Dan Graziano's Master Plan.

"Somebody's asking for Tom Gordon, willing to part with a nice package of players because there's such a severe demand for late-inning relief pitching? Think about it. There's no reason Gordon should be untouchable. He's a free agent at the end of the year. Because the Yankees are so bad, he almost never pitches."

Tom Gordon is tied for the American League lead in appearances.

If you're going to build an effective argument, it helps to use factual information.


"But in case anybody hasn't noticed, the Yankees still haven't qualified for this year's playoffs. As of yesterday afternoon, they trailed two teams in their own division and four in the wild-card race, and all of those teams look better than they do."

Thanks for the update. But everybody has noticed, and I do mean everybody.

Also, why does Graziano say that "all of those teams look better" than the Yankees? They absolutely don't.

The Rangers are stumbling, the Orioles are stumbling, even the Twins are stumbling lately. The Yankees are three games back in the wild card race. All of the teams in the wild card race stink.

The Indians are two games up on the Yankees, and they haven't given up on the season, have they? (If they have, maybe they can send Kevin Millwood our way.)

"Face Facts, Cleveland, and sell, sell, SELL!"


"The Yankees need to take a look at anybody who doesn't have a no-trade clause. That means Gary Sheffield, who's in the second year of a three-year deal and may be at peak value. That means Jorge Posada, who's due $17.5 million next year and looks like a player in decline."

Oh, please. Posada is the second-best catcher in the American League, and he'll be the best as soon as Varitek hits an extended slump.

Posada is a career .270 hitter who is hitting .276 this season. He is on pace for his typical season, which is .270, 20 hrs, 80 rbis, and a lot of walks. Those are excellent offensive stats for a catcher. If you don't believe me, wait until you try to replace him.

Besides, if Posada is a player in decline, and if he's due $17.5 million next year ... then who is going to accept him in a trade? Does Graziano think that John Flaherty as a full-time catcher is going to significantly help the Yankees next year?


What kind of a solution is Graziano offering? Trade Gordon, Sheffield, and Posada and the Yankees' problems are solved?

For whom are they being traded? To which teams? I don't understand.

We all know the Yankees are bad. They are 39-37 and in third place. The record speaks for itself.

The Yankees are not mathematically out of the race, but unless they start pitching a lot better, they'll probably be battling Toronto all season for third place rather than battling Minnesota for the wild card.

First place in the AL East is a pipe dream. I'm not even factoring that into the equation.

Having said that, how is the team any better if they trade away the few players who are actually performing well? Sure, if you promised me 100 wins in 2006 in exchange for the entire team, I'd sign up for it today. But how is this going to happen? How is trading Tom Gordon helping the team's future?

Graziano seems to realize his own failing argument mid-article:

"Trading Gordon would undoubtedly weaken the bullpen, especially if Tanyon Sturtze eventually has to go back into the shredded starting rotation. Trading Sheffield would deprive the Yankees of their second-best hitter. And trading Posada would result in every pitch thrown by a Yankee pitcher going straight to the backstop, because there would be nobody there to catch them."

Well done, Dan Graziano. You just shredded Dan Graziano's master plan.