Can any of you remember the last time the New York Yankees missed the playoffs? As hard as it may seem to believe, it wasn’t that long ago; 2008 to be exact, the first year of the Joe Girardi era, which eventually resulted in the Yankees’ 27th World Series title the following season. There are a few things of note that need to be brought up about the 2008 season which reflect heavily upon the state that Yankees are currently in. Looking back on that roster the Yankees were filled to the brim with superstars still in the early-to-last days of their prime, such as: Derek Jeter, Melky Cabrera, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Brett Gardner, Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Abreu, Ivan Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, Mariano Rivera and Mike Mussina in the final year of his career. That season the Yankees were only good enough to muster out a third place finish in the American League Eastern Division with a record of 89-73. Had the Yankees been in the AL Central that season, they would have made the playoffs over the Chicago White Sox. This season, only four of those stars still remain on the team, let alone in the league: Pettitte, Cano, Gardner and Rivera. The rest of team is outfitted with scabs and rejects from other teams who found themselves unwanted by their former clubs or were merely a tactical maneuver in an attempt to shed some payroll dollars off. In either case, the Yankees are still humming along in one of the toughest division in baseball at a record of 52-47. Theoretically, the Yankees still have a chance at making the postseason, but this is certainly not your grandfather’s nor your father’s Yankees squad. This is the “Island of Misfit Toys” Yankees with a much higher payroll than the Oakland Athletics.

Something went awry within the last few years which may have started in 2006 when then-owner George Steinbrenner III relinquished day-to-day operations duties to his sons Hank and Hal which started the slow trend of only signing high-priced players over the age of 35-years-old which has now resulted a number of guys playing beyond their years and a lack of young, quality players in which to mold and take over once the veterans moved on. At the same time, the injury bug bit most of the Yankees top-tiered talent at the same time and has showed no signs of disbursing from the team. As a result of all of these deals and bouts of misfortune the Yankees have suffered, their farm system has essentially dried up and general manager Brian Cashman, along with the Steinbrenner boys, have scrambled to keep their high-priced, highly-talented model of success in tact. However, with only a few veterans capable enough to keep their careers afloat and a true lack of leadership on behalf of Girardi and the regulars, any chance the Yankees have of establishing a solid win-streak or resurgence in the second half of the season appears to be futile.

Things desperately need to change within the organization to get their glory years back on track. It may take a season or two, something the Yankees have never agreed to settle on, but a changing of the guard needs to be the first priority. Based on what their record says and what their stats show, team batting average .245 for 25th-best and 17th-best in quality starts from their pitchers with 51, the Yankees need some kind of leader in the clubhouse to help motivate the players again. At the same time, the Yankees need to learn to cultivate their farm talent, as opposed to dealing it all away for hired guns to help them after the trade deadlines and possibly for another season or two. Lastly, spending needs to be cut way down, while the signing of younger players who have the fire in their eyes and the killer instincts in their hearts need to be a top priority. The Yankees need to get back to attitude of yesteryear when donning the pinstripes meant something to the dozens of players who were fortunate enough to suit up and take the field.

These days will return, but only as long as the Yankees’ brass is willing to accept the fact that the old system is no longer the working system. Other teams throughout the league have found greater success by bringing in guys who know how to motivate their players by understanding the talent and knowing how to utilize it to the best of their abilities. Guys like John Farrell and Bob Melvin have shaped bottom dwellers like the Boston Red Sox and Athletics and turned them into contenders in less than a year. The Yankees aren’t too far removed from this position. Having tasted the postseason as recently as last season, the Yankees need to use this time to not pull the trigger to make desperate trades which may or may not pay off for them down the stretch. If anything, cut the Yankees need to cut their losses and start looking at how to make changes for a stronger team in 2014. With the likes of Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Jeter coming back at full strength next season, not to mention a possible loss for good of Rodriguez depending on how this Biogenesis thing shakes out, the Yankees will be able to open up more relaxed discussions in order to get some more adaptable talent onto their roster. Unfortunately for impatient Yankees fans, this is your best case scenario. Better luck next year.