The days of the Yankee's murderous row and core four are a thing of the past. Now, it appears it is time for another passing of the torch; following the retirements of Mark Texiera and Alex Rodriguez the remnants of the 2009 World Series victory are all but gone. The youth movement in the Bronx has officially begun. A 2016 Yankees squad that featured a roster of aging vets and holes up and down the roster. After a flurry of moves, including the trades of Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman and two big retirement announcements the Yankees for the first time in a long time appear to be in a rebuilding stage instead of their ever so famous, "reloading."
Being seven games out of first in the east as of August 9th, with a slim chance of making the playoffs or making any noise if they were to make it, the decision to sell was certainly the right one. What exactly does this mean though for Yankee fans, though? A glimpse into the Yankees' future. The remaining 2016 season and 2017 season will be one of change for the Yankees. Expect to see an influx of young talent pouring into the major league roster. With the likes of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird and the rest of the premier Yankee prospects getting their shot at the bigs. The product on the field may not be championship caliber this season -- or even next, like Yankee fans are so used to -- but this should not be cause for concern.
For a team that is so accustomed to going out and spending big money on prized free agents, this youth movement should be welcomed and applauded. This very well could be the early stages of the core four 2.0, the beginning of what will eventually become the next great Yankees dynasty. With that being said, it should not be forgotten that these are the Yankees, they are not some team that is going to throw away seasons rebuilding. With the influx of homegrown talent and the Yankees deep pockets and willingness to spend this could be very easily a quick turnaround.
With the very real possibility of sporting an infield next season of Sanchez, Bird, Castro, Gregorious and perhaps either Refsynder or Mateo the Yankees will be one of the youngest and most energetic clubs in baseball for the first time in a long time. A few years down the line, with some development, this infield can be viewed as one of the strongest in the league. Although the numbers may not show it, right now is an extremely exciting time for Yankee baseball, something any true New York fan realizes.
