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.