E-Boland and the Bombers

I think it's possible that these talks are off because the Yankees realize they need to keep CF free in case they wind up with Manny and have to move Noodle Arm back there. Or maybe they rekindle Kennedy for Ankiel talks or offer the Giants Matsui and money for Randy Winn.

Dru - good question - maybe Swisher.

As for how this off season stands - I would say "incomplete." But you know what, that's been an epidemic for a few years with the Yankees. It's a pretty disturbing trend.

After the 03 WS loss the offseason focused on hitting - in came Sheff and Alex, but the pitching was ignored (out went Andy, Boomer, Weaver and Clemens and in came Vazquez, Leiber and Brown)

The year after that Cashman focused on pitching (Johnson, Pavano, Wright) and ignored the fact that he could lock down his CF position with Beltran and settled instead to bring in Tony Womack

Back and forth we've gone, never having a complete off season - never addressing all the team's need areas - picking one and ignoring the rest.

Thus far he's done a terrific job addressing the pitching but replacing the production of Abreu and Giambi with hopeful rebounds by Swisher, Cano, Posada and Matsui leaves the team with glaring holes in the batting order. To have a complete offseason, an offseason where all the needs are addressed then Cashman has to get one of the big sticks. I get that you win with pitching and defense - really I do - but if that was all it took then the Toronto Blue Jays would be world champions.

The whole off season can be deemed complete with one signing.

Mr. Teixeira.

The pitching staff will be much improved with CC, Burnett AND a healthy Wang. This 1, 2, 3, is set for at least the next three years.

The most important part of the lineup can be addressed and setup for the next 8 years if Teixeira is signed. He will be solid protection for Alex and he will not clog up the DH spot by providing gold glove caliber defense, another area that needs overall improvement.

I hope to god that the Yanks are just being secretive about all of this and they actually already have plans to outbid the Sox/Angels for him.

Here is something else I was told .

2000 29 OAK AL 152 510 108 170 29 1 43 137 2 0 137 96 .333 .476 .647 187 330 0 8 6 9 9 MVP-1,AS
2001 30 OAK AL 154 520 109 178 47 2 38 120 2 0 129 83 .342 .477 .660 198 343 0 9 24 13 17 SS,MVP-2,AS

Those stats scare and remind the Yankees of a good thing that can go bad.

no way they over spend for another 1b again this includes alot of 1b not saying they would not go after them but that kind of money is scary.

add to the fact that 1b is not a life or death position comapred to the needs of CF

Chip & McCarthy,

In my mind I see a very simple solution to the remainder of Yankee fixable issues. They have spent 40 million of 88 million. I don't know where the additional 8 million comes from but I'll take it to be accurrate. The disregard Cameron's salary of 10 and Say goodby to AP. He's probably looking for an out anyway. We sign Teix for 20 million over 9 years with a team option for the 10 plus a buyout if not exercised just my attempt at a baseball contract. You heard this from me before Hughes/Kennedy/Aceves go at it for the # 5 spot in the rotation. this brings our total to 60 million spent of the 80. We still have 10% off last years budget. CF goes to the winner of Gardner Caberera with the loser the 4th OF and late inning replacement. The Yanks will have 26 million coming off the books in 2010 with a shot at Halliday. We all know the Batting. It does not provide the protection for Arod that Manny would but I just can't see giving Manny 3 years and wait for the bomb to explode. I like quiet players like Tino who is very similar to Teix. It seams so simple to attempt but there is no evidence of it taking place unless Brian has spoken to Boras and Teix. to get what you can keep me informed and we'll let you know if we want to match or back out.

Ah, Chip.

Nice little cute sarcastic "Viper approved" label regarding Feinsand - but as I said the other day - even the good ones are not always right.

Manny isn't coming to the Bronx. All this talk about him is heightening now because of the fear that Teixeira might land with the Red Sox.

If that doesn't happen, much of the Manny talk in Yankee land will die down.

However, from a purely analytical standpoint, here's why it's not bloody likely to happen:

First off, Manny is a DH – not a left fielder – and they already have a DH by the name of Matsui who has little trade value because of his age and health and certainly isn’t going to be relegated to the bench for $13M a year.

Secondly, if you make Manny the left fielder – you’ve now got the WORST defensive outfield in the league by a significant margin (perhaps the majors) and likely the worst defensive team in MLB.

And make no mistake – they would be truly horrible defensively and that would negate a significant portion of whatever offensive upside he produces in the lineup.

My question to you is this – when was the last time the worst defensive team in the league won the World Series or even made the playoffs for that matter?

I must confess, I don’t know the answer to this question – but it’s more than valid to ask and my best guess is that there haven’t been very many if any at all.

Defense means something in this game, ya know. Don’t overlook the obvious.

Also, if you make Manny the full-time DH – what makes you think he’ll be happy doing that every day?

He’s always played the field and never was a full-time DH with the Red Sox. He only did it temporarily when Ortiz was out of the lineup.

That’s another valid question to ask because once you take the “Manny plunge” – that’s the kind of garbage they’ll have to deal with every day – making sure Manny isn’t p!ssed off and staying motivated – not quitting on his teammates.

That doesn’t even begin to address how his nonsense would conflict with GI Joe in that club house.

These are just some of the things you and all Yankee fans need to digest before considering Manny as an option.

And like I said, I still say Cashman won’t take that plunge. He hasn’t preached the “get younger, get better defensively” spiel just to do a complete 180 and sign Manny Ramirez.

Okay

So no Tex and no Manny.

Maybe CC can protect Alex?

He does like hitting..

I agree, Chip, that the non-acquisition of Cameron makes the odds that NYY is strongly considering going after Manny look stronger. (That's not to say that I claim to know the mind of FO.)

On Bomber's point that Manny would act differently here in NYC, here too I have no inside insights at all -- but I do think he would find it a lot easier to fly under the radar here than in Boston. Boston is much smaller, maybe the population of one of the Boroughs of NYC, and has very few celebrities of the scale that we are used to here. In Boston a ball player, a politician, even some academics can be the biggest star in the room. That's not so either in LA (where Manny has seemed to feel relatively anonymous) or in NYC, where, like LA, the most famous faces in the world congregate and the rest of us are used to seeing them around and don't wet ourselves when they show up.

In both LA and NYC I've been in public places like restaurants and even supermarkets when internationally famous faces showed themselves and the regular folks acted like their mother had taught them from childhood to 'act like you've been here before', just as mine did. I've personally known DJ in a midtown elevator to get nothing more than civilized nods of acknowledgement. I've clashed supermarket carts with one of the biggest big-screen faces with nothing more than a smile and an 'excuse me' exchanged. I know that if Manny really likes to be treated somewhat similarly to a normal human being his chances are good here as long as he remembers how to act like one. The guys who draw undue attention here do so because they want it or their behavior is designed to draw it. So the issue of excessive, unwanted public attention would be unlikely to arise here.

Not to mention the fact that he wouldn't even be the biggest star on his own team.

Texeira makes perfect sense, even for 10 yr - 200 mil.
He is in his late 20's and has never been accused of
doing steroids so the comparison to Giambi isn't accurate.
He is a good citizen, plays hard and is of good character,
like some of our current Yankees - Jeter, Posada, etc.
These type of players were the foundation of our glory years
and these are the types of players Cashman should be
bringing in. Let Gardner play centerfield for 1 yr and bat 9th.
Keep Nady in rightfield (bargain) and leave Damon in left.
If Andy comes, good, if not as DRand Chip have said,
let the kids fight for the spot. We will have 3 horses in
the rotation. I think their bulldog toughness will rub of in a
positive way on the kids.

Lets sign Tex now!

Mike,
I agree about Teix for sure, but I don't know about letting the kids fight for the last spot just yet. First we need to know that we can get dependable innings out of this rotation because even with the fantastic acquisitions, there are still question marks such as will CC get off to the kind of start he did last year? Will Wang return to form? Can AJ stay healthy? Can Joba stay healthy and keep his innings limit down? I hate to combine those questions while trying to find out if Phil Hughes is ready or not. I like the idea of knowing that Andy is going to give the team 200 innings- that is something that cannot be overlooked. We have to expect someone to get hurt in that rotation and that is when Hughes or Kennedy could prove their worth, but I just don't want to depend on them from the start of the season.

I always forget about Aceves though....I hope he isn't just a flash in the pan because I really liked what I saw of him last season.

PTRS,

I guess I was right about you and big names.

I didn't realize Manny and Teixeira were the only two bats available on the market.

Besides, they are out of the Teixeira sweepstakes and were never really in it.

Other bats will surface sooner or later. With this market, it appears there will be quite a few teams in salary dump mode at some point and Cashman can swing a deal if they need a bat.

Here's a link to an article that's in the sports section on MSNBC.Com:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28226600/

"Big-spending Yanks still Trail Rays, Red Sox"

Buster Olney said on Michael Kay's show today that the Yanks never made an offer to Teixeira and are not involved in any negotiations with him.

Olney also said, for what it's worth, that the only way they'd even consider Manny is if he fell into their lap (ie: Clemens) as a one-year deal.

No multi-year deal with Manny is even being considered.

I guess we'll see who is right about the Manny stuff. Sounds like all of this talk is coming to a head because Yankee fans fear Teixeira signing with the Red Sox.

Geez, the numbers for Tex are getting ridiculous! I mean seriously what the hell has he done to warrant such coin?
He is approaching an ARod payday with a much lesser pedigree! Let someone else pay him and Manny for that matter! the ONLY way I think Manny is a good signing is if it is for 1 year. He's poison after that.

Btw, I see the margins are still messed up...please forgive my seemingly, disregard for them, though it is not my doing ;-)

Jim A,

Pettitte 200 innings if healthy #4
Joba #5 so he can skip starts early and keep his innings limit.

I have been saying this for weeks ad nauseum...;-)

Diane,

I was raised the same way regarding "stars"...I have seen many in public and acknowledged them by a nod or a wink. People in New York/LA/Chicago/ understand and embrace this, at least the majority ;-)!

Ahh Viper this was said long ago... I have been saying this for weeks ok

Posted by Bronx Bomber | December 17, 2008 11:53 I am allowed to say this in regards to this situation.

Yes there is a Manny Buzz going on at the staduim, there is slight divide not as drastic as one would think becasue no one can dismiss the man potential, however they are not going to overbid for him and woudl like for him to make the call so like I said they would consider him if he falls in their lap.

DC Yank,

I read your posts from a couple of threads ago...you are correct. It is a pity the blog owners don't see the troll for whom he is. I stopped coming here because of it and yet i see they keep allowing this pathetic creature his way on whatever topic he wants.

See you elsewhere my friend ;-)!

Manny makes no sense unless its less than three years and they also are capable of trading Matsui who has a no trade clause.

Trading Melky for Cameron makes no sense because of the mere fact we are losing three outfielders after this upcoming season (Nady, Matsui, Damon). Melky is only 24 and has shown signs of being a solid right fielder. At his price we need to take a chance to develop him; Not trade him away for near retirement, injury prone CF who will only make our team older and more susceptible to the injury bug.

Pettitte makes perfect sense for the price and his ability. You can never have enough pitchers. Especially a guy who can give you 200 innings and bring some leadership to the club.

Teixeira makes sense if you can get him for 8 years and $180M and not a penny more. In my eyes he is more valuable then Miguel Cabrera because of his ability to play the field. He also has put up better numbers in his first 6 seasons compared to Miguel's. But he Teixeira is obviously no Alex Rodriguez. Right around 22Mil a year is fair for Teixeira.

This isn't brain surgery folks.....

While I understand what Cashman was trying to do with this
trade, I won't be losing any sleep over the fact that it appears dead.
They need bats, not bandaids.

Guys theres three pics of sabathia at the new stadium. He's only donning a yankee cap for now but hes all tooth and gums! I guess 161MM will do that to ya. Here it is...I can't wait!!

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2008/12/sabathia_visits_new_yankee_sta.html

McCarthy, I love the arrogance. You state your conclusions as absolute fact then stamp your post by saying "this isn't brain surgery folks."

Tex is worth $180 million and not a penny more. Where'd you get that magical number? Why is he worth that much? Isn't he worth what someone actually gives him? Are you going to pay for it, and if not, why obsess over how much one millionaire decides to give another?

This board is obviously for expressing your opinion, but stamping your post with a "this isn't brain surgery" implying that those who don't draw your conclusions have somehow missed something, is just plain silly.

My personal wishlist:

Tex for 1B (No Brainer)
Pettitte for #4 SP (Experience & IP)

NO Cameron!!!
Let Gardner/Cabrera cover CF and bat 9th.

That's it!!!

CC
AJ
Wang
Pettitte
Joba

Aceves, Hughes, Kennedy to fill in.

Damon LF
Jeter SS
Tex 1B
AR 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Nady RF
Cano 2B
Gardner CF

Swisher #1 SUB
Cabrera #4 OF

AP & Tex and let's go!!!

michaelz

I guess you haven't heard. Everything I say is a absolute fact. So obviously if you decided to reply to my last post with any type of argumentative opinion it would serve no purpose on this blog. So don't even bother contributing to this blog in any meaningful way.

Also, there are actually a few definitions of the word: Worth

I am sorry for the confusion but instead of definition #2 I was actually using it in the context of definition #1. Not actually what Teixeira is equal to in terms of $$, but actually how much he is worth based on the baseball player market and what you can justify for him to make.

1. Good or important enough to justify (what is specified)

2. Having a value of, or equal in value to, as in money.

I apologize for any confusion or anguish this may have caused you.

I do think it’s funny how the Daily News has been driving this Manny story the last 24 hrs but Feinsand now finally admits something in his latest piece that’s kind of important regarding the prospects of adding him:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/12/17/2008-12-17_no_mike_cameron_may_open_door_for_manny_.html

Hank Steinbrenner is among a group of high-ranking front office officials believed to be pushing to sign Ramirez, according to a source, while Hal Steinbrenner is in the middle. Cashman and Joe Girardi are not sold on adding a player with Ramirez’s baggage, the source said, but the Yankees might not be able to resist a player of his talent if the price is right.

——————————-

We’ve known for awhile that Hank wants Manny, but as Ken Davidoff said the other day – what Hank wants and $32.50 can get a brightly colored funky T-shirt.

So just how is the Daily News justified in reporting that the Yanks “may go hard after Manny” when it says right there in black and white that three of the four most influential men in the organization (Hal, Cashman, and Girardi) aren’t exactly sold on the idea of signing him?

Yeah, I would suspect it kind of matters what the real owner, the GM, and the manager thinks about this idea.

Even if Hal does cross that threshold into the "let's get Manny" side with his idiot brother - would he overrule his GM - the guy they believed in enough to sign to a three-year extension a couple of months ago?

I don't know. He must have signed the guy for a reason and I'm not so sure he'd want to step on his toes on an issue like this.

George might do it if he were running the team, but we've already seen that Hal is not George.

It sounds like the Daily News got what they wanted out of this story and that’s the spotlight for the last day or so on talk radio and the blogosphere – but the people who matter aren’t very likely to go after Manny as hard as they made us believe just 24 hrs ago.

I like Feinsand – but it sounds like he kind of played everyone here.

Not really All the Daily news is doing is echoing the buzz around the staduim depending whom you talk too. there is a strong buzz that Manny is in the Discussions true many worry about his antics but all know his talent and the mental edge we would have over boston if he is in our doug out, there is also a buzz regarding the chances that Boston get Both Lowe and Tex which the team would once again witness Ortiz given protection which has or should have the Yankees sayongt we need to protect AROD. Manny to the Yankees would def deflate the sox, and deliver the potent blow to the Rays.

I mean in the lineup if you have manny batting 4th with runners on and 1 out someone is advancing most of the time since he is not a high K hitter

We already know Manny can hit when he's happy and motivated. That's not the problem.

It's everything else that he brings to the table that is the problem and not worth the risk.

After Sheffield left, A-Rod seemed to do okay in 2007 when he had Matsui batting behind him and will likely be hitting behind A-Rod again this season.

All that "protecting A-Rod" stuff is overblown. He doesn't need a superstar or Hall of Famer with more baggage than an airport to hit behind him in order to put up big numbers.

Keep in mind that Matsui was having a fantastic season when he went down and was unquestionably the most clutch hitter on the team.

I bet Cashman doesn't do it. There will be other bats available at some point who are team players and aren't cancers in the clubhouse - not to mention younger and could probably play the field.

People don't change. This is well known. Manny won't change. He'll become disenchanted during the season for one reason or another. I do believe that the NY Fans would embrace him from the beginning. We all say, " Arod needs protection." But I believe the price of Manny's fragile emotional state is not worth the money or aggravation. There will be salary dumps all over baseball in a few months into the season as our economy goes further into its illness. There are few markets as Boston, NY and LA. Patience our hitter may come to us before the season.

That is all true but what people seems to forget is that Manny is a different animal here in NY. When you have Torre saying he wants him back that speaks volume it also shows that a good manager is going to manage whom ever. I seen how he is here in NY when he comes and it's all love .When you have the communities right on you it is different. Again thsi is a town that accepted Mr. "Me" Joe Dimaggio RIP town survived with Reggie jackson as well

A-Rod and Manny are good friends, Damon too. So the mix will be fine. Plus Manny will be playing in front of family from Washington Heights.

BB - what is Torre going to say about Manny, the guy who carried his team for 2 months by hitting .400, that he's a cancer? The Dodgers need Manny so he's going to recruit him. No team is going to get that Manny Ramirez no matter what, I dont care if he was playing for the Puerto Plata Pirates, once he gets his money, the fairytale is over. Even so, Id still want the man.

Viper is right though, protection for a hitter is a little overrated. Case in point Albert Pujols. He was the MVP last year and who did he have backing him up? Troy Glaus..all .270, 27 HR hitting cleanup guy. I think Swisher could put up those kind of numbers. Well what about the years before that? Last year he had Scott Rolen, who hit 8 HR's and Jim Edmonds who hit 12 HR's. Does having a big boy in the lineup behind you help? Sure it does, Papi and Babe Ruth can attest to that. However, its not like he going to get the Barry Bonds treatment if Nady, Posada or Swisher bat cleanup with Matsui in the 3 hole. Arod is a great hitter and will get his numbers no matter what.

Now thats just me playing Devil's advocate again, I love a good discussion. I gave Manny high marks yesterday if the Yanks can get him for 1-2 years at a price at or lower than the Dodgers offer 2/45. I can see why the GM and Manager dont want him though.

So if Teix is too expensive and Manny is too much of a head case, do you guys think we are set with our hitting, or would you like to add one of the following players?

1B/DH/OF
Garret Anderson
Milton Bradley
Pat Burell
Adam Dunn
Craig Monroe
Juan Rivera
Rocco Baldelli
Jim Edmonds
Corey Patterson
Abreu
Griffey
Giambi
Ty Wiggington
Joe Crede

The problem the Yanks have is any of those guys we get will weaken our D BIG TIME because it means one of them will have to play the field or DH with Matsui in the field and Damon in CF.

So, are these guys worth it? Would the runs given up with a weakened D be canceled out with improved offensive production?

As I've mentioned before, I can see both positives and negatives in the possibility of ManRam in the Stripes, and I have absolutely no predictive powers about which will prevail. But I was quite curious about one factor in the Daily News story (same one Viper linked to above), and that is: Who are the 'other high-ranking FO officials', besides Hank, pushing to sign him?

(Here's the exact quote: " Hank Steinbrenner is among a group of high-ranking front office officials believed to be pushing to sign Ramirez, according to a source...")

That indicates that Hank is not just some insane outlier on this issue.

It means there are three positions: Hank and a group of others with positions of substance want MR, Hal in the middle, and Girardi and Cashman against.

It also fits in with Bomber's apparently experiencing the buzz about POSSIBLY getting Manny as general among Stadium insiders, not confined to a lunatic fringe.

I don't know about you, but my curiosity is aroused, and my opinion about what might happen would probably be influenced one way or another by knowing who's in that 'group of high-ranking FO officials'.

As for Feinsand's story changing over time, that's the nature of the journalistic beast -- stories develop and the journo either stays on the developments and reports the changes, or, if he's lazy, he sticks with whatever version was the first one he was informed about.

Viper - if you liked that sarcasm you'll love this. The guy who is currently saying the Yankees have had no contact with Manny and have little to no interest in Manny is....wait for it....George King III.

I'm just having a little fun with you about the Viper approved sources.

Assuming the Yankees pass on Manny and Tex, the top four in the lineup will be Damon, Jeter, Alex, Nady - after that you have the following:

Matsui - two of the last three years he's played less than 100 games
Posada - may not even be ready for the start of spring training
Swisher - had the lowest batting average in baseball for players who qualified for the batting title
Cano - coming off a horrible season
Melky/Gardner - two complete unknowns, who, at their best - won't provide much offense

Can the team go to war with that many unanswered questions?

I said it yesterday and I stand by it. I am sick of this team playing one or the other. It's not about just pitching or just hitting or just getting younger, it's about putting out there the most well rounded team that you can.

This team is not good defensively, and right now it's not good offensively either. Tex helps in both areas but if the Yankees don't want to get into the 10 year 200 mil range I can't totally blame them. And if they pass on Manny because of the baggage I can't totally blame them for that either. But that doesn't mean they should just ignore some pretty glaring holes.

If it isn't going to be Cameron in center - that's fine - but they need to find a better solution than a platoon of Melky and Gardner. They need to figure out, whether it's signing Adam Dunn or bringing back Abreu a way to get a lefty in the lineup who can stay healthy and get on base.

At this point, what I would do if I were the Yankees:

1. Sign Orlando Hudson to play CF - they toyed with this idea early on but zeroed in on Cameron. There has been absolutely no chatter on Hudson and he desperately wants to play in NY.

2. Sign Adam Dunn. Not only is the price on him at an all time bargain (probably less than the 3 years 30 mil that Ibanez got) but he won't cost a draft pick and find me another hitter on this market who will get on base at a 40% clip and jack 40 HR.

Yes, Dunn's best position is DH and yes, Matsui is locked in there right now - but coming off more knee surgery what makes you think Matsui's going to play a full year? Assume Matsui and Posada miss time - the lineup you're looking at then is:

Damon
Jeter
Alex
Nady
Swisher
Cano
Gardner
Miranda
Molina

Yeah - there's a playoff team for you.

My way - even if those two go down - you've got:
Damon
Hudson - CF
Jeter
Alex
Dunn - DH
Nady - rf
Swisher - 1b
Cano
Molina

and if by some miracle everyone's healthy:

Damon
Hudson - CF
Jeter
Alex
Dunn - 1b
Nady
Matsui - DH
Posada
Cano

with Swisher coming off the bench and serving as a defensive replacement at first and keeping Damon fresh in LF

For what it's worth - on the CF front - a report out of Pittsburgh says that talks between the Pirates and Nate McLouth on a long term contract are at an impasse.

If they feel they can't get him locked up the team may be apt to trading him.

There's also the possibility that the Yankees revisit the Kennedy for Ankiel talks or look to Jim Edmonds as a possible FA stopgap. Edmonds probably isn't an everyday player any more but he'll come cheap for 1 year (probably no more than 6 mil). Or they can try to work something out with the Twins for Delmon Young who is the odd man out in their OF or with the Nats for Lastings Milledge.

I shudder to think about Bronx Bombers post concerning the
R\Sox getting both Tex and Lowe. After all the Yanks have done
in getting CC and Burnett, the R\Sox take claim to the AL East
by simply spending the dough, and getting Tex and Lowe. I like
Rosenthal's reasoning, that if the Yanks sign Tex, the R\Sox
have no reply. We should put them in that hopeless position,

Signing Dunn for 3 years would cost NY 30-40 million Why does NY want a player who is a defensive liability strikes out an average of 175 times a year? Who gives a lick about OBP when for his career he bats
.214 2 outs RISP
.225 RISP

He would be booed unmercifully by the NY faithful.

Don't you think GMs are well aware of players limitations?

Someone once told me if you're gonna be a bear, might as well be a grizzly bear!

If I'm Cash, I say to myself ... let's try to solve this 1B quandry once and for all.

Everyone has a price so let's call up the Cardinals and just ask what their price is for THE MAN ... Albert Pujols.

I'd start by offering Hughes, Kennedy, Igawa, Cano, Cabrera and Miranda. That gives the Cards MAJOR money flexibility and gives them a very solid player, potential star (Cano), a nice 4th OF option/potential starter (Melky), 2 big time prospects (Hughes + Miranda) and 2 pitchers who would probably fare well in the NL (Kennedy + Igawa). If that wasn't enough I'd add another top prospect or bullpen arm like Brunney or Edwar Ramirez.

Yanks then sign Hudson for 2b and roll this line-up out:

Damon (LF)
Jeter (SS)
Pujols (1B)
Arod (3B)
Matsui (DH)
Nady (RF)
Posada (C)
Hudson (2B)
Gardner (CF)

... or bat Hudson 2nd and bump everyone down 1 spot.

ummm, that works. Pujols has 3 years left on his contract at $16 mill per.

Dream a little dream!!!!!!!!!!

McCarthy-
I enjoy your posts. I don't always agree, but you are logical,
which at times is a rare commodity around here.

Viper and DRU,

I don't believe that protecting a hitter in the lineup is overblown at all. First off, just look at Ortiz now that Manny isn't in that lineup. He's not as feared as he once was and he ain't that old. If a solid hitter was batting behind A-Rod he'll see better pitches to hit. Maybe that will help him to not chase that down-and-away breaking ball that he's a sucker for. If the Yanks stand pat now, let's see how many times A-Rod fails with RISP. When that starts to happen on a somewhat regular basis, this blog will be howling fer sure.
Second, A-Rod isn't in the same zip code as Pujols, not even close. We've all seen him perform in the post season when St Louis made it and I can't forget that moon shot that he hit off of Lidge in 2005 when it looked like the Cards were going home.

For some reason, I just don't see "Mommy" (Yanks) sending "Junior" (A-Rod) to "school" (batting with the game on the line) alone.

sorry ... forgot Swisher .... new line-up:

Damon - CF
Jeter - SS
Pujols - 1B
Arod - 3B
Matsui - DH
Nady - RF
Posada - C
Swisher - LF
Hudson - 2B

Why dream about Pujols, when TEX is there for the taking $$$.

Ruse -

Hey you're probably right. My point still remains though that the team is investing so much money in getting the pitching sorted out and leaving the lineup with 5 major areas of concern - and that's a conservative outlook.

If I really want to be an alarmist about the lineup I would say that the Yankees went into this winter with one known quantity in the rotation (Wang) and one known quantity in the lineup (Alex).

Damon had his best year as a Yankee but still didn't score 100 runs
Nady had career bests in every offensive category
Jeter had one of his worst offensive seasons - dropping nearly 30 hits from the year before and almost 100 points in his OPS

The team has lost 52 HR and over 200 RBI in Abreu and Giambi and replaced them with Nick Swisher and his .219 BA.

They might get more production from Matsui and Posada but then again they might not. We don't know.

Cano might have a better season than he did last year, but then again he might not.

I agree with everyone who has said that the Yankees won't have to score as many runs as we are used to because of the pitching, but that's not to say they can afford to only score 2 runs a game either. You know what you get when you have a team that is all pitching and no hitting....the Toronto Blue Jays. Anyone notice the Jays taking any titles lately?

Look, it just frustrates me that the team is so willing, so willing to spend whatever it takes to address one glaring need but will completely ignore other needs. It's like having a broken arm and a broken leg and going to a doctor to get the leg set but saying "oh don't bother with the arm, if I don't touch it I'm sure it will take care of itself."

CHIP-
Your post concerning the offense didn't touch on whether
Jeter has started to decline at the plate. Last season may have
been a glimpse of this.

Straight Talker is high and mighty :"I don't always agree, but you are logical,
which at times is a rare commodity around here" Get a grip. Join a ivy blog about DNA why don't ya

Talker:

Ok, I thought I covered that with:

"Jeter had one of his worst offensive seasons - dropping nearly 30 hits from the year before and almost 100 points in his OPS"

Preesh it ST!

CHIP-
Sorry, my fault.

John G...I dont agree with much you said.

1st, Papi was hitting .252 before the break this past year when Manny was there, hit .277 after he left. Much of David's bad year had to do with injuries, not Manny. He suffered a torn tendon sheath in left wrist, I dont care if Hank Aaron was hitting behind him, he could not generate any power.

Arod not in the same zip code as Pujols?? WOW, Yankee fans really dont know what they have with Arod, unbelievable. Alex only hit .271 with RISP in 08, but hit .333 in those spots in 07, .302 in 06, .290 in 05 and is a CAREER .303 hitter with RISP. Looks like he had a "down year"..one that he still led our team in Runs, HR's and RBI's. His "down year" was still...302, 35 HR, 103 RBI, 104 Runs and 18 SB while missing 25 games due to injuries. So they arent in the same league? Lets compare their stats over the past 5 years since Alex has been here for 5 years.

Alex
596 Runs
208 HR
616 RBI
106 SB

Pujols
580 Runs
205 HR
596 RBI
37 SB

Still noT in the same league? Well nobody said anythink about Pujols when he hit .200 in the 06 WS. Yeah thats 5 games and a total of 3 hits. Oh and the hot postseason he had off of Lidge in Houston, well against the Sox in the WS...he had 5 hits in a clean sweep with no HR, no RBI's and 1 run scored. Really carried his team there. So in 9 WS games Big Al has a grand total of 2 RBI's, one came of a solo HR, the only WS HR he's had. Not exactly Reggie. In 05 and 06 Alex stunk in the Postseason, weve been bounced in the 1st round each of the past 3 years, Alex had 1 RBI. In his 1st year, 04, he lit up Minny and the Sawks with 3 HR, 11 Runs and 8 RBI. But thats ancient history around here. Until Alex proves it, he wont win over any NY fans. Its a shame because winning 2 MVP's in 5 years is pretty special. Lets see if he can follow in the footsteps of Steve Young, Payton Manning and the rest of the great athletes that were bashed until they won "THE BIG ONE".

Yankee Bri,

Very funny stuff there!!! Albert Pujols....heheh. You'll give St. Louis all your rejects for the best hitter in baseball over the last 4 years. Sure, why not.

Albert Pujols for trash...heheh!!

In defense of DJ he played hurt for a number of weeks, he didn't score 100 runs because AROD and Giambi couldn't knock in RISP he still batted .300 his OBP was about 20 points lower than his career ave. Not a big deal .His HR and RBI totals were not so off his career averages and he did have a great Aug/Sept.

Bri,

BTW Igawa and Cano together make about the same salary as Pujols, soooooo.what MAJOR money flexibility are they gaining? And as for the two dud thats will fair sooooo well in the NL....when they pitched against they NL.....they didn't. Oh and the potential Stars....Hughes and Miranda....their stars flamed out last year. So the potential star....Cano..... should be gotten by St' Louis, in exchange for a REAL star then?

Sometimes I wonder what game you Yank fans are watching.

DRU

Nudge and I had the great debate over AROD vs. Pujols last yr.Their numbers are very close as you amply demonstrate, but Pujols is a more patient hitter strikes out about 2/3 less than AROD and is career
.344 RISP
.329 2 outs RISP
You can't beat his clutch play.

Ruse is right, for most of the season DJ did his job (getting on base) but the big boppers didn't do theirs (knocking him in).

It is trendy these days to follow Kay's lead and snipe at DJ, but let's at least keep it to the real stuff here.

Someday we'll have a player who is better at SS than an injured DJ and he'll be able to take off when he's hurt, but in the meantime we're lucky that even his 'bad' times don't give too much cause for complaint.

DRU,

As far as Ortiz goes, you're talking about 1/2 season where he was hurt (wrist I believe) where he hit .252. You're a stat guy (I'm not) so why don't you look up Ortiz' numbers starting from 2003 when he joined Boston and he hit in front of Ramirez. I'll bet they're pretty good.

What did Ortiz do in this past post season for Boston?

Here are his stats:

YEAR G AB R H HR RBI BA OBP SLG
2003 128 448 79 129 31 101 .288 .369 .592
2004 150 582 94 175 41 139 .301 .380 .603
2005 159 601 119 180 47 148 .300 .397 .604
2006 151 558 115 160 54 137 .287 .445 .636
2007 149 549 116 182 35 117 .332 .445 .621

If I had a choice between A-Rod and Pujols of whom I'd love to see come up in a big situation, I'll take Pujols over A-Rod: 2 MVPs and all.

Ruse, I hear ya, I agree that Big Al is a better hitter than Arod since he gets more hits and K's less, but to say they arent close is silly. Big Al is the best in the leauge, but who's #2 then? It has to be Arod, or at least he's in the top 5. That seems like the same street to me let alone zip code.

Nudge..lol...I think Bri was just trying to dream a little. I dont think anyone in their right mind would think the Cards would trade Big Al for any package.

As far as Derek, yeah he led the team in GIDP, but his hitting will be the last thing to go. He's got plenty more years of 200 hits and 100 Runs scored, the perfect #2 hitter..maybe of all time. I wouldnt want anyone else in that spot for a number of reasons.

John, you sure it wasnt that he was ping ponging balls off the green monster? It may have a deep RF, but Fenway is made for LH hitters. As long as Papi is healthy, he'll put up his normal numbers. Believe me, I hope it all was because of Manny, I just dont see it.

Okay DRU; maybe the same zip code thing was a bit much on my part. :-)

But A-Rod lives on a different block.

Sure I think Fenway helped his numbers because he wasn't a dead pull hitter there. If all he got was the outside part of the plate then he did what good hitters are suppose to do: take it the other way. I also don't think (but again, I don't really know) that he hit the majority of his HR just past the Pesky Pole, but rather, he hit them into the bullpens.

I'm not saying Ortiz isn't a good hitter. He is.

I do believe that he'll be pitched to a lot differently now that Manny isn't following him in the order. He won't see as many fastballs.

Just an opinion.

Another thing on Manny:

He may not want to play for the Yanks cause he may not want to play for Girardi.

He had all the "love" from Francona and Torre, both pretty easy going managers.

Where both of them probably handled him with kid gloves so as not to upset the apple cart, GI Joe will probably scream at him: "DROP AND GIVE ME 50 DIRTBAG!!!".

DRU

In terms of offensive production and clutch play among active ML in order:
Pujols
Manny
Vlad
Arod
Miguel Cabrera?

AROD of course the best all around player of the group

What do you think?

I love Jeter as much as any red blooded Yankee fan - but lets not be too blinded by the Cap'n Jetes aura:

He had a fantastic August and September but the first four months of the season were just average (as they were for most of the team).

Pujols is not just a pipe dream - it's a crack pipe dream.

Now this is no more likely but if you want to talk about getting a 1b from a team looking for payroll flexibility how about this fantasy:

Chicago Cubs get: Kennedy, Nick Swisher, Robbie Cano

Yankees get: Derrek Lee, Felix Pie, Ryan Theriot

Cubs free up money so that they can go after Peavy again and sign the LH bat they want for their OF.
Yankees get a first baseman who can catch and hit, a CF prospect who has fallen out of favor with Lou but has tons of upside and Theriot is probably a little better with the glove than Cano but not as good at the plate.

If anyone's interested, Jerry Crasnick has an interesting article on ESPN.com about Bobby Abreu.

Though said to have been out of touch with his players, marching through the clubhouse without making eye contact, there seems to have been a lack of reports of Girardi actually making demands on them individually. Telling the clubbies to remove their sweet treats is different from being an enforcer up close and personal, and apparently it took Girardi months to get to the point of doing so even with Cano. So, John G., we probably don't have many worries about him screaming at Manny... ;-)

ruse:

Manny
Pujols
Alex
Vlad
Miggy C.

Manny is the best right handed hitter any of us have ever seen. And I give him the edge in "clutchness" because he's had more chances than Phat Albert. Also, he may not be the best OF, but he does play the OF which is more demanding than 1b.

A few years ago I would have flipped Alex and Vlad but Vlad is a shell of his former self - he should be forced to call himself "The Player formerly known as Vlad" given how poorly he's playing the field these days.

And Miguel Cabrera has the potential to be better than all of them but it would appear he's come to the conclusion that now that he plays for the Tigers it's alright for him to go on the Cecil Fielder weight program.

I'll throw a name out there - team is looking to pare payroll down a bit and get younger. The player is a FA next season and a very productive RH hitter and OF:

Magglio Ordonez

How would anyone feel about getting him?

I'm listening to the press conf right now - is it possible for Randy Levine to be more of a schill? More to the point, you're the Yankees, can't you find a better speech writer for him? The guy just seems slimey to me. And yes, "slimey" is a technical term.

And BC sounds sick of him too.

YAAAAAAH

They look good in pinstripes.

By the way -- according to some reports Rocco Baldelli has gotten an updated diagnosis on his illness. The newest reports say that with a modified diet and some medications he should be back to 100%. If true (and not just a player spinning to try and jack his value up) then that's great news for him and, speaking selfishly, the Yankees should make a play immediately.

I find myself agreeing with Francessa - at least CC didn't say "I've always wanted to be a Yankee."

Just came out of the Press conference I was honored when CC motioned for me outside of the staduim and smiled and shook his head. AJ is cool, CC signed for many outside , I was honored to be able to Escort Yogi inside and about the staduim , I saw Kat (or someone who looks like her) come in She is wearing all Black I believe , black Coat ,dark slacks she came in with a man

CC and AJ arrived in seperate cars but at the same time , Girardi is there with his daughter and I spoke briefly with Brian Cashman

Did I just hear the voice of Warner Wolf asking AJ about his injury history? I haven't seen or heard anything from Warner in years and years...is he still on TV in NY?

I believe AJ when he says he knows his body more now and he doesn't feel the need to throw as hard just to "impress" people.

Lets hope it works out that way. It would be great to have him pitching the way he did all last year. Throw in CC and Wang and this rotation is deep and strong.

Iam about to go back inside after the press conference and ride with them to the New staduim(eventhough CC was there yesturday)

McCarthy -

Al Leiter said the same thing. That he was talking to AJ (the two of them are friends from their time in Florida) and Burnett told him that Roy Halladay was a big influence in convincing him that you don't have to throw 98 mph every pitch. That you can be just as effective throwing 93-95 with movement.

If that's true then the first person he needs to talk to is Joba Chamberlain. Joba wowed everyone with the triple diget readings and as a starter seemed to want to throw lasers with every pitch and that may have contributed to his shoulder problem last year - if Burnett can convince him that throwing 93-95 works just as well. That would make the signing worth it in my mind.

Bomber....is your real name Bomber Steinbrenner? You just have too much access!
Keep up the good information flow- I love it!

After listening to Francesa I'm just shocked that almost no local players or coaches will go on his show on a regular basis.

On my way out ..

Jim A I will send you photos, I would send CHip some but he never shows gratitude so if he hits me up i will send him some haha (Chip still my man)

Bomber -

you're the man. I just don't say it because I don't want you to get a swelled head.

Chip would know a thing or two about swelled heads there Bomber. He has to butter his ears to get through most doors.
:)

Jim -

To me a sombrero is just a ball cap.

Mark Bavaro is on the radio right now with Francesa - it's like a dream come true for Mike - an interview with a guy who doesn't talk.

Not much for words, but a great TE!!!

Chip,
You have a love/hate thing going on with Francesa don't you? I haven't listened to him since Mad Dog left but I only listened occasionally so I don't really know their histories.

By the way, if you haven't caught it yet, there is an interesting article on Bobby Abreu on ESPN.com- here is the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove08/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3773760

Well say what you will about him but CC is honest - when asked what swayed him to coming to NY he said that the money played a big part in it. That 161 mil is very hard to walk away from. That said, he's looking forward to being here, very excited about the opportunity and is very comfortable with his decision.

Jim -

If by "love/hate" you mean I love to hate him - you're right. I would prefer to listen to someone else 99.9% of the time, but where I'm at my choices between 1-3 are him or the national ESPN show with Tirico and VanPelt and then after 3 I can choose between him and Kay - good god I need satellite radio in the office

AJ Burnett - also an honest dude.

When asked if it was the money or the pinstripes:

"I would be lying if I said that the money wasn't an issue but I also wanted the big stage. To get the money and the stage and the chance to win is everything I'm looking for."

Chip,
I have XM at the office and the choices aren't much better. You get ESPN an Fox Sports radio, along with Mad Dog Radio which is like sticking a screwdriver in your ear. The MLB talk channel is okay sometimes but you can only take so much of Buck Martinez' voice.

Hey, at least Burnett and Sabathia have been honest. I taped the press conf. and will skim through it later even though I heard the audio version on the radio. I tried to count how many times CC said "you know" but lost track after, you know, the first minute. I think he said it 56 times before I couldn't listen anymore. Nerves....who needs 'em?

By the way, this is the first attempt of this post. Every post today has gone through on the first try- has a cure been found? I'll find out in a second.

back now I did,nt go back into the conference however i did witness them doing the smaller interviews. iwas agian given detail on locating Yogi's driver (YOGI WAS THERE on behalf of another event along with Don larsen)

As of right now CC fan power and humble nature best's Jeter and Arod. CC reminds me of Damon when it comes to the fans , signing balls etc.

I saw Yogi in a restaurant in Florida last year...it's amazing how small he is when you think about his baseball history.

CC and AJ both handled themselves well today from what I heard on the audio portion.

Kat has a nice summary on the new thread------------------------->

Shook Yogi's hand a few times at a Devil's game once.

All I can say is, thank god for the hinged catcher's mitt and continued revolutions in equipment for the field captain.

should be innovations