Zito Fo Shito

You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout I'm telling you why. Barry Zito is coming to town.
I hope to be back with regular updates soon. Between work and the holidays and life in general, there's just not the time. Thankfully, work is slow this week because it's the end of the year and the big wigs are out on vacation.
Hope everyone is having a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season.
J

Reunited And It Feels So Good

Let the Andy Pettitte love fest continue. To quote Bon Jovi, "Who says you can't go home?" Andy Pettitte is back in the Bronx, back in Pinstripes, back where he belongs. It's a perfect fit for the Yankees.
When news first broke about Andy returning in 2007 and that the Yankees had made him an offer, my initial thought was why don't they give that money to Barry Zito? He's younger, you can tie him up longer, and he may be a little bit cheaper. But as I thought about it, I realized that the shape of the Yankee rotation will be changing drastically in the coming years, and they're going to need some open spots. The Yankees have 5 great starters on the farm in Hughes, Clippard, Rasner, Karstens and Sanchez, and it's a safe bet Wang isn't going anywhere. In 2 years, there will be no Pettitte, Mussina, and Randy Johnson. Assuming they don't trade the prospects, we're looking at a future rotation of Wang, Clippard, Hughes, Sanchez, and possibly Karstens and/or Rasner. The Yankee rotation will be made up of 5 young starters, all of which will be pretty cheap in terms of money. Why lock up a Zito, Meche, or Lilly for 4-5 years, with all of these budding prospects, that could turn out to be better than their major league counterparts? Smart move by Cashman. It will pay off in the long run.
The interesting question now is what to do with the rotation? Who will be the odd man out? *cough* Pavano * cough* Pettitte, Mussina, Wang, Johnson, Pavano, and in all likelihood, Kei Igawa. I would much prefer Igawa over Pavano. I think anyone would. I've heard rumblings about Pavano being packaged in a deal to Seattle in exchange for Richie Sexson. I wouldn't complain. Sexson would be nice, but expensive. I hear there is also interest in Doug Mientkiewicz. If you ask me, Doug would be a better fit than Sexson. For starters, he's a free agent. We wouldn't have to lose anything. He's a great fielding first baseman, arguable the best that's out there. And most importantly, you don't have to break the bank to sign him. He was paid less than $2 million last year. In keeping with the reduction of salary MO that Cashman has talked about, Mientkiewicz would be a better option than say Sexson or Shea Hillenbrand. Get it done Brain. I command thee. And please, find somebody that will trade some prospects for Pavano.
The Mientkiewicz article also mentions the Yankees are interested in Dustin Hermanson, and are awaiting the review of medical reports before deciding whether or not to make him an offer. Assuming he's healthy, he'd be a solid pick-up. We'll see.
As expected, there wasn't much Yankee happenings at the Winter Meetings. Cashman seems pretty content to give it a go with what he has. It was interesting to see the selection of Josh Phelps in the Rule 5 draft. I had heard good things about Phelps a few years back when he was in the Blue Jays organization. At the time, he was a good prospect that could make a lot of noise. I'm not sure what happened to him. Regardless, it's an interesting move. But I don't see how he fits into the big picture. Trade bait, maybe?
I apologize for being absent as of late. Real life is cutting into fun time. they just canned a fellow supervisor where I work, so the rest of us are busting our humps trying to keep it together. There are 4 of us and they have openings for 4 others. That's how understaffed we are currently. And with the recent firing, I'm know the most senior in the position (2 years, yikes!), so I've got a lot of weight to carry. I'll manage. My posts may just be spaced out. I used to post a lot at work, now, not so much. Mother Nature isn't helping either. I've had to get up early to shovel a few times. One day it took me 3 hours to drive home from work. A drive that normally takes 35 minutes. Nothing is fun about a car ride where you drive at a clip of 8 miles per hour, most of which you're just sitting there. God bless the iPod. Thankfully, there hasn't been much to talk about when it comes to the Yankees. But it looks like things are heating up. 2007 is going to be fun.
Pitchers and catchers in just over 2 months!!!
J

It's On Like Donkey Kong

Pettitte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll be back later. Work has been kicking my tail and it's cutting into my blogging time!
J

Welcome Back

In honor of Andy Pettitte's return to the Bronx, I changed my music to the theme from "Welcome Back Kotter, " by John Sebastian.
Welcome Back Andy

Yankees Hot Stove Recap

Another episode of "Yankee Hot Stove" was on the YES network tonight. If you have YES and haven't checked the show out, I suggest you do. It's good stuff. Brian Cashman was on the show today and was fielding questions from Joel Sherman and Tom Verducci. The main thing I took away from the discussion is that Brian Cashman is more than happy to go into battle with the current Yankee roster. He acknowledged that they could upgrade in areas, but mentioned that he has internal candidates to fill every opening, with the exception of a utility infielder, and he isn't concerned about trying to trade for or sign anyone, but will if it makes sense. Now I'm sure he's not going to openly talk about players he's pursuing, but I kind of believe him when he talks about not needing anyone. I think his main objective is cutting down on the payroll and the way to do that is to go with the young talent and not land the expensive free agent. He mentioned that the Yankees incur an extra $.40 on the dollar for every payroll dollar they spend because of the luxury tax. So a guy with a $10 million dollar salary, really costs the Yankees $14 million when all is said and done. I can understand why he wants to cut costs.
If the Yankees head into 2007 with their current roster, they are going to be relying a lot on the offense to win games. I think the lineup is better this year than it was last year, and last year's was arguably the best lineup in history. I think Abreu is a huge upgrade over Sheffield. Giambi won't be as run down if he is the full-time DH. And Alex can't possibly continue to "slump," can he? Assuming everyone stays healthy and performs to their potential, 1000 runs isn't out of the question. The real question is can the pitching staff keep opposing runners from scoring? I think so, but I'm skeptical, and rightfully so. But if you've got a potent offense, you can afford to have a shoddy rotation.
The winter meetings start next week and I'm not expecting a lot from Cashman. I've heard the Melky/Humberto for Dontrelle Willis rumor, and while I'm all for it, I know it's highly unlikely. I'm a betting man and if I had to bet on the 2007 roster, I'd bet you're going to see Andy Phillips at 1B. I don't think we'll be seeing Shea Hillenbrand or anyone else in Pinstripes. I'm pretty sure the rotation is going to consist of Wang, Mussina, Johnson, Pavano, and Igawa, with Hughes, Sanchez, Karstens, Clippard and Rasner filling in if needed, or in the event of an injury. Personally, I hope the Yankees still make a pitch to Andy Pettitte. But again, I'm not sure Cashman is interested in spending the money. He feels he already has a winner. Me, I'm not so sure.
Peace, love and Pinstripes.
J

Case Of The PDA

Derek Jeter apparently isn't afraid to show some affection in public. First an art show and now this. If I were dating Jessica Biel, I'd probably do the same.
The curious part of the story is that they were hanging out in Vegas with A-Rod and Giambi. And they say Alex and Derek aren't friends off the field? Perhaps everything is on the mend. Giambi was the one who was "confronted" Alex according to that SI article. Must be water under the bridge. It's good to hear these guys hang out socially in the offseason. Let's just hope it carries over to the field come 2007.
Slow news day. Brian Cashman was on "The Show" on XM this afternoon. I missed it. If anyone caught it, let me know if they discussed anything interesting.
J

The Kei To The Rotation?

As I mentioned a few days ago, the Yankees were interested in Japanese LHP Kei Igawa. According to this article, the Yankees have won the rights to negotiate with the Japanese pitcher. The reported winning bid was $25 million, about half the bid the Red Sox placed to negotiate with Daiskue Matsuzaka. If true, this likely fills up the Yankees starting rotation. Wang, Mussina, Johnson, Pavano, and Igawa. Not what I was hoping for, but I'll take it. Hopefully, Cashman has a trick or two up his sleeve and finds a way to dump Pavano at the winter meetings. I think we'd all be happy if that happened.
From all accounts, Igawa is a pretty solid pitcher. Not quite Matsuzaka caliber, but pretty good nonetheless. This pretty much closes the book on Barry Zito and Andy Pettitte. I can understand why the Yankees made this move. Igawa's cost will likely be much cheaper than that of Zito or Pettitte. Cashman couldn't hold his breath either waiting for Pettitte to decide whether or not he's going to pitch in 2007. It's also likely that Pettitte, and Clemens for that matter, would feel like giving Houston another run, seeing that they are definitely trying to upgrade that ballclub. But again, let's hope Cashman has something on the burner and can still somehow make it happen. The consensus is to dump Pavano. He's by far the weakest link, but Cashman sounds committed to him, or at least to his salary.
I don't think this rotation is going to be playoff caliber, but I've seen stranger things happen. There are plenty of viable options on the farm if anyone gets hurt or falters. I think we're in good shape. We just need a first baseman.
I wonder what moves would have been made if the Tampa faction was calling the shots and not Cashman?
J

Bye Bye Bernie?

I heard a rumor today when I was listening to "Baseball This Morning" on XM Radio. If memory serves me correct, Orestes Destrade mentioned it. Orestes was the one that broke the rumor that the Red Sox had a bid higher than $50 million for Daisuke Matsuzaka, so I tend to think he knows what he's talking about when it comes to Japanese dealings. He did after all spend some time over there and I'm sure has many contacts.
He mentioned that the Yomiuri Giants were interested in signing Bernie Williams to a 2-year deal. While I don't want to see this happen, the move probably would make a lot of sense to Bernie. He obviously wants to play everyday and he's not going to get the chance in NY. He had a solid year last year and can probably still bring it. If I'm Bernie, I'd want to play everyday and I'd only want to play in Pinstripes if I stayed in MLB. He's been a career Yankee. I can't imagine he'd want to play anywhere else. Perhaps Japan makes the most sense.
I hope to see Bernie back in 2007. I think he can still bring a lot to the table. I wrote a piece called "Bring Back Bernie" back in late October. If you want to read the post on why I wanted to see him back, feel free to click on the link.
If anything, I really hope that the Yankee uniform is the only one Bernie dons as a Major Leaguer. I really hope if he decides not to retire and come back as a Yankee, he considers Japan before he signs anywhere else. It wouldn't seem right to see him wear another uniform.
J

We Want A Pitcher Not A Belly Itcher (Or A Guy Named Carl Pavano)

I was catching up on some reading today and came across a piece from the NY Post. From what it sounds like, we can expect to see everyone's favorite bust, Carl Pavano, back in Pinstripes and on the bump next year. Happy happy joy joy. Enter sarcasm here.
"I have [$16 million] in Johnson for next year so he is part of the five," Cashman said of the 43-year-old lefty who had back surgery in October. "I have $20 million over the next two years in Pavano, so he is part of the five."
If true, the Yankee rotation shapes up to be Wang, Mussina, Johnson, and Pavano with one open spot. Not what I would call threatening and it's far from what I would consider to be a postseason rotation. I can only assume that from Cashman's statement that the Yankees can't have Pavano's contract voided. He failed to disclose an auto accident and his injuries from the accident. Pavano trustworthy? Not so much. $20 million is a lot of money and I can understand why you can't just sever all ties. I think I can speak for 99% of Yankee fans when we say "trade Pavano." Cut your losses. He's not worth the headaches.
The Yankees are in need of a strong starter to fill that open spot. From what's on their radar, it's nothing I'm terribly excited about. The article mentions Gil Meche and Ted Lilly. I'm doing cartwheels. Enter more sarcasm here. Don't get me wrong, they're solid pitchers, but they won't get us to the promised land. The article calls the Yankees interest in these two, "lukewarm." It doesn't sound as if the Yankees are terribly excited either. The article also states "that the Yankees insist they aren't going to be players for Barry Zito." Personally, I think Zito is the best free agent the Yankees could get. But there is something that scares me about bringing him in, and that's the disappointments that mark Mulder and Tim Hudson have been since they've left Oakland. Oakland has a lot of foul territory and if you connect the dots, you can make the conclusion that these pitchers have been aided by the extra outs they racked up from what would be a foul ball anywhere else. I don't know how to quantify that. It's a theory, and it's one a buy into. Jeff Suppan is still available, though his name hasn't been mentioned in some while. I'm fine with that.
According to the article there is also a rumor that the Yankees may post a bid on Japanese lefty Kei Agawa. I don't know much about him, but from what I've read and seen from his stats, he may not be a bad option. I don't think the Yankees will break the bank if they do in fact post a bid, so I wouldn't be surprised if he lands somewhere else, likely Seattle from what I hear.
Right now I don't think the Yankees should promote from within. At least not right out the gate. They have the talent, but I don't think they are yet the caliber of pitcher that will solve the Yankees problems. I've previously discussed my thought on moving Scott Proctor to the rotation. Again, bad idea. So where would that leave the Yankees?
I'm starting to warm up to the idea of trying to bring back Andy Pettitte. He's been there, he's done that, and he's done it in a Yankee uniform. We know he can succeed on the big stage. And you never know, bring in Andy and you might be able to bring in Roger also. If you have the ability to bring in Roger Clemens, you do it. Getting Andy Pettitte to wear your uniform is a step in the right direction. It might be a little harder for the Yankees to sway Pettitte away from the Astros seeing that they just signed Carlos Lee and Woody Williams. The 'Stros are committed to winning. It would be pretty easy for Andy to stay in Houston if he chooses not to retire. I'm not sure if Pettitte wants to come back to New York. I remember when my friend and I were driving back from Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS (ugh bad night) we were listening to sports talk radio, probably WFAN, and a caller called in and brought up Andy Pettitte. He brought up some rumor that Andy left NY because of an ultimatum he was given by his wife. He was allegedly cheating on her, she found out, and said either we're out of here or I'm out of here with all your money. If true, that's incentive to leave and it's incentive not to come back. But for all I know, it's urban legend. If anybody knows the story, feel free to share.
It looks like the Yankees could have some pitching woes in 2007. I'm sure Cashman has a plan. He knows Steinbrenner wants a winner and quite frankly, what we have now isn't a winner. Come on Brian. Give us an early Christmas present, would ya?
Hope you all had a great holiday.
J

Thanksgiving Top 10

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd put up a list of the top 10 baseball-related things I'm thankful for this offseason. Feel free to post your own.
10) Gary Sheffield and Jaret Wright were traded
9) MLB on XM Radio
8) The Yankees resigned Mike Mussina
7) The Hot Stove, there's no better offseason in sports
6) Brian Cashman is the Yankee GM
5) This blog and everyone who reads it
4) I'm not a Red Sox fan
3) With each passing day, we're 1 day closer to pitchers and catchers reporting
2) MVP or not, Derek Jeter plays for the Yankees
and the #1 baseball-related thing thing I'm thankful for this offseason is,
1) I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee fan
.....and I'm especially thankful for my wife. She lets me blog instead of watching "The View" and "The Gilmore Girls." Though those Gilmores do have some witty banter. Thanks babe.
Happy Thanksgiving!
J