The notion that the Yankees didn’t throw money at big free agents or make big veteran acquisitions in the dynasty years is a myth. Jummy Key, David Cone, David Wells, El Duque, Tino, Straw, Boggs, Fielder, etc…

Newsflash, people: averaging a .921 OPS throughout the life of a contract hurts the Yankees.

To help the Yankees, one must make less money, provide merely okay production, and be named Scott Brosius, Paul O’Niell, or Tino Martinez. If you are one of the most productive players in the league (A-Rod, I’m lookin’ at you!), you are hurting the Yankees.

Thus is the wisdom of ‘ken’.

Joel: you said: “Averaging 95+ wins a season and making the playoffs six years in a row is “underachieving.”

This is what it has come to for Yankee fans like this: Dyansty or Bust.”

Not sure why you link together Giambi’s value and overall success. Actually, I’m not one of those fans you describe. I can live with a season or two without playoffs.

My point, as has been made by many others, is that the organization, after the success of the 90′s, changed direction and attempted to put together an all star team every year.

It seems like the ‘baseball people’ have now finally convinced ownership that you can’t keep giving up young talent for older, proven players and thereby paying for their past performance.

If Steinbrenner had been in his prime, players like Cano, Wang, and Melky would be elsewhere.

they should go broke for Teix, with the way this team is setup, they need a second slugger . the fact that he plays a good 1B helps too.

CC Sabathia is intriguing, but i would be much more careful with that.

—Giambi is the poster child for what is wrong with this version of the Yankees. The balanced team of the 90’s morphed into an overpaid underachieving all star team.—

Averaging 95+ wins a season and making the playoffs six years in a row is “underachieving.”

This is what it has come to for Yankee fans like this: Dyansty or Bust.

For $5 million per year, a guy who hits 30 HR knocks in 80-100 runs and has a .900 OPS is a steal. If Giambi can stay healthy enough to get his plate appearances, he is still a very good offensive player.
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But he’s owed $5 million if he doesn’t have his option picked up, so it’s likely $5 million +.

Giambi is the poster child for what is wrong with this version of the Yankees. The balanced team of the 90′s morphed into an overpaid underachieving all star team. Get this guy out of here.

For $5 million per year, a guy who hits 30 HR knocks in 80-100 runs and has a .900 OPS is a steal. If Giambi can stay healthy enough to get his plate appearances, he is still a very good offensive player.

I like Giambi too, but I don’t see him being particularly marketable.