Use the Cave Man

All right, as my wise old dad used to say, if you've got lemons, scream, shout, and curse until someone finally goes to the packy and buys you some gin.

Sad to say, Cashman has reverted to form, and while this particular deal is far from being as disastrous as what he might have done, as Duque notes, one of these days, all these accumulated dumpings of promising kids will come back to haunt us.

Sure, it could well be that Walker will prove too out of shape to grab second base before the inevitable injury puts him down. This could be the coming of Youkilis II.

Tyler Wade, meanwhile, seems refreshingly unfazed by the move, and banged out two more hits last night, thereby assuring us as well that his wrist is not the size and color of an eggplant. Besides having to say goodbye to Danny Espinosa, another yard sale Cashman pick-up, our biggest loss is Jake Cave, DFA.

Well, I guess that's what happens to 25-year-old prospects who hit .158 with 1 RBI in camp, on their last look. Cave has had a curious career. Stranded too long in Scranton (of course), he hit .324 there last year, with sudden and surprising power. At the same time, he seemed to lose any remaining ability to draw walks and steal bases.

A desperate attempt to impress the brass? An evolution by the Cave Man into what my brother-in-law likes to call "man power"? A substance of some kind, perish the thought? Who knows.

But hey, since Coops Cashman has done this already, why not take the Gammonites' bad advice and cash in our lemons, so to speak? Apparently the o-bleak has grabbed Ben Gamel up in Seattle, which  is now desperate for outfielders and would also like to hang onto the late, lamented Mike Ford without having to guarantee him a roster spot all year.

Now, while I believe I speak for the entire Scottish nation in saying I would like to have Ford back, how about this deal:  Cave and Ford for a couple lottery-pick arms—as long as the Mariners also pick up Ellsbury and $10 mill of his salary every year?

Well, a fella can dream, can't he?

Meanwhile, picking up Walker actually got poor Billywitz a byline in the Times today...but there were big articles about an international soccer grifter and a Russian-Greek magnate who stormed the field with a gun. I have to admit, that's a story.

Soccer 40, Yankees 20 on the year, 13-5 on the month.