FROM "A GREAT OFF-SEASON" TO "DOUBT"

Thanks again Joel Sherman for starting my week off wrong...

Joel Sherman put a piece together yesterday in the New York Post to state that while the Yankees spent alot of money this off-season bettering their club, they also signed a bunch of guys that have had injury filled pasts.  OK then... thanks for starting my Monday off right. That's sarcasm for anyone that didn't get that.

Sherman writes:

"... They have areas of real fragility and little in the way of strong second-tier options. In 2013, as they used a franchise-record 56 players, that meant fire-drill acquisitions of underwhelming players such as Ben Francisco, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells, and too many at-bats ultimately for lightweights such as David Adams, Reid Brignac and Luis Cruz. 

It was “The Day After Tomorrow” as age, lack of emphasis on the bench and a woeful farm system finally caught up with the Yankees, leading to a playoff-less season.

Well, “The Day After Tomorrow 2” is in pre-production."

Why the Yankees let this guy into their facility is beyond me.  I mean, yes, Sherman's doing his job and he has the right to criticize all he wants. I mean, even us fans know that the idea of some of these guys on our payroll is "rolling the dice", like a Jacoby Ellsbury for instance, but what Sherman is failing to understand is "What happens if we didn't do anything?" or better yet, "Who else is out there?"  I don't mind criticism if you write about the Yanks and their "bad moves" as he's suggesting, but here's an idea, if you criticize, have a suggestion on what you would have done better. I mean, there is never a good suggestion box when it comes to Sherman. He just spews out annoying columns to get Yankee fans riled up... and for what? To sell papers? Stop already.

(In Photo: Zoilo Almonte)
We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue have offered our own backup plans, like slowly sprinkle the kids in. Slowly bring up guys like Tyler Austin or Zoilo Almonte and get them prepped for the Bigs.  But Sherman even slams the Yankees minor league system writing:

"... the farm system still isn’t ready to help much, the depth remains iffy and the frontline is brittle enough to suggest the Yankees are going to need way more than 15 really good players, even if the plague doesn’t hit again to cause the need for 56."

You know what Joel? That's what the minors leagues is for... let the kids develop and you know what, every once in a while you throw a kid a bone.   Look at the Core Four. Look at Bernie Williams, All started out slow and all developed into superstars over time.  But that's what we need... time, not criticism every time we open your column bro.

And in the future, make a solid suggestion. What's your plan... these guys that you wrote about?

"...they were outbid on Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante, and tried hard to acquire Logan Forsythe from the Padres, who was instead dealt to Tampa."

Hmm. It seems like those suggestions are like 2013 all over again. It also seems like you're contradicting yourself.  Plus, are we really gonna give a guy like Peralta a shot? He's dabbled in PEDs just like Alex Rodriguez. You know, the guy you rip for being a liar?  What's the difference between Jhonny and Alex? 

Sure Omar makes sense, but it was clear the Yankees wanted cheaper and so they went Brian Roberts.  After all, they were saving what they could to get Masahiro Tanaka at that point. Look, what's to say Omar doesn't get hurt this season? What's to say Brian Roberts doesn't have a great season? We don't know. The Yanks made moves based on what they thought was right.

Here's a good idea for your next column... Write about what you would have done if you were the Yankees and don't give me guys that have already been signed... really think!  It appears that what the Yankees did was pretty significant this off-season, many of us believe that. And while the future doesn't look bright in the minor leagues as you suggest... don't tell those kids that, because they don't believe it for 1 second.   I know them... they want it more than anyone, they just want a chance.

Dear Yankees... ignore the haters... go win in 2014!

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.