When the New York Yankees traded for their former nemesis Randy Johnson last winter, it looked like the critical move that would finally restore them to glory.
The Yankees were in desperate need of a horse they could ride into the postseason, and Randy Johnson has always been a first-class thoroughbred. But things have not gone as planned for the Bombers.
New York has been riddled with injuries, especially on the mound. Though their lineup has been as potent as expected, the pitching staff has been depleted to the point that they are depending on players like journeyman Aaron Small and minor leaguers like Chien-Ming Wang, who has recently been placed on the DL as well.
Mike Mussina, normally a model of consistency, has had some awful starts this season and is now fighting tendonitis. The Yankees signed over-rated Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright and they have paid for it, as both have had ineffective and injury-plagued seasons. Kevin Brown's injury history has also caught up with him once again, as he will sit out the rest of the season with back problems.
The Yanks acquired starting pitchers Al Leiter and Shawn Chacon during the season in hopes of stabilizing the rotation. Though Leiter pitched well initially, he has faded and been banished to the bullpen. Chacon also ignited New York with some hot pitching early, but he has also cooled somewhat since.
Meanwhile, Johnson has not quite been the savior he was advertised to be. While his 4.05 ERA isn't terrible, his strikeout rate has declined, his home-run rate has spiked, and he might be starting to show his age.
It has been players like Small and Wang that have kept the Yankees in the race. The bad news for the Bombers is that Small is not a rookie phenom with unlimited potential. He's a 33-year-old journeyman who posted less-than-stellar minor league numbers. Small has come up big for the Yankees thus far, but look for him to fade down the stretch or in the playoffs (assuming New York makes it that far). Yankee fans have more reason to be excited about Wang, as he is just 25 years old. However, he projects more as a solid fourth starter than as an ace.
Another major problem for New York is that their bullpen no longer has the depth it did in past years. Though Mariano Rivera is as dominant as ever, and Tom Gordon is once again playing his role well as setup man, it gets dicey after that. The Yankees have to depend on players like Tanyon Sturtze to get important outs in the seventh inning. It's gotten so bad that Ramiro Mendoza even made an appearance last week and yielded a few runs.
New York also sports a spotty defense at some important positions. Jason Giambi is mediocre at best at first base, and Bernie Williams is so slow in centerfield that New York has tried several lineup combinations just to keep him out of the position.
On a brighter note, New York's offense has been almost as dominant as advertised. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is the front-runner for Most Valuable Player in the American League. Giambi, despite his poor play in the field, has turned his season around offensively and now leads the majors in on-base percentage while swatting 29 home runs. Right fielder Gary Sheffield, shortstop Derek Jeter, and left fielder Hideki Matsui have all put up solid numbers at the plate as well.
So what does the future hold for New York? The Yankees are not currently leading the AL East or the wild-card race, but there's enough time left that they could take either. The rest of the Yankees' season is up in the air, but one thing is painfully clear: this is not the same New York team that has been a World Series favorite nearly every year since 1996.
