Yankees Chick - News, Rumors, and Opinions on the Bronx Bombers From a Brunette Babe

There are just over 3 months until the glory of baseball returns to our daily lives in the form of Spring Training, and surprisingly the Yanks have already managed to hammer down quite a bit of their 2008 roster by way of resigning Jorgie Porgie, Big Mo, and A-Rod, picking up Abreu’s option, and bringing in the fresh managerial blood with The Girardino. As has become the norm over the past few years, though, pitching is yet again a question mark. The good news is that – unlike so many years in the past – the team has quite the stockpile of strong healthy youngsters to fill out the rotation or perhaps even be traded for a proven the Free Agent Man of the Hour, Johan “And You Thought Barry Baked Ziti Was Expensive?!” Santana.

Mr. Santana still has another year with the Twins left on his contract – for which he is due $13.25 mil - and the Twins actually reportedly offered him a 5-year deal worth $93 mil last week, but he has made more than one comment just in the last year about wanting to be dunzo with that team. Based on the comments he made about wanting to play for a championship team and the fact that he wants a lot more than just 5 yrs/93 mil, Santana would probably waive his no-trade clause to head for a team with the cash to sign him to a monster extension and the talent to make a post-season run, and I would say that the Yankees fit the bill on both accounts. Because of that no-trade clause, though, Santana has quite a bit of leverage. The twins can't just trade him to any old team; he could very easily muscle out his last year in Minnesota in favor of waiting to become a free agent after next year and then really go after some big bucks, and he will probably demand a hearty extension as part of any trade offer. Of course, Santana won't have a trade to approve or disapprove until the Twins feel like they are getting a great return. According to at least one source, they are asking the Yanks for Melky and Hughsie, which, to Ye Ole Yankees Chick, sounds like a very fair deal, but if the Cash Man has anything to say about it (and sidenote: where the hell has our dear Cash Man been these days? It seems as though Hank Steinette has been keeping Cash in a closet and doing all the talking) the Yanks might want to keep a tight hold on Hughsie. If the Twins are wise, they will put together a trade that Santana will approve ASAP, because they are going to be sans Santana in 2009 either way and they might as well get something in return; if the Yanks are wise they will listen to what the Twins want, throw some cash and years Santana's way, and lock that sucker down.

Thoughts?