AGES & SALARIES MATTER TO SPOILED YANKEES FANS

This is the first time in a long time that I'm strongly concerned about next season's Yankees.  My main two concerns are their aging stars and the Steinbrenner's wallets.

Their Ages:  They've just renewed the contracts for several "senior" (in baseball sense) players - Mariano Rivera (43), Andy Pettitte (40), Ichiro Suzuki (39), and Hiroki Kuroda (soon to be 38).  They also just signed Kevin Youkilis (33) because another aging player, A-Rod (37), may not be able to play until at least July because of hip surgery.  Additionally, they have Mark Teixeira (soon to be 33) and Jeter (38) who they hope recovers from ankle surgery by opening day.

For me, 33 years old is when MLB players begin to diminish in regards to health, reflex, and strength issues.  Of course, they typically add experience as a benefit, which is great to have on any team, but if I owned the team I'd want no more than 5 "senior" players to also take advantage of the young athletes and other team mixtures for the most diverse opportunities to win.  Unfortunately, the Yankees are currently projected to have 7 on their Major League team roster by the second week of the season and, once A-Rod gets back, they're anticipated to have 8 which is almost one third of their major league roster!

Salaries:  For the first time in the Steinbrenner era, the Yankees are concerned about salaries!  Their main reason is totally sensible from a business standpoint, even for the most spoiled Yankees fans to accept.  If the Steinbrenners keep the costs of the Yankees 40-man roster including its players' average payroll & benefits under $189 million dollars in the 2014 season, they will reap multiple financial rewards totaling approximately $50 million.  That money will derive from both the MLB luxury tax and market disqualification (a market rebate for teams that have paid luxury tax over the last few years). 

Currently, the average payroll (in millions) for five of the "seniors" that will still be contracted in 2014 (barring trades) includes Sabathia (24.4), A-Rod (27.5), Teixeira (22.5), Ichiro (6.25) and Jeter's option (8.0).  Additionally, I've read that their projected benefits for 2014 will cost $10 million.  Collectively, that's $98.65 million - over 50% of the threshold they need to achieve!!  Furthermore, Robinson Cano's contract expired in 2013 and he and his agent (Scott Boras) will be seeking an average of around $26 million of annual salary!

They obviously need some low-salaried players for the remaining 19 players with a balance of only $64.35 million!  Brian Cashman and his scouting team did a great job over the last few years drafting/trading for such players, but due to some ill-fated injuries to many of the Yankees prospects including Michael Pineda, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Austin Romine, their readiness to provide major low-salaried help from within the organization may not happen in time.

My Surface Solution:  Part of the "Age" issue will lessen in 2014 with the anticipated retirement of Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, along with the expiring contract of Kevin Youkilis.  As for the "Salaries" issue, the expected payroll removal of Rivera, Pettitte, and Youkilis will help, somewhat; but, in addition to that, I would make a gutsy trade.  Although a lot of Yankees fans would argue with me, I would trade Cano in 2013 and/or convince Teixeira (he has a no-trade clause) to accept a trade.  Either or both would certainly offer opportunities to attain multiple low-costing 2014 salaried players with excellent talent in return.  Plus, mathematically, without subtracting Teixeira's and/or Cano's salaries, it is very improbable the Yankees would be able to assemble a competitive team in 2014.  I really like both players a lot, but I further value the Yankees being within striking distance of the championship every year - because I'm a spoiled Yankees fan.