Well, I guess I'm suppose to be happy. The Yankees acquired Martin Prado and Stephen Drew and this will allow them to compete according to General Manager Brian Cashman. Compete for what?? If they are lucky, being the second wild card team to have the privilege of going out west to get beat by the Angels. Boy, am I happy!!
I have to laugh when I hear New York media types say that its great that the Yankees have a "win now" attitude as oppose to "building for the future." But what are they winning? They haven't won a World Series since 2009 and were ceremoniously knocked out in 2010, 2011 and 2012. This team is no closer to being a legitimate World Series contender than are the New York Mets. At least the Mets have some kids who can make them contenders for the next several years while the Yankees have a bunch of 30-something mercenaries who will keep them around the playoff chase but never be able to do anything more. From 1983 to 1990, the Yankees had the best winning percentage in all of Major League Baseball. Yet, they never made the playoffs in any one of those years.
The Yankees traded Pete O'Brien for Martin Prado. For the past couple of months, the Yankees have been telling us what a good prospect O'Brien is and how he had awesome power. While he was a catcher, it would seem that the move would be to work with this kid to play first base as Mark Teixiera is getting older and obviously can't stay healthy. But, the kid gets moved for Prado who can play 2B, 3B and the outfield where he has played mainly left field. Prado is a nice player and would be a great addition to a legitimate playoff contender. The Yankees are far from that.
Then the Yankees trade Kelly Johnson to Boston for Stephen Drew. I am not a Kelly Johnson fan, in fact I thought it was a joke when they signed him. But, acquiring Drew is a joke also particularly when it is the Yankees intention to play him at second base where he has never played. If I recall, Johnson has played second base. But once again Brian Cashman wants to look like the smartest guy in the room. What a joke. So Drew will play second, even though he has never played there, and Prado will play right field where he has never played. But boy, hasn't Cashman done a great job??
What Boston is doing is what should be happening in the Bronx. While the Yankees continue to string their fans along with getting players who are in their 30's and will soon be on the downside of their careers, (if they are not there already), Boston is building for another legitimate playoff run. It is a given truth, acquiring big name free agents is not the way to build a championship team. Free agents should only augment what you have and trades (like David Justice) should help a team get over the top. Prado and Drew get the Yankees no closer to being a bona-fide contender. All it does is appease the masses who buy the Pinstripe BS that comes out of the Bronx. Your infield next year will be Prado at 3B, Drew at SS, Robert Refsnyder 2B (kid at AAA who they've jerked around between the OF & 2B) and Teixiera at 1B. Of course, it is not given that the kid will be given a chance. Smarter move would have been to bring the kid up now and let him get his feet wet. But that's not the Yankee way as it is more palatable to acquire 30-somethings who have names that will get everyone all fired up. By the way, why didn't they just get Drew in the off-season if he was so much better than Kelly Johnson. Instead, they sell us a line of crap on how Johnson will hit for power and is versatile to play in the infield and the outfield. How did they make out with that fairy tale??
Can someone please tell me what is the plan to make the New York Yankees one of the premier baseball teams in the American League? I am sick and tired of the smoke and mirrors that Cashman & Company spew. What we all need to realize is that Trost, Levine and Hal only are concerned about the bottom line. They lived off Jeter this year. Next year they will bring Bernie back (after they have screwed him for the last several years) and I'm sure they will have some other things planned like maybe El Duque Day & David Wells Day all in an attempt to get people into the stands. Who knows, if ARod calls it quits they will honor him too. How about Mike Mussina Day!
This franchise is a goddamn joke and fans need to wake up and realize it. For once I want Brian Cashman to tell us what the long range plan is for this team. But you know what, that will never happen because there is no plan other than to make sure that they do just enough to reel us in to believe that they are doing everything they can to be a contender when in fact they are doing nothing but guaranteeing mediocrity. Look at the rotation for next year. Nova, Tanaka and Sabathia all coming off of an injury. Who knows what you can get from Pineda and then you have Phelps or possibly Greene. Does that sound like a championship rotation? Hardly.
Who's playing right field next year? Carlos Beltran? Really?? Beltran will be 38 years old next April. There's no one down on the farm. It's totally pathetic yet we are suppose to be happy because the Yankees have a "win now" attitude. It's a joke and an insult to any intelligent Yankee fan. But, the New York media will continue to peddle what Cashman and Company are selling and many fans will buy it hook, line and sinker. Nothing will change until Cashman and Mark Newman are fired and even then it might not be enough because the money men are running this team. I have followed this team for 52 years and I have to tell you it's getting hard to accept what is happening. At least in the 80's there was Don Mattingly who made you want to follow the team. In the mid to late 60's, the Mick was still around and then Bobby Murcer came along to be followed by Thurman Munson. Once Jeter hangs them up, what homegrown Yankee is there to be excited about?
So those Yankee fans who are thrilled with the great moves that Cashman has made, your excitement is what they wanted and their mission has been accomplished. In the meantime, the rest of us Yankee fans will hunker down for another October for no playoff baseball in the Bronx and what is more depressing is the thought that there might not be October baseball in the Bronx for years to come.
