Peter Christian, Soxman and Paul M. Banks break down what each MLB contender needs to make the play-offs
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Trade Rumors begin to heat up as the MLB trade deadline approaches. The deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31. Until then teams may trade players freely without having to go through the waiver process.
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Now that the All-Star game is done buzzing in the Bronx, Yankee fans are going to start itching to push the panic button. Who cares if the team has clawed back from large mid-season deficits in each of the last two seasons, this team is not the same team nor does it have the same mystique. Outside of Jeter, Posada and Riviera there isn’t a single player who has fully developed the Yankee aura about them (even Andy Pettitte doesn’t have it back). Joe Girardi’s team may have been hit by the injury stick the hardest as eight of the players on the Opening Day 25-man roster have landed on the DL. The injuries make it difficult for GM Brian Cashman (aka The Steinbrenner Stooge) to trade any pieces. After the Johan Santana tragedy it is apparent that the Yankees are not willing to give up Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy, which means that names like Austin Jackson and Alberto Gonzalez might get tossed around in an effort to get some starting pitching that can stay healthy. Overall, the Yankees are in a tough spot because they have needs but they don’t necessarily have the means to fill those needs (SP, RP, OF).
–Peter Christian
I would pursue pitching first and foremost if I were the Yankees, they are not going to be able to just bludgeon teams to death down the stretch and should they make it to the postseason, they will NOT be able to out-slug their way to a November ticker-tape parade. The old cliché “to make an omelet, you need to break a few eggs certainly applies in their case†because any available pitching help will require moving their key prospect pieces or sacrificing crucial components of their prolific offense. The asking price for pitching may be too high. Although no team in baseball has more financial resources and/or the aggressive shopping strategy employed by New York, I still think this is it: the first Yankee-less postseason since 1995. That thought make my toes curl. Well, not literally, but you get the point. No wonder George Steinbrenner is starting to look like the host of HBO’s “Tales from the Crypt†these days.
–Paul M. Banks
The last season in “the House that Ruth Built†means the Yankees will have to make a run, even if they are 6 games back. They tried to address offensive needs by turning to Richie Sexson as a low-risk option. He hasn’t really done much since he left the Brewers.   Aubrey Huff could be another possibility if the Yankees heat up. While the Yankees deny it, they really could turn to Barry Bonds if they are within striking distance. They could also use another starting pitcher.
–The SoxmanÂ
Yesterday-Red Sox
Sat- Rays
Sun- White Sox
Mon- Twins
Tue- Tigers