Happy New Year!

I hope 2010 is the best one yet for all of you and all our teams. Let me know if you want me to start writing about movies, music and TV again. God bless you all!

At Least Get This Right

Cuban Fireballer Aroldis Chapman stands to save a ton of bonus money if he signs with a team tomorrow, because he won't be taxed on his bonus at the same rate if he plays in no games this year. This year ends tomorrow. If the Yanks can sign him without giving him a major league deal, the money wouldn't count against the luxury tax threshold. Even if they did give him a major league deal, the yearlies would be relatively small and the bonus could be amortized across them for luxury tax purposes. The Yanks should really get this done to start repairing the farm in the short term, and adding another super lefty to the team over the long term.

As soon as Chapman jumped the Cuban team last summer, the Yanks changed their entire international plan. That was no coincidence. They want him, and should not let anyone else get him. Go Yanks!

Getting Better

David Lee is really putting it together this year. He's worked on his jumper and the effort is now there on D. The team itself is really improving, and both Lee and Gallinari look like big parts of the solution. Gallo's all around game will eventually be great. They may even make the playoffs this year. Go Knicks!

18M?

Wow, so Buster Olney is reporting that Scott Boras is doubling back to talk to teams about Matt Holliday, the opening price for one team had an AAV of 18M. You better be ready to pounce, Cash! Go Yanks!

All Quiet in Yankee Land

As the Mets decided to link their deal for Jason Bay over WFAN and the Yankee Regional Sports Network YES, the Yanks remained quiet, with a big hole in Left Field. An unidentified Yankee insider did tell a reporter that the Yanks were not interested in Holliday or Bay, no official statement has been made to that effect. Names like Reed Johnson and Hairston Jr. kept floating around the vacuum of Cashmoney's Cone of Silence. There's only one big LF out there, and the Yanks have only one big hole in LF. I still believe Holliday will be a Yankee in January.

Left Field

Needed a new thread. We have heard Reed Johnson's name, Jermaine Dye's and Mark DeRosa's for the past week or so. Thankfully, the DeRosa ship is sailing to SF. None of these seem particularly Yankee-like. Sure, Johnson could work in a platoon with Gardner or Grandy, but what if someone gets hurt and he has to face righties? Yikes. Dye has a giant fork sticking out of his back. As long as that hole exists, I've got to believe it's there to be filled by Matt Holliday. The fit is just too perfect and the market price is too inviting. So, while the Giants end their season and go in search of some new assistant coaches, the Knicks try to trade Curry and Jeffries, and the Rangers try to find some consistency, we'll just wait on Holliday.

Jason Bay?

Now some websites are reporting the Yankees have an offer out for Jason Bay that is 4/65 and trumps, if slightly, both the offers of the Mets and Red Sox. I find this hard to believe since Bay is below average fielder. He is a very good hitter though and would slide into the 5 hole. I'm gonna see if I can check this out. Holliday should be their target if their gonna go big on a contract, and why give the first round pick the to Sox?

UPDATE: This seems to have come from a confused source.

Eliminated

With the Cowboys win tonight, the Giants were officially eliminated from this year's playoffs. So ends their longest streak in quite some time. Next week they'll be playing the Vikings and the only thing a win will get them is a lower pick in April's draft. Tom Coughlin will have some decisions to make. He will doubtlessly fire Bill Sheridan and perhaps a few of the other D coaches. Who will be the replacements? Will he go with a retread like Jauron or try to find the next Spagnuolo out on someone else's staff. It may be time to turn the page on Gilbride and some of the offensive coaches as well. Jerry Reese will have a lot of his plate as both lines need to be fixed, and the defensive back seven needs a huge overhaul. It's should be a very busy offseason after a very disappointing season. The good news is that Eli's come into his own and the window is still open, as long as they get the right DC and defenders in there. Go Giants!

Reed Johnson?

I told you several days ago that the Yanks were interested in signing Reed Johnson to platoon in left with Brett Gardner. Now rumors abound that this might be close to happening. As you know, Reed Johsons is a right handed hitter who can play any postion in the outfield and rakes against RHP's. So, essentially, he's a 33 year old version of he Hoffman kid we trade for. The key here will be seeing what he signs for: if it's 2M or less, we're probably still in business should Holliday meet our number. If it's three or more, he's probably the last piece, other than some cheap power off the bench. It wouldn't be a splashy signing, but getting a guy who mashes lefties and plays good OF D would be a smart signing, especially if Curtis Granderson continues to struggle against lefties. Gardy actually hits them alright, so I'm thinking this could be undercover insurance for Grandy.

Giants Fail To Show For Stadium Finale

That was probably the worst performance by a Giant team I've ever seen, particularly given the circumstances of the playoff scenarios and the closing of the stadium. Jerry Reese needs to take some action, though he is not without responsibility for what has been going on with the team since Plax shot himself. I don't think Coughlin should go, but the coordinators could certainly be upgraded. Running the ball when down 31 and working against the clock? Yikes.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all who read and participat in the blog. I wish you the very merriest of Christmases. As it was for Scrooge, may tomorrow prove a turning point for the very best in each of your lives.

God bless you all,

Phil

Living on Borrrowed Prime

It's Christmas Eve, and though I am incredibly grateful for Hope Week, Title 27, and the offseason moves Cashmoney Green has made so far this offseason. In fact, in the last two offseasons Cash has done a lot to make the Yankees younger and more athletic. He let Giambi and Abreu go last year, and this year he's let Matsui, Damon, and Molina go. He replaced Giambi with an in his prime Teixeira. He replaced Abreu with Swisher. He replaced Matsui with OBP Jesus. He's replacing Molina with a pre-prime Cervelli. That brings up to Granderson. Curtis was an upgrade over Melky and Gardy in CF, but he was also the replacement for Johnny Damon the CF we signed 4 years ago, but who had been playing left for much of his deal. The one thing he hasn't done is replace the Damon who played Left. In fact this week he traded his apparent replacement.

So, right now in Left we're looking at something like a Brett Gardner/Reed Johnson platoon. And while that would give us great D, it just doesn't seem to match up with the rest of the plan. I still think we're lying in the weeds for Matt Holliday, hoping his price will meet what we have in mind for him. We'll see if it happens. Go Yanks!

It's Official!

Nick Johnson is back with the Yanks. Barring any Johnny Damon encores, Nick will bat second and get on base all the time. In Leftfield news, there is no news. At this point, I think the Yanks should either accept this cutrate opportuninity to add Holliday, or just go with Brett Gardner, who was looking like he had some value before he broke his thumb. If they take the Gardner route, they should then take whatever they were gonna spend on a free agent, and use it to help restock the farm, which is dented from losing Austin Jackson and ARodis Vizcaino this offseason. Go Yanks!

"... it's not going to be a big piece."

Today, when speaking during the Javy Vazquez tele-conference, Cashmoneygreen said reiterated his speech about that budget and said he's continue to look at options and added "...it's not going to be a big piece." This would seem to rule out adding the perfect fit, Matt Holliday, to the Yanks this holiday season, and yet, I don't think it does. The Yanks go be AAV when looking at their payroll, and right now they could add a 14M player this year and still be under last year's number. If they can get rid of Mitre or Gaudin, they could add a 16M player. Anyway, what seems apparent but isn't being hinted at is that the Yanks can indeed add a player like Holliday and stay under their number if they are a little creative. I wouldn't give up on MH in pinstripes just yet, though I think it would behoove him to approach the team. Go Yanks.

Javy Vazquez Redux?

The Yankees are reportedly in the process of re-aquiring Javy Vazquez as well as Boone Logan for Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn and a prospect. Not terribly inspiring. Vazquez has a nasty habit of following a good year with a bad year and he's coming off a great year. Boone Logan is a lefty reliever and we really can't evaluate this till we know who the other prospect is.

Building a Mystery

Wow, for the past 24 hours or so there have been reporters' rumors that the Yanks are working on a trade for a "substantial" starting pitcher, but no one seems to know who the pitcher is or what the Yankees would give up? There is some thought that this could be related to Holliday in some way. We'll see what happens. Go Yanks!


UPDATE: Joel Sherman of the Post claims that Javy Vazquez is the trade target. I find that pretty hard to believe. First, we've already seen this movie, and, second, it wouldn't take this long.

Welcome Back!

The Giants went into Washington and just obliterated the Skins tonight. It was over from the first perfectly mixed drive that followed the opening kick-off. This was a blow plain and simple. Ahmad Bradshaw had two td's on the ground, Eli threw for three more TD's bringing his season total to 26 and Terrel Thomas had a pick six and the Giants just pounded them 45-12. The O is really starting to come along, though Nicks left early with a mild hammy and Rich Seubert also left with a knee. The replacements didn't miss a beat. On D we got to the QB more than we have been lately, but we did give up a few too many big plays. Still, this is the kind of win we can build on. Go Giants!

Another Starter by New Year's

This morning the Yankee buzz in the papers is that the Yanks want to sign another by New Year's Day. Pretty dramatic, but wow does it smell of BS. First, what's the rush? There's no one great out there, and the prices will be down in January. Second, since when did Jedi Master Cashman start calling his shots? It doesn't make any sense at all.

In other news, Cash apparently looked into trading for Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano. Yeah, we have a budget. Another name being floated is Jason Marquis. Marquis really doesn't seem like he'd be a good fit for the AL Premiership, and would certainly not be reason to clock Hughes and Joba.

It's unclear what they are up to, but their best bet still means signing Holliday and sticking him in left. Signing Chapman and sticking him in the minors, and letting Joba and Phil take a shot at the 4 and 5. Go Yanks!

Tradebait?

So the Cubs have recently emerged as a possible trade destination for Melky or Gardner. The thought here is that neither will be traded until we sign Matt Holliday or another quality corner OF, and in that case the Yanks would likely trade Melky because he's more expensive and because Gardy's one plus tool, speed (okay D, too), is more useful off the bench than anything Melky's got. It's interesting that the Cubs think one of them will be available. What are they hearing?

Whither Nate?

Nate, who has been in Coach D'Antoni's doghouse, and out of his rotation for the past several weeks, has requested a trade. It's a real shame that a player as talented as Nate wouldn't make the necessary adjustments to his game, his attitude and his on-court behavior to become a valuable regular at this point, but he hasn't and it seems like Coach D was fed up. Hopefully, the Knicks can get pick or something, or perhaps pair Nate with Curry or Jeffries to get some cap room out of this unfortunate situation. It's sad, there was a time when it looked like Nate was going to turn into a star for the Knicks.

The Rotation

The Yanks face a decision with their rotation: to add a risky starter or to stand pat and see what they have in Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and the others. This is a subset of a bigger issue. The only way the Yanks are ever going to significantly lower their payroll is to start producing championship level players for their farm. It's a simple truth. They're never going to want to stop winning, so until the farm can produce championship level players again, as it has done in the past, the payroll isn't gonna get much below 200M. With this in mind, both Joba and Phil have both shown they can get out major league hitters. But for injuries to both of them, we might already know what we have in them. But as it stands right now, they may very well be better than anyone on the market right now, but they might never get their chances.

The Yank are gonna have enough offense to stay in the race while we find out about Phil and Joba, one or both of them could come up huge. It wasn't very long ago that they were both projected as top of the rotation starters. So why not give them a few months to show what they can do now that they've been around the bigs for awhile? We'll have more tradeable assets at the deadline thane we have now, so why not? Joba was a very good 4 before they started the innings plan. Hughes was coming around before Wang came back and he went to the pen. So let's get Holliday, and let these two guys develop.

Whither Johnny?

Though there is still a hole in Left Field, Johnny Damon's days as a Yankee seem to be over. The other day there were reports that Johnny had sent a message to the Yanks that they shouldn't even make an offer unless it started at 13M and went for 3 years. Now we are hearing that eventually lowered his demand to 2/24M, then finally 2/20M but by that time the Yanks had agreed to terms with Nick Johnson on his new deal. Apparently, the Yanks only offer to Johnny, before they agreed with NJ, was 2/14M, which Johnny was never going to take. So now, Johnny will be looking elsewhere, and there's still a hole in LF, and a free agent left fielder who really wants to be a Yankee and though he's about as good as Mark Teixeira, a deal for him will cost about 100M less.

So here's what I believe. I think the Yanks believed they had a shot at Roy Halladay, and were willing to trade for Roy Halladay and bring back Damon on a two year deal. Then, when Halladay went to Philly, the next player on the Yanks board was Matt Holliday. I think, right now, the Yanks are hoping to get Holliday at their number, then find another starter through a trade or through a highly incentivized deal. We'll see if I'm right. Go Yanks!

It's Official!

OBP Jesus is back in pinstripes and ready to rock! So far, the moves the Yanks have made have been great. I doubt they'll screw it up with a DeRosa or anything like that. And I still think they'll swoop on Holliday. Go Yanks!

Sheets Next?

Now there's a lot of buzz that Ben Sheets will be the next new Yankee. I can only believe this is Sheets has thrown for the Yanks, and I don't know that he has. And any deal with a guy who missed all of last season, would have to be heavily incentivized. And getting Sheets to further block the development of Joba and Hughes, still would not fix the problem we now have in Left.

Almost Done?

George King is reporting that the Yanks could announce Nick Johnson's return as soon as tomorrow. Of course, we've always wanted OBP Jesus back, but let's hope it doesn't preclude adding Matt Holliday to bat 5th. Go Yanks!

UPDATE: 1 year 5.5M pending a physical! Welcome back OBP Jesus!

"We're not done."

Those were the words Hal Steinbrenner spoke at the Curtis Granderson press conference today. Though he paid lip service to the budget, he said he thought we'd do a few more things if the money is there. The money is there, let's get Holliday. Go Yanks!

1. Jeter SS
2. Johnson DH
3. Teixiera 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Holliday LF
6. Granderson CF
7. Posada C
8. Cano 2B
9. Swisher RF

Make it so, Cashmoney Green!

OBP Jesus on the Way?

George King of the Post is reporting that the Yankees are indeed talking with Nick the Stick about a return to pinstripes. It would be an incentive based deal that would depend on Nick staying healthy. Get er done, Cash!

Cust for DH?

Kevin Rozell over at Zell's Pinstriped Blog is reporting that the Yanks are showing interest in Jack Cust. Now, Cust was non-tendered the other day, but is a lefty home run hitter who takes a lot of walks. He strikes out a ton, too, but still maintains a good OBP. While I'd prefer Nick Johnson, Cust could hit 40 jacks playing his homegames at NYS rather than out in Oakland. So he'd be a nice move, too. Go Yanks!

Yanks Land Towers

In the next few days, the Yanks will announce that they have added former Padre GM Kevin Towers to their front office team. Towers will stay in California and act as an advisor to Yankee GM Brian Cashman. Towers is a good executive with great contacts who is also a somewhat legendary evaluator of pitchers. He should come in really handy for the Yanks for as long as he's on the job. Good hire!

Get This Guy

As much as the Yanks have talked about pitching and their budget this offseason, currently their O needs to most help. As of today we have Melky in left and Juan Miranda (who's injured) at DH. Until proven otherwise, that gives us a batting order that is only 7 deep. Make no mistake, parting ways with Matsui might have been wise, but we lost a 131 OPS+ hitter and that's significant. Johnny Damon is coming off a very good year, but he slowed down late and wants three years. What's the point of buying all that decline? Holliday is in his prime and the only competition for him is a 5 year offer from the Cards. Let's just do it then sign Nick Johnson for a year to scotchguard the O. C'mon, Yanks.

For DH?

With Hit-deki Matsui moving out here, how about picking up OBP Jesus, Mr. Nick the Stick Johnson to come back and DH for us? His homer power has been down a bit since he hurt his wrist, but he still gets on base at a .400 clipe and might see his power numbers rise in NYS. It won't cost much, let's do it! Go Yanks!

Generations

The core four of the Yankees is OLD. That's something we just have to recognize. Though Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Mo just combined to help win their fifth championship as a homegrown unit, who knows how much longer they can stay so productive. ARod, too, is getting up there. Now, ARod is younger than Jeter and since they can both still run, it looks like they were age better than Giambi or Matsui, who couldn't still run. Believe it or not, it's predictor.

In any event, while the Yanks have largely rebuilt their farm, the best position players from that farm are at least a year away from starting to appear. That's why it was a good idea last year to add Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher, and why it was a good idea this year to add Curtis Granderson. These players are all very good and in their primes and will help bridge the gap from the Jeter generation to a time when the farm is ready to produce big time positional talent again.

Now, it is because of this lag, between the Mo/Andy/Po/Jeter group to the next homegrowns that it would be wise for the Yanks to add any outstanding players on the right side of 30 who fit their immediate and long term needs. Such moves take pressure off the farm, and keep the Yankee type prospects in the Yankee system and not in someone else's. So what's the point? The Yanks should sign Matt Holliday for the hole in left, and, if he's as good as they have always thought, add Aroldis Chapman to the farm. We want to keep winning, right?

Aroldis Day

Today is the day that Aroldis Chapman, who would not throw a bullpen when he visited Yankee stadium at the end of October, will throw a bulllpen with as many as 12 teams on hand in Houston. At one point, the Yankees were highly interested in the Cuban fireballer, but it seems their interest has waned over the past 6 weeks or so. We'll see if Chapman can reignite their interet later today.

In other Yankee news, the Yanks have reached out to the agent for free agent LF Jason Bay. This seems like a move designed to put pressure on Johnny Damon. Bay is a righty pulll hitter, who, like Damon is a poor defender in left. Though the Cards have leaked a "huge" offer to should be Yankee target Matt Holliday, it's unclear how it would be structured and how much would be guaranteed. The Yanks really need to be lurking on Holliday. They do need another big bat or two, and Johnny Damon would be a suboptimal fit at this point.

UPDATE: Chapman threw today in front of 15 teams. He hit 96 on the gun and showed a slider and a change. Nothing not to like about that.

What a Day!

So, the Red Sox have signed Lackey. The Angels appear to be close on a deal for Matsui. Apparently Roy Halladay will be traded to the Phillies, while Cliff Lee is traded to the Mariners and prospects are traded to the Blue Jays. Okay, so the big pitchers seem to be gone and the Yanks don't have a perfect fit for the #5 hole in their line-up.

I think it's time for the Yanks to consider a creative deal for Matt Holliday. Here's a couple of reasons why. First, Holliday is a better player than any of next year's free agent LF's. Second, with the trade of Austin Jackson, the Yanks are now a couple of years, at least, from producing a Yankee type OF from their system. Third, he's a much better defensive player than Johnny Damon. Fourth, he is also a better offensive player than Johnny Damon. Fifth he is also a healthier player than Johnny Damon. Finally, and we all know this, he is a perfect fit for the Yanks.

Apparently, the Halladay to the Phillies/Lee to the Mariners/prospects to the Jays deal has been agreed to do.

Now the only pitchers left carry risk, and we have a lot of pitching depth as it is. Of course, if Cash can trade for a good hitter who can play left, that would be cool, too, but we might as well keep the farm for now. Go Yanks!


UPDATE: Juan Rivera is now being traded to the Braves for Derek Lowe.

UPDATE: Red Sox have agreed with Mike Cameron on a 2 year deal worth 15.5M. So Bay is gone.

Matsui to the Angels?

Buster Olney is reporting that Hideki Matsui has a 6.5M deal with the Angels. If that's the case, it ends the Yankee career of one of my favorite players. He may have pushed it too hard with his "streak" but he was a good hitter and a good Yankee. He will be missed, but the price tag is telling us that the Yanks are gonna go with Miranda at DH. Matsui was the best fit there of the FA DH's. Well, let's get a left fielder, then see what the pitching market looks like. Go Yanks.


UPDATE: The latest report is that Hideki Matsui is now an Angel. Thanks and God bless you, Hit-Deki!

Lackey to Boston?

So Ed Price has heard from a source that Jon Lackey might be headed to Boston for a physical. So what does this mean for the Yanks? Nothing good. First, if Boston signs Lackey, we have one less option for the rotation and will have to match him up against Andy fourteen times or whatever next season. Second, if Boston gets Lackey, they can then throw Bucholz into a trade for AGone or Miggy. Third, it could cause an overreaction by the Yanks that could lead to them giving up Montero and others for Roy Halladay. See? Nothing good. The hope here is that the Yanks would realize that the Sox would be out of the Halladay market (presumably) and just continue to wait out the market with Sheets as a nice fallback option. It's getting interesting.


UPDATE: This is now confirmed. Lackey's deal will be similar to AJ's Burnett's.

Giants Lose

If you don't play defense you don't win. They had their chances, but couldn't get any stops. Oh, and we need two new kickers.

Must Win

If the Giants want to go on a run this year, they simply have to win today. But more importantly, I want them to win for Hope Johnson, an amazing woman and Giant fan who's going to watch the game with God this week. Hope brought grace to every life she touched, and to the Giant online and in person community she was a big part of since the dawn of the internet. Hope's smile and blessed presence was known to many of the current Giants, and I have a feeling they want this one for Hope as badly as we all do this weekend. God bless Hope and Godspeed to the Giants.

What's Next?

While the Yanks wait on Johnny Damon and for the major league starting pitching market to clarify, this Tuesday, they will get their first look at Aroldis Chapman in quite some time. The Cuban fireballer's rep seems to have taken several hits over the past few months, but Tuesday he'll throw in front of the Yanks, Sox, Mets and others. The Yanks had been planning to add him to their system since he defected, but his refusal to throw a bullpen for them when they entertained him, and some other business may have turned them off. We'll know later this week, if they allow themselves to be outbid. Of course, at this point it doesn't look like Chapman will get a Major League deal, so any money he could get from the Yanks wouldn't be luxury taxable while he's in the minors.


One other area where we might see a decision, and hopefully tomorrow, is on the Kevin Towers front. Why would I live it done tomorrow? Cause Towers is one of the best in the business at finding pitching talent, and I'd like him to watch Chapman with the Yankee contingent on Tuesday.


So that's where we are right now. Go Yanks!

Yanks Interested in Ryota Igarashi?

There are reports this morning that the Yanks are one of the teams interested in Japanese RP Ryota Igarashi. Igarashi's 5'11" and, in his healthy seasons he's K'd about 1 per inning. His production fell off a few years ago, when it turned out he needed TJS, but this will be his third season back, so he should be fine in that respect. He has gained true free agency from the Yakult Swallows, so no posting fee will be needed to acquire him, should the Yanks decide to go that way. In general, I am against spending on middle relievers, so I'm against this from the start. Go Yanks!

Thanks, Tiger!

According to Davidoff, the Yanks will not be tendering a contract to Chien Ming Wang at the deadline. So ends their nearly 10 year association. I remember back in 2000 when CMW was a big international signing, and his triumphs and injuries as he made his way through the minors to the bigs. At his best in `06 and `07 he was an innings eater who'd give you a ERA+ in the 120's. He seemed to have his troubles in the playoffs, but his career was off to a nice start until that interleague game in Houston where he broke his lis franc running the bases. This year, he came back and couldn't keep his pitches down. They finally realized he'd need the shoulder surgery they'd been hoping against all these. It was his pitching shoulder, with the partially torn rotator cuff that prevented the Yanks from ever locking him up long term, and now, sadly the end of the term has come. I'll always have fond memories of watching The Outlier get his grounders and induce his DP's. Good luck, Tiger Wang!

Who Are These Guys?

The Knicks have just won their 4th in a row, this time at New Orleans, and their 5th out of their last 6. Now, I've pictured Gallo and Chandler who both were effective on both ends tonight, scoring and playing D and blocking shots, but everyone in the now shorter rotation is contributing. Lee, Harrington and Hughes have played well. Jeffries and Duhon are even playing better. Tonight Curry came back, and chipped in a few points in limited minutes, and Toney Douglas didn't play at all. That's how short the rotation is, and it's working. They're starting to be fun to watch again, and this is the first time they've won four in a row in over 2 years. Go Knicks!

Gardner Garnering Interest?

Since the Yanks picked up Granderson the other day, we know that both Kansas City and now the Chicago White Sox have been trying to acquire Yankee CF Brett Gardner. What's more, when the Yanks picked up Jamie Hoffmann and didn't lose Colin Curtis in the Rule 5 draft, the Yankees major league ready organizational depth ran 5 deep. That's a lot of CF's. So while Gardy is a fast and talented cost controlled player, the Yanks should be listening to offers. Especially if pieces can be spun into any other deal they might want to make better than Gardner can. While I'd prefer trading the more expensive Melky Cabrera for prospects, Cash should see what he can get for Gardner. Go Cash!

Phase II Not Ready Yet

Having rocked the Winter Meetings with the trade for Granderson, the re-signing of Pettitte and the Bruney for Hoffman swap, Cash told reporters the next shoe wasn't ready to fall yet. The Yanks currently have 37 players on their 40 man roster. If they want, that leaves room for a LF, DH, and SP which seem to be the only things they're considering now. It seems likely that if another LF is signed, Melky could find himself traded to the Cubs or another destination. But as of right now, no signings and no trade for Roy Halladay seem imminent. Still, so far, so good.

Damon Blinking?

Reports this morning say the Yanks and Johnnny Damon are engaging in negotiations that would return Johnny to the Yankees. Of cours, the Yanks have all the leverage here and I'd be surprised if Johnny gets more than one year. But going year to year with these older guys is a great way to go. Meanwhile, the Yanks susprised everyone by picking up Dodger Jamie Hoffmann with the first pick of the Rule 5 draft this morning. Hoffmann is a righty who rakes against lefties, but is just okay overall. But, Hoffman can play all three OF positions as well as first and third. If Damon returns, or some other LF is acquired, Hoffman's presence might make Melky or Brett Gardner trade bait, especially since OF Colin Curtis was NOT lost in the Rule 5 this morning. Keep it going, Cash!

Stilll Looking at the Starting Pitcher Market

Following the news conference to announce the Granderson deal, Brian Cashman sat down with the crew from MLB Network. He said against righties Curtis would slot into the two hole in his mind, which doesn't sound like good news for Johnny Damon. He also dropped Mike Cameron's name when he was discussing what a great guy Curtis Granderson is. That was unusual for him, so I think we have to assume that Cameron could be on the way at some point. Anyway, right now, bringing back Matsui to bat 5th makes the most senst to me. But the big revelation was that, having locked up Andy, Cash is still looking at the starting pitching market and was engaging teams and agents in discusccions to that end. He indicated something were "unrealistic" at this point (HELLO, TORONTO!) while others were more realistic. This could take awhile. Go Cash!

Secondary Targets

While the Blue Jays try to extort too much for 1 season of a 33 year old pitcher, the Yanks are wisely looking into Rich Harden and Ben Sheets. Sheets too a year off to rehab his elbow, and the Yanks have always liked him. Harden has had some shoulder stuff, but is willing to take a one year, incentive laden deal. The Yanks would be in good shape with either of these high risk/high upside power pitchers on a one year deal.

Day 3

It's the last full day of the Winter Meetings, and it looks like Andy Pettitte will be resigning today. So much for my theory that we would trade for Halladay and Andy would retire. So, once again we get two hundred innings of, hopefully, above average production. His era + was 107 this past season, and while that's fine, we should be looking for better from a top three starter. Still, he's Andy and he's always welcome. Go Yanks!