On the Yankees beat

Maybe Jo-Bug can finally get a win today!

Kat,
You sound a little travel weary. You probably don't know what city you are in half the time with all the plane hopping you've been doing but you have to hang in there because you have a very cool job!

Joba needs to cut down his walks, starting tonight!

I think the last track on Jackson Browne's Running on Empty album addresses exactly those sort of woes, and concludes with a fantastic version of Stay. But I doubt Kat has a team of roadies trailing her. At least, not yet.

What do you say Kat, ready to take the show to Nashville? After an All-Star break rest, of course. Or are you covering that, too?

Agreed with Jim: very cool job, but you're stellar at it!

Just revealed my age, didn't I? If I hadn't already.

By the way, that's a live album that I got on LP on my my 11th b-day.

The Yanks have signed Eric Milton to a minor league deal.

Now he can show off that Yankee tattoo again!

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Gernal manager Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees have signed lefty Eric Milton to a minor-league contract.

Milton, who turns 33 next month, is still recovering from "Tommy John" surgery. He threw on flat ground today in Tampa, Fla., and is at least six weeks away from pitching in games.

"If he does anything to help us this year, that's fine," Cashman said. "We're just going to have a chance to get an advance look (for 2009)."

Milton was the Yankees' No. 1 draft pick in 1996 but they traded him to Minnesota in February 1998 as part of a package for Chuck Knoblauch. Milton has an 87-84 career record and 5.01 ERA for Minnesota, Philadelphia and Cincinnati.

Ha! I knew we'd get the better of that Knoblauch trade.

Another guy off the scrap heap. Goodbye Cash, it's been great to know ya.

I hate to tell ya, but Cashman is going nowhere unless he decides to go on his own.

Hal likes him. Even Hank likes him.

And even though I'm no fan of Hank, he said again in a USA Today article that he wants to sign Cashman to an extension.

The Milton thing to me is fine. I'm the guy who has been screaming for them to get Freddy Garcia this year to hold him for 09. Milton's not the quality pitcher that Garcia is, but left handed pitchers don't grow on trees.

But Chip..

How many mor Injury pitchers is Cash going to sign ??

It sounds good on paper but in reality Brain is again mortaging the future (09 season) on a injury risk.

Yes I know Minor legaue deal and thsi is probally the out of LF kind of deals he was speaking about.

Bomber -

He's not mortgaging anything. It's a no risk scenario. I don't think Cashman is going to base his plans in trades and free agency around having Eric Milton anchoring the 09 rotation. If Milton is healthy and if he can pitch then having him is like finding a $20 in your couch cushions.

It's just like what they did with Jon Leiber - that worked out alright right?

International Flavor:

The Yankees signed five players, at least three of whom likely received high six-figure bonuses.

The top bonus appears to have gone to shortstop Anderson Felix, who one source said signed a bonus in the $800,000 to $1 million range. Dominican shortstop Gian Carlos Arias, according to one source, received a bonus of around $750,000 from the Yankees. Arias is a shortstop for now, but scouts have predicted that his thick lower half may lead to a move to second or third base.

The Yankees also signed a pair of Dominican outfielders who international scouts had previously predicted would sign with them. New York signed Yeicok Calderon, a lefthanded-hitting left fielder/first baseman with some power and below-average speed. Sources say Calderon's bonus was likely a mid six-figure deal. The Yankees also inked Ramon Flores, a lefthanded hitter, for what international scouts believed would be a $600,000 to $800,000 bonus.

The Yankees also landed Venzuelan catcher/third baseman Jackson Valera.

Bomber,
Also consider that the Yanks can patch up Milton and maybe trade him for a missing piece sometime in the next year or two. I don't see how signing him hurts at all. Let him get healthy, pitch a couple of decent games in the minors and then ship him out for a backup infielder or something.
If he suddenly figures out how to keep the ball in the ballpark, then they've got something useful that didn't cost them much at all.

While I won't call this a brilliant move or anything close to it, it is just a case of a GM doing a guy a favor and allowing him to get healthy and be monitored by professional trainers and instructors and hope the guy can help out somewhere down the line.
Strength in numbers my friend, throw a plate of noodles against the wall and hope some of them stick, the more you throw, the more will stick.

Quick prospect question:

CJ Henry was the Yankees' first round pick the year the team took Austin Jackson. Henry was then later traded (along with others) to the Phillies for Bobby Abreu.

Question is, Baseball America shows him back in the Yankee organization. When/how did this happen?

Jim,

And if nothing else, he can keep Carl Pavano company.

I'll admit, hoping for Pavano or Milton to be healthy is a little like watching the Godfather for the 12th time and hoping Sonny lives, but again...there's no risk in this.

Hey Chip,

Here's the answer to your question:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11222007/sports/yankees/oh__henry__yanks_sign_outfielder_336018.htm

Chip, if you still have thise two All Star game tickets for next week, Jenn and I would love to go. Please maol me at Jennshotbod@aol.com.

Love the Godfather analogy. Can't resist: which one's Fredo?