The Yanks have identified defense in center field, and a sluggishness/lack of athleticism caused by too many older players, as the their main faults. They feel the club's ERA will drop if more fly balls are caught in center and if fewer baserunners take first-to-third liberties. The Yanks, though, have faced a conundrum how to address their faults. Cashman has recommended stopping the vicious cycle of trading the organization's few prospects for expensive, aging players. George Steinbrenner, though, has rightfully demanded not giving up on this season with $200 million-plus invested in payroll.

The compromise, therefore, is to see if a core veteran can be moved to solve the issues. The three most obvious are Tom Gordon, Jorge Posada and Sheffield because all are without no-trade clauses. The Yanks are hesitant about breaking up the late-game strength of Gordon, Tanyon Sturtze and Mariano Rivera. Posada remains among the majors' most productive offensive catchers, replacing him would be difficult, and he is likely to vest a $12 million option for 2007 that makes him hard to deal. Obviously, moving Sheffield would weaken the offense, but the Yanks feel they can more easily compensate in that area than others.