In this new year, let us now speak the Yankee unspeakables

Across the minefield of human history, the wisest idiots have warned us not to summon demons that we cannot control. Why provoke the juju gods, simply because of their stooped-over, balding appearance, and the ergonomic wrist-supports that smell of the microwaved popcorn they eat all day at their cosmic keyboards? The Yankiverse is still celebrating the theft of Giancarlo - aka great trade robbery of 2017 - and while Randy Levine rubs his chubby, Trumpian hands in anticipation of the next gift box from Miami Pandora, the potential terrors of 2018 go ignored. Nobody wants to mention them, as if by maintaining silence, they will go away.

But they will not disappear. Here are the icebergs that lurk in the cold, cold waters of our 2018 Yankee nightmares.

1. Aaron Judge's "slump." It started after the Home Run Derby, as everyone knew it would. It took two weeks to announce itself. By Week Three, we'd become queasy about him continuing to bat second. By Week Four, we were calling for Girardi to give him a day off, maybe two. For a month, we watched Judge march to the plate, take his three whacks and then march back to the pines. If he drew a walk, the YES announcers proclaimed it a grand omen - "a quality at bat!" It was a horrible, terrible time - Boston overtook us, and the Wild Card began to look uncertain - and the worst part was that we didn't know if it was a temporary slump or Judge's permanent career trajectory. And here's the ugliest truth, people: IN OUR GUTS, WE STILL DON'T KNOW. 

Which Aaron Judge will appear in 2018? The one who hit .329 in the first half, or the one who hit .228 in the second? (His HR totals, respectively, were 30 and 22.) Is he baseball's next great slugger or another Jackie Bradley Jr., who has never repeated his Triple Crown-challenging brilliance of early 2015. When they talk about Giancarlo and Judge, the new Twin Towers, nobody wants to acknowledge the lingering fears from last July and August. But it's one of the reasons why I believe we must not trade Clint Frazier. What if Judge is not Judge?

2. Dellin Betances' meltdowns. The only way to describe the Betances roller coaster ride is that it now stands as the status quo. When he's on, he is one of the most overwhelming pitchers in baseball. When he's off, no lead - not even 10 runs - is safe. In October, hardly anybody blamed Girardi for refusing to use Betances in a critical situation, or for yanking him after the first walk. (I wouldn't have included him on the playoff roster.) At times, you could tell by the first pitch where this folly was headed. If not for the stabilizing impact of David Robertson, I doubt the Yankees would have reached the Wild Card. At various times last year, we had two of baseball's most feared closers, and both were psychological dumpster fires. El Chapo redeemed himself in the post-season - though shakily. When Betances shows up in Tampa next month, we don't have a clue what to expect. But here is a damning thought: The guy is now into his sixth season, and he still hasn't figured out how to hold base runners. Uh-oh.

3. The next Brigadoon Refsnyder(s). I've been rightfully mocked for my enduring, eternal support for Rob Refsnyder, and will go to my grave arguing that the Yankees didn't give the guy a chance. Clearly, "Brigadoon" - named because of his once-a-century appearances - didn't set Toronto on fire, after the trade. Still, he represents an enduring Yankee malaise: The lack of opportunities for deserving young players - the sense that prospects are trade chips - and that unless a kid explodes on the scene like Greg Bird in 2015 or Gary Sanchez the next year, he'll never get another shot. (So long, Tyler Austin.) What if Judge hadn't hit so well last March in Tampa? As it was, he was damn near sent back to Scranton, where he would have been depressed and disillusioned. You cannot play with a 23-year-old's head, as the Yankees repeatedly do.

Look at the difference between us and the Redsocks: They brought up and installed Benintendi, Devers, Bogaerts, etc. into their starting lineups. Last year, for the first time in many seasons, the Yankees stood back and reaped the dividends of their farm. So why are they now hedging their bets?

The Yankees currently have openings at 2B, 3B and in the pitching staff - and a wave of young players to compete. But Cooperstown Cashman seems determined to sign or trade for veterans. Will he lock us into another Brian Roberts or Stephen Drew? I believe that if Miguel Andujar plays well in spring training, he should be our starting 3B. But we know that won't happen, if we've traded for Josh Harrison or signed a Howie Kendricks clone. If so, we will go through at least half a season with a player in decline, as opposed to a youngster on the rise. We've been here before. By now, we should know that the demons we ignore can still reach up and bite us.