of hand from the jump, so I don't bemoan his managing there. Game 3, his use of Lynn was downright criminal. We likely don't win that game anyway, but don't allow it to be a laugher. Yesterday, he should have had the pen warming from the first inning on. When you have Green, Britton, Betances, Holder, Chapman and Robertson and your back is against the wall, you use them.
Hal sucks
Boone is getting eviscerated on the NYY Fan Forum.
After seeing how Porcello and Eovaldi exposed our weakness, I am okay with Harper but am not in the camp of adding Machado. I would rather Brantley and then go for broke in the rotation. Our lineup got far too unbalanced in the wrong way. We should have lefties up and down this lineup for our park. Instead, we have righties galore and the only lefty worth his salt is only a power hitter because of the stadium (Didi). We need more lefty talent
Hal sucks
CC's decline started in 2013 not mid season. This highlight's the blind spot Cashman, Boone and Yankee fans had for their former hero. His WHIP has been over 1.314 every year from 2013-2018, except one, when it was 1.27 last year.
Severino fell apart. That was unforeseen, but nothing else was. Weak starting pitching, at least when compared to other playoff teams, is never a good strategy.
Well, you must also remember that Gray was an ace in Oakland and wasn't terrible last year in limited time with us. We also had Montgomery in the original rotation this year. Our rotation coming into the season had CC as the #5, which he is more than capable of being, especially at his price and duration. With the shackles off, I expect more wheeling and dealing this year. Our rotation will look vastly different.
Hal sucks
Agreed, teams like the Sox went out and stacked their rotations with lefties, so we could beat teams like the Yanks. You guys overcompensated with your adjustment.
You need a lefty (or two) who gets on base 40% of the time. You don't need more power.
You need an ace (or two).
You need to replace (or re-sign) some of the vet role players you may lose to free agency.
Your new budget should allow you to get that without trading anyone away.