The Fall of Champions

The New York Yankees are going to enter one of the longest off-seasons in recent memory. This team looked old and slow in the postseason. They have a laundry list of free agents and guys they need to let go. Lets start with the big three free agents.

Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson have team options but will need to be re-signed. Cano is their best pure hitter and player and without a doubt will be a Yankee next season. It just depends on how long. I have heard rumblings of the Yankees offering Cano a ten-year deal. I sure hope that is not the case, as we know the history of players who receive ten-year contracts ala Alex Rodriguez. Cano deserves big money but after this postseason failure, he better not get what he really wants. 

Curtis Granderson will also most likely be resigned. I completely disagree with this statement. With Granderson, it is either strikeout or home run. That is not what the Yankees need. He does not deserve big money and his time in New York better be over.

Now we move to Nick Swisher. This guy should not even be offered a contract from the Yankees. He should be the first one out the door because just about every one in New York is fed up with him, including me. Swisher and Boras better wake up and realize that they will not be getting Jayson Werth money (7 yrs/$126 million). He has a thick head if he thinks he is getting that. If I were a contending team, I would not even bring him to my team because every one knows how bad he is in the postseason. I loved you Swish, you were a great personality and a lot of fun but it is certainly, as LeBron James has said, “about damn time” for you to leave New York.

Now the Yankees have some key free agents. Ichiro Suzuki should no doubt get a one-year deal to be a stopgap in right field for a season. Raul Ibanez is tough because he came up so clutch for the Yankees in the postseason but he has to go to. If he is willing to just come off the bench and DH once in a blue moon, then sign him for a season with no guaranteed money. Russell Martin is another free agent who I think will be back but again I disagree. He is a great catcher, defensively. But Martin just cannot hit the ball and is getting older. He needs to go to make way for the young catching prospects the Yankees have. Rafael Soriano is also another interesting decision. He will opt out of his contract and command big money, rightfully so. The Yankees cannot afford to pay him big money again and let him walk. Thank you so much though Soriano as the Yanks would be nowhere without you.

The final decision will be what to do with Alex Rodriguez. Him and his $114 million contract will be hovering over this team for five more years. They need to explore all options on the trade front whether it is with the Miami Marlins or the Los Angeles Dodgers. They will have to suck it up and eat probably around $100 million and take a bad contract in return. If this does not happen, well, the Yankees will be stuck with the “new” A-Rod. A person most Yankee fans have loved to hate.

This will be a very interesting offseason. The Yankees MUST get younger, faster, and smarter. No more of the old style of the Yankees where they just mash home runs. They need guys who will hit around .290 and steal bases and play sound fundamental baseball.

Cashman, please do everything possible to shed salary and become younger because if this Yankee team is the same for next season, fans are looking at a 70 win team. The Yankees need guys who can hit in the clutch and in the postseason. They need an overhaul of this team and need to start over because the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are going to be very good for a long, long time.