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 A few years ago, Buster Olney wrote a book about how the Yankees dynasty had died after the 2001 season that ended with the Arizona Diamondbacks winning in game 7 with a broken bat bloop single. As all Yankees fans will tell you, it has been seven seasons since they last won a World Series. Seven seasons of hope, seven seasons in which the Yanks made it to the playoffs, and possibly seven seasons in which they were favored to win. Its hard to argue against the Yankee talent, especially this past season. Their starting lineup was stacked like an all-star team, their hitters were plain frightening, and they were absolutely astonishing in the second half of the 2007 season. This is a team that as of July 1, 2007 were 10.5 games out of the first in the East and 3 games below .500! A team that was 56 and 27 since that date, finishing only 2 games behind the Red Sox....how could they not be expected to win the World Series...?
Fast foward to November 6th of the same year...Alex Rodriguez wanted 350 million, Joe Torre felt disrespected, left for the sunny laid back west coast, and took Mr. Yankee himself, Don Mattingly with him. Andy Pettitte declines the 16 million dollar option, my guess is that Roger Clemens will finally stay retired, I'm assuming Damon will be gone next season...what does that leave the Yanks with? An aging Abreu and Mussina, and a Jason Giambi contract that the Yanks can seem to get out from under...It seems that the only bright light for them is the always consistent Jeter...looks like they are going to have to rely on their youth to pull them through. I think that for the first time in a long time the Yankees might have a payroll below 200 million...? My question to all is this. Is this finally going to be a rebuilding year for the Yankees? Are they going to finish last in the East, not make the playoffs, and just chalk it up to youth and rebuilding...possibly...quite possibly...
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2008 Cubs Preview
It's early. There are moves that they can make that will allow them to be contenders next season. I think Pettitte is actually helping out the Yanks because, even though he was a good pitcher for them, it allows them to completely turn the page on the veteran pitchers and start with new guys.
they don't have enough quality youth to fill out a lineup card without keeping the old guys around for a year or 2 more.
The Yankees' run is not over, but they're going to have to look at what the Red Sox did and try to emulate it. The Sox didn't even make the postseason last year, but they kept their arms young by signing guys like Dice and Okie to the staff. The Yankees don't have a lot of studs in the minors, if that one kid from Detroit (Humberto Sanchez) can make it back from Tommy John, they'll be on the right track.
Jeter is getting old, Giambi is a has been, Damon is old, Abreu is old, Posada is old, Matsui can barely play the field anymore... face it, no matter where you turn, this team is on the wrong side of 30 when it comes to age. They need to re-build from the farm up...
The Yanks have been rebuilding for the last two years. The question is whether they're going to completely flush the roster and really go for broke with youth this year, patch together enough veteran talent to make a run at a ring while rebuilding, or scrap the rebuilding process altogether, trade prospects and go for a ring now.
I wish I knew the answer to that question.
Pretty much no matter what they do, they won't finish last in the East, however.