2nd Time a Charm..?

Javier Vazquez has been traded for the 5th time in 7 years, and that's probably for a good reason. The 33 year old right hander clearly has great stuff, but inconsistency has led him to find himself wearing a new uniform quite frequently. This will be the second go-around in pinstripes for Mr. Vazquez. The first time ended bitterly after he tapered off in the second half of the season after an all-star appearance and a strong first half. Last year was an impressive year for Vazquez going 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA for a on-and-off Atlanta Braves ballclub. He was second in the National League (behind Tim Lincecum) in strikeouts, getting 238 of them. If Vazquez can contribute this in a rotation that already features CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte, the Yanks' rotation is just a strong as the Boston rotation.

The other side of the coin, Melky Cabrera. There are a lot of Yankee fans just happy he is gone, which is not something that is easy to understand. The Melk-man delivered down the stretch more periodically than every Yankee outside of Jeter and Rodriguez. He made every play in the field, he made every throw, and hit for the cycle. He hit from both sides of the plate, and he was a flat out sparkplug. Melky Cabrera will be missed in New York although most disagree. If Vazquez can deliver as he did last year, that will make it easier to let Melky go, however the Yankees now must address their left field needs, and the Yanks' might be in that Holliday spirit, and not just because it's Christmas time.