Yankees' Ominous Options

Turn down the noise and stick a fork in the 2008 Yankees' season. "It ain't' over till it's over." Sorry Yogi, it's over. The depth of the Bombers' plight isn't completely illustrated by their embarrassing place in the standings, actually that's only the beginning. Want to know how far the mighty have fallen? Look ahead to next year.

Here's a partial list of dubious options:

• "Hideki Matsui said today he would be willing to play first base next season.
  “I’m pretty sure I could play the infield as well, at first base,” he said. “I’m going to make sure I prepare myself to play on the field, not just in the batter’s box.” Matsui will have surgery to repair cartilage damage on his left knee once the season is over." Despite Matsui's admirable professionalism Girardi mentions that he will DH next year. He should have plenty of competition.
• "Since neither Melky Cabrera nor Brett Gardner has grabbed the centerfield job, that spot is up for grabs. Damon has been playing centerfield nearly every day the past month. Yet he has not been primarily a centerfielder since 2006.On Saturday, Damon said he believes he's awfully close to the level he was at defensively his final year in Boston, after which he signed the four-year contract with the Yankees that runs through next season. "I probably could go out there six days a week, or five," Damon said." The entire pitching staff just rolled their eyes.
• "clearly, Abreu’s bat is in decline mode." Will the Brass be able to figure that out, or is it time for another multi-year extension?
• Strength up the middle? I-Rod is a shadow and gone. Molina is still a career backup. Posada comes back, to fulfill the three years left on that ridiculous contract and celebrate his 38TH birthday in August.
• Pitching? Wang, 40 year-old Moose, Joba in the pen with the old rule book, The Great Rivera tries to befuddle Father Time. The most effective Triple-A starter is Igawa. Hughes and Kennedy are MIA. Good luck with that.

The Yankees' organization has taken a dramatic step backwards in 2008. The richest franchise in history will attempt to buy their credibility back: "One baseball insider believes the Yankees will be in on the bidding for nearly every premier free agent talent this offseason, in hot pursuit of not only CC Sabathia but another top-notch starter, perhaps Ben Sheets or A.J. Burnett, should he opt out. First baseman Mark Teixeira is on their shopping list as well and the Yanks are keeping an eye on closer Francisco Rodriguez, whose 50-plus save season is going to net him a massive deal somewhere. (It could even exceed the three-year, $45 million deal Mariano Rivera inked with the Yankees this past offseason). It sounds implausible that the Yankees would spring for two top closers, but with a new stadium, no World Series in the offing this year and big contracts (Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Carl Pavano) coming off the books, the checkbook is open, primed to be signed."

Let's get optimistic, C.C., Teixeira, K-Rod, and Perez cost 80 million a season for too many years and put the Yanks back in the hunt, assuming everyone stays healthy (File, under pie in the sky.) The dark side? The big tickets make their fortunes elsewhere and the Yanks grasp at Burnett or Sheets who follow Pavano's legacy. Those of you not familiar with the Yankees' infamous Horace Clarke Era will get a history lesson.

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