If you take the emotion out of it, you realize the Yankees have a good team.

Like every other good team (including the Orioles, if you have been paying attention), they've hit a slump.

I'm quite sure Sal Licata said the same thing about the Mets three weeks ago. The magical fairytale players that are abundantly available to any GM willing to give up on the season in the pursuit of future benefits:

“They’re not gonna do it, but they’d be better off doing it…this team has failed year after year. It’s the same thing. The smarter move to me would be to sell Juan Soto. That’s the piece, because there’s really nothing else.”

"Sell Juan Soto," he says.

Many have questioned the wisdom of "renting" Soto for one year. How much do you expect the Yankees to get back for Soto? From a team who's renting him for half a season?

Unless you know for sure that the Yankees will  sign Soto in the off season, what's the point?

The best thing to do is make the playoffs and then get hot at the right time.

Even if the Yankees lose Soto after the 2024 season, you've got to be some sort of demented Higashioka-phile to think the Soto trade was a bad trade for the Yankees.

The better strategy would be to sell off the over-hyped AA players while they're potentially still worth something.

But the best strategy is to stick with this team. More or less. If you can trade Rizzo and Gleyber for a few fungo bats, be my guest. If you can add a starter who can get into the sixth inning, let's do it. 

If you take the emotion out of it ... if you forget the "Home of Champions" branding and ignore the endless comparisons to the Yankee dynasties ... you'd see the Yankees are one of the best teams in baseball in 2024.

That does not mean 125 wins and a World Series sweep. It means 90 wins and maybe a first-round bye.