"Unsustainable."

 

My fellow Sterlings, you guys have been so incredibly supportive of my book that I am embarrassed to even mention this. But in case you have nothing better to do on this, the first night of the summer (so to speak), and are in the Greater New York Area, and have cable...you might want to turn into Ch. 75, CUNY-TV's New York Times Close-Up show, at 7:30 this evening.

There, you will have the thrill of watching yours truly being interviewed by Sam Roberts, an old friend and great guy. At some point, he asked me about Poor Hal Steinbrenner's assertion that the current Yankees payroll was "unsustainable."

I believe I said, "Exactly how many free stadiums do the Steinbrenners want?" or words to that effect.

That was flippant of me. When we are, of course, faced with a very real dilemma. 

How, oh how, will Hal Steinbrenner ever be able to keep the Yankees going??? Much less, re-sign the greatest young free agent in history?

Let's go back to the original statement from Poor Hal:

I’m gonna be honest, payrolls at the levels we’re at right now are simply not sustainable for us financially. It wouldn’t be sustainable for the vast majority of ownership [groups], given the luxury tax we have to pay.’’

Whatever will he—or we—do?

Well, Yahoo Sports reports that—according to Forbes—the Yankees have a payroll of $303 million, and annual revenues of $679 million, along with a total net worth of $7.55 billion.

Currently, Juan Soto makes $31 million a year, and he'll be wanting much more than that. 

At the end of this year, a total of $40 million worth of non-Soto contracts will also be up for renewal, by far the largest of which is Gleyber Torres' $14.2 million.

Oh, whatever, whatever will we do?!

Wait, wait! A plan—a bold plan, an audacious plan—has just occurred to me! It's nuts, I know...BUT HEAR ME OUT!

What if...we traded Gleyber immediately, and gave Soto as much as the $14.2 mill as necessary to keep him here???

There. Fixed it.