I have long been an advocate of New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman (as is evident by past posts), and I believe Cashman has done an outstanding job leading up to the trade deadline for the third straight year. While many people prefer the big splash, Cashman makes moves that enhance his team as opposed to radically changing it, and the trades for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, as well as today's move for Pudge Rodriguez are further examples of that.

Without mortgaging the future, as the Yankees have been known to do in the past, Cashman instead strengthened his club for the stretch run and beyond. In Nady he acquired a right-handed hitting corner outfielder that he controls through 2009. In other words, not only did he address a weakness this year (right-handed hitting), but he secured a replacement for Bobby Abreu next year. In Marte he got arguably the top left-handed reliever on the market, and a guy who is the closest thing the Yankees have had to Mike Stanton since, well...Mike Stanton. A hard-throwing lefty who can get out righties as well as lefties. And then with Pudge, he not only secured a top catcher, but also improved his bench. Instead of having the tandem of Jose Molina and Chad Moeller, the Yankees now have possibly the best catching tandem in baseball with Rodriguez and Molina, something they were supposed to have with a healthy Jorge Posada.

For all of these players, who did he give up? Jose Tabata? Ross Ohlendorf? Kyle Farnsworth? While Farnsworth has certainly been pitching better, and seemed to have turned the corner working with Dave Eiland and Joe Girardi, he was never one that instilled confidence in you. Fair or not fair, despite his recent success, you were always waiting for him to implode. So instead of waiting for that, the Yankees not only get a top-flight catcher, but also the two compensatory draft picks next year when Pudge signs with another team.

Another move that Cashman made but wasn't through a trade, was picking up Richie Sexson. For the minimum amount of money, how do you not take a flyer on this guy? He's a right-handed bat that can provide pop off the bench, and he can fill in as a defensive replacement for Jason Giambi at first base. Much like Cashman's moves last year when he acquired Molina, Wilson Betemit, and promoted the likes of Shelley Duncan, Edwar Ramirez, and Jose Veras, this was one that added tremendous depth to the roster. Also, the Yankees decided to keep Justin Christian with the big-league club as opposed to Brett Gardner, which is far and away the right move. Christian can steal a base just like Gardner could do, but he's a superior defensive outfielder, has a stronger arm, and can hit better. In other words, he's just what the team needed as a bench player.

So with an eye towards the future, and an eye on the present, Cashman has done exactly what he set out to do. He put together a team that has the chance to win now, and also one that can win next year, and the year after. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the best move the Yankees may make is seeing the Red Sox trade Manny Ramirez. If Boston does in fact deal Ramirez to Florida, or whomever else, that will be the best thing to happen to the Yankees since...well, I'll let you figure that out. All I will say is maybe it will be known as the Curse of the Hair...

Let me preface this by saying that I am a big fan of Jorge Posada, was an advocate of the Yankees signing him in the offseason (and still am), and believe he still has some very good years left. Now, with that said, Posada going on the DL, and possibly having season-ending shoulder surgery could be the best thing for the New York Yankees at this time.

Posada has been a shell of his former self all season long due to this injury, and it seems to have affected him not only physically, but mentally as well. While his percentage of throwing out baserunners was expected to drop because of the in jury, his calling of games was not, yet that's exactly what has happened. In recent starts behind the plate, he has mishandled games pitched by Joba Chamberlain, Andy Pettitte, and Mike Mussina, and you can see the frustration beginning to mount. When those pitchers throw to Jose Molina, there is a huge difference in a positive direction, and I believe that has really taken a toll on Posada mentally. It seems as if he's pressing, and not playing with the ease of which he has in the past.

Furthermore, because of his injury, the Yankees have had to carry three catchers which has severely limited their options off the bench. With Posada on the DL, they can carry an extra outfielder or an extra infielder, depending on what they desire.

If I were the Yankees, I'd hope Posada has the surgery now. The last thing they need is another slow-footed first baseman/DH. Not to take anything away from Posada, but if he can't catch, that's what he is. So if Posada were to have the surgery now, he would have plenty of time to rehab the shoulder, get himself ready for the beginning of spring training, and come back as the player we all know he is. And frankly that's the most important thing for both parties at this time. If the Yankees make the playoffs this year, it's icing on the cake, but next year, and the year after are what they have to plan for. When they signed Posada to a four year deal, they envisioned him being their catcher for 2-3 years, not one before moving to first base.

Jorge Posada is a man with great pride, and he feels an obligation to the organization to try to play since he signed that big contract. But sometimes pride can get in the way. He has to take a step outside of the situation, and realize that both he and the team would be better off having him 100% healthy for three years of the contract, than for portions of all four. Posada has always been a great Yankee, and now is the perfect time to show just how great of one he truly is.

The day has come in the NBA where verbal agreements can now become contractual agreements, and in the last 24 hours, we have learned where the top players are going. Baron Davis is leaving Golden State to join the Los Angeles Clippers. Elton Brand, who Davis thought he was going to team with, is heading back east to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. Corey Maggette is essentially taking Davis' roster spot on the Golden State Warriors, and Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison have re-upped with the Washington Wizards. So, with that all said which team did the best?

In my mind there's no doubt that the 76ers are the clear-cut winners in this year's sweepstakes. They got a low-post scoring option to join the likes of Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala in the backcourt. Throw Brand up front with Samuel Dalembert, and all of a sudden, the Sixers are a legitimate team in the East.

While there was a great deal made about Brand and Davis joining forces out in LA, I believe this will actually be a better fit for the former #1 overall pick. He gets the chance to play with a pass-first shoot-second point guard in Miller, while being the only true low-post threat (Dalembert just cleans things up). The pick-and-roll could turn out to be a great play for Philly over the next couple of years.

As for the Clippers, well that's just bad luck. They do what Brand asked them to do by signing Davis, yet Brand still leaves the team. For someone who has always been thought of as a high-integrity guy, this is a move that certainly raises some eyebrows. To me it's a bit reminiscent of Carlos Boozer having a verbal agreement with the Cavs, and then signing with the Jazz. While Brand never had a verbal agreement, I think everyone thought there was a deal in place once Davis committed.  

The Clippers will still be a pretty good team as Davis can now team with Chris Kaman, but without Brand, they are still on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

Maggette, who flirted with taking mid-level offers from Boston, Detroit, and San Antonio, finally decided to follow the green, er...I mean his heart. Obviously you can't blame Maggette, but you can blame the Warriors. What are they thinking?!?! Just because you have money to spend doesn't mean you have to spend it. While they didn't go over the top in signing the 2-guard (5 years/50), they definitely spent more than they had to. Maggette is a good player, but he's not one that improves the team in a way that gets them back to the playoffs. The Warriors would have been better off keeping that money in their pockets, and using it at another time.

The Wizards re-signing Arenas and Jamison was nice, but the money they gave Arenas is going to come back to haunt them. He is coming off a major knee injury, doesn't play a whole lot of defense, and has a scorer's mentality as a point guard. If I were the Wizards, I would've contacted James Dolan and asked how giving Allan Houston the max worked out for the Knicks. It crippled the team, and handicapped them for years to come. While Arenas may be a better player than Houston was, this too will be a deal that cripples the team in the future while other teams in the East continue to pass them by.

With Tiger Woods standing over his birdie putt on 18 Sunday evening, several thoughts passed through my mind. Should I expect him to make it?... I can't believe he's going to lose after having the 54-hole lead...He's going to regret going for the green in two on 13. All of those thoughts passed through, and then Tiger sank the putt....AGAIN! Just when you think the guy can't do anything more spectacular, he raises the bar to even new heights.

Then...those same thoughts occur during Monday's 18-hole playoff (except for the 13th hole thought). Yet of all those thoughts, the one that really stuck with me was Tiger potentially losing after having the 54-hole lead. People often times talk about his aura, well his 13-0 record is a large part of that. If Rocco Mediate were to beat him, all of a sudden Tiger is no longer invincible. Players would see a chink in his armor, and feel as if they could beat him too. To me, it was similar to the Red Sox and Yankees prior to 2004.

While the Sox may have had the better team in 2003, they were not just playing against the Yankees, but against all of the history between the two teams: the Curse, Bucky Dent, the umpires in `99, all of it. Ultimately the Yankees made the historic comeback against Pedro Martinez, and then won the series in the 11th inning on Aaron Boone's home run.    

Fast-forward to 2004 and the Yankees have what was thought to be an insurmountable 3 games to none lead. As we all know by now, the Red Sox came back against Mariano Rivera in Game 4, and before you knew it, they were eliminating the Yankees in Game 7. In a matter of a few days, the 86-year curse was gone (people could say it wasn't officially lifted until they won the World Series, but once they beat the Yankees, winning the World Series was inevitable). And what has happened to the Red Sox since then? They came back from a 3-1 deficit in the ALCS against the Indians, and then won their second World Series title in four years. What has happened to the Yankees? They've failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in three straight years.

Now I'm not saying Tiger would've failed to win another major had he lost to Mediate, but I do believe his quest for 18 would've become much more difficult just because of the confidence other players would have gained from his loss. The Yankees could go on to win five World Series in the next 10 years (although I don't think that's going to happen), but their rivalry with the Red Sox will never be the same. The Yankees lost way more than a game and a series when the Red Sox beat them in 2004, they lost a mental edge and a legacy. The same would've been true if Tiger had lost this U.S. Open even with his knee injury.

Rocco Mediate

With all of that said, we have to give credit to Rocco Mediate. What this guy did was truly remarkable, and it really is too bad he had to lose. As Tiger Woods himself said, if he were a golf fan on this day, he would've been rooting for Mediate too. Now while Rocco did not get a chance to raise the trophy and pull off one of the biggest upsets in the history of golf, this performance should open up more doors for the 45-year old, particularly a spot on the Ryder Cup Team.

Mediate may not qualify with enough points, but if Paul Azinger were smart, he'd choose him as a captain's pick. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods for two straight days on a U.S. Open course deserves to represent our country. He drives the ball in the fairway, sinks big putts, and doesn't melt under pressure. To me, that's a perfect player for the Ryder Cup.

I would first like to thank all of you out there who posted comments. It's always nice to see so many people passionate about a topic, and from all the feeback I've gotten, it's certain that this is a subject that is near and dear to many hearts. With that said, it's time to answer some of the emails and comments...

Mailbag

Gene in fl - Hank signs checks on the 1st & 15th of every month totalling over $17M for these underachievers. He has every right to speak his mind. I'm a Yankee fan who wanted Johan. Tell me what Hughes has shown in now 17 starts that gives any indication he could even remotely approach Santana? Ditto Kennedy.

Gene, there are a couple of things I'd like to point out in regards to the Santana deal. Many of the problems over the past 5-7 years for the Yankees have stemmed from them thinking short-term as opposed to long-term. With this trade however, it would have affected them in both ways.

Let's say for instance that they make the deal, who plays center field this year? Johnny Damon? Do you really feel comfortable having Damon play center for 162 games? I know every other team in the league would, but not the Yankees. Damon was never a good defensive center fielder to begin with (that's why signing him to a four year deal when you already had several other DH's was a problem), and teams started taking advantage of his arm far too often. So if you trade Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy for Santana, who do you plug into the other slots? The Yankees would've been a worse team this year, and in the future, had they made the deal.

Now in regards to Santana, people point to his age, 29, and say he's not your typical stud pitcher to hit the market. Well, I understand he's young, however he's already had the burden of being a true ace in the game for four years, and if you look at the real aces in baseball over the last 15-20 years, their run of dominance does not last much more than 5-7. Take a look:

Pedro Martinez - Pedro's run from 1997-2003 was arguably the greatest a pitcher has had since Sandy Koufax, yet if you add up those years, that's a span of seven. What did Pedro win in those seven years? Three Cy Young Awards and nothing else. His World Series ring came after his run had ended.

Randy Johnson - Johnson's run was 8-10 years, but how many pitchers come along that are 6'10 and can throw like him? Furthermore, during his run he won 5 Cy Young Awards but only one World Series, and that was when he joined forces with Curt Schilling, and was forced to close out Game 7 in order to get the victory.

John Smoltz - Had his run divided by injuries and a move to the bullpen. He won one CY Young and one World Series title.

Greg Maddux - Statistically he's an anomoly as his run lasted roughly 14 years, however while he has been great in the regular season, he was never a pitcher I would want on the mound come postseason. And I'm sorry to say this, but if you're an "ace," you better exude that confidence in a must-win game. During Maddux's run he won four CY Young's, and one World Series championship.

Tom Glavine - Glavine had a run of seven years with a couple of others coming intermittently later. He won two CY Young's and one World Series title. Oh, and by the way, the Braves had all of three of these "aces" on one team, and still won only one title!!! You know why? NO BULLPEN!!!

Roger Clemens - Clemens had a run of seven years, and then some other good years dispersed later in his career, but I guess that's all in question now, eh?

What it comes down to is that while reputation may last longer, true dominance on the mound does not. And that's the reason it would have been even more short-sighted for the Yankees to make the deal for Santana. Sure, he may have given them a good year, but I believe he's on the decline now, and will only get worse over the next couple of years. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's a bad pitcher, I'm just saying he's not going to be an "ace" for the duration, or even half of that contract they would've had to give him.

And one more thing, don't be misled by the numbers he puts up with the Mets. By going to the NL, Santana could add another three years to his run as he's taking advantage of a crummy league.

Zdeane343 - you really have no clue what you're talking about when it comes to red sox.
(1)Theo Epstein quit before the Red Sox traded for Josh Beckett! He did not want the trade, did not agree with it, and did not support it, he loved hanley.
(2) Jacoby ellsbury played in 35games in low a baseball in 2005, so don't tell me Epstein knew he was a star and that's why he didnt pay Damon.

Yankees and the red sox have the same team. Both have an ace, a #2 pitcher, a veteran and two kids. Both have good setup man-closer combo. Both teams have speed and power. and both teams have health concerns, whichever team stays healthy wins.

Ellsbury is one of the most overrrated players. all of the scouts says hes johnny damon with less power. and pitchers have already adapted to him, they know he cant hit inside fastballs.

Zdeane343, you are correct in that Theo Epstein did not make the trade for Josh Beckett, thank you for pointing that out. He did, however, sign him to the extension, and helped build the rotation around him. As for Ellsbury, the Red Sox did have high hopes for him despite only playing in 35 games, but more importantly, saw that signing Damon to a four year deal for as much as the Yankees did would be a detriment and a burden to their team. Instead they made the deal for Coco Crisp, yet still knew they had a fallback option in Ellsbury.

With regards to Ellsbury, you make some valid points in regards to his deficiencies against the inside fastball, however I do not see him as being overrated. I think it all depends on how you're judging him. Is he going to be a 25-30 homer guy? No way, but he will hit for average, probably in the .285-.300 range, get on base a bunch, and steal 50 bases a year. On top of that, he'll play great defense wherever you put him in the outfield. Is his arm weak? Yeah, but its light years ahead of Damon's. Frankly, and this is not meant to be a shot at Damon, but Ellsbury is a far superior natural baseball player than Damon, and that will only help him throughout his career.

Now in regards to the Yankees and Red Sox being similar, I couldn't agree with you more. Entering the season the two staffs seemed almost a wash. Number 1 went to the Red Sox, 2 to the Yankees, and 3-5 totally up in the air. In the bullpen, I gave the edge to the Yankees with Joba-Mo compared to Okajima-Papelbon because I wasn't sure Okajima would have the same effect he had last year. The biggest difference between the teams though is the Red Sox have Manny and Ortiz, and no matter how you slice it, the Yankees don't have anything close to that. Those two guys are two of the most clutch performers I have ever seen, and probably will ever see in my life.

Tommyeagle - Zdean343 Either you have a short memory or no memory at all...or maybe you just don't have a grip on good baseball sense. Your claim that the only lefty that is a problem in the lineup is Giambi...you got to be kidding me! What post season play have you been watching? For the past 4 years the Yankees have been sitting ducks when it comes to producing late inning runs in any post season game...that was the trade mark of past championship teams. The Boston Red Sox realized this so much that they went out of their way to sign Hideki Okajima for late inning post season relief...he has murdered the Yankee lineup consistantly.

Cashman has not done anything during his tenure with the Yankees that says he is an elite GM...the Yankees can afford his departure. The Yankee lineup is overloaded with aging lefties who have not performed well in postseason play for years now. The Yankee outfield and first base defense is weak. The pitching staff is a couple of years away from championship caliber if all positive expectations play out. This year the Yankees will struggle to win 85 games.

Tommyeagle, the problem with the Yankees in the postseason the last 4 years has not been their lefty hitters, rather it's been the lack of a balanced lineup, and I don't mean lefty-righty balance either. When the Yankees won their championships they were a versatile hitting team, they could hit for power, could hit and run, sacrifice bunt, and score with two outs. Unfortunately, due to George Steinbrenner's love of the home run, they got away from that balance, and thought they could bludgeon teams to death. Well, in the regular season you can, but come post-season, sorry, it ain't gonna happen.

It's the same reason that the Detroit Tigers could find themselves in trouble if they make the playoffs. While Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco can play small ball, Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Cabrera, and Carlos Guillen are not exactly known for that. All-Star teams don't win championships, baseball teams do.

Now, in regards to Cashman, I completely disagree. Yes, he has made some bad decisions, signing Kei Igawa (which seemed like a total reaction move to the Sox getting Dice-K), signing Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano as opposed to signing Jon Lieber, however he has made smart moves when he was allowed to do so. Remember, from 2001-2005 he wasn't calling all the shots, Steinbrenner and the Tampa people were, and I don't think you're giving him enough credit for keeping the dynasty alive.

Think back to 1998 when Randy Johnson was on the market. The Yankees were terrified that the Indians would get him, but Cashman was able to stay in the negotiations long enough where neither he nor Cleveland got him. Instead he switched leagues and went to the Astros. Brilliant.

In 2000 when Steinbrenner and the fans were calling for Juan Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa, Cashman made the trade for David Justice. Could there have been a better fit for that team than Justice?

In the 2000 offseason he went hard after Mike Mussina as opposed to going hard after Manny Ramirez. While it hasn't worked out the way New York had hoped, it was absolutely the right move at the time. And honestly, if I had to do it over again, I would do the same thing.

In the 2003 offseason the Yankees were looking at Curt Schilling and Javier Vasquez. The Diamondbacks wanted both Alfonso Soriano and Nick Johnson for Schilling, so Cashman traded Johnson for Vasquez, and then later in the offseason, he dealt Soriano for Alex Rodriguez. Again, I think those were two pretty wise moves despite Vasquez not working out the way they had hoped.

With that said, a HUGE reason why Vasquez didn't work out was because he was supposed to be in addition to Andy Pettitte, not instead of Pettitte. But because George Steinbrenner was so fixated on everyone else's free agents, he never gave Pettitte the respect he deserved, and Pettitte bolted for Houston. To this day, that was the single biggest mistake the Yankees have made in the last 25 years (sorry, Mr. Costanza but it makes Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps look laughable). If the Yankees keep Pettitte there is no way they lose the ALCS to Boston in `04!

People don't give Cashman nearly enough credit. Let him call the shots, and the Yankees will once again be on top of the baseball world.

William - This guy looks like he's 12 years old.

William, thanks for the compliment. I only wish I was still 12. That was a good year for me in Little League.

Cowboysnyankees - Funny thing is that the Yankees are not in trouble in the future for this team looks a lot brighter with loaded farm system. No need to win this year they will win at least 5 championships in the next 10 years.

Cowboysnyankees, I agree that the Yankees future looks a lot brighter than it has in years. My concern is that if Hank Steinbrenner runs Brian Cashman out of town, then all of a sudden, all the work Cashman and the other baseball people have done could go for naught. As for five championships in the next 10 years, well that's a bit much, but I do believe they could win a couple.

Yankeesfan - Clemens, Pettitte, Cone, El Duque NO 2 starters I think that most people would agree in the mid nineties any one of these pitchers could have been the ace of a staff.

The Yankees at this point of the season don't have a No 3 starter to go after Wang and Pettitte. Joba would give them some depth up front and allow the Yankees to make a move for bullpen help which is much easier to come by.

Yankeesfan, there is no question that any of those pitchers could have been the ace of a staff, however that doesn't make them an "ace." There are a lot of number one pitchers out there, as a matter of fact there are 32 of them, but there aren't 32 aces. In my opinion there are five and maybe seven "aces" in the game today: Josh Beckett, Jake Peavy, Brandon Webb, Johan Santana, and Roy Halladay. C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander and Cole Hamels, have the stuff, but I need to see more than one dominant year before I consider someone an "ace."

Thanks again to everyone for their comments, and the fantastic discussion. Keep the emails coming...