On the Yankees beat

Viper -

One more thing - and I was wrong about this too - Andy did decline his option last year while he decided whether to pitch or not. The deadline to pick up the option was mid November and he wasn't sure he wanted to pitch and so he declined it. The Yankees immediately offered him a 1 year 16 mil deal which sat on the table until Andy signed it (again, two days before Mitchell released his findings). The implication is clear. Andy didn't just wake up on the 12th and decide "yup, I really want to play baseball next year let me get this contract done." Andy signed it before he could be outed because he was afraid the team would pull the offer. He lied to the Yankees so that he could get his $16 mil.

Time for Mojitos Kat? Dont break too many hearts. Enjoy!

Kat,

Have a great vacation.

Kat,

Enjoy your vacation! And thanks for working out a guest blogger plan that sounds like a more interesting option than random fill-ins by people whose opinions Newsday readers already know. Even those of us already familiar with rab will probably find their presence here an interesting variation.

Kat: Enjoy your vacation and holiday. The winter meetings should be filled with many meetings between clubs with rumors flying.

Have some fun Kat- Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

All- the article on Bernie Williams in Newsday today is a little disturbing. I can't believe he hasn't just let it go by now- it's kind of sad because I loves me some Bernie.

Didn't read the Newsday article on Bernie, or one I glimpsed in one of the NYC tabs. The headline alone was enough to make me a little queasy.

Is it too much to hope for that he is just tweaking NYY a bit? His music and movie career seem to be doing well, with a new album due out shortly and a part in a movie that's scheduled to come out a few months after that, so it seems like his life is moving on...

AND...

eight efforts later I'm still trying to post this... reflecting that it's actually too trivial to make such and effort over...

then thinking maybe this is one reason we don't get hundreds of fluff-posts -- it's just too much of an effort for them to bother -- and that's a good thing, right?

The Red Sox just picked up a pretty good bullpen arm from KC for Coco Crisp. Ramon Ramirez goes to Boston in the deal which loads KC with outfielders so they are probably making more trades.

that is a very good deal for Boston - and you're right Jim - sounds like there will be OFs getting moved from KC - Billy Butler, Mark Teahan, David DeJesus, Joey Gaithright...

Maybe get in on this if you're the Yankees, offer them Ian Kennedy, a reliver like Bruney and INF prospect Marcos Veccionacci for Butler and DeJesus?

Have a great vacation, Kat!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Guys,
Think they yanks will offer Giambi arbitration? I know they offered Abreu because Abreu wants a three yr contract whcih would make him decline it, thus netting the yanks two draft picks because of Abreu being a Type A free agent. If I'm not mistaken, isn't Giambi too a Type A? That's a toughy because I believe he would only get a 1 yr deal anyways from any other team. So if the yanks offer him arbitration, I think he might just accept it because he doesn't want to go anywhere else. If he did accept it, then boy is there going to be a log jam on this club. However, if the yanks do not offer him anything, that's two draft picks they would lose out on. Then you add the fact that they'll lose about 4 picks (assuming they get CC and AJ or DL). I'm not too familiar with arbitration and draft picks, so can someone please enlighten me here?

Sounds like David Dejesus might be in someones future. Yankees, I hope.

DeJesus would be a great addition.
Chip, Your trade seems very realistic, although KC might be a pain in the kaboose with the yanks and only want that much for only DeJesus.

Dave -

Yankees won't offer Giambi arbitration - he's not a Type A free agent.

As for draft picks that the Yankees will have to give up here's how it works (according to baseball america):

If the Yankees sign a Type A free agent they lose the first round pick they were originally assigned for the 2009 draft. Any picks they get as compensation for their own free agents (or the pick they get as compensation for not signing Gerrit Cole) are protected. If the Yankees sign multiple Type A's then the team with the worst record gets the Yankee's first round pick, the next worst team gets their 2nd round pick (the Yankees have two of those two because of their failure to sign Scott Bittle)

Thanks, Chip! That explains a whole lot.

If we acquire DeJesus somehow, I'd be OK with our lineup. But if it stays as is, I'm going to be disappoiinted in the Cash man for neglecting to acknoweldge theres something missing in the offense. Yes we still have super stars, but they're in decline and I just don't trust Nady as a 100 RBI man. Not yet at least, nor do I do Swisher although yesterday's chat with Francesa made me fall in love with the guy!

Dave -

I'm with you on the lineup.

I threw out a name on the last string - Randy Winn. At 34 he's certainly not a long term solution but he can still run down a fly ball, get on base, and run once he's on. In 2008 he put together a solid offensive season in a bad lineup in a bad hitting park. I think he would be a good fit with the Yankees as a #3 hitter playing CF provided they can't swing a deal for a younger, more long term answer.

I actually like Winn a little better than DeJesus because - while DeJesus is younger he's also suffered from back problems.

Winn should also come pretty cheap given San Fran's desire to retool with younger players. Maybe Melky and Edwar Ramirez or JB Cox for Winn is all it takes.

I listened to the Swisher interview with Francessa yesterday too - would it have killed Mike to do some homework on Swisher before interviewing him? Maybe during a break just print up Nick's Wikipedia page so he would know when his father played ball and managed in the minors and that Swisher was 3 years old when his dad retired?

It's picking at nits but that sort of laziness drives me crazy and makes Francessa look like he's clueless or worse - too arrogant to believe that he needs to know anything about his guests.

I prefer DeJesus over Wynn because of age and all around return for the trade. Adding DeJesus, I believe a NY boy with big league experinece would enhance the club at a weak position, CF. I just feel that Gardner is at best a #4 OF. Also, Damon and Matsui's contracts are up after 2009 and I don't believe the Yankees will be looking to reup with these two players. But all these moves will have to wait until some FA signings in the pitching department come about than we'll no better where we stand and the packages available.

Most folks on this blog seem to have issue with Nady or their looking to trade him away. He's a solid performer gets good wood on the ball. Plays and OK D. Damon is no bowl of chocalates with his D anymore.

Why on earth would the Yanks trade for a 34 yr old guy to play CF and bat in the 3 Hole? What's next? Bernie playing RF?

Larry,

I like DeJesus but his back issues scare me. He turns 30 this year and back issues don't tend to go away when you're on the wrong side of that magic number.

Gotta love Francessa some times.

He was just breaking down the Yankees and stated that, in the end, the team will come around to his way of thinking and put Joba in the pen. "He'll be alright as a starter, but not as dominant as he was in the pen and someone will say, 'wasn't he pretty good in relief? yeah lets put him there.'"

Now if Joba can't handle starting then yes, he will be in the pen, but if you listen to Francessa here's what's going to have to happen for him to admit Joba is a better option in the rotation than the pen:

1. Joba will need to be a dominant Cy Young level pitcher
2. the relievers ahead of Mo (Veras, Melancon, etc) will have to be flawless setting up Rivera.

Could Joba wind up back in the pen? Sure - if his arm doesn't hold up - if the Yankees sign CC and Burnett to join Wang and Hughes becomes the pitcher we all know he can be and if Brackman or Sanchez or Betances develop and the pen is struggling then sure - Joba could move back there.

He goes on to say that the Yankees shouldn't worry about the offense - that all they're replacing are Bobby Abreu and Giambi and that's not a big deal - not when they're getting Matsui and Posada back --- nice in theory but what happens when Matsui and Posada get hurt again - then you're not only trying to replace the production of Abreu and Giambi but also the production of Matsui and Posada.

As he says - there are only two things he wants the Yankees to do (assuming they sign Sabathia) put Joba in the pen and get McLouth to play CF - doesn't mention how he would get McLouth mind you...but he's never been much of a details man.

Say this for him, he doesn't lack confidence.

Cant stand Francessa, he should stick to what he knows...horses. I remember, back when I listened to them, when Chris would take the day off and it was just Mike..the show was horrible and boring. Say what you wanted about Russo (Ive said plenty about that loud mouth), but he was more interesting than Miike. That show must be BRUTAL now. You know what, I may start listening again. Instead of him retiring or dropping dead, it will be more fun to watch him die slowly.

OK back to baseball.

Great move for the Sox picking up Ramirez, the guy throws GAS!!!

Winn...DeJesus...pass and pass. DRU breaks into song.."All that Im saaaayyyyyinnng is give Brett a channnccceeeeee". Of course I said give Melk a chance last year and he did nothing after April. The jury is still out though on the Melk man, but doesnt look good so far.

As for Billy Butler, there is no way the Royals trade him for anything less than Hughes. They love him in KC.

As for the Sox with AJ, its a great fit. The Sox love signing Yankee killers...Ortiz, Beckett, Manny..all had great numbers against the yanks before they signed. If the Sawks are willing to spend 80-100M on the guy, god bless.

SHEETS SHEETS SHEETS!!!!

I'd stay away from Burnett and Sheets because of their injury history. More so on Sheets. The guy can pitch no doubt about it, but he can't seem to put a full season together. The last thing that I want to see is another "Pavano-type" scenario. The same holds true for Burnett. Lights out stuff and when he's on, he's practically unhittable. But the guy had one full season (this past one) where he actually held up injury-wise.

Other than Sabathia, they guy that I'd like the Yanks to get is Lowe. I know a lot of you guys don't think that he would be a good addition, but I think that he's AL East Battle tested, pitches deep into games, gets lots of ground ball outs and keeps the ball in the park. He's proved that he can win big games ( he was the winning pitcher for Boston in all series clinching games in 2004) and he did fine in this past season's playoffs for the Dodgers. I'd even look at Ollie Perez as I think that he can be a good addition for the Yanks.

So the papers are all saying that the Red Sox are interested in A.J. Burnett, do you believe that? Sully- what's your feeling about it?

I get the feeling the Red Sox wouldn't mind having him for a 3 year deal but they know that probably won't get it done so the next best thing to do is to feign interest and get the Yanks to commit to that fifth year- which would be a disaster.

I could live with Burnett on the Yanks as long as Hughes was still there to take his starts WHEN he gets injured, but I don't want the Yanks to get him for more than 3 years.

BUSTER ON AJ

Guaranteeing a fifth year could land Burnett

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Yankees are preparing an offer for A.J. Burnett, writes George King.

The Blue Jays are prepared to sign Burnett to a four-year, $54 million deal, and the Yankees' offer is higher in annual salary than the Jays' offer, sources say -- but it's unclear whether they tacked on the fifth year. And the bidding could come down to which team is willing to give Burnett a guaranteed fifth year in its offer, in spite of his daunting injury history.

Here's the stuff that would get you excited if you were to work in the front office of the Yankees, Braves or one of the other interested teams:

Burnett ranked third in the majors in strikeout ratio among starting pitchers, at 9.39 per nine innings.

After the All-Star break, Burnett was one of the best pitchers in the majors, going 8-2 with a 2.86 ERA while striking out 105 batters and walking just 29 in 94 1/3 innings. In other words, at the end of the '08 season, he was throwing better than he has for any extended period in his career.

Among starting pitchers who threw at least 20 innings against the Red Sox -- and there weren't many of them -- Burnett was better than anybody other than Roy Halladay against Boston, going 2-0 with a 2.60. He had a 3.15 ERA against the Rays, with a record of 1-2. And he completely dominated the Yankees. In other words, the Yankees know he can handle the stress of pitching in the AL East.

Burnett, who turns 32 in January, made 34 starts and 35 appearances and threw 221 1/3 innings, all career highs.

Some stuff that would scare you:

He has had three seasons in his career in which he pitched more than 173 innings.

He has had five seasons in which he has thrown fewer than 173 innings. Burnett's overall numbers from 2008 are excellent, but he ranked 75th in the majors in quality-start percentage, just ahead of Jeff Karstens.

The Yankees are so intent on adding pitching that in the end, the guess here is that they will do what it takes to separate themselves from the other bidders, as they fully intend to do in the CC Sabathia sweepstakes.

Please, CC is enough new pitching. Bronx Banter makes an excellent argument that we have plenty of pitching resources, but almost no hitting in the pipeline. here's the great, complete analysis:

http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2008/11/19/the-rotation-i-believe-the-children-are-our-future/#more-4610

Don't clog up the pitching with more long-term contracts of injury-prone or over the hill pitchers.

Get Tex! Swisher isn't the answer.

The Yanks have traded five pitchers since July of last year and I really don't want to see them clear too many more off the shelves.

I'd love to see Tex on the Yanks but I just don't know if they are interested in a 8-10 year deal.

Some guy on S.I.Com wrote that he thinks Carlsten Charles Sabathia will go to the Dodgers and leave millions on the table to do it. I couldn't even finish reading the article as it made me sick. Come on CC, please!!! I'm begging you!!

To John G: I believe that you and I are the only
guys who like Perez to join the rotation. Lefties are golden and this kid just needs some focus as does Cano but the talent is there.

Money is Money and for the most of us we can't understand some player leaving money on the table but 140 million or 120 million. I can see him doing it if its a team with a chance to win and the Dodgers are a team with a chance especially in the weak NL West. But we'll see. It is what it is. The sun will come up and the grass will be green in the Spring and I'm sure the Yanks will have a better rotation come April. And I'll still be a Yankee fan.

Does Brunett really want to pitch for the Blue Jays. There climb up the AL East ladder is a steep one. Brunett should know this, all pitching and lack of situational hitting.

yankee season is doomed if CC goes to the dodgers that would mean again DEPENDING on hughes and Kennedy to suceed as SP's rather than bieng an option, they have to go all out . At this point as of today I would rather AJ in the rotation over Hughes whom himself is Injury prone and unproven.

If the Yanks lose CC then the other pitchers out there is going to use this in their advantage everybody knows the yankees will not win with Last years SP's AJ may go to the SOx if the Yanks don't get CC which would make AJ a number 3 or 4 SP that is deadly if he going against an average Number 4 starter