New York Yankees: What Will Pinstripes Do in Wake of Jays' Monster Trade?

Like millions around the country, I was a huge baseball fan prior to the Toronto Blue Jays making their recent tidal-wave trade with the Miami Marlins. But thanks to this trade, I am officially an AL East addict.

Someone snatch me a chair! Unlike any other division in baseball, the AL East just became an unpredictable chess match led by mastermind managers that lead a sweet blend of youth, journeymen and superstar players.

Strangely, in this chess match the most enigmatic franchise has become the New York Yankees.

Huge question: What will Hal Steinbrenner and his prestigious crew do in the wake of the Jays' trade?

Will the pinstripes stand pat and continue to go to battle with the players it currently has?

Publicly, Yankees fans have heard time and time again that Yankees ownership is fighting like mad to dip beneath that mean old luxury tax.

Yet that was before the Jays swooped in from the wild blue yonder and pecked the Yankees right in their collective eyeball.

Knowing New Yorkers, this proud bunch is not exactly the type to take getting poked in the eye lightly.

But are the Yankees ticked off enough to pursue a monster trade of their own?

Privately, Brian Cashman has got to be digging in his closet for those dusty boxing gloves so he can fight back against the AL East’s new evil empire across the border.

“Why can’t them damn Canadians just stick to hockey!” Cashman grumbles, angrily rummaging through piles of clothes.

If Cashman can’t find his gloves, perhaps a phone call to Josh Hamilton’s agent will do. What better way to kill two birds (i.e., Blue Jays and Orioles) than hire a rocket launcher like Hamilton?

Perhaps signing a stud like Hamilton will be enough to hold the fort for a ball club that should be MLB’s spokesman for hair-coloring products for middle-aged men.

Or maybe not.

Maybe there is a better way to skin this Blue Jay.

A deeper look at the pinstripes reveals a franchise that owns a fresh crop of talent waiting in the wings. Contrary to opinion, this team has a ton of under-reported talent.

Tyler Austin, Manny Banuelos, Zoilo Almonte, Gary Sanchez and Mason Williams are just five Yankees prospects that may become impact players for this team in the future.

There are also several under-the-radar hitters and pitchers at every level of the Yankees' minor league system that give Yankees fans hope for continued success.

But these players will take time to develop.

Thus, with a big sigh, we return to square one. We return to that splash trade by the Jays that makes even the most seasoned Vegas oddsmaker scream, “The hell if I know!”

But it is this sheer unpredictability that will make the 2013 AL East race that much more fun to watch.

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