The biggest concern for the Yankees right now and over the next five years is Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod turns 37 and is simply not the same player he once was. He is not elite or great -- he is just good. And the trend first started after his MVP year of 2007. Ben Lindbergh writes in an ESPN Insider piece.

Most players can expect to see their numbers take a tumble after an MVP season, but A-Rod's decline goes beyond routine regression. He's not coming back down to earth. He's falling off the face of it.

Since 2007, Rodriguez has lost an average of 14 points of true average per season. Not only is he not playing as well, he's not playing as often. After making more than 700 plate appearances for the sixth time in 2007, he has yet to reach 600 in any season since. That combination of increasing infirmity and faltering offense culminated in a career-low 2.8 WARP in 2011.

There's nothing unusual about the fact that A-Rod isn't as dangerous or as durable at 36 as he was at 31. What is unusual is how fast and how far he has fallen.

Rodriguez had the October of '09. It was a legendary month that not only got him his first and only ring, but is really his life preserver. If not for that and with more than half-a-billion dollars of earnings, Rodriguez would be getting whipped in the media and by the fans. Instead, his fade is sugar-coated by the best record in baseball and management that is crossing his fingers that A-Rod will find himself again.

On a team that is almost issue-less, they have one, big one to start the second half.

UP NOW: My five questions and concerns facing the Yankees and Mr. October with apology. A source told me Reggie Jackson won't be back with the team this homestand.

ON DECK: Mark Simon with a What2Watch4.

IN THE HOLE: Ian Begley will anchor our coverage tonight from the Bronx. The pitching matchups for the weekend: Hiroki Kuroda (8-7, 3.50) vs. C.J. Wilson (9-5, 2.43); Jerome Williams ( 6-5, 4.46) vs. Freddy Garcia (3-2, 5.23); Jered Weaver (10-1, 1.96) vs. Ivan Nova (10-3, 3.92).