That's right you can't build solely from within and what's the point of building up the farm to make it one of the best if your not going to use it to it's full capacity?

Not only that but as you don't want a team to get too old you also don't want it to be too young either, young might be exciting but it doesn't mean better. A nice mix of youth, guys in the middle of there career as well as Vets is the best way to go IMO. Plus what everybody forgets is that if all the young players do pan out then they are hit FA at about the same time and it's not cost effective and then you get caught in a vicious circle of having to not being able to hold onto the players to the go cheap and young over and over if they don't pan out then the value of constantly going young and cheap isn't going to help win.

I have my issues with Cashman but I don't blame him for some of these trades that don't happen because of what some of these clubs ask for the Yankees and what the settle on from other teams.

The A's would've demanded Hughes, Cano, AJAX, Tabata or Montero yet the Cubs didn't give anybody prospect in the same realm.

Sean Gallagher has a great arm but there is more to that to be a good pitcher and I've never heard anybody rate him better than Hughes, Joba or IPK and IMO if he was in the Yankee farm system he would be rated behind those guys and be more in the Horne, Marquez, Garcia and McCutchen class.

Matt Murton, please he was a Red Sox throw-in in the Nomar deal I believe and the right situation he will be significantly better than he was with the Cubs but come on he's more or less Melky if he get's regular AB's. Someone who's better than a 4th OF but is an unimpressive starting OF.

I don't get the appeal of Eric Patterson at all.

Josh Donaldson is someone I admittedly don't know much about but he's in BA's Top 10 prospects for the Cubs and is hitting .219 with 6 HR's.

So a package that includes one of these pitchers Horne, Marquez, McCutchen, Aceves, Garcia or Kontos.

Instead of Murton I think an equal in a trade from the Yankees is Melky.

Eric Patterson like I said I don't get it but if they wanted a infielder with a strong glove then Alberto Gonzalez should do.

The Yankees could add Betemit or a solid low level prospect in the place of what the Cubs gave in Josh Donaldson.

My point is that the package of players the player mentioned are as good as what the Cubs gave up and the A's wouldn't even consider it they would make the Yankees pay a higher price and that can't be blamed on Cashman.

My problem on Cashman tight grip of the Yankees prospects is how hard he holds onto the likes of AJAX. Don't get me wrong as I've been saying about Austin Jackson he's good and all but he's not the next great player that you have to hold onto he's just a good prospect and if it costs the Yankees to trade him to get a special player then it should be done but the way Cashman deals with him you would think he's the talent of A-Rod, JR or Bonds. I like the kid and I think he's a good prospect but he's not one of those let alone the next Jay Bruce, just a good CF prospect.

I want Cashman to use the farm to it's capacity by bring some of the talent up and trading some of it to improve the club elsewhere. Having a top farm system allows a club to use free agency rather than depending on it. If the farm is as good as advertised a club should be able make trades without trading away the farm. If the farm as good as advertised then I don't want to see Cashman dealing for back of the rotation types because if the like of Horne, McCutchen etc. have MLB careers ahead of them then I would rather give them a chance then trade for a 4th or 5th starter quality rental. If the Yankees are going to make trades get top talent in return or don't trade at all IMO because those B level guys aren't going to be that much better than what the Yankees can bring up from within.