An Entertaining Look
This is a great piece of fantasy from Gordon Edes (formerly of the Boston Globe) where he imagines A-Rod actually going to the Red Sox in 2004.
It's impossible to say what would have happened. Looking back at the trade in 2004, I worte this as it was being concluded...
"If this deal goes through, the Yankees still do not own a free pass to the World Series. The Red Sox have made some great moves this offseason and the playoffs always come down to pitching. While the Yankees have added some great pitchers, health will be a factor in determining the success of this team. If Brown goes down to an injury, ARod won’t be able to step in and replace him. Pitching will determine how far this team goes, don’t forget that in the euphoria of the ARod deal. "
In 2004 the Red Sox had better pitching than the Yankees and they have had better pitching most of the years since then- that's why they've won two titles and the Yankees haven't. I imagine they would have won it all in 2004, though I am not sure A-Rod would have been a help in the postseason. It's a fascinating discussion. What would the Yankees have done if they hadn't gotten A-Rod? If the 2007 Red Sox with A-Rod had made the World Series, how would A-Rod have opted out of his contract during the game? Maybe via text message? Was Twitter around in 2007?
Who knows, but despite Wang's struggles and Sabathia's slow start I think the Yankees have some very good pitching this year. We will see if they show that when they head to Fenway tonight.
