No longer banking on Yanks

In years past the best source for a win was a New York Yankees starter. No matter who climbed the hill for the Bronx Bombers you knew that Bronx Bombing lineup would be enough to help get the job done more often than not. Not anymore. For starters, Yankee starters Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Kei Igawa are changing that notion thanks to their utter futility. Hughes (DL), Kennedy (sent to minors) and Igawa (struggled in his first 2008 start) can't seem to hold down the last starting spot in the Yankees rotation, and thanks to Hughes' injury the pinstripes turned to the not-so-spectacular Darrell Rasner. He's underwhelming statistically, but Rasner did win his first start of the season and was once a freshman All-American at Nevada (14-2 record in 2000).

Pitching, however, is not the Yanks main problem. Instead, it is the once opponent-terrorizing offense which suddenly looks terrifyingly offensive by Ruthian standards. New York is 15th in runs scored in the Majors with 162 touches of home plate entering the weekend. That sandwiches the biggest payroll in baseball between the penny-pushing Marlins and the underachieving Rockies. With Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada on the DL plus Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano struggling to hit their own weight, it might be a while before NY pitching (especially the back end of the staff) can be counted on to win each time out. As a whole the Yanks stand one game under .500 through 35 games this spring.

Rasner and Igawa are not worth much based on their own merit. Without above-average run support, they become below-average fantasy options in terms of earning wins. And if this option comes stumbling into the House that Ruth Built anytime soon, well, packing it up for that new home in 2009 might be the Yankees only option in real baseball terms.