You've been DUPED

I think the team is in better shape due to Girardis regimen. that could do well for the long term health of the team for the year. But I agree they should have gotten the Santana deal done if they wanted to compete for a title this year. Its possible Hughes and IPK could be a major factor this year but we know that Santana would have been awesome. Saying that I pick the Yanks to win 88-90 games just short of the playoffs. I hope I am wrong and these pitchers light it up but thats what I believe.

What are you, a Red Sox fan? Hold on to the sky-is-falling rant and break it out come August, if need be. It's March 31st.

Mr Cashman
Andy Roth has his eye on YOU!

Seriously dude, do you even pay attention to what you write?

Let's tick off a few winners from your (thanks for BOLD TYPE) post...

"no team has ever advanced to the World Series..."
No team had come back from being down 3-0 in the ALCS until Boston did it.

So, because no other team has ever done it, means it simply cannot be done? Excellent logic and persuasion there. Bravo.

"They'll pay dearly for this decision for years to come"
Actually of all the top teams in baseball, I believe it has been widely reported that the farm-based turnaround on the pitching front has front offices league-wide drooling for trades. The Yankees are prospect rich for pitching for the first time in over 10 years -- with legitimate prospects, too. So, no, I don't think ONE pitcher that the Yankees did NOT trade for is going to be a decision they will rue for the next decade.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

"You've been DUPED"

I haven't. Please do not ascribe hyped words without any facts to back them up. I'm not duped. In fact, I'm excited to see this team play because we don't have GARBAGE on the mound. We have POTENTIAL.

Didn't have that in the last few years that I recall. No need for Roger to delay retirement this year; no need for scrambling at all trade deadlines to find pitching.

All any fan can ask is that their team IMPROVE year to year. And, have an OPPORTUNITY to make the postseason.

So, I'm not duped. I believe this team is an improvement over last year's team on the mound. And they certainly have the opportunity to make the postseason.

"It will take key injuries from contending teams for this team to win the World Series."

If the only way the Yankees win is by other teams suffering injuries, then count me out. I want my Yankees to win because they were the best team...funnily enough, I think we'll see that THAT will be what it takes for this team to reach, much less win, the World Series.

"Wang is not a number one, not just for the fact he's a one-pitch pitcher"

Well-documented during spring training that he's working on another pitch. Is he an "ace" -- Nope. Does he need to be? Nope. But if he continues to win 16-19 games per year, is he a solid pitcher? (Someday he'll pitch well on the road).

"Hughes has to show a much better fastball than we saw last season, "

How often can you write this line? Well documented that Hughes took 3 months to recover from his hamstring and ankle injuries. His shutdown of Cleveland in relief of Wang pretty much showed his recovery was completed. (He should have started that game). His outings have been inconsistent in spring - but not due to clocking.

"Kennedy looks like a 3 or 4,"
When have the Yankees ever sold him as anything BUT a 3,4,5 pitcher? Never. Oddly, of the trinity, Kennedy had the most consistent spring, and, I would not be surprised if he had the best regular season of the three.

Put him down for 15-6, 3.20. You heard it here first.

"Weathers and Lloyd played major roles in the postseason"
Jeff Nelson, I would argue played a larger role in '96 than David Weathers. G. Lloyd had the wetdream of a postseason.

Oddly it was the development (cohesion) of Stanton, Nelson, Mendoza and Rivera that would lock down games from the 7th inning on. Looks like more than a two-deep bullpen there.

As to this season's bullpen -- it is improved. It is more than two deep. And it has "alternatives" waiting in the wings in Scranton (I'm looking at you Patterson!!!)

I'm happy as a Yankee fan that they did not take the Twins first offer, second offer, third offer, or their ding dong last minute offer. Let these kids earn the right to represent the Yankees; they deserve.

What's the worst that can happen? We lose a few ballgames? Meh. I can deal with that.

As to the money issue -- you're not thinking down the road: by freeing up cash next season the team has flexibility to make roster decisions.

And, as to the money issue: I think we've all seen what happens when high-priced free agents come to NY for $100 million or more and don't produce results. Now, we have kids who WANT to be Yankees. Who WANT to win a championship.

Anything said now is pure conjecture and guesswork -- but I'll show you the path to the AL East title:

It lies in May-July; over the course of almost 80 games, the team is home for 50 of them. A decent April, hot streaks in May/June/July and average in August/September (that's my prediction).

Call it, 94-68. The Yankees win the AL East by 2 over Boston, which storms back in a reversal of fortune to nearly catch the Yankees at the finish with a 16-2 stretch run record. Sadly, the 2 losses are to the Yankees.

See...I'm not duped. Maybe delusional. But not duped.