I said the success the sox have had over last few years was due to their farm system. The Yankees farm system is not as strong as the sox, plain and simple. The yankees have put an allstar team on the field 8 times over the last 8 years. They won one playoff series in that time. The sox had just as many bad breaks and injuries as the Yankees down the stretch last year, and they were one game away from another world series. Thats because they have depth.
The Yankees did not have a strong pitching staff during those years.
I'm going to ignore the injury/bad break comment you made, because that is not an excuse. Every team in the MLB can cite examples of injuries or bad breaks that cost them wins. The teams with the depth to compensate succeed.
I agree about depth. But there's a point where it catches up, no matter what. Loosing your #1, 2, and 3 starters, starting C, and starting LF is too much for any team. These were not injuries that were filled with stop gaps, these were season enders.
In regards to the Yankees spending money on bad players, of course the spending of that money cost them to lose. At the time that money was being spent, the yanks continued to put less emphasis on developing players of their own, and in their mind the money that they were spending was worthwhile, and in their mind it would put their team over the top. Who's to say that Burnett (a guy who had two good season during contract years, and a long injury history), is going to buck that trend and be worth the cash they dropped on him? You can say that the Yankees spending money on BAD PLAYERS was the cause of their woes, but those same guys who chose to spend that money on those players is spending money again on new players. The bottom line is that the Yankees spending has not worked for them. It would be an anomaly if that tactic worked for them this year (considering the results of doing the same thing over the last eight years).
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree here. The Yankees did not put less emphasis on developing players. They just haven't had as many prospects "hit". But, in that time, they have produced Cano, Wang, and Chamberlain, which are two #1, 1A type pitchers, and an all-star second baseman. Nobody in the farms system was blocked because of free agent signings. Plus, I know their farm system, and they're stacked at A and AA. Player development takes time.
I agree about Burnett. It's a high risk/high reward signing. Sabathia and Teixeira are not.
I believe that if the Yankees had spent more time developing their own players, they would not have to spend 400+ million to compete with the Sox and the Rays.
The sox were ready to spend 170+ million on Teixeira. Why would they do that since they've supposedly spent "more time" developing their own players? Why did the sox need to overspend on JD Drew, Julio Lugo and Varitek if they're farm system is so stacked?
The Yankees were not in the top ten of runs scored last year, is all this spending going to make them that much better (to be far and away the most potent O in the MLB).
The Yankees had season ending injuries to Posada and Hideki Matsui last year, and a horrible year from Cano. They will score many more runs this year.
The spending on pitching makes more sense, but is CC, Wong and Burnett going to be that much better than Becket, Lester and Dice K, or the product that the Rays rotate every week?
Provided Pettitte signs,
Sabathia/Wang/Burnett/Chamberlain/Pettitte is better than Beckett/Lester/Matzusaka/Wakefield/Masterson or Bucchholz, at least according to what I've read so far.
I think the Tex deal was a good one, but if injuries hit are the yankees going to have the depth it takes to get over the hump?
It depends on who gets hurt and for how long. Just like boston.
