One week until the Cashman trade bombings commence

Let's savor those inspiring, thrill-a-minute victories over Minny... until 7:10 tonight, when the Yankiverse shifts to Fenway - four games that offer a rare chance to drop-kick Boston square in the billiards. The Redsocks need at least three wins to quell the queasy sense that last year's Hall of Fame Super Team of Destiny aged five years in six months, and might  require a winter tear-down. But we must not let up, or Boston will start roaring back. This weekend, the Death Star can, in essence, secure the AL East. We wouldn't pop champagne, but the pennant race could be on cruise-control. 

Then there is that second tier of Yankee reality: The looming trade makeover. It will be conducted by Brian "Cooperstown" Cashman, who will once again chase the most elusive and perhaps mythical target: The "power arm" with team control beyond a three-month rental. This is where Cashman traditionally blows his transmission - from Weaver to Brown to Vazquez to Pavano to Igawa to Vazquez to Burnett to Johnson to Pineda to Gray to, gulp, Paxton? This is when we bundle our future for somebody who pitched well in Soup City, but who will go knock-kneed before the boot-lickers and painted ladies of Gotham. The Yankees love to celebrate Hope Week. Well, comrades, this is Fear Week. This is when we dip into our farm and pray that we're not giving away the next Buhner or Drabek - trades that, though they happened long ago, still haunt our nightmares. 

Which brings me to the guy most likely to make us recall the crazy, Mohawk-haired Buhner: Clint Frazier. "Red Thunder" - (he hates that name, it must be noted) - is suddenly red hot in Scranton, as if he realizes his exile to Red Rock Country is almost over. I happen to believe trading Frazier will be an incredible, generational mistake, which will haunt us for a decade, but what do I know? I'm just an old fan who remembers shit. 

Right now, with Cameron Maybin about to reappear, the Yankees have too many outfielders. They won't dis Brett Gardner, and they can't drop Mike Tauchman - not when he's on fire. (Though they probably will; the poor guy has minor league options.) Maybin was a feel-good story of June, he does a little of everything, but they have no place to stash him. That leaves at least two players in Frazier's path, and barring an outfield collision, he'll be stuck in Scranton until September, or maybe even next spring... unless he's gone in a trade.

I'm just saying what we all know: he's a goner. That naive, romantic notion that Frazier would become part of a modern wrecking crew... we should let it go. The Yankees have a problem with Frazier's defense, and maybe their discontent runs deeper - into his larger-than-life, over-the-top personality. I can only hope his outgoing nature is not the reason, because guys like hate to lose. Every great team has one. Whomever we get for Frazier will dangle around Cashman's neck for the rest of the GM's career. He better have nude pictures of Food Stamps Steinbrenner, because one more botched power arm will be hard to stomach. It'll be time to kick him upstairs with Randy Levine - can you imagine a greater hell? 

In the meantime, Dallas Keuchel continues to excel in Atlanta. Tuesday, he threw six innings and gave up 2 runs. He struck out 12. He would have been ours, if our owner had been willing to spend. 

What a sad thing to be writing. With an ace within our grasp, our owner chose to plead poverty. 

So, here it comes, folks: Four games in Boston followed by the trade deadline. Hold on to your cap. Come next Thursday, it might be all you have left.