It's finals time for me, so I apologize for the lack of updates lately - this situation shall be rectified in short order and I'll be back to posting multiple times a week soon, I promise!

To tide us over until my schoolwork is complete tomorrow, here's an interesting little nugget courtesy of the New Haven Register, who had a chat with the Cash Man recently. Cashman confirmed to the Register that the Yankees made not one but two generous offers to Damon, both of which $cott Bora$ turned down. The first offer was a 2-year, $14 million deal, which was promptly turned down despite the fact that that was pretty much exactly what Damon had requested (and about four times what he's worth). The Yanks tried one more time before signing Nick Johnson, this time offering one year for $6 million - far less than they had originally asked for, but by that point the demand for him had dried up considerably and the Yanks needed Damon less thanks to Granderson, so still a decent offer all things considered. Needless to say, that was rejected as well.

Per the Cash Man, Bora$ cited Abreu as the reason for the rejections, saying: "Bobby Abreu’s (new) contract is $9 million a year right now on the table so why would we do that? So I expect to see a Bobby Abreu contract."

As Damon approaches the last few weeks before Spring Training without a contract, I can't help but wonder if he's as pissed at Boras as he should be. Sure, "Abreu money" would be great, but times have changed - teams aren't doling out millions of dollars for dudes with sub-par fielding skills (even ones who can hit 25+ home runs in the new stadium). The offers the Yanks made were perfectly reasonable, and methinks Boras and Damon made a huge mistake in assuming that other teams would be looser with their wallets than the Yankees. It's not 2006 anymore (thank god) - the days of absurd contracts are largely over.

The Cash Man got a little jab in, saying "I hope he does not sign for something less than our offer. That means he should have been a Yankee and that’s not our fault.”

Well, my fellow Damon fans, the sad fate we knew we were likely facing has come to fruition. The Yanks signed fellow - but much cheaper - veteran Randy Winn today for $2 million to be their fourth outfielder, shutting the door on any hopes of a Damon return. Joe Girardi confirmed the news on Mike Francesa's radio show tonight, saying he called Damon to wish him well and that he "is going to be missed".

As I explained last week, with an already incredible lineup and Brett Gardner available to play left field, investing in a pricey free agent like Damon really didn't make much sense. For just $2 million, Randy Winn actually fits the bill for the Yanks pretty well. He's a switch-hitter with a career .286 batting average (although he had a wretched 2009 - let's hope that was a fluke),, can run okay, and will almost certainly mis-play 90% fewer balls than Damon.

And if he sucks, Gardner will still be there.

In short, signing Winn was a generally wise move: why pay big bucks for a star when others are available to do 70% as good a job for 20% of the price?

As I mentioned last week, my love for Damon (post-Boston/beard Damon, that is) had me rooting for him to return to the Bronx for another season - if the price was right (even as a fan, I can't justify the Yanks spending more than a couple million on him, nor would I want them to sign him for anything more than one season). Unfortunately for Damon fans like myself, since the Yanks (wisely) don't want to shell out big bucks for their left field spot and Damon is still holding on to hope of scoring big elsewhere, it's time to accept the fact that Damon will likely NOT be manning left field in 2010. Thus the time has come to suss out other possibilities...

The Yanks have not yet formally announced who they plan to have in left field this year, but with Damon out of the picture, they essentially have three options: make a trade, sign a free agent, or put Brett Gardner out there. Making a trade seems unlikely - who would they be trading for? And who is left to give up? - and the list of free agents that fit the criteria the Steins have in place for their 2010 left fielder ("will work cheap" and "doesn't suck too horribly") is dwindling by the day (although Gary Sheffield is still available! I'm surprised - who wouldn't want that little ray of sunshine brightening up their team's morale?). That leaves our dear friend Brett Gardner, a guy once thought to be a better bet than Melky Cabrera before his lackluster performance relegated him back to the bench. Gardy may not be the most impressive player, but his low price (under half a mil) and potential for improvement have him just weeks away from getting the left-field gig by a process of elimination. As a Yankees fan during the Steinbrother area, I'm not used to the team "settling" at any position - they've got the money, go after the big players! - but I actually think giving the job to Gardner instead of expending more money or players is the best move the Yanks could make with their left field opening.

Why give the gig to Brett? As noted, Brett ain't the best left fielder in the league, and when compared to the rest of the Yanks lineup he looks like he belongs in the minors. That said... who cares? Have you seen the rest of that lineup? While a 1-9 can't-get-em-out lineup like we had last year is fantastic, it's also rare and simply not necessary. A-Rod, Teixeira, Jeter, Granderson, Cano, Posada, Swisher and Nick Johnson are more than capable of taking care of business whether their 9th teammate is Brett Gardner or Wily Mo Pena or even Matt Holliday. Would having another 25-home run guy on the team be nice? Sure. But it's not necessary for the Yanks to be successful in 2010.

What's more, Gardner shouldn't be written off as a "waste" of a lineup spot anyway - he has the potential to contribute much more than we saw last year. Remember, last year at Spring Training he impressed Girardi so much he was actually given the starting job in centerfield over Melky. Once the season got rolling, his performance unfortunately dropped off significantly, but he's obviously got some natural ability in there somewhere. He's only 26, and doesn't have a ton of experience - perhaps what he needs is the chance to get in a lot of at-bats without a ton of pressure (look at that lineup above). His first partial year in the Bronx, when he appeared in 42 games in 2008, was not impressive (.228/.283/.299), but he improved substantially in 2009 when he had more opportunities: .270/.345/.379 in 108 games. Why not give him the chance to prove what he can do? If he does poorly, it won't have a huge impact on the team, and if he does well the Yanks find themselves enjoying the services of a quality left fielder without sacrificing anything.

That's my two cents... what dost thou think?

If you had told me five years ago that I'd be mourning the departure of Johnny Damon from the Bronx, I would have laughed in your face. I'm not ashamed to admit that I harbored an intense hatred for "Johnny Demon" when he and his nasty beard were residing in Beantown - the very sight of him was enough to illicit a vomitous reaction out of me - but something unexpected occurred at some point over the last four years: I became a Damon fan.

I actually tried hard NOT to like him once he joined the Yanks, but my efforts were in vain. He lost the beard, stole a few bases, showed some good team spirit, and I was converted. I liked his contributions to the team, from the solid OBP and speed (and the fact that he capitalized on the new stadium's freakish right-field with a buncha cheap-o home runs in 2009) to the relaxed and fun-loving attitude he brought to a team in dire need of a little loosening up. When the Yanks opted not to re-sign him right away after his contract expired, I sincerely hoped that they would reach a deal to bring him back (just for one year; let's not get too crazy here) - not because he's the best player available, but because he's been such a great fit for the team.

Unfortunately, it's not looking like Damon will be back in the Bronx in 2010, thanks to his salary demands and the Steinbrenners' out-of-character adoption of an actual budget. According to the New York Post, the Yanks are dead against spending a dime more than $2 million for their 2010 left fielder, a number far lower than what Damon thinks he's worth. To be fair, while I would like Damon to re-sign, the Steins are wise to stick to their guns on this matter: there are a plethora of similar left-field options to be had for $2 million (Brett Gardner is an obvious choice, but free agents like Nady or Jerry Hairston Jr are also available and could form a platoon of sorts) and the rest of the lineup is so absurd that paying big bucks for an offensive star is simply not necessary.

At this point, it appears that the only way Damon will wind up back on the Yankees this year will be if he can't find a deal elsewhere and is forced to lower his asking price and ditch his demand for a multi-year deal. Both the Giants and more recently the Braves have reportedly shown an interest in him, so the odds of that situation coming to fruition are slim.

It'll be sad to see Damon go; I'll miss his BS right-field home runs and his sheepish smiles after he makes mistakes in the outfield. He's got good mojo. I can only hope he goes to the National League so that I can continue to like him (cuz we all know the minute he hits a home run against the Yankees, he'll be stricken from my fickle heart).


*I vote Cano

I'm not a huge fan of change when it comes to my Yanks, particularly when the status quo is working just fine and dandy, but it came as no surprise that after winning the World Series in November the Yanks basked in the glory of their 27th championship for about 36 seconds before beginning their quest to improve the team for a bid for #28. While I personally would have been content to watch the exact same team trot back out there in 2010 and try to repeat their successes, I understand the need to capitalize on free agency (by both letting some dead weight go and snapping up some available players from other teams) and lucrative trade offers, and I must say the Yanks have done a bang-up job tweaking the team thus far this off-season. They've steered clear of all the blockbuster-type players many assumed they'd be in the market for (Lackey, Halladay, Holliday, etc), instead focusing their energies on making minor changes that cost relatively little in terms of both money and prospects. Is it possible that the Yankees might make it through an entire off-season without blowing $3028023091283 or shipping off their entire farm for one player? The winter's not over yet, so there may be a big move still up their sleeves, but the 2010 team is shaping up quite nicely without the need for major moves. Let's review what the Yanks have done so far to prepare for 2010:

No hard feelings, Hideki: Despite having a very productive 2009, capped off by an MVP-worthy World Series performance, the Yanks let Matsui walk away rather than re-signing him. I like Matsui and appreciate everything he's done for the Yanks (and I'm sure the Steins appreciated the Japanese advertising yen he brought in), but there was really no need to keep him around at this point. He is not able to play defense anymore and his knee is hanging on by a thread - keeping him around strictly as DH is silly when there are other candidates available who can offer more for a lower price.

...But we'd rather have Nick Johnson: I loved NJ when he was first with the Yanks, and I'm thrilled to have him back. His services won't be needed at first base very often (Teixeira took a grand total of about half an inning off last season), so he's likely to spend just about all of his time in the DH spot, but that is precisely where he should be with his .400+ OBP and potential for a bunch of right-field cheapie homers in the new stadium. I'm not always keen on teams signing someone strictly to be a DH, but the Yanks' infield is set in stone and they've already got a plethora of outfielders, so NJ it is!

You better learn how to dance, Curtis: The Yanks already had about 678 outfielders, but when they agreed to a 7-player three-way trade with the D-Backs and Tigers that landed them centerfielder Curtis Granderson I was excited all the same. He's got speed and power and is a good all-around dude to boot - which, as we saw from Nick Swisher last year, can add a lot to a team. For Cano's sake, though, let's hope he can dance a la Melky...

No mas Melky, bring back Javi: The writing was on the wall for Melky once CG was signed - as mentioned above, how the hell many outfielders does this team really need? Still, seeing him traded to the Braves for Javier Vazquez was bittersweet all the same. Javi is obviously much more valuable to the Yanks than Melky, however, and will hopefully fill out the rotation quite nicely. Whether he can repeat the incredible performance he put together in '09 seems unlikely when you factor in the league change and the park he'll be pitching in, but he's just what the doctor ordered to back up CC, AJ, and...

...Dandy Andy!: Bringing back Pettitte was a no-brainer - he's affordable (relatively) and you know exactly what he'll be bringing to the table.

That just about sums up what's been going on in Yankee-land since November, but I'm sure there's more on the horizon - will Damon settle for a one-year deal eventually after all? Will a reliever of some sort make his way into the Bronx? What's going to happen with Nady? Stay tuned: per my (somewhat late) 2010 resolution, I assure you I shall be here to discuss all the goings on this year!

Get it? That's what's called "topical humor" in the comedy world. Of which I am not a part.

The illustrious Carl Pavano, who during his four years with the Yankees spent more time at the DL Resort and Casino than the rest of the organization combined - and that includes the oft-ailing Big Stein - will NOT be returning to the team in 2009. Rather than signing him up for another year of non-service to the tune of $13 mil, the team bought him out for a little under $2 million. That's right, Other 29: it's your lucky day! You can have him! Enjoy!

The sad thing is, with so many teams desperately needing pitching, C-Pav is guaranteed to get a deal somewhere. Fun!

So now that he's officially out, let's commence the discussion of who his rotation replacement(s) will be.

As of right now, there are SEVERAL open spots in the rotation. Moose is most likely not coming back, Pettitte's status is up in the air (although it sounds like he wants to return), and whether either Hughes or Kennedy will be worth the cost of laundering their jerseys remains to be seen - and the Cash Man has already said they'll be looking for not one man but two.

My pick, you ask? I'm rooting for another guy who just joined the FA market today: AJ Burnett. At first glance he's not quite as desirable as CC, BUT his asking price is going to be lower and he doesn't appear to be in danger of developing obesity-related diabetes any time soon. Also, as a veteran AL East-er we already know he can hack it against the competition that the Yankees face yearlong. He wouldn't be an ace, most likely, but he's a solid talent and would make a huge impact on the team.

Of course, he has his own history of a love for the DL Resort and Casino, which we must keep an eye on...

In fact, just typing that made me re-think my desire for him.

Thoughts?

First of all, this is the first time I've crafted up one of these lists since July 22nd. My apologies for my failure to actually keep up on a "weekly feature" (remember Sidenote Saturdays? Fail.) - I'll do better with TTT from now on.

That said, let's move on to the list!

After failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 1823, the Cash Man and the Steinbrothers have pledged to do anything they can to make sure their team doesn't suffer the same fate in 2009. Presumably, that means SPENDING MONEY LIKE ITS GOING OUT OF STYLE. They really don't have much to trade (don't be delusional, munecas - no sane team is going to trade a grade-A pitcher for some combination of Hughes, Melky, and I-Ken), so it's pretty much a given that "improving the team" is going to mean going after as many top free agents as they can get their grubby little rich hands on.

I've got no problem with that. Let's take a gander at the 10 free agents I'd most like to see in pinstripes! (BTW, you can check out a full list of the FA's HERE)

Top Ten YC Free Agent Picks*:
10) Bobby Abreu (he's been dependable throughout his time with the team)
9) The Moose (yes, he's old. But look at the year he had. Can he repeat it? Maybe not. But is it worth a shot if they can get him on the cheap? Sure.)
8) Jason Giambi (it's hard to say goodbye to 32 homers and a .373 OBP, even if his playing in the field is sub-par at best)
7) Trevor Hoffman (probs wouldn't want to be a set-up man, and probs doesn't want to leave San Diego [who would?]. But a Hoff-Mo duo would be sweet.)
6) Vladdy Guerrero (think of how different things would have been if Cash had gotten his way and he'd been signed instead of Sheff??)
5) Hideki Okajima (SOM [Save Our Mound])
4) Pudge Rodriguez (his brief time with the Yanks last year was unimpressive, but he's still a champ - and with no guarantee that Jorgie Porgie will be the same after his surgery, he could prove to be invaluable)
3) AJ Burnett (SOM)
2) Carsten Charles Sabathia (He's only #2 because he pitched a ridiculous 253 innings in the regular season and an additional 3.2 in the NLDS and its entirely possible that his arm has suffered a great deal of strain)
1) Mark Teixeira (that would not only give us 2 players with the letter X in their name, but arguably the best first baseman in the game. Sorry, Giambi.)

* Yes, I know some of these dudes have options on their contracts. I'm just saying that they'd be fine additions to the team. So simmer.

There is no questioning the fact that the teams with the most dinero have the edge when it comes to the free agent market - just look at the Yankees during the entire Big Stein era. It's incredibly tough for a small market team like the Rockies or Marlins to score a big-name, highly desirable free agent, simply because they can't afford to offer the contracts that the likes of the Mets, BoSox, or Yankees can. These days, though, it looks like the tide is changing and fewer players are in the market and up for the taking every year.

Why might this be, you ask (or not, you may already know what I'm getting at, smarty-pants)? Tis simple: teams are wising up and locking up their young players early (did you get the answer right? CONGRATS! You win a prize - the satisfaction of being insightful). I don't know why the hell it took so long for so many teams to realize the plethora of benefits to such a modus operandi. I know it has been standard operating procedure for the occasional club in the past, but it seems to be only in the recent years that the philosophy has really caught on throughout the league.

As I mentioned, there are reasons aplenty for locking up your youngsters ASAP. Wanna know them? I'll answer for you: SURE, YC! Bring it on! Hit me with your best shot!

• By delaying the time that a player will be come a FA, the fans can get more attached and henceforth more faithful to the team itself. Just look at Grady Sizemore - he's attracted an entire contingent of women that are now devoted to the Indians that likely weren't big baseball fans before.
  
• The fewer free agents on the market, the better for those smaller market teams. Less need to extend 90% of your total payroll on one big name when you have you a roster full of guys that you're paying far less. Additionally, a lot of these contracts include a team option at the completion of the contract, allowing them to get the guy at a discount yet again should they so desire.
  
• On that note, it obviously benefits the teams by letting them get the players at a steep discount. When you sign a 21-year-old kid for 6 years, you're are potentially saving tens of millions of dollars that you'd have to expend on a similar player a few years later.
• For the players, the security and guaranteed decent salary has got to feel good. By knowing that you're not going anywhere (unless you're traded, of course, but let me go on with my point and ignore that for now) allows you to focus on your game and become loyal and fully invested in the future of the team. Take a look at David Wright of the Mets: in 2006 he was given a 6-year extension deal worth $55 million dollars, which is certainly no chump change for a 25-year-old kid.
  

The main downfall to this philosophy is that it can be extremely difficult to project the future of a 21-year-old kid. If the team is wrong or a horrible season-ending injury should occur, the team will either be stuck continuing to pay or have to trade him for far less than he used to be worth. Being a scout is now a more lucrative position then ever, as ball clubs need to rely even more heavily on their expertise when deciding to invest in their youngsters! Let's all be jealous of their job security as we all lose our jobs in this rapidly sinking economy :(

The seasons is fast approaching (FINALLY!), and at this point most teams have hammered out the meat of their rosters. Trades have been made, free agents have been signed, minor leaguers have been invited to camp in hopes of adding them to the roster, and few teams have gaping holes they are still waiting to fill. This is bad news for the boys who are still without a solid gig. I'm guessing that by now those players are starting to get a bit nervous that they might wind up being forced into retirement, stuck down in the minors, or maybe making a jump over to Japan to keep playing. This is unfortunate, because some of those unemployed or underemployed* guys could make a good contribution to a team, if only someone wanted them.

Top Ten Employable Unemployed or Underemployed Dudes

10) Balco Barry - yes, he's clubhouse cancer and embroiled in a legal battle, but he's obviously still capable of smacking some homers, so I think he could be a good fit for a team in need of a little pop - as long as it's not the Yankees. Maybe the Mariners? They stayed in the playoff run all the way till August last year, and maybe some Bonds power could put them over the edge.
9) Roger Clemens. You know he's going to try to weasel his way onto some team anyway.
8) Shannon Stewart. He was a big part of the A's (practically nonexistent) offense last year, just 2 points shy of being a .300 hitter, and I would imagine there must be a team out there that might need a 4th outfielder, not just a minor league team.
7) Sammy Sosa. Get him on the cheap and throw him on the bench. Why not? He had 92 RBI last year!
6) Mike-a Piazza. Still a viable backup catcher and a decent hitter at that.
5) Tony Clark. Can be had for cheap, and he had a .511 slugging percentage last year.
4) Kenny Lofton. He is a .299 career hitter and had a terrific 2007, hitting .296 in the regular season and smacking 23 homers. Yes, he's 40, but he can still hit and ain't bad in the field either.
3) Doug Mientkicantspell. I love this man dearly, and his defense makes him worthy of a one-year contract. Surely someone needs a first baseman, no? Maybe the Mets.
2) Nick Johnson. He hasn't played in a LONG time thanks to that nasty broken leg he suffered way back in 2006, but if he has rehabbed well his awesome OBP would be a boon to any team. I know I'd love to have him on the Yanks.
1) Akinori Otsuka. I don't get this one. Almost EVERY team is hurting for relievers.

Read last week's Top Ten: Reasons to be Optimistic About the 2008 Yanks



*I say "underemployed" because some of these guys have been signed to minor league deals but in my opinion deserve better.

In addition to my usual Yankees Chick posts, I have also begun writing a bit for AOL's FanHouse blog. I will post the beginnings of those articles here on YC, and then you'll have to click the link to jump on over to FH to read the rest... stick with me here, amigos!
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The Red Sox and their first baseman Kevin Youkilis have avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing on a one-year deal worth $3 million for his services. That is quite a jump from last year, when he made just $424,500. At the start of the arbitration process Youk had asked for a salary of $3.7 million, to which the Red Sox countered with an offer of $2,525,000, so the $3 million agreement certainly seems fair to both sides monetarily.

Money aside, I'd have to say that with the current market as it is, where 5th-rate relievers are signing contracts for several million dollars and utility players are earning $1 million -- or more -- per year, the Sox are on the winning side of this deal.

Edit 1/27/08: it appears I misinterpreted the reports (YC making a mistake?! UNPRECEDENTED) - - the actual deal calls for 4 years but has 2 additional club option years, which would THEN add up to the $56 mil. My opinions on the subject remain unchanged, though...!



All week there has been "preliminary" (I say preliminary now, anyway) buzz of the Yanks hooking Cano up with a 4-year deal worth about $30 mil, but ESPN is now reporting that the deal is significantly grander. Cano and the Yanks are alleged to be on the brink of agreeing on a 6-year, $56 mil contract, meaning Cano would be earning over $9 mil per year and would have his position secured with the team through 2013, when he will be 31. I thought the previous deal was a good one for both sides - the Yanks got him at a steep discount and Cano's worries about not being with the team were assuaged - but this contract would be an even bigger boon for the both team and and of course for Sir Robby. $9 million per year is STILL cheap for the Yanks; I have no doubt about Cano's talents and the contributions he is going to continue to make to the team - mark my words, this man WILL win an MVP and a batting title. For Robby, the deal looks tan excitante. A potential $9 million is a far cry from the $490K he made in 2007, and 6 years is just about as good as it can get for a youngster, regardless of talent (of which he has plenty, of course). Few teams are willing to invest such a considerable chunk of change in any player for such a time period, and to offer that sort of deal to a 25-year-old is quite a compliment to Cano!

It's arbitration season for a few Yanks (and if you aren't familiar with the term in regards to baseball, don't fret my pets: you can read my delightful definition of arbitration over at the world-famous [lies] Yankees Chick Glossary!): Cano, Wang, and Bruney. The Yanks haven't reached deals with the Wangster or Bruno, but they have zeroed in a sweet contract with Robby. Generally speaking, the Yanks don't use arbitration time to strike multi-year contracts with their players (they just hammer out the salaries), but they are on the brink of signing Cano to a 4-year deal worth $30 million. This arrangement is a very wise move for the Yankees, and obviously works out well for Cano, too. With Cano under contract for 4 years, the team is getting an All-Star 2nd baseman for bargain-basement prices in this crazy inflated market - which shows NO signs of ever returning to any sort of sanity - and Cano can breathe easy about his place on the team for a few years and exert 90% of his mental energy on playing beisbol and the other 10% on frolicking jauntily about the stadium with Melky.

As we're all well aware, winter meetings are underway and I'm sure you're all just as frenzied with anticipation as I. Day one has come and gone, and while no bombshells were dropped in the way of Santanamania or Danny-Boy Haren trades, the Yanks did bid adieu to one old friend and signed on a decent backup catcher that can hopefully serve as a viable back up for Old Man Jorgie Porgie as he further advances into his twilight years (of playing... not of life). Jose Molina, who joined the team in the middle of last year to replace poor sweet Wil Nieves, is 32 years old with a lifetime "backup catcher batting average" of .243 and hits an average of, oh, a whopping 3 or 4 homers a year, will be sticking with the team for two years. Sure, he is no power hitter and he's not going to be working walks like Giambi, but he is a solid defender and seemed to get along with the team swimmingly last season, so for a backup catcher - which everyone needs, particularly teams who sign 36-year-olds to 4-year contracts (not that I'm knocking that contract, I'm all for it and have been from the get-go) - we surely could have done much worse (sorry, Kelly Stinnet). As for that "adieu" I mentioned, sadly that was bid to Andy Phillips as he was DFA'd to make room for Bengie Yadier Jose. I doubt I am alone in having a soft spot in my heart for AP, but logistically it made the right sense. While no one wants to see Giambino manning first base all year, it is surely much easier to plug that hole (throw Posada in there sometimes, Damon if Melky is still on the team, one of the youngsters like Alberto Gonzolez....) than one behind the plate.

Despite the many reports from friends of Andy "Who Knew I Was So Damn Popular And That So Many Of My Friends Were So Damn Chatty?" Pettitte, the dear fellow will not be collecting social security in 2008 (neither will any of us, ever, but I have been told to keep my liberal leanings under wraps as much as I can here...). Word came today that he has decided to return to the Bronx to pitch for the team, though it doesn't appear to be known yet just how much cash he'll be netting.

This is great news for the Yanks as we head into the first week of December and the first days of the always-exciting winter meetings (all y'all in Nashville, keep your eyeballs peeled for some Steinbrother activity at the local $40-per-martini bar). A lefty pitcher was needed like nobody's business, and I believe the lack of Pettitte as a perceived option was making the Santanamania kick into overdrive. As for that potential trade excitement, the Yanks upped the ante by putting Hughes and Melky on the table to counter the Sox's offer of Ellsbury, but Hank Stein said that if the Twins don't make a decision today then the team aint willing to stick around and haggle all winter. Personally I think the Twins would be downright borderline mentally challenged to value Ellsbury over Melky and Hughes when trading away their best pitcher - picking up Melky and Hughsie for years when they aren't going to have Santana for more than one year even if they don't trade him seems to be a no-brainer to me - but whether they will buckle under Stein's pressure and make an effort to deal the boy today is unclear. One thing IS clear, though: if the Yankees get Santana, their rotation officially becomes frightening - to other teams, finally.

I don't really want to see Hughsie and Melky go - who would - but a Santana-Pettitte-Wangster-IKen-Jobamania starting 5 is way too good a prospect to let slip away. [Sidenote: I completely forgot about the existence of The Moose when I wrote this earlier today. I didn't just forget he was on the team or that we had him under contract, I literally forgot he even existed. Sorry Moosester. Now stay the fuck out of my fantasy rotation.]

The Yanks locked down Jorgie Porgie last week and by some crazy twist of events managed to bring A-Rod back to the team, but they have hit something of a roadblock in their "bring all the 2007 dudes back so we don't have to make many (or any) substantial trades this year" plan with Mo. The Yanks made him an offer for 3 years, $45 mil, at the same time that they were making their deal with Jorgie, but he has yet to accept it. He hasn't flat-out refused it, but he is reportedly asking the Yanks to up the ante to 4 years or throw some more dough at him for a 3-year deal.

Now, I love Mo as much as any Yanks fan, and I certainly want him back on the team, but I am having a hard time buying into the idea of a 4-year contract for a 38 year old man, greatest closer of all time or not. By asking for 4 years, he is implying that he can be counted on when he is almost 42 years old, which is, in a word, insane, or, in another word, delusional. He does have a hefty amount of leverage, though, because the Yanks really don't have any alternatives. If they let Mo get away, they would be forced to use Joba as a closer, which just opens a hole in a rotation that is already mighty sparse; also, the only way they'd be able to fill the hole left by Joba would probably be to trade I-Ken and/or Hughsie, which just creates new holes! Tis a conundrum indeed. The only move the Yanks would be wise to make at this point, given the complete lack of available pitchers, is give him the money and keep the deal at 3 years. Money is something that the Steins have plenty of, so it seems that shelling out a little extra cash to avoid having to make a trade that would almost certainly necessitate the shipping off of one of their prized youngsters and also allow them to avoid being saddled with an old man in 4 years is worth the salary increase.

Of course, with whatever salary they end up giving him (assuming they do indeed agree on contract terms eventually and we don't have to see him playing for Torre wearing Dodger blue next year) we Yanks fans can steel ourselves for the inevitable "OMGZ u guyz spend sooo much money Yankees suck go Sawx!" idiocy.... Which I would still prefer to "OMGZ u guys gave an old dude a 4-year contract u always sign old dudes Yankees suck go Sawx!"

Ladies and gentlemen, A-Rod has returned to the building. Or Team.

After testing the free agent waters for a solid 17 days, it looks like A-Rod is going to be back in NY next year. And the year after that... and the year after that... and the year after that...

Though it is currently yet to be confirmed, word on the street is that A-Rod and the Yanks are working on a 10-year, $275 mil deal. This comes as a bit of a surprise after the kibosh the Steins and Cash Man put on post-opt-out negotiations and Boras's delusional determination to score a deal worth closer to $350 mil, but happen it did.

When I first heard the rumblings yesterday of A-Rod crawling back to the Yanks in hopes of opening up some negotiation chat, I assumed it was part of some sketchy evil-doings by Boras, a move with obvious ulterior motives - some sort of attempt at raising his value on the market or weird "let's throw people off" move. I honestly did not think it was a genuine sign of a desire to rejoin the team, and I certainly did not think that the Yanks would have any real interest beyond perhaps some curiosity as to how much he and the Boras-Man were asking for now that they'd had a couple weeks to shop the kid around. The team actually said that they would be willing to talk to A-Rod, but would not be willing to deal with Boras (wise move, my friends). The fact that a deal not only came to light but was sussed out so quickly is incredible and leads me to think that there must have been either serious groveling, ass-kissing, or interesting contract terms discussed. It does sound like A-Rod will be "crediting" the Yanks (via his salary) for the $30 mil that they lost from the Rangers when he opted out, and I would guess that that gesture of good faith on A-Rod's part likely made for a good start to the negotiations.

I have been supporting A-Rod for years, defending his post-season performances and assuming/hoping that any signs of greed were either misconstrued or could be blamed on Boras because I believe he is an absolutely amazing player and takes a lot more shit than he really deserves. For the first time though, I really 100% believe in my support of him. Shaking Boras off to make his own decision shows a lot of character from a man that has seemed to be at the whim of money and his agent for his entire career. I'm thrilled about this.

You?

Good news, all of ye who, like me, live in daily fear of players going to other teams: the Yanks managed to lock Jorgie down in a contract before he even had time to hit the free agent market. The deal is reportedly for 4 years, $52 mil, meaning the Yanks are going to be counting on Jorgie Boy to contribute to the team in some way till he's at least 40 years old - a tad on the nutso side, sure, but after the performance he put up this year surely he earned himself a good deal. Also, I'm sure the fact that there are no catchers of his caliber available at the moment and the team doesn't even have anyone in the farm poised to become a Jorgie Backup any time soon made the long-term contract a no-brainer for the Three Steinmeteers.

Next up? Mariano, who has allegedly also been offered a similar deal. Cross your fingers.