Another mediocre multi-millionaire

As the Red Sox possibly get ready to welcome Johan Santana into the rotation, the Yankees bid farewell to a nearly-as-expensive guy who never quite got there.

Carl Pavano will get nearly $13 million to walk away.

According to the New York Post, the highly-touted signing from a few years back turned into just another $40 million mistake for the Steinbrenners.

What's $40 million here, $40 million there?

Hell, at least J.D. Drew knocked in a few runs in the playoffs this year for the Sox. And the Eric Gagne experiment was quick if not painless. Plus Gagne's signing with the Milwaukee Brewers the other day will provide the Red Sox with a compensatory pick in the supplemental round of next year's draft.

For $40 million, Pavano had to play in only 19 games, 17 of which were in 2005, and only 5 of which he won.

What will the Yankees do to fill Pavano's outrageously-overpaid, achy-breaky mediocre pitcher spot on the roster?

Can we convince Roger Clemens to come back for one more season?

Hughes to miss next start due to whiplash

Phenom Phil's neck's a bit sore this evening after watching three balls quickly leave Comerica Park and his ERA balloon to 5.35.

The Yankees aren't so good against real competition, it seems, as they now fall 7.5 games behind Boston in the AL East.

Julian Tavarez, the fifth starter in the Sox rotation, meanwhile, gave up only 2 hits today, while their fourth starter, Tim Wakefield, is tied for the Major League lead with 16 victories this year.

And the worst member of the Boston bullpen at this point is Eric Gagne, who's capable of and due once again to be the lights-out closer that he has developed into over theh past few years.

Cost of missing the playoffs for the first time in recent history? $195 million.

Good pitching? Priceless.

Hilarious

Most teams can bank on a win if they end up scoring 9 runs in a game.

Not the Yankees. In fact, New York's pitching staff gave up twice that last night. Starting with Mussina lasting less than two innings and leaving the Yankees with a 7-1 deficit. Then Villone gave up 4 runs, Ramirez 2 and Henn another 5 runs with three innings of mopup duty.

One Angel, Garrett Anderson, hit the Yankees' pitchers like they were serving up beach balls and ended the night with 10 RBIs.

How quickly all the gloating about Joba Chamberlain's success and the Red Sox having bad luck with the acquisition of Eric Gagne gives way to reality.

And the reality is that the Yankees are 14th in team ERA, 21st in allowing walks, fifth worst in the Majors in striking batters out, second to last in saves and 20th in team ERA in the seventh through ninth innings. (thanks, Mariano, and good luck on that contract extension).

With victories by Boston and by Seattle, the Yankees drop another two games back in both the A.L. East race and the Wild Card.

Good times.