Yankees Reportedly Acquire Javier Vazquez From Atlanta

The Yankees have reportedly acquired Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves. The pieces reportedly being sent to Atlanta are Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, and Arodys Vizcaino. The Yanks will also reportedly get Boone Logan. When I heard the rumors this morning that the Yankees were close to landing a starter, Vazquez wasn't who I was hoping for (Josh Johnson) but he'll do. The Yankees didn't really give up much so for me the deal is a win. And at least it's not Derek Lowe or Aaron Harang. I was really hoping they weren't the target.

I have no problem whatsoever with the Yankees dealing Melky Cabrera. I've always maintained that he's nothing more than a 4th OF. I like him, sure, but I've never been high on him. His career OPS is .716. I'm definitely not a fan of that. He has a great arm, which will be missed, but losing that isn't the end of the world. I think Cashman was smart to deal him now because his value is as high as it's going to get. Cash was smart to deal him now.

Trading Melky now opens up a hole in the OF. The OF as it stands now is Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Brett Gardner. There is no chance whatsoever that the Yankees will run those 3 out there on opening day. The door for Johnny Damon's return has been reopened. Or perhaps the Yanks will go big and go after Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. I think it's a safe bet that the Opening Day LF will be one of those three.

Mike Dunn was a promising young left-handed RP, but that's easily replaceable. I'm fine with him being dealt. And I'm not real familiar with Vizcaino. No loss there. I have no problem with dealing prospects. You never know what you're going to get from them. They could easily bust.

Speaking of not knowing what you'll get, I wonder what Javier Vazquez the Yanks just got. The bum that was traded after 1 season or the guy who's excelled in recent years? I hope it's the latter. As I said above, he's not the guy I preferred, but acquiring him definitely upgrades the rotation. We're now looking at a rotation of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Javier Vazquez, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. That's definitely better than it was yesterday. It looks like one of those last 2 is definitely pitching out of the pen in 2010. I hope it's Joba. I think Hughes is the better pitcher and has the tools to succeed as a SP. I think Joba is better suited for the bullpen. Something tells me though that Joba-mania will be the 5th SP coming out of Spring Training. Unless of course, Cashman has plans to deal one of the two. I don't think it's wise to do that at this point. In all likelihood this is Pettitte's last year. Whoever isn't in the rotation this year should be able to fill that role. We'll see.

Next up: signing a LF. I'd expect this to happen next and happen soon. If it doesn't happen today, I think it will happen by Christmas. I'm predicting they'll resign Johnny Damon. I wouldn't mind seeing Holliday come to town, but I think for payroll reasons, it'll be Damon.

Thoughts anyone? Good deal for the Yanks? Bad deal? What do you want to happen next? Lay it on me.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

My Christmas Wish:Yankees Trade Nick Swisher & Sign Johnny Damon

According to the NY Times' Tyler Kepner (via Twitter), Johnny Damon asked the Yankees about a 2 year deal for $20 million bucks on Thursday night. The Yankees though had the Nick Johnson deal in place so signing Damon apparently wasn't an option. As I wrote earlier, the Johnson signing probably ends Damon's time with the Yankees. I hope it doesn't.

The reason people think Damon's time with the Yanks is over is because the Yankees already have 4 OFs (Melky Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner) and Nick Johnson has no option but to DH since he's not playing over Mark Teixeira. Basically, there's no room for Johnny. I say make the room. Here's how: trade Nick Swisher.

Nick Swisher is under contract for 2 more years. He's slated to earn $6.75 million in 2010 and $9 million in 2011. Do the math and that works out to $15.75 million for 2 years. I'll gladly take Damon for 2 years @ $20 million than Swisher for 2 years @ $15.75 million. That's an extra $2 million and change per year for Damon. Sign me up.

The Yankees OF with Damon would be Damon in LF, Granderson in CF, and Melky in RF. With Swisher, it would likely be Melky in LF, Granderson in CF and Swisher in RF. The Yankees would benefit by having Melky's arm in RF as opposed to LF and more ground is going to be covered with Damon in the OF than with Swisher. The defense would be improved with Damon in and Swisher out.

I also think Damon is better offensively than Swisher. I can't get past Swisher's inability to hit with runners on. It's why I call him "The Rally Killer." Swisher was a .227 hitter last year with RISP. With RISP and 2 outs, Swish hit .163. With the bases loaded he hit .158. That's brutal. You have to go back to 2007 to find some respectable numbers for Swisher in the situational stats department.

Damon was pretty clutch last season, hitting .299 with RISP, .254 with RISP and 2 outs, and .375 with the bases loaded. He was even better in 2008 and every year before that was definitely respectable.

Damon hits for a much higher average (.288 career to Swisher's .245). They both hit for similar power (Damon career SLG = .439, Swisher career SLG = .460) and the OBP is similar as well (.355 career for Damon to Swisher's .357) Damon strikes out less (2009: 98 to 126) and hits into fewer DPs (2009: 9 to Swisher's 12). Damon is also faster. No matter how you break it down, JD gets my vote.

I know pulling this off isn't as simple as it sounds. The biggest obstacle is finding a trading partner for Swisher. And it has to be one that's willing to take on the whole contract. I'm not sure who out that has interest but I'd have to think someone would be willing to take him on. It would also depend on what Damon's final salary would be. If it were much higher than the $20 million, I might change my tune. My Christmas wish is to see Johnny return and to see Swisher get the boot. I doubt it will shake down that way, but one can hope.

So what say you? Swisher or Damon? All things considered, who do you prefer and why? I'm curious to know if there are any Swisher supporters out there. You definitely won't find one here.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Welcome Back Nick Johnson? So Long Johnny Damon? Trade Nick Swisher?

There are various reports out floating around out there that the Yankees are on the verge of signing former Yankee Nick Johnson to a 1-year deal for a reported $5.5MM. I didn't see that coming but I can get behind it, sort of.

Johnson is a first baseman. The Yankees already have one of those in Mark Teixeira and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Johnson's role would have to be as a DH with the occasional spot start at 1B to give Tex a little breather. Hmm, interesting. The Yankees let Hideki Matsui walk and they bring in Nick Johnson. Matsui signed a 1-year deal with the Angels for $6.5 million and the Yanks sign Johnson for $5.5 million. I'm sorry but for the extra million, I'm taking Matsui. I know Matsui has bad knees and can't really play the field anymore, but it's not like Nick Johnson is the poster boy for being healthy. Nick missed all of 2007, played in 38 games in 2008, and in 133 in 2009. Both bring a lot to the table offensively. I think Matsui is capable of bringing a little more. He hits for a higher average and has a little more pop in his bat. I like Godzilla swinging for the fences in Yankee Stadium than I do Nick Johnson. Johnson gets on base a lot (career OBP of .402) and that's awesome, but I still prefer Matsui, especially if we're only talking about a million bucks. i think the Yanks made a mistake here.

If the Johnson signing goes through, which it probably will, Johnny Damon's time with the Yankees may be coming to an end. The Yankees have their OF right now (Granderson, Melky, Swisher, Gardner) and Johnson would be the DH. Sorry Johnny, but right now, the inn is closed. I suppose there's still a possibility that Johnny returns. I would love to see Cashman trade Nick Swisher and resign Damon. Damon could play LF and Melky could play RF. I have to think Cash is at least kicking the tires on this. There was a rumor floating around that Damon was seeking at least $13 million per year and that claim is now being denied by Scott Boras. If the money works out, I hope they find a way to bring Johnny back. Sign Johnny and trade "The Rally Killer" aka Nick Swisher. Swisher is due $6.75MM this year and $9MM in 2011. If you can get Damon for 1-2 years at $10 per, I jump all over it. Assuming of course that Cashman can find a home for Swisher. God, I hope this happens. I'm not a Swisher guy. Deal him.

Is it time for pitchers and catchers to report yet?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

A Busy Day In Baseball And The Yankees Aren't Involved

Wow. Talk about a flurry of Hot Stove activity. Yesterday was a pretty busy day in MLB. The Yankees weren't involved but the major moves all impacted the Yankees in some way shape or form.

Hideki Matsui signed a 1-year deal with the Angels. After the Yankees traded for Curtis Granderson at the Winter Meetings, it was pretty clear that the Yankees weren't going to bring back both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. The majority of people out there , myself included, thought of the two, Damon was preferred over Matsui. There really wasn't much talk out there about the Yankees having real interest in Matsui. I'm not at all surprised by that. Matsui's role would have been as a pure-DH. I'm not a fan of that. I like the flexibility of having a guy who can play the field. I'm definitely sad to see Matsui go, but it's definitely time for the Yankees/Matsui union to end. All the best Godzilla. Thanks for many years of valuable contributions.

We can all cross Roy Halladay off our Christmas wish-lists as the Blue Jays have dealt him to the Phillies. It would have been nice if Cashman Claus could have stuffed Doc in our stockings but I guess it wasn't meant to be. It would have been nice to land Halladay but the acquisition price was going to be steep, probably too steep. It's tough to pony up some MLB-ready players, top prospects and a boatload of cash for a guy. I'm definitely OK with the Yankees holding on to what they have. I'm really looking forward to Jesus Montero in Pinstripes. If Halladay came to town, odda are said that wouldn't have happened. I'm glad that Halladay was sent to the NL. The East just got a little easier. And at least he didn't go to Boston. Works for me.

the rival Red Sox had a bust day, signing Mike Cameron and John Lackey. I could care less about the Cameron signing. He's been linked to the Yankees for years now and I'm sure he was a target of Cashman's, but I've never been a fan of his. I'm glad he's not a Yankee. The signing works into the Yankees favor as it takes another team of the list of possible destinations for Johnny Damon. It should give the Yankees better leverage in those negotiations. The Lackey signing came out of nowhere, didn't it? It's huge for Boston. Their rotation is now arguably one of the best in the game. Beckett, Lackey, Lester, Dice-K, Wakefield, and Buchholz. Not too shabby. I wouldn't be surprised if Buchholz gets dealt soon. The Sox could definitely afford to deal him. The East just got a little tougher. I'm curious to see if this causes the Yankees to do anything impulsive. I really don't see Cashman doing anything rash, but who knows? The division is pretty much a toss-up right now.

After a busy week last week, the Yankees hot stove has cooled off a little bit. I think we'll know whether or not Damon is coming back by Christmas. I hope the Yankees wrap that up soon. I'd hate to see Jason Bay and Matt Holliday sign before Damon as it'll give Johnny a little more leverage in contract negotiations. I think the Yankees next signing is going to come in the form of a RP. I'm not even sure who I want to see them go after. My head is still spinning from yesterday. It was definitely a fun day.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Wrapping Up The Week That Was In The Yankees Universe

I think when I last left off the Yankees had just resigned Andy Pettitte. I can't believe that I haven't blogged since Wednesday. I think the horrible weather we had up here in Buffalo (24 inches of snow in about 36 hours--I spent 4 hours shoveling) and the weekend took me out of it. So please, allow me to catch up:

The rest of the Winter Meetings were pretty uneventful. The Yankees got to pick 1st in the Rule 5 draft (pick acquired from Washington in Bruney trade) and they selected Jamie Hoffman, an OF I've never heard of from the Dodgers. From what I've gathered, Hoffman is projected to someday be an everyday player but right now he's targeted for the bench. I wish I had more to say on him but something tells me he's not going to hang around the Yanks and I wouldn't be surprised if he's not with the team when they head north.

Chien-Ming Wang was officially non-tendered by the Yankees, while Melky Cabrera, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre were issued contracts. I understand why the Yankees didn't offer CMW a deal. The uncertainty over the health of his arm coupled with the salary CMW would get didn't make it a smart business move. I'm a little disappointed that CMW, for the time being, is no longer a Yankee. I'm not a fan of just letting him go. CMW has pitched exceptionally well in the past and there's no reason to think he can't replicate that success if he's truly healthy. His poor performance can directly be tied to his injuries. I hope there is a way that the two sides can come together. You can never have enough pitching and I'd prefer CMW to Gaudin, Mitre or any Yankee farmhand. The Yanks always seem to find these horrifically bad reclamation projects (Sidney Ponson comes to mind) that just don't work out. So why not Wang? It's all about the benjamins. I totally get not paying him close to what he earned last year. I hope they get creative (incentive-laden contract) and figure out a way to bring him back as I think he'd do really well, if he's healthy. I'd really hate to see him go.

Am I missing something? Not much comes to mind to discuss other than the run-of-the-mill rumors that surround every free agent. That's for a different entry. Overall though last week was pretty good for the Yankees. I think they definitely came out of the Winter Meetings as the biggest winner. I don't think that can be disputed. If you'd like to try, let me know.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

It's Official: Pettitte's Back With The Yankees

Well that didn't long. Andy Pettitte is officially back with the Yankees. The team signed him to a 1-year deal worth a reported $11.75mm. It's a very smart signing. AP earned himself the contract. He had a solid year for the Yanks last season, earning a little more than $10mm one all was said and done. The contract is definitely fair and both sides should feel good about the deal.

Andy was one of the better FA pitchers on the market and bringing him back definitely strengthens an already improved team (Granderson). The rotation is shaping up but still could be improved. As of now the rotation is Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte. As of now, I'd think Hughes and Chamberlain would round out the rotation. I don't think the Yankees are ready to roll with that. I don't think Cashman is done wheeling and dealing. There's been a few names floating around that the Yankees have interest in (Ben Sheets, Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Kelvin Escobar, John Lackey, Roy Halladay), but nothing substantial is developing. There's still plenty of time.

It's been a pretty active few days for the Yanks. I wouldn't be surprised if Cashman has another move or two he drops on us before the WM conclude tomorrow. Next up: Johnny Damon perhaps?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Andy Pettitte Come On Down, You're The Next Contestant On "Play In Pinstripes"

Jon Heyman is tweeting that the Yankees will reach a deal with Andy Pettitte by the end of the day. If true, and I believe it is, this is great news for we Yankee fans. Andy had a rock-solid year last season and bringing him back is the right move.

More later, once it's official.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yankees Deal For Curtis Granderson

Well, that didn't take long. The reported 3-team blockbuster deal that's been swirling around the rumor mill all day is apparently a done deal. The deal as it's being reported is as follows:

From Yankees to Detroit: Phil Coke and Austin Jackson
From Yankees to Arizona: Ian Kennedy
From Detroit to Arizona: Edwin Jackson
From Arizona to Detroit: Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth
From Detroit to Yankees: Curtis Granderson

I think I have the moving part right. From a Yankees standpoint, the deal breaks down to be Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson and Phil Coke for Curtis Granderson. The Boogie Down gives the deal a thumbs-up.

I wrote in mid-November that if the Yankees had the chance to make a deal for Granderson they should go after it. I wrote that I wouldn't give up Hughes/Joba and Austin Jackson. Kennedy and Jackson is definitely a downgrade over that tandem. Phil Coke is garbage so throwing him in to get it done works for me. But, I also wrote in November that I didn't want them to give up Jackson at all. Apparently, I re-thought that stance this morning when I saw the proposed deal.

As I wrote this morning, I'm ok with dealing unproven prospects for proven players. You never know what is going to become of a highly touted prospect. A lot of them flame out and never amount to anything. That possibility exists with A-Jax. He could be a HOFer. He could be nothing more than a AAAA OF. Who know? Time will tell on that. With Granderson, we know what to expect. He has speed, has a good bat with some pop, struggles against LHPs, and plays a great CF. He has a few shortcomings, but I like what he brings to the table and I think the pluses out weight the minuses.

So it looks like the OF right now is Swisher in RF, Granderson in CF, and Melky in LF. The question now becomes what to do with Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. I'd have to think that the Granderson deal means Matsui is as good as gone. I think if the Yankees wanted to still bring back one of them, Damon makes more sense. I think there's still a good chance that the Yankees will bring back Damon. Personally, I would prefer to see Damon in LF, Melky in RF, and Swisher can DH. Damon brings flexibility to the team because he can play the field and can DH. I also think the Yankees need him at the top of the lineup. Granderson whiffs too much and has too low an OBP to hit 2nd. I think the Yankees are still in on Johnny Damon.

I think this deal also probably closes the door on dealing for Roy Halladay and rules out signing Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. There's a chance they could still be in play for Halladay but I think without A-Jax and IPK to deal, it means that Hughes or Joba AND Jesus Montero would have to go. They'll have to get creative though. I'd like to see them hold onto Montero and Hughes. i'm more than OK with them dealing Joba. We'll see. Ideally, Doc stays in Toronto and the Yanks nab him as a FA next year. Fingers crossed.

So what do you guys think? Thumbs up or thumbs down on the Granderson deal? Any other thoughts about how things are shaping up? Still 2-plus days left until Winter Meetings wrap up. I'm sure there's still a lot to come.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Granderson To Yankees Picking Up A Little Steam

According to the most current updates over at MLBTradeRumors, the deal to bring Curtis Granderson to the Yankees is picking up a little steam. Both Jon Heyman and Mark Feinsand seem to agree. It sounds like the Tigers are willing to come down a little on the price, meaning, as Feinsand writes, the Yanks could probably "downgrade" one of the pitchers, likely Dunn. Buster Olney "confirms" the talks are continuing and "sources" say the odds of something happening are in the 20-30% range. Head spinning yet? No? There's also mention on ESPN's site is that the Yankees could get both Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson. I don't see that happening so I'm not even going there.

Jon Heyman has a new tweet since I started writing this post. The Yanks would get Granderson and would give up Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson, and Phil Coke. No more Mike Dunn. No more prospects to the Yankees. At least that's how I'm reading it. I wrote earlier today I thought the Yanks were giving up too much and could get more. I could get behind the deal as it was this morning. I could get behind it as Heyman has it. Time will tell what's going to happen. Gut feeling says it'll get done and it'll get done soon.

Ah, the Winter Meetings. You gotta love it.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yankees Involved In A Potential Big Trade

I went to bed last night around 10:15 and woke up today around 6:30. Within 5 minutes from waking up, I was on MLBTradeRumors, checking to see if any late-night action went down at the Winter Meetings. Apparently, the Yankees were involved in a potential 3-team "blockbuster" that would have landed the Yankees Curtis Granderson. It's being reported today that the deal is unlikely and it mentions that the Yankees felt the price was too high. I'm all for bringing in Curtis Granderson, but the reported "blockbuster" was a little too costly in my opinion.

If you break down the "rumored" deal, the Yankees were getting Granderson from Detroit and some unnamed prospects from Arizona in exchange for Ian Kennedy, Austin Jackson, Phil Coke and Mike Dunn. It's a little costly for the Yankees. Not much, but a little. I'm a little on the fence but my initial reaction was that the price is too high. I'm all for dealing prospects for proven talent. With Granderson you know what you're going to get. Despite his shortcomings against lefties, CG is a really good, and proven, player. Coke and Dunn are expendable middle relievers. Kennedy has the stuff but hasn't been able to put it together on the big league level. Austin Jackson is probably the best prospect the Yankees have but again, he's just a prospect. He could easily prove to be a big bust.

So it'd be Curtis Granderson ( a good and proven player) for 4 guys that may or may not ever really contribute at the big league level. If the deal happened, I'd be fine with it. But if you ask me, the Yankees should be able to get a lot more for that package than Curtis Granderson and some prospects. I'm sure if you pulled out Kennedy and added in Joba, you might have something decent in terms of a Halladay offer. I doubt Coke and Dunn are of interest to the Jays but the foundation of a deal (Joba and Jackson) is there. Who knows? I think the Yanks could get a little more for those guys if they're truly willing to part with them.

If the Yanks happen to bring in Granderson, it's a safe bet that Damon and/or Matsui won't be back. Maybe one will to DH (I prefer Damon), but there would be no chance that both would return. With Granderson, the OF would be Swisher in RF, Granderson in CF, and Melky in LF, with Gardner likely being the 4th OF. Trading for Granderson also likely means no Matt Holiday or Jason Bay. But who knows? Last year we all thought there was no chance they'd sign Mark Teixeira after signing A.J. and CC, but they did.

Buster Olney is on XM radio right now. He didn't call the trade talks dead, but refereed to them as "dormant." I wouldn't be surprised if this deal picks up some steam. It's not a horrible deal. Perhaps they'll rework it. Stay tuned.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Brian Bruney Has Been Traded & Andy Pettitte Update

The winter meetings started today. This is always a fun time of year if you're a baseball fan. I pretty much live on MLBTradeRumors, checking about 40 times a day, as there's always some new rumor about a free agent signing or a potential trade. Joel Sherman, Jon Heyman, and Ken Rosenthal seem to always duke it out for who can get the big scoop. The winter meetings are fun and this week promises to be chock full of basebally goodness.

This morning I saw that the Atlanta Braves were interested in trading for Brian Bruney. I have a buddy I work with who is a big Braves fan and neither of us understood why the Braves had interest. It ended up being all for nothing as Bruney has been traded to the Washington Nationals for a PTBNL (player to be named later). I have no problem with the Yanks letting Bruney go for what will probably end up being nothing. He's good but he's too inconsistent to be anything more than a middle reliever. MRs are a dime a dozen and Bruney can easily be replaced and probably by an in-house candidate that won't cost as much money. The trade in my opinion was a salary dump, albeit not a large one as Bruney only made $1.25 million. I'm sure Cashman is probably looking to bolster the bullpen and this deal frees up that spot on the 40-man and also frees up a little cash. There was probably no room at the inn for BB, which is probably why he was dealt. Good luck Bru.

There was a rumor from Joel Sherman this morning that Andy Pettitte rejected a one-year offer from the Yanks. It came as no surprise to me, because I think Sherman makes a lot of stuff up that's loosely based on some small nugget of truth, that Mark Feinsand shot down that rumor, tweeting that the Yankees have made no official offer but will do so today. He also writes, "They don't intend to low-ball him." I think there is zero probability that AP pitches for anyone other than the Yankees. The question to me remains, "when will he sign?" I feel pretty confident that by the end of the week, Andy Pettitte will be officially back in Pinstripes. Stay tuned.

As of right now there's not a lot buzz out there about Roy Halladay. I thought there would be, but right now, all is pretty quiet on the Halladay front. We should learn soon though who's going to be a major player for Doc's services and what it's going to cost. I have to think the Yankees are going to be heavily in the mix. They definitely better be.

Stay tuned. The fun should just be starting.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

My 2009 Predictions (Revisited)

I've been meaning to post this for a few weeks now but am only now getting around to it. Time to take a look back at the predictions I made for the 2009 season.

Here's how I predicted each division, along with their W/L records:

AL East:

1. Boston Red Sox 95-67 (win head-to-head vs. Yankees 10-8) - finished 2nd 95-67
2. New York Yankees 95-67 -finished 1st 103-59
3. Tampa Bay Rays 89-73 - finished 3rd 84-78
4. Toronto Blue Jays 82-80 - finished 4th 75-87
5. Baltimore Orioles 65-97 - finished 5th 64-98

AL Central:

1. Cleveland Indians 86-76 - finished tied 4th 65-97
2. Chicago White Sox 84-78 - finished 3rd 79-83
3. Minnesota Twins 84-78 - finished 1st 87-76
4. Kansas City Royals 79-83 - finished tied 4th 65-97
5. Detroit Tigers 78-84 - finished 2nd 86-77

AL West

1. LA Angels 98-64 - finished 1st 97-65
2. Oakland A's 83-79 - finished 4th 75-87
3. Texas Rangers 77-85 finished 2nd 87-75
4. Seattle Mariners 66-96 finished 3rd 85-77

NL East:

1. New York Mets 92-70 -finished 4th 70-62
2. Philadelphia Phillies 91-71 - finished 1st 93-69
3. Atlanta Braves 86-76 - finished 3rd 86-76
4. Florida Marlins 80-82 - finished 2nd 87-75
5. Washington Nationals 55-107 - finished 5th 59-103

NL Central:

1. Chicago Cubs 99-63 - finished 2nd 83-78
2. Milwaukee Brewers 88-74 - finished 3rd 80-82
3. St. Louis Cardinals 81-81 - finished 1st 91-71
4. Cincinnati Reds 81-81 - finished 4th 78-84
5. Pittsburgh Pirates 74-88 - finished 6th 62-99
6. Houston Astros 72-90 - finished 5th 74-88

NL West:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers 89-73 - finished 1st 95-67
2. Arizona Diamondbacks 83-79 - finished 5th 70-92
3. San Fransisco Giants 80-82 - finished 3rd 88-74
4. Colorado Rockies 77-85 - finished 2nd 92-70
5. San Diego Padres 63-99 - finished 4th 75-87

I didn't do so hot, eh? I only had 2 records right (Boston and Atlanta). I only had 9 teams in their correct spots (Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore, KC, LA Angels, Atlanta, Washington, Cincinnati, and the LA Dodgers). Most of those 9 were givens. I guess the best prediction I made was with the Atlanta Braves. I totally missed the boat on a bunch of 'em (Cleveland, Detroit, Seattle, NY Mets, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Colorado, and San Diego). I was within 5 games up or down on 11 teams. I have no idea if that's good or bad. I had 2 division winners correct (LA Angels and LA Dodgers).

I didn't too much better with the playoffs:

ALDS: Yankees over Angels in 5, Red Sox over Indians in 4
NLDS: Cubs over Phillies in 5, Dodgers over Mets in 3
ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox in 6
NLCS: Dodgers over Cubs in 7
World Series: Get the Canyon of Heroes ready, Yankees over Dodgers in 5

I had 2 division winners correct (LA Angels and LA Dodgers) but they didn't finish in their correct playoff spot. I had 5 of the 8 teams right albeit none were correct. I did get the World Champion right though! Yay me. Here's what I had said at the time: I'm not trying to be a Yankee homer. I think they have a great offense and the best rotation in MLB. I think in the end they'll outlast the Sox. Nailed it.

I also predicted who I thought would win the major postseason awards:

AL MVP: Kevin Youkilis (finished 6th in voting)
ML MVP: Manny Ramirez (no votes)
AL Cy Young: Mariano Rivera w/no blown saves an an ERA under 1.00. (No votes, 44 of 46 in SV opportunities)
NL Cy Young: Cole Hamels (wrong wrong wrong wrong, wrong wrong wrong wrong)
AL ROY: Rick Porcello (finsihed 3rd in voting)
NL ROY: Cameron Maybin (no votes - only had 176 ABs)
AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona (no votes)
NL Manager of the Year: Lou Pinella (no votes)

Man, I suck at this, don't I? I also made 2 other predictions:

There will be 2 no-hitters this year and no perfect games. (So close. Jonathan Sanchez = no hitter & Mark Buehrle = perfect game)
The AL will (again) beat the NL in the All-star game. (Nailed it!)

Overall, I didn't do too well. Hopefully I'll do a little better next year. I did get the most important one right though. Yankees = World Champs! That one makes the rest forgettable.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Yankees Don't Offer Arbitration To Anyone

The Yankees declined to offer arbitration to any of their free agents yesterday. No real surprise there. I originally thought they might offer something to Damon or even Pettitte, but it makes sense that they didn't. If anyone is offered and accepts arbitration, they're guaranteed to come back to the team. I think if the Yankees offered them arbitration they would have probably ended up paying them more than they wanted to, and I think that goes for all of their free agents.

Offering arbitration is kind of a gamble. If the guy accepts you get him back but possibly at a dollar figure above what you want to pay. If he declines and signs elsewhere, you get compensatory draft picks. It would be nice to land a draft pick or two, but I think in the case of the Yankees, it wasn't worth the gamble as Damon, Matsui, and Pettitte would all likely receive decent raises. Those raises would probably bring their salary to an amount above what the Yankees want to pay.

The Yankees have a lot of shopping to do this offseason. I read that Cashman was meeting with the powers that be to discuss payroll allotment later this week so I would think that we'd start to hear some rumblings early next week. The winter meetings kick off on Monday the 7th and that's usually a very active time for trades and free agent signings. Crank up the rumor mill and turn up the heat on the stove. It should be a fun week.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Derek Jeter = 2009 SI SOY

First off, I'll get the formalities out of the way. I hope you all had a great holiday. Nothing beats some extra days off from work, right? Again, hope you all had a good little break. I know I did. Now on to business.....

Derek Jeter was named the 2009 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year today. I may be a little biased in my opinion of DJ but I think he's a very deserving recipient of this year's award. Derek had quite the year. Here's a quick recap:

1. Won the World Series
2. Became all-time Yankees hit leader
3. Won his 4th Gold Glove
4. Won his 4th Silver Slugger
5. Selected to his 10th All-star team
6. Finished 3rd in AL MVP vote
7. Won the AL Hank Aaron award (best hitter in league)
8. Won the Roberto Clements award (for on and off the field achievements)

Terry McDonnell, SI Group Editor, said this of Jeter, "Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he's extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field."

I can't argue with any of that. I wouldn't think anybody could but there are a lot of Yankee/Jeter haters out there. If any of you happen to read this, I'd love to know why Derek is so hated, so lay it on me. I'd love to know because I just don't see it. And again, I may be biased as a Yankee/Jeter fan, but I'd like to think if I weren't I'd still like him. He plays the game the right way. He gets it, both on the field and off. I'm glad I'm a fan of his because he's a guy I want to root for.

Congrats Derek. The honor of being the 2009 SI SOY is well deserved.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Thanksgiving Top 10

I've done this in the past and figured why not do it again. In the spirit of giving thanks, here are 10 Yankee-related things I am thankful for this year:

10) This blog and for everyone who reads it - still can't believe people do - thanks!
9) The MLB channel on XM Radio - I don't know what I'd do without it
8) Brian Cashman bringing in CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett
7) Being at game 2 of the 2009 ALCS and getting to see Jerry Hairston Jr. get a pie in the face
6) I'm not a Red Sox fan
5) The "Core Four" - I hate the moniker but love the guys, and yes, even Posada
4) The organization's 27th World Championship - It's been almost a month and it still feels good
3) Mariano Rivera - Where would the Yankees be without him?
2) The Steinbrenner's deep pockets and their willingness to lose money to try and field a winner

and the #1 Yankee-related thing I'm thankful for this year.....

1)I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee fan.

Feel free to post your own.

Peace, love, Pinstripes, and Happy Thanksgiving,

J-Boogie

Mauer Wins MVP, Teixeira Finishes Ahead Of Jeter

The AL MVP was announced today and the winner was rightfully, Joe Mauer. I have no qualms whatsoever with his selection. Mauer was without a doubt the best player in the American League. The only beef I have with his selection is that it wasn't unanimous. How anyone voted Miguel Cabrera first is beyond me? There's always one stupid writer that messes up every vote. But that's for another entry.

I was more interested in seeing who finished higher in the voting, Mark Teixeira or Derek Jeter? Teixeira finished 2nd with 225 points and Jeter finished 3rd with 193 points. Like with Mauer winning, I have no problem whatsoever with Tex finishing ahead of Jeter. If I had the privilege of voting that's how I would have put them. I think Teixeira was definitely the most valuable Yankee, except for maybe Mariano Rivera. Tex was an absolute beast at the plate. He led the AL in both HRs (39) and RBI (122). Jeter had a great year but I don't think you can put him above Tex.

I think what made Tex most valuable to the Yankees was his defense. It's been a while since the Yankees have had an slick fielding first baseman. Tex saved a lot of games with his glove and he definitely made the rest of the Yankees' infield look better because of his glove. Jeter probably doesn't win the Gold Glove if Jason Giambi were the 1B. Tex just elevates everybody's game.

The other Yankees receiving MVP votes were Alex Rodriguez (10th place - 31 points), Mariano Rivera (14th place - 17 points), Robinson Cano (18th place - 12 points), and CC Sabathia (21st place - 4 points). I would almost argue that A-Rod was the most valuable Yankee. The team didn't really catch fire until he returned about a month into the season. I hope Tex gives Alex a big thanks because Tex definitely doesn't have the year he had without Alex batting behind him. Somebody out there ranked Alex as high as 3rd.

I'm surprised that Mariano had the highest total of all pitchers, finishing with 5 more points than the 2009 AL Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke. You'd think that the Cy Young winner would have the higher total, wouldn't you? You can definitely make a case that Mo was deserving of some votes, but I don't think he should have ranked above Greinke. But that's just me.

Anybody think Jeter was more valuable than Teixeira? Anybody out there have any beef with the writers for how they voted? If so, lay it on me. I'd love to know your thoughts.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

What Would You Do-ooh-ooh For A Hall-A-Day?

I read yesterday on MLBTradeRumors that per Jon Heyman, the Yankees have contacted the Blue Jays about Roy Halladay. Well duh. I could have written that and had a 99.9% chance of being right. This isn't anything to salivate over or get worked up about. Not yet anyway. The Yankees have to do their due-diligence and at least check in about Halladay's availability, especially now that the new Jays GM has said he'd trade Roy within the division. It wouldn't be good business if the Yankees didn't call and ask about it. I'm sure it was likely a routine call, something I'm sure Cashamn has done several times this offseason with different GMs. Until I hear something more substantial about it, I'm dismissing it as fodder.

I think the Yankees will become major players for Doc. There's no doubt that the Yanks will make competitive offers, if for nothing else, to drive up the price for everyone else. I think it's something they'll actually focus on sooner rather than later, especially if they want to be players for John Lackey. If the Yankees sign Lackey, I don't see them making a run at Halladay. That would be rather costly. But if you're going to make an offer to Lackey, why not go after Halladay, as their respective salaries will likely be in the same ballpark. I guess what the Yankees need to decide is if it's worth giving up players in addition to the salary or just go with the salary. Think of it as acquiring Johan Santana and CC Sabathia. The Mets had to trade top prospects for Santana in addition to paying him $100 million plus. The Yankees waited a year and signed CC as a free agent, thus keeping their prospects. Right now, it would obviously cost more to acquire Halladay as opposed to Lackey since Halladay can only be gotten via trade. You can roll the dice and hope Roy hits the free agent market next year but i think there is zero chance of that happening. Bottom line: if you want Roy Halladay you have to pony up the players.

I personally would love to see the Yankees land Halladay. But I don't want to see them pay through the nose for him. But if they want him I think they're going to have to. This will probably go down pretty much the same way things did when the Yankees were looking at trading for Johan Santana. It's going to cost at least 4 prospects. The Jays will probably ask for both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. If that's the case I walk away. i am fine with one of them going but not both. The Yanks would be wise to hold onto one of the youngsters. Trading both is a dealbreaker for me. If one has to go I hope it's Joba. I am really high on Hughes and I think he is now, and will always be, a better pitcher than Joba. I'm fine with them dealing either, but not both.

The 2nd piece of the puzzle is going to definitely be Austin Jackson. As high as I am on A-Jax, I'd be OK with him being included in a package. There's no guarantee that Jackson will ever materialize. And I think OFs are much easier to come by than stud starting pitchers.

The 3rd piece of the puzzle would probably have to be Jesus Montero. I'm not a fan of him being included but the Jays would be stupid not to ask for him. He's arguably the Yankees best prospect and he's a catcher. I'd like to see the Yankees find a way to hold onto him but I think it'll be tough to do, especially if they get in a bidding war with another team, namely the Red Sox. Perhaps Cashman can talk the Jays down into taking Austin Romine over Montero. The Yankees are going to be in need of a catcher very soon as Jorge Posada isn't going to be around much longer. The Yanks would be wise to keep the better of the two if at all possible.

The 4th piece, and I'd assume there will be a 4th piece, is probably going to end up being another pitching prospect. Someone like Ian Kennedy, Zach McAllister, or Andrew Brackman. Maybe the Jays would want a guy like Juan Miranda. The Yanks don't have a huge need for him with Mark Teixeira being on the squad.

So barring any creative deals, say where the Yankees take on a guy as a salary dump (Vernon Wells), i think it's going to take at least 4 guys to pry Halladay away from the Jays. I'm fine with that if it's the right 4 guys. I could live with it if the Yankees dealt Joba, Austin Jackson, Austin Romine and any of those pitchers. I could even live with it if they threw in Juan Miranda. I'm not as big of a fan of the deal if it includes Montero but I can probably live with it. There's no guarantee that any prospect will materialize. There is a guarantee that Roy Halladay kicks ass. If the opportunity arises I hope the Yankees go for it.

I'm still undecided on whether or not it's better to deal the guys and pay the contract (for Halladay) then to just pay the contract (Lackey). I prefer Halladay to Lackey but I'm not 100% sure I prefer they deal the prospects and pay the cash for the better pitcher as opposed to just paying the cash for a great but not as good pitcher.

What do you guys think? Do you want to see the Yankees go after Halladay? If so, what can you live with them dealing? What's a dealbreaker? You think they'd be better off signing Lackey as opposed to dealing for Halladay? Lay it on me.

The Hot Stove is heating up. Tomorrow marks the 1st day teams can sign other teams' free agents. Let the games begin.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

So, Who's The Better Player?

The other day I posted the 2009 stats for 2 players asking the question who would you prefer based on their stats. For those who didn't check it out, here were the stats:

Player A: 27 year old RH (7 mos. older than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 724
AVG: .286
OBP: .330
SLG: .499
2B: 37
3B: 0
HR: 36
Total bases: 340
RBI: 108
R: 103
K: 98
GIDP: 17
Fielding %: .991
Zone rating: 4.842
Career ABs: 2402
Career AVG: .285
Career OBP: .337
Career SLG: .434

Player B: 27 year old LH (7 mos. younger than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 674
AVG: .320
OBP: .352
SLG: .520
2B: 48
3B: 2
HR: 25
Total bases: 331
RBI: 85
R: 103
K: 63
GIDP: 22
Fielding %: .984
Zone rating: 5.362
Career ABs: 2855
Career AVG: .306
Career OBP: .339
Career SLG: .480

Both play the same position and one is a current Yankee. Ready for the big reveal? Drum roll please.....insert drum roll sound here............

Player A is Toronto's Aaron Hill, winner of the 2009 Silver Slugger award for AL 2B. Player B is the Yankees' Robinson Cano. The comments from the original post all picked player B (Cano) as the guy they preferred. I'm in 100% agreement.

Several months ago, while in Toronto for a Yankees/Jays series, a friend of mine made the comment that the Yankees needed to deal Cano for Aaron Hill. I told him he was on drugs and tried so hard to convince him that Hill over Cano was stupid but I failed. My buddy also wanted the Yanks to deal Joba or Phil Hughes for Ricky Romero, but that's for another day.

I actually wrote about it months ago and was left a comment regarding my choice of Cano over Hill. The comment read, "Cano over Aaron Hill?It is nice that you are able to drink so much and still write such complete posts. Usually when people are that intoxicated they pass out, or vomit, or drunk dial their exes." I stand by that choice. Those that commented also seem to agree. I think the stats back it up.

There is no way that Aaron Hill is a better ballplayer than Robinson Cano. I'd even argue that Cano was more deserving of winning the 2009 Silver Slugger. Hill may have a little more power and his RBI total is a little inflated because of where he hits in the order, but that's really all he has, and the only time he's had it over Robbie was last year. Now that I think about it, I definitely think Robbie got robbed.

Both have played in 5 major league seasons. Cano has hit over 300 3 times, with 1 of the below 300 seasons finishing at .297. Hill has never hit 300, topping out at .291. Hill's OBP has never topped 350. Cano has eclipsed that plateau 3 times. Cano has slugged above .450 4 times while Hill's done it twice. Cano has slugged over 500 twice. Hill never has. Both have identical career fielding percentages. Cano is younger and he's also a lefty. The choice between a lefty and righty in Yankee Stadium is a no-brainer. And despite all of that, I couldn't convince him. And honestly, if you put these guys in neutral parks, I'm still taking Cano.

So am I the one on drugs? Am I intoxicated because I will prefer Cano to Hill? If there's anyone out there who wants to make a case for Hill, I'd love to hear it. Whether it be as who's the better player or who should have won the Silver Slugger. And if you're going to come at me and say I'm drunk and whatnot, back it up with something. Tell me why if you disagree.

If anyone's interested, last year I did a similar comparison on my other blog, Elect Mike Mussina, comparing Mike to a slam-dunk HOfer. For my money, Mike was the clear-cut winner. Give it a look.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Shall We Play A Game?

Earlier this past season, I got into a healthy debate about 2 players with a friend of mine. He preferred the Yankees have one and I preferred the Yankees had the other. I'm curious who you would prefer to have if you solely look at their stats. I don't want to give away their identities until later. All I will say is that they play the same position and one is a current Yankee. I'm sure you can figure out who is who if you tried but no cheating. Just go off of what's below and make the call. I'm curious to know who the majority prefers solely based on what's below.

Player A: 27 year old RH (7 mos. older than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 724
AVG: .286
OBP: .330
SLG: .499
2B: 37
3B: 0
HR: 36
Total bases: 340
RBI: 108
R: 103
K: 98
GIDP: 17
Fielding %: .991
Zone rating: 4.842
Career ABs: 2402
Career AVG: .285
Career OBP: .337
Career SLG: .434

Player B: 27 year old LH (7 mos. younger than player B)
2009 Plate appearances: 674
AVG: .320
OBP: .352
SLG: .520
2B: 48
3B: 2
HR: 25
Total bases: 331
RBI: 85
R: 103
K: 63
GIDP: 22
Fielding %: .984
Zone rating: 5.362
Career ABs: 2855
Career AVG: .306
Career OBP: .339
Career SLG: .480

If you want any other statistics let me know and I'll be glad to get them for you. I kind of talked about this earlier in the year and someone left me a comment saying I was drunk for preferring my choice. I'll reveal that later.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Curtis Granderson In Pinstripes?? Color Me Intrigued

It's been reported that the Tigers have made it known that Curtis Granderson is on the market. The Yankees of course have interest. When don't they, right?

Bringing Curtis into the fold intrigues me. He's one of the best CFs in the game and can pretty much do it all at the plate. He is one of 4 guys (I think) who have pulled off a 20-20-20-20 season (2B, 3B, HR, and SB). What's not to like about that? He's also relatively cheap if you look at his salary. He's under contract until 2012 with a club option for 2013 Over the next 3 years, he's owed a base total of $23.75 million ($5.5M in 2010, $8.25M in 2011, $10M in 2012). His 2013 team option is for $13M with a $2M buyout. That's a bargain if you ask me.

I think the Yankees will and should explore trading for Curtis. You'd have to assume that The Tigers would want one of the Yankees young SP (Phil or Joba) and probably some other prospects. I don't think the asking price would be too high. Grandy had a down year in 2009, hitting only .249 (23 points below career average of .272) and his OPS was only.780 (about 48 points below his career OPS. Personally, I think Curtis would do well in NY. I wouldn't mind seeing Curtis patrolling the OF with Melky and Swisher. He's definitely an upgrade over Damon. The lower salary wouldn't hurt either. I think if Cash gets the opportunity, he should try to make it happen. At the right price of course. I wouldn't give up Hughes/Joba and Austin Jackson. I don't think I'd give up Jackson at all. I think Joba is expendable and wouldn't be surprised if his name comes up in trade talks. I also wouldn't be surprised if Cashman could wrangle CG away from the Tigers for a group of other prospects. We'll have to see.

Am I the only one out there who'd like to see Granderson in Pinstripes? Right now there's not much to this. It's pure speculation. But it's fun to talk and think about. Just one of the many reasons why I love the Hot Stove.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Silver Slugging It

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira won the Silver Slugger Award for their respective positions in 2009. It's hard to argue that either one was not the best offensive player at their position.

You could probably make a case that Teixeira wasn't the best offensive first baseman, but I wouldn't be on your side. Tex lead the league in HRs (39) and RBI (122). That alone makes picking someone else tough to do. His OPS (.948) was 2nd to only Kevin Youkilis (.961). Had Youk played a full year maybe this discussion would be different, but he didn't, so I wouldn't think anyone would have an issue with Tex winning.

I don't think anyone can make a case for Jeter not winning the award. He led all AL shortstops in average (.334), OBP (.406), hits (212) runs scored (107), and HR (18). His OPS (.879) was 2nd to only Jason Bartlett (.879). Bartlett had a good year, no doubt, but I wouldn't put it up there with Jeter's numbers. Like Youkilis, Bartlett suffered from having missed time in 2009. I think you could have made a case for him winning had he played more. Now that I think about it, Bartlett probably could have won.

Both Jeter and Tex have now each won 2 postseason awards (Gold Glove & Silver Slugger). Both should also be in the running for the AL MVP award, which will be awarded on Monday 11/23. Personally, I don't think either will/should win. I think Joe Mauer has it in the bag. I'd be shocked if Mauer didn't win, but when it comes to the BBWAA, you never know. I'm more interested to see who finishes higher, Jeter or Tex? My money is on Tex, but I can see it going either way. If you're anti-Mauer and want to try and convince me that someone else should win, lay it on me.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Derek Jeter Is A Bum

As a Yankee fan I never thought I'd utter these words: Derek Jeter is a bum.

Before you jump all over me, please read on. DJ is playing a bum in Will Ferrell's upcoming movie titled "The Other Guys." I was listening to MLB on XM and they mentioned it on their morning show. I googled it and found this article, posted today, over at the NY Post. The movie sounds absolutely hilarious. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play cops and Wahlberg's character shoots DJ, who is playing himself, in the leg. The article has pictures of a "down-on-his-luck" Jeter. They're pretty funny. What's funnier is to think that a bazillionaire like Jeter could ever be "down-on-his-luck."

The article doesn't mention when the movie will be released but it's definitely something to keep on the radar.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

To Wang Or Not To Wang

Joel Sherman, has an interesting blurb about Chien-Ming Wang in his Hardball blog today:

But I am getting a strong vibe from Yankee officials that the intention is to non-tender Wang and, perhaps, not even offer him a small base with incentives to return.

I am not sure how many of you guys out there like Joel Sherman. Personally, I'm not a fan. I take everything he says with a grain of salt. I think a lot of the time he "says" stuff just to say stuff. I'm not necessarily buying this but I don't doubt for a second that the Yankees have soured on Wang. But I can't see them not trying to bring him back. I think it's a huge leap to think the Yankees don't think he can get it done anymore. In 2.5 seasons, from 2006-2008, Wang was 46-15 with a 3.74 ERA. He had a horrible 2009 but how much of that can be attributed to the injuries to his foot and to his shoulder? I don't think 42 injury-riddled IP over 12 appearances is enough to go on.

The big question has to do with the health of Chien-Ming's wing. How healthy is it and will he be able to bounce back from the surgery? According to Sherman, Wang got a "very encouraging report" from Dr. James Andrews. The Yankees docs still need to give it a look. If they end up sharing the same opinion as Dr. Andrews, I'm not sure how they pass up on CMW.

You can never have enough starting pitching. I find it difficult to believe that they'd bail on CMW with the current makeup of the starting rotation. Let's face it, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain can't be relied on to pitch well as a starter. Keeping Wang around can definitely make sure there are enough bullets in the chamber. Of course, it only makes sense at the right price.

The Yankees love the low-risk, high reward contracts. I can't see them offering deals to Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre and not to the Wanger. I'd be surprised if the Yankees don't try to offer him a deal, even if it's for a low guarantee with incentives. I don't know how they could pass on him at the right price.

I like CMW. I've been a big Wang supporter over the years. Personally, I hope the Yankees work something out with him. But I trust Brian Cashman. If he decides not to offer Wang a deal, I'm sure it would be for a pretty good reason. I don't know what that would be though. Every year the Yankees seem to pull these below average pitchers out of the woodwork to fill in for several starts. Sidney Ponson, Mitre, and Gaudin quickly come to mind. I'll take Wang over those guys any day.

I'm filing this blurb from Sherman in the trash. I'm predicting Wang will be back. Thoughts? Anyone?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

Getting Love For The Glove

The 2009 AL Gold Glove winners were announced today and the Yankees, as expected, had 2 winners. Congrats to Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter on picking up the honors.

For my money, both were no-brainers. Teixeira was just amazing with the glove. Tex ranked 2nd in fielding percentage for all AL 1Bs, .001 points behind Lyle Overbay. Tex also had the 2nd highest zone rating @ 2.907, trailing only Carlos Pena whose rating was 2.922. Pena had a much lower fielding percentage though @ .991. Tex's ZR was much higher than Overbay's (2.627). Is it me or did it seem like Tex was making an outstanding play every game? He definitely saved many a run with his glove. How awesome is it having a stellar glove at 1B? I like Jason Giambi and all but every time a ball was hit to first it was an adventure. Something tells me Tex will this award several more times before all is said and done.

There's been a lot of talk in recent years that Derek Jeter is the worst defensive SS in all of MLB. I think that notion can officially be dismissed. DJ had arguably the best defensive season of his career. He led all AL SS with a .986 fielding percentage. The .986 fielding percentage is a career-high, tying his % from 1998. DJ also typically gets knocked for his lack of range. He led all MLB SS with a 6.480 zone rating. I wanted to look up his ZRs from prior years but I'm lazy and didn't find it right away. I'm sure it's up there. This award, Derek's 4th, was definitely well deserved. Even though people will try, you can't front on that. All you haters can suck it.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

The Hot Stove Starts To Simmer

The November installment of the GM meetings started yesterday and as expected not much went down. The real fun is at the December GM meetings. So if you're expecting some juicy stuff this week, you're going to be let down.

The "big news" yesterday was that both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui filed for free agency. Nobody should be surprised by this. The Yankees have a small window to negotiate with them exclusively before other teams can enter the mix. I believe that window closes on the 19th and I'd be surprised if the Yankees do anything with them before the deadline. There's a lot of question/debate going on as to whether the Yankees should bring back these guys back. A lot of people seem to think that they will sign one of them, but not both. Most people seem to think Damon will be the one returning. I see positives to bringing both back, but I don't see it happening. I think it's possible that neither return.

If you put me on the spot and asked me to pick which one I wanted back, I'd pick Damon over Matsui. I think Johnny can bring more to the table because he can still play the field. I also like him at the top of the order batting behind Jeter. He still has some decent speed and again he can play the field. Right now the Yankees OF is pretty weak with Swisher, Melky and Gardner. Even if you put Austin Jackson in that mix (I don't think they will) it's still weak. Johnny is a viable option. I also think if Matsui isn't on the squad that Damon can get some DH time and that should help him with his leg issues.

I think Matsui has a lot to offer as the guy hitting behind A-Rod but I think his bat can be easily replaced. The Yankees should be able to find a LH power bat for the same kind of money. I'm also not a fan of the full-time DH. But that's just me.

I wouldn't mind seeing both guys return but neither should get more than a 1-2 year deal if they do return. I also wouldn't pay them as much as they were paid in their last contract. I also wouldn't sign either until I explore bringing in other free agents, namely Matt Holiday and Jason Bay, to take their place. Cashman would need to move quickly though because you don't want to wait too long and end up with nothing. I'm sure Cash-Money is looking ahead at who will be available in a few years. It may make more sense to bring Damon back for a year and go after a 2011 free agent than to go after Holliday or Bay. Cash is a smart guy. I'm sure he'll make the right moves. I think we'll see Damon back in Pinstripes before it's all said and done.

You guys have any thoughts? Who do you prefer they sign if given the choice between Matsui and Damon? Do you even want those guys back? The Hot Stove is starting to simmer. Can't wait for it to be roaring. There's no better offseason in sports than baseball's hot stove.

The other Yankees who have filed for free agency include Andy Pettitte, Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Jose Molina and Xavier Nady. In the next day or two I'll be posting my thoughts on the open roster spots and who I think should fill them. Assuming I can find the time of course.

Peace, love and Pintripes,

J-Boogie

The Season Ends With A Trip Down The Canyon Of Heroes

I just got finished watching the 3 hour parade down the Canyon of Heroes on my DVR. I didn't want it to end because I knew when it did that the 2009 season would officially be over. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. What better way to wrap it up then with a parade honoring our boys as the World Champions of baseball? The New York Yankees are the World Champs. I can never get tired of saying that.

The parade was pretty fun to watch. It looked like it was insanely good time. Man, I would have loved to have been there. Someday maybe. Two of the things on my "bucket list" are to see the Yankees win the World Series live and in person, and to take in one of those parades. Who knows? Maybe that will be next year. If I had listened to my wife I would have been able to knock one of those of the list. When I was debating between getting tickets for game 6 or game 7, she said to with 6. I went with 7. Just goes to show you should always listen to your wife. She occasionally reads the blog so I have to say that.

What was up with A-Rod's hat? For those of you who didn't see the parade, here's a photo:

Nice lid, eh? He was also sporting it at a Knicks game. It's not my cup of tea, mainly because I can't pull it off, but I guess it works for Alex. When it comes to Alex, I really hope all Yankee fans fully embrace him. I wrote this the other day: And though I think this happened long ago, we can now make it official. A-Rod is a 100% true Yankee. Don't even try to tell me he's not. You won't win that argument. Alex had an awesome season when you consider where his season started (steroid use admission) and where his season ended (World Champion). I'm excited because he's a Yankee through 2017. I have a feeling these next 8 years are going to be huge for Alex. Absolutely huge.

I always hate when the season ends. I always liken it to the end of a school year. You spend so much time with a group of people and then it all comes to end. You see a few people occasionally but for the most part everybody goes their separate ways. Months pass and then everybody reconvenes and we do it all over again. The big difference is that everyone is usually happy when school ends. I hate when the baseball season ends. Like most of you, I spend 6-7 nights a week watching the Yankees. Then one day, poof, it's gone. There's always a little period of adjustment to go through after the games end. Thank God for the Hot Stove. I don't know what I'd do without that.

Not sure what the coming days will bring for the blog. I definitely plan on blogging, just not sure about what. I'm planning on doing a few look backs at the 2009 season. There's the postseason awards. I've got a few books to read for the Boogie Down Book Club. I also plan on doing some work on my other blog, Elect Mike Mussina. This blog will remain active though the posts may taper off here and there. Rest assured there will be blogging.

I want to thank everyone for stopping by to check out blog this season. It still boggles my mind that anybody actually takes the time to read it. I sincerely appreciate it. Hopefully you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Again, I really do appreciate it. It was a fun season and I thank you all for helping to make it great. I'll be here holding down the fort as the Yankees make a run at #28. I hope you continue to come around. You know where to find me.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

photo courtesy of Getty images @ Yahoo.com