It's early, but the Sonny Gray story is starting to look familiar

Current Wild Card standings

There are multiple reasons why the Yankees looked naked, knock-kneed and negligent this week in Boston - (bad fielding and hitting come to mind) - but the Redsock line scores say it all: 14, 7 and 6. The Yankees had to score 10 runs to win their one game. That's no bus route to the Canyon of Heroes.

None of our "Big 3" lasted through the sixth. Each surrendered five or more runs, and last night, Sonny Gray added his personal golden shower to the shit cake with a three-inning barf. You could argue that it was a cold, miserable night in Boston, but the rain sure didn't bother Mr. Porcello, aside from interrupting his possible no-hitter. Worst of all, Gray is starting to resemble another lost cause in Cooperstown Cashman's greatest career blind spot: His relentless quest for the Holy Grail, the young "power arm" for which he constantly empties the Yankee farm.

Over the years, Cashman's biggest bugaboo has been his Gollum-like pursuit of under-achieving starters from small market teams, whose front offices always vow to never trade their "ace" - until they do. Rumors about a Sonny Gray deal began in 2016, and somehow, the A's always managed to keep Cashman calling back, like a girl who regularly texts a nude selfie when she senses her boyfriend starting to stray. When the trade deadline came, they answered the call.

We must give Cooperstown credit for finding underappreciated position players, such as Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Starlin Castro and - of course - Sir Didi. But front line pitching is another story. Cashman's attempts to secure an ace - from Jeff Weaver, Javier Vazquez, Nathan Eovaldi, Jared Wright, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Michael Pineda and let's throw in Carl Pavano and Kei Igawa - have generally fizzled. Which leads to the latest clown car in this hell train of disappointment, Mr. Sonny. 

In three starts, Gray has yet to throw 90 pitches. His 6.92 ERA is second only to Jonathan Holder's amazing 20.25. Last night, the YES info-wars crew opined that the Son Ra was missing his "personal" catcher, Austin Romine, as if he's worthy of such treatment. The truth squad blamed woeful fielding - the Yanks are tied for the most errors in the AL, and that's not counting the unspeakable horror show of Giancarlo Stanton in left field, turning a wind-blown fly into a "double." They ignored the growing whispers - now fully-inked speculation - that Gray has a Boston problem. (In seven career starts, he's 1-5 with an ERA near 6.) 

If there was hope last night, it came from Domingo German, who looked like the pitcher Gray was once touted to be. But don't expect German to replace him soon. The iron rule of Cashman's Cuties is that they always get a lonnnng audition period before the front office accepts its mulligan. 

Of course, Gray does warrant several more starts, at least through May. He's hardly a lost cause - not yet - and the Yankees sit only 2 games behind in the AL Wild Card race, (with only 149 to play!) But right now, if we have a "Big 3" at all - an increasingly relevant question - Sonny Gray certainly is not a part of it. And without solid starters, every bullpen is doomed. No, let me rephrase: Every team is doomed.