Two in a row, four up in the loss column, and last year's Minnesota deal is still playing out

For years, Minnesota always came through for us. 

When we needed a postseason punch-out, they'd welcome us with Brad Radke, JC Romero and/or LaTroy Hawkins - primed to blow any lead. Their annual October visits brought comfort and good tidings. They gave us Knobby. They graciously took Phil Hughes and Michael Pineda off our hands. And last winter, they accepted our problematic man-child, Gary Sanchez. Yes, they took the Kraken, for which we should always- 

Wait. Check that. I'm not sure we should celebrate last winter's trade. The Twins took Gary and Gio Urshela, and we got - um, well - we're still learning. Errors or not, I do like Isiah Kiner-Falefa. And the injury-magnet catcher, Ben Rortvedt - who knows? But one player dominated that deal, and not in the way we hoped.

The Twins sent us Joshua Adam Donaldson - aka "the Bringer of Rain" (seriously, I looked it up) - an oft-injured former MVP who hit .247 with 26 HRs last year. He was supposed to be a savvied vet, a clubhouse sparkplug, a player-coach, the guy who hates to lose - you know, the all-around, Type A, feces-throwing, head-banging, king-of-the-mosh-pit motherfucker. And to some extent, he's been as advertised. But not always in a good way.

Earlier this year, his heckling of Chicago's Tim Hamilton - calling him "Jackie," after Jackie Robinson - was borderline racist. Careers have been canceled for less. He was lucky to escape. Sunday, in Tampa, he cleared the benches after a knockdown pitch - then later exchanged insults with a pitcher who had just fanned him on three pitches. (This, after he blew a game with back-to-back errors. Ugly. ) 

But yesterday's first inning against the Twins must be noted. With Aaron Judge on second - (thank you again, sir) - Donaldson belted one off the left field wall. Trouble is, he jogged out of home plate, admiring his greatness, and then was easily thrown out at second, attempting a comical non-slide. Judge scored, but the inning ended, another opportunity squandered. You can argue that the Yankees probably would have stranded him, that's what they do, but a bloop single could have made it 2-0, and this team needs every run it can get.

Jogging out hits is what a firecracker bench-presence is supposed to do. In the days of Jeter and O'Neill, a slacker would hear about. I'm not sure Aaron Boone even notices; we sit in a collapse of historical consequences, and our manager routinely offers excuses for players who mess up.

But here's the kicker: The Yankees will pay Donaldson $21 million next year; then, in 2024, they'll offer him $6 million in movie-money - just to buy a houseboat and go sailing. He will then serve as Hal Steinbrenner's billboard excuse for avoiding future free agents: The Yankees will have just squandered $21 million on a .220 hitter - why throw away more gold?

Many many years ago, under Hal's dad, then-front office intern Brian Cashman watched the Yankees constantly wheel in obese, over-the-hill sluggers, as if paying a guy a lot of money ensured his performance. For a long time, Cashman seemed bent on ending that practice, and building the franchise from the ground up. Fortunately, he had Gene Michael and Bob Watson in his corner. 

But over the last few years, Cashman has regularly punted on youth, trading prospects for whatever big names come available. And then, in autumn, the younger teams prevail. 

Minnesota is battling for the lead in the AL Central. Yesterday, we had their number. But come October, we better watch out. The winds have changed, and the Twins won last winter's big deal not because of Gary or Gio, but because of who they jettisoned. And he's jogging.