Chansky's Notebook: Yankees Throw In The Towel

Wow, the Yankees are waving a pin-stripe white flag.

When have you ever seen the New York Yankees throw in the towel with a winning record and a chance to still capture one of the wild card berths in the American League? They hit the trading deadline with a 53-52 record and only 5 games out of the playoffs.

But over the last week, the once-was Bombers traded away their three best players and have filled their lineup for August and Septembers with has-beens like Alex Rodriguez and never-beens, at least so far in their pro baseball careers. It started with trading fire-balling closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, almost assuring former Red Sox arch rival Theo Epstein of the National League Central title with his new team. Then the Yankees sent former Carolina star and all-star set-up man Andrew Miller to Cleveland, where Miller has a great chance of getting into the playoffs for the second straight year.

Thus, the Yankees sent two-thirds of the best closing trio in baseball away for young pitchers who will make their farm system look better but gives them no guarantee of being back in contention anytime soon. And then the final straw was trading away 39-year-old Carlos Beltran, their best hitter and slugger and the one guy who could have kept the morale up in the clubhouse for a late-season run.

So this is clearly the end of the old and worn-out Yankees, not as we knew them in the Derek Jeter days. A-Rod gets back into the lineup as the DH by default and veterans like Mark Teixiera and Brian McCann, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury will miss lots of innings from now on as the Yankees test out their new acquisitions and minor league call-ups.

The moves were approved by owner Hal Steinbrenner, who must be thinking that Joe Girardi’s days are numbered in the shake up. Who will be managing them next year is anyone’s guess, as their new pitchers named Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green try to bolster an inconsistent rotation and pick up a proud tradition.

The Yankees surrendering with still a fighting chance? Didn’t see that coming. Now who will be buying the $2500 box seats?