Yankees youth movement is now a historic one

The days of old has-been stars packing the New York Yankees starting lineups appear to be numbered. On Sunday, April 22, the Yanks posted their first entirely under-30 starting lineup since September 9, 1989.

I wish I were there that day when GM Brian Cashman convinced owner Hal Steinbrenner to enter a rebuild. I grew tired of the Yankees old and outdated way of buying veteran all-stars to win titles. They always seemed to get burned at the end of those massive contracts they dished out.

An opportunity out of defeat shined during the summer of 2016. The Yankees for the first time in the history of my existence (note: I was born in 1993) decided to sell at the trade deadline! I’m a very competitive person who hates losing, but I was so excited for this rebuild.

The organization needed a fresh start. We needed the slow and aging veterans pushing 40 to pack their bags and get out of the Bronx. Also, relievers were high in demand for competitive teams and taking up space on our roster. So trading them at the right price made sense.

Cashman worked his magic over the last three years. And if his goal was to build a young but competitive team, mission accomplished.

After acquiring 28-year-old reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins this off-season, the Yankees became World Series favorites. The acquisition could be viewed as the final piece of Cashman’s puzzle to produce that young competitive team we as fans longed for.

The team hasn’t won a World Series yet, so it’s not time to celebrate. But it’s okay to recognize history in the making: