Yankees are at a crossroads

The New York Yankees seem to have their pitching straightened out. Chien Ming-Wang and Mike Mussina are back from injuries. Matt DeSalvo and Darrell Rasner look capable. Roger Clemens will arrive soon, and Phil Hughes will be healthy again in a few weeks.

The Yankees, though, seem to have another problem. And I'm not referring to the fact that they are under .500 (17-19) and far enough behind Boston (8.5 games) that they need binoculars to find the Red Sox.

I'm talking about the fact that they can't seem to hit. In their last seven games, the Yankees have scored two or fewer runs four times. Sunday, they made Seattle's Horacio Ramirez, who entered the game with an ERA above 7.00, look like an All-Star.

The Yankees have scored a lot of runs overall so far this season, and most of their early struggles were due to the inconsistent starting pitching. This offensive malaise is troubling, however, mostly due to the players affected.

Bobby Abreu is hitting .236, has a pitiful .291 slugging percentage and looks lost. Robinson Cano is hitting .237 and is so undisciplined of late he might swing if the ball was rolled to home plate. Johnny Damon is hitting .259. Alex Rodriguez is 2-for-17 and has a paltry 5 RBI in his last 17 games. Jason Giambi is in an 0-for-17 slide.

You have to figure that Cano, who hit .342 last season, will rebound. Also, A-Rod was bound to cool off after his torrid start. He will wind up above .300 with 40+ homers and 120+ RBI.

When you look around at the rest of the roster, though, I think there is legitimate cause for concern.

Abreu's power numbers have been declining for years. This year he has just one home run and isn't walking much, either. At 33 and in the final year of a contract that pays him $16 million annually, you have to wonder if he is on the decline.

Damon, 33, is still a good player, but he is breaking down. Last year, it was mostly shoulder and foot problems. This year, he has been beset by back and leg problems. He can't throw, his range is beginning to suffer and from day-to-day you never know if he is going to be able to play. The Red Sox might have been right not to offer him a four-year contract, like the Yankees did. In two years, Damon might be nothing more than a broken down pinch hitter (just like a certain former outfielder the Yankees didn't want around this year).

Giambi, 36, is also breaking down. He is now almost exclusively a DH, and is battling a painful bone spur on his heel that seems to affect his ability to run, and more importantly, to hit. Giambi, like Damon, can still play but even as a DH might not be durable enough to be counted on all the time.

Even Hideki Matsui, who is still a reliable, clutch hitter is showing signs of aging. He will be 33 next month, spent most of last season on the disabled list, and has already visited the DL this year. That after an ironman streak that extended well back into his days as a dominant player in Japan.

What it comes down to, short term, is the Yankees desperately need A-Rod to resume having a monster season. Derek Jeter (.375) and Jorge Posada (.365) are off to great starts, but they can't carry this team. On the current roster, only A-Rod can do that. Even with all the big names and star power, if he does not hit this team won't score consistently.

Long term it means they Yankees have lots of decisions to make, not only about the shape of their pitching staff beyond this season, but about the everyday lineup they put on the field.

Will they keep A-Rod, who can opt out of his contract after this season? Do they let Abreu walk and go after a center fielder like Ichiro or Andruw Jones? Do they need a first baseman, or can they keep piecing it together and hoping Eric Duncan finally develops? What will happen with Mariano Rivera, another star in the final year of his contract?

So, this Yankees team is at a crossroads. Maybe, just maybe, all of these fading veterans have enough gas left in the tank to make one last championship run. In 2005, the Yankees trailed by 9 games in early May, but still won the division. Right now, though, you have to wonder. Is this team just slumping, or is it getting old and losing its grip?

If the answer ends up being the latter, there's no telling what the 2008 roster will look like.

technorati tags: New York Yankees, Baseball, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Abreu