New York Yankees

Zack Greinke was traded to the Brewers for a host of minor league prospects on Sunday, and if that doesn't do much for you, don't sweat it. Nobody else seemed to care much either.

Viewed through the prism of pure talent, Greinke should have been seen as every bit Lee's equal in terms of desirability this offseason. They're both Cy Young Award winners, each gifted with pitching repertoires that straddle the fine line between power and finesse.

I wrote last week that now that the New York Yankees have moved on from Cliff Lee, they would look to improve their bullpen instead of their starting rotation. True to form, the Yankees found themselves a reliever to help counteract the recent left-handed acquisitions by the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees have been doing a lot of waiting this offseason. They waited for Cliff Lee to choose his team. They waited for Derek Jeter to accept their offer. Then they stayed put a while too long and lost out on Zach Greinke. Now they await a decision from Andy Pettitte as to whether or not he will pitch in 2011. 

Today's New York Yankees' primary method of improving involves signing other team's former players for large sums of money, but that wasn't always how the past and future World Champions operated.

The 1954 Yankees won 103 games but finished eight games behind the record-setting Cleveland Indians, which was unacceptable. Yankees general manager George Weiss and his counterpart with the Baltimore Orioles, the brilliant Paul Richards, pulled off the biggest trade in baseball history.

He who hesitates is lost. Or, in my experience, he who sleeps in misses the bus.

The Yankees were looking good. The assumed front-runners to nab Cliff Lee, the Yankees somehow lost him to a late arrival to the party, the Philadelphia Phillies. Apparently, Lee decided on Philly because of the "fans and a great atmosphere" and also hinted that it may have been what his wife wanted.

With Cliff Lee returning to the City of Brotherly Love, the list of free agent pitchers looks awfully unappealing. Carl Pavano is the "best" option but few teams wish to give him a sizable contract given his injury history. However, there is a Cy Young winner available in a city that will not contend anytime soon. 

So wait. What just happened?

In the span of two weeks, the New York Yankees, my Yankees, the team that can buy any player it wants, just saw two All-Stars go to their biggest rival. Then, on Monday, we saw Cliff Lee, the guy we have been courting like a Shakespearian character for two years, settle for less money with the Philadelphia Phillies.

I am still confused, still wandering aimlessly around my house. How did this happen?

Gonzalez & Crawford

Reliever Pedro Feliciano is staying put in New York, but he will be sporting a different uniform.

The life-long Met is leaving Queens to bring his talents to the Yankees. 

Feliciano is a 34-year-old lefty who inked an $8 million, two-year contract with an option for a third, to come over to the Bronx. Fans get the reassurance that GM Brian Cashman is doing his job, as this is a huge boost to counterpart Boone Logan in the bullpen.

Calm down.

...Relax

...Take a deep breath

Are we good?  Great.

Now, for all you Yankees fans and Yankees haters out there, I just want to let you know your worst fears or best hopes will not come to fruition.  The Yankees will be fine.  Yes, I took the plunge; the Yankees will be fine.*

(*Do I have a crystal ball you ask? No, but do you?)

The New York Yankees. 

The name alone brings many memories: Of World Series wins, perfect games, and larger-than-life characters—that is the New York Yankees. 

With 27 championships and counting, the Yankees are very likely the greatest sports franchise in history.  And with a great franchise, brings great players.

The following slideshow will showcase who I feel to be the greatest Yankees of all time, position by position.