Who's The Boss?

With the Yankees loss last night, the baseball world may not know how to cope with the lack of Yankees exposure in the national media. At least Boston is still around, so expect to be on Red Sox overload over the next few weeks. The Yankees loss will bring a lot of change for that club, starting with the manager, Joe Torre. George Steinbrenner made the ridiculous ultimatum, with the Yankees down 0-2 in a 5 game series, that either the Yankees somehow win 3 straight games, or Joe Torre is gone. After 12 years with the Yankees and 4 World Series, that's how this guy gets treated? I know the Yankees are expected to win every year, but come on. This guy could easily win the AL Manager of the Year award for bringing the Yankees back into the playoffs from out of nowhere, and then he gets the ax at the end of the year. I understand that if I paid as much for a baseball team as Steinbrenner goes, I would expect a bit more than a first round exit, but I still think you don't do somebody like that, especially when he has been the face of the organization for 12 years.


The Yankees will also have a few big name free agents, not to mention Alex Rodriguez' contract allowing him to opt out this year. The Yankees are getting younger and younger, and have a good group of young pitchers that have just come out of their farm system, and a core group of young fielders who have produced this year. I don't feel like taking the time to name them, but look for the Yankees to go a little younger with their roster and possibly let some of their veterans go.


So what's gonna happen with A-Rod? Obviously, no one can offer him what the Yankees can offer him in an extension, which is what the Yankees will need to do if they want to keep him. If he opts out, I highly doubt that the Yankees would then try to sign him. If he opts out, it's probably because a deal is already in place somewhere else. I think it's about a 50/50 chance whether he stays or leaves. I don't think the money is as big an issue as it used to be, because there are other teams out there that will pay him similar money, I think the big issue comes down to whether or not he wants to stay on a changing Yankees team, or if he's had enough of the New York scene.

In the meantime, Frank McCourt (Dodgers Owner), please get on the phone with Scott Boras and whoever Joe Torre's agent is. The Dodgers need a third baseman, and Torre would be about 10 million times better than Grady Little. Little is utterly terrible as he showed the world again last season, and needs to be swept under the carpet. The Dodgers have a high payroll, but it's nowhere close to what the Yankees pay. The Dodgers are second in attendance, but not second in payroll. I know we don't want to become the Yankees, but as Boston has shown, you need a big payroll to win in this game. Signing A-Rod would dramatically help the Dodgers, and I would almost guarantee a play-off series victory with him and Torre. Let's go McCourt, make it happen. Alright, no more Yankees talk for a while.


MLB Predictions


Rockies over Diamondbacks in 6

Red Sox over Indians in 7

Rockies over Red Sox in 7