NEW YORK So what if the Red Sox are playing a meaningless three-game series against a Yankees team that still has a shot at the playoffs?

Trust me, Red Sox fans, you really dont want to be in the Yankees shoes right now.

Sure, on the face of it, thats a ridiculous statement since every team wants to be playing meaningful games in September.

And the Yankees, technically speaking, are still playing meaningful games. Four games out of the AL wild card chase with four teams Athletics, Tigers, Mariners and Indians ahead of them, the Yankees still harbor hopes of playing in October.

Crazier things than that have happened, but does anyone really feel that this is a Yankees team destined for greatness? How about a pretty good team?

It stands to reason that when a team spends $438 million in one offseason on four players Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Masahiro Tanaka that team ought to be a slam-dunk to make the playoffs or, at the very least, stand out from the crowd.

However, by now you know that the 2014 Yankees are not a great team, and they dont seem to stand for much more than pouring bad money after good.

This wasnt the plan, thats for sure.

The last time the Yanks went to the checkbook strategy was after the 2008 season when they signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett for only $424 million. It worked perfectly when they won the whole shebang in 2009.

But look at the Yankees now.

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Yankees look in terrible shape