With Yankees Reeling, Red Sox Overtaking New York Market
By Blake Yagman
The Yankees Have Become a Consistently Mediocre Team and New Yorkers are turning to the Red Sox.
After winning the World Series in 2004, everything changed. Eighty-six years of utter domination by the New York Yankees culminated with the rise of a new superpower amongst the pillars of baseball: the lovable losers of Boston.
The Boston Red Sox, with a romantic history of loss and despair, have ascended to the top of the American League while the monopolistic Yankees sit confused in it’s pit. Tonight, as the Red Sox look to sweep the Yankees in New York, the rivalry between the two teams takes on a much different feel.
Historically, the Boston Red Sox were seen as comically mismanaged to where it almost seemed as though they were reluctant to win. The Yankees had been completely the opposite. Run by the iron fist of owner George Steinbrenner and catering to a fan base expecting to win every year, the Yankees were the model professional sports franchise. Today, they are unrecognizable.
The Yankees are in fourth place in the AL East and continuing to fall out of contention. All the while, the organization is struggling to proceed forward with either rebuilding the team or attempting to add short-term help for a last ditch, ill-advised run toward the post-season. The Steinbrenner brothers and president Randy Levine apparently do not want to rebuild, clinging desperately to the success of Yankees teams in the past. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who is the man responsible for player personnel, is leaning toward a complete rebuild.
The Yankees current roster is saddled with aging, high-priced former stars who are failing to produce anything close to their previous seasons. Among the players who could be traded, if the Yankees do decide to rebuild, are ex-Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury, relievers Dellin Betances, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, outfielders Brett Gardner and Carlos Beltran, and starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Nathan Eovaldi.
Aside from the few players above, the Yankees do not have much else. They do have over $234 million in salary due to players this year alone, with eight players over 32 years old making $10 million or more this season. For the 2017 season, there are only eight players under contract but still total $125 million for just that season alone. The problem is that those eight players include Ellsbury, Miller and Garner; if the Yankees rebuild and trade those players, they could head into next season with only five players on the roster (which could be four if Alex Rodriguez retires).
As the Red Sox bandwagon continues to swell, it is inevitable that Yankee fans attempt to jump their directionless ship. The Red Sox are what the Yankees once were; either in the running each year, or accepting the fact that there are rebuilding years in between. Rebuilding years allow the team to refresh their farm system, add and season prospects, and shed or restructure salary for future seasons.
Next: Red Sox Acquire Padres Ace Pomeranz
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