It's said that money can't buy you love... in the case of the Yankees, it appears that money can't buy championships either. The great Yankee teams of the 1990s had an air of invincibility based on homegrown young talent: Derek Jeter, Andy Pettite, Bernie Williams, and Mariano Rivera were cornerstones of those winners, rounded out by the gutsy Paul O'Neill whose career was resurrected when he was traded to the Yankees from the Reds in a deal which many thought was an aside. However, it was anything but, as O'Neill was a crucial part of that organization. Without him, the team would have lacked a firebrand. The new Yankees have a much different face. In each of the years of the new century since 2001, the team has tried to add a new piece to the puzzle in the vein of a high-priced free agent: Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Randy Johnson. All have come with big expectations in tow and none have brought a flag back to the Bronx. It's time for GM Brian Cashman and owner George Steinbrenner to re-evaluate the overall plan. Adding big-moneyed players has gotten the team into the playoffs each of the last six years but failed to deliver a championship - which the team doesn't hide is its lone motivating factor year after year, despite evidence that slowly building a homegrown team was what worked for the 1996-2000 teams (few fans and media elites choose to remember that the Yankees missed the playoffs from 1982-1994 while trying various combinations, then giving up and finally rebuilding which brought them their new success). Here now are quick fixes that will shamelessly renew the Yankees and start them back on a path towards eventual rejuvenation: 1) Slowly phase out all players 35 and over. Sadly, this includes Johnson, Sheffield, Giambi, Mussina, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Rivera. These guys have shown blood and guts on fields over the past 15 years, and are Hall of Fame guarantees or candidates, but all are clearly on the decline and can no longer bring victory against players 10-15 years younger. It's a sad fact that the Yankees finally have to accept. If they have to eat a contract, so be it. Money doesn't seem to be an ongoing Yankee problem. You've got to lose these guys. 2) Make a gutsy decision and try to move Alex Rodriguez. It's said that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, and the man is clearly spooked by the weight of his contract, the high expectations, and the pressure of playing in a must-win-at-all-costs environment. He needs to play out the balance of his contract (which the Yankees should absorb) in a small market where he'll face ONE reporter at his locker each night. If the Yanks swallow most of the contract, think of all of the young talent - ostensibly minor-leaguers - that he could fetch. Would A-Rod object to a trade that sent him to a upcoming team where he would have the chance to move back to shortstop - clearly his natural position? Playing 3B has obviously interfered with his game. 3) Build around your young potential. Robinson Cano might not be an A+, but he can hit for average and has shown the ability to handle the pressure reasonably well. Keep him at all costs. Derek Jeter is 32 but has only gotten better at clutch hitting. He's got 5-7 more years. Chien-Ming Wang is 26 and won 19 games on a staff where he was not expected to anchor anything much less start game 1 of the ALDS. Melky Cabrera is not an all-star, but he's a good young player who could replace Hideki Matsui if the latter would bring back young pitching in a trade (some say Matsui is untradeable and a source of international revenue, but he's 32 and hit poorly in this and last year's playoffs). Lastly, by all means, DO NOT trade minor league talent for aging superstars. This was a common 1980s Yankee mistake. 4) Give Joe Torre a front-office job. Yes, he won 4 World Series and made it to the postseason in every one of his 11 season as Yankee manager. But he's clearly out of ideas. For six years, he's been fielding a $200 million team that has faced younger stronger talent. He's been scared to use anyone except Rivera in his bullpen, and has no answers for failed starting pitching. Compare his work to that of Jim Leyland's, whose team was expected to lose 100 games but is now a serious threat to win the World Series. Quietly move Torre to a player personnel management position where he could come into the office a few times a week and make advisory decisions on prospective veterans. 5) Start Sal Fasano at catcher next season. The man deserves a chance. Sure, he's 35 and tops 220 lbs, but with 46 career home runs and a .221 career average, he could be the next Yankee postseason savior. One forgets that Brian Doyle (in 1978), Jim Leyritz (in 1996) and Aaron Boone (in 2003) were all-time Yankee postseason heroes and some of the worst players to ever wear a Yankee uniform. Why deny Fasano that chance? Give him the catcher's mask 135 times in 2007 and see what happens. Odds point to great things from the Chicago Charlatan. Without Fasano behind the plate, what are the team's real chances? It's said that everybody plays the fool, some time. Go for it, Sal.