If I ran the Yankees (and actually wanted them to succeed)

Catcher: Posada three out of four games, never on day games after night games. Cut Flaherty and depend on the backstop the rest of the time.

First base: Tino Martinez against righties, Jason Giambi against lefties. Pinch runners and defensive replacements made after the 7th inning, no exceptions

Second base: Robinson Cano against righties; Rey Sanchez against lefties and allow the pitchers to bat for him.

Shortstop: Alex Rodriguez

Third base: Alex Rodriguez

Left field: Matsui

Center field: Derek Jeter

Right field: Gary Sheffield


This is impossible. Which is why I'm so glad that some guy wrote this piece. It's not merely that the Yankees are expensive -- the $205 million often cited for their payroll ignores the $40 million in luxury taxes that they're paying. It's that their entire roster is so inflexible. I'm a big believer in using the DH to give full-time players a lighter day now and then, but Giambi, Sierra, and Williams are basically full-time DHs. And Tino Martinez is no spring chicken, either. He'd be the perfect DH/1B, but New York already has three of those.

As the Red Sox and Nationals look to the trading deadline, they have to see in the Yankees a worst-case scenario of what depending on old, "proven" players can provide. Shorter contracts are better than long ones. 26-year olds are better than 36-year olds. And if the Sox have to take a year off because Schilling never heals, then I'm more than happy to wait until next year when the entire infield (except Edgar Renteria) might turn over and we'll have Hanley Ramirez at third, Dustin Pedrodia (however he spells it) at second, and Kevin Youkilis at first.

Though they really need to be playing Youk now.