Steven Goldman has a well-reasoned column in the New York Sun today discussing why it’s important for the Yankees to trade Alex Rodriguez. Here’s a hint: they need to restock on position players. It’s not about the tabloid stuff or the infamous "hah!" Personally I like the tactic but wouldn’t use "hah." When I played sandlot ball we used to shout "Confusion! Confusion!" over and over when a couple of guys would get under a pop-up. It worked once in a while.
Basically A-Rod is still a marketable superstar, and the Yankees are going to have plenty of holes in the near future. It’d be best not to patch them up with more $15MM guys. James Loney plus Matt Kemp from the Dodgers would be perfect, if Ned Colletti would do it. Rodriguez would have to waive his no-trade and provide a window for an extension, I imagine.
Such a strategy, however, runs counter to the Roger Clemens signing. Once Clemens hits the Majors the team will be in full win-now mode, so it’s important to decide whether to trade Rodriguez very soon.
