On the Yankees beat

Jim by keeping A-Rod that does not solve your pitching problem. It just gives you a guy that hits 35 HR's and is nowhere to be found in the postseason 3 times running now. #2 By signing a japenese pitcher for that type of money that has never proven himself in a big league game will only give you another "unmoveable" contract if he does not perform. Does (Hideki Irabu ring a bell?). #3 I agree let Sheffield leave but I say let him go to Boston he is a cancer in the clubhouse and will not help that team as much as you think. #4 I also agree let Melky play or how about making Matsui full time DH and trying to dump Giambi. I don't think by letting Melky be a general outfielder that will help. He is an everyday left fielder that is where he is comfortable playing.And finally #5 we have to be careful we do not rush Hughes up to quickly. I do not think he will be a starter in 2007. Maybe 2008. Otherwise all the points you brought up does not solve this teams problem. You have added one pitcher? Tell me how the team you want to see them as next year looks any different from this team?

What about first base Jim?

What do you think we should do there.

Remember that we've just learned (well, at least some of you out there, I've always known it) that having a slugger at every position is not a winning formula.

May I suggest giving Andy Phillips a try there for a FULL SEASON.

.285, 18 HR's, 75 RBI's with a great glove.

We can live with that, can't we?

Regarding first base, I think the way the team is built, to get Melky at-bats, there are going to be days you have to play Jason Giambi there. I think you have to look for a defensive upgrade who can play there 3 or 4 days a week (think Tino circa 2005). But if no one better than Andy Phillips is available, then he is your man.

I agree pitching is a priority. But if you go into next season with a rotation of Wang, Matsuzaka, Mussina, Hughes (maybe) and Randy (off back surgery), that's better than most. Yes, I agree pitching is a major priority. But don't tell me giving Gil Meche $40 million over four years is the answer.

Jim no one was suggesting Gil Meche. By signing Matsuzaka a guy who never got a major league hitter out for that matter go sign Zito because at least he is a gamble that has faced major league talent. Giambi needs to go because not only does he clog up your first base spot he clogs up the DH role. He is an underachieving overpaid cheater. Andy Phillips does have a good glove. Give him a chance. Now as far as next years rotation Wang is your only bet there. Mussina has always been good enough to pitch you into second place but we all know what Mussina does come playoff time. He had 1 good playoff game in 6 years being here. Again I stress Hughes should not be thrown into this mess next year. Let him pitch triple A to start off. You can count on a 20 year old to fix our pitching problem. He is a long term solution. And Randy off back surgery....well I am available to pitch as a 5th starter if needed.So your pitching staff next year looks alot like this years pitching staff with the exception of 2 gambles. That pitching staff is not better than most. A's,Tigers, Dodgers,Twins, Mets (when healthy),and Houston all have better rotations than that.

The best news that could happen is for the Cubs to sign Lou Piniella soon. He could convince his GM (Jim Hendry) to take A-Rod in a trade for Aramis Ramirez and pitching. The deal could be expanded to more players. In little Wrigley Field, A-Rod could puff up his numbers and swing for the fences like never before without the pressure of having to be in the post season. Everybody is a winner on this. A-Rod can't cut it in NYC. There's no point in him kidding himself and Yankee fans.

AJ:

You can't simply "dump" Giambi when he makes nearly $20 million per season and virtually a DH because he is a liability on the field.

He's also been physically pretty fragile over the past couple of seasons as well. Nobody in baseball will take on that contract, so the Yanks are stuck with him whether they like it or not.

Whenever people bring up the name Matsuzaka, a lot of naysayers shout the name “Irabu” as the primary rebuttal not to seek his services.

It’s as if people believe that because one Japanese player didn't work out for this team, NONE of the Japanese imports are worth taking a risk.

I’d say Matsui brought a lot of hype with him and he worked out pretty well for this team. Wang wasn’t a Japanese import, but he’s also worked out pretty well for this team as well.

Matsuzaka is worth taking the risk because there is simply nobody else out there on the free-agent market. Zito was a great pitcher 3-5 years ago, but he's not even close to his Cy Young self of a few years ago.

Truthfully, he is no better than Wang and I would argue he is no better than Moose, either.

He is simply not the same pitcher anymore and the Yanks would be insane to give him the money and the 5-year deal he is going to demand. Keep in mind that Zito has a major advantage of pitching half of his starts in one the top pitcher’s ballparks in MLB.

For the exception of Texas, he also pitched a very large portion of his starts against divisional opponents in pitcher’s yards or against two very moderate-hitting teams (LA and Seattle).

Those advantages would all change in the AL East because Zito would have to face two powerhouse offenses (Boston and Toronto) and the remaining AL East opponents play their home games in two launching pads (Camden Yards and Tropicana Field).

All of this indicates that signing Zito would be a huge mistake for the Yankees.

Also, I heard Cashman with my own ears on Michael Kay's radio show that Hughes will be given an opportunity to win a job in the rotation next season.

Perhaps he won't land a job until the All-Star break because he may start in Triple-A, but I heard Cashman say that Hughes is going to have a legit shot.

Those words by Cash were far different than anything he had ever said regarding Hughes in the past. Obviously, the Yankee brass feels he is now getting pretty close because Cash is like a politician who is very careful with his words regarding Hughes or anything else that goes on behind the scenes.

As far as trading A-Rod is concerned, let's not forget that he has a full no-trade clause in his contract.

Whether Sweet Lou is the manager in Chicago or not, would you agree to a deal which puts him on the club that finished with the worst record in the NL?

He would be back where he started when he signed with Texas; no chance to win.

Why would A-Rod approve that deal? Because Lou Piniella is the manager?

That’s laughable.

I would also have to believe that the Yanks would want to frontline starter in return for A-Rod.

The Cubs aren't going to trade Carlos Zambrano to the Yanks and Prior is WAY too big of a health risk.

I agree with Jim on the rotation for next season and keeping A-Rod. He is not the reason this team hasn't won the last few years.

I love Jeter as much as anyone, but it's his job as the Captain to stick up for A-Rod once in awhile. He's one of the only guys on that team who could get some of the heat off him from the fans and he chooses not to do so.

He did it for Giambi and Knoblauch, but refuses to do the same thing for A-Rod.

Let's put aside the Esquire article of 5 years ago and move on and try to get this team to the World Series. The team’s goals should be more important than his personal grudge.

I stay with A-rod. We have two starting pitchers that you can pencil in with the hope of a win, Wang and Mussina. I will not count Johnson at age 44 and disc surgery that can't be good until My or June. I would shop Giambi and Matsui. With a liberal attitude to dumping Giambi for pitching and paying some of his salary. Matsui, I would play hardball with a trade. We have not won with these guys in the lineup. Sheffield is adios amigo. He can go anywhere that he wants. I doubt he could bring a ring to anyone even in the AL. I would dump Meyers, Sturtze and Fasano. We need a younger backup catcher. Wil Nieves looked OK. This leaves us back at square 1, pitching. We have the two pitchers mentioned above with Wang our no.1 and Mussina at best no.4 in my opinion. This leaves us looking for 2,3 and 5. The Japanese pitcher if he's a finesse pitcher forget about it. He needs to throw heat for this kind of proposed money. Giambi should bring us some pitching from the west coast teams starving for hitting. Lets say a number 3 SP. Pick up a number 2 as a FA. Now, don't throw stones but Pavano might be the surprise of the year as our number 5 until Johnson comes back if ever. Pavano could be the comeback player in the AL. He certainly has the resume. I would sign Dotel and the bring up Sean Henn with Rasner. I would play Melky mostly in LF because he and Abreu cut down the extra base hits. Matsui is not athletic enough to play LF in Yankee stadium. Melky should play at least 125 games next year without any problems. This would allow for a rotating Of with Matsui doing alot of DH with the trade of Giambi. We'll have to eat about 10 mil of Giambi's salary to dump him. I don't dislike him or his atttitude. Its he's so one dimensional. This is not good for a team that needs to make up for pitching. Other members of the 25 man roster stay. I might have a spot for Guiel or Wilson.

Jim are there any websites which have the contract particulars of the players such as option years and pay outs. This would make it even more interesting to play GM.

anaconda- I agree with alot of what your saying. I know we can't just get rid of Giambi but to play him and Matsui at the same time means there is no room for Melky. One of them has to go. They are both DH's. I think Matsui would make more sense at DH them Giambi that is why I say get rid of him. I understand his contract looms big but he is worth a shot at packaging.Aren't we good at throwing money at everyone so why not buy out his contract? However taking a risk on this Japenese pitcher is a big mistake. Suppose he gets hurt or doesn't adjust to the New York spotlight? Now we have a 5 year 70 million dollar money man that cannot be moved. We already have Carl Pavano do we need to add another. I also agree with you that there is no good free agent answers. It is sad to say but we can't fix our pitch woes by saying Hughes will take care of it. And we can't assume throwing money around will solve it either. It comes from within the system. Unless we trade A-Rod to whomever for some young arms,it is time to look toward the Clippers for the future. Now let me ask you this anaconda if Matsuzaka bombs and Hughes does not materialize how does the rotation look to you then?And not to mention our bullpen.

If the Yankees want to improve this team quickly, trading A-ROD is the best way to do it. The Angels are the best trading partner for the Yanks and the best place for A-ROD to go. The Yanks will get a "starter" and major league talent, while the Angels will move A-ROD back to shortstop where he is most comfortable. Moving back to SS also gives A-ROD the incentive to waive his "no trade" clause as he will be able to compete with Jeter both offensively and defensively. The Angels have also been "Yankee Killers", which A-ROD will relish. To replace A-ROD at 3rd, the Yanks should use the money they are saving by trading A-ROD, and overwhelm Aramis Ramirez, while the Cubs are in disarray.

AJ:

There’s no “getting rid of Giambi” because of his contract. It’s that simple. They cannot move him because nobody will take on that contract, so we might as well move on because it’s a dead issue.

Melky will get his chance next season one way or another. Perhaps an injury will give him the opportunity again? Who knows?

Matsuzaka would be worth the risk because he will only cost them money. If he bombs, he bombs. I would rather see them take a chance on him and he bombs than see the Yanks make no effort to sign him and he’s pitching lights out for another ball club – like the Red Sox.

What happens if Matsuzaka signs with Boston and he helps them get to a World Series?

Since there are no other options on the free agent market, the Yanks have little choice but to take a chance on him. Regardless, you are taking just as much of a risk, if not more so, by trading A-Rod because there is no guarantee that the pitcher they would get in return could hack it on the big stage in NY either.

There are a lot of pitchers that had success elsewhere and couldn’t hack it in NY, but at least Matsuzaka would only cost them money and not a star player like A-Rod in return. If they trade A-Rod and the pitcher they get in return bombs in NY, then you are really screwed because you gave up the best player in the game – for absolutely nothing.

Don’t forget that we are talking about the Yankees. The team they have out of Spring Training doesn’t mean it will be the same team in July at the trade deadline. This team has made countless deals during the season over the years when they needed a hired gun. Next year probably won’t be any different if Cash wants to pull the trigger on a deal for an arm.

You never know what deals might be out there in July because we don’t know which names are going to be out there on the free agent market in 2008.

We’ll see what happens with Hughes. If he doesn’t pan out, then they will be looking at other options. I wouldn’t be surprised if they picked up the option on Jaret Wright because he wouldn’t cost them much and he would be an insurance policy.

AJ -- Your point regarding preferring Zito over Matsuzaka is taken. Yes, Zito is major-league proven and Matsuzaka is not, so I realize there is a big risk involved. However, the Yankees have spent a great deal of time scouting Matszuaka and they are enamored by him. And why shouldn't they? He's 26 and already proven himself in Japan. Time to see what he can do here. I really believe the unknown upside of him is worth the money more than paying for what Zito has already accomplished.

As for dumping Giambi, as anaconda pointed out, let's be real here. It ain't happening, so you got to make due with what you got. Given their outfield surplus, he can't be a full-time DH. But I don't think he hurts you too much to play him 3 days a week.

Great post anaconda.

Larry:

This is not an official contract Web site, but I find it accurate 99 percent of the time.

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005_01_03_mlbcontracts_archive.html

Jim I understand your point. What about our 3,4,5 starters?

Jim-

Melky is an "everyday" player not a off the bench stick him wherever guy. I think he best fits in that left field role. Like I keep saying Matsui has no bussiness in left field. He is a DH. And as far as starting pitching... you cannot just throw money at this problem and think it will fix itself. Hughes is defintly a step in the right direction but bringing over a guy for "just money" is the whole reason the Yankees are in this mess to begin with. I agree Zito is not worth 5 years. And the rest of the free agent pitchers are not worth it. But Jim we need starting pitching and by bringing back guys like Mussina and Wright it will be the same results as the last 6 years. We need fresh blood. Johnson's back problems will be an issue all next year. Wright can't pitch more than 5 innings and Mussina can't hold a lead in the postseason. So tell me how the soultion to fixing the Yankees is by bringing in 1 pitcher? By keeping A-Rod? What about the bullpen Jim? Keep A-Rod around so he can put 2 million fans in the seats is that the answer? Since A-Rod already proved he is good for 1 single every postseason your willing to keep him around? He is a team distraction. This is one of these situations that we cannot throw money at. I would honestly like to hear how other Yankee fans feel about this. Jim I respect your words as a fellow Yankee fan but we need to do a hell of alot more to fix this team than what you mentioned.

WOW, but that I understand the lack of logic that equates AROD to big distraction - however do you people reason it out.

The crap that is espoused about this guy is truly mind-numbing.

A few things.

Matsuzaka: if you go and look for his Stats vs Irabu and Nomo in Japan, he's is far far more impressive overall than Irabu and still significantly better than Nomo (whom you have to remember, was essentially a Cy Young pitcher for the first two year.)

http://tinyurl.com/kdjcv

here's the link, made by Matsuzaka watch, just check out the huge difference between Matz and Irabu.

As for Zito, here's the thing, the dude walked 99 guys and struck out only 151. his k/bb ratio is horrible this year, IN HIS WALK YEAR. Matsuzaka while it is against a different level of competition, did put up a K/BB of unbelivalbe 6+ where as Zito was barely over 1. Zito has also steadily regressed since he gotten the Cy Young, where as Matsuzaka have steadily improved.

Postings don't count against luxury taxes, if Matz's actual salary is lower than Zitos by a few M per year then the overall cost isn't much different.

The only true reason we would want Zito is because we have no other lefty outside of RJ. and that's not a very good reason to throw out 14-15M per year for 4-5 year.

As for 1B, why does a team that scored 930 runs while missing it's corner OFs for most of the years and a big hitting 2B for a month REALLY need another 1B slugger again? I'd say just forget it and try to get Matsui to learn the position and/or have Phillips/ Guiel rotating here.

As for A-rod trade, I'm neither for nor against it, I can think of several great deals that might work out . (Like Kuo / Laroche / Brazobon from the Dodgers) but the risk is big, and if they can't pull it off forget it. Kenny Rogers showed us this year that there's no such thing as perinial post season losers . IF we can trade A-rod for a deep package of prospects and/or young players sure why not, but anything less... then no reason to do it.

AJ -- First off, I am not a Yankee fan. It is my job to cover them objectively, and when I signed up for that I dropped all prior allegiances at the door. Secondly, I agree Melky will be an everyday player for a long time, but I don't believe it will stunt his growth if he spends a season as a super-sub, getting 350 at-bats while playing every outfield spot three or four days a week. As for the pitching problems, I agree 3-4-5 are shaky. However, a top three of Wang, Matsuzaka and Mussina is promising, and the back end of Randy (off back surgery), and perhaps Hughes or Karstens or Rasner or some low-cost free agent will be just fine. Not better than other teams. But definitely not worse. And you know what? If it isn't working out, I'm sure the Yankees can make a trade at the deadline. I'm just saying the crop of free agent pitchers is awful, so no reason to make another mistake like they did in the 04 offseason when they threw money at Pavano and Wright thinking they were the answers.

AJ:

Why are you so dead set on getting rid of Moose? True, he’s probably not the #1 guy he was in years past but the guy can still pitch.

He pitched this past season in arguably the toughest division offensively in MLB and still finished #4 in the league in ERA.

You don’t simply get rid of Moose when the free-agent market is painfully thin and you don’t have a viable replacement for him.

So what if he couldn’t hold a 2-run lead against the Tigers in Game 2. You still have to win games in the regular season before you can even talk about the postseason.

He may not be a great #1 or #2 guy anymore, but he's a great option at #3.

There aren't many teams in either league that has as good of an option as Moose in their #3 slot in the rotation.

Getting “fresh blood” in the starting rotation is fine if you have viable options to make that happen. Unfortunately, they don’t so they have to go to war with the guns they have.

I don’t know why you have so many issues with their starting staff getting much younger instead of “throwing money at the problem.”

If you followed the Yankees throughout their dynasty years, the one and only home grown young arm on those teams was Andy Pettitte.

All of their other big-game starting pitchers were hired guns that didn’t come from their farm system; Jimmy Key, Roger Clemens, David Cone, Orlando Hernandez, David Wells and Moose.

Obviously, their starting rotation during the glory years were never as young as the Detroit Tigers’ staff and still won 4 rings.

Let’s not get too crazy on the Tigers young staff because they haven’t won anything yet.

The Yankees went to 5 World Series in 6 years with a combination of those hired guns, so they must have been doing something right.

Who knows? Maybe Phil Hughes will be their next Andy Pettitte. He seemed to do alright for this ballclub.

Along the lines of anaconda's thoughts. If we can't improve without over bidding the market then lets go with the young guys.I do not think Zito wants any part of the NY scene. I agree that Hughes needs some seasoning both mentally and physically. So don't rush him. We are always in a sense of urgency. We should get younger and it appears that we are on this track. Wang, Mussina plus whoever may have to do. Rasner pitched well. This can make it work if the starters can go 6+ innings each time out. We maybe better off with no expectations than high expectations. The team performed well with our corner outfielders on the DL. It was more enjoyable watching our replacement team win the division than our all-star team flounder in the playoffs. There is not much pitching out there. But we have delayed the regrowth of our staff with 2 very poor FA signings. RJ gave us what he could. I thank him for this. Wright for his heart and Pavano for nothing thou he could be a sleeper this year who would want him.

Jim, thank you for the website. I'll give it a look.

Larry: Out of curiosity, what makes you think that Hughes needs some seasoning both mentally and physically? Do you know the man? Are you aware of his mental state? That seems like a completely random comment to make.

We need pitching and so far there are no great options or definites out there. All we are left with is a bunch of maybes. But we have to take the risk. Other teams are reaping the benefits of bringing up young arms/talent and giving them a chance to prove themselves throughout the season or at least half way. We need to get younger and we need distance out of our starters so we should take the leap. Rasner and May did really well. I'd like to see how they do in the rotation on regular rest and knowing they are pitching every 5th day. Wright is still young and should get another shot as the #5 guy and Moose is reliable and wins games that get us into the post season. Moose can pitch which sometimes is better than the kid that can throw 99.

Rotation: Wang, Moose, Rasner, May, Wright

If the Yankees think Hughes is ready then maybe Wright's option doesn't get picked up and it looks like: Wang, Hughes, Moose, Rasner, May.

If the Yankees win Matsuzaka (which isn't going to be easy with so many teams needing pitching): Wang, Moose, Matsuzaka, Rasner, May with Jared in the pen.

Randy is toast after TWO back operations! I don't think he can be counted on. If he bounces back then someone moves to the bullpen as the spot starter or long relief.

Our offense has no problem scoring runs so we should get these young guys some substantial innings and see what happens maybe we strike gold. But we'll never know unless we give it a try.

I know this is highly unlikely and most would disagree....

To Ben K.

Physically, the Yanks shut him down after 146 innings of AA ball that's about 22 starts. He's only 20 yrs. old. If, he pitched with the yanks from opeining day. How far would you extend him in innings pitched at the big league level. Mentally, the stress of jumping each level of baseball is quite different. Throwing 95mph is nothing to big league hitters.They can hit fastballs, its the changing of speeds. You've heard the expression a thrower as opposed to a pitcher. My comment was just about 20 yr. old in general. Thou, I have been impressed with our guys/girls in the military serving in the Midddle East.

I think the Yankees should trade A-Rod, regardless of the price.

All really good points!

Matsuzuka is probably target #1. I agree with you guys that all it will cost is money. If we can get him, It will be 1. Matsuzuka, Wang, Moose, Pavano (he's gotta pitch sometime and who would take him?) and Johnson if his surgery is successful. Another option may be to make Proctor a starter and try to get a reliever.

We can't get rid of Giambi because of the contract and his liability at 1st. He'll DH most of the time and play 1st occasionally with Phillips (or someone else) getting the bulk of the time there.

That means that Matsui is in LF most of the time. The Yanks are paying him, Damon and Abreu too much money to ride the pines! Melky will sub for each of them to give them a break, but not much more than that unless one of them goes down. Personally, I'd rather see Melky out there full time.

Torre, Jeter and A-Rod have to straighten their differences out and work together.

Jim,
I think that tradin A-rod is the only way to get better. Not only is the team relieved of a huge distraction, but it's the only way to get young pitching, such as Brandon McCarthy,or Ervin Santana, plus other prospects. A-Rod is a huge chip for a team wanting to make a big splash. Of course, the no-trade clause is a huge problem, but hopefully A-Rod wants some peace elsewhere.
I would also make the best attempt at signing Matsuzaka a priority, sign Moose as no better than the 3rd starter, and wait out one more year with Johnson if he's untradeable. They also need a backup catcher who can hit, such as Zaun, plus a decent 1st baseman , like a Sean Casey. The bullpen needs one or two setup men so that Proctor doesn't have to make 100 appearances, and Villone was shot by Torre already, so he's gone. I would explore trading Farnsworth plus some salary, maybe for Brad Lidge. If A-rod is traded to the Angels, I would demand back one of their setup men, preferably Shields.
I would also try to build up Hughes' arm strength instead of babying him all year so that he can come up and maybe become another Verlander.
Fianlly, throw out the pitch counter, let the starters pitch, so that Torre, who has no conception as to how to use a bullpen, doesn't ruin any more careers.

I was listening to Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio this morning and they were talking about the Bill Madden column and an alleged call from ChiSox GM – Ken Williams to Brian Cashman asking about A-Rod.

They were supposedly offering one of these three pitchers; Mark Buehrle/Freddy Garcia/Javier Vasquez in addition to Joe Crede for A-Rod.

Well, Vasquez is out of the question because the Yanks have already failed that experiment a couple of years ago. No way would the Yanks want him back.

IMO, Freddy Garcia is no better than Mike Mussina. No way would I want him in return.

And finally, the ChiSox would have to do better than Mark Buehrle because he is an inconsistent pitcher who finished with an ERA of 5.00 this past season and was very hittable all year. I’ve watched him pitch for the last several seasons and I have never been impressed with him at all.

For the exception of his youth, I don’t find Buehrle as a much better option in the Yankees rotation than Moose.

Apparently, the Yankees want the young phenom Brandon McCarthy in any deal to the ChiSox involving A-Rod and I don’t foresee them parting with McCarthy.

The ONLY way I trade A-Rod to the ChiSox is if McCarthy is involved in that deal. That’s very unlikely to happen.

Let the speculation and hot stove begin.

You're absolutely right John G. Torre, Jete and Alex have to be on the same page and root for each other. If they do all others will follow and the team chemistry won't be so strained. That chemistry is what gets teams through the post season.

Ralph:

Throwing out the pitch counter is a really good way to hurt your young pitcher's arm.

Dusty Baker did that with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood a few years ago and they haven't been healthy since.

Take a good look at what happened to Liriano of the Twins and Papelbon of the Red Sox this past season.

These are just a few of the many reasons why they are babying Hughes and keeping his pitch count relatively low.

Let him pitch 30 innings more than he did last year and he'll progressively build his arm strength.

You don't take a chance on these young kids by letting him throw far more innings than they had ever thrown before.

That's a really good way to hurt your young stud pitcher.

That's insane.

Jim-

What about the bullpen? You all have made good points about our starters but very few brought up any about the bullpen. The bullpen has been our second biggest problem. Signing Wright back would ensure Proctor another 27 apperances just off of him alone. We need to trade A-Rod to get major league level talent. Hughes puts up great numbers in the minors but so did Brian Taylor. Lets not count on Hughes till we see him first. I agree there is no good free agent starters that is why I say trade A-Rod because the more he fails in the postseason the less vaule would be there for him. Now I know you may say that sounds crazy the best player in baseball has no value. But look at the numbers game. A-Rod puts up great numbers but so does Giambi and Sheffield(if we sign and trade). Now ask yourself this what can we get for Giambi and Sheff since they put up great numbers....nothing!

We're all forgetting about our "Ace in the hole", that's right, he's an Acehole alright and he will be the savior of next season: Carl Pavano! Oh wait, he just got injured while reading this post. His index finger is sprained which has led to a flaw in his mechanics that cuased his eye to twitch and put him out for '07. Dammit...just when I thought I had the answer to our prayers.
All kidding aside: Gotta go w/ as much pitching as possible. If the Japanese pitcher has as much poise as Matsui (Hideki) and Ichiro, he can handle being our No. 1. Let's just hope he's not like Kaz Matsui or Irabu or we're in deep poop. I am really hoping Hughes is the stud everyone says he is.

Anaconda,
You misunderstood me. I'm talking about throwing out the pitch counter for the veterans, and not taking them out after 5 or 6 innings if they have enough in the tank. Otherwise, Torre will destroy more bullpen arms like he's destroyed Villone, Gordon, Proctor, Sturtze, and the rest. It kills me when Torre takes out a starter when he has a lead in the 6th inning after a hit or walk only because he's thrown 97 pitches.
With respect to Hughes, I'm not saying to throw out the pitch counter. I'm saying don't turn him into another Jaret Wright who is out after five every game because of a lack of arm strength. That helps to destroy the bullpen and lessens his value. There comes a time that he has to pitch.

I keep hearing that the Yankees should "sign and trade" Sheff. Remember when rumors surfaced a couple years ago that the Yanks were going to trade Sheff to the Mets? Sheff said he would make life miserable on any team he was traded to. Let's not go through this routine again. Let Sheff walk. If he goes to the Red Sox, he's their problem.

Let’s all keep in mind that a rotation riddled with young arms doesn’t guarantee your team postseason success anymore than a veteran rotation of so-called “hired guns.”

A few years ago, no team in MLB had a trio of young studs in the rotation like Oakland when they sent Hudson, Zito, and Mulder to the mound every 5th day (every 4th day in the postseason).

Nobody in the AL wanted to face that trio in the playoffs, especially in a 5-gm series like the ALDS.

How many postseason series did this dynamite trio win?

Answer: None.

That includes the ALDS in 2001 against the Yankees in which they lead 2-0 and needed just one more win to advance to the next round.

The Oakland A’s victory over the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS was their first postseason series win since Tony LaRussa, Dave Stewart, and the Bash Brothers.

The credentials of the Atlanta Braves’ rotation were amongst the most decorated in baseball history and they won a grand total of ONE World Series throughout their 14-yr run of division titles.

This was a team that sent two 1st ballot Hall of Famers (Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine) and one borderline Hall of Famer (John Smoltz) to the mound 3 of every 5 games (3 of 4 games in the postseason) for almost a decade and still booted in the First Round of the playoffs an unbelievable SEVEN times.

Keep in mind that all three of these guys pitched for the Braves during the prime of their careers throughout the 1990s.

Yes, it’s nice to have a rotation of young arms like the Tigers, but it’s not a necessary cog to a championship-caliber team.

The Yanks never had a rotation of young arms during their dynasty (Key, Cone, Clemens, Wells, El Duque) and they won more big games than any team in MLB.

Ralph:

There is a reason why Wright is taken out when he approaches 90-100 pitches.

The guy starts to fall apart and gets hit when he approaches that marker.

I'm sure Torre would LOVE to keep Wright out there longer, but he has shown that he can't do it.

I don't blame Torre for that.

Let's not forget that a likely Hall of Famer like Pedro Martinez can't throw more than 100 pitches anymore either.

That's why Grady Little got fired and murdered by Red Sox Nation after the 2003 ALCS because Pedro had proven over time that his numbers were significantly worse after throwing 100 pitches, yet Little left him in the game.

Anaconda: Its all about chemistry the yank teams of 95-2001 had. The guys were winners and the rest of the team followed. The chemistry is there but the pitchers are not. Your point about the Braves is so profound. We could trade this one for that one, add a pitcher here and there. Its not about stats. We need chemistry. You can't touch it but you can feel it. There are guys on this team who have to go for this chemistry to return. Its about all 25 guys knowing their job and being ready to perform. Wright knew his job and couldn't perform. Sheffield only cared about playing firstbase to showcase himself for 2007. He can't play RF for the Yanks. A-rod has to regain it. Melky when he plays shows it all the time. Abreu and Damon have it. We don't need superstar pitchers we need gamers who give it all that they have. Pavano need not apply but we could be stuck with him.

I just applied this to your article because of the pitching trios that you mentioned and didn't win.

No shot A-Rod goes to the White Sox to play for nemesis Ozzie Guillen. No shot.

Yes, the bullpen is a concern. But, again, very few options out there, at least as free agents. Good luck trying to trade Kyle Farnsworth's contract. Sure you can look at trades, but anyone you deal with is going to want Cabrera, no doubt. I think you really got to hope Proctor is as good, if not better, next season.

No offense, Larry, but I just don’t buy your “chemistry” argument.

Teams develop chemistry the longer they play together. No rotation in MLB had more chemistry than the Braves in the 1990s because they played together for a decade.

The Oakland A’s rotation and dynamite trio played together over a handful of years, far longer than the current Tigers rotation.

By contrast, the Tigers starting rotation haven’t played together for a full-season yet.

Although it is a different sport, team chemistry is one of the main reasons why the pro European basketball teams have beaten the NBA All-Stars over the past several years. They beat the NBA guys because those teams have played together for a number of years.

Teams develop chemistry by playing together over time. It’s not always about personalities.

Sorry fellas, above post was mine.

The bullpen is a concern if the starters don't provide innings. The starters have to pitch good enough so that Torre won't overuse the pen and leave Proctor and Villone with nothing left in the tank. Also, if Sturtze is healthly, he should be able to lessen the load on everyone else in the pen. Same for Dotel.

First, do the trade Bill Madden mentioned today: Arod for Crede and Buehrle. Then, trade Cano for Dontrelle Willis. Then sign Soriano. The results: Lineup
1.Damon CF
2.Jeter SS
3.Abreu RF
4.Soriano 2B
5.Giambi DH/1B
6. Posada C
7. Matsui LF/DH
8. Crede 3B
9. Phillips 1B/Cabrera LF

Rotation:
Willis, Wang, Buehrle, Mussina, Johnson/Pavano

World champs 2007

Anaconda: You have a point but the chemistry on the long term teams that didn't win must of had a bad formula.

Its just how I see it. We want the same thing another ring. I just see it that superstars do not have to line your roster to win.

No way, cs06.

Buehrle isn't worth it and Willis didn't have a very good year during 2006 in a far inferior offensive league.

And secondly, the Yanks aren't trading Robbie Cano and signing a horrible defensive Second Baseman like Soriano.

Do any of you know who Matt Schweber is? He posted on Sam Borden's blog in the Daily News and if any of you have the time, go and read it. It's under Wrapping Up the 2006 Season.

Anaconda

"A horrible 2nd baseman like Soriano"?- how many balls got thru past Cano in the ALDS? I would say that Cano and Soriano are a wash defensively,and if you trade Arod (which would be my first move)- you have to add right handed power (Dumping Arod and Sheff leaves Posada as your only right handed power). I like Cano, but he is one of the few trade-able commodities and you've got to give something to get something.

Some Yankee fans recommended I post this here. I just posted this issue on my blog.

HOW TO FIX THE YANKEES AND WHY?

THE BLAME GAME: WHY THE YANKEES DID NOT LOSE

Pointing fingers and assessing blame following post-season losses is an ignoble and time-honored Yankee tradition, dormant during the championship years but more recently, resurgent. Alas, where frustration seeks an outlet and failure demands a scapegoat, reason evaporates and an obvious truth gets lost. The Yankees have become victims of their recent successes-- of an extraordinary string of four championships that defied the odds and often eluded explanation and was all the more remarkable for seeming so easy and effortless, so seamless and inexorable. And as fans, we, in turn, have fallen victim to expectations so high that modest success looks like failure, victim to the collective delusion that given sufficient talent and desire a baseball team should win a championship every year and that anything less is a failure of will or nerve or management.

But no player can will performance, no matter how talented, now matter how great his prior accomplishments. Still less can a team. If they could, no great hitter would suffer a slump and every great pitcher would throw a perfect game. Statistics only measure probability; or as Derek Jeter observed last Saturday, “The game isn’t played on paper.” Every pitch of every at-bat accordingly is crucible on to itself, singular, un-predictable, inimitable. No magic formula can reproduce success.

The 2006 Yankees didn’t lose because they didn’t play hard enough or because they didn’t want to win badly enough. They didn’t lose because stars don’t perform under pressure and role players do or because of some missing, magical chemistry. They didn’t lose because of a stoic clubhouse; and they didn’t lose because of a tense clubhouse. They didn’t lose because Joe Torre played this one and not that one, or because he placed this one fourth in the lineup and that one eighth. NO, the Yankees lost because they lost. They lost because over a four game stretch between October 3, 2006, and October 7th, a less talented lineup outperformed a more talented one. It is, at once, that simple and that arcane. Hold everything else constant, and re-play the games tomorrow and a different result, no doubt, would ensue, and we would be no wiser or closer to an explanation.

PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING: WHY THE YANKEES DID LOSE

Now, this isn’t to say, a geriatric owner who spends $200 million a year on players in his frantic effort to win one more ring before he succumbs to oblivion cannot exercise some control over his franchise’s fate. If a payroll of All-Stars doesn’t guarantee a championship, it certainly enhances your prospects for one. Nonetheless, the allocation of money, of course, is as important as the amount expended. And the irony of the Yankees’ predicament is that, far from reflecting their team’s prodigious talent, the $200 million dollar payroll instead may be a measure of its shortcomings—the Yankees desperate effort to compensate with productive, albeit expensive, hitters for a deficiency money cannot so easily rectify: aging, and increasingly mediocre, starting pitching.

The availability of productive, all-star caliber position players through trades and free-agency each year enables teams willing to spend money to increase their run production. Pace Carlos Lee, Bobby Abreu, Carlos Delgado, Rafael Furcal, Ramon Hernandez, Troy Glaus, Lyle Overbay, Alfonso Soriano in 2006 alone. Pitching, however, is another matter entirely.

The Yankees have had such difficulty resolving their pitching woes through their financial might because other teams, realizing great pitching’s importance and scarcity, have begun to sign young, premiere hurlers to long-term contracts before they qualify for free-agency. Blame Brian Cashman all you want but the trade and free agency markets, of late, has been bereft of first-rate pitching talent.

In 2002, the Yankees signed Jose Contreras, in 2004, Carl Pavano—the two best pitchers, then available. Neither paid dividends. In 2003, they traded for Javier Vasquez and Kevin Brown; in 2004, for Randy Johnson. Altogether, the lot of them has won a single post-season game: Vasquez, in Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS in which he received the win but nonetheless surrendered 4 runs in 41/3 innings, the final score 19-8.

And this futility only illustrates why acquiring another team’s starter is always a second-best option to cultivating your own and underlines the Yankees’ greatest problem. Not since Andy Pettite in ‘95 has the Yankee farm system harvested a pitcher deserving of the mantle of a One, Two, or Three starter. (Ted Lilly rates no better than a fourth starter and the Yankees’ international scouting signed Chien-Ming Wang, as they did Contreras.) And Boss George-- in the foolish arrogance that is the flip-side to the prodigal spending and zeal for winning Yankee fans cherish—let Andy Pettite walk. And perhaps in the only truly misguided decision of Brian Cashman’s otherwise impressive tenure, he traded Ted Lilly for Jeff Weaver, a nullity, who, in turn, was traded for clubhouse cancer, Kevin Brown.

The Yankees, in other words, have to return to building their pitching staff from within. Cultivating your own starting pitchers offers multiple advantages. First and foremost, they’re younger and cheaper than some other team’s undesired chaff or free-agent defection. A young, homegrown, draft-reared pitcher grants a team his first six years, often his most productive at that, at a bargain cost, freeing payroll for addressing more urgent and immediate needs. Secondly, it affords an organization the opportunity to observe a young pitcher’s maturation, gauge his temperament, evaluate his “stuff”, control his pitch count and physical development, and measure his promise—the opportunity, in short, to make a far more informed projection of his success in the majors than the much smaller sample given a scout’s desultory reconnoitering of another team’s farm system. The Yankee gravity chamber starts at the Single A level and the pitcher who can flourish on Staten Island’s first floor is the most likely to reach the Bronx’s summit.

MORE LESSONS THE TIGERS TEACH US

The ignominious defeat Verlander, Bonderman, Zumaya, et. al inflicted on the Yankees further emphasizes the priority pitching should assume. An object lesson, incidentally, the Yankee recent championship teams offered to anyone who’d have heeded it. Much has been made of the ’96 through ’01 teams’ chemistry, their profusion of role players, their resilience, tenacity, and fire compared to the phlegmatic overpaid stars of today. Nonesense: all of it.

The Yankee successes during this era began and ended with pitching. Built on a rotation of four premiere pitchers (Pettite, Cone, Wells/Clemens, and El Duque), the Yankees dynasty subdued lineups in the ’96 Orioles, the ‘98 Indians, the ‘99 Rangers, and ’00 Mariners that rivaled, if not equaled, those of the post-‘03 Yankees. Because if you beat Wells or Cone in Game 1, the Yankees threw Pettite at you in Game 2; if you defeated Pettite in Game 2, they threw El Duque in Game 3 and Clemens in Game 4.

Compare, by contrast, the vulnerability of a 2004 rotation of Vasquez, Lieber, Brown, and Mussina; a 2005, of Mussina, Wang, a 42-year-old Randy Johnson, and Shawn Chacon; or 2006, of Wang, Mussina, a 43-year-old Johnson, and Jared Wright. As Tom Verducci observes on SI.com that since Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS, Yankee starters are 2-7 with a 5.73 ERA, including 0-3 with a 10.38 ERA when facing elimination.

Still, the ’06 ALDS does more than merely exemplify the cliché that “good pitching will stop good hitting” no matter how many all-star hitters a lineup sports, it also shows why, to quote Joe Torre’s maxim, “It all begins with pitching”. For if hitting can compensate for pitching mediocrity over 162 games, it is considerably less likely to do so in a five or seven game post-season series when a lineup faces the best starting staffs the league has to offer. In fact, during the post-season, when the pressure intensifies and each at-bat can mean the difference between advancement and elimination, middling pitching actually risks neutralizing your own lineup’s greatest strength, as the Yankees’ uncharacteristic impatience against Rogers and Bonderman testified.

During the 2006 regular season, the Yankees lead the American league in runs scored largely because of a methodical, patient approach at the plate that netted them a league leading .363 on base average, 649 walks (second behind the Athletics’ 650), and forced opposing teams pitchers to throw, on average, 152 total pitches per game.

However, once Randy Johnson and Jared Wright yielded 5 and 4 runs in Games 3 and 4 respectively, they neutralized the Yankee hitters’ greatest strength. The Yankee lineup abandoned their strict regiment of taking walks, forgoing balls and swinging exclusively at strikes—either because the stress and dire urgency of overcoming a 4 to 5 run lead in critical games made them overanxious or because 4 to 5 run cushions enabled Rogers and Bonderman to challenge the Yankee batters with strikes and to stay ahead in the count or both.

To illustrate, the Yankees stellar .363 OBA during the season dropped to .204OBA in Game 4 and a .212 OBA in Game 3. Secondly, the 152 total pitches per game Yankee batters normally saw fell to 126 in Game 3, and 109 in Game 4. Finally, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Detroit pitchers threw first-pitch strikes to 65.5 percent of Yankee batters, over 8% points above the 57.2 percent the Yankees encountered during the regular season. As much as the Tiger’s pitching quelled a vaunted Yankee batting order, then, the Yankee pitching staff made an equal contribution to the lineup’s failures.

In contrast, the miracle comebacks of the Yankees championship years derived largely from the ability of the Yankees starting rotation and bullpen to contain deficits to a run or two-- three, at the absolute maximum. (The one and only glaring exception to this pattern occurred in Game 4 of the ‘96 World Series when the Yankees overcame a 6 run deficit.)

• Game 3 of the ’96 ALDS, Rangers led 2-1 in the 9th inning; Yankees win 3-2
• Game 1 of the ’96 ALCS, Orioles led 4-2 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 5-4
• Game 3 of the ’96 ALCS, Orioles led 2-1 in the 8th inning; Yankees win 5-2

• Game 1 of the ’98 WS, Padres led 5-2 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 9-6
• Game 3 of the ’98 WS, Padres led 3-0 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 5-4

• Game 1 of the ’99 ALCS, Red Sox led 3-2 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 4-3
• Game 2 of the ’99 ALCS, Red Sox led 2-1 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 3-2

• Game 1 of the ’99 WS, Braves led 1-0 in the 8th inning; Yankees win 4-1
• Game 3 of the ’99 WS, Braves led 5-2 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 6-5

• Game 2 of the ’00 ALCS Mariners led 1-0 in the 8th inning; Yankees win 7-1
• Game 6 of the ’00 ALCS Mariners led 4-3 in the 7th inning; Yankees win 9-7

• Game 3 of the ’01 ALDS tied 0-0 in the 4th inning; Yankees win 1-0

• Game 4 of the ’01 WS, Arizona led 3-1 in the 9th inning; Yankees win 4-3
• Game 5 of the ’01 WS, Arizona led 2-0 in the 9th inning; Yankees win 3-2

• Game 7 of the ’03 ALCS, Red Sox led 5-2 in the 8th inning; Yankees win 6-5

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

The Yankees pitching predicament, however, isn’t as bleak as the alarmists have implied. The late season performances of Jeff Karstens and Darryl Rasner should buoy Yankee fans—even if we should abide that age-old warning about not judging players by how they perform in April or September. As should the rave reviews the Yankees top pitching prospect Philip Hughes has earned. The recent emergence of J.B. Cox, Huston Street’s successor at the University of Texas, and Tyler Clippard offer cause for optimism as well.

Let’s hope, nonetheless, the Yankees have learned from the Red Sox’s recent travails that danger awaits an organization which elevates young pitchers before they’ve fully ripened in the minor leagues or developed sufficient arm strength to pitch 200 innings. Cashman’s refusal to promote Hughes, thus far, in addition to the organization’s decision to cap his innings this year at 150 bode well. The flip side, of course, is that the Yankees cannot expect Hughes (or even Karstens and Rasner) to pitch a full season in 2007, let alone, to have conserved ample arm strength to prosper in the post-season.

Accordingly, the off-season presents the Yankees with a formidable but not insuperable challenge for 2007. They have to manage to bridge the gap between a future rotation of younger pitchers not yet able to handle a full season’s workload and a current rotation of tired, aging veterans too exhausted to pitch effectively during the postseason. The bridge’s cornerstone will hinge on whether the Yankees can obtain an effective, reliable 2nd starter, if not a 3rd starter as well, to follow Chien-Ming Wang in the rotation.

As Randy Johnson’s dreadful performances in Game 3 of the 2005 and 2006 ALDS demonstrate, the Yankees cannot rely on him, at 43, to pitch any more consistently or effectively than a 4th starter would perform. Meanwhile, Mike Mussina-- if the Yankees chose to re-sign him for two years at an annual salary markedly less than the $19million he made this year-- could assume the more deserved role of a 3rd starter. (If the Yankees and Mussina cannot strike a mutually agreeable arrangement, the organization should pursue Andy Pettite with the promise of more years and more money than the Astros will offer.)

To secure a 2nd starter the Yankees have one of two options: (i) wring him from an infertile or unripe crop inside the organization—a crop comprised of Pavano, Karstens, Rasner or Scott Proctor (ii) acquire him from without, either by signing Japanese pitcher Matsuszaka or Barry Zito. (The Yankees evidently think about as highly of Jason Schmidt as he does of NY: that is, not much.)

TO TRADE HIM OR NOT TO TRADE HIM?: THIS IS THE QUESTION

Then of course, there’s the third option, the latest fashionable bromide to arise from the media echo chamber: Trade A-Rod. And like all groupthink and herd piety, it should be distrusted because it stems more from professional conformity and facile opinion than the deliberate analysis and reasoned conclusions that follow from weighing the evidence.

Can A-Rod excel in the post-season as a Yankee? Of course, he can. From Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS through Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS Alex Rodriguez went 14 for 33, a batting average of .422. To conclude he cannot depends, quite simply, on selective perception-- the much remarked statistic that from Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS through Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS, Alex Rodriguez has gone 4 for 45, a batting average of .090. But if you extract an almost identically sized unrepresentative sampling from Derek Jeter’s post-season statistics, for example, you could arrive at the same conclusion. Between Game 1 of the 2001 ALCS and Game 7 of the World Series, Jeter went 6 for 44, a .136 average.

(It is worth observing that outside New York, A-Rod’s post-season statistics are as impressive as his regular season numbers. Over his two appearances in the post-season with Seattle ’97 and’00, A-Rod went 18 for 51, a .353BA, with 3HRs and 8 RBIs. A-Rod’s career post-season numbers, then, are 36 for 129, a.280BA with 6HRs and 16RBIs. By contrast, compare Derek Jeter’s career post-season numbers-- a sampling size 3.6 times larger than A-Rod’s-- are 142 for 462, a .307BA, 16HR, 47RBI’s. If you extrapolate A-Rod’s career post-season numbers for an identical number of at-bats, Jeter only surpasses A-Rod in batting average.)

So which is the real A-Rod? The A-Rod of the 2004 ALDS or the A-Rod of the 2005-6 ALDS. The MVP of the 2005 season who batted .321 and hit 48HR’s or the merely very productive A-Rod of 2004 and 2006, who hit for a combined batting average of .288 and averaged 35.5 HR’s per season.

Answer: both and neither. Alex Rodriguez has been a Yankee for a total of three years. Accordingly, he hasn’t amassed enough post-season plate appearances to allow anyone to determine definitively which is the representative performance-- 2004 or 2005-6. The same applies for his regular season numbers.

But apart from the caprice and pre-maturity any judgment about A-Rod’s hospitability to New York entails, his currently depreciated value militates against trading him at this juncture, even assuming, for the sake of argument, he would waive his no-trade clause-- is that at this juncture. The relentless jeering and media criticism has so diminished A-Rod’s standing; no team would relinquish sufficient young pitching to deserve the Yankees’ consideration. Alongside Albert Pujols, A-Rod has the best career average regular-season statistics in baseball, but the Yankees would not receive a package commensurate to what the player with the 2nd greatest statistics in baseball has accomplished.

I trust Cashman’s protestations that he does not intend to trade A-Rod reflects this wisdom. Indeed, any GM in baseball who would trade a player of A-Rod’s caliber, as some in the media have advocated, for Irving Santana and a prospect should be dismissed on the spot. Of course, if the Angels want to trade Irving Santana, Francisco Rodriguez (a.k.a. K-Rod) AND Chone Figgins; or if the Tigers want to trade Zumaya, Verlander or Bonderman, and Brandon Inge for some package including A-Rod and Scott Proctor, the Yankees should consider it. However, neither the Tigers nor the Angels, naturally, would entertain such deals, even if the Yankees and A-Rod both could agree. All of which means an A-Rod trade will provide talk show fodder for the next four months but Alex Rodriguez, in the end, will play for the Yankee in 2007.

Actually, if the Yankees are intent in unloading some of the excess offense for another starter, they should consider exercising Sheffield’s $13 million option and then trading him to another team. Should the Yankees agree to subsidize some portion of his Sheffield’s 2007 salary, Sheffield could command a quality starter, if not necessarily the companion to Wang they need.

Alternatively, Jason Giambi turns 36-years-old in January and in recent years has become a liability because his defensive ineptitude and the tendency of his health to deteriorate over an entire season (in both 2003 and 2006, injuries hampered him during the post-season) has consigned him to DH. Giambi has two years remaining on his contract at $21million per year. If the Yankees agreed to defray $10million of the remaining $42 million owed Giambi, a team desperate for hitting might cede an able, young arm for him. Giambi also has a no-trade clause but he lives in Las Vegas and he hails from Southern California. And he might agree to a trade to the Angels or Dodgers, each of whom has an excess of quality young pitching in their farm systems.

Finally, the Yankees could consider moving Scott Proctor into the starting rotation and signing a formidable reliever like Justin Speier to assume Proctor’s bullpen role.

Cano is certainly no Roberto Alomar with the glove, but he's still very young and getting better.

Let's not forget that Cano just played his sophmore season and improved significantly from his rookie year.

By contrast, Soriano was forced to go to the outfield in Washington because he was a liability at 2B.

I also don't think they should trade A-Rod, so they won't need to add another right-handed hitter.

Do everything you can to sign Matsuzaka and re-sign Moose and they will be in better shape than most poeple realize because Hughes could very well be in the rotation by the All-Star break, if not sooner.

A rotation of Wang (27yrs by Opening Day), Matsuzaka (26yrs), and Hughes (20 yrs) will make your rotation a lot younger in addition to the old vets; Moose and Randy Johnson.

That rotation is a vast improvement over their current rotation and you don't have to dismantle the team to do it.

Thanks Matt.

I've noticed that most posts (including my own) list Mussina and Johnson as part of the rotation- as the #4 and 5 starters. But it struck me-- the 4 and 5 spots are usually held by guys that Torre doesn't trust or care about such as Wright. On the other hand, he has pampered Mussina and Johnson all along-- keeping them on their proper rest, etc. When there are days off do you think that Torre is reaaly going to skip Mussina and Johnson and start pampering Wang, Hughes and any other young pitcher they might bring in? I think not. It might be better for all concerned to cut Mussina loose and play it by ear with Johnson after his surgery. These guys might be at the point in their careers where they are #4 and 5 starters. But in their minds they are still #1's, and this will disrupt the chemistry that is needed to win! The days of David Cone and Jimmy Key(veterans who realized their place in the pecking order) are long gone.

Great discussion going on here. Kudos to everyone.

All you posters that have fallen in love with Cano need to look again at this player. He certainly can hit, but it currently ends there. He is a liability with the glove, and his cocky attitude for a player with less than 2 years under his belt is alarming. He was horrible defensively in the playoffs. His bat also failed to show up, but I'll give him a "pass" due to his playoff inexperience. The guy is good, but don't embarass yourself by comparing him to Soriano. If we can better this team by trading him for a good young pitcher, we should do it.