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

It goes without saying (though I will say it anyway) that the Yankees are currently in a state of extreme duress. They've lost their last 5 games without showing anything even remotely resembling passion - I believe their collective attitude of late could be described as "not giving a fuck" or perhaps "they sure have given up on life" - and unlike the beginning of the season where the pitching was mostly to blame, the offense has now become equally culpable in this disaster. As I mentioned the other day, Steinbrenner is placing the blame on the Cash Man and has implored him to do something to get this team to start winning some games or get he'll soon be facing unemployment (via a patented impulsive Steinbrenner firing, of course), and it is Stein's urgent call for a big move that makes Ms. Yankees Chick very, very nervous about the future of this team.

I imagine that what Steinbrenner has in mind is some sort of big trade designed to bring offensive power to the team and henceforth magically transform the season from one of disappointment to one of triumph and championship. I imagine this is his plan because I guarantee you this is his plan. I guarantee you this is his plan because this is always his plan when things are looking rough.

These mid-season Steinbrenner trades are born of desperation, and I am a firm believer in the old adage "when desperate times call for desperate measures, there is no way you will get equal value for the players you squander away". The 2 players that have been rumored to be potential targets for trade are Rockies first baseman Todd Helton and Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira. With his power and above-average defense, Teixeira could actually be a good fit for the Yanks, but with just a year left on his contract and Boras as his agent, I have a feeling the productivity they would get out of him over the next season and a half would not be enough to justify the loss of the several pitching prospects they would surely have to surrender. As for Todd Helton, trading even a little league player for his ridiculous lengthy and backloaded contract would be as nonsensical letting Steinbrenner himself join the roster. Helton's stats look good on the surface, but much of that can be attributed to the lack of pressure (both emotional and atmospheric) he has enjoyed by playing at Coors his whole career. It is incredibly unlikely that he would post those kinds of numbers with the Yankees, and they would be saddled with him for the next 74 (approximately) years.

I understand that Steinbrenner wants his team to be the best it can be, and no one likes to lose, but if this is not their year, then so be it! The thought of trading away our prospects just to make a run at a wild card spot makes me sick to my stomach. If the Yanks can pull it together and make it to the postseason - and they certainly have the talent to do it, they just need to get in the groove - that would be great, but if they can't, so what? There's always next year, when there will be more free agents and more mature Yanks prospects to toy with!