Yes, I was being sarcastic. Both posts were oozing with sarcasm. I just find it funny how ARod leads the league in game winning RBIs and he's critized for not being "clutch" enough for some Yankees fans, yet some guy named Guiel gets released by the Royals, has one good game, and suddenly he's being talked about as a replacement for Sheffield. I should open up a sidewalk store that sells Yankee blinders. Evidently, they're a hot item. :p

Seriously though, DJ, from reading the posts you've made, you seem to have a sense of reality, so I'll pose this question mainly to you. Others are more than welcome to answer, but I already know what you're going to say, so you it doesn't really matter.

The Yankees are still having a very good season. If it ended today, they'd be in the playoffs, so I don't mean to imply that they stink by this idea, however, it's been five and a half years since they last won the World Series and Johnson, Mussina, Rivera, Sheffield, Williams, Posada, Giambi, ARod, Matsui, et al. aren't getting any younger. They're all still very good players, but the last several years seemed to have proven they aren't capable of carrying a team to a title anymore without help from younger talent. When this happens to a lot of other ballclubs, the GM blows the whole operation up, trades for prospects or young talent, and starts building for the next 5 years. With the Yankees payroll, they can avoid taking this route, but if they fall short of the crown this year, would you as a Yankees fan like to see them try this, at least to an extent. Granted, you would have to find a trading partner willing to take on the salaries, so the possibility exists you could be trading with some of your rivals, but would you rather be overpaying over-the-hill talent or someone else. I mean this is the Yankees for crying out loud. Even though they are having a good year, it's almost embarassing having them pluck Kansas City Royals castoffs and run out the Melky Cabreras and Aaron Smalls of the world with that $200 million payroll.

Now keep in mind, I have no idea what the contract status of any of their players is after this year. Maybe they have a lot of expiring contracts on some of their older players, so this wouldn't be necessary. And it doesn't sound like too great of an idea when the team stinks next year, but just think of the years to come, when the Yanks have $150 million to spend on players in their prime (ala the late 90s teams) rather than trying to hold together an aging team with Band-aids they found in the bottom of the garbage can out behind the last place teams garage.

I'm an outside observer who only knows about the Yankees from the 10-12 games I watch on TV(including last night's game. What a barn burner!), so I'm not as aware of all the details of their franchise as you would be. I know it's a pretty extreme measure, considering the Yanks could still win the World Series this year. And I'm also aware that something like this would never in a million years happen, but I think it could pretty much gurantee the Yanks at least one title in the next 5 years, whereas, currently that doesn't appear to be a gurantee.