That's not what key means.

Dominguez is not an afterthought. He is supposedly a star of the future with potential. At this stage of his career, his is easily replaceable.

The other three players listed are afterthoughts.

Winning is fun.

Soto is a grown man who will make his decision for himself. The psychoanlysis is tedious:

“There is a rigid, robotic-like, buttoned-up feel to the Yankees...there’s something to that type of environment versus the looser, maybe more fun type of environment that the Mets have. Maybe Juan Soto likes that as well.”

The Mets may be more fun than the Yankees.

I've heard his excuse many times when the Yankees are playing poorly.

The Mets are certainly in the running for Soto. They can afford him while many teams can't.

I wouldn't expect Soto to sign for a discount just because the Mets play super-competitive canasta games in the locker room and his teammates are allowed to grow lengthy sideburns.

I can imagine Cashman at the negotiating table, offering the perks that have infiltrated corporate America: "Final offer: Fifteen years, $750 million ... and a free Galaga machine in the locker room."

It's also an ironic observation, because which is it, Sal?

The Yankees are uptight? Or the Yankees lost the World Series because they lack fundamentals and need to tighten up?

Sports talk radio is mostly a grift.

A MLB team just won 94 games and made the World Series. The negative reaction wouldn't change even if the Yankees had won the World Series.

Because the answer is always to trade everyone or break down the team and start from scratch.

I mean ... is it even fun to concoct these scenarios and put them out on the air just to get a reaction?

Even after Stanton's performance in the playoffs, he isn't worth much. He's a fragile one-trick pony. I wouldn't even be hesitant to trade him to an AL East rival.

So trade Giancarlo Stanton.

Trade Giancarlo Stanton to the Padres.

The Yankees will still have to pay 80% of his salary and, in return, the Yankees will get ... let's see ... ummm ... two minor league bullpen pitchers.

"Rebuilding the team" is a surefire key to success.

It's a bitter pill to swallow, but no one is arguing with him.

This is all true, but the regular season counts, too.

"The Braves got unlucky because they had to play a double header" is weak.

The Braves had to play a double header because they didn't win enough games in the regular season.

Then, they didn't get a first-round bye.

Like it or not, the teams aren't power-ranked when the playoffs start. Like it or not, the Yankees almost won the World Series. The bullpen pitched well, they hit a lot of home runs, they got their walks, and most of the games were very close.

Four games to one isn't close, but the crowing is because it's fun to beat the Yankees' brand. The brand has outperformed the team for decades.

It is accurate to say that talent lost out to fundamentals, but as is the case with the 2024 Yankees, their talent almost compensated for their lack of fundamentals. The World Series was not a Dodger blowout.

 

As for as Kelly's crowing, it's totally embarrassing and no one can dispute what he's saying.

It's Gary Sanchez being the only catcher in MLB history who jumps out of the way of the tag.

It's supposed future superstar Jasson Dominguez proudly proclaiming that he's going to practice his fielding. Because he wows the scouts with home runs, he apparently hasn't taken care of the fundamentals that he should have handled when he was fifteen years old.

Why doesn't Cole sprint to first base? I have no idea. You struck out two batters in a row with the bases loaded after your teammates committed back-to-back errors. That's the hard part. The sprint to first base is the celebratory easy part. Sprint to first base and get to Game Six and cross your fingers that Rodon pitches well.

Judge took his eye off the ball. It was a rare, poorly-timed goof up by a fundamentally sound player.

That was a shocker. It adds to his choker credentials for sure.

The rest of the Yankee garbage in the field and on the basepaths was entirely predictable and par for the course.

The headline and tag suggest this article is about the Jets.

It's gloating about the Yankee defeat.

Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, and the final coup de grace is a zinger lacking in self-awareness: "The Yankees are the other baseball team in town."

Then stop talking about them so much, huh?

The 3-6 Jets saved their season and are going to the Super Bowl.

The AL Champs Yankees are garbage.

Mookie Wilson, Mookie Wilson, Mookie Wilson.

Also, can we please discuss this bogus "transitive property" idea that the Mets outperformed the Yankees in 2024?

The Yankees made the World Series.

The Mets did not make the World Series.

The pride that the Mets take in losing to the eventual Champions? The same team that beat the Yankees?

Who even cares?

I don't remember any parades for the Yankees in 2017 ... or 2018 ... or 2022. Just Mission Not Accomplished: You Lost in the Playoffs.

Just like the Mets in 2024.

The Mets might be on the verge of a true dynasty, but Lupica has said the same thing for decades.