Desperate times call for Yankees to rebuild

He still hasn't reached the bag. Three innings earlier, Johnny Damon was tagged out at the plate after being waved in from first.

[Same Old Same Old]

With all the excellent sportswriters on staff at Newsday, it's inconceivable that they continue to publish the mindless ramblings of this idiot Powell.

[Go figure]

I totally agree with Powell. I have been waiting for someone to talk about rebuilding this team. It is time to trade Abreu, Damon, Matsui, even Mussina if possible. Let Duncan play right, see what he has. Bring up Brett Gardner and put him in left. Let Chamberlain start. Let Kennedy pitch through his problems. He has nothing to prove in the minors anymore. Just let him pitch, take his lumps and he will straighten himself out. He has succeeded at every level he has played at and he will do well given time. Think Doug Drabek. Let the young players take over the team and get some more back in trades for the veterans. I wish they would do this but I doubt they will. This team is going nowhere fast.

[bill]

I agree with Powell. Yankees are in transition. This from a Yankee hater. I'm no longer scared of them. I don't hate them quite as much this year. Therefore, they're not as good. They're old and they have no pitching.

[RI NYY]

I've been saying this over and over again om the Yankees Forum of mlb.com .

Great article and I agree wholeheartedly.

Too many spoiled fans who began following this team in the late 90's think IT HAS TO WIN EVERY YEAR.

Before the 70's, there were the 60's, and before the 90's teams, there was the 80's. Having lived through these decades, it made the Championships much sweeter. Let's stop printing money to buy championships. This team is not fun at all.

[Mark]

Go figure wrote:

I totally agree with Powell. I have been waiting for someone to talk about rebuilding this team. It is time to trade Abreu, Damon, Matsui, even Mussina if possible. Let Duncan play right, see what he has. Bring up Brett Gardner and put him in left. Let Chamberlain start. Let Kennedy pitch through his problems. He has nothing to prove in the minors anymore. Just let him pitch, take his lumps and he will straighten himself out. He has succeeded at every level he has played at and he will do well given time. Think Doug Drabek. Let the young players take over the team and get some more back in trades for the veterans. I wish they would do this but I doubt they will. This team is going nowhere fast.

Go Figure and I seem to be on the same page on this issue, judging from this and past posts. But unfortunately, the Yankees don't know how to rebuild because it's been so long since they had to do this. They've made the playoffs 13 straight years and cannot fathom the idea they are not playoff-worthy this season.
They keep pointing to other slow starts over the years and how the team rebounded, but there are two major differences this time around. Those Yankee teams were far better than this edition, and the AL East (particularly the Red Sox) was not as strong. This combination makes all the difference in the world.
By the time the Yankees figure out they are not built to win anything important this season, they will have lost any chance they have of trading some of the veterans who have become boat anchors on this roster. If people think the Yankees have untradeable contracts, they are wrong. Most of the contending teams have no problem paying top dollar for an acquisition they believe will put them over the top as long as it's not on a longterm basis. That's why the Yankees, themselves, brought Bobby Abreu back even though nobody in their right mind believes him to be a $16 million a year player. It's better to overpay a player for one year (or a half-year, if it's a midseason aquisition) than to pay him less money per year but be on the hook for another 4-5 years. The contracts that kill teams are the longterm ones (Jason Giambi's seven-year contract comes to mind) because they cripple a team's payroll and roster flexibility for years to come.
The Yankees have many players who could help other teams, such as Matsui and Damon, both down to one and a half years left on their contracts. Abreu, with four months left on his contract, is movable, especially if the Yankees want to pay some of the remaining financial freight. Moving some of these guys would free up playing time for deserving minor-league prospects like Brett Gardner. Also, Shelly Duncan could get steady playing time so it could be determined whether he can hit at this level or not. Playing him once a week doesn't answer that question.
Even if these guys don't pan out, you've used this season to answer some questions while waiting for other prospects (Joes Tabata, Austin Jackson) to develop enough in the coming years to make it to the parent club. The sad part about this is that the Yankees have had success going this route (Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Chien Ming Wang) yet they're always so reluctant to go to that well again. They keep reaching out to these veterans who have played their best baseball elsewhere. It's not getting them anywhere.

[Osvaldo]

Giambi is Exhibit "A" why this organization is where it is today; bad contracts to phony players like Giambi have destroyed their team's character and roster flexibility.

The NYY are paying that loser 23 million dollars this year and all they have to show for it is the thong story this week. Hey Giambi, nice way to humiliate further the fools who gave you that contract you signed through fraudulent means.

Jeter is a poor excuse for team captain. Face it, the team has had no leaders in that clubhouse since the departure of Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, David Cone and Joe Girardi. Posada needs to step up in someone's face since Jeter lacks the backbone to do so.

Too many fools like Damon, Giambi, the very lazy Cano and others will continue to drag this team down. Hey Cashman, nice call on keeping those losers like Kennedy and Hughes while Santana signed elsewhere. Beckett traded to Red Sox, Schilling traded to Red Sox and our NYY wound up with Pavano, Javier Vazquez, RJ, K.Browne, Jose Contreras and Jeff Weaver. Cashman, you suck!!!!!!!!!!Loser!!!

[k batti]

Kind of an ill-conceived story; nowhere does the guy even mention the team is missing the AL 2007 MVP and a switch-hitting catcher with power who hit .338 last season. That's a bit of an oversight.
As for the Yankees needing to "find" pitching; they already have plenty of it in development, so don't waste your tears on them. Why is the writer preaching what Cashman has already stated and put into motion? Hunh?
Their plan is already in play; which is why they already are rated in the top three in the game in terms of pitching prospects: Betances, Brackman, Garcia, Heredia, and of course, Chamberlain and Hughes, are all considered potential front of rotation guys.
McCutchen is another starter on the rise, and they are advancing Cox and Melancon at a fast rate so they can be added to the bullpen by August.

[k batti]

RI NYY wrote:

I've been saying this over and over again om the Yankees Forum of mlb.com .
Great article and I agree wholeheartedly.
Too many spoiled fans who began following this team in the late 90's think IT HAS TO WIN EVERY YEAR.
Before the 70's, there were the 60's, and before the 90's teams, there was the 80's. Having lived through these decades, it made the Championships much sweeter. Let's stop printing money to buy championships. This team is not fun at all.

For a five-decade Yankee fan, you don't seem to know much about your team. Your urging them to "stop printing money" doesn't seem to get it that they DIDN'T make the Santana deal based on a new philosophy that the Yankees already are following.
I love the way people are screaming for changes that were already being made and that the club took the initiative on, not stupid sports writers, who don't know any other prospects' names and therefore keep only mentioning Chamberlain, Kennedy and Hughes, who have already shown they have to goods (Chamberlain and Hughes are keepers with great stuff).
So, you're not introducing some new, cool idea: the Yankees are way ahead of you.

[the partys over]

Brian Cashman,the destroyer of the NY Yankees,ever since Steinbrenner gave the reins to him, this team hasn't done crapola. His dearth of baseball knowledge, and talent,have rendered this team a laughing joke, so many facets of their game is sickening to watch,this season is rapidly evolving into another lost season, you can denigrate Giambi all you want, but another overpaid bum is Abreau, he is a guy making millions who wont go anywhere near the outfield wall, and the way he hits he should be wearing a dress,also not a bit of pitching talent, all adds up to NO PLAYOFFS,pathetic to be 6 out so early,even Girardi was a wrong choice he is nothing but a Torre clone.

[Steinbrenner]

I couldn't have said it any better:
"The goal this season shouldn't be to reach the postseason, only to get bounced in the first round again. The goal is to find more Joba Chamberlains. If it takes them an entire year to find a few good young starters and middle relievers, then so be it. The Yankees need pitching more than they need four games in October."

On June 1, Brian Cashman should be fired. Let the rebuilding begin. Stop the Joba nonsense and make him a starter already. Pitch him to 150 IP and shut him down.
Everyone is forgetting that if Cashman would've signed a reliable set up man we wouldn't have this mess. His signing of Kyle Farnsworthless has been TERRIBLE!
Bring up some kids and stop babying these phony and overpaid bums. Damon, Giambi and Abreu are old hacks. Tell Melky to report next spring 25lbs lighter or trade him.