Making the playoffs every year since 2002 isn’t exactly “not winning squat.” The playoffs are short series crapshoots, and we have come out on the short end over the last few years.

I’m not saying dump out the entire farm system. I just saying that sometimes a top prospect has to be dealt for a legitimate star.

We can trade Hughes and still have a strong farm system.

Joel, I find this sentence — “I happen to like signing free agent superstars and playing big games in October every year” — kind of amusing. When the Yankees won (’96-’01) they did it with a MIX of homegrown talent and free agents. But since then, it’s all been free agents (Mussina, Giambi, Matsui, Sheffield, Pavano) and we haven’t won squat. If the Yankees’ dynasty proves anything, it’s that you CAN’T buy a ring. You need a mix of players. I know it’s a broken record, but the Yankees had five homegrown players as major contributors in that run (Jeter, Mo, Posada, Andy and Bernie).

The only way to stay alive in baseball is to have a strong farm system. Even if it’s to trade them to make deals. Hughes could blow his arm out tomorrow, but he could also win fifteen games in two years. When you have that potential in your hands, why give it away? The Yankees need to get younger, and that starts with Hughes, and hopefully continues with Cox, Tabata, Jackson, Duncan, etc., etc., etc.

Joel, the future’s been now every year since April 2002 and every year we’ve come up short precisely because we’ve deviated from the course that made us great in the first place.

Boston won their title in 2004 and has several years of Lester, Hansen, Papelbon, Delcarmen and other young arms to look forward to. That means that with their combination of young arms and big bags of money, they’ll be in the mix for several years. The Yankees are heading in that direction where they will combine their tremendous cash advantage to what is becoming a far better minor league system thanks to Hughes, Tabata, Jackson, and Cox.

It’s always nice to win and be in the mix and the Yankees are most definitely in the mix. But in order for them to keep you happy by playing in Octobers years from now, they have to resist trading guys like Hughes for a shot in the dark that Soriano might be able to bring them back to the playoffs. If he doesn’t, the Yanks will have to watch Hughes spinning shutout innings for the other guy.

I know that prospects might not amount to much but sometimes you have to find out for yourself. It hurts a lot less to get burned by a prospect that busts for you than to get burned by a prospect that goes on to All-Star games for someone else.

Baileywalk, believe me I know what Hughes is. I know he is a great prospect.

But the simple fact is that nobody knows what Hughes will be until he gets to the majors. There have been a ton of “can’t miss” guys like Hughes who never amounted to much. The guy could just as easily be Jaret Wright as he could be Roger Clemens. Pitching is the most iffy thing out there.

And I, for one, do not moan and groan about the young talent we gave away. I happen to like signing free agent superstars and playing big games in October every year. For me, there will little consolation watching other teams play in October and, like an old-style Met fan, talk about the “great prospects” just around the corner.

Derek Jeters and Mariano Riveras do not grow on trees and do not last forever. The future is now.

Sori isn’t exactly a kid at thirty years old. But even with his good year this season, his problems still exist: in 342 ABs he’s struck out 79 times and walked 32 times. His OBP is .334. He’s jacking mistakes out every time a pitcher makes them, but he’s still the same offensive player (hacks at everything and strikes out a ton). He’s also a lousy defensive player (in the outfield or the infield). Could he help the team? Probably. But I think it’s more likely he signs with them next year as a free agent. The Nats think they can get a good minor-league player for Sori. But he’s not worth Hughes.

Oh come on! The guy is in a little slump and now the league “knows how to pitch to him?” Scouting reports are everywhere. The league knew his weaknesses from day one. If anything he has been at a disadvantage because this is his first season seeing NL pitching on a daily basis.

You may not want to trade Hughes. Fine. But Soriano is a star–a proven 35-40 home run, 100 RBI, 30+ steals guy who is entering the prime of his career.

Joel, no offense, but your dismissal of Hughes, and you saying “he’s probably a great double-A prospect,” tells me you don’t know much about Hughes or the impact he could have on this team. Hughes is now officially the best right-handed pitching prospect in the minors. It’s not going to take him till 2010 to be in the rotation. He’ll be there in ’08 at the latest. But with the way things have been going, he could even be there next year (to start or at mid-season).

Soriano is not going to win the Yankees a world championship. As you say, this team is old, and Hughes is the type of player you build the next generation around. Hughes and Tabata are like Andy and Jeter — the homegrown guys you bring up and build a team around.

I would hate to see the Yankees miss the playoffs this year — it would be embarrassing — but trading Hughes would be the dumbest thing the Yankees ever did. Yankee fans now cry about the young guys we gave away, even though most haven’t amounted to anything. Hughes will be a star somewhere. You know how Mets fans still weep when they see Scott Kazmir dominating? That will be us.

Yankee fans drool over a Liriano or a Santana or Verlander or Kazmir — well, guess what? Hughes is that kind of pitcher. A young pitcher we drafted and developed who will make an impact on the team. Trading him would be a depressing move by the Yankees.

IIRC, Soriano was a bust in the ’03 ALCS too.

Also, could his HR total this year be the NL not knowing that he’s a hacker? How has he done lately now that the league knows how to pitch to him?

Steve, you dismiss Soriano as if he was Enrique Wilson. He had a bad series against the Marlins in ’03. Big deal.

I’ll take enough of Soriano’s 26 homers and 55 RBI in half a season–in a very tough stadium for home run hitters and with little protection in the Washington lineup.

He is entering his prime and is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the game. He would be an immediate difference-maker for this team. We can easily resign him to a long-term deal and not exercise the option on Sheffield.

I’m sure Hughes is a great double A prospect,but this team is built to win now. Jeter is 32, Damon 32, A-Rod 31, Giambi 35, Posada 35, Mussina 37, etc… I would be OK trading Hughes for a guy who may well be on his way to Cooperstown.

We can still make the post-season if we get the offense going again. And once you get in, anything can happen.

Send Chacon to AAA to see if he’s truly dead, or only mostly dead.

I would trade Hughes — for Liriano or Santana. Which ain’t gonna happen.

What about trading Melky for an offensive upgrade in the OF?