Yankees' Next Step

Brush aside the remaining 29 games of the Yankees' 2008 season, the real issue is 2009. A new pleasure palace befitting a regal empire opens and the emperor is all dressed up with nowhere to go. Massive crowds will dole out ludicrous lucre to witness the spectacle of habitual winning. The current Pinstripe crew won't do. Where do they go from here?

The list of rickety veterans eligible for the exit is long: Giambi, Abreu, Mussina, Pettitte and I-Rod. The notable names don't figure in a cogent, long-term plan. The tricky part is filling the shoes of the departed. Last season, the organization was held hostage by their inability to produce viable replacements for Posada and Rivera. The popular icons were brought back at an excessive price. The farm system's failures promise more of the same.

Let's speculate: 1) Giambi walks, Posada takes his surgically repaired 37 year old catchers body to first in order to fulfill the three remaining guaranteed years on his ludicrous contract. Perhaps it would be possible to procure a gloveman to back up the reinvented Jorge. 2) Abreu has pretty numbers, but he'll be 35 next spring, a multi-year deal won't work. The X man shifts to right. Damon, Matsui, Cabrera, Gardner and perhaps Jackson fresh from the Trenton express share CF/LF. 3) It gets complicated behind the plate. Molina is an excellent backup. Pudge is a shadow. Posada, part time, provides flexibility. The next big thing is in Charleston but needs time to develop the tools. There are no easy answers.

The 40 million saved will be a down payment on fortifying a wobbly pitching staff. 2008 drove home the point that the days of crooked numbers on the scoreboard are over. Pennant race viability requires quality pitching--end of story. Let's check the inventory: 1) Wang 2) Joba (with new rules, and bated breath.) 3) ? 4) ? 5) ? The farm system that has focused on the pitching crop for three years? Hype fades, reality bites, results matter. The cupboard is bare, until proven otherwise. Mussina and Pettite must be brought back, the next big thing can be plugged in to #5 (I'm not referring to Ponson.) Bullpen issues loom as The Great Rivera moves towards birthday #39.

The Yankees bountiful revenue is projected to double in 2009. Let the credibility shopping spree commence. Unfortunately, times have changed. Planning, cogent analysis and shrewd decision making have replaced Dad's checkbook as long-term answers. The headlines will be splashed with big tickets--C.C./ Teixeira/ K-Rod would look great in Pinstripes. Competitive balance and financial considerations make it unlikely.

The foundation of the future must be built on internal development. The Yanks have all the advantages, there is no excuse for long-term failure. 2008 provided a lesson for the Bombers' Brass--rushing the future and burdening the neophytes with self-serving hype is a recipe for disaster. The blueprint has been provided by Gene Michael and Buck Showalter--patient , low-key development is the road to take. By the time the luster has worn off the new digs, the Yankees could have a team worth rooting for.

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