Well, something had to give. Finally…

After a horrendous 3-7 road trip that saw the Yankees fall 9 ½ games behind the division leading Rays and 6 ½ behind the Wild Card leading Red Sox, GM Brian Cashman decided to remove one of the team's black holes from the lineup.

Melky Cabrera has been downright awful this year, and he is being told to go down to Scranton to "work on everything."

So distraught is Cashman over Melky's failures this year that he gave no reassurance that Melky would be back even after active rosters expand on September 1. "That remains to be seen," Cashman said. "No promises."

The only person in the Western Hemisphere who didn't see this coming was Melky himself. After learning of his demotion, he told reporters. ""I never thought this was going to happen."

Talk about delusional. The sad fact is that Melky's numbers have deteriorated to the point where he is simply not a major league caliber starting centerfielder. No matter how strong his arm is, it does not make up for his anemic bat.

This year, Melky's vitals are .242/.296/.337, with a .202 BA with RISP. August has been the cruelest month for the Milk Man, with a pitiful .115/.148/.115. In addition, of late he has shown fielding lapses and poor judgment on the base paths. (Perhaps his buddy Robby is rubbing off on him?)

The organization has shown a lot of patience with Cabrera. Although he has been the starting CF for three years now, his numbers have gotten worse each season:

2006     .280/.360/.391   95 OPS+
2007     .273/.327/.391   89 OPS+
2008     .242/.296/.337   69 OPS+

Cashman had a chance to deal Melky when his stock was valued higher, but at this point, he wouldn't garner much at all. One American League scout commented: "In a few years, Melky will be playing in some independent league. Or in the Mexican League."

That may be a push, but Melky's days with the Yankees could be numbered.

The problem for the Yanks, of course, is that replacing Melky with Brett Gardner does nothing to improve the sagging offense. Brett's first stint with the Yanks didn't inspire awe, and he does not project to make enough contact in the bigs to be a long-term solution anyway.

The Yanks will be biding their time until Austin Jackson is ready. Although some scouts think he is better suited as a corner outfielder.

Melky, of course, is only one of several problems with the Yanks. For example, Melky's buddy, Robinson Cano, has the skills to win a batting title and a gold glove. But Cano is unfocused and undisciplined.

Cano made an egregious amount of mental mistakes on the road trip, both defensively and offensively, and he continues his mind-numbing, clueless at bats. The more you watch him play, the more you come to the grim realization that his baseball IQ is at absolute zero.

Since the Yanks are throwing in the towel on the season anyway, I would have sent Cano down as well-to Trenton in AA so he wouldn't be hanging with Melky.

Too harsh? Perhaps…but Cano is wasting so much talent right now that he needs some kind of wake-up call for the benefit of his future and the team's future. It's pathetic that a guy like Cano needs a Larry Bowa to keep him focused. This stuff is supposed to come from within.

Cashman also made it know that there many underachievers on the team. As in, well, practically everybody:

"You can take Melky's name and change it with a lot of guys on this field right now that are making a hell of a lot more money than Melky Cabrera," Cashman said.

Cashman makes a good point, but he better be a really busy guy this winter after he gets his contract renewed. The product Cash has put on the field for 2008 is pathetic-despite the money spewed out to them. These self-absorbed multi-millionaires who find new ways to lose every night are getting hard to root for.

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So, if you haven't heard, the Yanks will open in Baltimore next year, then go to KC and Tampa before coming home to open the new stadium on April 16 against Cleveland.

The opening game against Baltimore will be the next Yankee game that matters. Let's hope CC has his stuff.