Fix My Wang

When a team messes up an administrative decision as badly as the boys in Queens, I suppose a freak foot injury doesn't look so horrible...for the moment.

Today, the Bergen Record began speculating as to possible replacements for the newly-booted Chien-Ming Wang. Either they weren't very creative, or the market on acquirable starting pitchers is in the toilet.

The Record listed these possibilities:
1. C.C. Sabathia
2. Ben Sheets
3. A.J. Burnett
4. Randy Wolf
5. Freddy Garcia

While Garcia remains a free agent (and continues to rehab from shoulder surgery), the other four guys would have to be acquired in a trade, and certainly the acquisition of Sabathia, Sheets, or Burnett would necessitate the jettisoning of several prospects and (in Sabathia's case, at least) cost a crapload of money.

But, besides the cost, one thing strikes me as odd about this "first-choice" list: these guys get hurt...a lot.

In fact, a quick glance at career numbers reveals that the team of Sheets/Burnett/Wolf/Garcia has been DL'd a total of 16 times in the last 4 years. If you factor in Sabathia, whose fat ass is actually the healthiest of the bunch, that number rises to 18 DL stints since 2004.

So, if one of these boys does find his way to the Bronx, not only will the Yankees likely have had to overpay to fill the void left by "Mr. Glass," the likelihood is that the new guy will join Wang on the shelf at some point in the year.

Silly me, I always thought the idea was that the pitcher you trade for in desperation should actually...you know...pitch.
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