Oh Crumbs

A Middling .500 Club
I've not written much about the Yankees this season because there hasn't been much to write about. They've been middling at best, and have lost the option of beating up on a hapless Rays and mis-managed Orioles. Even the Blue jays are stiff competition, what with their home-grown pitching being as good as it is; and then there are the defending World Champs the Red Sox.
In some ways the best thing they've done this year is beat the White Sox in Chicago.

Pitching Strikes, Pitching Strife
The pitching has been troublesome. If you take out the Hughs, IPK and the lone Joba start, the starters have been moderately good. The Bullpen with Joba in it has been a on-and of affair. The nights they are contesting a tight lead where Joba and Mo come in have been good. The nights where the game is tied late into the game where Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins comes in have been godawful. Now that Joba is replacing Hughes in the rotation (Rasner replaced IPK), the Yankees really need to rethink their bullpen.

It's not like they don't have pieces. Ross Ohlendorf should factor in where Kyle does and Chris Britton should factor in for LaTroy Hawkins's spots. Indeed, the non-usage of Britton has been ridiculous. They got him in that trade that sent away Jaret Wright and since then he's been yoyo-ing between the big league club and AAA for a season and a half, nary getting to pitch. But when he does, he's been good; and he's been lights out in AAA. They need to find a way to use him. Melancon and Cox are on their way too.

WOE - Worst Offense Ever
This is the nickname they acquired in the first trimester of the season over at RLYW. If you take out the 2 best hitters from the 2007 Yankees and stick in crap, you have the 2008 Yankees. Amazingly, the Yankees have been outscored to date and are nowhere near the predicted 900+ run pace. An argument can be made that it is the batting that has scuttled the season so far.

The absence of A-Rod and then Posada has rendered the team punchless against lefties - and there have been lots of those this season. It's like there's a scout book out there that the Yankees can't hit southpaws. Whatever the case, the Yankees have started to pick up now that A-Rod's back and doubtless when Po comes back, they'll get back on track with the hitting.

What Now, Batman?
There are a bunch of questions on the table for the 2008 Yankees who are clearly in transition. yes, they cost $200m, but at the end of this year, a bunch fo contracts come off the books again - Jason Giambi's is big, Moose not so much, Pettitte is also coming to an end. So next year's Yankees are going to be little less expensive, provided they have internal options coming up.

In the mean time, there's this season. If they keep playing with 'WOE' and 'Growing Pains Of The Young Studs', then it's likely they'll just miss out on the Play-Offs. It may end up being Cashman's head. That would be a drag. So just what are the Yankees going to be like? You sort of dread having to say 'wait til next year', this early in the season. Where there are games to be played, there's hope. They might catch fire.

The other question I have is Phil Hughes who is out with injury won't be back until July. This means he won't pitch the necessary innings that they wanted him to pitch this year. That's a big problem going forwards. It might be better for them to just let him play out the innings in AAA for the rest of the season than to bring him up to sit on the bench or take up Joba duties.