We’ll need some changes in July for a pennant run. I’ve gotta think we have some interesting trading pieces with good value at some other ML team. And we have or should have some interesting options on the farm! With the returning wounded I’m optimistic!!!

and please stop with the cliches. of course the Yanks look ‘old, tired from the long season and unenthusiastic’ bc they’re LOSING. and the drays look ‘young and enthusiastic’ bc they’re WINNING. when the yanks are winning, they look ‘experienced and enthusiastic’. then the drays are losing, they look ‘too young, inexperienced and tired from the long season’.

trust me, when the Yanks ARE winning, they’ll be excited and enthusiastic. excitement and enthusiasm are NOT what’s winning for tampa. it’s their talented hitting and talented pitching.

anyway, that offensive showing was pathetic. garza threw what seemed like 90% fastballs (we’re talking fairly straight here, not Carmona/Wang type FBs, and not terribly fast (90-95, not Beckett at 95+), and the Yanks mustered 6 baserunners?!

And just to be clear — I’m all for staying the course. Keep developing people in the minors, don’t panic and rush them up too early; stick with the plans for Hughes, IPK and Joba. Slow rehab and progression for Sanchez. Keep Tabata focused and adjusting. September callups will be very interesting.

The MiL system looks really good, and we are in a solid position to build another dynasty by using cash and trade chips to fill in the last couple of pieces — when the time is right in a year, or maybe even two. The price of that is we will likely be sitting at home in October this year. It’s a price I’m willing to pay.

I’m not really sure what the solution to make the team better is. We made it by the skin of our teeth last year when Posada and Rodriguez had the best years of their careers and Phil and Kennedy pitched great for us in the last month or so.

Giambi has a lot of home runs but his average is getting so low at this point that it is detracting from his OBP ability. His number of homers makes me want to give him some more time, but he’s starting to really push it.

The Yankees have a strange team these days. Matsui and Damon should both be DHing (though Johnny has good range in LF despite that arm) and for all we know right now, Jorge will need to be the DH going forward. Shelley Duncan is a LF playing 1B sometimes, Jeter looks about the same defensively, and Robbie Cano might be this type of player (at least until he’s a little bit older) — drastic hot/cold stretches.

I dunno.. they kind of look like a .500 team. There is some real talent, but they’ve got bats getting slow and some good pitchers who aren’t quite there yet. That being said, I’d let this thing go until the All-Star break. This group of guys has rallied enough times in the last 2-3 seasons that they at least get a bigger window to get some momentum going.

If they are still looking cruddy and inconsistent, maybe you deal Johnny Damon, or cut Giambi or something. Maybe trade Abreu if they don’t want to resign him. This might just be a okay team in a transition year. I wouldn’t blow the whole thing up, but I really wouldn’t be too worried about dumping some guys. You’ve got A-Rod, Posada, Jeter, and Mo together for at least 2 more seasons after this one (hopefully they do the SMART thing and just let Jeter walk if won’t move off SS), and the kids are under control for what, 4-5 more years?

I agree with another posted who earlier suggested maybe looking at Ben Sheets in the offseason. If we can get him on a contract like Mussina’s extension (2 years, 22 million or so) might be worth it. I’d be careful about Teixeira, 7 years didn’t work with Giambi.

Getting Dunn or Burrell would be a terrible idea, they’re both swing and miss hitters who aren’t particularly consistent and while both have solid throwing arms, I believe they are both considered pretty bad outfielders with limited range.

Burnett & Sheets is also probably not the best idea, they’re not coming at any discout and they could easily be the next Pavano, the consistently miss some starts every year due to injury, and they are almost always arm/elbow injuries which has to be a warning sign.

So far the young pitching for young hitting looks like a bad idea, as the Rangers would probably prefer having a lights out starter that Volquez has been so far no matter how many RBI Hamilton puts up, and Delmon Young hasn’t done much, while Garza has pitched pretty well since coming off the DL

the real answer here is simply is putting together a little winning streak, and getting ARod and Posada back and healthy.

the starting staff is having more good days than bad, and the bullpen has been solid…

just need consistency in the offense where they need production: 3B with ARod out, Catcher with Posada out, 1B with nothing really from Giambi/Duncan/Betemit/Ensberg, and 2B with Robby Cano.

Guess what - someone scouting the Yanks did a piss-poor job, as greater-minds-than-us ( with access to better info, inside juice and other assets that billion dollar organizations have) have made a ton of poor decisions in the past year.

It doesnt matter if they made sense at the time - thats what reporters and bloggers yammer about. Cash and other execs have a much greater scope to contend with ( i.e. profit over wins/losses etc.) but when it boils down to increasing the value of the asset (team) wins and the cost-per-win do matter.

Everyone liked the Vasquez trade at the time, and Contreras was flaky, and Weaver had 3 complete game shutouts when he was picked up mid-season, and randy was coming off a dominant season. and Brown had a 2.2 era the year before, and Pavano could have been a horse etc. BUT what worked out??? nada. Each of the above guys were a little helpful…but talk about a downward spiral