And before you respond with the "200M+ payroll argument

Oh hey Anaconda -- don't worry: I could care less about payroll - ain't MY money! I don't think the Yankees charge any more outrageous prices than anyone else when it comes to a visit to the ballpark and I've ALWAYS respected the fact that Steinbrenner always spent money in pursuit of excellence, so you'll never get an argument from me on that score. That being said, my post about Igawa is that it's indicative of moves made by Cashman that I think just weren't particulary savvy and not befitting a guy who's charged with the responsibility of running the greatest franchise in all of sports. Sorry: Not a Cashman fan nor will I ever be.

Do you realize how difficult it is to rebuild your entire rotation and core of the team while contending for a World Championship at the same time? Very few teams have been able to do that.

Uhh, you know, I'm going to propose a rather radical notion here, Anaconda: I'm not so sure it's a particulary good idea to believe you MUST contend for a World Series every year. There's something to be said for having to take stock of where you are, and where you want to go with your franchise in respect to factors such as age, core strengths, core weaknesses, payroll $$$, and creating a strategy that builds your club for the long haul. The strength of this club over the past decade has been its core: Jeter, Posada, Rivera. We had to go through a fallow period to get that core in place and I fear a determination to be World Series viable each and every year is what gets you the Kei Igawas of this world. BTW: I think Cashman "stumbled" into Cano, Melky, and Wang --