Are We There Yet?

Hello Everyone my name is Stephen Crociata and I am the newest contributer to The Pinstriper. I am 19 years old and I'm currently attending Iona College for my degree in Sports Management. I hope to someday work for a MLB franchise and experience what is like to run things behind the scenes. I am a die hard NY Yankee, NY Giant, and Colorado Avalanche fan; I also spend most of my free time on Yahoo! Sports just so I know exactly what is happening. i only sleep about 7 hours a day at max so you can be assured I read up on exactly what is happening in the sports world as much as humanly possible. Enough about me though I have an issue I would like to get to.

Drew Henson, Eric Duncan, and Bronson Sardinha three names most Yankee fans know very well. They were all "up and comers" who were going to be the future of the Yankees. Only Duncan is still with the Yankees, but he is more and more looking like a career minor leaguer. These are notables but they are not alone the Yankees have dealt with this for a while and luckily of late with guys like Cano, Cabrera, and Gardner fortunes may be changing. The major difference is that the recent success of Yankee farm hand is actually more of a pleasant surprise, but the expected future hasnt materialized. Now welcome Austin "AJAX" Jackson the name that has been piped into the brains of all Yankee fans since 2005. The 2010 season is approaching and many may be asking "Are we there yet?" is this the time of Jackson, and it may be a surprise but I say still not yet. I have a lot of confidence in Austin, as do I with the other big Yankee prospects such as Romine and Montero, but I believe its just not his time. Almost a SO a game this season in AAA for AJAX and it was not because of a surplus of power, 4 HR in 504 AB. Jackson is still young, 21, and there are benefits for the team and him if he sticks with Wilkes-Barre for a little longer. In my opinion the Yankees can use a few "bridges" to their prospects.

This offseason may be very impactful on the future success of the NY Yankees. If a guy like Mike Cameron is brought in to solidify the CF job for a season or two he becomes the "bridge" to Austin Jackson. The same can be done for Jesus Montero, who has not shown to be a great catcher, if he is moved to RF fan favorite Nick Swisher becomes his so called bridge, and another could include Posada handing off his place behind the plate to Austin Romine. This all will be essential to keeping the Yankees young and establishing Cashman's initial goal which was to entirely build the Yankees from the inside (obvious with some outside additions).