A whirlwind Yankees season that once carried weighty comparisons to their 1998 juggernaut squad ended with a whimper in a demoralizing and telling series-sweeping Game 4 loss to the nemesis Astros.

Going from a high-water mark of 38 games over .500 (61-23) in July to falling short again in the ALCS to Houston – for the third time in six years – figures to hold major offseason ramifications that extend well beyond the Yankees’ World Series drought reaching 13 years since their MLB-record 27th championship in 2009.

Suddenly, there are so many questions for Hal Steinbrenner to answer regarding the front office, the manager and, probably most paramount to the organization’s paying customers, the status of the roster, specifically free-agent-to-be Aaron Judge after Judge bet on himself and delivered an AL-record 62 home runs in his walk year.

The sting of elimination – with Sunday’s 6-5 loss to Houston at the Stadium – is still fresh, but it’s certainly not too soon to dive into some of the most crucial questions facing the Yankees after another promising season unraveled without adding to the franchise’s trophy case and ring collection.