Falling into MLB’s bottom 10 would benefit Yanks in draft, free agency

The Yankees began a vital four-game series last night against the Angels. They desperately needed to lose as many of these games as possible.

Wait. What?

Obviously, the best outcome for the Yankees would be to surge and make the playoffs, but that is going to mean playing roughly .700 ball the rest of the way just to be viable for the second wild card. Coolstandings.com gives the Yankees a 3.3 percent chance of doing that.

You needn't simulate the season millions of times on a computer to recognize how slim-to-none the Yankees' possibilities are, especially if Mariano Rivera is going to struggle to the finish line, which would debilitate what has been the team's one strength — late-game relief.

Paul J. Bereswill

TANK YOU VERY MUCH: When CC Sabathia takes the mound tonight against the Angels, the Yankees would be better off in the long run if he and the Bombers lose, writes The Post's Joel Sherman.

Before winning 2-1 last night, the Yanks were further away from the second wild card (seven games) than from the 10th-worst record in the majors (six), which was owned by the Angels. In the big picture — unless you see a championship in 2013 ­— the Yanks would be best served with a bottom-10 record. Which is why these games against the Angels have significance.

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The Yankees are facing many rough years unless they begin to inject high-end young talent into the organization, so the poorer the record, the better the draft pick next June for a team that has not picked in the top 12 since Derek Jeter went sixth in 1992.

Here is why the bottom 10 is so important: Those teams have protected first-round picks if they sign an outside free agent who was tendered a contract. If the Yankees plan to contend next year, they will have to address their offense, even if they re-sign Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson or both. There are no obvious offensive prospects ready and that lack is going to make it hard for the Yankees to give up the few they have to make a trade for an Asdrubal Cabrera or a Michael Cuddyer, much less a Giancarlo Stanton or a Carlos Gonzalez — if someone that good actually reaches the marketplace.

Thus, to upgrade, the Yankees very well may have to look to free agency, where players such as Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, Stephen Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann probably will be tendered. Should this version of the Yankees actually give up a pick in the 11-17 range for those kind of players, as helpful as they would be in the short run?

The Yankees currently are in the worst place a team can be: Not good enough to make the playoffs and not bad enough to have one of the 10-worst records. The Yankees have the 15th-best record in a 30-team league. Still, even drafting 15th next June would be the highest for the Yankees since 1993.