Should LAA’s kids shine in the spring perhaps Figgins makes good sense, since he could also be used in so many spots if A-Rod could play. But he’d be pricey, and it’s hard to imagine the Angels would be willing to help NY – a potential playoff opponent – absent a high price in prospects. I don’t think we’re talking IPK plus another lesser light here, though they could use an upper level majors ready SP. Being out here in Orange Co., Figgins is a popular and useful player. IPK and Hughes are both from the OC as well, so maybe there could be a sellable proposition involving Kennedy (not Hughes) – it’s the plus that’s the issue. Romine’s from the OC too, as is Laird and a number of other kids in the system.

Posada’s injury was to his throwing shoulder – big problem for a catcher. Not to say this can’t impact A-Rod as well, but Utley is the appropriate analogy. And I’ll count on those in the discussion making the best possible decision at this point. The red flags are up now. You can argue if it suits your perspective they should have been so sooner. Water under the bridge.

But then most of us here with less first hand info, medical knowledge, and experience have a much better handle on this than those actually in the discussion.

I’m not trying to be an apologist for the NY FO. I just think some perspective is appropriate.

Managing the cyst should be doable – the tear is what it is. Yes, he’ll miss some games, DH some games, etc. We may wind up seeing Matsui in LF more than expected (which currently is not at all)and Damon in CF some as well – assuming Gardner isn’t tearing it up. Is what it is. Let’s see what the future holds before we ruch off to grab a replacement that will cost us big time. I’m just not willing to accept that everyone in these discussions with a stake in the matter is a complete idiot while we fans on the outside have the best answer.

Frankly it’s distinctly possible NY should have been more prudent. But I also think your case hangs on that “irregularity” that hindsight makes look so key. This may be a much more common thing than we all know – such was certainly suggested in the discussion yesterday, but it’s easy to pass that off as CYA if you wish.

What I’ve seen is that cysts can develop fairly rapidly – my son when young developed a cyst that appeared out of nowhere and quickly resulted in surgery.

Will Carroll of BP has a good take on this today – well worth the read. He seems to come down on the side of the conservative course as well, admitting, as did NY, that ultimately surgery will be required. It seems Utley is the appropriate analogy here.

So, yeah, it’s a big deal. Now, I’m definitely worried that this could end up being a Posada 2008 situation, where they try to avoid surgery, ultimately fail, and blow the whole year instead of 1/2 of it. That strikes me as something to worry about. But this “we’ll be better without him!” stuff is absurd. He’s the best player on the effing team.

The problem is though, every body ages differently and heals from injury differently. It’s still risking permanent damage to his hip regardless, and he’s Yankees property for the next 9 years.

Still a very small sample size (only two of those three guys didn’t miss significant time in ’08).

And not getting the MRI done last spring was inexcusable. If it were discovered last year that he needed surgery, he could have already had the surgery, you know, in September, when the Yanks were many games behind the Rays/Red Sox and after Hank had said the team was not contending and not miss much of the ’09 season.