The True New York Agenda, Pt. 1

It is a not a normal day, especially in New York, if there aren't questions or drama involving the New York Yankees buzzing through the baseball world. As soon as the final out of the Divison Series was recorded and the Yankees were officially eliminated from the playoffs, the speculation began about the future of manager Joe Torre and the extent of George Steinbrenner's recent ultimatum. The wrath was surely thought to be effective immediately.

As the remaining week of the postseason looms, the situation in the Bronx has become more clear. Sort of. The front office softened their words, and even offered a one-year contract to Joe Torre to keep him on board. The offer undermined all of the work Torre has put in during his tenure and the success he brought to the organization.

Fittingly, Torre rejected the offer and decided to walk away from the Yankees on his own terms. This was by far the best thing to do. Torre deserved much more respect than that from a ballclub that he has given so much.

The managerial search is now in progress with interviewing taking place. This is certainly an important situation that will be resolved, but it is not the most important thing for the Yankees this offseason. If they put an average manager in the dugout, they will still be the favorites to win the divison purely because of all the talent that is on the roster.

With that, here are the first five more important things for the Yankees than their managerial search (and in no particular order):

1) ALEX RODRIGUEZ

Scott Boras likes to play hardball with any organization he is negotiatiing with, and therefore is known for getting his clients the most possible money on the market. That scenario is in place again this winter as Alex Rodriguez has an opt out clause that could make him a free agent. Boras will undoubtedly encourage Rodriguez to exercise that clause, much like he did with J.D. Drew last year.

It is imperative for the Yankees to reach an agreement on a contract extension without A-Rod opting out. For one, their subsidy from the Texas Rangers will still be in place, allowing them to escape some of the total dollars that will be owed to Reodriguez over the length of his new contract.

The Yankees will also keep some validity in their word because General Manager Brian Cashman repeatedly announced that the Yankees would not pursue Rodriguez if he opted out of his current contract. The extension would save the Yankees from having to show their hand. But most importantly, without A-Rod in the lineup, the Yankees production will take a big hit. They still have many great hitters, but the power threat is slowly but surely dissipating once the arguement gets past the Yankee third baseman. Jason Giambi is not the power htiter he once was, and Hideki Matsui has battled injuries recently and can not be depended on to supply the bulk of the power.

2) JORGE POSADA

It is hard to say that Posada or the following player are any more important than Alex Rodriguez because, frankly, Rodriguez is the best player on the planet. But these next two guys certainly are not less important. The Yankees must step up and give the years and dollars that Posada wants in order to keep him in pinstripes. It will probably be more than they should have to pay for him on the market, but the Yankees have no leverage because they don't have any great young catchers waiting to take over the starting position.

Jose Molina is not capable of being a starter, nor can me even come close to matching Posada offensively or defensively. Not many guys can. Posada has shown strides on the offensive side in recent years that make him one of the best catchers in the game, even as he is approaching his late 30s. Posada had a great year hitting .338 with 20 homeruns and 90 RBI. That is 3 homers and 3 RBI less than 2006, but the batting average is 61 points higher compared to his 2006 mark. That gives us reason to believe that his emergence at the plate is no fluke, as he has put two productive seasons together in a row.

The most important part of the catching position, though, is the defense and handling a pitching staff. Posada is second to none in these categories. With the Yankees filtering in young arms from the farm system, Posada may never be more vital than now, considering his strengths of being able to manage a game. With Posada back in 2008, the pitching staff will flourish, and it will also help the new coaching staff get adjusted.

3) MARIANO RIVERA

Rivera rebounded from early season struggles to turn in 30 saves in 2007. The team's struggles did not help Rivera in his journey to regain his dominance, as there were not many save opportunities being thrown his way through the first 2 1/2 months of the year.

The bullpen was the eyesore of the Yankees this year, mainly the middle relief. When there is a guy like Rivera out on the market, especially considering he has been a lifetime Yankee, it is key for New York to bring him back. He gives a steady presence for the young guys and is one of the most reliable safety nets a team can have for the 9th inning.

For a team that reaches the postseaons every year and is so adamant about winning the World Series every season, it would make zero sense to let the best postseason closer in baseball hsitroy walk away. Not only does Rivera bring elite closer performance back, but to lose him would be like New York losing the Statue Of Liberty, San Francisco losing the Golden Gate Bridge, or Washington D.C. losing the White House. A piece of history and tradition being allowed to walk away for free. You get the idea.

4) FUTURE OF JOBA CHAMBERLAIN

Joba Chamberlain stormed to the big leagues after ripping through the Yankees farm system and picked up his dominance right where he left it at Triple-A. The phenom serves as the Yankees set-up man and pitcher 24 innings, striking out 34 batters and yielding 1 earned run.

Orignially a starter, Chamberlain's stuff played out so well in the bullpen that there is speculation about whether or not he should even be moved back into the starting rotation. He would hold much more value as a starter since he has ace potential, but he could become more useful for the ballclub if he takes over the closer role assuming Rivera doesn't come back.

This situation is shaping up like a Jonathan Papelbon case more and more. The only hope that Chamberlain's switch back to the rotation will be accepted better is that the Yankees, unlike the Red Sox at the time, are not struggling to find a reliable 9th inning arm.

Regardless of the scenario, the Yankees need to make up their mind soon so that Joba can train accordingly in the offseason. Most importantly, the must stick with whatever decision they decide. With starting pitching being the obvious inconsistency in the postseason this year, Chamberlain should begin being groomed to take over the #1 starter role.

5) STARTING ROTATION

The starting rotation is an area that could be very susceptible to bad outings next year, or it could end up beign a strength. All of that depends on a few different issues. The first would be what was talked about above, regarding Joba Chamberlain. If he is thrust into the rotation, that will automatically give them a boost.

Andy Pettitte has a player option for 2008, but needs to decide if he wants to return to New York or retire. The lefthander would give the Yankees a stable veteran in the rotation, something that would be easily accepted behind ace Chien-Ming Wang. It was Pettitte, not Wang, who pitched like the ace in the postseason, still showing that he an dominate and come up big in critical games.

Phil Hughes took a step toward maturing as a pitcher when he turned in a solid relief appearance against Cleveland in Yankee Stadium. With a year of experience under his belt, the righthander should be able to win a spot in Spring Training and start building on the confidence he gained in the playoffs. Hughes has been tabbed the next ace for quite a while now, and the sooner he reaches that level, the better.

The fifth starter should be Ian Kennedy as the kid from Southern California was called up to replace the struggling Mike Mussina and turned in three great starts allowing only 4 earned runs in 19 innings of work. Kennedy could prove to be the key to the rotation as he should win quite a few games in pinstripes next year as Hughes and Chamberlain recieve the bulk of attention.