YankeesRedSox.com

The beauty of baseball is that you just never know what will happen. Entering the 2011 season, almost everyone predicted that the Red Sox and Phillies would meet in the World Series and that the Cardinals were not going to do much after losing their ace to injury. Yet, the Cardinals walked away with the hardware in 2011, giving the National League its first consecutive titles since 1982.

Some fans view the 2011 Yankees as failures, but I don't. Perhaps it was the fact that I came of age in the fallow period of Yankee history, but anytime the Yankees win the division, I view it as a successful season. Brian Cashman gambled on a suspect pitching staff and he drew an inside straight. I never thought we would see another Aaron Small-type season, but Bartolo Colon's 2011 came close. And while Colon faded down the stretch and the starting pitching wasn't much behind Sabathia and Nova, it's worth remembering that in the end the offense cost the Yankees a chance to move on.

And what will 2012 bring to Yankees' fans? It's foolish to try and predict things when the roster is still in flux, but one thing I can almost guarantee is to expect lots of surprises. Cashman has stood by this offseason and watched the top free agents (except for Fielder) come off the board and the top pitchers in the trade market go elsewhere. It seems that it is all part of his plan to make the Yankees younger and less expensive, but I wouldn't mistake his inactivity for complacency. If I had to guess, here are five moves we might see occur in 2012.

1- Yankees trade a bunch of prospects for a premium starter. This is hardly going out on a limb, but it remains the most obvious need.

2- Russel Martin get signed to a three-year deal. Again, not a shocker, except for the length of the deal. But, the Yankees have become a very statistically-oriented team and Martin's defense is superb. Throw in a better than average bat for a catcher and I think they keep him around while they try and develop Montero into a catcher.

3- The closer torch is passed to David Robertson. You read the reported quotes about Mariano wanting to play until he is 50, but I don't buy it. I think Mo is far too smart to hang around and let age rob him of his abilities and he is also a man who has lots of interests outside of baseball. I think 2012 will be it for him.

4- The Yankees make a trade for a young outfielder. I love Nick Swisher, but let's face it, he isn't going to be a Yankee in 2013. The Swisher trade could go down as Brian Cashman's greatest coup. He got one of the best rightfielders in the game for Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez. But, he is 31 and has Scott Boras as an agent. He will be seeking a big deal in the offseason and the Yankees won't give it to him. The Yankees don't have an obvious in-house candidate to replace him in 2013, so I think they go outside the organization and find a replacement.

5- Derek Jeter hits 8th in 2012. I don't think it will happen right away, but at some point in 2012 it is inevitable in my mind that Jeter drops from the top of the lineup. I would bet that the Yankees start the year with Jeter only leading off against lefties, like they did in 2011, but start moving him down against righties by May.

Those are my five, how about yours?

Finally a big thanks to all the readers out there for a wonderful 2011. It's all of you that make this a fun endeavor. I hope you all have a Happy New Year and please come back in 2012!

-Peter

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

According to John Heyman, the Yankees have reached a deal to bring back Andruw Jones to the Bronx. Jones will make the same base $2 million he did last year, but it sounds like his incentives could equal another $1.5 million.

Jones had a rough first half (.635ops) but he rebounded with an enormous second half (1.028ops) and punished lefties to the tune of ..286/.384/.540. With Brett Gardner not able to do much against lefty pitching (.233/.345/.272) this is a smart move to bring Jones back.

And I like the other move they made, signing Hideki Okajimi to a minor league deal with an invite to camp. They essentially get a free look at a guy who used to be very tough on lefties, though I won't enjoy watching him look like he is going to break his neck every time he throws the ball. Maybe Okajima rediscovers his effectiveness and becomes the second lefty in the pen. Maybe he doesn't, it won't cost the Yankees much to find out.

I'll be back tomorrow to say goodbye to 2011.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:00 PM | Permalink

Just in time for the holidays, the Red Sox have acquired George Bailey from grumpy old Mr. Potter.

Check that, the Sox acquired Andrew Bailey from the A's and have apparently found their new closer. Which also means Mark Melancon will be the set-up man and Daniel Bard will really be in the rotation. The Sox also received Ryan Sweeney along with Bailey in exchange for Josh Reddick, Miles Head and Raul Alcantara.

A good addition. Now the Red Sox need one more starter and a few depth signings for AAA are all that is needed. That and some good luck.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Philosophically, I have no problem with Brian Cashman holding onto the Yankees' prospects. In fact, I prefer it. Usually, it is a lot more fun to root for guys who grew up in the system than to root for imports. This fall/winter we have seen the big pitching names go off the board through free agency, posting, extensions and trades. Apart from a guy like Kuroda, there is very little left out there that you could see helping the Yankees in 2012. So, I think it is fair to say that Brian Cashman has decided to use his farm system instead of his pocket book to improve the Yankees this offseason. I am 100% on board with this plan, but now Brian has to be as well.

What does that mean? It means no more Sergio Mitre's or Brian Gordon's in 2012. Those spots don't get wasted on other organizations retreads, they go to guys like Noesi, Warren and Phelps. It means a guy like Kevin Whelan gets to stick in the big league pen for a few weeks after dominating AAA and Jesus Montero opens the season as a regular in the lineup. Prospects are a depreciating asset. They are the opposite of a fine wine, the older the get the more they lose in value. You can only stock them in AAA for so long before they begin to become worthless. The Yankees have a ton of guys who could help the 2012 club in their system. Cashman didn't want to trade those guys this offseason, so it is time to start using them.

Barring any Yankees news in the next few days, this will mark the start of my Christmas break. I will be back at some point next week, but until then I hope everyone enjoys the holidays.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Over on his GM blog (subscription required) Jim Bowden has five trades for Gio Gonzalez. For the Yankees he has Betances, Phelps and Romine going over to Oakland. I would make that deal in a second.

There are three things you have to worry about with Gonzalez. The first is his walk totals. Now many of the reports I have seen say that he walks a lot of guys because he is afraid to give in and fall behind with the A's anemic offense. Believe that at your own peril.

The second thing to worry about is his home and road splits. Oakland is a pitcher's park and not surprisingly, Gonzalez's ERA is almost a run better there than on the road. He gives up more flyballs than groundballs, so pitching in smaller parks could hurt him. Being a lefty, you would think he could neutralize left-handed batters, but they have actually hit him harder than righties in his career.

Finally, his career ERA vs. Boston is almost a six and against the Yankees it is over 7. He is clearly struggling when facing the best lineups in the league.

So with those three concerns, why would I make this trade? For two reasons. First and foremost, he is a young lefthander with very good stuff. Put him on the Yankees and he doesn't have to be an ace, he just needs to pitch effectively. Even with the concerns I outlined above, I think he would do that.

Second, think about the pieces the Yankees would give up in this deal. They still have Montero and they still have Banuelos. Sure losing Romine hurts, but I don't know if he will hit enough in the bigs and don't forget that Gary Sanchez is still in the system. If the Yankees lock down Martin for a couple of years, they won't need Romine. I think Phelps could develop into a competent back of the rotation guy, I just don't see the Yankees giving him the chance. The have Noesi and Warren at that same level, so will Phelps even get a chance? And Betances certainly could develop into a stud pitcher, but you have to give to get and of the trio of Betances, Banuelos and Montero, he is the one I am more comfortable giving up.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

Get it? That was a "clever" way to remind you that the Yu Darvish decision is due tonight. Actually, it was originally due around 8pm. Then it was reported that it would come around 10pm. It's 10:45pm now, so we may be here awhile.

Fear not, I will be with you all the way. Just a reminder, it's a two-step process. At some point tonight, Nippon will announce that they have accepted the bid. They don't know who made the bid, only the amount. After Nippon formally accepts the bid, MLB will announce the team that made it. Stay tuned....

UPDATE 11:06pm So there is a fake Bud Selig account on Twitter which reported that the Blue Jays had won the posting with a bid of $52 million. Considering one of the next tweets was "Report, Gary Bettman is a bigger idiot than I am" I am somewhat dismayed that more people didn't realize this "news" was false.

UPDATE 11:08pm A seemingly more credible report was just tweeted by Jeff Passan of Yahoo sports saying the Rangers won the posting with a bid of $51.7 million.

UPDATE 11:10pm Here's link to a Yahoo story about the report from Passan. Have to say, this is pretty curious. The Rangers wouldn't go the distance for Cliff Lee or CJ Wilson, but they do this for a guy who has never thrown a pitch for them?

UPDATE 11:13pm Multiple sources confirming the Yahoo report.

UPDATE 11:16pm Here's a link to the MLB twitter announcement.

UPDATE 11:25pm While I amazed they bid that much, it is worth remembering that the CEO of the Rangers knows a thing or two about pitching.

UPDATE 11:28pmProbably worth remembering that Dallas-Ft. Worth is the 4th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the Rangers just signed a TV deal that will net them $80 million a year. This is a team that can spend with the big boys.

Well that's it for me tonight. I imagine someone will dig up the size of the Yankees' bid at some point, but you can't fault them for not wanting to spend $52-million to offer Yu Darvish a contract. I imagine the resolution of the Darvish process will start the wheels moving on some other things like the Gio Gonzalez trade and Kuroda's free agency. We will have to wait and see if the Yankees have any involvement in that.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Over on ESPN's GM's Office (subscription required) Jim Bowden has posted five trade ideas that he sees as fair for both teams. One of them is Felix Hernandez to the Yankees for Ivan Nova, Jesus Montero and Dellin Betances. So, if you are the Yankees, do you make this trade?

Personally, I would and here's why. I think the Yankees are selling high on Nova. Sure, he was awesome in the second half last year, but he also didn't strike out a lot of guys. It's very hard to be a great pitcher in this era if you don't get your K's and I view Nova as a nice back of the rotation guy rather than a #2 or #3. I could be very wrong about that and if he stays in the Yankees rotation I hope I am, but the jury is still out on him.

Montero is obviously the big hit in this trade, but I still don't think the Yankees view him as a catcher. To me, the fact that they sent Romine across the country when Martin and Cervelli went down in September tells you all you need to know. And, if he can't catch, his value to the Yankees goes way down. I should also note that I saw Brian Cashman on TV get asked about putting him in rightfield and Cashman basically said he didn't think Montero could handle it. So, it's catcher or bust with Jesus and unless the Yankees have had a change of thinking about his abilities there, better to trade him while the illusion that he can catch still exists.

Betances would hurt too, but of the remaining "B'" I would much prefer to hang onto Banuelos. If you got Hernandez you would have a dominant 1-2 punch to couple with Hughes, Burnett and Garcia. I think you have to do that trade if you are the Yankees.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Let's pretend you are the richest person at a blind envelope auction. Everyone knows you are the richest, but nobody knows who is bidding or the amount that they bid. As the richest person do you...

A- Loudly tell everyone of your interest in a particular item hoping that it scares away potential bidders?

or

B- Pretend to have little to no interest in a particular item hoping that you can use your financial might by posting a big bid stealthily?

The Yankees have done at least the first part of B with Yu Darvish and now we will await to see if they did actually make a bid. I have no idea if they did or didn't, but I also don't think you should read very much into their statements that they weren't interested. To me, that was just smart poker. We know the Yankees have gobs of money and even if it requires a Matsuzaka-like posting fee, that isn't a big deal to them. And Matsuzaka's performance will probably help the team that wins the posting negotiate a contract with Darvish. After all, Dice-K was supposed to be a dominant force and apart from 2008, he has been mediocre at best. He signed for six years at $52 million. If you don't think the Yankees would be willing to add that amount to their payroll, I have a bridge to sell you here in Brooklyn.

Now, the bigger question is if Darvish is worth bidding on? That's a tough one to answer. Sure, he is supposedly better than Dice-K, but we seem to hear that each time a Japanese pitcher is posted. I don't think anyone knows how to answer that question, but don't just assume the Yankees passed. We will find out soon.

UPDATE 7:50pm Two tweets to pay attention to. First, Buster Olney says the Yankees did bid. Second, Danny Knobler reports that the Fighters were excited by the amount of the winning bid. We still don't know the winning bidder, but it is morning in Japan, so we might hear something later tonight. I will update accordingly.

UPDATE 8:02pm Jon Heyman tweets that the word is the Yankees entered only a "modest" bid for Darvish. To be honest, I don't know if I should be happy or sad about that.

UPDATE 10:50pm Jon Heyman tweets a rumor that one bid was north of $50 millon.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 06:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The Red Sox traded oft-injured Jed Lowrie and spot starter Kyle Weiland to the 'Stros for former Yankee reliever Mark Melancon.

If it were up to me, I'd have Bard set-up and Melancon close, or the other way around, but I wouldn't put Bard into the rotation. Bard has never had success at the pro level as a starter and seems to be very good at setting up/relieving, why screw around with something that works.

As for losing Weiland and Lowrie, I'm not going to cry too much. I feel badly for Weiland as he did horribly in spot duty and wasn't alone in playing poorly towards the end of the year and would have been better served in less important situations. As for Lowrie, I think the Red Sox tried their best with him, but he just couldn't put it together. He got off to a blazing start in 2011, but was awful the rest of the way (.962 OPS in April and then .689, .352, .655 and .562 in May, June, August and September respectively).

ESPN's Keith Law seems to think Lowrie is a huge loss for the Red Sox and he also thinks him having a healthy year is important and if there is anything we know about Lowrie, it is highly unlikely he'll stay healthy. Time to move on from Lowrie. I hope he does well, but if he can't stay on the field, it doesn't matter how good he is.

I like this move as it adds depth and options to the pitching staff. Melancon might not light it up as a closer in the Papelbon mold, but he should hold his own in set-up duty and maybe even closing duties.

Also, Nick Punto was signed which begs the question, what becomes of Mike Aviles and/or Marco Scutaro? Could this signal a trade is coming? Could Hanley Ramirez be coming to Boston??? Sorry, got carried away there, but it could signal a trade for starting pitching or some other pieces.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 04:03 PM | Permalink

The Red Sox have signed catcher Kelly Shoppach to a 1-year, $1.35mm deal so reports ESPN.

That essentially closes the door on a return for Jason Varitek. With Jarrod Saltalamacchia set to be the everyday catcher and Ryan Lavarnway the back-up catcher/DH/1b.

Shoppach has been terrible at the plate his last 2 seasons putting up a .650 OPS in 2010 and a .607 OPS in 2011, so to me, this is an insurance signing in case Lavarnway struggles with his defense. Shoppach sadly has turned into a Kevin Cash offensively.

Posted by Andy (Red Sox) at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Considering the six players the Yankees needed to tend a contract to by tonight were: Joba, Gardner,Hughes, Logan, Martin and Robertson, it should come as no surprise that the Yankees have tendered all of them. Unlike last year, where they made a big mistake with Aceves this year's choices were no-brainers. Now the question is, will anyone of value be non-tendered tonight? Early returns are not encouraging, but we will have to wait and see what the final list is.

It's a weird time in New York these days as it is the first time in years that I can remember where baseball is at the bottom of the list or sports that everyone is talking about. Sure, there have been times when a sport jumped ahead of baseball for awhile, but I can't think of another time in recent years where baseball seemed to be the lowest on the list of the major sports. But, the NBA is coming back and the Knicks are good. (Finally!) The Jets and Giants are fighting for playoff spots and the Rangers look like they will be very good this year. Add in the fact that the Yankees won't spend money and the Mets can't and it's not hard to understand why baseball is not a hot topic right now.

That will change by February, but it could also change sooner if a big move is made. I think the Yankees are just waiting for prices to drop in the market. Teams are still asking for tons in return, but if the demands go down, Cashman will act. As he said last week, "The Yankees are open for business." It just doesn't seem like it right now.

Back tomorrow with some thoughts on the non-tendered.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well the Winter Meetings have come and gone and the Yankees are not very different from where they were at the beginning of the week. The top pitchers are off the free agent market and the top hitter is as well. Here's what the Yankees don't have- a premiere addition to talk about heading into 2012. Barring a run at Yu Darvish (possible, but after their history with Japanese pitchers somewhat unlikely) the Yankees will have a very similar team to the one they had in 2011. Here's what the Yankees do have- choices, especially with their pitching.

It's not a shock they are at this point. Here is an article Mitchell sent me the other day which outlines the Yankees plans for the next few years. Here is an interview with Brian Cashman from last night that contains a number of different pieces of information and is worth watching. What they both reinforce is the fact that Brian Cashman isn't about to overpay for anyone.

Now back to the choices and this is what I think the difference between this year and last year lies with the Yankees. Unlike last year, Cashman isn't saying "no way" when being asked about the chances for a Banuelos or Betances to pitch in the bigs. Watch the interview and it becomes clear to me that the Yankees are viewing not only spring training, but the entire season as an extended tryout. They are going to be looking for results and if one guy doesn't deliver, they can exchange him for another guy. What that means is unless your name is Sabathia you don't have a spot in the rotation. If Ivan Nova pulls a 2011 Phil Hughes, expect to see someone else step in.

So, we can put some names on the 2012 team in pen like Sabathia, Rivera, Robertson and Logan and some in pencil like Nova, Hughes and Wade. It means if one of the prospects can have a big camp, he will probably earn a spot.

Things might change if some of the trade demands from other teams go down, but why would they? Oakland should ask for the sun, moon and stars for Gonzalez. The way the Yankees avoid paying those prices is by developing their own Gonzalez's and for the first time in a while, they just might have that chance.

Lastly, I couldn't resist linking to this. I would say this gentleman might have been over-served. I can also not confirm or deny that I might have taken a "swim" in that very pool once.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The word is Albert Pujols has signed a 10-year/$250 million contract with the Angels. To me, that is a huge mistake by Albert as he will never have what he had in St. Louis. Now he is just another baseball mercenary. Plus, I wonder with the state income taxes in California, how much more is he actually going to make over staying in St. Louis? They reportedly offered over $200 million, so what is the actual difference?

I am listening to the Rule 5 draft and will update this post when it is completed.

UPDATE 10:12 Interesting tidbit from the Rule 5 draft. When they did the roll call and announced each team's 40-man roster space, they announced the Yankees at 38 players. Looking at the roster, I count 39 so I wonder what happened?

UPDATE 10:13 Yankees select Brad Meyers from Washington. They did not lose a player in the first round.

UPDATE 10:22 Yankees have obtained Cesar Cabral from KC. Cabral was selected by KC from the Red Sox in the Rule 5.

UPDATE 10:48 I think my post title was unfair- to A-Rod. Thinking back to when he left the Mariners, he got a contract offer from Texas that absolutely blew away everyone else. I don't think anyone was even close to $200 million, let alone the $252 he got. Plus, he had never won a World Series. Contrast that with Pujols. He had an offer north of $200 million from a franchise where he had won two World Series. I didn't like what A-Rod did, but if you killed him then, or boo him now for his contract machinations, you better boo Pujols too. He left the Cardinals for a lot less money than A-Rod left the Mariners for. (BTW- the difference in Missouri and California tax rates means he will pay about $800,000 a year extra in taxes so add that to the calculations.

UPDATE 11:00AM Joel Sherman is reporting that CJ Wilson is heading to the Angels as well. Let's see, Haren, Weaver, Santana and Wilson in the rotation and Pujols in the lineup- wow.

UPDATE 11:02AM Ok, let's talk about the Yankees' two moves. Brad Meyers is 26 and has been a starter in the Washington system for five years. He put up a 3.48 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) in AAA last year. Basically, for $50,000 the Yankees are going to bring him to camp and see if he can compete for one of the 12 spots on their pitching staff.

Cesar Cabral is more interesting as he is a power lefty arm. He was taken in the Rule 5 last year and returned to Boston. He's only 22 and he hasn't pitched above AA, so the chances he sticks are small. This is an almost identical move to the one the Yankees made last year when they selected Robert Fish in the Rule 5 (BTW, Fish was selected again this year. This time by the Braves.) If Cabral pitches well, the Yankees have their second lefty. If not, they return him to Boston and lose the cash they paid Kansas City for him. (Not sure on the amount, but I can't imagine it was much more than $50,000).

UPDATE 11:10 Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yankees have removed Greg Golson from their 40-man, so that explains how they got to 38.

UPDATE 11:13 Terry Francona just said this on Sportcenter when asked about Pujols being a DH at some point with the Angels: "I know that enters in at some point, but I think it is also a little bit overblown. I mean if you are to the point in your career where you can't play first, they are probably not going to want you to DH either." Does this mean David Ortiz can play first?

UPDATE 11:18 Jack Curry just reported the following: "Cashman wouldn't divulge if Yanks will bid on Darvish. Said history with international pitchers gives them experience in this area" Let's see now. I can think of three pitchers who the Yankees brought in from the international market to the majors: Irabu, Contreras and Igawa. If that's the history he is referring to, I can't see them bidding!

UPDATE 11:22 Just thought of this. Even with Golson coming off the 40-man, the Yankees will need to free up another spot when they "officially" sign Garcia.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The "Silent Assassin" strikes again. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Yankees have won the posting bid for Japanese shortstop, Hiroyuki Nakajima. Yes, that's right, he's a shortstop.

This is a fascinating move for the organization to make. Nakajima is 29 and has hit .302 in his career. You can read a more detailed scouting report here, but the real question is what does this mean for the Yankees going forward?

I don't think Nakajima is going to supplant Derek Jeter anytime soon, but his presence on the roster would allow the Yankees to rest Jeter and A-Rod more regularly in 2012. And, if he proves he can handle the majors, then yes, you do have Jeter's replacement, thought that is a much, much bigger kettle of fish.

All of this requires the Yankees to actually sign him. Nakajima has been a starter his whole career, will he be willing to accept a bench role in the U.S.? Will he expect to get a big payday? If so, I don't think the Yankees will sign him. But for now, they have made a very interesting move.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

George King is reporting that the Yankees are trying to trade AJ Burnett. I am not surprised by this development. What does surprise me is that the Yankees are only willing to kick in $8 million with AJ, that won't get it done.

AJ is going to earn $33 million over the next two years and that is the problem. What team is going to want a pitcher who has put up back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 5 at that dollar figure? Even if the Yankees kick in $8 million that still leaves the acquiring team on the hook for $12.5 a season. Using Fangraphs value system, AJ's last two seasons are worth about $6 million. Considering his age, it is hard to argue that he will become more valuable over the last two years of his deal, so that is probably a reasonable estimate for what he should earn in 2012 and 2013.

What the Yankees should do is agree to pay more of the contract in exchange for a better prospect. As it stands right now, they will have to pay the full $33 million, it's a sunk cost. But, if they find a team willing to give them a decent prospect if they pay $20 million, they should do it. Essentially, they would be buying themselves a prospect while getting rid of a headache. That's win-win in my book.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Reading through the various dispatches from Dallas it becomes clear that there are three names the Yankees are being asked for in any trade discussion: Banuelos, Betances and Montero. The White Sox reportedly asked for two of them for John Danks. The A's did the same for Gio Gonzalez. Obviously, Danks for two of them is ridiculous. Gonzalez for two of them is more reasonable, but I still wouldn't do it.

If I am Brian Cashman, I would be willing to trade one of them, preferably Betances, but maybe Banuelos. I don't let go of Montero unless someone like Felix Hernandez is coming back in the deal. This trio probably represents the best three prospects the Yankees have had since the days when Jeter, Rivera and Pettitte were in the minors, you don't surrender that easily. The Yankees have the luxury of volume when it comes to pitching prospects and they should try and use that to their advantage. How about packaging Betances, Phelps and Noesi? That should get a solid return.

But, it appears that everything in the baseball world is on hold until Albert Pujols makes up his mind. As someone who has spent a fair amount of time in South Florida, I would encourage him not to go there. Much like Dallas, Miami is really about football. Think about it, the Marlins have won two World Series since 1996, the second most in MLB since then, but they still don't have a passionate fan base. Maybe a new stadium will change that, but I doubt it.

More as the evening develops (or should I say if?)

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Maybe, just maybe the next few days will give Yankees' fans something to talk about. Brian Cashman has repeatedly said that he will not do something just for the sake of making a move and it is hard to argue with that stance. It is also hard to argue against him passing on "bargains" like CJ Wilson at six years/$120-million or swapping Montero and Banuelos for John Danks. If that is really what the market is, the Yankees will probably sit on the sidelines the next few days.

But, I gave Cashman the nickname, "Silent Assassin" for a reason, he usually doesn't tip his hand. Who saw the Swisher or Granderson trades coming? We kept hearing that CC would opt out in October, but that didn't happen. I have a feeling that things are happening under the surface, but we won't know until they come to fruition. It's a throwback to the days before the internet and sometimes it is frustrating as a fan in the internet age. But, we just have to trust the guy calling the shots, he has certainly earned that.

I will post as news breaks, not just on the Yankees, but all of baseball.

Posted by Peter (Yankees) at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)