The Bronx-side Story: New York Yankees Payroll Never Leaves Them Out of the Mix

As a fan of the salary cap, I have always despised the Yankees.  It seemed to me as if they just bought the best players because they had the most money.  As a young baseball fan in the Midwest, it was hard for me to watch the Yankees in the postseason year after year while my Chicago White Sox and rival Chicago Cubs, among others, displayed mediocrity.

But as I am sitting again, a more mature fan, someone who understands the game well, I am struck in a slightly different situation.  The Yankees have more than one team competing with them in the AL East.

It seems that during every season, when it's an uphill battle for the Yanks, experts and analysts wonder, "Is this the year that Jeter fails to make the postseason?" or, "Have the Bronx Bombers fallen back to the pack?"  But again, this year is different.  With the Red Sox still a challenge and the surprise Rays spending significant time in first place, this seemed like the year that these rumors were finally reality.

That is, until new chairman Hank Steinbrenner (pictured, right) picked the right time to sign the right players.  It seems like the new guy learned a thing or two from his papa, George Steinbrenner (pictured, left).

As we all know, the Yankees have by far the largest payroll in the major leagues.  That makes them a "win now" team every season.  After acquiring seasoned veteran and slugging first baseman/designated hitter Richie Sexson from Seattle, they acquired average and power hitting Xavier Nady and solid set-up man Damaso Marte for minor leaguers.

Which brings me to my next point: these guys are never out of a race.  When the road seems a little more bumpy than usual, they get what they need.  They will trade away young prospects and bench players on the active roster for what they need.  And if that wasn't enough, they will feed the team a few hundred thousand big ones to put icing on the cake.  This is why everyone is willing to work with the Yankees (outside of the AL East of course). 

Needing an extra bat that can knock in runs at the bottom of the order?  Snag Nady.  Looking for a new set-up reliever to bridge to Mariano Rivera?  Go grab Marte.  Want a veteran slugger known for his left handed pop?  Bring in Sexson.

I have always been able to respect the Yankees despite my jealousy.  But this string of deals that will surely upgrade them in the areas they are weak have made my respect much stronger.  These deals make them the wild card favorite yet again.

I don't think I can stand to watch another Yankee playoff appearance.  But I do know that they're management knows how to give them a chance to win now.  And that is why they have 26 World Series titles.

Read 'em and weep, boys.