It seemed to be over before it even started. The Yankees coasted to the AL East title and another playoff appearance, even with injuries to two starters and a struggling third basemen. The Red Sox and Angels weren?t in the picture, and all the Yankees had to do was dispatch of the young Tigers to make it to the ALCS once again. No one gave Detroit a chance, especially after New York cruised to a 1-0 series lead with an 8-4 win on Tuesday. The Yankees offense was too potent for the Tigers? pitching staff to handle and their lack of experience was going to keep Detroit from making noise in the ALDS. Then, just like they did against the hated Red Sox in 2004 and the Angels in 2005, the Yankees stopped hitting. Over the next three games New York would score just six runs, losing all three in the process to the ?inexperienced? Tigers. Detroit outscored the Yankees 17-3 in the games last twenty-three innings. The Tigers did to New York what the Yankees are used to doing to opponents in the fall. And just like that the Bronx Bombers are done. Where do they go from here? Who stays? Who goes? One thing we know for sure is that we?ve seen the last of Bernie Williams, a Yankee legend. He?s one of the few remaining Yankees from the championship era. Williams is a home-grown product, not unlike fellow mainstays Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. Even though he hasn?t been an everyday player in recent years, it?ll still be unsettling not to see him suit up in his number 51 jersey next April. Aside from Williams, who else won?t be in pinstripes when the Yankees take the field next spring? You can bet the house that this current underachieving line-up won?t remain intact. George Steinbrenner won?t tolerate it, and neither will Brian Cashman, Joe Torre, or the state of New York. Moves will be made, and the Bronx Bombers will have a new arsenal in 2007. Their pitching rotation is the most pitiful it?s been in a long time. The Yankees can?t get by on name alone anymore, as even the enigmatic Randy Johnson has become ineffective. The most promising piece of the Yankee rotation is Chien-Ming Wang. He led the Yankees in wins this season, and fell just shy of a twenty win season. The fact that he?s just twenty-six years old helps as well. New York also has talented youth in Robinson Cano and outfielder Melky Cabrera. Cano is darn close to becoming the best second baseman in all of baseball, and Cabrera impressed a lot of people while filling in for Hideki Matsui. Cano and Jeter could form the best left side of the infield in the American League, as Robinson?s bat has become a huge asset for New York. He finished the season with a .342 average and seventy-eight RBIs. Those numbers are remarkable, especially when you consider that he played in only 122 games due to a variety of injures. New York has the option to retain free agents Jaret Wright, Gary Sheffield, and Mike Mussina. The Yankees have to let Wright go, he?s been nothing but a disappointment in the Bronx and re-signing him would be a sin. Sheffield is an interesting case. He was the picture of Yankee stability before he was bitten by the injury bug this season, and the acquisition of Bobby Abreu makes him expendable. Ultimately they must let Sheffield walk. Someone will pick him up, and he?ll remain productive for another year or so, but the Yankees have better options than the thirty-seven year old right fielder. Of the three restricted free agents, Mussina is the only New York should keep. He throws a great game, and another hole in the pitching staff isn?t something the Yankees can afford. Give Moose what he wants, and allow him to retire in pinstripes. Steinbrenner has a few other free agents to deal with, but the only ones who will draw interest are Miguel Cairo and Cory Lidle. Cairo is a great utility infielder, but he?ll likely score a better deal elsewhere and the Yankees won?t think twice about it. Lidle is another story. If he comes at the right price I think New York should try to keep the thirty-four year old right-hander. He may have fallen out of the five-man rotation, but he?s a good mentor for the younger arms on the staff. He can also spot start when Torre needs him to. The Bombers will breathe a huge sigh of relief after taking the contracts of Octavio Dotel and Sidney Ponson off their inflated books this winter. As always New York will play a major role in free agency. They?re likely to throw their hats in the race for both Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt. They could use the pitching, but if anything, they?ll bid high just to keep the two arms from throwing for the rival Sox or cross-town Mets. The biggest uncertainty in the Yankee clubhouse this winter might be Alex Rodriguez. Is it time for the Yankees to deal A-Rod and relieve him from the grinder that is the New York media? Should New York admit that A-Rod isn?t cut out for the Bronx, and that the offense would still be potent without the former MVP? What does A-Rod want? Surely he doesn?t want to remain the New York media?s whipping boy for the rest of his career. Would he object if the Yankees shipped him out of town? Would Alex?s own teammates really care if he was swapped for some younger, less controversial, players? As I have said in the past, it?s not A-Rod?s fault. Each time I see him come up to bat in a big situation I pull for the guy to get that big hit. The kind of hit that would bring him one step closer to finally becoming a ?Yankee,? but after three years it still hasn?t happened. He?s still a tremendous talent and an unbelievable hitter, but I think his skin to too perfect and too soft for the climate of New York City. The Yankees were eliminated by the Tigers in what seemed like a New York minute, and in order for the Yankees to turn things around many of their players must suffer the same fate. Do you know of a way that the Yankees can bring a World Series back to the Bronx? E-mail Andrew at [email protected] and let him know