This Yankees Season is Straight Out of Hamlet

The Yankees seem to be stuck in a holding pattern of uncertainty. One that William Shakespeare…um, Brian Cashman needs to address sooner rather than later.

Who doesn’t love a little Billy Shakespeare to get the blood pumping! What I’m about to do now is get deep on you, real deep; tie in some parallels from the world’s most famous soliloquy to the 2016 New York Yankees season. Here we go:

"To be or not to be-that is the question:Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep-No more-and by a sleep to say we endThe heartache and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to-’tis a consummationDevoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep-To sleep, perchance to dream."

The opening line from the “Nunnery Scene” of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ is so iconic that even those who have never read the play, or seen the movie (the Kenneth Branagh version is amazing), have at the very least heard it aloud at one time or another in their existence. In this case, the Yankees are the Prince of Denmark, who are questioning what their next move will be.

Yesterday afternoon we posed the question via Twitter, should the club trade upcoming free-agent Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller; acquire Major League talent, or do the Yankees simply stand pat?

Not surprisingly, an overwhelming percentage of fans supported the idea of shipping out Chapman first and foremost.

Look, this has been a painful few months of baseball to this point. Not quite as bad as what the Los Angeles Angels have been unable to muster, but not to the standards that Yankees players, coaches, fans, or front office members have come to expect.

This is a position of angst no supporter of the pinstripes has been in since the early 1990s. So it’s somewhat understandable that the people in charge are apprehensive.

But come on, is it nobler (or smart) to do nothing, hover around the .500 win mark, and wait until 2017 when some high priced contracts come off the books, and Greg Bird returns?

Is it wise, seven games out of first in the division and four games out of a wild-card spot, to suffer the slings of outrageous fortune and acquire an impact bat and/or consistent arm to make a second half push that may cost the Yankees a farm-hand stud?

Or do the Yankees take their (relief) arms, and trade them for a crop of minor league prospects, ending any real hope for this year’s campaign, but giving us a chance to dream about potential championship to come in the future?

Opinions about what is best for the Yankees to do have been wildly flying around the Internet by the dozens, causing much shock and heartache for die-hard supporters. And while there aren’t any real, tangible rumors to get up in arms about just yet, the debate still rages on about what is best for this club.

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Inevitably, someone will be unhappy. Regardless, our very own William Shakespeare (Brian Cashman), must do what he feels is right for the organization, while hopefully restoring the waning faith of its devout supporters; because a 41-43 record as of July 7, just isn’t going to cut it.