A slow start to a long off-season.

Following the Yankees first playoff-less season in the past 13 years many Yankee fans have been forced to spend their October pondering the 09 edition of the bombers instead of watching our boys go deep into the Autumn bliss. Hot stove has been smoldering for us for the past 5 weeks while other fans have been rooting for their teams in the post-season.

This year was a reminder that I believe this team needed, a reminder that the playoffs are not a given they are a privilege that must be earned. Although it is thought that wearing a pinstriped jersey and playing on the same field as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe Dimaggio means you should make the post-season every year this is simply not the case as the Yanks sat at home while other younger more athletic teams reveled in the October spotlight. However this off-season leaves many question marks as to who is going to be donning the pinstripes next season and who will be looking for a job. As of this moment it appears the Yanks are going to decline the options of Carl Pavano(yuck) and Damaso Marte, 2 moves that I agree with. The Yanks bullpen was solid this year and with Phil Coke's emergence as a viable lefty option and with young lefties looming down on the farm there isn't a need to pay Marte several million dollars to be a lefty match-up guy.

The most glaring holes this off-season are in the rotation and at first base. The prime free agent target this off-season has to be CC Sabathia a dominant lefty in his 20's on the brink of his prime should be given a very attractive offer. Following the big fish there is Mark Teixiera and AJ Burnett. In a perfect world it would be convenient to say "We're the Yankees, lets sign them all!", however there must be other options considered should we miss out on any of those players. Trade options at the head of my personal list are Indians 1B Ryan Garko, and Royals CF David Dejesus. This off-season is sure to be long and very drawn-out however the hot-stove is finally here and we can officially start dreaming of our 09 potential.