Chien-Ming Wang's Season Is Over

Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang will have arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder Wednesday morning, officially ending what has been a disappointing season and putting his future with New York in doubt.

It's been a precipitous decline for Wang, who won 19 games in back-to-back seasons (2006 and 2007). He was limited to 15 starts last year after injuring his foot while running the bases in Houston in June, and he followed that up by going 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA this year in between two trips to the disabled list.

The Yankees have set no timetable for his return in 2010, and while manager Joe Girardi told reporters that the club would support him every step of the way, it's fair to wonder if he'll even be in pinstripes next season.

"Hopefully this is will be the end of the surgeries for him and he'll have the rest of his career be real healthy. We'll be there for him and we'll help him get through this. We'll get him back pitching as soon as we can," Girardi said after New York's 6-2 loss to the Rays Tuesday night.

But the Yankees have CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett signed to enormous deals. Joba Chamberlain, despite fits and starts, looks to be a rotation fixture. And Phil Hughes, who is currently setting up for closer Mariano Rivera, is still viewed as a starter long-term by the organization and has emerged on the major-league level this year. That's to say nothing of veteran Andy Pettitte, who is due to be a free agent after the season, but also seems to have an open invitation to play for the club, or of any potential free agents the notoriously free-spending club could lure to the Bronx this winter and any trades it could make in the coming weeks.

Long story short, New York, for many reasons, has plenty of pitching options in 2010. Wang, on the other hand, will be eligible for arbitration again this winter even though there is no guarantee he'll be ready for Opening Day.

The Yankees might print their own money, but that doesn't mean they're going to be willing to shell out millions to a pitcher with a bum shoulder.