On the Yankees beat

are you kidding me? let's pray that he makes this deal

outfielders of melky's ability are everywhere - we could pick 5 up in july if we need to

good lefthanded relievers on the other hand are the hardest thing to come by in pro-sports

we need to make this deal

(plus it paves the way for a bernie return!!)

I agree. Melky's numbers will invariably suffer as a result of not playing regularly, thus decreasing his trade value. It makes more sense to deal him while his trade value is still high.

We already have 3 outfielders so Melky isn't even going to play, plus when Abreu comes off the books after this year, Jose Tabata is going to take his space. Unfortunately, we have no need for Melky.

On the other hand, our only lefty reliever is Myers, who can only pitch to one batter at a time. Gonzalez fills a gap we currently have on our roster, has unbelievable numbers, is young, and is a lefty.

Jim, I usually agree with you but you're way off base here.

Jim- Thanks for the update. I think Cashman will trade Melky, but knowing the economics involved, will not let him go cheaply. Melky, and a mid-level prospect for Gonzalez is fair. No way is Melky and Proctor for Gonzalez a good deal for the Yanks. Cashman will do everything he can to prevent Gonzalez from being traded to the R\Sox.

Good point Roy. If Gonzalez goes to the Red Sox and Melky hits .230 in 200 abs this year, this will go down as one of the biggest missed opportunities ever.

once again my frustrations with cashman grow. when the sox want to make a deal they just make it, no "hot stove rumors" and all kinds of brewings that just allow other teams to get involved and up the ante.
look at the sox trade for donnely. no rumors, no negotiations. just action. this is epstein's usual m.o. is it full proof? not by a long shot. does he mess up? quite often. but at least things actually get done, and that aura - of results oriented GM - helps facilitating further trades because gm's respond to that attitude. with the yanks you know it's going to take forever. cashman will think, and re-think, and meanwhile the yanks lose out on all the major bullpen arms of the winter - their biggest need by torre's own admission.
my guess - the sox get gonzalez and once again stuff it to the yanks. i really hope i'm wrong, but pittsburgh has been extremely accomodating for the sox in recent years, agreeing to ridicolous trades and they'll do it again - gonzalez for some unproven prospect.
again, hope i'm wrong, but remember this blog...

A 4th OF for a top notch lefty out of the pen?

No brainer

Was in Charleston last weekend. Great time.

That's a lot of "if's", Jennings.

What about IF Gonzalez goes to the Red Sox and gets sidelined because his tendonitis flares up and Melky hits .330?

I'm not saying not to trade for Gonzalez.

By all means, get the guy but let me ask again, do we need to trade Cabrera?

Couldn't we trade someone else?

He is a proven player.

You guys always seem to like proven.

Every argument with you guys always comes back to so and so being more proven than so and so.

Eric, my reasoning was as follows: Melky is not going to be playing everyday and because of that his numbers are likely to suffer. In addition, there is now a full scouting report out on Melky so a sophomore slump is also probable.

Gonzalez could have injury trouble, but the fact of the matter is that as good as Melky was last year, he's not of much use to us this year plus because he won't get regular playing time and because the league will adjust to him, his numbers are likely to suffer.

(Plus I agree with the first post...anything to bring Bernie back. As old as he's getting, I'll take Bernie up at bat in a big spot any day.)

Here you go again assuming the worst.

Why don't you assume that Melky will improve upon last year's production.

Is that unusual for someone to be better in their sophomore year?

Did you forget about Cano already?

And btw, he doesn't have to be "not playing everyday."

Where is it written that he has to be the one to sit?

Salaries: Matsui 13 mil; Abreu 13.6 mil; Damon 13 mil; Giambi 20 mil; Melky 300k.

Therefore, Melky will be sitting.

And for the record, I prefer to see Melky in leftfield everyday instead of Matsui.

Other than the bat, Melky contributes to a team winning than Matsui.

Here is some of the reasons:

- Melky gets to more balls

- Melky has a better arm and throws runners out better
- people won't run on him as boldly as they would with Matsui because of that

- Melky is faster on the bases on a team that slower than molasses, so that is even more critical to the Yankees.

- Matsui while he may have a more potent bat, he is so streaky that when he does struggle, he is totally useless to the Yankees.

- Melky has that enthusiasm that sparks the team.

- we've seen all there is to see of Matsui

- we haven't even seen the best of Melky.

If you want to trade an outfielder, trade Matsui.

Eat a large portion of his salary so Pirates won't have to.

Pete and Anonymous

I am with you on the Melky trade for Gonzalez. We need a good, young, hard throwing LH in the pen more than we will need Melky on a part time basis.

"Salaries: Matsui 13 mil; Abreu 13.6 mil; Damon 13 mil; Giambi 20 mil; Melky 300k.
Therefore, Melky will be sitting." - Jennings

If that's how you run a team, that is, sit all your lower-earning players in favor of your higher paid players, instead of putting the best team on the field, then my friend, you have no clue.

Rick,
I agree the trading of Melky for Gonazalez as well. As we've discussed so many times, we can always find an OF.

Those who think that trading Matsui and keeping Melky are being silly. All this talk about how Melky "saved" the Yanks season with his "heart and enthusiasm" is cracking me up. He wasn't a total disaster in LF and that's all the Yanks wanted for him.
Even if he turns out to be a fine major league player, it's still worth trading OF's for pitching.

Jim A, I know that comment was directed at me.

So how exactly is someone for trading Matsui and keeping Cabrera silly?

Let's hear the reasoning instead of just throwing a statement out there without and back up.

Eric

Number 1, the Yanks are NOT going to trade Matsui anywhere for anybody. Besides being a 100 RBI clutch machine, he is a PR cash cow for our relations in Japan.

Number 2, the Pirates just happen to be one of those teams that are always trying to UNLOAD high salaries, NOT trade for them. They are not going to want Matsui. They want young, cheap guys!

Where do you come up with these baseless crazy ideas?

Jim A

Exactly correct on all points. Melky did a good job and will probably be a solid ML OF. But, he is not Mickey Mantle. I think I've covered this before???

It's pitching we need to win championships. If we can get a 28 year old hard throwing LH for the bullpen, then we have to do it.

Rick,

So let me see, Matsui has become such a legend that the Yankees won't trade him "anywhere for anybody?"

Wow. I didn't know we had such an icon on our hands.

I just don't see it the same way.

If they traded A-Rod at his prime when he was the "best player in the game" or Ken Griffey Jr. also another uber-superstar, surely Matsui can be moved, right?

Now, about him being a "100 rbi clutch machine."

While I don't disagree about his ability to get 100 RBI's, I seriously doubt he is that clutch.

Anyone who follows the Yankees on a regular basis knows he is not that clutch.

I notice that many a times, the guy seems to hit whenever the team has the momentum in the game.

His hits and RBI's are usually the icing on the cake, so to speak.

When the team is down, he does nothing.

Melky on the other hand seems to spark them by getting on base against a tough pitcher.

"But, he is not Mickey Mantle." Rick Keyes

If that is your criterion for trading or not trading a player, then just everyone on the team should be traded then.

Eric do you honestly think that it's worth holding onto a fourth outfielder of mediocre talent at the expense of not getting a good young lefthanded reliever??

"he is a PR cash cow for our relations in Japan." - Rick Keyes

Yeah, and beginning next year, if not already, he is a has-been Japan cash cow.

In case you haven't realize, the news maker in Japan these days plays for our smelly rivals to the north.

"Eric do you honestly think that it's worth holding onto a fourth outfielder of mediocre talent at the expense of not getting a good young lefthanded reliever??" - Anonymous

I normally don't respond to someone who's "Anonymous."

It's like talking to a blank wall.

But I'll make an exception this time.

Where did I say not to trade for Gonzalez?

Again, Melky is only a fourth outfielder if you make him that.

Otherwise, he is a starter IMO.

Got it?

Eric,
I see everyone sort of jumped in and answered for me but I will just reiterate, there is no way the Yanks should trade a proven, .290/30hr/110RBI guy for a young outfielder that may or may not hit 15HR and bat .280. If Melky is going to be a corner OF on the Yankees, he'd need to possess a lot more power than he does. While his defense is an upgrade over Matsui, it is not worth trading Matsui away and creating a hole in the lineup. OF's can be had, especially light hitting ones like Melky.
I like the kid, and I've said that a dozen times, but his value is high right now and perhaps a little more inflated because he played in NY, in a stacked lineup.
Matsui has performed well in the regular season and the playoffs for the Yanks, and I just don't think trading him to make room for Melky is the smart thing to do.

It's amazing to me that you guys just seem so sure that Melky's best days are behind him.

What did he do to make you think that?

His trade value is high now, but will be less later?

For Christ sake, that was his rookie year.

If you trade him now, you are only selling yourself short because his value will only rise with each passing year.

Matsui is nothing more than another one of their many clutchless mercenaries.

Melky is exactly what they need to give their lineup balance.

Balance is good because a pitcher can't come in and neutralize you that easily.

With a balance lineup, there many ways for you to get to a pitcher.

If your whole lineup is made up of the sit back and wait for a home run type players, you're gonna get shutdown.

Need I remind you of the games in the Detroit series.

You people before the playoffs began were saying we needed Matsui's bat more than Cabrera's defense.

Matsui went on to bat a scorching .250 in the series and was even pulled from leftfield in the last game and replaced by Melky.

Too little to late for that series but will we learn anything from that?

Apparently with you people, the answer is NO.

And one more thing.

All of you people keep on reiterating the same thing: players of Melky's ability is a dime a dozen...

Let me ask you this, where are all these dime a dozen players?

Many teams would like to know particularly the Braves and Pirates certainly think Melky's ability is unique enough to part with their Gonzalez and LaRoche's.

Let me tell you something, it's the other way around.

The one-dimensional Matsui's of the world are the ones that are a dime a dozen.

Every year there's a crop of free agents that can match or exceed his numbers.

Get a clue people.

Melky Stinks .... Yankees needs help in the bulllpen... The Yankees could sign Damon Hollins and Alexis Gomez. I don't carwe what you says Eric.... Your Redsox Fan, you wanted the Redsox to get him coco overrated crisp.

and while we're at it eric, we can trade arod and have andy cannizaro play third, and trade posada and have will nieves catch

that way, we won't have too many big bats in the lineup for your liking

why on earth would we sign damon hollins (.264 obp last year) or alexis gomez (11 career rbis), when we have a very capable and clutch bernie waiting in the wings

What's your going to with melky if he seats in dugout, it will hurt his development... He's fourth outfielder in this team. You want to move and play him in triple A? I want to Bernie to return for his final season and anounnces his retirement in proper way.. by Melky.

If Yankees Sign Damon Hollins and Sanchez , they're backup and role players in the bench.....

This theory that matsui is a terrible Left fielder is getting to be bad. Is he a gold glover? No. But hes solid and has CF range.

Face it. Melky is a goner and if he brings in a top notch arm so be it.

At first I was totally against trading Melky. The more I think about it the more it makes sense. Whether we liek it or not Matsui is the starting left fielder and Melky will start off on the bench. Granted he would be a solid replacement if an injury occured or to give an everyday player off every now and then. But if the option is available I now believe that if we could get Gonzales for Melky and a B class prospect itll be worth more to the team than Melky playing once a week and pinch running. All signs point to Tabata being the Yankee outfielder of the future anyways. I'd be happy either way would at this point would prefer Gonzales. Btw that was some savagely bad English by PhilHughes97.

Unit wants out?, ESPN Insider

Back to the desert?
Dec 17 - Despite rumblings that Randy Johnson might want to play closer to his Arizona home, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told The New York Post that the Big Unit hasn't asked to be traded.

"He hasn't called me officially and asked me to trade him, no," Cashman told the newspaper.

One of Johnson's agents, Alan Nero, also denied that Johnson wanted to be traded.

"There is nothing coming out of our camp," Nero told The Post. "I don't know where rumors start."

SEND HIM BACK TO ZONA

Randolph the red-nosed pitcher
Had a very flat slider
And if you ever saw it
You would even homer too

All of us Yankee fans
Like to laugh and call him names
They never let poor randolph
Join in any baseball games

Then one foggy christmas eve
Randolph came to say
Cashman with your moves so bright
Won't you plz trade me tonight

I would MUCH rather see melkey in left than matsui. He infuses youth and excitement into this team. Hideki is the one who should be traded, not malkey.

Eric-

I couldn't agree with you more on these posts. The problem all comes back to Giambi being DH. If his worthless glove and slow legs were moved then Matsui could be slipped into DH,Melky would play left everyday and Bernie could come back as your 4th outfielder. Problem sloved. Now since everybody is saying how great Gonzalez is... how many of you actually seen him pitch? Did he ever pitch in a big spot? Remember "on paper" looks good but don't we have a bunch of "on paper" guys on our team? How many rings did our "on paper" guys bring us in the last 5 years? Doesn't Carl Pavano stats from 2003 look good "on paper"? How about Gonzalez's shoulder problems? If guys like Melky are a dime a dozen let me ask you this why is

Gary Matthews Jr-5 years 50 million
Juan Pierre-5 years 44 million
JD Drew- 5 years 70 million
Alfonso Soriano-8 years 136 million
Dave Roberts(off the bench player)3 years 18 million

Now if there a dime a dozen tell me why dime a dozen players are being signed to that money?

I agree 100% with Eric on what he has been saying for the last couple of posts.

AJ,
Well, that makes two of you.
The fact of the matter is every team has an OF who can hit .280/15/80, especially when hitting in a lineup where you probably won't see a breaking ball all year.
You ask where are these OF's, check every roster on every team and you will find one. Melky may have a bright future ahead of him, but bright is the numbers I mentioned earlier, that's his "ceiling". A good, hard throwing, LH pitcher is hard to come by in this market and if all it costs is an OF, who will never have corner OF power or CF range, then I say you jump on it.
Eric wants the Yanks to turn into the Royals, a team that develops good young players and wins every 20 years or so. The Yanks have appeared in the WS so many times in the past ten years because of PITCHING. If they go back to it, then they'll win again.

Red Sox having second thoughts on Drew?

Or second thoughts on paying him 70Mil now that they've just shelled out 100M+ on D-Mat?

I think so, They're going putting that money on Zito and J.D will not be Redsox.

Even if the idea weren't insane, Matsui has a no-trade. here's his contract:

Hideki Matsui, outfielder
4 years/$52M (2006-09)

signed extension 11/05
06:$13M, 07:$13M, 08:$13M, 09:$13M
full no-trade clause

Blue Jay shop holiday sale for Rios

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=27...;type=blogEntry

GOnzalez Ranks #7.

He sometimes will have long innings, throwing a lot of pitches and putting runners on base with walks. But numbers from last season show he is pretty efficient: Mark Simon of ESPN Research asked the Elias Sports Bureau about how often Gonzalez generated 1-2-3 innings, and Gonzalez, compared to other closers with at least 20 saves, fared pretty well. Here's the list, highest to lowest, of the percentages of 1-2-3 innings:

PCT INN 1-2-3 Pitcher SV
.470 68.1 32 Nathan, Joe, Min. 36
.455 68.1 31 Papelbon, Jonathan, Bos. 35
.413 70.2 29 Street, Huston, Oak. 37
.410 78.1 32 Putz, J.J., Sea. 36
.410 78.1 32 Saito, Takashi, LA-N 24
.391 64.0 25 Jones, Todd, Det. 37
.389 54.0 21 Gonzalez, Mike, Pit. 24
.364 66.0 24 Ray, Chris, Bal. 33
.361 69.2 25 Borowski, Joe, Fla. 36
.349 63.0 22 Hoffman, Trevor, S.D. 46
.347 72.1 25 Wagner, Billy, NY-N 40
.338 59.1 20 Gordon, Tom, Phi. 34
.338 59.2 20 Otsuka, Akinori, Tex. 32
.333 75.0 25 Lidge, Brad, Hou. 32
.333 75.0 25 Rivera, Mariano, NY-A 34
.333 72.1 24 Ryan, B.J., Tor. 38
.328 73.1 24 Cordero, Chad, Was. 29
.301 73.0 22 Rodriguez, Francisco, LA-A 47
.293 75.1 22 Cordero, Francisco, Tex.-Mil. 22
.280 75.0 21 Dempster, Ryan, ChiN 24

Cosme is the name tonight? What happend to the 12 other names? Didnt feel it tonight?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2700226&type=blogEntry

??? Habla Espanol? I'm new here??

If we can't work out a Melky for Gonzalez deal, we should try to work a Melky package deal for LaRoche. We could then either plug our 1st base hole with LaRoche, or work on trading LaRoche directly to Pitt. for Gonzalez. Most the time, these 3 team deals get too complicated to complete.

Jim A-

Have you personally seen this guy pitch? My question was does anybody even know who this pitcher was 5 weeks ago? Throw his numbers out the window. Until he pitches in a big spot his numbers mean nothing.He is unproven in the spotlight. Jim didn't Kyle Fransworth have good numbers in 2005 on the braves? Jim if you are so interested in looking at the books did you skip over the part about his injury problems ( elbow tendinitis)? Melky is a big reason why this team went far last year. Do you disagree with that? And just to dump him for a guy we know nothing about. He converted saves on the PIRATES. He has been in the league since 2003. Have you seen him at a All Star Game? Has he ever pitched in the postseason? Why is every one making him out to be so young? He is going to be 29. Let's see Melky is 22. That is young. I am sorry but I strongly disagree with trading Melky. Jim read my last post again. You seem to also over look the dime a dozen outfielders I listed with there contracts. Why are they getting so much money if they are a dime a dozen? If there are so many star outfielders available why pay top dollar? The turth is they are not a dime a dozen. Melky is a keeper.

Trading Melky now may be the answer as long as Mike Gonzalez passes a physical. Elevate Kevin Thompson to Melky's role. He's only 28 and can keep things in check until Jose Tabata / Brett Gardner are ready for the big club.
It's down to either Ron Villone or possibly Scott Schoeneweis as the other lefty in the bullpen so the Yankees might as well shoot for the top one which is Gonzalez. This deal sets up the bullpen real good and possibly either wakes up Farnsworth or allows Cashman to peddle him. His contract is now cheap for the amount of $$$ that's been handed out in the off season.

I'm not sure this is a good idea for 2 reasons. 1) This kid has a history of injuries, and Torre is known for over working the pitchers he trusts. That’s a recipe for disaster. So let's say he makes an immediate impact, he’ll be toast by the end. He’s as good against righties, slightly better actually (vs. Left: .213 vs. Right: .194). 2) I see Melky as the future of the franchise. He’s a solid very young player that can only improve if he stays healthy. He’s playing winter ball and keeping his hitting mechanics sharp. I think given the opportunity he’ll be even better next season. Should we be banking on an outfield that’s 32 now and might want long contracts after their current ones are up? Are we going to keep those guys long enough to see them decline? We also can’t bank on next seasons FA wanting to play in NY, as we saw this year we’re not the only ones willing to spend big. When you have home grown talent like Melky you keep him around, especially after his contributions this year.

Are we doing this move to block Boston or is this improving us? Myers did great as the left specialist and we have a bunch of young talent that can step in the Ron Villone capacity as long relief. T.J Beam, Rasner, Sean Henn etc.

Eric: I like Melky alot. In fact I have given a couple of reasons for not trading him cheaply.

The Yankees desparately need pitching in all areas, SP and RP. You heard this before, "you can never have enough pitching." The Yankees have OF talent in the minors for a number 4 OF. Thompson, Reese are ready to play.

Gonzalez would be a nice fit for the team. Most trades are made with the preception of value for value. The Pirates must operate on the cheap and bring up young talent sooner than most clubs to save on payroll as the mature established player is traded for a younger quality player from another team. Its business. If the Pirates wanted to win the WS than Gonzalez stays a Pirate. The Yankees want to win the WS than we trade our youth because money is not the objective. Winning the WS is. We keep the Wangs and Canos who are athletically superior to Melky.

I don't advocate trading Melky for a spot for Bernie. I like Bernie's bat and his running ability but his OF days are over.

We need pitching. Its the facet of the game that we surely miss to complete the WS puzzle.

Cashman is obviously weighing value for value.

Melky isnt a keeper. Hes a good chip you need to trade before his value goes down.

And getting a good pitcher for him is key.

Yes, I agree it's all about pitching, but the second most valuable thing to pitching is defense. That is why I like Melky so much, his defense is superior to any other OF we have. Damon might just as good or better range than him, but he throws like a girl. Melky is all around a solid defensive OF.

Sorry guys, it's me (the last "Anonymous"). I'm back at work now (BOOO!!!) so back to posting!

Well lets see,

Melky is not STARTING and is on line with a bunch of long term contract OF , so keeping melky is ummmh good for us bad for melky , yes there is a GREAT chance melky can excel. Unfortunatly he will not do it as a yankee until at least 3 years from now. like the previous posters said the yankees have a SURPLUS of outfielders minors and majors. and there is a big pool of them coming next year , superior defender clutch hitting outfielders who is ever on par or better than melky defensivly, however pitching is NOT available ! so trade is the way you have ot do it. and too answer the question on why no OF would come here well ... the mELky situation is a perfect example. why come when one of your SUPPOSEDLY better OF is on the bench. right now he is a reserve and we wiull be trading a reserve for a top flight LEFTY reliever. no brainer, the only question is ATL . do they seee melky as a starting OF and they are iffy on that on as I would be

Although I love the idea of a getting a young, hard-throwing left hander for the bullpen -- especially if it's someone that can inherit the role of closer some day -- I have to say that I would not trade Melky at this time. Even though he's the fourth outfielder right now, he's only 22 and he could really blossom into something special, like Cano.

What I would love to see, but will never happen, is keeping Giambi at first. (If I was the boss, i'd order him to play first base during the winter, or at least practice at it. Of course, in the real world, that would never happen.). I'd then move Matsui to DH and play Melky in left. With all that, Bernie comes back for a final year as the fourth outfielder.

Well i guess randy and BC reads my posts , rumor has it Randy wants out and a possible trade to the desert is possible. If you read my post from some time ago i mentioned this solution but the problem would be who will fill that spot, you would almost have to rely on Pavano AND IGWA to perform

MLB on xm is reporting the Yanks are close to trading Melky in a 3 way with Atlanta Laroche and Pittsburg Gonzalez

That rumor was "close" all weekend.

Here are the pros and cons:

Pro:
Gonzalez adds a power lefty who has drawn comparisons to young Mike Stanton or Alan Embree

Con:
Gonzalez has pitched his entire career in a stress free environment, there is no telling how he reacts to a pressure situation

Gonzalez is known to be a little wild. With Torre's track record it is pretty hard not to imagine numerous games where Gonzalez would get a little erratic ant Torre would use a quick hook to get someone else out there, and then it gets into the pitcher's head.

Pirate GM Dave Littlefield always wants to get top value for his players, rumor is he wants Proctor too, not just Cabrera

Now - the other thing to consider is that the Yankees have lots and lots and LOTS of young relief pitchers or starters who could fill in at middle relief in the high minors, everyone from Humberto Sanchez to JB Cox to TJ Beam and RJ Swindle and Joba Chamberlain. So the need for a relief pitcher isn't all that pressing.

Also, Melky will have a solid (though not spectacular) career. He's one of these guys who has lots of value now, because he's cheap, but as he gets more service time and thus paid more, his skills won't improve to the point where he will be worth as much as the MLB salary structure forces him to get paid.

I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't mind moving Melky but I don't like this particular trade.

Crosetti:

Now that might be the most logical thing i've heard yet.

I think Giambi gets a bad rep as a defensive liability at 1B. He's not gold glove quality because he primarily lacks range and a powerful arm, but he catches the balls he's supposed to, and picks balls out of the dirt very well.

If they could keep Melky's bat in the lineup full time, can anyone argue it would be more detrimental to the lineup offensively and defensively, than playing Andy Phillips or whoever, at 1B full time and moving Giambi to DH?

I've said, and will maintain, if Melky is viewed by Cashman as an OF solution in 2008, then don't make the trade for Gonzalez. But, if Melky is not in the plans for 2008, then make it before the Pirates change their minds.

That said, I would move Cabrera for LaRoche and just keep him.

Or maybe the Yankees could work as a facilitator for another team.

How about a three team deal where:

Yankees get: Mike Jacobs, Scott Olsen, Eliziar Alfonso

Marlins get: Melky Cabrera, Armando Benitez, cash from Yankees

Giants get: Reggie Abercrombie, Sean Henn

Giants would get rid of Armando's salary, Marlins get the closer and CF they want without having to pay, Yankees get a young 1b, young lefty and young back up catcher all for basically absorbing an extra 5-7 million bucks and Melky Cabrera.

TurnTwo:

I think Cashman looks at his outfield and sees Melky as a fourth outfielder this year, an insurance blanket incase Jose Tabata isn't ready to take over for Abreu in right in 2008.

Also I get the feeling he believes that Brett Gardner could, in a pinch, be called upon to deliever equal production to what Melky delivered last year. Gardner has less power than Melky, but more speed and even greater plate discipline...think Brett Butler.

Melky a keeper??

no! i can see it now

melky 260 11, 70
and gonzales with a 2.50 era for boston lites out ya'll be on here crying,

especially if Melky rotting on the bench, trust me i bet you this trade was brought to Gene Michael for his take. you have to make this trade , like i said the OF position is stacked we actually have pieces to deal with , lets get some value before the majors realize that the OF crop is overrated.

Bronx Champ:

If Gonzalez goes to the Sox it would be for Wily Mo Pena and some prospect relief pitcher. And to tell the truth, I would rather see them get him and have to give up Pena in the process than have him pitch for the Yankees.

Think about the fact that every member of the Red Sox outfield comes with serious injury issues and after Pena the team has what....Eric Hinske to back them up?

Chip -

Now that trade i'll do , and after reading your post i thought to myself and said you know, the next closer or setup man has to come from within, you know how mariano came up. we need to groom somebody for the job but reality wise Torre will mess that up , if torre had mariano from his transformation from starter to set -up he would have over used him and he would have never become the closer he is . Give buck credit for his usage of mariano

Champ:

Whoever the next closer is will have an impossible job. There is no way to live up to the standard that will have been set for him by Rivera. First time the next closer goes into a slump and blows a couple of games the lines to ESPN Radio and WFAN will be burning up "We need to get this guy out of here," "He's no Rivera." That sort of thing.

Crosetti and TurnTwo:
I think the Yankees want Giambi as the DH not because he's that much of a defensive liability but his body wears out and he's usually running on fumes by the end of the year. Since Jason and Donnie worked on him keeping focus on the game as a DH they will preserve his energy and bat longer if he stays off the field.

OYF - I think you're partially right. But the other reasons they want him to DH are that:

a) he has very little range and with Jeter and A-rod both at times being inaccurate they want someone who can save those two a few errors

b) he's not all that flexible so on those errant throws, or other plays where he has to stretch or dive, he often comes up with muscle pulls and tweaks

c) he can't throw the ball to 2nd base

d) Between wrist, knee, back, and other assorted injuries it is just easier to keep him in the lineup if he doesn't have to play the field

Yup. It seemed like every time he pulled off a good play or saved and error he was out for some tweak or lost a little something at the plate or came out the game early. And yes throwing to 2nd or Home is huge and the league has been running wild in those situations.

I think if the Yankees had their choice they would love to move Giambi and shift Matsui to DH - but for obvious reasons they can't trade Jason, so how about dealing Matsui?

Matsui isn't going anywhere, nor would I ever trade Matsui to give Melky his spot in LF.

Turn Two -

I agree 100% in no way i'm trading away MAtsui to justify melky . nope no way , not even at 280 .15 80 nope. I'll trade a matsui to clear up for tori hunter. move damon to left

Turn Two -

I agree 100% in no way i'm trading away MAtsui to justify melky . nope no way , not even at 280 .15 80 nope. I'll trade a matsui to clear up for tori hunter. move damon to left

I'm not talking about necesarily trading Matsui to free up room for Melky, but in general when looking at the lineup there are a couple of things you notice:

1 it is very left handed and 2 the two defensive liabilities are Matsui and Giambi. Trading Giambi is not possible because of his no trade clause, but Matsui is not only tradeable but he could be an attractive pick up for lots of teams.

By Jealous and Idiot Redsox Fan - Goredosoxfrevr1

http://www.protrade.com/content/DisplayArticle.html?sp=Sb096af59-8df9-11db-a8a5-cf001a6ebfa8

Why the Yankees are Sick

It has been just reported that the New York Yankees are discussing trading Melky Cabrera to the Pittsburg Pirates for OK reliever Mike Gonzalez. This is just disgusting. Think back to the trading deadline of last year (06).

The Yankees had Hideki Matsui Injured along with Gary Schefield. They did, however, have up-and-coming prospect Melky Cabrera who seemed to be filled with clutch hits and spectacular plays in the outfield. But the Yankees were not happy with having someone like that in their outfield. They wanted to have more. More More More! So they signed Bobby Abreu to a huge deal. Now, on paper, they had 5 suitable outfielders. No problem, just keep the most expensive ones and trade the rest away!

So here we are, the Yankees are using Melky Cabrera as bait. Every team in the MLB would love to get their hands on that future star. But the Yankees don't feel like seeing how he progresses through the Major Leagues. Instead, they just want expensive outfielders, and as many relievers (no matter if they're good or bad) as possible. This is the simple reason the Yankees are sick.

The Media loves the move to use 'The Melk Man' as bait. Are you kidding me? How about the golden rule: Don't Trade Awesome Prospects. Come on Yankee Media. Get with the times. But of course, the Yankees CAN trade away prospects. They CAN sacrafice the future for today. All because they have a rich owner who is willing to hand out $100 million contracts like flyers in NY. The MLB desperatly needs to fix this problem.

By the way, congrats to the White Sox for getting a young lefty who I think could be very good. Andrew Sisco was rushed due to being a Rule V pick up but with his size and velocity if he could ever hit the strike zone consistantly could be a dominant relief pitcher for a long time.

They gave up nothing to get him either. Ross Gload was an 1b/OF who was blocked in every way shape and form from playing, more than that he was out of minor league options so the White Sox probably would have released him during spring training.

SOmeone needs to tell that idiot redsox fan what Boston is doing this offseason

I prefer to just ignore idiot Red Sox fans. Especially since most of them are still settling into their seats on the bandwagon after having just gotten on board in the last few years.

The Redsox just spent $215 million this offseason .This Idiot writer and whiny Redsox fan who complains that Yankees shouldn't trade Melky because He's homegrown. Last year Redsox traded their farm and Top jewel Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez for overrated just beckett. I didn't hear any redsox and yankees fans complains about the trade. You have to give up something good like melky to get something.

Casey - why get annoyed when a Sox fan posts something like that? Here's a guy who watched the Sox win the World Series with only 1 home grown player. Did the Yankees have high payrolls when they won 4 in 5 years? Sure. But the core of the team was made up of Jeter, Pettitte, Bernie, Rivera and O'Neil - the only one of the bunch not a home grown Yankee.

Ignoring the idiots is a lot easier than arguing with them...doesn't lend itself to as much of a headache either.

My point is Redsox fans should not worry Yankees and worry about their team. . Redsox Fans are becoming like Yankees Fans who wants every high price free agents in the market to be sign.

Everybody needs to give Melky credit. How many of you wanted to trade Melky when he robbed Manny of that homer? Or how about back in August late night fenway park he hits a leadoff double then jeter singles him in. I keep asking this question and nobody can seem to answer it... HOW MANY OF YOU ACTUALLY SEEN THIS GUY PITCH? Did anybody know of him 5 weeks ago? Stop being blinding by his stats and look deeper into the situation at hand. I really question how many games some of you bloggers actually watch of the Yankees. If your so high on trading Melky I guess you didn't watch the Yanks from May 11th on. Melky has a great arm and solid defense. Stop making this Gonzo guy out to walk on water. He has been in the league since 2003 and I haven't heard much about him. How many All star games did he pitch in? "Mr Unhittable".How many postseason games did he pitch in? Who cares let him go to the Suxs. So be it if he pitches well for the Suxs. Remember who the Red Suxs have to catch...US! They finished 11 games behind US. Let the Suxs make all the moves in the world. Didn't we do that the last 5 years? It would be one thing if this Gonzo kid came off a team that contends and pitched in big spots but last time I read his stats I saw in a big spot Mr.Carlos Delgado sent it 400 ft into the New York night. Then I read how he didn't pitch after August 24th last year. Last time I checked doesn't the season end in September? For us Yankees fans we hope till October. It is good to know we are trading for an injured reliever that won't pitch in October. Great investment.

I agree with you AJ, Melky should stay but seems like most of the posts are all for this trade.

Not only has he not pitched in any meaningful games he has shoulder issues. Our outfield is old and getting older, lets keep Melky around to step in for Abreu. Our current OF might want long contract extensions and at 32+ a decline might start for some if not all. Our outfield of the future should include Melky, Thompson, and Reese. A lot of people thought Vernon Wells would come down to NY but he’s staying in Canada, Ichiro and Hunter are pipe dreams. Ichiro is no spring chicken and relies on speed, which is the first thing to go and Hunter will be a lifer in Minnesota, he’s alluded to that many times in his career. With Joe Mauer, Liriano, Santana there they look equipped to go to the post season so why should he leave? Money? We won’t be the only ones with big checkbooks next year.

Home grown talent that proves to be MLB ready is something we should hold on to. As I said earlier Myers did well as the lefty specialist and we have plenty of young arms to fill in for long relief. Sanchez, Britton, Beam, Rasner…

I say keep Melky!

Good voice of reason, A.J. Thanks.

That is hard to find amid all the troll posts under so many names. I have not posted here in days and it was funny seeing the troll accusing me of being other names. That is called transfer. Accusing others of what you are actually doing. When the troll finishes here it could get a job in politics.

Anyhow, trading a bright young player coming off his rookie season would be a huge mistake.

The most successful team is a mix of veterans and youngsters; a mix of stars and role players. Too much of either will provide an underachieving team.

My real concern for the Yanks for this coming season is still starting pitching.

We cannot rely on Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano to fill two slots. Maybe Igawa, Karstens, and Rasner will fill two of those slots.

Signing Zito is not the answer since he would clog things up for too many years and we would be faced with another long term contract of a pitcher in decline.

I am hoping a trade with the Angels for a starter is still a possibility. The Angels are still looking for a big bat.

AJ-

I'm of the opinion that Melky is a tradeable asset but that this is the wrong trade to include him in.

There are more than two sides to this. It can't just be, he's overrated or he's a stud...because he's neither of those two things.

Melky is probably going to be a very steady, never spectacular, outfielder. He's a guy who the Yankees see as someone who is an upgrade over Bubba Crosby and as long as his salary stays low and he has minor league options he retains value. The longer he's in the league the less value he'll have to the Yankees. They don't see him starting this year and in a perfect world they don't see him starting next year when Abreu leaves (the hope is that Jose Tabata will be ready to take RF in 2008) so that means 2009 at the earliest when Melky would get a chance to play everyday without someone going down with an injury.

I said this in the other string, Melky's value to the Yankees is akin to what Wily Mo Pena's value was to the Reds. You hate to trade him because of what he might be and because it hurts your team depth, but at the same time if the right trade comes along (a young starter with a good track record, a young 1b with power, a good eye and a good glove) you make those deals because they make you a better team and because if your season comes down to your fourth outfielder it is because something has gone terribly wrong. I just don't think this Pittsburg trade is the right trade, for all the reasons you mentioned...Gonzalez has injury problems, he's never pitched in a big game...and so on.

Now if you want to send Melky to the Royals in a deal for Zack Grienke and Ryan Sheely...I would do that. I would send him to the Angels in a deal for Ervin Santana or even straight to the Braves for Adam LaRoche...but not this relief pitcher.

Good post, OYF. I agree with the Melky thoughts.

I have to say I really would hate to have Suzuki on the team. He is a team cancer I think. Last year he fought with the manager about playing CF when the regular CF went down, to the extent he wanted the manager fired for taking him out of RF. He seems to not be a team player.

if it's not for gonzo then it be for someone else bottom line is that MELKY is expenable! point blank. Tori hunter can do what melky does in a heart beat, melky flourished STARTING he may be an AWFUL role player off the bench , so if i'm getting a some talent for this kid then cool . like others said at least 45% of the teams has an OF of melky's caliber. stop acting like he is a diamond in the ruff he is just an prime example of our now growing farm system. and you cannot compare cano to melky, please cano stepped in and WALLY PIPPERD who ever was at the position plus he was a 2B man there was really no others i nthe farm ,what was you was gonna do put andy at 2b ? they should trade his behind but there not so of all the trade options melky is the best one , remember deep down he is hoping this works as well at least he gets too start , he is no better than Juan rivera, stop overrating these players

I got this from Sosh- They did vote - Who has better rotation for 2007?

The results for voting in poll was

Boston [ 78 ] [91.76%]
NYY [ 6 ] [7.06%]

As a Yankees fan, the starter I am actually most afraid of is either Schilling or Papelbon. Schilling is there for obvious reasons (big-game pitcher, nasty splitter, is a scientist on the mound) but the one with great ace-potential IMO is Papelbon. He's young, throws gas, seemed absolutely unhittable last year, pitched well as a starter in '05, and doesn't back down from an intense enviroment. Assuming all are healthy, the rank of best starters on the Sox, to me, is going to look more like:

Schilling
Papelbon
Dice-K
Beckett
Wake/Lester

Chip, I would not trade Melky in those situations either. There are others I would.

Melky, to me, was one of the most exciting young players I have seen on the Yankees in years.

He really enjoyed playing baseball and his enthusiasm was infectious. It was a stark contrast to what I call the Stepford players going through the motions like ARod, mostly technically sound yet devoid of emotion and joy. And heart.

Who can say that Melky has reached his ceiling? Well, many on this blog seem to have said it but they said the same thing months ago as they insisted Cano be traded while his value is still high. They claimed that when he would return from that hamstring injury he should be traded immediately. He would never be as good as his potential replacement. Wonder how that plan worked out for them?

I could write this 100 times a day, but to the frontrunning fans who want a superstar at every position and they want it right now, it means nothing. But to anyone who really cares about the Yankees and can look down the road a bit to watch this team develop its young pitchers, the word is patience.

Patience.

Thankfully, Paul TM isnt running the Yanks.

Patience is great but you have to know when to push your chips in when their value is at an all-time high.

That's Melky right now. You spin him into pitching help because it makes no sense having him as a 4th out fielder.

I still say if the Gonzalez deal falls through, we try Melky and Pavano(we eat some contract) and a mid level prospect, for LaRoche and Hudson. The Braves love the "cheap" Melky, and having him in center, allows them to trade Andru Jones, who they have been trying to move for months. We could then trade LaRoche for Gonzalez if we wanted. We give up Melky,Pavano, and a prospect, for LaRoche and Hudson. Or Melky, Pavano and a prospect, for Hudson and Gonzalez.

Anonymous, no one is saying Melky is the next coming of Mickey Mantle. That's an exaggeration. What we’re saying is he’s valuable because of the type of player he is. He’s great defensively (covers a lot of ground and has a great arm) and I think given an opportunity to play more with the Yankees he’d only get better. He’s 22 with a lot of talent. He was a big part of quite a few games last year. He robbed Manny, hit a walk off homer and made the Sox look like fools as he toured the basses and made it all the way home on a base hit and a few errors, he’s also walked against some tough late inning pitching to extend an inning. He a switch hitter and gives us a spark on the basses. Melky will likely become a doubles hitter and will also save us some runs with his defense.

I agree partially with Chip, giving him up for Gonzalez is not value for value. (But not that Melky should be used as a trading chip, we’ve done that too many times to only see our young guys do well with other teams) Our pit fall last season was starting pitching. Because the SP was not strong we relied too much on the bullpen, which affected their performances. Myers did well as the specialist and we have a lot of young power arms that can step into the long relief role.

And where do you get off saying A Rod has no heart? Does he not play every single day? Does he ever take a day off? Just because he doesnt smash water cooler doesnt mean he doesnt care.

The guy plays everyday and works hard. NY fans should be applauding that. Not doubting the guy because hes not "fiery" and well white.

Paul,

You cannot compare melky and Cano you cannot cana was called up to replace a vacancy (simular to JETER) after Arizona /Dodgers / mariners refused him in trade requests. he filled in as a starter and knocked the stuffing out of the ball and WON the starting job. hte case cannot be said of melky cause in no way precious torre is putting him out there and sittin a proven starter, thsoe outfielders are locked down for the moment and in no way you JUST LET A ABREU walk and your OF is melky , matsui and damon. yeah you can take that chance and see him tank then all madness breaks loose in yankee camp , this is joe's possible final year in stripes he wants to go out on top. if you trade melky you trade him for a proven player i agree with that.

It's not about frontrunning fans, its about value and production, for now and for the future.