Lastly, if the Yankees want to get back into the World Series than they need to do the following:

1. Obtain the necessary starting pitching. In my opinion, that was THE KEY to the championchips. Obtain Sabathia at all costs. Obtain another #1 or #2 type pitcher such as A. J. Burnet. Now you would have a rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett (if obtained), Petite and Moose. Keep Joba in the bullpen. From what I have heard Mo is going to pitch two more years and that is it. If this is the case who is his replacement?? Joba is the man. I am not sure that he can hold up to so many innings a year. He does have a history of breaking down. Joba would be the 7th and 8th inning guy. He would pitch those two innings and then hand it off to Mo.

2. Sign Manny. I believe that he has a very big chip on his shoulder and there is nothing more than he would want to do than to sign with the Yankees and win the World Series so that he can tell Boston mgt to SHOVE IT! He would pretty much behave. You stick him in the middle of that line up behind ARod. Manny is a very good clutch hitter too! I would sign him for two years and a club option for a third year. Yes, signing Manny would then have at least one guy who was a starter will be on the bench. However, they can be rotated and all of them would play enough games. Remember the 1971 Baltimore outfield? They had four guys and were rotated so that they all played in enough games. Remember there was no DH back then either. The four were: Frank Robby, Blair, Buford and Marv Rettenmund.

3. Texira would be a very good signing, but in my opinion it is not as important as the other suggestions. Giambi is still a decent option if Texira can’t be signed.

4. Play small ball from time to time. Move those runners into scoring position!

Of 27 MLB 1st baseman with a min. of 400 ABs, 2008 Giambi is:
… between 5th to 8th in OPS, in the same company as Morneau, Miggy Cabrera and Prince Fielder.
… is 7th in HRs, with the same number as Tex, 2 behind Pujols and Fielder
… 12th in RBI. However, with counting stats like HRs and RBI, Giambi has only about 80% of the ABs as the other regulars.

This year Giambi was relatively healthy. He has ZERO range, but fields most balls hit at him, and is above average in scooping bad throws. However, he was HORRIBLE… HORRIBLE in RISP. How common is this for Giambi? In his career as a Yankee, here is the amount his RISP OPS is higher (or lower) the his OPS:

2002: + .081
2003: + .069
2004: + .141
2005: + .029
2006: + .176
2007: + .037
————
Avg: + .089

Those are pretty excellent numbers. I haven’t run all the numbers on Jeter (2005-2007, + .042) or other Yankees, but Giambi has been VERY clutch his entire career as a Yankee, maybe moreso then any other Yankee, before this year.

Giambi will cost $22m to keep, $5m to let him go, so his net cost is $17m
So, am I making a case to keep Giambi? NO…I’m not.
I am however making the case that he is not simply a throw away. That is should be in the mix. He would simply be a ONE year stopgap until the Yankees knew more about how they will man 1B in the coming years. Posada? ARod? Montero?SJ44?

What will another (non Tex) 1BMan cost, in terms of CONTRACT LENGTH? Do we want to commit to 5 years of a Casey Kotchman type? Who will we get for (only) 2009 who will be more productive then Giambi in NEW YORK? These questions need to be answered before we can scrap Jason.

And Miranda? Have you seen his splits? He is totally useless against LHP. In terms of fielding, all reports say he makes Giambi look like Mattingly. Miranda is probably trade bait, or a PHer against RHP. Unfortunately, he is not an answer. Some might say he is Giambi Lite, but I don’t think he’s even that good.

And for those of you who want to get younger? Trading Cano, or Phil, or IPK, or other top prospects for a CFer or 1Bman is NOT the way to get younger.

The Red Sox also have at least 4 above average defensive outfielders. Part of the reason they’re able to do that is because they get true production from their DH. I think with Matsui being the regular DH next year, this can be a much more balanced team if a quality CF is acquired with Damon in left and Nady in right. To me, that’ll be a big part of making this a more balanced team.

Perhaps these players, when they see other teams playing in October, will look in the mirror and realize what a punch in the stomach it is for them to be home at that moment (and what a privilege it is to play in the post-season). The 1997 Yankees were distraught and ANGRY over getting knocked out of the playoffs early and they used that anger (obviously some moves were made as well) as a motivating tool throughout the following season. Perhaps these Yankees can do the same, at least those that will still be here.

The Yankees are paying now for decisions, as SJ said, that they made 7 years ago, but they have the smarts and $$ to deal with this until their farm system starts producing players. I have faith in Cashman and Hal to do what it takes to get this team back into a position where it is a real contender to compete for the WS (I don’t believe they would have been one had they made the playoffs – most likely, another first round exit).

I agree… problem is, I’ve been saying that since 2001.

I’d take Smoltz for the 1st 8 and Mo for the ninth.

That guy could pitch in the postseason.