The Sports Truth

Much has been made of the tumultuous off season for the New York Yankees. Certainly we’re all aware of the A-Rod saga, but catcher Jorge Posada filed for free agency and returned, same for closer Mariano Rivera. Roger Clemens is expected to retire (again) and starting pitcher Andy Pettitte declined his option to stay with the Yankees for another year as he contemplates retirement.

Andy Pettitte keeps the Yankees in limbo as he decides his future.

Certainly not the best of off-season’s for the Bronx Bombers a sentiment Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown talks about in his column on November 19th, 2007.

Tim’s point is that the Yankees are not addressing their most pressing need: pitching. While he’s right, what do you want them to do, Tim? Sign Kyle Lohse (another Boras client, by the way)? Trade away every rookie for Johan Santana? Demand that Andy Pettitte not retire and stay with New York another year? Frankly, one of the best things they could have done for their pitching was make sure Rivera returned. Tim thinks the pitching is poor now, imagine if Rivera didn’t come back.

In typical terrible reporting fashion, Tim talks only about the problem and blames the Yankees for not addressing it without coming up with a solution of his own. The reason is, of course, there is not solution. In my opinion, the Yankees have two options. Either move one or more of the kids (Philip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, or Ian Kennedy) with Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana or stick with the aforementioned kids. The rest of the free agent pitchers out there aren’t worth paying for.