On the Yankees beat

The Yankees definitely didn't have a bad week, because I don't think any of us are particularly upset that the Yankees aren't giving up Hughes and Melky, in addition to shelling out $150 Million. That said I still would love to see Santana come to the Yankees, I just think that the best chance of that is for 2009 as a free agent.

Bad week, but very, very revealing.

What does it reveal Roy?

That Roy is an idiot!

It reveals the Yankees aren't the dupes they were when they acquired Kevin Brown or Jeff Weaver.

Good week for not making the trade...

Bad week because I completely agree with Wallace Matthews article yesterday.
Hank Steinbrenner has already lost all of his credability within MLB. He needs to learn to keep his mouth shut and if he gives an ultimatum he looks weak when he gives in

Or Carl Pavano.

Kat,

If Santana stays with the Twins, it's a happy week.

I think Girardi is going to make a huge difference this year. I read his interview and I liked what I read. He's a straight shooter.

WHAT WAS REVEALED:
The Yankees were not that desperate for Santana.
The Twins overplayed their hand.
The Yankees feel Hughes has more upside than Santana.
The Twins are now left with no place to go.
That Hank means what he says and says what he means.
The Yankees if interested could now get Santana and not include Hughes in the package.

Bad week & offseason! Even w/o Santana, Red Sox are prohibitive favs to win East. Tigers improve greatly-lock up Central. Crashman sits on his thumbs, doing nothing but vastly overpaying his own free agents and remaining status quo.

If, as people are reporting, Santana stays with the Twins (more to the point doesn't go to Boston and the Yankees don't give up the farm to get him) then I don't think any Yankee fan can be upset with the way this winter has played out.

One of the best big game pitchers in the game is coming back - Andy
the best player in the game is still a Yankee - Alex
The rotation that won 70% of its games down the stretch is being fortified by the addition of Joba
They kept Molina - which is bigger than we may give it credit for

What's not to like?

From the previous thread:

I cut and pasted this paragraph from the Tyler Clippard article in today's NY Daily News:

CALLING ON KYLE: Just as Cashman did on Monday, Girardi gave his vote of confidence to Kyle Farnsworth as one of the Yankees' primary setup men. Girardi caught Farnsworth in 2000-02, so he knows the erratic reliever very well.

"I know Kyle's personality and I kind of know what makes Kyle tick from being 61 feet apart on a lot of days," Girardi said. "I'll use the things I know about Kyle to instill confidence and motivate him."

If Girardi can pull this one off, the Yanks may have a stronger pen than they think.

So, I skimmed the previous thread and thought I'd tell a couple of things:

Madden: His story is 100% fabricated. His facts weren't even accurate. If the Yanks got Santana, extended his contract, the hit this year would be $13.5 million, not $20 million. It will be greater than $20 million next year and going forward, but Abreu, Giambi, Farnsworth, Pavano, Moose, & Pettite will be gone (about $80 million in payroll). If money was an issue, the Yanks wouldn't have exercised Abreu's option or they'd be looking to trade him. They would be interested in the Farnsworth offers and would explore Moose possibilities. They also would've signed a cheaper back-up catcher, but I digress on that.

With regard to Sherman, what a tool. This guy seriously needs to remove his uninformed bias from journalism. There has NEVER once been a question regarding Hughes' work-ethic. In fact, all reports were that he worked very hard and that his teammates should model themselvers after him. While pitching in Trenton, he was a model player and a team leader at the tender age of 19/20. Yet Santana's poor play down the stretch is being blamed on him "not caring" because his team was out of it and being "depressed" because Castillo was traded. If that's how he acts and his work ethic is great, can someone tell my boss so that I can throw in the towel until after new years?

The closest I came to any ledge as Diane has referred to was in that the Yanks were considering trading Hughes. Clearly, I think the world of the kid. He's still ranked ahead of Joba and will not only have a better 2008 than Joba, but will have a better career. So, unless those predicting ~18 wins for Joba expect enormous run support, those projections are off-base. I'll have to look into the PECOTA projections for the "big three" to give people a bit more info.

The Yanks have a good team, the hard thing is that there are only 4 post-season spots and at least 5 or 6 teams that have good enough teams to be considered for the playoffs.

1 negative thing re-discovered: theo epstein is sadly the smartest GM around by far. his ability to control events from behind the scenes and through the media is second to none.

positives:
- yes, hank doesn't think too much before speaking and still has a lot to learn, yet - cashman has learned how to play his owner's nature (previous & former) to the yanks' advantage, somtimes acting as the "bad cop" hard liner. i don't think hank caused any damage this week - even the santana talks had gone differently the bottom line would be the same - we wouldn't land him for anything less than the proposed package. if the idiot twins prefer the sox's package, all power to them and their failed franchise and cheap owner.

- andy's return is the greatest news. not only for 2008 but for the future, because he gives us the luxury of patience. we now have 6 starters (well, 5.5 due to mussina...) and we have another full year to see how joba, hughes and kennedy actually pan out before making decisions.
what if during 2008 joba shows he can become the next verlander, i.e. - an ace? then we have him as a no. 1, wang goes as a number 3, hughes 4 (though he too may show he's much better) and ian 5. that means before 2009 we may need to acquire a no. 2 starter, which is less drastic than having to go all out after a no. 1 such as santana.

- bottom line, up until now at least, we didn't make a trade from a place of desperation, which was the danger with the santana trade. we should only trade from a place of desire, not necessity.

Break-even week if Santana stays with the Twins or at worst goes to LAD where we'll never see him.

Our team stays as it was during the second half of last season, holding onto Andy and Molina in addition to several important pieces who had already been re-signed.

Whether it will be enough to stay as we were is the question.

That's why I call it a break-even week.

To be a good week in my mind, we would have had to see some significant improvement.

I'm fine with this week.

Gene, the Yankees were the best team over the second half of the season. They had a terrible slump during the first half. Do you expect something that drastic to occur again? If Joba, PH and IK come through, our pitching can be close to the Red Sox. Shilling and Wakefield won't survive the season.

The Twins overplayed their hand.

Peter Gammons is now reporting the feeling is the Twins will hold on to Santana.

If the Twins keeps Santana, and Liriano bounces back, the Central could be fun to watch. Although Smith still needs a stick to replace Hunter. Since they lost Hunter, I've been hoping the Twins would keep Santana. I hate to watch a crappy owner let home-grown players get torn away from their fans. And I like the little apple. It's a great place and a good baseball town, even though they play in a swimming pool wrapped in saran wrap right now.

I belive the whole Red Sox-Twins deal was a smokescreen designed to make the Yankees give up too much. Hank and Cash did the right thing by calling their bluff.

Hopefully this relief pitcher from Washington is an upgrade on Bruney, Britton, Villone, etal.

Why is nobody talking about 1B? The Yankees designated Phillips for assignment and don't appear to be re-signing Doug M. That leaves Giambi, Duncan and Betemit. The Yankees were best last year with Phillips at 1B in July and August and Doug in September.

This situation could be a major problem. I also saw an item that they were going after Nick Green as a utility guy. Could this mean that Betemit could be the starter at 1B?

The Yankees are the exact same team they were at the end of the year. Yes, there was some good news with Pettitte coming back this week and good news with Rivera, Posada and Rodriguez coming back but what has changed from the team that was knocked out of the playoffs?
If Santana stays with the Twins, then I'm a happy camper because the heartburn over thinking about whether to make the trade or not has been killing me and the thought of watching our division rival improve dramatically by acquiring him doesn't sit well with me either.

But this team is still flawed and maybe now they can turn their attention to fixing those flaws. They need bullpen help and from what I've heard, Vizcaino is not coming back due to high contract demands so do the Yanks not only entrust their rotation (3/5's of it anyway) to kids, but the bullpen as well? It will be very interesting to see what the Yanks have up their sleeves.

Ralph, what gives you any indication that Schilling/Wakefield won't survive the season? What about the decrepit Messina or the bothersome elbow of Andy P? Plus, the youngsters will probably be held to betw 150-175 innings. You do the math (shut down at Labor Day?) Granted, Yanks had terrible start last yr, but conversely this yr for Boston-full season for Pedroia, Elsbury, Lester, healthy Papi/Manny. It all equals out my friend.

The deal seemed to fall apart after the Twins asked for the medical records of Lester. We pray he's fine but here is a short quote from a Twins fan (taken from the Twin Cities site):

"Lester has cancer in remission that could come back. The fact he is a "centerpiece" in a trade like this is mindboggleing. Hughes/Cabrera vs. Lester/Crisp is a no-brainer. Take the NYY offer and stop risking a bad trade or worse yet, losing Santana as a free agent. This is a rare opportunity. Don't screw it up "Mr. No".

Chip

Well, we still have #13 and we don't have Santana. That's what's not to like for some of us.

A question for BC. We all know the Yankees are going to baby these kids along and watch their innings, etc. We also know that Mussina is likely to break down somewhere along the way due to age. So, Brian, just where do you plan to get the innings needed from SP to get through the 2008 season????? Please explain.

There are "reports" that Boston is backing off the deal for Santana. In any case, Minnesota front office is too smart to accept a significantly lesser package from Boston. They wanted Hughes, Cabrera, AND a top prospect from the Yankees. Why would they settle for Lester only from Boston? I have a feeling that rumors about the imminent trade of Santana to Boston is to scare the Yankees to act. Are they trying to stick it to the Yankees? Not THIS Twins front office. They would try to maximize the return in Santana trade, if there is one. There is another thing that everybody is overlooking. Despite their large payroll, Boston tends to not overpay their stars. I have a hard time believing that they will give a pitcher, even one named Santana, a 6-year contract in the 130-150M range. However, these are all moot points if the "report" indeed is true. If Santana indeed stays put and hits free agency, Yankees can try to sign him without losing any of their prized prospects. Finally, Santana and Beckett in the same team is definitely scary. But, games are played in the field and even ace pitchers lose a handful of games. Plus, does anyone remember how the Gagne trade turned out (although I will be the first to admit that Gagne is miles away from Santana)?

I don't know, HYD. Journalists have one of those jobs that everyone thinks they can do better. Like teachers, or politicians. Except journalists have to do it visibly every single day. It's not as easy as it looks. Just judging from the amount of confusion a simple factoid on ESPN or the FAN generates on any given thread, I suspect most of the contributors here--or anywhere else--would have a tough time keeping up with Sherman, Kat or any of the other folks who put together our entertainment.

It's also gotten a hell of a lot tougher since the internet and the 24-hour news cycle became standard. Sherman and his ilk have always had annoying screwballs pissed off at him, harping at him, sending letters to the editor, screaming at the barman, etc. It's just, until the last ten-fifteen years, they couldn't communicate with each other (except in bars and through letter to the editor). Now they're banding together in real time on internet threads like this one, feeding the beast and starting anti-Post campaigns (hey, not a bad idea, thanks for thinking of it, HYD).

Gene

In your perfect world everything goes wrong with the Yankees, everything right with Boston

How do you know Papi and Manny are going to be healthy. Or maybe Pedroia slides back to the beg. of last year?

As far as the Yanks- they have 6 starters- so if everyone is healthy, I would expect that Kennedy will start the year in Triple A and then come up in July if someone is hurt or if Moose has had it. Also, since there are usually so many off days in April, only 4 starters are needed so don't be surprised if Hughes goes to extended spring training and is in the rotation at the end of April.

The Yankees protected the innings of these guys throughout the minors, but once they are deemed major league starters, the gloves will come off.

And there's also the matter of those other 2 guys the Twins wanted- Marquez and Horne. They could both be here by July.

Schilling and Wakefield did not survive the FULL season last year. Being a year older one can assume they won't survive the full season this year either. Boston had such a great lead over the Yankees so they were able to rest Schilling mid-season even though he had no injury (he was just in a slump). He said he was fine and he felt no pain so it was obvious he suffered from fatigue. Saying he was shut down with an injury gives it a better look. Boston had no substantial injuries last year but had the luxury of resting players at will because of their great lead. Hopefully the Yankees will stay healthy this entire year and not offer Boston the same luxury they had last year of resting players at will.

Rick, glad to see you buddy. I've been asking this question and I'll admit that it is mostly directed towards you:

How exactly is Alex different from Santana?

Both have personal accolades (MVPs/Cy Young)
Both are the best at what they do
Both are on their way to Cooperstown
Both are going to be highest paid in their feilds
Neither has much post season success

1b: Yanks expect to platoon Betemit/Duncan

Pen: May no one ever refer to Britton in the same breath as Bruney & Villone. Britton was the Yanks' 3rd best reliever last year, but Torre didn't like him. Plain and simple. The Yanks bullpen will improve just by the change in manager. Torre didn't just poorly use/abuse his bullpen, he put confidence in the wrong people, and held grudges that could not be understood. He made decisions on a whim and his whims were often incorrect.

Just the Facts: Yanks probably still can't get Santana without Hughes and Hank hasn't gained the credibility he lost with ARod, but I also think that original loss was overstated.

DC Yank: Twins got Young as their stick to replace Hunter.

Is the week over? I still want some relief, and I'd like them to re-sign Menk.

Saw a spot yesterday about the FA relief market being nuts. I still think Cash should make a play for Mahay, Riske or Affeldtdtd.

Overload, schmoverload. Re-sign Menk. He saves a run everytime he's in the game, and he helps Alex keep his shirt on. Plus, Betemit, Giambi & Duncan sounds like an ambulance chasing outfit.

Not a bad week but not a great week either. Pettite coming back is huge. Keeping the youngsters, all of whom will not pan out at the major league level is a gamble, but it wasn't that long ago the Yanks reached the pinacle of baseball by building from within. The biggest negative from this week is the bluster of Hank Steinbrenner and it's potential interference with Cashman's ability to do his job. I assure you publicly setting deadlines is not the GM's idea of how to do buisiness with other clubs in a professional manner. Cashman will have his work cut out for him dealing with the additional sideshow.

Rick,

How many rotations get through an entire season injury free? If the Yankees had traded Hughes and Kennedy for Santana they would still have to deal with potential injuries to Andy, Wang, and Mussina. They would still have to deal with whatever innings count Joba might be on. So, if Mussina misses time, now they have Kennedy as the 6th starter instead of Jeff Karstens.

HYD: right. Thanks. Twins were apparently extra careful with Liriano coming off surgery. Was it Tommy John that he had? What's the first year back look like after a complete recovery, anyone know? If he's his old self, Twins could have the best 1-2 in the AL and make the central a very interesting 3-way race.

Oh, please stop the damn griping about everything $hitten thing you can think of. Hank is colorful and quote-worthy. Great to see he's active and assertive. When he makes "huh?" types of statements we should all just say It's Hank being Hank. If Manny can get away with it because of his talent, then Hank can get away with it because he owns the Yankees and he's filthy rich -- and he's the New Boss. All hail Hank -- and repeat after me: It's Hank being Hank -- and then move on to the next order of business like rooting for your team.

DC Yank: I'm not saying I could do better, but I am saying that those two particularly reporters are poor representations of reporters. The standard for facts that those two have is VERY low. They intertwine opinion and fact interchangeably.

Some reporters have good sources, some don't. I'm beginning to think that I might start a spreadsheet or something tracking each reporter. It would document the instances where the information from their sources panned out.

My impression is that Sherman's INFORMATION is not usually all that bad, although his OPINIONS sometimes spiral off into a universe of their own, and the weight he gives to information is therefore not always balanced.

Of course our opinion of sports columnists is rightfully colored by their opinions, since that is part of the product that they purvey. But as readers we are treading a slippery slope if we discount information because the writer's opinion is different from our own. There are readers who are unable to give credence to any information coming from a writer who doesn't insult Torre in every other paragraph, or adore at the feet of whoever their favorite player may be, or whatever ...

Since a lot of you may not have the "Insider" account on ESPN.com, I'll paste there latest updates on the hot stove blog here if you don't mind, if you do, let me know and this will be the last time I do it:

2:06 p.m., from Buster Olney
• Aaron Boone is drawing interest from the Giants, Nationals and Brewers. The key question is what kind of role he will play.

1:57 p.m., from Jayson Stark
• The Giants and Blue Jays have a deal on the table that would send outfielder Alex Rios to San Francisco for pitcher Tim Lincecum. But the Blue Jays appear to be more motivated to make that trade than the Giants. Two baseball men who spoke with the Giants describe them as being "indecisive" about whether they really want to move Lincecum for a big bat -- and, if they do, about whom they should get for him. Toronto has decided its best strategy to survive in the loaded AL East is to stockpile as many power arms as possible. So the Blue Jays would sacrifice offense if they could pick up an arm like Lincecum.

• Because of that, there appears little chance Toronto would consider dealing A.J. Burnett to the Mets, even though the Mets have inquired and Burnett could opt out of his contract after this season. So even if the Blue Jays could trade for Lincecum, they seem lukewarm about the idea of turning around and shipping Burnett to the Mets for a hot young outfield prospect like Carlos Gomez.

• The Yankees' delegation at the meetings seems less and less interested in rekindling those Johan Santana discussions, even if the Twins try to draw them back in. They've been telling people there's a "99.9 percent chance" they're out of the Santana market for good. So where would the 0.1 percent come from? The unpredictability of the Steinbrenners. Where else?

• The pursuers of pitcher Hiroki Kuroda continue to wait for an answer on where Kuroda wants to pitch. But officials of teams that have been eliminated say they've gotten the impression Kuroda wants to pitch out west somewhere -- meaning, presumably, Arizona or Seattle. There were indications that the Phillies made Kuroda a new offer Wednesday, but it isn't believed that it matched Seattle's rumored four-year, $44-million bid. • After Kosuke Fukudome signs, one potential backup plan for teams that lose out is free agent Milton Bradley. Bradley was last seen tearing his ACL in that bizarre tangle with his manager (Bud Black) in September. But teams that have kicked the tires on him report they've been told that doctors expect him to be able to play again sometime in April, if not opening day. His most recent team, the Padres, remains interested. Outside of Barry Bonds, Bradley is the only current free agent who had a .500 slugging percentage and .400 on-base percentage last season.

• It now appears, increasingly, that the Cardinals won't be able to trade Scott Rolen before they leave the winter meetings. The Angels are now "toying with" making a run, according to one source that spoke with them. The Dodgers are a possibility. And the Giants remain interested. Chances that a deal can be rekindled with the Brewers seem remote.

Chip

My point exactly. They are the same, only one is a SP which is what the game is all about, or so I'm told. Since you love AR, YOU SHOULD love Santana. Why DON"T you??????

Diane: I hope you're not insinuating that because I love Hughes and hate Torre that's how I read things...

That's an interesting idea. I'd be interested in seeing what you came up with. But Diane's right, you'd have to be careful about differentiating between what he reports and what he writes in his columns. Either way, a fact is a fact and he shouldn't misrepresent one, but his column is his space--he can write what he wants, and it's supposed to be opinionated, if not downright antagonizing.

Been a good week so far. Yankees did not panic & throw in Kennedy, who I think will be a solid starter for years to come. They offered a fair package, better than the Sox, & it would not surprise me if Twins come back later & try to get the Yanks offer back in play, which I still believe would be a good deal for the Yanks.
Just because Hank is doing all the talking, & is somewhat blunt & outspoken, do not assume he is NOT relying on his baseball folks for the decisions & values. Hiring Girardi shows he is letting his employees do THEIR jobs. His comments have been reasonable & have not hurt the Yankees bargaining position what so ever.

"Antagonistic"? "Agonizing"? I think I just made up a word.

Any thoughts on Ed Price from the Newark Star Ledger? He is quoted in the Boston Globe's "The Buzz" that the Sox and twins are continuing to negotiate. He seems to be the only one who doesn't think the deals are dead!

I would love to know he is as wrong as Madden - i'm referring to the post earlier on how wrong Madden was with a variety of Yankee stories.

The Yankees had the opportunity to trade for one of the top 2 pitchers in all of baseball in his prime. The Yanks had the personnel to do it, the other team wanted to do it, yet we pass. How often does any farm system produce a pitcher the likes of Santana? What Yankee "home grown" pitcher has been as dominanat as Santana? What Yankee "home grown" traded pitcher has been as dominant as Santana? Guidry and possibly Leiter is as close as your gonna get. 2 "home grown" players in 30 years that have developed into a Santana. To expect Hughes\Kennedy to develope into a Santana is ridiculous.

HYD:

Hard to know from here, but a possibility...

DC:

Like your word, and so does my old Webster's Unabridged, which has antagonizing as present participle of antagonize.

Tucson Ken,
I agree with your take on Hank. He has fallen in love with the media, but he does trust his baseball people. I also think he's under a little pressure to please his dad to get Santana so he's having to try to please everyone. I think his proclamations are harmless, he's a rookie after all.

Must go for a while, see you fans later.

If the Red Sox don't get Santana it was a great week.

But I still would have traded Hughes, Melky and 2 lesser prospects for Santana.

I'm not real happy with Betamit/Duncan at first. Any chance we could get Tejada and move him there?

Where does Igawa fit in? Will he be starting at AAA - or long rlief with Yankees? Traded too san Diego? Who for?

But on my way out the door, Jim A., thanks for the info.

It's a fantastic week! Still got Phil, Melky, Ian, Horn. Phil Hughes could be the next Tom Seaver. To have such young pitching, combined with Petitte, Wang and even Mike Mussina, we will be a formidable team for the future. No more Ed Whitsons, Rick Rhodens, Kevin Browns, and especially no more Pavanos. Remember that we won 93 games in the regular season, only two less than the Suwx. And that was with little or no pitching for the first two months of the season. Firm up the pen and the bench and bring on the season.

Diane,
You are most welcome, have a great day.

Lemarca,
Hughes could very well turn out to be the next Todd Van Poppel, I'm not saying he will or that I hope he will, but he could do that just as easily as he could be the next Seaver.

Rick,
I proposed the same question as you about the innings limits on the youngsters and I had hoped that the Yankees would not have to fall back on Igawa to pitch in September because the kids have reached their limits.

If I'm the Yanks I'd take a look at Freddy Garcia and when he's ready in June, let him eat up some innings. If he wants more than a one year deal, forget it.

All,
I'm new to listening to Mike and The Mad Dog and I can tell after only a couple of days that Mike likes the Yanks, but who does Russo like? He doesn't seem to care too much about baseball, yet he seems upset that the Yanks didn't get Santana and that Boston most likely will.

Jim A.
Russo loves the SF Giants, has done so his whole life.

HYD hits another one outta the park!
I would trade Hughes for Santana, but I am very happy the trade fell through. Hughes is gonna have a great year! He has been brought along slowly and will have the added motivation to prove these fools wrong because of the nonsense that went this past week, and because some loser "non-athletic" reporter questioned his work ethic.
Get a real job, Alfalfa!
We will have a steady rotation, a strong bullpen and the top closer of this era - being used for "1" inning per game.I can't wait for the season to begin either!
Besides, Boston has some erosion taking place in that line-up.
Hope Santana goes to Beantown. Can't wait for our guys to stamp a 4HR/7 run game on his butt in Fenway, while Hughes shuts them down.
It will be glorious!

Behind Enemy Lines,
Thanks for the info! No wonder he's pretty quiet about baseball.

more from the Buzz:

From the Herald's Rob Bradford (3:19 p.m.): "The latest word out of Nashville suggests that Ellsbury won’t be going anywhere, as Minnesota has begun to listen to other offers with the prospect of holding on to Santana becoming more and more likely."

Santana WILL be traded.

Twins will NOT let him walk without getting something in return.

New Team WILL get extension or won't make a deal.

Santana will NOT be a FA next year.

JIm A made a very good point about Hank being a rookie, after all.

Obviously the other teams know that and I'm sure certain 'allowances' are made. They still know where to go when they need to talk deals. And I'm confident that behind all the bluster, Hank relies heavily on his 'baseball people.'

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying his involvement. The candor is refreshing if not allows what everyone wants to hear. Remember Roy, you were so concerned in Hank's early days that he and Hal were simply gearing up to sell the ship. They look a long way from doing that now.

Rick,

I agree that would be in the Twins best interest, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the Twins start 2008 with him. They are on the verge of botching two negotiations, I speculate that the Sox have only slightly more patience than the Yankees.

They could still trade him at the deadline, but they will have a lot less leverage.

Time is not on the Twins side, but I don't feel like the Twins GM gets that.

There is a LOT of pressure in Los Angeles (as much as there can be in LA) for the Dodgers or the Angels to make a big move... bigger than Torre.

It was almost assumed that the Angels would get either A-Rod or Cabrera.

It is also assumed the Dodgers would have been in the running.

Now the two big market teams loaded with young tradable talent (obviously bringing in Torii Hunter and Jon Garland was a way to make some pitching and outfield talent expendable) are looking at an off season without that Mongo move.

And Santana is out there.

And the Twins know the Yankees probably wouldn't resist...

But they can't just have the Red Sox in the bidding. Next thing you know it will be Alex Cora straight up for Santana.

Having the Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox and Yankees (and possibly the Mets) all salivating over Santana could pull in a haul of 3 players that can be on the 2008 twenty five man roster

New thread

Sully it's been reported that the Dodgers are after Bedard not Santana. The Angeles and Yankees are not interested and the Twins are talking to the Mets.

If the Twins have been reduced to talking to the Mets, the market is drying up awfully fast.

I believe the week or off season to this point has been a good one.Yes, we have secured the same players from last year but I get a sense of improvement with the team. How so? The starting rotation of about 5/6 has improved just with expectation. I would love to see Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Joba and Kennedy/Mussina with Mussina being the swing man giving the kids a rest or all 5 of the remainder of the rotation a breather from May on. The obvious would be accomplished with Moose doing the long relief in the beginning.

You might say, how did we improve? By keeping the nucleus the same, the chemistry of the second half should remain intact with Arod and his little fan club. Betemit would be great at firstbase, switch hitting and getting consistent AB's could prove to be a fine. His fielding at first is no issue. His situational play will improve with 6 weeks of games and instruction.

Also, I believe the Yankees are getting it right for once. With George taking a less of a role the past few years Cashman in short time has improved this club's resources on the farm with many players waiting in the wings.

The Santana trade talks showed our willingness to negoiate but not be taken for everything that we have built up as in the past.

Joe Girardi has to be one of the non-player acquistions which will impact this team in a positive sense. From a young mgr's. perception of what is going on to the handling of th pitchers. If we can sure up the bullpen with a lefty and eliminate some injuries to our pitchers in April/May. We can surprise and be there at the end. Thsee young pitchers showed much at the end of the season which will carry forward in 2008.

The area which has to be improved with is the Matsui and Giambi situation. I would love to move Jason and leave Matsui and Damon to rotate at times at DH when not playing the OF.