[kodiak]

I have no problem in seeing either one of these guys go. Like ehh said, Mike was gone at the end of the year and it's hard to justify tying up a roster spot with that much cash for a loogy. That being said, the Yanks still need someone dependable to face lefties in late inning and clutch situations.
However, as most followers of baseball know, the Yankees slow sputtering decline is still attributed to no farm system. While spending boatloads of money brings in all-star talent, that group is now old and most are in the twilight of their careers. George has always had this problem. One would think he would have learned his lesson in the aftermath of what happend from 81-94. He made the team great for a few years and then started trading away any resemblance of talent to get some big name or overpriced guy who was past his prime. Claudell Washington, Steve Balboni, Danny Tartabull, and a few others come to mind while getting rid of guys like Al Leiter, Jay Buhner and quite a few others that went on to have above average careers. The farm system is not the answer to everything but the Yanks need to find the right mix of young talent and all-stars. The tricky part is finding the right guys who can handle the NY media. As much disdain as I have for Boston, Theo and comapny are doing a great job of mixing the young with the guns. Baltimore is on the up and up and even the Jays are putting together a nice system. George and Cash need to start looking at the bigger picture.