Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Chamberlain & Pettitte?

[PhilJr]

Good assessment;actually and most importantly I would add that there is no reason to believe that the tried and failed methods Yankees have used since 2000 to try to BUY a WS will work any better this year.
Sometime too many players with swollen heads and big egos aren't a good thing;perhaps what Joe Torre has said about ARod in his new book is indicative of why Yankees haven't got it done; since he and for that matter a slew of other high priced egotistical fat cat free agents and players obtained in trades have come into the Bronx, the Yankees have fallen short;this year will be no different especially with a Grade B manager at the helm trying to get these motley crew to perform as a team.

True, but I bet they do not lose 1 interleague game this year

[BillMill71]

As a Yankee fan I am happy they addressed the starting pitching, although I am not ecstatic about the 5, although they are light years ahead of last years rotation. All the "buying championship" debate aside, I feel they targeted starting pitchers as a huge gap and delivered. As strong as Boston's 5 or other top rotations? I don't know. These players all have warts, and most of the points have been made by other posters.

CC - Will the innings, weight and NY catch-up to him? Maybe, but he was the BEST available
Burnett - Nold sold on this one. Headcase, inujury prone, not a great track record unless pitching against the Yankees. I would of rather had Lowe here.
Wang - All he does is win, so a nice #3
Pettite - Only reason I like this signing is because of the contract structure. Produce, you get paid like a top pitcher, don't and you will not see 8-10 million. So that and the fact he will be going against other teams 4 and 5's, and he has a Yankee history, so like him better then say a Wolf or others out there. Although I would rather have Sheets signed to a similar incentive laden deal (see Pettitte, Penny, Smoltz) and baby him through 26 starts and cobble togther the rest from Hughes, Kennedy, other minor leaguers.
Chamberlin - I feel he is better served in the 7th and 8th inning, because I am not sold on having that person to hand the ball to Mo. But that is debated over and over, just my thoughts.

There are still way to many gaps though, especially in a $190+ million dollar team. I am sorry. They did make some of the "right" moves, but how at $190 million do you still have so many questions.

There really are only three players you can pencil in for 145+ games (ARod, Texiera, Cano). Other then that, what?

Posada - Can he catch 100+, and do you want him to with the defensive liability he has become (and I never thought he could call a game). Your alternative is excellent defensively, but can't hit his fat weight.

Matsui - Off multiple injuries, he looks old. Does he logjam the DH for everyone else.

Damon - Can he stay on the field at his age? His CF days are gone and he can play a servicable LF, but I can think of 10 LF who will give you better number and play better defense. So this is part of a $190 Million OF?

Melky Cabrera/Gardner - These are great 4th and 5th OF, playing everyday really exposed them offensively.

RF "project" - Who is it? Nady, Swisher, or will one or both be moved and bring back a declining/slowing/defensively poor Abreu? I have no clue. And as has been said Girardi is no Torre managing the "odd man out" if no moves are made so how do you make them happy and productive?

Jeter - Why can he just realize the range is shrinking and pull a Robin Yount and move to CF? He has taken a nack to making routine plays look amazing because of this loss of range. Oh I forgot, because his pretty ass could NEVER be ok with say ARod or another person taking his SS position

So $190 million plus has bought us a rotation of strong pitchers with a lot of durability question marks, with a porous defense behind it, and a line-up out side of ARod/Texiera which is far from a Murders Row, as well as a aging superstar closer with a bunch of nobody's to get him the ball.

Hmmmm. All the negative being said, TB slips a little, and the Yanks and Boston get into the playoffs is all a fan can hope for, with seats filled in a beatiful stadium where the Yanks annd YES will count their money and hopefully continue to TRY and spend it on the development of a team that us spending $700 for 4 people to go a game should expect on the field