The Giancarlo Stanton trade means Yankees are baseball's bad guys again
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — You have my permission, baseball-loving people of the world, to hate the New York Yankees again.
Because after what we saw Monday at the Winter Meetings — when they introduced Giancarlo Stanton in pinstripes with all the pageantry the move warranted — the message was quite clear: The lovable underdog Yankees that made an unlikely playoff run last season are dead, killed by a $300 million contract and the Miami Marlins’ desperation.
The spectacle, the spending, the swagger, it was all on full display in the way the Yankees presented their newest star. The press conference began with a proclamation from the Yankees that they were introducing Stanton at the Winter Meetings because “it’s fitting for this type of news-making announcement.”
Everything in baseball is a little more special when pinstripes are attached, it’s true whether we’re talking about the postseason or the biggest trade of the offseason. That does not mean, however, that fans of the other 29 teams have to clap at the embarrassment of muscle in a lineup that will now feature Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez.
The Yankees trotted out all their esteemed leaders — managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, GM Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, all to sing the praises of their Stanton acquisition.
“Today’s a day of welcoming a new addition to our band of merry men,” Cashman said. You’ll be shocked to hear they didn’t break into a song-and-dance routine after that.
Even as someone who is horrified everytime he sees the highlight of “The Flip,” I was the one telling you in September that these Yankees are different. They were fun and scrappy and winning against the odds. They weren’t doing it by using their gigantic payroll to get the biggest stars like the Yankees of old. No, I said, this was their homegrown talent. These Yankees, I said, were — gasp — likable.
That can’t be said any longer. And you know what? Maybe that’s OK. Movies aren’t the same when the villain tries to be good, are they?
“Star Wars” doesn’t work if Darth Vader decides that ruling the galaxy isn’t as important to him as picking up power converters with his son.
Cobra Commander can’t just turn Cobra into a scrappy charitable organization helping woebegone young people find their way.
The Joker can’t become a vigilante crime fighter helping Batman clean up Gotham.
No, Darth Vader is a bad guy. Cobra Commander is a bad guy. The Joker is a bad guy. These are their lots in life. And the Yankees, once again, are baseball’s bad guys.
The Evil Empire does have a certain ring to it, ya know?
We knew the Yankees would eventually be villains again. They’d sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. Or both. We just didn’t think it would happen this soon or that it would be because of Stanton.
But this is who the Yankees are: the rings, the pageantry, the money, the win-at-all-costs mentality. Would you rather have a boot-strapping team betting on prospects and reclamation projects? If you say “yes,” you’re lying. You want the dingers and the MVP awards and the chance for rings No. 28, 29 and 30.
Maybe this is how it was supposed to be all along. Maybe the Giancarlo Stanton trade wasn’t just about making the Yankees better but restoring the yin and yang we’ve all grown to know.
Maybe baseball is better when you don’t have to like the Yankees.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz