Was Standing Pat at Deadline Right Move?

The Yankees passed on Roy Halladay. They watched as Cliff Lee was dealt to defending champ Philadelphia. They even let Jarrod Washburn, a solid lefty pitcher, who was having a good season in Seattle, land in Detroit.

Yankee brass was content heading into the "dog days" of August with pretty much the same team it assembled in the winter.

Is that the right move?

Well, I think they needed another front line pitcher for their staff, even though they have so much money committed to CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett right now. However, it hasn't come back to haunt the Yankees – just yet that is.

Boston needed pitching too and while they grabbed slugging catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez from the Indians before the deadline, that did nothing to address their pitching woes. Former Cy Young winner John Smoltz didn't pan out for the Red Sox and they have been reduced to a two-headed pitching staff with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester at the top of the rotation with little else in the middle and backend, rounding out the staff.

Right now it's really hard to argue with the lack of moves by the Yankees. They are 27-10 after the break and have a strong hold on the division after a four-game sweep in the Bronx of the Red Sox in early August and the more recent two out of three at Fenway Park over the weekend.

The concern longterm is Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees have two achilles heels right now, in my opinion. They have an inconsistent Joba, who is being managed on a tight innings (pitch) count, and a bullpen that could use another lefty. The pen is solid, but has seen its share of work in August. Damaso Marte is set to return from injury. We shall see if he's the answer from the left side, along with Phil Coke.

As for Chamberlain, he will start on regular five day rest Sunday and will have to hope for a better result than Tuesday’s performance after eight days rest. Chamberlain found a different way to limit his innings than the predetermined plan to offer him extra days when he lasted just four innings and allowed seven runs and nine hits, including a five-run fourth in the Yankees’ 10-9 loss to Texas.

Chamberlain, who has said his staggered schedule calls for patience on his part, didn’t make excuses after the poor performance. "We’ve continued to work out a plan that fits us to get our work in on and off the field," Chamberlain said. "We are doing the best we can."

But will it be enough?

That is one of the biggest questions for the Yankees as they move forward.

Hairston Paying Dividends for Bombers

The July 31st trade deadline came and went, and Toronto ace Roy Halladay stayed put. The Yankees missed out a golden opportunity to add a front line pitcher to the top of their rotation, thus slotting everyone at the top down a notch.

In the end, Halladay was too much of an expense even for the Yankees. Thankfully, no one else had the cash to make it happen, either, especially the Red Sox, who are now sinking fast in the race for the AL East.

The Yankees did make one minor move, adding Jerry Hairston Jr. Cincinnati shipped the utility player to the Bombers for minor league catcher Chase Weems before the deadline and Hairston has been a nice addition for New York.

Sometimes, it's the small moves that count most come October. Boston's Dave Roberts played a huge role in 2004, stealing a base that turned the entire rivalry around.

Maybe Hairston will provide some fireworks in the playoffs. He's a solid middle infielder and he could spell a guy in the outfield if needed.

In 19 games for the Bombers since the move, Hairston is hitting .303 with one home run and six RBIs.

To top it off, Hairston is a third-generation major leaguer and a genuine good clubhouse guy. He's father and grandfather really passed along good baseball to Jerry in the genes.

Nice pickup!