Yankees Chick - News, Rumors, and Opinions on the Bronx Bombers From a Brunette Babe

The tide has been changing out on the East Coast, though, for both the Yanks and the Sox. Steinbrenner isn't getting any younger, and he seems to have finally loosened the death grip he's had over the decision-making process enough to let the Cash Man's superior business sense and baseball instincts make an impact on the team. Cashman has not traded away any top prospects or signed any 40+ veterans in the past several years; in fact, he has made an effort to rid the team of some older players that were sucking up payroll (not to mention bringing morale down with their foul attitudes...I'm looking at you, Sheff and Unit) in favor of stockpiling promising prospects. Cano, Wang, and Melky have shown fans and critics that the farm system is producing some enviable talent and has made the Yankees Chick hopeful that the Yanks will continue to promote youngsters from within the system.

While the Yanks have been taking strides to lower payroll and bring the average age of their team down from senior citizen status, the Red Sox have been selling their farm to feed an apparent new addiction to big names. After the 2005 season, they let their top 2 prospects go - - Mr. no-hitter Anibal Sanchez and 2006's rookie of the year, Hanley Ramirez - - to sign Josh Beckett and the overpriced Mike Lowell, traded a great young pitcher (Bronson Arroyo) for a decent 4th outfielder (Wily Mo Pena), and ditched Mirabelli (AKA Tim Wakefield's girlfriend) only to give up a 21-year-old pitcher (Cla Meradith) and solid backup catcher (Josh Bard) to get Mirabelli back mid-season!

This year, they set their sights on Matsuzaka and bid an absurd $51+ million to secure the negotiating rights, almost $20 million more than what the 2nd- and 3rd- place teams were willing to pay to deal with Matsu. There is virtually no question that Matsuzaka is a huge talent, but the lengths the Sox were willing to go to just to ensure that no other team could have him speaks volumes about their new M.O. For comparison, the Red Sox have tacked on an extra $40 million in payroll this year (assuming the JD Drew deal eventually gets finalized at a price anywhere in the neighborhood of the 5-year, $70 million he was originally offered), and the Yankees have brought their payroll down by a good $15 million; Boston's payroll looks to be just $20 million less than the Yankees' in 2007.

Red Sox fans have spent many years rationalizing their team's shortcomings by claiming that the Yankees "buy" their championships and sell their young players for veterans, but the Yankees have shown that those days are all but over. As for the Sox...I think the MLB has found its new "Evil Empire" - - except this one comes without the winning.