The New York Yankees failed to advance to the World Series again.

The Yankees lost 2-6 to the Boston Red Sox in the 2021 American League Wild Card Game held at Fenway Park in Boston, USA on the 6th.They was selected as a strong candidate for the World Series championship before the season, but they finished the fall baseball in just one game.

The Yankees, which boasts the most World Series wins in MLB history (27), have attracted star players with huge funds, earning the nickname 'Evil Empire'. There were a lot of critics of winning the championship by overwhelming rival teams with money. However, recently, the Yankees have been taking steps that do not fit their nickname of 'Evil Empire'. Spending is not much different from before, but results are not keeping up. The Yankees, who have won the World Series 27 times and the American League 40 times, have never won the American League, let alone a World Series, after winning the 2009 World Series. It's been 12 years now.

The Yankees brought in some big stars to get them out of the long sluggish tunnel. There are only two players with over $300 million contracts. As a hitter, Giancarlo Stanton was traded from Miami in 2018, and the pitcher signed ace Gerrit Cole from the free agent market last season. Stanton signed a 13-year, $325 million extension with Miami after the 2014 season. Cole, who became a free agent at the end of the 2019 season, signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees. Such an ultra-long contract could be a heavy burden on the Yankees in the long run.

Stanton is in relatively good shape. The remaining contract size is $189 million over six years, including $10 million in a 2028 buyout ($25 million in team options). Of that, $30 million is paid by Miami. Stanton, who has not played many games since moving to the Yankees due to injury, played 139 games this season with a batting average of 2.7 p.m. (139 hits in 510) 35 homers, 97 RBIs and .870 OPS.They struggled with one home run.

On the other hand, Cole, who started as a starting pitcher, recorded a defeat with 4 hits (2 homers), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts and 3 runs in 2 innings. The regular season performance was good with a 16-8 ERA of 3.23 in 30 games (181⅓ innings), but it is a worrying factor that foreign substances regulations were strengthened and it swayed to a 7-4 ERA of 4.14 in 12 games (67⅓ innings) in the second half. He has seven years and $252 million left on his remaining contract.

His long-term contracts are generally risky. In the competitive environment of Major League Baseball, where physical ability has a great impact on performance, it is inevitable that grades will decline with age, with very few exceptions. Stanton will turn 32 next year and Cole will turn 31 next year.

The Yankees didn't decide to sign Stanton and Cole expecting good performances until the end of their contract. Even if the contract is sluggish in the second half of the contract, it will be enough for the two players to win the World Series when they maintain their heyday.

But the Yankees didn't even make it to the World Series during the first two seasons with Stanton and Cole. Now the Yankees are running out of time.