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Hey, did you hear that the Yankees are considering bringing Johnny Damon back to the Bronx? Wait a second, Damon's still lefthanded and the Yankees already have a lefty outfield? What, Damon can no longer play passable defense in the outfield? He only stole 11 bases last year? How does this make sense?

I suspect this is a case of a guy who is well liked by many in the press planting a story to increase interest around the league. If Damon didn't do this himself, we certainly know his agent is capable of doing it. This rumor made no sense from the start. If the Yankees wanted a bat who can't play defense, Marcus Thames would be a much, much better fit. Plus, would Damon be happy coming off the bench? Until the Yankees spend some money, there are going to be rumors about all sorts of players.

With that I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Unless something new happens in Yankeeland I will post again in 2011.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Brian Cashman really put an end to the idea of Joba in the rotation with this quote given to Ken Davidoff:

"His stuff plays so much significantly [better] out of the 'pen. We had given him an opportunity to pitch in the rotation, and the velocity dropped. It's just not the same stuff."

Looking at the numbers, Cashman is right. Joba averaged 92.5 mph on his fastball in 2009 vs. 94.6 in 2010. His slider went from 84.6 to 87.2 and his curve from 77.7 to 80.2. My question is- so what?

Velocity has to be the most overrated aspect of pitching. Location and the ability to change speeds are much more important. Cliff Lee looked pretty good this year averaging 91.3mph on his fastball. And if velocity is so important, why did the Yankees bring Sergio Mitre and his 90.2mph fastball back?

I think this might be a diplomatic way for Cashman to say that Joba doesn't have the mental makeup for starting. I can't really argue that, but the Yankees had better be sure about that assessment. Joba's stuff may drop when he is a starter, but it is still a lot better than that of most of the other current candidates for the rotation.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Red Sox have signed another bullpen arm in Dan Wheeler. He is an AL East veteran and seems like a good addition, especially on a 1-year deal (2nd year vests with 65 apps).

The Red Sox bullpen has gone from empty to full in short order, something I assumed would happen. Why would the Red Sox trade for Adrian Gonzalez and sign Carl Crawford if they were going to ignore one of their biggest problems last year, the bullpen.

Wheeler will be a middle reliever and joins Bobby Jenks as newly signed bullpen arms. While Felix Doubront remains the best lefty option, it is being said that the Red Sox prefer to start Doubront in the AAA and want to bring in another veteran lefty option.

This news is 2 days old, just trying to get caught up. With all of this movement, I have to remember, no official baseball for another 3 1/2 months. The will be one long off-season.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 05:02 PM | Permalink

Yes, it is too much money, but the Yankees are paying the market rate with the signing of Pedro Feliciano. Jon Heyman reports that it is a two-year deal for $4 million per. I wish I could throw a baseball with my left hand.

In his career, Feliciano has held LHB to rates of .214/.282/.297. Combined with Boone Logan (.190/.286/.215 in 2010) the Yankees have two guys who can shut down lefties in the bullpen. But, their presence will also create a problem.

Assume that the Yankees go with 12 relievers in 2011 and assume the Yankees around 940 innings of work from their starting pitchers. Assuming they have 1,440 innings to cover (AL average), that leaves 500 innings for the bullpen to deliver. With Logan, Feliciano and Rivera, you probably have no more than 200 and that might be generous. That leaves at least 300 innings for the remaining four guys, or 75 each.

Normally, that wouldn't be a big number, but look at the Yankee totals from last year. Joba pitched 71, and Robertson 61. In 2009 Hughes and Aceves both cracked 80, but Hughes made 7 starts. The point is, Joe Girardi is going to have to adjust his style and use his relievers more or the Yankees are going to have to shuttle guys up and down most of the season. Nothing to worry about right now, but something to keep in mind as the season gets going.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

With the signing of Bobby Jenks yesterday (pending a physical), the Red Sox bullpen is starting to take shape:

Closer - Jonathan Papelbon
Set-up - Daniel Bard
Set-up - Bobby Jenks
Lefty - Felix Doubront
Lefty - Andrew Miller
Righty - Tim Wakefield
Righty - Scott Atchison

I can live with that. To me, the lefties are important. Doubront, in limited action, held lefties to a .576 OPS in 40 Plate Appearances. Miller on the other hand was a batting practice pitcher for lefties in 2010 allowing a 1.262 OPS to lefties in 48 PAs. That off the charts bad. His career OPS against lefties is .819 in 365 PAs. Not good still, but it shows you how heavily his 2010 stats factored into his overall OPS vs lefties.

Miller at this point is a reclamation project and shouldn't be counted on in anyway. New pitching coach Curt Young will need to get his hands on Miller ASAP and see what he can do by the time spring training breaks as Miller has to stay on the big league roster or else has to pass through waivers if sent down to Pawtucket (or lower).

So the lefty burdon falls on Doubront for the time being.

The set-up arms are all power arms. Jenks is appealing b/c he can step in an close if need be but hopefully will serve to share the set-up duties with Bard.

Atchison is your reliever when all others are tired, or you when the Red Sox are losing the game and Wakefield is your utility bullpen arm. They'll probably keep him semi-stretched out so he can make a spot start now and again.

Back to the lefties, Doubront is a big piece here as when the Red Sox step into the New Yankee Stadium, it would be nice to have a shutdown reliever in the bullpen. The same way the Yankees just signed Pedro Feliciano (career .580 OPS vs lefties) who will combat the Red Sox heavy lefty line-up, the Red Sox need to be able to do the same in New York. The Red Sox obviously play other teams besides the Yankees (but isn't that what this website is about), so having a quality pitcher against lefties is huge.

******
There is talk that the Red Sox and Dan Wheeler are talking too, that would probably spell the end to Atchison (or Miller), but nothing firm yet on those talks.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 10:19 AM | Permalink

Kerry Wood has apparently taken a one-year/$1.5 million deal from the Cubs. Apparently he was seeking two years and something like $12 million from the Yankees and even turned down a one-year/$3.5 million deal from the White Sox.

While I would have gladly welcomed him back for $1.5 million, I am not too upset to lose Wood. His 0.69 ERA with New York was impressive, but he also walked 20 in 28 innings. Allowing only 2 of the runners who reached base to score was pretty lucky and he won't repeat that feat again in 2011. Tim said in the comments the other day that you can't handicap middlemen and I agree. We have seen the Yankees spend money on Karsay, Farnsworth, Gordon, etc. and not get what they thought they were getting. I would spend money for Feliciano because he is death on lefties and then save my nickles, unless Soriano decides to become a setup guy.

*****
Brian Cashman reiterated today that Joba Chamberlain is headed for the bullpen. I think that is a mistake, but I understand why the Yankees don't want to jerk him around again. However, if Andy Pettitte decides not to come back, the Yankees really need to rethink that decision.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Buster Olney is reporting that the Red Sox have signed Bobby "I'm Huge" Jenks to a 2 year, $12mm deal. Did I mention that Jenks is massive?

He is a power pitcher with a mean hook. But 2010 wasn't his best season. He can still strike out a ton of people (62 in 52 ip in 2010), so he is yet another power arm joining Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon. This is a lot of cash for a pitcher who blew a bunch of saves last season but they must feel it is a reasonable risk, especially at only 2 years.

Now the Red Sox need a lefty and perhaps a long-relief type pitcher unless they have Tim Wakefield penciled in for that.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There are plenty of naysayers out there scoffing at the Yankees announcement that they have signed Mark Prior to a minor league deal. Joel Sherman reports that the deal calls for Prior to make $750K if he makes the majors and another $800K in incentives based on innings pitched. He also notes that the Yankees view him as a reliever.

I get it, he will probably blow out his arm in camp, but what exactly are the Yankees risking here? Even if he made the big league roster, his salary of $750K is only $300K more than they would pay a guy fresh up from the minors. Kerry Wood reinvented himself as a reliever, perhaps Prior can to. It's a great move by the Yankees to find out.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

According to Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, the Yankees have reached a deal in principal with Russell Martin. He still needs to pass a physical, which Sherman points out is more than a formality.

I'll wait to see the dollars involved, but unless they are a lot ($5 million and up) I like the move. Martin's bat has disappeared the past few years, but he has maintained a good OBP. He has a very good reputation for handling pitchers and threw out 39% of the runners trying to steal on him last year. He would be eligible for arbitration in 2012, so the Yankees essentially get two years of him if they want.

This frees up Posada to mostly DH which should keep him healthier. It also allows them to keep Montero in Scranton until June, eliminating the chances he becomes a "super two" guy for arbitration. The question is, what do the Yankees do with Cervelli now? I think he becomes a trade chip in the Yankees efforts to get a starter. Exactly who that starter is will have to be seen.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well, the stuff in italics is what I was piecing together before I read the Jon Heyman tweet saying the Yankees are out of the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. I was going to suggest that the Yankees pull their offer. Looks like that has been done for them.

I hadn't gotten to it yet, but I was going to point out that while Boston is better, what other team in the AL East can say that right now? Tampa is certainly not and I don't think Baltimore or Toronto are either. There will certainly be more competition from teams like Chicago, but the Yankees as presently constructed should be considered a strong contender for a playoff spot.

What I would do now is move Joba back into the rotation and go with Ivan Nova in the fifth spot. Andy Pettitte scares me at his age and he seems likely to retire anyway. To back up those guys, I would spend heavily in the bullpen. I would call Rafael Soriano and see how much money he wants to be a setup guy/stand by closer. Rivera pitched 60 innings last year, there are going to be plenty of save opportunities in the future for the rest of the bullpen and if I am the Yankees I would make that case to Soriano. They can certainly afford to pay him closer money now.

I would also sign Feliciano to be a lefty in the pen and get Russell Martin done. I'm going to sleep on this a bit more. Keep reading if you want to see my train of thought before this all went down.

This Cliff Lee dance is getting stupid. Now Lee and his agent have every right in the world to keep shopping for what they want, but the Yankees also have the right to change their mind. It's obvious that Lee isn't jumping at the chance to come to New York. He is reportedly talking to Philadelphia and seeing if they can come close enough money-wise to make it worth spurning the Yankees or Rangers.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Here's an interesting stat. As of this moment, the Yankees and Red Sox have committed a total of $1.2 billion in player salaries through the 2018 season. And that money is almost evenly divided 50.7% is owed by the Yankees, 49.3% by the Red Sox. If Cliff Lee signs for $150 million that figure goes up to $1.35 billion and the percentages adjust to 56.8% to 43.2%.

As we wait for Lee to make up his mind, there are a few other stories and rumors to kick around. Let's start with the Rule 5 draft where the Yankees took 2 pitchers. Of the two, Robert Fish, a lefty from the Angels, seems to have the better chance of sticking, but it is a small one. The fact is, Fish hasn't pitched well above A ball, but the Yankees can bring him to camp and see if he can get big league lefties out. As I said yesterday, no harm no foul.

The second pick seems to be more about messing with Boston than anything else. The Yankees took Daniel Turpen, a guy who hasn't pitched all that well for the Red Sox but has been mentioned as the possible PTBNL in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Considering this guy is a righty who just put up an ERA over 4 in AA ball, I think the Yankees spent $50,000 to make Theo's life a little bit harder.

The other rumor is that both the Yankees and Red Sox have made offers to Russell Martin. From a Yankees standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Yes, Montero could hit the cover off the ball in camp and step right into the starting catching job, but what if he doesn't? Furthermore, promoting him on Opening Day starts his arbitration clock, guaranteeing he will be a "Super 2" and forcing the Yankees to pay him a lot of money a year sooner than they would have. (Give them a break, they already are on the hook for $613 million over the next 7 years) Martin isn't a huge upgrade offensively from Cervelli (.264 TAV vs. .261) but he is an upgrade defensively. I would not have traded for him last week, since he would have cost too much in arbitration, but if the Yankees can get him for $3 or $4 million, I say do it.

I now return you back to "The Cliff Lee Watch" Please stay away from sharp objects.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Reports are floating that the Red Sox have signed Carl Crawford to a 7-year, $142mm deal. Wow.

I never expected them to throw this kind of cash around to a player like Crawford. He is good, don't get me wrong, great with the glove, very, very fast and hits for a high average, but he isn't patient, nor does he hit for much power. Some power yes, but not that much...right?

I will say this, because it isn't my money, this is a great signing. But if it were my money...I'd be asking my GM to meet me for a personal one-on-one to evaluate things. $20mm+ on two offensive players in one off-season is just too much to comprehend.

OK Red Sox, you have just entered the world of the New York Yankees. You now have 2 players making north of $20mm per season (not quite yet, but in 2011 you will). Time to get ready to defend paying one player, let alone two, that kind of scratch.

If this really is true, the Red Sox line-up would look very lefty and something like this (I will not guess on the specific outfield positions just yet):

of - Crawford
2b - Pedroia
1b - Gonzalez
3b - Youkilis
dh - Ortiz
of - Cameron
of - Drew
c - Saltalamacchia
ss - Scutaro

Where is Ellsbury in all of this, I don't know. I'm confused. Ellsbury and the Red Sox clearly didn't get along in 2010, so this might be his farewell. Or, considering the left-handed nature of this line-up, maybe the Red Sox know something I don't. Seriously, my cat knows just a bit more than me, but I can totally confuse her on the "I'm throwing the toy but not really routine" so I've got that going for me. BTW, my cat wasn't my doing, but she is a welcome addition...very smart and tenacious with a cat toy thus far. Seriously, she'll mess that toy up!

Wait, what was I talking about? Right, too many lefties in the line-up. My guess is that Ellsbury is moved. That would clear something or other up in the line-up, right? Ok, I give up, many lefties, many lefty outfielders, tell me what's next please.

I'll comment more after my cat sits me down and explains things to me. Off to sleep.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

I thought a John Lennon quote would be the perfect way to sum up today at the Winter Meetings- consider it a tribute to someone who was taken from us far too soon, 30-years ago tonight.

Lots and lots of talk, but not much substance. Here's what we sort of know-

The Yankees made an offer for a six-year deal between $137.5 million and $150 million to Cliff Lee. Lee's agent took off to Arkansas to discuss things with Lee and he might have two offers of seven years from "other" teams.

Andy Pettitte hasn't made up his mind and the Yankees seem ok with that. But, there is a chance they will go after Lee and Crawford if Pettitte were to retire.

The Rule 5 draft is tomorrow at 9am.

I mention the Rule 5 draft because there is a solid chance the Yankees make a selection or two. The 40-man roster sits fairly barren right now with 33 names on it. I can't really imagine the Yankees signing more than four free agents in addition to Jeter and Mo and even that would leave three open spots. If they see a name or two they like, perhaps a lefty relief candidate like Scott Diamond, available, it only costs them $50,000 to grab them for a six-week tryout in spring training. If they stick with the club that's great. If not, they can actually get 1/2 the money they spent back. It really wouldn't surprise me to see the Yankees make a pick or two.

For now, that may be the biggest action we see. Cliff Lee has some offers to consider, who knows how long that process will take.

Back after the Rule 5.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

According to Jon Heyman, Cliff Lee has two offers for seven years at more than $20 million but the teams remain a mystery. Since the Yankees are reportedly not going to seven years, there seems to be a decent chance they won't get their man. For the sake of argument, let's assume that Lee signs elsewhere. What are the Yankees options for 2011?

1- Stick with what they have. This would be the most interesting move and the chances of it happening probably depend on Andy Pettitte. If Pettitte comes back, the Yankees could open with almost the same rotation they had last year, swapping Ivan Nova in for Vazquez. Considering how poorly Vazquez pitched, you could make the argument that Nova might actually be an upgrade. Now if Pettitte doesn't come back, the Yankees would have two rotation holes to fill. I swore I would never say this again, but in this case, wouldn't it make sense to consider Joba for the rotation?

2- Sign a different free agent starter. The HUGE problem with this scenario is which one do you want? After Lee, Carl Pavano is probably the best starter left and we know that won't happen. The Yankees could take a run at someone like a Justin Duchscherer and keep their fingers crossed that he stays healthy. A bet like that again probably rests on Andy Pettitte's decision as Nova would then presumably be ready in the minors for when the injury bug bit. Short of that, is anyone up for the return of Chien-Ming Wang?

3- Try the trade market. Now Zack Greinke is clearly on the block, but you know that the price is going to be Montero. Further more, Greinke had a pretty severe social anxiety disorder and while he is by all accounts healthy, there is a big difference between New York and Kansas City. I'm just not sure the risk would be worth the price of Montero.

The pitcher who would be worth that price is Felix Hernandez. That's the guy I would target if I were the Yankees. I wonder if Seattle would have any interest if the Yankees offered a package with Montero and Betances in it?

4- Screw the pitching, bash their way to a pennant. It's all about run differential and the Yankees scored 859 runs in 2010. Add Carl Crawford to the mix and that could go up. Now Crawford is probably going to cost a ridiculous amount as well, but it's an option.

What do you think?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Both Ken Rosenthal and Joel Sherman reported tonight that the Yankees will not go to 7 years with Cliff Lee. Sherman added that they would go to six to get the deal done.

I guess I am glad to hear they won't go to 7, but 6 is way too many in my book. I don't really like the idea of even going to five years, but with the news that Andy Pettitte is leaning towards retirement, the Yankees really need to get Cliff Lee to come to the Bronx. I just hope they do it without guaranteeing a sixth year.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal is tweeting that the Red Sox and Adrian Gonzalez have agreed on a 7 year, $154mm extension. That's $22mm per. So the Red Sox have done all the things their fanbase could hope for on this one. They traded for an offensive and defensive cornerstone and they have him locked up for the next 8 seasons.

No word on if this deal will be signed now or in April.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 04:25 PM | Permalink

Does every Red Sox move have to involve such drama? There was the Curt Schilling Thanksgiving dinner, the failed Mark Teixeira pursuit and now this. Seriously, think back to when Theo Epstein himself walked out on the Red Sox. Maybe it's his way of keeping things interesting.

Alas, it is now being reported that the Red Sox have gone ahead and traded for Adrian Gonzalez anyway, despite not inking him to an extension. My theory is that the Red Sox didn't really want to sign him immediately to an extension, rather they wanted to sign him once the 2011 started as any deal signed after the start of the season wouldn't be factored in for luxury tax purposes. You know, maybe the past 36 hours were designed to build the framework of a deal and intentionally table it until April.

Pretty smooth if so, and I'm sure against the rules of baseball and also risky because Adrian and co. could always have a change of heart. Just a guess on my part, but there have been plenty of writers pointing out the benefit if waiting until April.

Regardless, I'm glad it is done and he will be a more than welcome addition to the squad. I'm still chewing on just how I'd construct the line-up with the pieces they have now, but as we all know, the line-up isn't that important, but it is fun to talk about.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I thought the Cardinals singing Lance Berkman to play the outfield for $8 million was crazy, but the news that the Nationals just signed Jason Werth for 7 years and $126 million blows that away.

It's a deal that is going to redefine the marketplace. Start with Carl Crawford who will probably try and get 8 years out of whatever team signs him now. (No thanks) Cliff Lee will certainly up his demands as well. And you have to wonder, did Adrian Gonzalez get some idea of Werth's deal (reportedly agreed to Friday night) and use it as a benchmark in his failed extension talks with Boston?

Here's an interesting way of looking at it. The Yankees will pay their starting outfield next year a tiny bit less than the Nationals will pay Werth.

Stay tuned, it is going to be a fascinating week.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Word out now that the Adrian Gonzalez deal is at best on hold and at worst dead.

If the deal is dead then I have lost a great deal of confidence in the Red Sox ability to build a winner. Why not go the extra step in getting this deal done? If it is cash then they just alienated their fanbase and a few of their minor leaguers. If there are other reasons, they better be good reasons (health concerns).

If the deal is on hold well then we just have to wait for a final answer (If I'm not back in 10 minutes, just wait longer).

Before I vent any further, let's see what really happens.

Update: A deal is still possible but without an extension in place, I can't imagine the Red Sox will want to give up as much. The two teams are free to tweak the deal and just make it a trade for one year.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The Yankees have made deals with both Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, bringing the two of them back where they belong. I commented on Rivera's deal yesterday and Jeter's makes similar sense. Three years at $17 million per is a high for Jeter the player, but for Jeter the total package, it is fair. Plus, he is deferring some money which helps the Yankees going forward. As for the 4th year, Jeter has a player option that could be worth somewhere between $8 and $17 million based on how he performs over the next few years. I would be willing to bet that if Jeter is no longer Jeter, he won't exercise that option. Overall, I think the immortal Peter Gammons said it best tonight when he tweeted "I don't care what Jeter makes, only that he and Mariano begin and end as Yankees." Amen to that.

Now it becomes all about Cliff Lee. The Yankees are making some head fakes towards guys like Crawford, but it is really all about Lee at this point. If the Yankees can get him on board, Andy Pettitte becomes a "nice to have" instead of a "must have". If they can't get him, they better get Andy to put off retirement. Losing both would be a very bad situation. I would bet we know the answer to where they both end up by this time next week.

One last note. Clearly the Cardinals didn't watch much of Lance Berkman as a Yankee. $8 million to play the outfield? Good luck with that next year!

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Assuming the Adrian Gonzalez deal gets done, the Red Sox will have added some power to their line-up. But at the same time it means Adrian Beltre is gone as he has no position to play. Beltre was great in Boston in 2010 and added a great deal of power (.553 slg%). But what worried me most about him is that his 2 best years, by far, have been contract years. And in 2009, another contract year, he was hurt. I just don't think making a long term commitment to a career .790 OPS player is a good risk and that OPS is skewed by 2 really good seasons.

Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com also brings up a good point that with the addition of Gonzalez, Carl Crawford becomes a much less likely addition as the team would be too lefthanded (Ortiz, Gonzalez, Ellsbury, Drew). So maybe Jayson Werth is their next target. Werth has more power, a better eye, but doesn't run as well and is as good a fielder. He is also older. I'd still like Werth though as he has power and patience.

Back to the Gonzalez deal, the Red Sox reportedly are giving up Ray Fuentes, Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and a player to be named later. Those are the 1, 3 & 6 ranked minor leaguers per Baseball America and 1, 3 & 18 per SoxProspects.com. San Diego is getting a big haul, but the Red Sox are getting a proven player. I like this deal. It adds a very well rounded player in his prime.

Here is the line-up if these deal goes through and no other adds are made:

c - Saltalamacchia
1b - Gonzalez
2b - Laser Show
3b - Youkilis
ss - Scutaro
lf - Ellsbury
cf - Cameron/Kalish
rf - Drew
dh - Ortiz

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

No, that's not a Rocky quote, but rather a shout out to the Red Sox new 1b Adrian Gonzalez (maybe). According to multiple sources, the Red Sox and Padres have agreed to a trade and only Gonzalez's physical (off-season shoulder surgery) and a contract extension stand in the way.

Buster Olney says that MLB has opened a window for negotiating the new deal which will likely be in the Mark Teixeira range.

Further proof the Red Sox read my stuff, getting Gonzalez will give the Red Sox a legit bopper in the middle of the line-up, but also introduce some energy to this organization. Oh yeah, Gonzalez is a multiple gold-glove 1b as well.

Of course nothing is final yet and the Red Sox are going to be giving up a bevy of talent. The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo is suggesting it could be Anthony Rizzo and Casey Kelly as the primary bait. According to Soxprospects.com, Kelly and Rizzo are the #1 and #3 top prospects respectively in the organization.

You have to give to get.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

That has been the missing ingredient for Derek Jeter all along in his negotiations with the Yankees. He has needed another team to come and make a serious run at him.

I mention this because the word is out that Mariano Rivera had that leverage. In fact, he apparently had a lot of leverage. Jon Heyman is reporting that three teams, including the Red Sox, offered Rivera a three-year deal to leave the Yankees. Mo being Mo, turned them down and is going to take two years from the Yankees. If you really needed another reason to love Mo, there it is. I am also fascinated that the Red Sox would offer Rivera three years. I wonder what Mr. Papelbon thinks about that? I am amazed that any team, let alone three, would offer a 41-year old a three-year deal.

For the Yankees, this deal is one more year than I would have liked, but it is obvious they didn't have a choice if other teams were offering three. The problem is going to be the balance Joe Girardi will need to strike between keeping Rivera fresh and blowing out his bullpen. To avoid that, the Yankees should seriously rethink the way they use Joba. Assuming he pitches up to his capabilities, the Yankees should look for 100 or so innings of relief from him. If they use him like the 1996 Rivera they would go a long way to solving the problem of the bullpen wearing out.

I'll worry about that the another day. For now, I am going to enjoy the fact that my favorite player is back where he belongs.

*****
One other rumor Heyman reported is that the Yankees almost swapped Cervelli to LA for Russell Martin. With Martin making $5 million in 2010 and heading to arbitration again, I would have hated that move and I am glad the Yankees avoided it. Cervelli regressed as the season went along, but he still got on base at a .360 clip. That's good value for a guy making the major league minimum.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jon Heyman tweeted that the Red Sox offered Mariano Rivera 3 years and $45mm. Now that would have been interesting. Normally I'd say giving a guy that old that kind of money would be dumb (I did 3 years ago too), but Rivera seems to be some kind of freak. I really do hope he gets old quickly and becomes ineffective, but he is looking more and more like a reliever's Nolan Ryan.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 10:06 AM | Permalink

So the Yankees announced they have non-tendered Dustin Moseley and Alfredo Aceves!

The Aceves move is one I can't begin to understand. Yes, he had back trouble and yes he broke his collarbone, but he was expected to return around March 1st. Plus, he will not be eligible for arbitration until after 2011 and he pitched pretty well when healthy. This is a guy who would have cost 1/2 of what Mitre signed for in 2011, why would you get rid of him? I assume his back is doing better since he was out biking when he broke his collarbone. The 40-man roster would have been at 32 if they had kept Aceves, plenty of room to bring back their free agents and sign some other ones. I don't get it at all.

Anyone have any answers?

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Red Sox have re-signed Jason Varitek to a 1 year, $2mm deal plus incentives according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

That means the catchers will be Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Varitek. The Red Sox obviously wanting to give Saltalamacchia a mentor of sorts. Not many better than Varitek. I'm more than fine with this deal as while Varitek is no longer the player he was, especially offensively, he can still contribute 2 times a week and will hopefully help Saltalamacchia learn the staff a bit.

Also much talk of the Red Sox meeting with representatives for both Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford. Where there's smoke there's fire? I think so, but we'll see.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 05:04 PM | Permalink

Why do the Yankees keep bringing back Sergio Mitre? I have detailed my disdain for Mitre here and here and here and plenty of other places, so I won't rehash my objections.

What bothers me about this move is that I have seen a lot of people saying it's "only" for 900k. That's true, but the Yankees signed Marcus Thames for 900k last year. Plus, Mitre will now take a spot from someone like a Romulo Sanchez or perhaps an Ivan Nova, pitchers with more promise and lower salaries. I don't know why the Yankees keep knocking on this door, but I can only hope they won't compound the problem by offering Dustin Moseley a contract. One mediocre righty is enough.

Back when we hear the non-tender decisions later tonight.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)