Year: 2006

Note from the King: This post was conceptualized before the Yankees announced Joe Torre wouldn’t be fired.

So I was talking with a Red Sox fan today about the possibility of the Yankees firing Joe Torre. He mentioned that Torre might be a good choice should Boston can their manager.

That thought, combined with some of Torre’s moves in the ALDS made me think, maybe, like another certain Yankees employee, that Torre was trying to get fired.

Still, like I said yesterday, my preference is that the Yankees keep Torre- for one more year. I’m glad they’re keeping him (if nothing else, it shuts up Mike Lupica), meaning the team will have some stability while they make other changes.

Like every other Yankees fan out there, I’m very disappointed by the way they played the last three games of their season.

I’m also disappointed that for me, the winter begins now and we’re left waiting on the front office to make its news.

Until it makes that news, there’s nothing to do but talk about what should be done. Even though the Kingdom isn’t a sports bar and I don’t have an advanced degree in sabermetrics, I still have some ideas about what should be done. And since this is the king’s blog, the king gets to write them.

There’s talk that the Boss wants to fire Joe Torre. That’s his call to make, but I’m not sure that should be done. Sure, Torre made some dumb moves (trusting the Sheff at first in three games, having Rodriguez play musical chairs in the lineup), and Joe seems to have gotten complacent, but these Yankees are his team. And I trust Cashman to make the right moves (without too much interference from Tampa) to get this team on track for next year.

That being said, the only person I’d want to see replace Torre is Lou Pinella.

Changes also need to be made on the field as well.

It was great that Gary Sheffield was willing to try out first base in his last few weeks before free agency. I’d let him be a free agent, and play Melky Cabrera in left, with Matsui DH-ing.

I would NOT trade Alex Rodriguez. Like everyone else, he didn’t produce in the post-season. But you know what he can do, and it would scare me to see that on another team.

Mike Mussina has an option year. I’d say bye-bye to the pitcher who resembles the title character from the “Princess and the Pea.”

And then there’s Randy. The only thing I can do is beg him to retire. He’s said if he feels like he wouldn’t be able to contribute next year, he’d hang ’em up. Please do that Randy. You can’t contribute anymore. I’d love for you to prove me wrong, but I know you won’t.

I’d also let Jared Wright go (I think the team has an option on his contract) and pull a Womack-like disappearing trick with Carl Pavano.

Of course, that leaves your rotation with Wang and a few rookies who threw a few games late in the year, so I’d use the freed-up money to sign Barry Zito and/or Japanese phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka. I’d also give the aforementioned rookies (I originally typed that as “aforementioned wookies”) a shot to hold down the fort until prospects Philip Hughes and Tyler Clippard are ready to play in the big leagues.

I don’t know who else is out there, free agent-wise, but I don’t think that’s where the Yankees need to concentrate. I think they need to continue on their track of getting younger in the spots that are open. And as for those players who you can’t get from within, acquire them wisely.

So how many days until pitchers and catchers?