Can You Taste It?

Mmmmm, post-season. I like post-season.

But just to annoy people, I've been fantasizing about next year. I won't be upset, so much, if they keep A-Rod. but if he opted out, he would cost us $30 mil. Imagine if A-Rod didn't come back, they didn't take the option on Abreu ($16 mil) (I don't think he gets along with Melky -- neither does Matsui so much either but he's never gonna let it interfere), Jason Giambi got traded because he was sick of riding the bench and lots of teams would take a cheater who can pound them out of the park at $20 mil for one year, obviously we wouldn't bring back Clemens. You had Damon for one year platooning with a kid from the minors in right. (Take your pick.) Our only hole would be at third base and our payroll would be $66 million less than it would be otherwise, mostly by getting rid of people who have no everyday role and that we don't need. How awesome would it be to be the best team, one of the youngest and be smart enough NOT to have to have the biggest payroll in baseball? (Get rid of the injury prone Damon and you're looking at $80+ mil in savings -- more than most teams. I'm assuming Mussina will be gone so won't count that as a savings) and a group of mostly home grown guys that include Jeter, Posada (who needs some kid to mentor), Pettitte (?), Rivera, Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain, Wong, Cano, Melky, Matsui, Phillips, with Duncan maybe on the bench along with some other savvy pickups of vets who can role play. I'm all tingly.