Via MLBTR, John Lackey has apparently taken a physical for the Red Sox, a sign that they could be close to a deal.
If this is true, the Yankees should not, I repeat, should not react strongly and make a splash just for the sake of making a splash. The last time that happened, the Sox landed Diauske Matsuzaka and the Yankees ended up with you know who. If it does come to pass that the Sox land Lackey, the Yankees should not go out and trade for Roy Halladay, sign another big name pitcher, or deviate from their stated path of lowering payroll and attempting to get younger.
As they stand, the Yankees are in solid shape heading in to 2010. They have a good blend of veterans and young players, especially in the rotation, and that should not be messed with just because the team’s rival makes a move. It is foolish for an organization to base its decision based on what another organization does rather than what’s best for itself. While the Mark Teixeira signing of last off season seems to go against this, I’d be willing to be that keeping Tex away from the Sox was not the primary reason the Yankees signed him. Hurting the Sox may be good, but it shouldn’t be priority number one. Priority number one should be–and has been under Brian Cashman–taking care of the Yankees first.
