E-Boland and the Bombers

Yahoo! Sports ran a story two days ago sayiing that Ankiel and Ludwick are available for a trade as Colby Rasmus is ready for CF.

Ankiel has a great arm, can really go get the ball and can play CF or RF. He hit 25 HR's but had a stomach injury ... with 600 AB's he could hit 37 + HR's or so. No one on the Yanks has his arm. Gardener made one great catch but Ankiel made a few ... you can see them on YouTube.com. One vs. Nady when he was still with the Pirates comes to mind. Amazing!

Ludwick murders the ball ... as I said last off season ... I also asked the Yankees to get Josh Hamilton ... strangely, both wound up in the All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Lucky guess! Two actually!

Also, the Cardinals released Mulder.

Why not take a flyer on Mulder? He's lefty. That kind of surgery he had, maybe it takes two or three years to come back from.

Also, as I wrote last week, Toronto signed Adam Louwen, he's the kind of low risk pick up we should try to land.

Toronto's scouts like Louwen cause he's from Canada ... and he's lefty ... and they saw a lot of him with the Orioles. Also, they saw him blow away Team USA at the World Baseball Classic.

Cashman needs to get his head out of East Asia and the Caribbean and lock up the top talent in the U.S.

No more wasting picks on Garret Cole or chasing after pipe dreams like Igawa. Where is Brackman? Where are all the top picks of the last ten years? When will they get it right? Come on guys!

It used to be the Yanks would bring back a Cone or a Wells or even Gooden ... and somehow reinvigorate them ...

Now guys get better when they leave the Yanks ... Westbrook, Redding, Contreras, Weaver, Lilly ... Karstens nearly pitched a perfect game and Lilly almost had a no hitter ... and pitched his best ball yet this year.

Cashman needs to find the right mix ...

Ankiel or Ludwick would be a great start. Ankiel can use that short porch in RF. Maybe he can pitch one day again? Who knows for sure? If a crypto-Red, ACORN thug can become President, anything is possible, right?

Ludwick will hit anywhere you put him ... in any stadium, in any line up ... he has no fear and is very aggressive at bat. Once he gets a hold of it ... its gone ...

But you know that already ... I mean you saw him in the All Star Game ...

"Jeter said he never feels a sales pitch is needed with the Yankees"

Derek....
That is arrogant BS and leads to the downfall of great civilizations.

I'm beginning to think that you have reached a level of contentment with your previous WS rings, your beyond comfortable financial security and a steady menu of FHM/Maxim Top 100's.

YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN OF THIS TEAM!!!

START BEHAVING LIKE A CAPTAIN and not a legend who's got his ass planted on his laurels.

This team needs Sabathia
Do something to GET HIM or get the hell out of the way.

Just my opinion.

But Jeter has already called Sabathia so apparently he has already begun the recruitment effort.

Also keep in mind that Jeter doesn't tell the media anything, so we really have no idea what he's doing behind the scenes.

People often say Jeter doesn't act "like a captain" because we don't ever hear about him getting in other players' faces and whatnot.

But the truth of the matter is that Jeter doesn't tell the media anything he doesn't want them to know. He's always been that way since his rookie year.

I'm sure he does a lot of things behind closed doors that never gets out. For being in NY, there's nobody better at saying nothing than Jeter.

So, in a sense, I think Jeter probably gets a raw deal in instances like this because we really have no clue what Jeter does in that clubhouse.

It's not often a superstar like him is so private outside of the occasional stupid Page Six gossip column or photo with another famous and incredibly drop dead gorgeous model or actress he's dating.

So I'm inclined to believe that Jeter does a helluva lot more behind closed doors than the public knows about.

Jim A: I agree with your comment about Jeter. The captains that scream and holler are a manager's dream. The captain that takes Jeter's mode is a players dream. I like the strong silent approach or behind close doors.

Islander505: If Jeter has spoken to him a couple of times in recent weeks. Its not about the weather. Jeter wants to win and is recruiting CC. Jeter does not leave any interpetation to the fans for CC not wanting to be hear. CC will respect honesty about the situation as opposed to the rah,rah, BS. Jeter is also a friend of Peavy since WBC. Jeter can't win if it appears that he's being himself. The silent type is his image.

Sorry Viper: I agree with your comment about jeter. The AM coffee has not kicked in as of yet.

Ant,
The Blue Jays signed Loewen alright....on that you are correct.
What you may have missed is that they signed him and are giving him the chance to turn himself into an outfielder because HE CANNOT PITCH! The only reason they signed him is because he is from Canada and they are doing him a favor but unless he pulls a Rick Ankiel, you won't see him in the majors again. I believe his career is over.

505: Don't get too upset with Jeter- I think you have to understand what he means when he says no sales pitch is needed: My take is that he means he feels he doesn't have to twist people's arms to come to the Yanks, that they already know the history and great things that come with playing for the Yanks- it's not like he has to talk someone into coming to Pittsburgh for instance ("please consider the Pirates, we have really good football fans here").

By answering questions, Jeter is doing the selling. The Yanks are one of the best when it comes to a sales pitch and you can bet CC will be hearing from Yogi, Reggie, Don Larsen, more current players etc. I always felt that if the Yanks could talk Mike Mussina into coming here as they did 7 years ago, they can convince anyone to come.

Jeter may just come off as a little defensive as he probably feels if he has to twist someone's arm to come to NY, then they shouldn't come at all.

Jim,

A good point about the recruitment process. Moose is not a guy I would have expected to sign with the Yanks in 2001 (although they had just won three straight rings) because he's not exactly a NY type of guy.

But the Yankee name, history, and all that stuff speaks for itself for the same way college football programs like Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, and Texas don't usually have a lot of problems luring kids to their schools.

Trying to recruit players/kids to the Reds, Pirates, Royals, Ball State, and the Utah Utes require a whole lot more effort.

Sounds like Dellin Betances is going to be our next Hughes...in terms of hype that is. It brings me great pride because he went to high school about 3 blocks from where I live. To have a product such as that escape from all the turmoil of this community and see him shinning is just a great feeling. I'm taking a different rout to success as I am currently in my senior yr at St Johns. But kudos to Dellin, makes all of us here proud.

Fair enough gentlemen, Viper, Larry M, Jim A.

I'll defer to your comments.

But if we don't land CC, I'm gonna have to wonder.

Well, if the Yanks don't land Sabathia - I'm quite certain the Jeter sales pitch had nothing to do with it.

He'd be leaving a lot of cheddar on the table because they can blow away anyone else's offer.

I saw that Betances piece that Diane referenced.

No doubt the kid has immense talent, but he'll probably begin 2009 in High-A Tampa.

His problem has always been his mechanics but they are getting progressively better and he's cut down his walk totals quite a bit.

But he's only 20 years old and he's a project, so I'd be downright shocked if we see him in Yankee Stadium before late 2010 - maybe even 2011.

And a side note to the Mussina discussion - since he has become a Yankee, it seems that he really does love being here and wearing the pinstripes. Two years ago, he really only wanted to resign with the Yanks. And now, IF he pitches again, he wants to stay in NY. I think his situation speaks volumes about players coming to NY. Like Viper said, he's not exactly a NY kind of guy. But, once here, he loves it. And, there's more to it than the money and the history. The Yankees do everything first class as far as how they treat their players.

So if CC doesn't sign with the Yankees, it's Jeter's fault.

505: If CC doesn't sign w/ the Yanks, I'm going to have a fit worse than any that my 5 year old daughter has had.
The Yanks need this to happen....I need this to happen.

Rick: Good point, Moose may not have been a NY kind of guy, but you can tell being a Yankee has certainly grown on him.

The sales pitch for playing for the Yankees is :

"That is a big number on the check, isn't it? And guess what? IT WILL CLEAR!"

All logic other than money has CC going to the LA Dodgers

West coast
Easy division
Pitchers Park
Big Market
Able to hit

The only thing the Yankees have is money...
And that's the biggest thing of them all

A Yankee contract will give him enough cabbage to make lots of trips to the west coast.

Which is why he will probably wind up a Yankee

Jeter isn't recruiting anyone except maybe Minka Kelly. As a leader he seeks out no one but is available to everyone. I don't see anything wrong with that.

The odds of CC being a Yankee can't be extremely high. Sully is right that money is real important. CC is yet to be good under pressure. I gotta believe he knows that. I also gotta believe he thinks he needs to be somewhere where they don't boo their own which is anywhere (everywhere) but NY. He's already rich so how important that extra 20 or 50 million is, becomes less certain.

Don't know if anyone saw Kevin Kernan's article in the Post today about Dellin Betances - if you haven't it's a good read. According to one scout that Kernan spoke to, there's a chance we could see him in the Bronx as early as this September...I don't know if I buy that (Betances pitched in Low A Charleston last season) but it's still a nice article - seems like if nothing else he's a good kid.

Jeter has to say that about recruiting, it goes back to the winter after the 2001 season when he took flak for not recruiting Jason Giambi. All the stories were about how Jeter didn't want Giambi because it meant Tino would go - Jeter (always mindful to stay clear of controversy) said that he just doesn't believe that he needs to help recruit players - that there's nothing he can say about the Yankees' organization that isn't already known by everyone in baseball.

I don't know that Mussina has grown to love being in NY so much as I just think Mussina hates change. He wants to be close to his PA home, doesn't want to pitch for a bad team - so that rules out the Nationals and Orioles. Doesn't want to pitch in a tiny park which rules out the Phillies, and doesn't want to switch leagues - which rules out the Mets - thus the only logical team for him to want to go to if he returns is the Yankees. In the end, I think he's going to retire.

The Dodgers have already made it clear that their #1 priority is retaining Manny Ramirez this offseason.

If that does indeed happen, there's no way they are going to sign Sabathia as well.

Too much cheddar for that team to spend. Perhaps one or the other but absolutely not both.

Buster's latest has the Giants as a good destination for Sabathia. Seems to me that since Sabathia was traded Buster has been making the argument as to why CC is going to land anywhere other than in New York. Sabathia to the Giants makes absolutely zero sense to me.

San Francisco already has a pretty solid rotation - they are a team in desperate need of offense (can you even call it an offense when Molina is your clean-up hitter?) If the Giants are going to spend big they should do it on Tex and/or Manny to drastically reshape their offense.

Look, I'm not putting CC under the Christmas tree - but I'll say this - if he's not a Yankee there's only one other team I see him pitching for in 2009 - The Angels. They have the money and he can serve as insurance in case John Lackey leaves after next season (or they could view him as a better long term investment than Lackey).

Like the Dodgers, the Angels have made it clear that they will do just about whatever it takes to retain Mark Teixeira.

If that happens, it's doubtful Sabtahia signs with them as well.

Besides, that's an awful lot of insurance to pay for a guy who might leave after the 2009 season in Lackey. Not sure why he would want to leave LA unless he has a great desire to return home to Texas and play for crap teams like the Rangers or Astros.

The Angels have enough young pitching in their system where I have a hard time believing they'll decide to take the $120M+ plunge for Sabathia.

One thing to keep in mind gang. The Yankees will definetly offer the most money to Sabathia. And, the union will lean hard on him to take it.

Funny thing though, whenever players salaries are not what the union expects, they scream COLLUSION. But, what recourse do owners have when they make the highest offer and a player goes elsewhere??? Seems like a one sided coin to me!

Rick -

Your argument about collusion may be in the top ten of completely out there statements.

For the first 6 years of a player's career - the owner has all the power - that's where the other side of the coin is.

Take baseball out of the mix - if every CEO of every major company got together and said that they're not going to pay anyone a salary of more than $35,000 per year then that would be collusion. If, however, you're offered 100,000 a year to move to Alaska and work on the oil fields there is nothing that says you have to take that money. You can't be dragooned into service. ML players have no say over where they're drafted (or little say) and so when they reach free agency they are given the right to choose where they want to play.

In other news - rumors are getting strong that the Red Sox are going to trade for Jarrod Saltalamaccia. Would be a great move for Boston - his value is low because of Texas's depth at catcher and the slow start he's gotten his career off to offensively, but the kid is only 23 and still has a ton of promise.

There's an interesting article out of KC where they talk about how with Teahan, Gordon, Gload, Jacobs and Shealy there's really no room for Billy Butler on the roster - I've been saying it for a few days now - a trade of Kennedy for Butler makes all the sense in the world for both teams. Both players are very good young prospects in desperate need of a change of scenary. Butler is a 22-year old pure hitter, something the Yankees could use not only this season but going forward for certain. He's not a great fielder - heck not even a really good fielder - but, if NY can't get Tex - he wouldn't be any worse at first than Giambi.

That's been a big part of the Yanks' problem in recent years.

They've sacrificed defense for the sake of offense much too often and that has helped play a big part of their downfall.

The reason why the Rays went from worst to first in one season was because of their starting pitching and their defense.

Most of the time, the best defensive teams are the ones winning divisions and fighting for playoff spots.

Even if those teams can't hit a lick, they are almost always in the hunt.

The Yanks desperately need to improve their defense and acquiring more DHs seems like a really dumb thing to do with all due respect.

Cashman indicated that every facet of the Yankees needed to be improved but he fell short of their offense. I for one felt the D was OK except at first/CF and the offense could not drive RISP quite often. So, I look for this team to become better in every aspect of the game.

My only reservations are can we improve with PLan B if CC/Tex do not come our way. And how desparate will the Yankees be to overpay, length of contracts, age of players and put us right back to where we came from or swallow the pill and build from within becuase we all must admit not all will come from FA/trades. There are a few clubs who have great fan bases, filled stadiums, money and the desire to win or players just don't want to play or live in NY. Many have come and go. Its been the few special ones from many walks of life ID the beauty of NY. David Cone, a guy from KC can't get enough of it, go figure.

WOW Viper disagrees with Chip!!!! That is UNBELIEVABLE!!!

And Chip argues again against ANYTHING Rick says!!!

Hey Chip - It's November 9, 2008.

Rick -

The difference between when someone disagrees with Viper or with me or with most of us and when someone disagrees with you is that the majority of us are respectful of the fact that well meaning people can have different ideas about how to build a winning team in the Bronx. When someone argues with you you dismiss them as inferior baseball minds.

I understand Viper's point of view on Butler - I don't have to agree with it - I think that Butler at 22 has room to improve his D at first and if he doesn't he can replace Matsui as the DH in 2010 and beyond. The fact that Viper doesn't agree with me doesn't make him wrong.

You see Rick, that's the difference - you always have to be right - even when you're wrong (see Paul Byrd, Joe Borowski, Ted Lilly, collusion). You refuse to see anyone else's point of view (see Alex Rodriguez) and what's more, you're just a petty, whiney, jerk who takes all of this way too seriously. None of us are GM of any team, nor will we be. We're here to have fun and exchange ideas. Much to your chagrin, no team's owner is going to read this and say "you know what, that Rick Keyes he has some good ideas, lets hire him." Frankly, the fact that you take this nonsense so seriously makes me feel sad for you.

Oh and Rick, you're right - it is November 9, 2008 - does that mean you're any closer to accepting the fact that Bernie Williams is old and can't play CF for the Yankees any more?

Completely off topic:

We had lunch in a semi-sports-bar today. I looked up at the TV at one point in curiosity, because I seriously wondered from the sound effects whether they could have some old Nazi documentary playing???!!!???

SCARY.

Football fans in full cry sound exactly like those old 'Sieg Heil' soundtracks -- programmed, perfectly in sync, rabid ...

Suddenly realized why I always want the sound off when that sport is on.

Actually, Rick. Chip and I disagree on almost everything these days.

There was a time when it was just the opposite, but those days are long gone.

Nonetheless, I respect Chip because he's still a smart baseball fan whether we agree on the specifics or not.

I can't really say the same thing for you because most of the time you and Ant Colony seem like you're cut from the same cloth.

Now that I'm done venting at Rick - back to baseball:

Viper - if not Billy Butler - how about Adrian Gonzalez?

Buster Olney's blog today touches on how the Padres are going through a complete firesale in preparation to possibly sell the team. Peavy will be traded, Hoffman won't be re-signed and they're probably going to look to get Brian Giles to waive his no trade clause and send him to Oakland.

I brought this player up a couple of months ago and in light of this information I really have to wonder what it would take to get Adrian Gonzalez in pinstripes. Here's a 26-year old Gold Glove first baseman who put up strong offensive numbers playing in a park just a tiny bit smaller than Yellowstone.

Could the Yankees send them Cano, Melky, Kennedy and McAllister (maybe even Romaine) for Gonzalez and Chris Young? Cano and Gonzalez are the same age, though Gonzalez is the much more polished player. Also Gonzalez is going to get more expensive now that he's up for arbitration. The Padres could move Kevin Kousmanoff to first and free up third base for Chase Headley who is playing out of position in LF.

I'm sure Cashman and Towers have had many conversations (both on and off the record) about specific names since they are good buddies.

Gonzalez would be a great get for Cashman - young, good defender, and has big time power. And he plays everyday - 156, 161, and 162 games played the last three seasons.

He does strike out a lot and is as slow as molasses, but oh well.

Truth be told, he's probably a better fit for the Yanks than Teixeira because of his age and won't demand the same kind of cheddar or long term commitment.

The question is what Towers would want for him. I have my doubts if Cashman would be willing to give up enough to satisfy his old buddy.

I think the Yankees should pay attention to the Brandon Webb/Arizona Diamondbacks contract issue. Webb was offered an extension then Arizona took it back and now Webb (his agent) has said the origanal $ for the extension is not enough.
Would the Diamondbacks bite on Cano/Kennedy/etc. for Webb?

Couple more days till the fun starts!!!!!

Now that Penn State broke my heart and the 49ers season is done before Halloween, its time to get back in baseball mode! ( Ive given up on my Knicks until the team is sold and out of the hands of the Dolans! ).

Not sure if any of this was covered recently since Ive been gone for a while and dont have time to read all the clips over the past couple topics...

- The Rangers picked up Blalocks option, another option for 1st base is gone.

- The Peavy hunt is down to the Cubs, Braves and Dodgers. I think the Braves get him.

- V-Tek wants a Posada deal, fat chance. The Sox are looking into trading with the Rangers for Salty ( Saltalamacchia ), which would be a great move for them.

- Andy filed for FA. If the yanks can get him for 8-9M, Id do it.

- Cameron looks like he will stay in Brew Town, THANK GOD!

- White Sox are shopping Swisher, he wouldnt be a bad plan B for the Yanks at 1st.

- Unless the Yanks sign Marte to a 3-4 year deal, Im not sure why they would decline his option ( even with the draft pick and arbitration scenarios ).

I made this statement before and I will stick to it....we are two players away from winning it all next year. Too bad they are THE most expensive players...Teix and CC

CC
Wang
Joba
Andy
Phil

Damon
Jeter
Teix
Arod
Matsui
Nady
Posada
Cano
Gardner/Jackson/Melk

Mo
Veras
Robertson
Coke
Melancon
Edwar
Bruney

OK so Andy is technically a FA, plus I would prefer to have Marte in there as well, but you get the point. With 88M coming off the books, even if CC and Mark command 25M per, we still have 38M to spend.

BREAK OUT THE CHECKBOOK CASH MONEY!!!!

GO YANKS!!!

Viper - I'm okay with Gonzalez being slow footed as long as he keeps that glove, and considering how he hit in Petco I would expect his offensive numbers to only go up if he played in a real park.

Like I said - since they're in full fire sale mode I would think that the Yankees could maybe get him for 70 cents on the dollar as his arbitration award should be pretty big. The key then would be to lock him down to a long term deal. And if you can get them to include Chris Young (another guy making a lot of coin) all the better - I know a lot of his success is predicated on a friendly home park (2.35 ERA at home vs. 5.27 ERA on the road last season)- but the guy can pitch and if taking his contract makes making a deal easier - you do it.

But you're right - it would be interesting to see if Cash is willing to give up what it would take - probably like I said, something involving Cano and Kennedy and one other prospect either McAllister or Romaine or both.

I would do that though - Kennedy will be fantastic in Petco - it's a park where he can give up those fly balls and not have them come back to bite him. McAllister profiles as a 3rd starter and Romaine could be a very good catcher but both of them are at least a good 2 or 3 years away.

I hope the Yanks have trouble picking people to start or pitch out of the bullpen, wouldn't that be a nice problem to have. If you look at Dru's starting rotation, it leaves out Aceves, who was pretty good last season. If you look at the bullpen, there is no mention of Brackman, Sanchez, Marquez, etc. Again, this is a GOOD problem to have- too many arms!
I'm sure some of those arms will be packaged to bring in a CF or fill other holes that remain.

Can't wait until Friday....although I am not going to be happy if CC goes somewhere else.
If I am the Yankees and Mr. and Mrs. CC come to visit the team, I do the following:
1. Have some Yankees wives wisk Mrs. CC away for a bit and treat her to a day on the town. Find out her favorite type of food and take her to the best place in NY that serves it.
2. Show her houses and schools in Westchester, remind her that NY is not just a big city.
3. Bring CC to the new stadium and ask him if he'd like to throw the first pitch ever thrown there.
4. Bring in the bleacher creatures and just having them sitting in the bleachers as the guys showing CC around bring him out on the field, ask them to chant CC's name as loud as they can.
5. The Yankee contingent should consist of (at least): Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, Mrs. Elston Howard, Diana Munson and the entire current roster- all these people can show CC what it's like to have been a Yankee, to be a part of the Yankee family and to be a Yankee. Mrs. Munson and Mrs. Howard can speak to the fact that the Yankees never, ever forget their own, even when they are gone you are never out of the family.

Lastly, keep Hank the hell away from CC that day.

I hope the Yanks get CC. He's the ace we need. However, if for personal reasons he wants to avoid NY and play in the easier NL out west, then Cashman has some good young players as trade pieces. He'll really need to get creative. Peavy? Cain? Lets hope he has a Plan B

Again Baseball is the roll of the DICE and the fun part of it is trying to figure it out.

Take the Rays .. nobody on here knew what was too come NOBODY except Gene FL (yes he did whoo hoo LOL) with that said when they did make it we all figured that they would be ahrd to beat and yet a Philly team did them in eventhough the rays look better. As said earlier I already spoke with CC so I know a lil bit that what is being said in terms of him not wanting to play here is not true.

Jim A : R U ok, I want CC to pitch for us but we can avoid all the fanfare and send him the Yankee Classics on DVD. 27 up, 27 down this should do it. But I said before we better have a plan B. I can't image us getting both CC and Tex because other teams will confronts us with dollar for dollar and classy organizations just not so deep in history which quite frankly is nice but what have we done of late.

BB, I remembered your saying that and felt somewhat encouraged in spite of seeing those quotes about his not wanting to come here repeated.

Another thing that I like to remember is that Cashman doesn't normally run his mouth a lot when he's working on a deal.

Here's hoping we see a lot of Charles Carsten, playing in our new yard!

Pitching Plan B....if we miss out on CC, we could get Lowe and AJ for the same money.

Wang
AJ
Lowe
Joba / Andy
Phil / Andy

Thats not a bad rotation, should keep us in games most nights. Other decent SP that are available......

Ryan Dempster
Jon Garland
Oli Perez
Randy Wolf
Mike Mussina ( if he doesnt retire )

Injury risks with huge potential......

Ben Sheets
Mark Mulder
Mark Prior
Brad Penny
Bartolo Colon
Freddy Garcia
John Smoltz ( he will stay in Atlanta )

Fillers.....

Paul Byrd
Tony Armas
Josh Fogg
Tom Glavine
Mike Hampton
Mark Hendrickson
Livan Hernandez
Jason Jennings
Braden Looper
Greg Maddux
Jamie Moyer
Odalis Perez

If we dont get AJ, CC or Lowe ( cant see that happening, but lets play that game ). We will have to get really creative with who we sign, still though there are options. Like say Dempster and Garland? Not great 1-2's, but if Joba can step up and Wang can stay healthy.

Wang
Joba
Dempster
Garland

Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but decent.

The point is that pitching does have options to mix and match on the back end. Add in the injury risk, high upside SP's available and the Yanks could sign 3 SP's for the price of one....Dempster, Garland, Penny or Sheets and AJ ( injury risk special )...or Lowe, Wolf and Garcia.....all for the price of CC.

Hitting Plan B....

Here are the 1B that have filed so far...

Rich Aurilia - 37
Aaron Boone - 35
Miggy Cairo - 34
Sean Casey -34
Tony Clark - 36
Jason Giambi - 37
Kevin Milar - 37
Mark Sweeney - 39
Mark Teixeria -28

WOW..."which one of these things are not like the others..." What a bunch of bums aside from the obvious one. Here are the 3B that have filed...

Casey Blake - 35
Russell Branyan - 32
Joe Crede - 30
Mike Lamb - 33
Doug Mientkiewicz - 34
Ramon Vazquez - 32

Im not a big Casey Blake fan, so its either between getting a good glove there like Doug ( yyyyaawwwwnnnn ) or going after a HUGE injury risk like Crede, who would have to learn a new position. Again, our options are VERY limited.

So its either one of several options at 1st, lets see what everyone likes....

1. Sign a Casey Blake type hitter to share 1st base with Juan Miranda next year.

2. Sign Joe Crede and pray that his back holds up.

3. Bring Giambi back.

4. Go with the glove at 1st and sign Doug M.

5. Sign Adam Dunn

6. Go out and get a player that never played the position before like Manny or Juan Rivera and stick him at 1st.

7. Make a Big Chip like trade for Adrian Gonzo or Prince Fielder.

8. Make a lesser trade for a young kid that struggled last year like Ryan Garko.

9. Open up the checkbook for Mark Teixeria.

==========================================

Personally, I think there is a greater impact in not getting Teixeria...a 28 year old, switch hitting, gold glove... everyday player who will help our hitting and fielding.

Thoughts????

Oh, one more thing. Quick clip on Peavy...

"Peavy has great stuff and loves to compete, but he is such a maximum-effort guy that he rarely throws more than seven innings (no complete games in his Cy Young season in 2007) and often reaches 100 pitches in the fifth inning."

Just something to think about, along with his silly home/road splits.

If no CC, here's a rotation for ya: Wang, Sheets, Burnett, Joba, Pettitte. Not too shabby.

Diane ..

It is true he had no harsh words about NY and trust me we was nopt having a "protected Conversation" he knew I was'nt a reporter nor a employee of the team (I did act like Iwas'nt a fan in order for me to get a more honest response) nor a fan. We talked as men and what he said was encouraging. Another GREAT guy I met was CLIFF FLOYD who by far was the rock of that squad

BB, I'd thank you for this kind of input even if it wasn't favorable to my wishes to see CC in pinstripes! Appreciate the direct word.

They need to stay away from Burnett, Sheets, and Lowe because all would be terrible signings.

Burnett has pitched a full season just three times in 9 years. And he's extremely overrated to boot.

I couldn't care less how he did against the Red Sox this past season if he's only good for 20-25 starts as has been the case with him more often than not.

The health issue is also Sheets' Achillies heel considering that he hadn't made 30 starts in a season since 2004 before he managed to do it this year - his walk year, of course.

Lowe is a fine pitcher in the NL West where he tossed the vast majority of his innings in three very pitcher-friendly ballparks (Dodgers Stadium, Petco, and AT&T Park in SF) against weak hitting teams in a much weaker league.

He'd get eaten alive in the AL East and rumor has it that he'd prefer to pitch for the Red Sox.

That's good because I'd prefer he pitches for the Red Sox next season, too.

Frankly, they should keep their focus on Sabathia and they should find another way to set their rotation if he doesn't pan out because I guarantee Yankee fans will learn to regret signing a Burnett, Sheets, or Lowe.

Baseball America has released their list of Top 10 Yankee Prospects - I'm posting BBA scouting reports on each player since they are for subscribers and I know not all of you have a membership. they are (in order):

Austin Jackson
Background: Jackson has spent the better part of his career proving he's a baseball player, not just an athlete playing baseball. He had a full ride to play basketball at Georgia Tech when he came out of Ryan High in Denton, Texas, in 2005. The Yankees swayed him to baseball with an $800,000 bonus, an eighth-round record at the time (broken a year later by New York's Dellin Betances). Jackson had halting progress early, striking out too often and seeming a half-step behind in his first full season at low Class A Charleston in 2006. A year later, he broke out at midseason while repeating the level and finished the year with an impressive turn in the Double-A Eastern League playoffs. He returned to Trenton this season and was the Thunder's best player as it repeated as EL champion.

Strengths: Jackson is a premium athlete who can do a little of everything on the diamond. One EL manager used a football term, calling him a "playmaker." The Yankees' most advanced batting prospect, he's a rhythm hitter who thrives when he's in a groove. He had three hitting streaks of at least 10 games in 2008. He has the bat speed to catch up to the best fastballs, as he showed by crushing a key homer off Clay Buchholz in the EL playoffs, and league managers praised his situational hitting. While Jackson's power comes mostly to the gaps now, scouts and managers agree he'll have average power as he continues to gain experience and strength. He's a smart baserunner with maybe a tick above-average speed, though he's not likely to be a big basestealer in the majors. Defensively, Jackson can glide to balls in the gaps with plus range and has a strong, accurate arm that could allow him to move to right field. His strong personality and leadership skills make him a good fit in the clubhouse and for New York.

Weaknesses: Reports on Jackson's running ability are mixed. Some scouts say his big hack in the batter's box leads to below-average times from home to first. He may slow down as he matures physically and have to move to an outfield corner, which would be a problem if his power fails to develop. He employs a leg kick and when his timing is off, the rest of his swing falters, leaving him late on good fastballs.

The Future: Jackson's greatest weakness may be what he's not: a classic Yankees center fielder. He's no DiMaggio or Mantle, or even Bernie Williams. Jackson lacks a standout tool but earns future grades of solid-average to plus across the board. His all-around ability fits the profile of a center fielder on a championship team, similar to Williams but with less power and better defense. Melky Cabrera's regression and Brett Gardner's lack of power make Jackson New York's best bet for an in-house center fielder, and he began his campaign for the job with a strong stint in the Arizona Fall League. A robust start, either in spring training or at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, could propel Jackson past Cabrera and Gardner for the starting job in New York in 2009.

Jesus Montero
Background: Two years after signing for $1.65 million, Montero broke out, finishing second in the low Class A South Atlantic League in batting (.326) and total bases (258) while leading the league in hits (171). He was an SAL all-star and played at Yankee Stadium in the Futures Game, with his parents flying up from Venezuela to watch him.

Strengths: One club official said Montero has the system's best bat since Derek Jeter, only with much more power. Montero has tremendous strength and generates well-above-average bat speed. He has excellent hands and a feel for hitting balls squarely, and isn't afraid to use the whole field. He also has above-average arm strength and has made significant strides defensively.

Weaknesses: Offensively, Montero is learning to balance patience with aggressiveness. Defensively, he's so big and inflexible that he has trouble receiving balls down and to his right. His arm strength plays down because he has a slow transfer, and he threw out just 25 percent of basestealers in 2008.

The Future: Montero has the bat and athleticism to profile as a first baseman or perhaps even a left fielder, but the Yankees see him as another Mike Piazza if he can remain behind the plate. He'll start 2009 at high Class A as a 19-year-old and could jump on an even faster track.

Andrew Brackman
Background: Brackman was a two-sport athlete at North Carolina State for two seasons but dropped basketball to concentrate on baseball as a junior. His 2007 season ended with elbow trouble in May, but the Yankees drafted him in the first round anyway. He had Tommy John surgery shortly after signing a guaranteed $4.55 million major league contract that could pay out as much as $13 million with incentives.

Strengths: Despite not having pitched in a competitive game since May 2007, Brackman opened the 2008 Hawaii Winter Baseball season with a 97 mph fastball. When he's right mechanically, he has two plus pitches—a 91-97 mph heater that has reached 100 in the past and a curveball. He throws two variations of his breaking ball, a conventional curve and a knuckle-curve. His athletic ability separates him from other tall pitchers in terms of aptitude and the ability to repeat his delivery.

Weaknesses: Brackman remains raw for his age, which wasn't helped by Tommy John surgery or an appendectomy that cost him any chance to pitch in the 2008 regular season. His mechanics can get out of sync easily. He's also just learning a changeup.

The Future: Brackman has rust to shake off and hasn't really dominated since the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2006. Still, he has more upside than any Yankees farmhand and looks primed to break out when he makes his official pro debut in high Class A.

Austin Romaine
Background: Romine's older brother Andrew, a shortstop in the Angels system, led the Midwest League in steals in 2008, and their father Kevin played seven seasons with the Red Sox as an outfielder. Austin reported to big league camp in spring training, then missed a month with a groin injury before finishing strong in his first full pro season. He hit .359 with four of his 10 home runs in August.

Strengths: Romine combines athletic ability and baseball savvy with impressive raw power and improved hitting ability. He makes consistent hard contact with a simple swing he repeats regularly and projects to hit 20-25 homers annually if it all comes together. As a catcher, he has plus arm strength and made huge strides handling pitchers and calling games.

Weaknesses: Footwork issues keep Romine from receiving as efficiently as he should or from making quick transfers, and he threw out just 20 percent of basestealers in 2008 despite his arm strength. He was too deferential early in the season but learned how and when to assert himself with teammates.

The Future: Jesus Montero's bat puts him on a faster track, but Romine looks like the Yankees' catcher of the future. He's expected to move to high Class A, where he'll share catching duties with Montero. Romine should be ready for New York by 2011, the final year of Jorge Posada's contract.

Dellin Betances
Background: A $1 million bonus, a record for the eighth round, prompted Betances to spurn Vanderbilt and sign out of high school. He logged just 25 innings in 2007 because he was raw and came down with forearm tightness, but in 2008 he led South Atlantic League starters by averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Strengths: Betances has two plus pitches when he's at his best. His four-seam fastball sits at 94 mph and touches 97, and he uses his height to throw it on a steep downhill plane. His curveball can be a well above-average hammer. He has improved markedly at quickening his feet, holding runners and fielding his position.

Weaknesses: Lacking Andrew Brackman's athleticism, Betances loses balance in his delivery and tends to fly open, costing him command and leaving him injury-prone. He missed much of June with a tired shoulder. The Yankees want to smooth out his mechanics before introducing a two-seam sinker to his repertoire, and his changeup remains in its nascent stages. He needs to keep improving his fielding and ability to hold runners.

The Future: Though he has yet to prove he can stay healthy, Betances has front-of-the-rotation potential. New York would like him to reach 150-160 innings in high Class A in 2009, which would put him on course to pitch in his hometown at some point in 2011.

Zach McAllister
Background: The Yankees spent two years remaking McAllister, raising his arm slot and having him work with a curveball instead of his natural slider. After struggling with the changes at short-season Staten Island in 2007, McAllister regained his slider in a fall 2007 trip to New York's Dominican Republic instructional league camp. He broke out in 2008, ranking seventh in the minors with a 2.08 ERA, and didn't allow a run in five of his last six outings.

Strengths: Now employing a traditional three-quarters delivery, McAllister works with a 93-94 mph four-seam fastball with modest tail and an 89-91 mph two-seamer with nasty sink and armside run. Command of both pitches stems from his sound mechanics. His slider and changeup are solid offerings that he throws for strikes.

Weaknesses: A groundball pitcher, McAllister lacks a true strikeout pitch. His command of his secondary stuff is far less consistent than his command of his fastball. He sometimes leaves flat four-seamers up in the strike zone.

The Future: McAllister has the body, mechanics and repertoire to be a mid-rotation workhorse. After making terrific progress in 2008, he figures to spend most of 2009 in Double-A.

Alfredo Aceves
Phil Coke

Mark Melancon (whom it is predicted will start the season in the majors if Marte doesn't return or they trade one of their relievers)
Background: The Yankees drafted Melancon despite an elbow strain that short-circuited his 2006 college season, and signed him for $600,000. He promptly reinjured his elbow and required Tommy John surgery. After pitching just seven pro innings entering 2008, he stayed healthy and helped Scranton win the Triple-A International League.

Strengths: Roundly praised for his makeup and work ethic, Melancon responded well to his surgery and rehabilitation, regaining most of his power stuff. His fastball sits at 91-94 mph and touches 95, and he can throw his power curveball for strikes or bury it as a chase pitch. He added a changeup that helped him limit lefties to a .162 average in 2008.

Weaknesses: Melancon still has just 103 pro innings to his credit and is seeking more consistency with his curveball. He must continue to smooth out his delivery, which had so much effort that it led to his injury. He doesn't hold runners well.

The Future: The best in-house candidate to eventually replace Mariano Rivera as the Yankees' closer, Melancon has the temperament to handle the role and his stuff is nearly closer-worthy as well. He'll compete for a setup role in New York in 2009.

Brad Suttle
Background: One of the better pure hitters in the 2007 draft, Suttle batted .359/.450/.603 as a draft-eligible sophomore at Texas. After the Yankees signed him for $1.3 million, he looked lost in Hawaii Winter Baseball that fall, striking out 30 times in 85 at-bats. Undaunted, he made several adjustments at the plate in 2008 and had a successful pro debut despite two stints on the disabled list with hip problems.

Strengths: Suttle has a feel for hitting from both sides of the plate and confidence that leads to excellent strike-zone awareness. He has the strength and enough bat speed to maximize his discipline. After showing an inability to make consistent contact in Hawaii, he was shorter to the ball in 2008. He also improved significantly on defense, showing better range to both sides and coming in on slow rollers. He has good arm strength.

Weaknesses: Suttle's power may not fit the third-base profile, as his swing from both sides is geared more toward line drives. The Yankees would like him to be more aggressive to exploit pitches he can drive. He's fairly slow and has modest athleticism.

The Future: Reversing a poor start has Suttle back on track, but with Alex Rodriguez signed through 2017, he's in no rush. He'll start next season in high Class A and could push Rodriguez to a different position in 2011.