On the Yankees beat

So Morgan Ensberg, huh? Didn't see that one coming. So what do you all think happens at first base/left field/center field/DH?
Here are the candidates:
Matsui
Damon
Melky
Giambi
Ensberg
Duncan
Betemit
Jason Lane
Am I missing anyone? I think it will be interesting to see how Girardi handles these position battles -- and the bullpen position battles -- in spring training. After so many years of watching Torre navigate these minefields, will this Joe have the knack? Discuss.

Hi all, with spring training coming very soon -- I'll be in Tampa in less than two weeks -- it's time to get a final bit of rest and relaxation before the baseball season. This is the last quiet time for most baseball beat writers, including me. So the blog will be going full-strength next week, with much more regular blogs than during most of the offseason. For now, make your own conversation.

I posted part of this as a comment earlier, but now that I've got the new address down for posting blogs figured I would put it here where more of you would see it.

There were a couple interesting stories out there the past two days -- colleague Ken Davidoff covered Brian Cashman's interesting remarks Friday night in which he ripped Bernie Williams, called out Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu for being out of shape last spring and was adamant that he does not want to trade for Johan Santana. Also, Hank Steinbrenner did a two-hour sitdown with the Associated Press.

I just got back from the Baseball Writers Dinner, which was held at the New York Hilton and was excellent. All kinds of baseball stars, past and present there. A few that Yankees fans will be most interested in include: Goose Gossage, Bobby Murcer, Yogi Berra, Alex Rodriguez, Brian Cashman, Johnny Damon, Joe Girardi, Joba Chamberlain. Craig Biggio, recently retired Astro and Long Island native, was honored, and mentioned how he delivered Newsday for 10 years as a kid.

Many more, but those are some highlights. Damon, pretty much everyone agreed was the highlight of the night. He was honored for his community service and work with the Wounded Warrior Project. He was presented by a soldier who lost his left arm while fighting in the U.S. Army in Iraq, and Damon had a really tough time getting through his speech because he was so choked up. Damon's father fought in Vietnam.

It was nice to see so many players, past and present, who were really wowed at the company alongside them on the dais. From Billy Wagner presenting to Goose Gossage, to Alex Rodriguez receiving from Yogi Berra. There were many humorous lines, with Willie Randolph surprisingly loose and off-the-cuff. One was from Jimmy Rollins, who, after a very flattering introduction by Alex Rodriguez (who introduced him as the National League Most Valuable Player winner). Rollins turned to Alex, and said, "The check's in the mail."

16 days to pitchers and catchers.

The Yankees and Robinson Cano are close to agreement on a contract, according to a source. They've reached agreement on the locked-in years, which will be four years and $28-million, with a $2-million buyout not to exercise the first option. They're still haggling over the money on the option years. But expect this to get done.

I visited with Joe Girardi this afternoon. Although the Cano deal's not official yet, so he couldn't comment, he's pretty excited about Cano. Called him a "great player."

Curious to know what people think about the Yankees getting ready to sign Robinson Cano to a long-term deal. Are you surprised they shifted from their normal course? Glad to see it happen? Think it a waste of money?

It sounds like the four-year average (with option amounts TBD) will be about $7.5 million per year, starting out well below that but finishing well above that. I think the Yankees will be saving a good chunk compared to what they might have had to pay Cano through arbitration. The risk is that he goes downhill or gets seriously injured, but career-threatening/ending injuries are not that common with position players, particularly at a young age. Plus, Cano is in a rare category as a "super-two", meaning the top 17% of players, service-time wise, who wind up going to arbitration four times. That last year, there would be very few comps to look at for what he might make salary-wise.

The Yankees are in discussions with Robinson Cano about a multi-year contract. FoxSports.com first reported the talks, saying the deal would be for four years and about $30-million. A source confirmed to me that discussions are ongoing, but would not give specifics. Interesting if they are that close, as Cano's agent, Bobby Barad, told me Tuesday that they had had no conversations yet with the Yankees about a contract.

I know there are still some people having problems posting on the blog, though it's been better than a couple weeks ago. FYI, I've been informed that some upgrades are being made to all the Newsday blogs (maybe all Tribune blogs, but I'm not sure) tomorrow and Saturday. This will result in the blog being down from midnight tomorrow night (Friday night/Saturday morning) until 6 a.m. Saturday, but hopefully after that the problems will be fixed.

Some people have asked me why the Yankees don't lock up their young players (i.e. Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang) to long-term contracts. When teams do that -- sign players still years away from free agency to multi-year deals -- they often pay a little extra in the early years and then save money the first couple years in free agency. The one way it can backfire on the team is if the player doesn't pan out or has already peaked. In most cases the team decides it's worth the investment, though, it seems to pay off for them.

The cost of signing top players sure hasn't gone down, nor is it likely to in the next several years. So far, the Yankees have not shown any inclination to give either Cano or Wang a long-term deal. Both players are under Yankee control through 2010, so there's no danger of them walking away anytime soon. But the Yankees could sign them beyond that, likely at a lower price than it will cost three years from now.

Cano's agent, Bobby Barad, said by phone yesterday that Cano would be open to the idea of a long-term deal with the Yankees. "He wouldn't be adverse to that in theory," Barad said.
Barad made clear that the Yankees have not broached that topic with him and Cano, and that he has not brought up the possibility. However, should the Yankees seek to lock up their All-Star second baseman well before free agency -- as the Mets did with third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes -- Cano could have interest.

What would you do if you were the Yankees, go year-to-year or seek to ink Cano and Wang to long-term deals?

OK, so the following is off-topic. If you don't want to read something that's not exclusively Yankees, stop now.

Lebron James -- remember, he showed up to an Indians-Yankees playoff game with a Yankees cap on in October -- is making his newest signature sneaker a tribute to the Yankees. I'm sure his Cleveland Cavaliers fans will love that. According to an AP story, the Nike Zir Zoom Lebron V shoe is dominated with the Yankees blue-and-white colors, pinstripes, and James's No. 23. Under the shoe tongue are the words: "Le-Bron Ja-Mes. Clap. Clap. Clap Clap Clap," in an in-the-know nod to the cheer fans at Yankee Stadium do for their favorites (think De-Rek Je-Ter).

According to a Nike spokesperson, the shoe will come out in March and initially be sold only in the New York area. The Cavaliers play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden March 5th.

One other off-topic note. In reading the pre-Super Bowl chatter/hubbub about Patriots QB Tom Brady (is he hurt? what's up with the boot?), I found I just missed running into Brady, his girlfriend supermodel Gisele and Leonardo DiCaprio. I ate at Butter for Restaurant Week last night, and apparently, Tom and Gisele (and separately, her ex, Leonardo) were there later last night. I guess my timing's off, or I could pass along to Giants fans whether Brady was limping or not.

The Yankees may not go after any of these guys, but there are still some fairly notable free agents out there, considering it's late January. No guys you expect to star for a team this year, but established players. Do any of the following catch your fancy? And, yes, I am aware that a few of these guys bring off-field concerns with them wherever they land.

Barry Bonds -- no explanation necessary
Sammy Sosa -- worked out pretty well for Rangers, but wants more money now
Sean Casey -- Yankees don't need another first baseman, but someone can surely use him
Bartolo Colon -- Awfully big injury risk, but he was awfully good a couple years ago
Freddy Garcia -- Won't be healthy for a good chunk of the season, but could be a good risk
Livan Hernandez -- Has been an NL guy, but could be a good risk for someone
Ryan Klesko -- A little more pop than Casey, but likely more expensive as well
Kenny Lofton -- Fared well for Indians last season, seemingly ageless
Doug Mientkiewicz -- This 2007 Yankee remains on the market, stellar glove and all
Mike Piazza -- Looking for a new club with the A's in rebuilding mode

Here's an interesting story I came across online this weekend about Alex Rodriguez helping out a college baseball player. It's from the Miami Herald's Saturday paper. Rodriguez sometimes works out at the University of Miami in the winter, and UM first baseman Yonder Alonso hoped to learn something from Rodriguez.
So on a whim, not expecting much, Alonso approached Rodriguez while he worked out one day. And Rodriguez, according to the article, wound up having Alonso work out with him for more than five weeks, starting at 6 a.m.
http://www.miamiherald.com/519/story/385553.html

It's a nice read on something positive one of the Yankees players did. Plus that took real time, not just writing a check (which is definitely appreciated by charitable organization, but I'm just saying Rodriguez's time is probably more finite than his money).

Alex Rodriguez was just added as a recipient of the Thurman Munson Award, which he will get Feb. 5th at the AHRC NYC Foundation benefit. Melky Cabrera was already named as a recipient of the award, as were the Mets' David Wright, longtime Astro Craig Biggio, the Knicks' Jamal Crawfod, and Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

All the athletes are expected to attend the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner Tues., Feb. 5th, at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. For tickets and other info, call 212-249-6188.

In the press release, Rodriguez said: "It is a privilege and honor to receive the Munson Award. Knowing of Thurman's legacy in the storied history of the Yankees franchise, and how much the dinner has done to assist children through AHRC NYC Foundation, it is a special honor that I will always cherish. I look forward to seeing Diana and being a part of a wonderful evening at the benefit."

For those of you who can't wait until spring training or the regular season to get a live baseball fix -- at least, those with extra money to spend -- the 85th annual Baseball Writers Association of America (New York Chapter) dinner is coming up. It will be held Sunday, Jan. 27th, at the New York Hilton.

This dinner is where all the national BBWAA award-winners (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of Year and Manager of Year in each league) are honored. All eight are expected to be on-hand. The winners were Alex Rodriguez (AL MVP), Jimmy Rollins (NL MVP), C.C. Sabathia (AL Cy Young), Jake Peavy (NL Cy Young), Dustin Pedroia (AL Rookie), Ryan Braun (NL Rookie), Eric Wedge (AL Manager) and Bob Melvin (NL Manager). Also expected to attend this year are Yogi Berra and newly elected Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Dick Williams. Some winners of the NY chapter awards will be there, including Craig Biggio, Johnny Damon, Billy Wagner, Joba Chamberlain and Bobby Murcer.

Tickets are available to the public. They're not cheap, but it's an excellent event. It's obviously not every day you get to attend dinner with all those people. Tickets are available for $225 by calling 201-871-5924 or emailing Phil Pepe at Philpepman@cs.com

Also, are people still having problems posting on the blog? It seems the complaints are down. I was in the office yesterday, and it sounds like it's mainly been specific to the Yankees blog. Has the problem been fixed?

From the Yankees:

YANKEES INVITE 26 PLAYERS TO SPRING TRAINING

The New York Yankees announced today that they have invited 26 non-roster players to Spring Training in Tampa, Florida. The list includes nine pitchers, five catchers, five infielders and seven outfielders. The total number of players now scheduled to report is 66.

C Kyle Anson, 24, batted .272 (91-for-334) with four home runs and 44 RBI in 98 games with Single-A Charleston in 2007, and ranked second in the South Atlantic League with a 40.4 percent caught-stealing rate (42-for-104) in his first season as a catcher. Anson was originally selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft as a third baseman.

C Jason Brown, 33, batted .208 (10-for-48) with one home run and three RBI with Double-A Trenton in 2007 after being limited to 15 games due to a left shoulder separation. Brown was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 26, 1997, and was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on November 19, 2004.

INF Bernie Castro, 28, played with Triple-A Columbus in the Washington organization, ranking fourth among all Nationals minor leaguers with 34 stolen bases and hitting .280 (120-for-428) with one home run and 32 RBI in 118 games in 2007. Castro has spent parts of two seasons in the Majors (Baltimore in 2005 and Washington in 2006), batting .253 (118-for-466) with 17 RBI in 66 games. He returns to the Yankees organization that originally signed him as a non-drafted free agent on September 25, 1997.

OF Justin Christian, 27, split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2007, batting .271 (115-for-424) with four home runs and 48 RBI in 105 games. Christian attended Auburn University and was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 1, 2004.

OF Colin Curtis, 22, played in 65 games with Single-A Tampa where he batted .298 (73-for-245) with five home runs and 26 RBI. He was promoted to Double-A Trenton on June 22 and hit .242 (58-for-240) with three home runs and 15 RBI in 61 games in his Double-A debut. Curtis was originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State University.

INF Eric Duncan, 23, hit .241 (99-for-411) with 26 doubles, 11 home runs and 61 RBI in 113 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2007, setting a career high in doubles and tying a career best in RBI. Duncan was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft.

OF Brett Gardner, 24, split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2007, batting .281 (108-for-384) with one home run, 26 RBI and 39 stolen bases in 99 games. Over the last two seasons, he has successfully stolen a base in 83.6 percent of his tries (97-for-116). After the season, Gardner played in 26 games for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .343 (37-for-108) with 10 RBI and ranked among league leaders in stolen bases (16), runs scored (27), hits (37), walks (17), on-base percentage (.433) and batting average while being named to the AFL Top Prospects Team. Following the 2007 season, he was ranked by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the organization as well as the fastest baserunner and the player with the best strike-zone discipline among all Yankees minor leaguers. Gardner was originally selected by the Yankees in the third round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

RHP Daniel Giese, 30, made his Major League debut with the Giants as a September call-up, going 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA in eight relief appearances. He began the season with Triple-A Fresno (San Francisco) where he went 3-1 with two saves and a 2.82 ERA in 47 relief appearances. Originally selected by Boston in the 34th round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Giese owns a 43-26 record with a 2.97 ERA in 374 career minor league appearances.

INF Nick Green, 29, spent time with Seattle, Triple-A Tacoma and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2007. With Indianapolis, he hit .245 (25-for-102) with five home runs and 20 RBI in 26 games before being traded to Seattle. In 66 games with Tacoma, hit .337 (96-for-285) with 16 home runs and 46 RBI and was promoted on September 4 to Seattle, where he did not record a hit in six games (seven at-bats). Green is a career .240 (169-for-703) hitter with 10 home runs and 59 RBI in 275 games over four Major League seasons with Atlanta, Tampa Bay, New York (AL) and Seattle. In 2006 with the Yankees, he batted .240 (21-for-114) with two home runs and four RBI in 46 games. Green was originally selected by Atlanta in the 32nd round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Alan Horne, 25, was 12-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 27 starts with Double-A Trenton in 2007, earning Eastern League “Pitcher of the Year” honors. He led the league in ERA, strikeouts (165) and winning percentage (.750), while ranking fourth in innings pitched (153.1). Following the 2007 season, he was named to the Eastern League midseason All-Star team and was selected as the EL’s top right-handed starter on the postseason All-Star team. Horne was selected by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

OF Austin Jackson, 20, spent time at four different levels in 2007 (Single-A Charleston, Single-A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), combining to hit .304 (151-for-496) with 88 runs scored, 21 doubles, 13 home runs, 59 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 128 games. He was ranked by Baseball America as the organization’s No. 2 prospect and was selected as the “Best Athlete” and “Best Defensive Outfielder” in the Yankees’ minor league system. Jackson was originally selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Steven Jackson, 25, split the 2007 season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining to go 4-9 with one save and a 5.40 ERA in 28 appearances (11 starts). Jackson was originally selected by the Diamondbacks in the 10th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft and was acquired by the Yankees from Arizona along with right-handed pitchers Ross Ohlendorf and Luis Vizcaino and infielder Alberto Gonzalez in exchange for Randy Johnson on January 9, 2007.

OF Jason Lane, 31, split time between Houston and Triple-A Round Rock in 2007 before being traded to San Diego on September 24. Over two stints with the Astros, batted .178 (30-for-169) with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 68 games and hit .319 (59-for-185) with nine home runs and 41 RBI in 50 games with Round Rock. In three games with the Padres, he did not record a hit in two at-bats. Originally selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Lane is a career .241 (291-for-1,208) hitter with 61 home runs and 189 RBI in 497 games with Houston and San Diego. He batted .267 (138-for-517) in 145 games with Houston in 2005, establishing career highs in home runs (26) and runs batted in (78).

RHP Daniel McCutchen, 25, combined to go 14-4 with a 2.47 ERA, 33 walks and 103 strikeouts in 24 games (23 starts) with Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton in 2007. His wins were tied for second most in the organization while his ERA ranked third among Yankees farmhands. The Florida State League All-Star was rated by Baseball America as having the FSL’s best control. The right-hander was selected by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

RHP Mark Melancon, 22, missed the 2007 season while recovering from “Tommy John” surgery. Originally selected by the Yankees in the ninth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, he was 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in seven relief appearances with short-season Single-A Staten Island in 2006, his first professional season.

C Jesus Montero, 18, made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees in 2007, batting .280 (30-for-107) with six doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI in 33 games. He committed just one error in 182 total chances behind the plate and was rated as the Yankees’ top catching prospect (sixth overall) and the organization’s best power hitter by Baseball America. The Venezuelan native signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in October 2006 and will be the youngest player in the Yankees spring training camp.

LHP Heath Phillips, 25, split time with the White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte and made his Major League debut as a September call-up, going 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in six relief appearances with Chicago. With Charlotte, he tied for the International League lead in wins, going 13-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 28 starts. He led all Chicago minor leaguers and the International League in innings pitched and went 8-0 with a 2.44 ERA over his final 11 starts. His eight-game winning streak tied for the second-longest in the IL in 2007. Phillips was originally signed by the White Sox in the 10th round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft.

C P.J. Pilittere, 26, will make his second straight appearance in spring camp after receiving a non-roster invitation in 2006. He batted .261 (91-for-348) with 16 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI in 100 games with Double-A Trenton in 2007 and led all Eastern League catchers with a .995 fielding percentage, committing only four errors in 844 total chances. He was originally selected by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

OF Greg Porter, 27, combined to hit .316 (149-for-472) with 11 home runs and 78 RBI in 129 games with Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Salt Lake. He was named the June “Player of the Month” among all Angels minor league players, hitting .368 (42-for-114) with 25 runs scored, 12 doubles and 28RBI in 31 games. Porter was originally selected by the Angels in the 45th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft and was signed by the Yankees on December 1, 2007.

INF Cody Ransom, 31, appeared in 19 games with Houston in 2007, batting .229 (8-for-35) with two doubles, one home run and three RBI. He opened the year with Triple-A Round Rock and won team MVP honors, batting .260 with 35 doubles, a team-high 28 home runs and a team-high 90 RBI. A former ninth round pick of the San Francisco Giants in the 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Ransom owns a .236 career Major League batting average (33-for-140) with nine doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI in 133 games with the Giants and Astros.

RHP Darrell Rasner, 27, made his first Opening Day roster in 2007 and went 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA over two stints with the Yankees. He had his season cut short on May 19 when he was hit in the right hand by a come-back ground ball. He underwent surgery the next day to repair a fractured right index finger. After missing three months, he made two rehab starts with short-season Single-A Staten Island (0-0, 5.14 ERA) to close out the year. A second round pick of the Montreal Expos in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, he was claimed off waivers by the Yankees from the Washington Nationals on February 10, 2006.

C Austin Romine, 19, was selected by the Yankees in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of El Toro High School in California. He appeared in one game with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, going 1-for-2 with one double, one RBI and one walk. Baseball America rated the catcher’s arm strength the third-best among the nation’s high school players in the draft.

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RHP Scott Strickland, 31, was 4-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 15 relief appearances with Triple-A Portland (San Diego) in 2007. He owns a 21-17 record in 193 career Major League games (27 starts) with a 3.26 ERA, pitching with the Expos and Astros. Originally selected by the Montreal Expos in the 10th round of the 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Strickland was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on December 20, 2007.

OF Jose Tabata, 19, batted a team-high .307 (126-for-411) with Single-A Tampa in 2007, along with 16 doubles, five home runs, 54 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He earned a spot on the Florida State League’s postseason All-Star team after ranking fifth in average and never going more than two games without recording a hit. He was ranked by Baseball America as the Yankees’ third-best prospect and tabbed as being the best hitter for average in the organization. This will be the second straight spring training invitation for Tabata who signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on August 12, 2004.

LHP Billy Traber, 27, appeared in 28 games (two starts) with the Washington Nationals in 2007, going 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA. The left-hander opened the year with Triple-A Columbus where he was 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 14 games (four starts), striking out 29 batters with only seven walks. Signed by the Yankees as a minor league free agent on January 4, 2008, Traber has appeared in 76 Major League games (28 starts) with the Cleveland Indians and Nationals, posting a 12-14 record and a 5.41 ERA.

INF Marcos Vechionacci, 21, spent most of the 2007 season with Single-A Tampa, batting .266 (104-for-391) with 44 runs scored, 23 doubles and 39 RBI in 108 games at third base. He also appeared with Double-A Trenton in the final two games of the regular season and batted .288 in the postseason, helping the Thunder win the Eastern League title. Following the season, he joined Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League where he hit .286 (30-for-105) in 41 games. He was rated by Baseball America as having the best infield arm in the organization for the second straight season. Vechionacci was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on August 26, 2002.

In the long-running Johan Santana Story, two people we have heard next to nothing from are Santana himself and Robinson Cano. Surprisingly enough, comments from both have come out in the last couple days.

Santana told the Fort Myers News-Press (the Twins hold spring training in Fort Myers): "I'm a Minnesota Twin," Santana said. "That's all I know. It's up to them. Whatever they have to do is going to happen. It has nothing to do with me at all. I said it from the beginning during the season last year, whatever will be the best for this team and this organization, I'll agree with that."

Cano, speaking at a New Jersey school yesterday, was on board with the idea of the Yankees getting Santana. That surprised me some, since one main player that would likely go to Minnesota in a Santana deal is Melky Cabrera, and he and Cano are attached at the hip.

But Cano told MLB.com: "We've got some great players. If we don't get a deal, we've got to play with our guys. In baseball, you never know what's going to happen. You've just got to keep fighting and play hard."

"It's a great deal if we can get Santana. We need it. We need a No. 1 guy like him. ... If [the Red Sox] got Santana, they're going to be a way better team. I hope we get him. It's not a good idea for us if they get Santana."

Cano said he had told Cabrera: "Don't pay attention to the rumors. If you get traded, just keep playing. He wants to be a Yankee; he said he doesn't want to leave. I told him, 'If you have to leave, keep playing hard. You never know. You might come back.'

"I love Melky, but he [would] play every day in Minnesota. If the deal is going to be great for him, I'll be happy. That's what I told him. If you're going to play every day, you prove to yourself that you can be in the big leagues. You don't want to be sitting on the bench."

Hank Steinbrenner told the Associated Press in Tampa the Yankees are not out of Santana talks. Here's the AP report: "It’s still in the deciding process,” Steinbrenner said Monday night outside Legends Field at the Yankees’ spring training complex. “We’re still discussing it. There’s still a little talk back and forth.”

Right-hander Phil Hughes and center fielder Melky Cabrera would likely be part of a multiplayer package needed to obtain Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who can become a free agent after this season.

Steinbrenner said reports that the Yankees recently withdrew a formal offer to the Twins are not true.

“There wasn’t an official offer anyway. You can’t withdraw something that wasn’t there,” Steinbrenner said. “There was no official offer on the table at this time.”

The New York Mets and Boston Red Sox are also interested in Santana.

I'm off this week, but here's something to talk about: Has this year's Hot stove league been dull?
I don't mean specifically with the Yankees, because I think all their October-to-mid-December turmoil compensates (and then some) for the quiet since then, but all around the league.

The main chatter has been about steroids, and while it obviously has to do with players, it's not a fun discussion of which team has gotten better and which has stood still. Other than the ongoing Johan Santana saga, which remains unresolved, the big move of the winter was the Tigers-Marlins blockbuster, which happened so quickly that it lacked buildup drama. Of course, the Yankees had plenty of drama -- would Alex Rodriguez stay or become a huge villain in the Bronx by leaving; would Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Bobby Abreu stay or go; the Joe Torre to Joe Girardi change; the rise in power of the vocal Hank Steinbrenner and the not-so-vocal Hal Steinbrenner.

But for the rest of the teams, there haven't been many huge moves. A few managerial changes, Torii Hunter to the Angels, Barry Bonds's departure from the Giants for parts unknown, the trade of Miguel Tejada to the Astros, the trade of Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox, the trade of Edgar Renteria to the Tigers, the trade of Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks. But overall -- perhaps because of the low quality of the free agent market -- the magnitude of the moves seems to me to be down this year.

Do you agree?

By ERIK BOLAND

WACO, Texas -- A headline from the Waco Tribune-Herald from Thursday read, "Will Circus Follow Clemens to Waco?"

The answer earlier today was no.

Roger Clemens spoke to members of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association for almost 90 minutes at the association's annual convention Saturday morning into the afternoon and, no, steroids were not mentioned. The media "throng" expected never materialized as the majority were Texas newspaper and television reporters, a smattering of New York representation [the YES Network did not make the trip] and, naturally, ESPN. It was about 15 reporters in all.

No media members were allowed in the Waco Convention Center but according to coaches interviewed afterward - which was confirmed upon seeing a recording of Clemens' talk - steroids, HGH, Mitchell and McNamee were not among the topics covered.

"It was all inside baseball stuff," one coach said. "Pitching grips, mechanics, delivery. Those things."

"We love him down here," another coach said. "He's from Texas. He's one of ours."

Much more of this will be in tomorrow's paper but that was the overall tenor. Don't mess with Texas.

One coach, in addressing a group of non-New Yorkers - but with one listening - blamed the New York media for "blowing this out of proportion."

Told later that the media didn't author the Mitchell report, he said, "Whatever."

Only one of the many coaches interviewed admitted to having a desire hear Clemens address the proverbial elephant in the room.

"It would be natural to have those questions," he said.

None of them were asked. Maybe at next year's convention.

Looks like there was no real reason to fret over the Yankees getting Mike Cameron and forgetting about Melky Cabrera. Cameron agreed to terms with the Brewers yesterday.

One wonders whether he ever had significant interest in playing for the Yankees, or if they were just the team that helped drive the price up for Milwaukee. In any case, at this point, it appears the Yankees team looks about like it will when spring training starts (which, incidentally, is awfully close to what it looked like when the season ended plus LaTroy Hawkins and minus Luis Vizcaino and Doug Mientkiewicz). The only way that is likely to change is if they finally get Johan Santana. I'm not including the possibility of a minor addition a la Jason Lane, which, let's face it, won't excite many fans.

So if this is your 2008 Yankees team, how do you feel about that?

according to Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com, the Yankees are looking at adding Mike Cameron. If true, what would you think of this addition? Cameron, 36, is a three-time Gold Glove winner in centerfield. He played for the Padre this year, batting .242 with 21 homers, 78 RBI and 88 runs scored. He walked 67 times and struck out 160 times. His average was below his career average of .251, but productive numbers (RBI, homers, runs scored) were similar.

Do you think he would be a good pick-up? Would getting Cameron be a sign that the Yankees are about to trade Melky Cabrera?

Cameron's certainly been a good player at times (A-Rod's a fan from their Mariners days). I think he'd be a good stopgap if Melky goes. Otherwise, barring a trade of another outfielder, not sure where he fits.

Just so everyone knows, I am very aware of the complaints about the new blog format. I've talked to several people about it. apparently it's to prevent spam. It's obviously not a great solution, based on your complaints. I'm sure there must be a better solution, though I'm not the technology whiz to figure that out. Hopefully, it will get resolved soon so everyone can be happy.

Melky Cabrera will be honored at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner on Tues., Feb. 5th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. The dinner benefits the AHRC New York City Foundation. Also to be honored are Mets third baseman David Wright, just-retired Astro Craig Biggio, the Knicks' Jamal Crawford and Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

The foundation is a not-for-profit that supports programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Interesting to see Melky, who's been much talked about in trade rumors, get honored here in NY. Hopefully the Santana business will be resolved by then. Either way, it will be interesting to get Melky's thoughts on the near-trade (or of course if he gets traded to the Twins).

We'll steer clear of the Roger Clemens talk for once. How about something that hasn't been talked about much -- first base? Are you comfortable with the options the Yankees have at first?

They've got Shelley Duncan, Jason Giambi and Wilson Betemit as primary options. Or do you think they should have re-signed Doug Mientkiewicz or gone to get another first baseman?

Sorry, again, about the posting codes. I haven't gotten anywhere yet with getting them removed.

For those of you wondering when the lawsuit is coming if Clemens is really innocent, it's here. Roger Clemens filed a defamation lawsuit in Harris County (Tex.) District Court against Brian McNamee for false and defamatory statements against him.
Go to Newsday.com for more details on the lawsuit.

So, what does everyone think of Roger Clemens's appearance on "60 Minutes?" He was very vehement in his denial, not sure if it was all believable or not, but that's a matter of opinion. It's really hard to judge who's telling the truth unless you know him and/or Brian McNamee extremely well.
A few highlights:
*He didn't rule out the possibility of taking a lie detector test.
*He hasn't made up his mind about whether he might sue or not.
*He absolutely denied ever using any type of anabolic steroid, testosterone or HGH.
*He called steroid use "a quick fix" that in the long run would break one's body down.
*He said he was "shocked" at Andy Pettitte's admission that he had twice used HGH.

Two things:

There's some talk out there that Hank and Hal Steinbrenner may not be in agreement as to what to do about Santana, perhaps because Hal Steinbrenner doesn't want the payroll to keep rising. Hal almost never does interviews (I have yet to see one with him since the season ended), so it's tough to get his take. But if that's true, who do you side with? Hank, who may want to go get Santana? Or Hal, who perhaps would rather hold pat due too the payroll?

Also, I know a lot of people are complaining about the new blog codes and responses that you are posting too much, etc. I'm trying to look into it and see if we can improve it somehow. Thanks for your patience.

Here's an update on Jim Leyritz, who was charged with DUI manslaughter after a late night car crash in which he allegedly ran a red light killed a 30-year-old mother of two.
An Associated Press report out says that Leyritz's drivers license had been suspended Nov. 23rd, as he had been ticketed near Albany for using a cell phone in June, and failed to answer the summons as of Nov. 23.
His license may not have been suspended in Florida, though, as according to the article, the NY suspension had not yet been registered on the national registry.
Regardless of whether Leyritz's license was suspended or not, or whether his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit or not, the sad and tragic part of the situation is that a woman lost her life, a man lost his wife, and two children lost their mother.