Eight Observations About the Yankees You Need to Hear

1. Forget A-Rod, CC, Tex or Jeet. Our best player is Robbie Cano. In recent weeks, his swing has been compared to Hank Aaron. He has emerged as one of the game's great hitters. It's hard to imagine that two years ago, he was benched and almost traded. It's equally hard to imagine that there was once an argument about who was better: Cano or Pedroia. (I'm not knocking Pedroia; but there can be no such debate.)

2. We probably won't get much this season from the so-called Killer B prospects - Banuelos, Brackman and Betances. They are two years away, just as Ivan Nova was in 2009. But David Phelps might be ready immediately. Last night, I looked at this guy's minor league record. Yeesh. Check this out.

Last night, Phelps threw six shutout innings against Pawtucket. He gave up one hit. One hit. He walked one, struckout seven. If somebody goes poof in our rotation, I gotta believe he gets the call. He hasn't gotten the press that the others received. But how do you keep this guy down?

3.  Give Cashman credit for relentlessness. Yesterday, he picked up some ex-Indian pitching prospect named Jess Todd, who was lying in the scrap heap. Who knows if the guy will pan out? We dropped Kevin Russo - sad, because I liked the guy - but clearly, Cashman is working 24/7 to improve the Yankees, even if microscopically. Practically every other team in baseball passed on Todd, but Cashman did the math and decided to take a shot. Can't fault that.

4. The Yankiverse must accept the fact that we must stick with Jeet and Jorge. These guys are great Yankees. You simply don't jettison them after a bad month. I am amazed at how fast some bloggers have called for the dogs to be put down. They're acting like Redsock fans. (Remember last spring, how they wanted Big Papi gone?) Yankee fans don't cut and run. Yeesh.

5. Nunez is a better SS than we've seen. Last year, I saw him make a great play when Scranton came to Syracuse. His problem must be in adjusting to the role of utility man. He better make that change. And we better keep him, in case Jeet goes down with an injury.

6. For all the love, I cannot help but cringe when Jorge comes up with a man on first. I almost think we should bat Brett Gardner in front of him (which makes no sense) so he can steal. We need to send runners. Double plays are killing the Yankees.

7. Russell Martin and Austin Romine are conspiring to force the Yankees into trading Jesus Montero. Both are having great years -- Romine, of course, at Trenton. The way Martin has caught, there is no place other than DH for Montero in the Yankee lineup. Who would make an athletic 21-year-old into a permanent DH? Meanwhile, Romine needs to play at Triple A. So what is Montero doing? He's hitting .370. One of these days, maybe soon, the Yankees must make The Big Decision on Jesus. Is he their catcher? Or should he play OF? (Can he play the OF?)

8. Last night, Jeet made a great, leaping play deep in the hole beyond third base and threw out a Ranger. Last night, A-Rod made a great charging, bare-handed pick up to throw out a Ranger. Neither guy has done much of anything lately at the bat. But they have maintained their defense. As long as we are playing defense, we have a shot. It was defensive lapses that cost us those games in Detroit.