It's Getting Ridiculous

As a Yankees fan, I will say this: It's starting to get ridiculous. The Yankees are targeting both Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee, the two most prized free agents this offseason, and will likely offer each of them lucrative contracts. It's getting out of hand. There's just too many insane free agent signings and contracts in New York. It's getting harder to be a fan, as the brass is, and I will say it, trying to buy a championship. People have said it for years, but now it really is coming true.

Imagine the Yankees with Crawford and Lee. It isn't unrealistic to say every man in their lineup could make the all-star team, if Gardy can break out and Jorge has some bat left in him. I mean I honestly don't know what I'd say, as a Yankees fan, when someone comes and tells me the Yanks try to buy championships, because it's a reality. Last year their payroll was roughly seven times that of the Pirates, who's $34,943,000 million was the lowest of the 30 teams. And here's something that might not surprise anyone, but is ridiculous nonetheless. Alex Rodriguez's salary last year was 33 million. What that means is the whole entire payroll of last year's Pittsburgh Pirates team was less than two million more than one player's salary.

And then there's Teixeira and Jeter and Sabathia and Granderson and Burnett and Cano and Rivera and Posada and Swisher.....all, either currently or at one point, all-star caliber players, all with huge salaries. Speedster Brett Gardner, at 452K last year, was the only value player in the lineup, the only guy getting paid below the league average. Shouldn't all these players be able to bring a 28th parade to the Bronx?

Sure. The Yankees need starting pitching. They have two solid starters heading into this year, if you count Phil Hughes who began to fall apart as the home stretch of the season rolled around, and wasn't any better in September. But you figure he's still a solid starter with great potential. Sabathia is in the Cy running annually. So that's two guys. Pettitte has most likely thrown his last pitch.

Then there's A.J. Burnett. Huge contract. Analysts talked about how overpaid he was the day he signed to play in pinstripes. He was said to be barely above average by some. But what none of the Yanks brass predicted was his season in 2010. 10-15 record, which, if you can believe it, was inflated by his solid offense, considering: 5.26 ERA, 1.51 WHIP. Yeah. That'll make Brian Cashman think twice about that move.

But it's all okay in the Bronx, because the Yanks can just pick up yet another superstar in Cliff Lee for some 7 years/150 mil. And since the above-average outfield isn't good enough, Crawford can be included in the budget as well.