I'm finally back in the blogosphere after laying low the last couple of weeks. First was my son's first birthday party, which brought a three-day weekend, quality time with family and friends, and serious bonding time. Then there was Labor Day, which afforded three more days of R&R, BBQ and father-son bonding.
Since melting against the Red Sox and Blue Jays, the Yankees broke out the lumber in wins over the Tigers and Rays. Exciting right? In a word, no.
The season is over. I know what Yogi Berra said and I'm aware that on this date in 1995, the Yankees were 7 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race and seven entering tonight's action, and remember what the Phillies and Rockies did last season. Thirteen years ago, however, the Yankees were a different team. They were gritty & gutty, down & dirty. So were the 2007 Phillies. So were the 2007 Rockies, who won the National League pennant.
This season? The Yankees are old, banged-up with no sense of fundamentals, right now incapable of putting together an extended winning streak and a sum about 1/4th its parts on paper. Watching the Yankees pound the ball against the Tigers and Rays made me wonder where this was against Tim Wakefield and Paul Byrd. And if I received a nickel for every time Alex Rodriguez struck out, popped up or grounded into a double play with runners in scoring position, I'd apply for early retirement.
If I'm wrong I'll say I'm wrong, because anything truly can happen. But I'm sticking with my word: Forget about this year. This team is in store for a major reconstruction. Some decisions are easy. First, this should beJason Giambi's final season in pinstripes. Second, I don't care if Carl Pavano goes 6-0. If - and that's a big if - you want him back, you offer him one year and that's it. Third and fourth, Jorge Posada will be back behind the plate and Chien-Ming Wang as the Yankees' ace.
Other decisions aren't as easy and need more time to digest:
Andy Pettitte: Stay or Go?
The crew from Dugout Central debated this topic in their weekly point-counterpoint segment for YESNetwork.com (Stay | Go). In two stints with the Yankees, Andy Pettitte has started 31 playoff games, won four World Series and has been right guy on the mound for a plethora of big regular season contests. Today, he's 36, enduring a down season and is signed only through the end of this campaign for $16 million. There's talk that Pettitte's best days are behind him and he's no longer a "big-game" pitcher, and his performance in Game 1 of that crucial three-game series against the Red Sox last month (six runs, 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings pitched) supported that statement.
On the surface, it's easy to say part ways with Pettitte - who may not want to pitch anymore, anyway - make room for at least one young pitcher and save as much money as possible to make an all-out push for CC Sabathia. I've also heard a few times that you can never have enough pitching. And wasn't Mike Mussina supposed to be washed-up? Last I looked he has 17 wins and is the MVP of this otherwise disappointing Yankees team.
What about Moose?
Speaking of Mussina, one of few compelling storylines left in 2008 is whether Mussina (17-7) will win 20 games for the first time in his career. Al Leiter broke it down Tuesday night on YES, and The Journal News' Peter Abraham presented it in writing:
"The Yankees have days off scheduled for Sept. 11 and Sept. 22. If Mike Mussina pitches every five days he would get starts on Sept. 7 (Seattle), Sept. 12 (Tampa Bay), Sept. 17 (Chicago), Sept. 23 (Toronto) and Sept. 28 (Boston). If the Yankees stick with a five-man rotation, Mussina would get only four starts. At 17-7, this could have a direct impact on whether he wins 20 games for the first time."
What will help Mussina is the removal of Sidney Ponson from the rotation. If Sir Sidney (18 runs in 9 2/3 innings over his last three starts) is skipped, Moose would be lined up to start the season finale in Boston. As Abraham indicates, Joe Girardi has been stubbornly loyal to Ponson, even getting testy with reporters (again) when it was suggested Ponson's spot would be in jeopardy. Why not show some gratitude to Mussina, especially if he doesn't return next season?
Would you re-sign Mussina for another year? Like Pettitte, it makes for a healthy debate. He won't flirt with 20 wins again, but is there anyone better to fill the back-end of the rotation? Phil Hughes? Perhaps. I'm one of the dwindling few who believe Hughes will be something special. Ian Kennedy? How far has he fallen?
Solution? Tell Mussina and Pettitte Father Time is cruel and offer one of them, depending on if Sabathia or A.J. Burnett agree to play in the Bronx, a take-it-or-leave-it one-year deal.
The Joba Rules Part II
Joba Chamberlain is back in the bullpen and that will apparently continue through the start of next season. It's wholly tempting to throw who I firmly believe is the future ace of this staff, and who develop into the Yankees first successful, homegrown pitcher since Pettitte, immediately back into the rotation. But think about this long and hard. Chamberlain is 22 years old. He just missed a month with rotator cuff tendinitis. Anything involving a rotator cuff would scare the daylights out of me.
Anyone who complains that Chamberlain is a front-line starter and not a set-up man, you're right. But what's the rush? He's 22 with a history of arm trouble. You cannot be too careful and too overprotective of your most valuable resource. And why start him when your season is theoretically over?
Trade Cano?
Robinson Cano is the Yankees' biggest disappointment this season. Period. Not only was he, entering Wednesday, 38 points below his career average, his head has been up his rear end and his attitude has been deplorable. This has the Yankees' return investment on the $30 million they agreed to pay him for four years. Rather than take the heat on Saturday after a careless throw cost the Yankees a game, he snuck out the back door while reporters surrounded Alex Rodriguez's locker listening to A-Rod gallantly accept blame for once again failing in the clutch. Privately, players have grumbled to reporters that the Yankees made a huge mistake by bending on their policy of not giving long term deals until after a season. They jumped to lock up Cano, while Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera all had to wait.
Does Cano go? Even if the Yankees want to trade him, they can't. His value has plummeted, and quite frankly, it's a blessing in disguise. Unless Brian Cashman or whomever the GM is (more on this later) is blown away by a knee-buckling proposal (Roger Clemens for David Wells, Graeme Lloyd and Homer Bush in 1999), Cano is too talented to throw away after one bad season. Want proof? See Jose Reyes.
Another thought: You retain Cano this winter. He puts together decent numbers, but an incident either uncovered by those infamous "sources familiar with the situation" (even though there are three sides to the story) or goes no further than flies on the wall, convinces the Yankees to trade him. A few teams step forward, enticed by Cano's talent, age and upside, and positive that a "change of scenery" will help him. The Yankees pull the trigger and get more for cutting their losses.
Will Cashman return?
The New York Post reported that the Steinbrenners have decided they want Brian Cashman to remain as general manager. But does Cashman want to come back? He started with the Yankees as an intern and it's the organization he knows. Hank and Hal will remind him about loyalty, sell him on the new Yankee Stadium and of course offer him a sack of money. But the Phillies will also be calling. So will the Nationals. Ditto the Mariners. If money isn't the top priority, Cashman will be tempted to work in an atmosphere where he can take a deep breath and fully exhale.
Stay tuned.
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