Bored? Have 3 Minutes To Kill? Try This!

If you're bored and looking for a fun way to kill 3 minutes, click here. John from Jetpunk.com e-mailed me a link to a "quiz." The quiz is naming as many MLB teams as you can in 3 minutes. I, sadly, blanked on the 30th team and failed to get them all. I don't want to mention the team I missed in this post as to not give away anything. Apparently, it's the most commonly missed team. I'll mention the team I missed in the comments. Good luck and feel free to comment with how you did on the quiz.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Merry Christmas From The Boogie Down

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas. I hope everyone had a great day.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

ps - if you're looking for something to do tonight, may I suggest turning your TV to TruTV. They are having a marathon of The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest. The episode currently on is the World's Dumbest Shoppers. It is absolutely hysterical. Laugh out loud funny.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Teixeira Is A Yay-Yankee

By all accounts, the Mark Teixeira to the Yankees is a done deal. It's being reported by pretty much every news outlet known to man. All I can say is hot diggity dog. I am extremely overjoyed that the Yankees nutted up and brought Teixeira into the fold. I think it's an incredibly smart move and the Yankees were wise to make it happen. Mark Teixeira was pretty much Boston's main target this offseason and now they're left in the cold. They still have a pretty decent lineup but it would have been a million times better with Teixeira hitting behind David Ortiz.

Am I the only one who is now thinking that Teixeira wanted to play for the Yankees all along? I know he's a big Mattingly fan. I believe Donnie Baseball is his idol. And wouldn't you think if he really wanted to play for the Red Sox he would have signed that deal like a month ago. The only real contender in the running for Teixeira prior to the Yankees stepping in were the Red Sox. The Orioles and Nationals were fooling themselves if they thought they had a chance. I'm really starting to think that he had no interest whatsoever in playing for Boston. I love it.

My friend and co-worker Jeff thinks that the Yankees are unbelievable for pulling this off, questioning how I could be a fan of this, even calling me an f'n a-hole. The Yankees now have the 4 highest paid players in baseball. So if you're a Yankee fan, fully expect to hear a lot of chatter about the team trying to buy another championship and that the Yankees are bad for baseball. Hogwash I say. Hogwash. As I told Jeff, wait until opening day to see what the Yankees final payroll is. They had $88 million come off the books this year and they still have a shot at coming in under that amount. Even more comes off next year when the contracts of Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon expire. And who is to say that Cashman doesn't have other cost-cutting moves in mind? I think that the Teixeira signing is a precursor to another move as the Yankees outfield just got a lot more crowded. Nick Swisher now joins Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, and Brett Gardner in the OF. Swisher can play CF but I don't see that happening. I wouldn't be shocked if the Yankees find a way to deal Matsui or Damon.

The real question now is how interested are the Yankees in Manny Ramirez? I don't see that happening now but who really knows?

Merry Christmas Yankee fans! Santa Cashman just hooked us up!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Merry Christmas Yankee Fans!!

Just got the text alert from Danny Mac: Buster Olney: Texieira reached agreement with Yankees on 8 year deal worth more than $170 million

Should I start dancing yet??

J-Boogie

WTF???? Teixeira Bronx Bound???

I published my last post about 2 minutes ago. Next thing I hear on XM Radio is that the Yankees are on the verge of signing Mark Teixeira. I checked MLBtraderumors and they of course had the scoop, again courtesy of Jon Heyman. There's a link on that page but it's invalid right now. But this is what the page says:

"The Yankees are on the verge of signing free-agent slugger Mark Teixeira, SI.com has learned."

I'm not getting ahead of myself but hot damn!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

J-Boogie

All I Want For Christmas

OK. This whole Mark Teixeira saga needs to end. And it needs to end with him signing with the Yankees. The latest rumor, courtesy of MLBtraderumors via Jon Heyman at SI.com is that the Yankees are "stepping up their Teixeira talks." Well, it's about time. Heyman refers to it as "an attempt to beat out the rival Red Sox for Teixeira's services." This is absolutely the reason why the Yankees need to get this done. Teixeira is without a doubt the best position player available in the free agent market and keeping him out of Boston would ensure a far weaker Sox lineup. It would be different if the Yankees didn't have a need for Teixeira, but they do. They desperately need a big bat in the middle of the lineup and who better than Mark Teixeira to fill that need? And don't say Manny Ramirez. Manny would certainly improve the Yankee lineup but there are too many question marks. I wouldn't trust him to give the Yankees a solid 3-4 years and not flake out like he did in Boston. Teixeira is the smarter signing and if the rumors are true, it sounds like the Yankees front office is figuring that out.

It was also reported by various outlets that a decision was "imminent" and could possibly come today. I really hope it does. Now that would be one helluva Christmas present for we Yankee fans. Get it done Cash. Get it done!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

I Almost Got Punked, Well Not Really

Okay. This whole Mark Teixeira thing needs to end. I'm sick of this whole will they or won't they dance. Mt friend Danny Mac tried to pull a fast one on me today. He forwards me text alerts he gets from ESPN. This is what I got from him today:

ESPN MLB - Yankees reach agreement with 1B Mark Teixeira worth 5 years and $95 million. Details are not known except for the above being a complete fabrication. LOL.

The first things that caught my eye were the words Yankees, agreement, and Mark Teixeira. For a brief second I was extremely overjoyed and then I saw the terms of the deal and I thought something was off. Danny Mac must have forgotten that Teixeira and his agent are angling for an 8-10 year deal in the $180 million range. It would have been much funnier had he left off the part about it being made up. I probably would have ran with it or at least mentioned the alert and that I couldn't verify it. I really hope the Yankees come through at the last second with a winning bid. I'm convinced that they're going to go after Teixeira or Manny Ramirez. I see the merits of signing both but I think 8 years of Teixeira is better than 3 years of ManRam. Hopefully, this saga ends by Christmas. I'd like to move on from it. Teixeira said before that he wanted it done by the holiday, so it should be happening soon.

In other news, the Yankees and Chien-Ming Wang agreed to a 1 year deal for $5 million. I love Chien-Ming Wang. He's one of my favorite pitchers and I he stays in pinstripes for his entire career. I personally think he's one of the better pitchers in the game and as I've written before, he's an ace. I disagree wholeheartedly with anyone that thinks he isn't. I know wins aren't the best measure of a pitcher but Wang was the 3rd fastest pitcher in the last 50 years to reach 50 career wins. Wang reached the 50 win plateau in his 85th career start. Doc Gooden and Ron Guidry won 50 in their first 82 starts. I don't know anyone that doesn't see those two as aces. You don't win 19 games in back-to-back seasons if you're not a top of the rotation starter. Who knows? We could be talking about back-to-back-to-back seasons if the Wanger knew how to run the bases. He was 8-2 when he went on the shelf last year. Bottom line is Wang wins ball games. The Yankees have a great 1-2-3 combo now that Sabathia and Burnett have joined the fold. I wouldn't be surprised if Wang bests these guys in wins. I think he's that good. $5 million is a steal. Nicely done Yanks.

Finally, if you want to see just how cool of a person Phil Hughes, check this link out. It comes from Zell's Pinstripe Blog. He ran into Phil on a message board and Phil hooked him up with some free swag. It's definitely worth a look and just goes to show how cool Phil really is. If only I collected baseball cards. Signed balls are more my thing.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Catching Up & Some Book Reviews

There hasn't been much to blog about in the last few days. I could have come on and wrote yet another post about Mark Teixeira, but I've been there, done that. There really isn't much more to say. The Angels have apparently pulled out of the deal and I still think he's going to Boston. It sounds like the Yankees are/were deciding on who to pursue, Teixeira or Manny Ramirez? It sounds like they're going after one of them, and unfortunately I think they chose Ramirez. I fully expect Teixeira to sign this week, maybe as soon as tomorrow. Manny won't be far behind. Hopefully, this will all be wrapped up by Christmas. Moving on....

I recently finished 2 Yankee book. The first was "The Greatest Game: The Yankees, The Red Sox, and the Playoff of '78" by Richard Bradley. I started reading it back at the beginning of the 2008 season and something always seemed to pull me away from it. Finally, some 8 months later, I finally finished it. I didn't love the book. Didn't hate it either. It was good, but not great. It was basically the same book as Buster Olney's "The Last Night Of The Yankee Dynasty" only about 20 years earlier. The book was pretty much exactly the same. Each chapter chronicled one half-inning of the game while including a detailed story about one of the major players involved, which was the formula that Buster used for his book. Buster's focused on game 7 of the 2001 World Series. This book had to do with the 1-game playoff between the Yanks and Sox back in 1978. You know, the Bucky F'n Dent game. I thought the strongest and most memorable chapters were the ones centered around Bucky Dent, Carlton Fisk, and Thurman Munson. The rest of the book, though interesting, was a little forgettable. Basically, what it boils down to is if you liked Buster's book, which I did, there's no reason you won't like this one. Same goes if you're a Yankee fan and enjoy reading about the past.

I also recently (today) finished "Yankee For Life: My 40-Year Journey In Pinstripes" by Bobby Murcer and Glen Waggoner. My wife and son got this for me for my birthday and I couldn't wait to start reading it. I've always been a fan of Bobby's and was extremely saddened by his death and this book was a great way to reflect back on his great life. The book was at times hard to read, but only because reading is difficult when you have tears in your eyes. The book drew me in and made me feel like I was part of Bobby's inner-circle. When he wrote about getting the news of his brain tumor, or what it was like going through the tests, surgery, and post-op procedures, I felt like I was right there with him. The charm of the book is that it's written as if Bobby is talking directly to you. It felt like I was sitting in a room, one-on-one with Bobby, and he's telling me all these stories about his life. I enjoyed how he had his wife Kay interject with her thoughts when the topic called for it. I thought that was an interesting dynamic. Two of my favorite parts were when Bobby's children, Todd and Tori, had a little write-up about what it was like being a clubhouse kid. Both mentioned how they were awed by little Kenny Griffey and his athletic prowess. I thought that was kind of funny. Anyone that ever saw Bobby play or listened to him on Yankee broadcasts will enjoy the book. I highly suggest that if you haven't read the book yet, you check it out. You're sure to love it.

It's been snowing here pretty much non-stop since Friday. I was outside shovelling/snow-blowing the driveway 3 times today and I'm sure I'll be out there again come morning. It's intensified a little bit over the last hour or so and I don't think it's supposed to stop. I'm not a fan. With any luck, I'll wake up tomorrow and my driveway will be miraculously spotless. I think the odds of that happening are better than waking up and finding out the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira. One can dream, can't he?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Sox Out Of Teixeira Race???

I just got finished watching the Colts/Jags game (I took the Colts and the over!!) and I figured I'd check MLBtraderumors one more time before bed. This is what I see:

9:58pm: Red Sox owner John Henry said:

"We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

Woah.

This comes from an article on Boston.com. The article states that Sox owner John Henry e-mailed several media members, saying:

"We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

Again, woah.

Now I don't necessarily take this to mean the Sox are out of the running for Teixeira, but woah. As Tim Dierkes put it on his site: "From favorites to out of the bidding."

He posted this at 11pm EST. It's probably a safe bet that more than half of New England hasn't gotten this news yet. Talk about a rude awakening.

I can't wait to see how this plays out.

J-Boogie

ps-I still think he'll somehow end up in Boston.

Cabrera/Cameron Deal Dead?

I was driving home from work today, listening to XM's 24-7 MLB channel like usual. One of the in-between segment news updates (kind of like a news update every 20 minutes) had to do with the recently discussed Brewers/Yankees Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron deal. They way they made it sound was that according to Brewers' GM Doug Melvin, the deal was pretty much dead. Per the news report, the 2 sides haven't spoken since the winter meetings. I surfed around the web to see if I could find any reports about it and surprisingly there were none that I came across. (update @8pm - Kat O'Brien now has it mentioned on her blog)

If it is in fact dead, I won't lose any sleep over it, even though Cameron would be a slight upgrade over Melky Cabrera in my opinion. This is kind of a deal that one could live with or without. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if this deal gets put back on the table at some point.

I could really care less.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

What I Learned Today

Nothing. I learned a whole lot of nothing. No update on Pettitte. No movement on the Melky/Cameron trade. And Teixeira is still on the market with the Yankees reportedly in the mix. Today was pretty much a wasted day.

Maybe tomorrow will bring some updates/news. I still think the Yankees chances for signing Mark Teixeira are slim, but I think the odds that they do are better than they were a few days ago. Am I the only one that thinks maybe the Yankees are waiting to see what happens with Teixeira before they fully commit to the Mike Cameron deal and to the signing of Andy Pettitte? According to Ed Price of the NJ Star-Ledger, the Cameron deal is supposedly done and the decision to pull the trigger is in the Yankees court. We haven't heard any details about the Cashman/Pettitte meeting that took place almost a week ago and I find that kind of odd. Normally, some kind of detail leaks out and we've heard nothing. Isn't that weird? Maybe Cash laid out the Yankees plans for Tex to AP and his offer/signing is based on what happens there? I don't know. I'm totally speculating and grasping at straws. I just hope they're pushing hard for Teixeira. Speaking of which, I also find it odd that we haven't heard anything about the Yankees offer to Teixeira. They're playing this one close to the vest. I really don't know what to make of it.

Hopefully, we don't have to wait much longer.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

The Hot Stove At The Moment Is Cool

Kind of a slow news day out there in the Yankees Universe. I was expecting to hear some news but all was pretty much quiet. No real developments in the Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera Yankees/Brewers trade. There were minor rumblings about it but it's pretty much just a rehash of what we knew already. The 2 sides are still apparently haggling over money.

I also thought that we'd hear something today with respect to Andy Pettitte. Cashman met with him last week and I'm a little surprised that there hasn't been any mention about the meeting and how it went. A rumor surfaced today courtesy of Jon Heyman at SI.com that AP has a 3-year/36 million dollar offer on the table from an unnamed team. I'm not sure I buy that. Anyone that watched Andy Pettitte pitch last year knows he's on the down side of his career and isn't worth a multi-year deal. I don't think that anyone sees AP as a pitcher deserving of $12 million dollars. Quite frankly, I think the Yankees are a little nuts for offering him $10 million, but Pettitte is a beloved Yankee and I can see the organization giving him a little more than he's worth. Andy has said that he only wants to pitch for the Yankees. He's also said that he wants to take the rest of his career on a year-by-year basis. So why is he even considering the 3 year deal, if there even is one? Personally, I think there is no 3 year deal and it's a ploy by Pettitte's agent to get the Yankees to up their offer. I don't really think that's going to happen. I'm inclined to think that Cashman told Pettitte what's what when the two met last week, which is here's $10 million, take it or leave it. The ball has to be in Andy's court right now. Considering he hasn't accepted yet, I'm guessing he's holding out expecting the team to give him more. Do the Yankees throw him a bone and bump the offer up $2 mill? I hope not. I really hope something develops with AP soon. If he does end up having another offer on the table, I don't see him taking it. I've always thought of Andy as having a little more integrity than most, even with the whole HGH thing hanging over his head. If he says he only wants to pitch for the Yankees, than I expect him to end up pitching for the Yankees if he doesn't retire. If he goes anywhere else, he's kind of selling out and his place in Yankees' lore is going to take a hit. At least for me it will.

The more I think about the Yankees rotation, the more I think they should abandon trying to land a 5th starter via free agency. Right now they need a big bat. Someone capable of giving A-Rod a little protection in the lineup. A guy like, I dunno, Mark Teixeira? If I were running the good ship Yankee, I take the $10 million I'm offering Pettitte and the $10 million I'm likely going to end up paying for Mike Cameron, and use it to sign Teixeira. $20 million puts you in Tex's ballpark. I'd much rather see them go into 2009 with a 5th starter of Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, and/or Ian Kennedy. Maybe even a cheaper free agent, like a Braden Looper. I'd much rather see a lineup that features Nick Swisher in CF and Mark Teixeira than Mike Cameron in CF and Nick Swisher at 1B. Makes sense, no?

I'm curious to know what others think. Do the Yankees need a big bat or another SP? Is Andy a sell-out if he plays for another team? Do they really need Mike Cameron? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Teixeira And Manny On Yanks Radar?

According to George King of the NY Post, the Yankees are planning on going after Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez. King's article is based on information he received from "several baseball officials." Back on November 18th, George King reported that the Yankees were preparing an offer to A.J. Burnett for about 5 years and $80 million bucks. His source for that story was "several industry insiders." I blogged about his November article when it was originally posted. Here's what I had to say:

And who exactly are "industry insiders?" That seems like an odd term to use. Wouldn't it have to be either someone with the Yankees if the offer hasn't been made yet? How would anyone else know? It just seems a little odd and I can't get it to add up........ And I still don't buy George King's story. Something about it just smells kind of funny.

As it turns out, George King and his "industry insiders" were dead on about the offer to Burnett. Maybe George has some pretty reliable sources. Here's what those "sources" have to say this time:

According to several baseball officials, the Yankees remain in the Mark Teixeira hunt. But the same connected voices insist if the Yankees don't land the switch-hitting first baseman, they will turn their money toward controversial slugger Manny Ramirez. "If they can't get Teixeira, they are right there on Manny," an official with knowledge of the Yankees' plan said yesterday.

Seems plausible. Every Yankee fan from here to Bangladesh knows that the Yankees need to add a big bat to the lineup. It's been discussed here several times. I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of the average Yankee fan and I'm pretty sure that we'd all want Teixeira over Manny. I know I sure do. He's younger, a switch hitter, a first baseman, he'll cost about the same if not less, he'd be around longer, he won't go to the Red Sox, and you don't have to worry about him flaking out on you. He's better suited for the Yankees.

I'm going to choose to believe George King this time. I questioned him last time and he ended up being right. Maybe my judgement was more clouded last time because I really didn't want them offering that to A.J. Burnett. I totally want the Yankees to make an all-out blitz for Mark Teixeira. I think they'd be fools not too. Teixeira said a few weeks back that he wanted to know where he'd be next year by Christmas, which is 11 days from now. We likely won't have to wait long to see just how interested the Yankees really are. I hope we find out that we're very interested.

And I still want to know the definition of "industry insiders" and "baseball officials." Anybody know?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

ps - Don't forget to join The Boogie Down on Facebook! Scroll down or click here for more info.

The Boogie Down Now On Facebook

I figured I'd get with the times and sign up for Facebook. The whole "social networking" thing is a little new to me but I figured I'd give it a shot. So I signed up and added this blog to their blog network. You can join the blog network by clicking here or by clicking on the link in the left sidebar. One apparently needs 15 "fans" before they'll post links to the blog's content, so if you're on Facebook, please consider joining. I'd appreciate it.

I also created a group called "The Boogie Down (Yankees)." If you search by "Boogie Down Yankees" it should show up. The group will be the Facebook home of the blog. I'm not really sure what that really means, but all the cook kids are doing it, so why not?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

It's Official (Sort Of): Burnett Is Bronx Bound

I left work a few minutes before 5pm. As I was sitting in my car waiting to merge onto the highway, I felt a little vibration in my pocket. I figured it was the wife. I pulled out my cell and it was a text message from my man Danny Mac. I knew it could only mean one thing and sure enough I was right. A.J. Burnett is the newest Yankee. About 2 seconds after I got the text, they reported the same thing on XM via Ken Rosenthal. The text was from ESPN so I'm crediting Jerry Crasnick with breaking the news.

According to the article, a baseball source (would love to know what that means) is reporting that the 2 sides reached a preliminary agreement for 5 years and $82.5 million dollars, which is $16.5 mill per year. I'm not a huge fan of the deal as I'm not really a Burnett guys, but the Yankees desperately need starting pitching and he was arguably the 2nd best available SP next to CC Sabathia. I kind of preferred Derek Lowe To A.J. purely because he's proven to be more durable, but I think Burnett has much better stuff and if he stays healthy, he'll dominate. He's already shown he can pitch pretty well in the AL East and I'm not sure Lowe would fare as well. I'm OK with the signing. It's risky, really risky, but it could pay off huge, assuming he stays healthy.

The Yankees rotation is now pretty stacked if you ask me. The 1-2-3 of Sabathia, Wang and Burnett is arguably the best 1-2-3 combo in the league. That trio is easily capable of pitching deep into ball games. Barring injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if they each top the 200 inning mark. And they all very well could be under the Yankees control for the next-half decade assuming Wang sticks around and CC doesn't opt out of his deal, which I don't see happening unless he absolutely hates pitching in NYC. Now add Joba to the mix. Joba has ace stuff and his only question mark is his ability to stay healthy. He's not going anywhere anytime soon. A 1-2-3-4 of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett and Joba is for my money has the potential to be the best rotation in the game. Joba will likely be on an inning limit this year which will mean his starts are likely going to top out at 20-25. I think the Yankees would be wise to slot those 10-15 starts to Phil Hughes and/or Alfredo Aceves.

The only remaining unanswered question right now is who the Yankees are going to get for the 5th spot in the rotation. I really hope it's a short term deal. Ideally, I'd like to see them bring back Andy Pettitte because it would only be for 1 year. If not Pettitte, the only other short term option I can think of is Ben Sheets. The Yankees have already expressed interest in him and I believe they are reviewing his medical records. sheets is another oft injured pitcher and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Yankees get some unfavorable results from his medical records. I don't think the Yankees would be wise to offer any long term deals to any free agent SPs, which means I think Derek Lowe is now out of the mix. At least I hope he is. If they happen to give someone a long-term deal it pretty much means that there would be no room at the inn for any SPs in the Yankees farm system. If that's the plan, they might as well start exploring deals for Hughes and Kennedy because I think they would be foolish to keep them in the minors beyond the 2010 season. if they're looking long-term, perhaps Cashamn will reach out to the Padres and explore a deal for Jake Peavy. I know Peavy wasn't looking to pitch in the AL but with the Padres inability to deal him to the Cubs, who knows what the Pads or Peavy are now willing to do. My prediction: Pettitte comes back for 1 more year at $12 million.

I think it's pretty safe to say that as of right now the Yankees are the biggest winners this offseason. I think they still need to add 1 big bat. Mark Teixeira would be ideal but I don't see that happening. I wouldn't be surprised if it does though. The Yanks have landed 2 of the top free agent pitchers and they might just want to go for the jugular and send a message to the rest of the league. Signing Mark Teixeira would be a deathblow to the rest of the AL East.

I say they go for it. What say you?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Burnett Bronx Bound?

A.J. Burnett apparently told one of the Yankees players that they were going to be teammates. This comes from an article in the NY Post by George King and Joel Sherman. According to the article, the unnamed Yankee is quoted as saying, "He wants to come to New York - those words came out of his mouth. He really wants to play here."

While I think Burnett is likely going to be a Yankee, I don't put much stock in these reports. I do think they usually turn out to be true, but you never know with these newspaper guys. I am curious to know who the unnamed Yankee is. If there were a name attached to the report, I'd buy into it 100%. For now, I'm taking it for what it's worth....gossip.

According to Ed Price with the NJ Star-Ledger, Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, reported that A.J. is "in decision making mode." According to my friend Jeff, A.J. is supposed to decide today. Not sure where he heard it, but I believe we'll hear something soon.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Winter Meetings Draw To A Close But The Real Fun Is Just Beginning

The winter meetings are over but the next few days will likely still produce a lot of rumors and talk about certain goings on. I'm sure various other sites have used this line but it's fitting. What happened in Vegas ain't going to stay there. The framework for many deals have probably been discussed and laid out before the GMs. It could take a few days to cross some tees and dot some eyes. The hot stove promises to keep roaring probably into sometime next week.

Pete Abraham posted on his blog earlier this evening that the on again off again Melky Cabrera for Mike Cameron Yankees-Brewers trade was indeed on again. One thing I love about the hot stove is the never-ending roller coaster ride. One minute you're sure something is happening. You turn around and it went belly up. Padres and Cubs fans probably know best what I'm talking about. This Cameron/Cabrera was thought to be DOA earlier today. Apparently, it's picked up full steam and the sides will probably reach something out. As I mentioned earlier today, the hang up was reportedly over who was eating Cameron's $10 million dollar salary. That question remains unanswered but I'd have to think some kind of compromise was reached. I don't see the Brewers coughing up that dough.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post reported earlier that Cashman left the meetings a little early to have some face time with Andy Pettitte. Sherman reports that the Yanks will offer Pettitte what they've offered him all along, which is a 1-year deal for $10 million. If you ask me, Pettitte is lucky to get even that. Andy, or maybe I should say his agents, is out of his mind if he thinks he's going to get close to the $16 million he made last year. A $16 mill per year pitcher doesn't go 14-14 with a 4.54 ERA. Andy was God-awful at the end of the year and he should thank his lucky stars that a team is willing to give him an 8-figure pay day. I thought at the end of the season that the team would be wise to just cut the cord and part ways with the beloved Yankee. With the way things are shaping up, I wouldn't mind seeing him back for 1 final year. If I'm Cashman I stick to my guns and I make it very clear. I've got one open spot and it's yours for $10 mill. Take it or leave it. The ball is in your court AP.

If AP turns the Yankees down I think they move their sights to Ben Sheets, assuming of course his medical records are satisfactory. I'm taking Cashman's visit to Texas as a sign that they're not looking to lock up the 5th spot in the rotation with a long-term deal. There were some reports that the Yankees would go after both Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett. If that were the case, I don't think Cashman would have made a house call to the Pettitte residence. The 5th spot in the rotation is eventually going to Phil Hughes. Hughes is probably a year or two away at most of being ready for an everyday gig. If the Yanks were to sign both Lowe and Burnett, the rotation would be shored up for at least 3 years. There's no way they let Hughes stew in the minors for that long. I think the team would be best served by a low cost short term deal for spot #5. It's looking like it might shape up that way.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported earlier that A.J. Burnett was either going to be a Brave or a Yankee. As I mentioned earlier, the Yankees offered A.J. a guaranteed 5-year deal somewhere in the $80-85 million dollar range. Per Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports, the Braves could be working on giving A.J. a guaranteed 5th year as well. Previously they offered 4 years plus what was billed as an "easily attainable" vesting option, meaning the 5th year was all but a given. I don't see the Braves matching the Yankees in terms of dollars but as my friend Jeff says they're now desperate so who knows. We still go back-and-forth with the "no you take him" bit. The Yankees seem like they're targeting Burnett more than they are Derek Lowe. I think I still prefer Lowe to A.J. only because he's proven to be more durable. I think A.J. will put up better numbers but I question whether or not he'll be another Carl Pavano. It's only a matter of time before A.J. signs his contract, whether it's with New York or Atlanta. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens overnight tonight.

And then of course there's Mark Teixeira. The prevailing school of thought is that the Yankees aren't that interested, but I wouldn't be surprised if they make a go at him. They could still drop $20 million on him and still have a payroll south of last year's, which is what Cashman is shooting for. Don't count them out.

It has definitely been a fun and interesting couple of days. Stay tuned because I have a feeling we're just getting started. The real fun is about to begin.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Melky/Cameron Talks Breaking Down??

According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, the deal between the Brewers and Yankees is "in trouble." The sticking point comes down to Mike Cameron's $10 million salary. The Yanks wants the Brewers to eat a portion of what Cameron is owed. The Brewers, obviously, don't want to give the Yanks a dime. Per the article, the chances of something happening are "remote."

I'm fine with the deal even if the Yankees eat the contract. But, if a deal happens to go down and the Yankees do in fact eat the contract, don't you think it would make more sense for the Yankees to hold onto Cabrera, forget about Cameron, and use the $10 million on Mark Teixeira? If you're going to commit $10 mill to Mike Cameron, why wouldn't you just pony up another $10 mill or so and land the best bat in the free agent pool. What makes more sense? A lineup with Cameron and Nick Swisher, or Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher/Melky for an extra $10-15 million? For an extra $10-15 million, I'm going after Tex. If they're truly in the mix for Teixeira, it makes more sense to me to hold onto Melky and use the Cameron money on Teixeira.

Might as well, right?

J-Boogie

Quick Teixeira Update

Jon Heyman at SI.com posted an article that says the Yankees are still in the mix for Mark Teixeira. Heyman mentions exactly what I was thinking, don't just let him go to the Red Sox. The Yankees have the money to spend on Teixeira. The Yankees shed about $88 million from their payroll last year. Sabathia looks to be in for $23 million. If they land Burnett at the reported $85 million, that's 17 million per year. If they sign Burnett, I don't see them signing Lowe, but if they happen to, that's probably at $16-17 million per year. 23+17+17=57. The money for Teixeira is definitely there. I think ti would be a wise move to target Teixeira over a 3rd pitcher.

I hope Heyman is on to something. If you ask me, it would be a wise move. Especially since it would keep him away from the Red Sox.

J-Boogie

Meetings Winding Down But Yanks Stay Active

The winter meetings wind down today and it doesn't look like the Yankees are done making moves. Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News has a story that the Yankees are set to trade Melky Cabrera to the Brewers for Mike Cameron. If it ends up happening, I have no problem with this deal whatsoever. Cameron isn't my ideal choice for the CF job as I don't think he's all that great. But he is definitely an upgrade from the tandem of Melky and Brett Gardner. Melky was absolutely brutal last year. He proved he's no more than a 4th or 5th OF. The Yankees are wise to deal him. Cameron is also buddies with CC, so that doesn't hurt either.

The other "big rumor" from last night also comes from Mark Feinsand. Mark reports that the Yankees are making a big push to sign A.J. Burnett. The offer is reportedly for a guaranteed 5 years at $16 million per year. To quote the article, "the two sides were working into the night on closing a deal." Burnett wants something in the range of $91.5 million, which is what Carlos Zambrano got it his 5 year deal from the Cubs. Man that's a lot of money. And if you ask me, A.J. Burnett is nowhere near as good as Carlos Zambrano. A.J. doesn't deserve that much scratch. The Yankees thankfully agree and aren't willing to go that high. Jerry Crasnick with ESPN has the Yankees offer at about $85 million, which is still waaaaaay too much money. My friend and c-worker Jeff, who comments here as Larry Wayne Jones, is a Braves fan. He and I have been going back-and-forth all week, pretty much saying to each other, "no, you take him." Neither of us are fans of Burnett. We both agree he isn't worth 5 years. It's way too risky. Today though, Jeff was irked because the Yankees were likely going to sign him over Atlanta. He knows that the Braves need him desperately. I'm fine with the Braves signing him. Hopefully they step up to the plate.

I'm still surprised the Yankees aren't going after any offensive upgrades. They just lost their 3 and 5 hitters. I know Posada and Matsui are coming back, but I don't think either of them are suited for the 3 hole. If you move A-Rod up to the 3-spot, I don't see them hitting clean up. Alex is the only clean-up hitter they have right now. I just quickly jotted down a lineup (assuming Mike Cameron is dealt to NY) to see how it looked and this is what I came up with:

1. Damon - LF (lefty)
2. Jeter - SS (righty)
3. ???? (Swisher 1B - switch)
4. A-Rod - 3B (righty)
5. Matsui - DH (lefty)
6. Nady - RF (righty)
7. Posada - C (switch)
8. Cano - 2B (lefty)
9. Cameron - CF (righty)

I'm sorry but Swisher isn't a 3-hitter. I only put him there for lack of a better choice as I think everyone else is best suited where I put them. So do you move Swisher up and move Jeter, maybe even Damon, down a spot? Is Cano worthy of the top of the lineup? I just don't see Posada, Matsui, or Nady as doing well in the 3 or 4 spots. It doesn't make sense to put Nady in between Jeter and A-Rod and have 3 righties in a row. Man, Mark Teixeira's name would look nice in the 3-spot? That lineup would be golden. If anyone else has lineup suggestions, drop 'em on me.

The meetings wrap up today so it could prove to be a pretty active day. Since I started writing this post, there's already a new rumor which throws a twist into the Melky/Cameron deal: The Yankees are also interested in Bill Hall and are looking to expand the deal.

It's going to be a wild day.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! Be Agressive. Be-e Agressive

It's being reported by Jerry Crasnick at ESPN that the Yankees have offered A.J. Burnett a guaranteed 5 year deal. What the dilly? The Yankees are not messing around in their relentless pursuit of the top starting pitchers the free agent market has to offer. First, they sign CC Sabathia to a record breaking contract. They reportedly offer Derek Lowe a 4 year deal. Ben Sheets and Andy Pettitte might have offers. And now oft-injured pitcher A.J. Burnett gets a guaranteed 5 year deal. That's right. Guaranteed. The only other team right now that appears to be a major player for A.J. Burnett is Atlanta, and they desperately need him. I'm not sure though that they're willing to go to the lengths that the Yankees are.

I'm a little confused by the aggressive approach. I know that the rotation is in need of a serious upgrade, but I'm looking ahead at the future and I'm wondering what the plans are for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Let's assume for argument's sake, that this is the Yankees rotation come the start of 2009:

1. CC Sabathia
2. Chien-Ming Wang
3. Joba Chamberlain
4. A.J. Burnett
5. Derek Lowe

I'm not exactly sure how long the Wanger and Joba are under the Yankees' control, but I don't see them going anywhere anytime soon. And if CC, Burnett, and Lowe are locked up for 7, 5, and 4 years respectively, that doesn't leave any room in the rotation for some years to come. I'm really curious what the plans are for Phil and Ian. I'm wondering if Cashman has something up his sleeve. I really like Hughes but it's starting to look like he's not in the Yankees' plans.

Anybody else out there wondering the same thing?

J-Boogie

CC Update & Some Other Stuff

More details are starting to emerge about the mega-deal the Yankees made with CC Sabathia. The contract is rumored to be for 7 years and for $161 million, which is $23 million per year. The deal also includes an opt-out clause, which CC can exercise after 3 years, which would be at the conclusion of the 2011 season. I did read, but can't remember where, that Sabathia was requesting an opt-our clause in any deal he made. I'm not sure how I feel about the inclusion of an opt-out clause. I can understand why he wants it. I can understand why the Yankees gave it to him. It doesn't mean he's going anywhere. But if it's not a match made in heaven, they can part ways. Moving on.....

It sounds like the Yanks are moving in on Derek Lowe. I'm resigned to the fact that the Yanks are going to sign either A.J. Burnett as Derek Lowe. I'd prefer neither, but if I had to pick one, I'd go with Lowe. I think Burnett has better stuff, but Lowe is much more durable and you can bank on him to start 34 games a year. I'd also go with the 4 year deal versus the 5 that Burnett is going to get. But Lowe scares me. I don't think he's that good. Sure he pitched well in LA, but that's a pitcher's park in a pitcher's league. He should do that well in LA. His last 2 years in Boston weren't so hot. Lowe posted an ERA of 4.47 in 2003 and an ERA of 5.42 in 2005. Those numbers scare me. I don't see him fairing any better if he returns to an even tougher AL East. I just don't see it happening.

And finally, according to Jon Heyman at SI.com, Big Bank Hank apparently wants the Yankees to sign Manny Ramirez. I wouldn't necessary mind seeing Manny in the Boogie Down. But I'd much prefer to see Mark Teixeira. If they're going to spend the money on offense, spend it on Tex. Unless some other roster moves are made, the Yankees don't really need another LF/DH.

Ah the hot stove. You have to love all the rumors and whatnot.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yanks Reel In The Big Fish

Well, it sounds official. CC Sabathia is a Yankee. It's been reported and confirmed by multiple outlets (Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal). So it sounds legit. I'm always a little skeptical when these things come out because sometimes it ends up being totally false. But I think this is a done deal.

The deal is being reported as 7 years for about $160 million. It sounds like the Yanks ponied up another year. Hey, whatever gets it done. the Yankees definitely went to great lengths to get this done. Cashman flew to CC's home last night for a 3rd meeting. As soon as that news broke you knew this was money in the bank. This is a huge signing for the Yankees. Kudos to Brian Cashman and the crew for getting it done. Well done boys. Well done.

The rotation now sits at Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang, and Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees are still looking to pick up another SP, as they should be. What happened last year can't happen this year. You can't bank on Hughes/Kennedy to be in the rotation. I think it would be wise to leave them in the minors and let them fill in if a spot opens up due to injury or whatever. I'd be OK with Hughes being the 5th starter, but i think one more year of seasoning would do Philly-boy some good. So it looks like the Yankees need 2 starters. With Hughes waiting in the wings, I wouldn't commit to a long-term deal for one of the starters. They reportedly offered Ben Sheets a 2 year deal. If they bring back Andy Pettitte , that's a 1 year deal tops. I hope the Yanks don't get overzealous and go out and sign Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett. They are without a doubt going to try and land one of them and it will be for 4 or 5 years. That pretty much locks up 4 spots in the rotation for the next 4 to 5 years. If Hughes really is untouchable, which he better be, they can't commit that 5th spot to a long term deal.

I would rather see the Yankees go cheaper and stay away from Lowe and Burnett and maybe go after Oliver Perez. I also think they should strongly consider going hard after Mark Teixeira. I know pitching is the priority, which it should be, but they need to look ahead at the offense. The Yanks will likely lose 1/3 of their lineup next year, assuming they let Nady, Damon, and Matsui all walk. Posada won't be around much longer and I don't think Jeter will be either. It makes a lot of sense to sign a guy like Mark Teixeira. Can you imagine locking up Teixeira and having he and A-Rod together in the lineup for the next 7-10 years? I know Cashman's plan is to shore up the payroll, but it might not be a bad idea to pay some extra scratch this year and make up for it next year when the other contracts expire. Cash is a pretty wise guy so I'm sure it's crossed his mind, right?

Now that CC has signed, the other dominoes should start to fall. I wouldn't be surprised if we see another move from the Yankees before the winter meetings end. The latest rumor is that the Yanks are closing in on Derek Lowe, offering him a 4 year deal for $66 million. Ugh.

I love this time of year.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Can This Be True?? CC Is A Yankee!!

It's 6:45 am, I'm getting redy for work and I feel a little buzz in my pocket. It's a text message from my man Danny Mac. It's from ESPN: The NY Post is reporting that LHP CC Sabathia has agreed to a 6-year deal with the Yankees

If true, I only have to say one thing (for now). To quote the one-named legend known only as McLovin, "Boo yah mother f*****s*"

Here's the link to the NY Post story. Seems like Joel Sherman got the scoop. If true, that's quite the way to start your day. Have to go to work, be back later to discuss it more.

Say No To A.J.

According to SI's Jon Heyman, the Yankees are going to make an offer to A.J. Burnett in the very near future, likely topping Atlanta's offer, which was 4 years/$60 million with a vesting option.

I'm really starting to wonder what to believe. This means the Yankees will reportedly have offers out to Burnett, Sheets, and Sabathia. There's also reported interest in Derek Lowe and Oliver Perez. That's a lot of starters. I understand hedging your bets but it seems like a lot. It makes me wonder if all of these reports are true, or if they're just drummed up to sell papers and get a few web hits.

For the purpose of this post, let's pretend that the Yankees will in fact trump the Braves' offer. I really hope the Yankees stay away from Burnett at the rumored terms. 5 years and $15 million-plus for an oft-injured pitcher who only seems to nut up and get in 200 innings when a new contract is on the line seems like way too much. As I've stated several times here, I'd rather see the Yanks explore other avenues first. They definitely need to upgrade the rotation and land a few pitchers. Burnett makes less sense to me than Sheets and even Oliver Perez. I think those guys could be had at much more favorable terms and would put up similar, if not better, numbers than Burnett.

Not being in Vegas and privy to the Yankees internal discussions, it's hard for anyone to say what's really going on. Who really knows what the Yanks got cooking and if the names we're hearing are even interested in donning the pinstripes? It's sure fun to talk about though.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Monday Meeting Wrap-Up

Day 1 of the winter meetings is now complete and we're really no closer to knowing anything about the state of the 2009 Yankees. The only interesting tidbits that came out last night were that CC Sabathia requested a 2nd meeting with the Yankees brass, and that the Yankees are preparing to make Ben Sheets an offer.

I'm encouraged that CC asked for a 2nd meeting. It shows that he has genuine interest in playing for the Yanks. The meeting was reportedly to talk about the NY area and how it might fit in with his family plans. I take that as a good sign. CC obviously prefers to play on the west coast. I think he's coming to grips that the interest isn't there. Well, there's interest sure, but not at the terms I'm sure he's looking for. He supposedly said he wanted to play for the Dodgers. The Dodgers seem to be focused on upgrading their offense so it doesn't look like the $$ will be there. The Angels still seem to be heavily invested in Mark Teixeira and if they land that big whale they probably won't have the dough to get Sabathia. And I doubt the Giants have the money either. I think CC is realizing that the offer from the the Yankees may be to good to pass up.

It's also being reported by Mark Feinsand of the Daily News that the Yankees are preparing to make Ben Sheets an offer. the rumored proposal is a 2 year deal worth about $30 million. While I think $15 million is a lot for Ben Sheets, I'm a fan of the length of the contract. I would rather see the Yanks take on Sheets for 2 years than commit to AJ Burnett, or even Derek Lowe, for 4 or 5 years. The Yankees have some good arms waiting in the wings and it's not a bad idea to leave openings for them in the near future. Sheets is risky as, like Burnett, he hasn't exactly been the picture of health during his career. I think he's a better pitcher than Burnett and if he can stay healthy, he's definitely a top of the rotation kind of guy. And of course, it's now being reported, by Joel Sherman of the NY Post, that the Yankees haven't decided on whether or not to offer Sheets a deal. Expect a lot more of this throughout the winter meetings. There always seems to be someone that contradicts somebody else. In this case, I'm believing Mark Feinsand, but we'll see.

The winter meetings are fun, aren't they?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Winter Meeting Updates

I came across these updates over at FoxSports.com. They were posted by Ken Rosenthal.

12:49 p.m. — Dodgers, Yanks talk trade
As the Dodgers try to resolve their infield, they are again talking to the Yankees about a trade for second baseman Robinson Cano. The teams have resumed their discussions about Cano at the winter meetings, according to one source.
The Dodgers also are interested in Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera, and the Yankees likely would want outfielder Matt Kemp and pitching in return.
The Dodgers' interest in Cabrera is a sign that they might not be confident of Andruw Jones making a strong return in 2009. The Dodgers also need to find a match for Juan Pierre, who has requested a trade.

I really hope that the Yankees aren't looking to deal Cano. I think that would be a huge mistake. If you ask me, HOF-caliber 2Bs are hard to come by. A lot of people have compared Cano to HOFer Rod Carew. Cano has a solid glove and has the potential to be one of the best hitters in the game. I know the Yankees will have a lot of OF openings next year and Kemp would fit in, but OFs are a dime a dozen. Finding a good OF is a lot easier than finding a good 2B. They have a poll on FoxSports asking if the Yanks should trade Cano. 31% say no, 69% say yes if the package is right. The only thing that makes the package right for me is Chad Billingsley. If he's not part of the package, I sit on Cano. Cano's troubles all stem from a lack of motivation and focus. It's Joe Girardi's job to get 100% from him. Torre and Bowa wrote the book on how to get 100% from Cano. Girardi should be able to follow the blueprints that they laid down.

UPDATE (3:15pm): According to Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, the Yankees and Dodgers haven't resumed any talks about a Cano/Kemp deal. It wouldn't be the winter meetings if there weren't conflicting reports. Doubt it will be the last time it happens.

12:31 p.m. — Burnett shows interest in Yanks
A.J. Burnett seems more interested in pitching in New York than CC Sabathia, the Yankees' other top free-agent target. While Sabathia sits on the Yankees' offer of the richest-ever pitching contract and reportedly met with GM Brian Cashman, Burnett has reached out to former Yankee Carl Pavano, who did not steer him away from the Yankees. Pavano, who did not enjoy his New York experience, told Burnett "he has the stuff to pitch there," according to a major-league source. --Ed Price

So A.J. asked Carl Pavano what NY was like? Interesting. Burnett always struck me as the type who would say, if asked, that it was a dream of his to put on the pinstripes. I still hope he goes elsewhere, specifically to Atlanta. I still don't think he's worth the price. There is a lot of risk with taking on the injury-plagued Burnett and I don't think the risk is worth the reward.

Nothing major has gone down but it's still early. I'm hoping to hear something "official" from the Yanks on Cashman's meeting with CC. Apparently, Cash brought Reggie Jackson and Joe Girardi along. Here's hoping Mr. October can deliver in December.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Vegas Baby! Vegas!

I haven't been around the blogosphere much today but I can guarantee I'm not the only person to use "Vegas Baby" in their blog post. It's just so apropos. So it's the eve of the winter meetings and I ave to say I'm pretty excited. I'm expecting some big things to go down this week. I wouldn't be surprised if all the big name free agents find homes by the time the meetings draw to a close. Unless of course nobody wants to be the first domino to fall. I saw that Peter Gammons was reporting that CC Sabathia is waiting to see what the Angels do with Mark Teixeira. He also reported that Derek Lowe was waiting for Sabathia to set the market. I didn't catch what Teixeira was waiting on but with Scott Boras at the helm, who knows?

Cashman was expected to meet with CC today. I haven't read anything yet about the meeting so who knows what's going down? I think we'll know soon though. I don't think Cashman will wait long if he gets the feeling that CC isn't that interested. At least I hope he doesn't. And quite honestly, I don't think he is. This meeting could be Cashman's chance to sell CC on pitching and living on the east coast. But if CC is really waiting to see what the Angels do with Teixeira, I take that to mean he's not all that high on pitching for the Yankees. Maybe it's just a 2 horse race for CC's services. If the Angels land Teixeira I don't see them having the dough to also sign CC. The problem there is that Teixeira wants to play on the east coast. So here we have Teixeira who wants to play on the east coast and is being coveted by a west coast team. And then we have Sabathia who wants to play on the west coast and is being highly sought after by an east coast team. It looks to me like the ball is in the Angels' court. I'm really curious to see how that all plays out.

This should be an interesting week to say the least. I'm curious to see who'll be the first big guy to sign and when. If I had to guess on a who and when, I'd guess A.J. Burnett will sign with the Braves tomorrow. He seems to be the guy that's on his own agenda and isn't waiting on anybody else. I kind of hope he does sign with the Braves because that will get him off the Yankees radar. I'm starting to come around to the idea of the Yankees signing Ben Sheets, assuming he declines the Brewers offer for arbitration. I think Sheets has better stuff than Burnett and he should come at a lower cost. If he can stay healthy, he's an ace for sure.

I've been waiting all offseason for the hot stove to start roaring. I really have the feeling that this will be the week that we've all been waiting for. Let the games begin.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Cash Is A Busy Boy

As it turns out, Brian Cashman didn't fly out to California to meet with the devil, err, I mean Scott Boras. Cash took a trip to Washington, DC where he met with Boras as well as Mark Teixeira. According to Tyler Kepner of the NY Times, the meeting with Teixeira came at the request of Scott Boras. So Boras requested Cashman meet with Teixeira? That's a little odd don't you think?

There are only 2 reasons I can think of why Boras would want this meeting to take place.

1. Mark Teixeira wants to play for the Yankees
2. Scott Boras wants the Yankees involved for Teixeira's services so he can maximize the dollars he receives

Scott Boras is a pretty shrewd guy. As much as I want to believe that Teixeira wants to play for the Yanks, I think scenario #2 is much more likely and was the primary motivation for the sit down request. Fingers are crossed though that #1 is it. Teixeira would be a huge addition to the Yankees lineup. I know the primary focus this offseason is pitching, as it should be, but landing Teixeira would be huge for the Yankees. If the Yankees fail to land the big free agent pitchers, I can't see how they won't make a big push for Teixeira.

When I heard yesterday that Cashman was meeting with Boras, I immediately thought that there was more to the meeting than talking about Derek Lowe. I couldn't see Cash flying across the country for a meeting to discuss just Lowe. To me that wouldn't be worth the trip. You know there was more on the agenda and it looks like Texieira was a primary point of discussion. Cashman must have a few more pots boiling on the hot stove. I like it.

Cash's next focus is a sit-down with the CC, which is rumored to be happening sometime this weekend. Hopefully, the Yanks get their answer from him be it good or bad. CC is obviously Yankee target numero uno. They need to know what the big guy's intentions are and they need to know soon. I think it's a wise move to try and meet with CC, especially before the winter meetings. A decision from CC would certainly help the Yankees set a game plan for the winter meetings. Cashman can't go into Vegas without having a plan. If CC leaves the team in limbo, Cash isn't going to be able to effectively execute his plan, whatever it may be. We very well could know what's going to happen by Sunday night. God, I hope we do. If CC is still non-committal, which is likely if he's waiting on the west coast teams to join the party, I think the Yanks need to withdraw the offer and move on. I want CC as much as everybody else, but in the long run his indecision is going to do the Yanks more harm than good. Even though Vegas is in the desert, ships are going to be sailing out of that port next week. I'll be pretty ticked if the Yankees miss out because they're waiting on Sabathia.

What happens in Vegas isn't going to stay in Vegas.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

A Case Of Shoddy Journalism?? Me Thinks Yes

I hopped online after "My Name Is Earl" to see if there were any breaking developments in the world of MLB. My home page is set to Yahoo. As soon as it popped up, a headline immediately caught my eye: A-Rod chooses to play for Dominican Republic instead of U.S. I click on the link and the title reads: A-Rod to play for Dominican in WBC. It's not quite the breaking development I was hoping for, but it'll do. It's something. And then I read the article.

In my opinion, the article is a classic POS. Gordon Edes, the author of the article, writes it as if it's fact, when in fact it's based on pure speculation. Edes draws the conclusion that A-Rod is playing for the DR because David Ortiz says he wants to. Edes writes, “He wants to play for the Dominican team,” Ortiz said by telephone Thursday. “We’ll talk about it now after he gets here, and he’ll probably announce it here.” (Alex is playing in a Ortiz'z charity golf tourney this weekend.)

The next paragraph of the article reads:

Ortiz said he has not spoken recently with Rodriguez about his intentions, but that as far back as the All-Star Game last July in New York, he said A-Rod had expressed a desire to play for the Dominican Republic

So A-Rod is playing for the DR because he mentioned to Ortiz that he wanted to back in July, and hasn't reaffirmed that intention with anyone since. Yeah, that definitely sounds like he's playing for the DR! Now I could really care less who Alex plays for in this year's WBC. If he wants to play for the DR and not the US, no problem with me. I won't feel shunned at all. It's not really that big a deal and it's not the point of this post. It's just annoying when sports writers pass gossip and speculation off as fact. Don't know why it annoys me so much, but it does. I'd be totally fine with it if the article and it's headlines were written differently. How hard would it have been to include the word "possibly" as in A-Rod might possibly play for the DR. Would that have been so hard?

If I were a betting man, I'd bet my hard-earned duckets that Alex does end up playing for the DR. I really hope though that he doesn't, just so Edes looks like the douche that I take him to be. This article strikes me more as a vehicle to start some Alex-bashing than anything else.

I'm curious to know if anyone out there thinks I'm the dope here that's totally misreading the article. Please feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.

J-Boogie

Yanks Giving Burnett The 5th Year?

Saw this over at MLBtraderumors. Ken Davidoff at Newsday mentions that the Yankees are willing to give A.J. Burnett a vesting option for a 5th year. I'm not 100% on the definition of vesting option, but I think it means that the 5th year would automatically kick in if A.J. were to meet certain stipulations. For example, if A.J. pitches a minimum of 180 innings in year 4, the 5th year automatically kicks in. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure it's something along those lines.

I would much prefer this to a guaranteed 5th year. There are a lot of red flags when it comes to Burnett. I don't think he's proven himself worthy of a guaranteed 5 year deal. He needs to earn it and a 5th year vesting option would be ideal. If the Yanks happen to sign him, I still wouldn't be overly thrilled. I know he's one of the best options available and the Yankees rotation is in need of a lot of help. He would definitely better the ball club, but I just don't trust him to perform. I'm not sold on the guy as being legit. He has the stuff physically, but I'm not sure if it's there mentally.

It probably won't matter anyway. The Braves are reportedly giving him a guaranteed 5th year which I think is enough to get him to sign with Atlanta. The stove is heating up. Hope some things happen soon.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

The Way-ay-ting Is The Hardest Part

Ho hum ho hum. Not much news happening out there in Yankeeland. All has been pretty quiet since the Yankees offered CC his big fat offer. No major developments. Not hot juicy rumors. Nothing. The suspense is killing me. I want to know where CC is headed. I don't think we'll have to wait too much longer. I really think something will be done by the end of the winter meetings. That always seems to be the time when big deals get brokered and announced. I'm still thinking that CC is going elsewhere. I can't help but think he would have signed already if he wanted to come here. Surprisingly though, there haven't been any other offers that have been mentioned. I find that kind of odd. Are the other teams not really that interested in CC? His agent has to know what kind of interest there is, right? You'd think if there were no interest, we already would have seen CC's mug plastered on TV with a Yankees cap superimposed on his dome. But that hasn't happened? So what the heck is going on? What's everybody waiting for? I'm dying over here. Give me something.

My friend Jeff (aka Larry Wayne Jones) was telling me at our weekly meeting of the minds, which is lunch at Fuddruckers, that the Braves were going to pony up the 5th year for A.J. Burnett. According to MLBTradeRumors, that's the word on the street. If it's true, I think Burnett signs that contract with the quickness. I think any team would be silly to give A.J. a 5 year deal. I just wouldn't commit to that much time and money for a guy with A.J.'s track record. I also think he's overhyped. I was never really big on the idea of him pitching in pinstripes. He may be thought of as the "2nd best" free agent pitcher out there, but I don't think the risk is worth the reward. I will not be disappointed at all if he doesn't play for the Yankees.

I really think the Yanks are going to come up on the short end of the stick when it comes to landing the any of top free agent pitchers. If they end up striking out on CC, Burnett, and Lowe (another guy I can live without), I don't see how they don't go all out for Mark Teixeira and/or Manny Ramirez. They're going to have to outslug a lot of teams if they're pitching isn't up to snuff. I know signing Manny would give the Yankees another OF/DH type, which they don't really need, but Brian Cashman could get creative with the roster. I can see him moving Damon to CF for the year and letting Gardner and/or Melky stew in the minors, or be the 4th OF. I can see him trading Damon and plugging Manny into LF. I can see him dealing Matsui and making Manny the DH. Cashman would have many options and Manny would make the Yankees offense exponentially better. Manny is arguably the best right handed hitter to have ever stepped onto a baseball field. Imagine putting him behind A-Rod? Ouch. And there are going to be a lot of openings in the OF come 2010. Manny might not be bad to have around. I only advocate going after him if the market runs dry on top pitchers. Same with Teixeira. Pitching should be, and rightfully is, the top priority this offseason.

I really think as soon as one of the top free agents sign, be it a pitcher or position player, a chain reaction is going to occur where they all sign one after another. The winter meetings kick off this Monday in Vegas and where better to have that all go down. I have the feeling a lot is going to happen in Vegas, and it's not going to stay there.

It should be an exciting, and hopefully eventful, week.

Peace, love, and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie