Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
To borrow a decade-old coinage from Brian Cashman, the time has arrived for the Yankees and their general manager to “smoke the objective pipe.” Are the Yankees good enough to be a postseason team? Their next three games—against the Rays—and the trade deadline Friday demand honesty. Their season and direction come down to four days.
Cashman’s Yankees are not the only should-be playoff contender that has reached decision time. For various reasons, the Braves, Nationals, Cardinals, Cubs and Cleveland are worse than their roster resources suggest.