PEDRO MARTINEZ HAS HARSH WORDS FOR THE YANKEES

And he isn't wrong.

These Yankees don't have the same spunk as the version that Pedro Martinez once referred to as "my daddy" and even he knows there is something wrong with this team that goes beyond all of the injuries.

We already said this last week in STOP BLAMING EVERYTHING ON INJURIES! Yes, the injuries are an issue. It's a long season and it is bound to happen but good teams finds ways to win. Guys step up and someone picks up the slack. The Yankees aren't doing that. They are just going with the motions and now finally an outsider agrees.

Photo: USA Today

The Yankees have key guys missing in the lineup with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius and now we can add Aroldis Chapman to the list as of yesterday. Those are all guys that make a huge difference in a game but they aren't playing like a winning team. Their record and their performance in the last month simply do not match. Right now, we are lucky.

I don't like the idea of agreeing with Pedro but, his tweets are true.

The Yankees aren't hustling out there. There's no heart either. Sure the Yankees are 32 games over .500 and that's nice. That record doesn't tell the accurate story about the team since July. That record is thanks to early success. The Yankees haven't been that team in awhile.

Photo: New York Post

The Yankees just don't look hungry anymore. They look lost and no one is stepping up to be the leader that is sorely missed. We have all of the talent to get us to the postseason but our passion has been sucked dry. Aaron Boone doesn't have that fire and he can't get it out of his players, either. Without Judge, our team is missing a leader and there has been no one else to fill those shoes.
It's the end of August and the excitement is gone.

Sure, the Yankees are winning games but when you are not playing your best....can you really be called a winner? The Yankees aren't fooling anyone. They aren't playing to their full potential even with all of the injury concerns. They have holes without key players but they shouldn't be this ineffective.

And the Marlins series is a perfect example. It shouldn't take twelve innings to finally beat the Marlins 2-1. And last night? Ugly. Lance Lynn gave up five runs in the sixth. Oh and what about Austin Romine's needless and wild throw to second? That allowed Brian Anderson to advance to third, and he scored an unearned run on a ground out. The Yankees managed only one extra-base hit against five Miami pitchers. They committed three errors and struck out 11 times in a defeat that ended their four-game winning streak. They should've easily walked through the Marlins.

So now what? The Yankees have a day to try and get their act together before they head to Baltimore. The Yankees are 6-6 against a team that has the worst record in the majors. We are better than this.

The Yankees may have a winning record but Pedro is right, this team doesn't have the energy of a winning team. I don't like agreeing with Pedro, but he's right. A 100 win season won't matter if they keep playing like this. If the Yankees want to make that long postseason run like last season, leadership,  hustle and tons of energy will go a long way. If they don't find any of that it is going to be a short trip and a long winter.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

WHY CASHMAN'S ON THE PROWL

“I’m not getting calls. We have the farm system and money, but no calls.”

–Brian Cashman

Analyze that statement for a moment and tell me what you take away from it. I’ll tell you what I take away from it. The Yankees have money and the Yankees have a few youngsters we’re willing to unload, we just need to find the right guy to get by the trade deadline. That soundbite from Cashman was meant to be a negative to the press. It was meant to take us off the trail. "I'm not getting calls." We're the Yankees, we don't take calls, we make calls. Something's fishy. The reality is, you cannot sit back and think the Yankees won’t make any moves... trust me, they will.

You know how I feel about Brian Cashman, he’s a liar. He lies to us…and I like that about him. I would rather not know what he’s up to, I just want the surprised. Yes, It’s true, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but trust me, something is coming. What? Who knows, but anyone who tells you that Cash isn’t talking to the Mariners about King Felix doesn’t understand "the Game." No, I don't mean the rapper. I mean, "the Game" that Cashman plays brilliantly. It’s the game where Cashman says one thing but does the other. “Yes, I know I said (this player or that player) was untouchable" or "I know I said (this player or that player) was not available, but guess what, he is.” That’s "the Game" Cashman plays, and you know why? Because every player is available at a price. Every single one of them.

Now, I’m not going to suggest to you that without a doubt King Felix will be a New York Yankee by this trade deadline, I am not so sure he is. My point is, Cashman's talking to the Mariners and if it’s not this year, it may be next year. He’s on the prowl, whether it be Felix or someone else, trust me.

In the meantime, there are a few minor moves that have been made. The Yankees picked up a former Yankee you probably don’t even remember... and the last name is Texeira. Kanekoa Texeira was a Yankee but he was taken from us in the Rule 5 draft by the Mariners last year. When Seattle put him on waivers, the Royals picked him up. Then the Royals put him on waivers and we picked him up. Stats for Teixeira are like this: 4.66 ERA, 33K’s in 67 innings. Not great but the upside is he is a ground ball pitcher and a righty. We could use him. I’d love a lefty but you get what you can get. Plus, the Yankees will look him over and see if he’s worth keeping around.

(photo: AP)

The Yanks also released Brian Anderson, remember him? He was an outfielder on the White Sox that turned into a pitcher and the Yanks wanted to give him a look. That didn’t last long.

The Yankees also signed Randy Flores to a minor league deal. Flores was originally drafted by the Yankees and was traded to the Rangers in 2001. Last year he was part of the Twins organization.

So things are starting to perkulate Ladies and Gentlemen. Don’t be shocked when Cash makes a splash, groundwork is being laid, moves will be made. Hmmm... I’m a poet…I did not know it.

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