New York Yankees Eliminated in ALDS: What Does the Future Hold for the Bombers?

As a Yankees fan, I hate to think what tonight meant for the Bombers. They were plucky; Robinson Cano continued to hit like a true MVP; and Jeter chipped in far more over the course of the series than most fans would've dreamed possible back in June.

But any way you spin it, the Yankees are in between eras.

And that's the best-case scenario, because that assumes that another era worthy of a name is coming. Jesus Montero, Banuelos and Betances doesn't exactly feel like the Jeter/Rivera/Posada era. Part of me feels like we've heard this before. Only last time it was Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy.

Yankees fans have to face it. The A-Rod contract is every bit as bad as we feared it would be. The Yankees infield and DH situation is so crowded that Pujols and Prince Fielder are impossible free agent targets, no matter what fans might dream.

That's the problem here. How does this all end?

It probably ends with adding three years and $75 million onto CC Sabathia's contract, as well as probably throwing AJ Burnett money at CJ Wilson. Because however the Yankees spin it, their plan always included acquiring Cliff Lee. Without him, the Yankees rotation won't be able to cover for an aging corps of hitters over the next few years.

Do you even want to add up the amount of money owed to A-Rod, Jeter, Rafael Soriano and AJ Burnett next season? The Rays dream of being able to spend that much money on their entire payroll. Realistically, about $25 million per season should be enough to lock up all four players. The Yankees will spend almost four times that much money.

I guess that's the Yankee way, right?

Full disclosure here: I'm a Yankees fan. Forever. I'm just not sure how we get out of this.

The Yankees did the right thing by not overpaying for Ubaldo Jimenez. But the Tigers showed the Yankees and the Red Sox how crucial a seemingly minor acquisition like Doug Fister could be.

All right, Yankees fans and haters, I want to hear what you think. What went wrong? Is there hope? What does the future hold for the Bronx Bombers?

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