New York YANKEES spring training thread......... 2 days until season starts: LETS GO YANKEES!

[tbone95860]

[h1]C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Wednesday[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [November 26 at 12:53pm CST]

12:49pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman talked to Yankeespeople who believe the Angels leaked interest in Sabathia to reduce Tex's demands. Those people also believe the Halos will limit their offer to the$100-120MM range. Other factors: Tex makes more sense for the Angels, Arte Moreno loves him, and signing Sabathia could reduce the chances of extendingJohn Lackey.

Nonetheless, Heyman agrees with a rival executive that the Angels are quite serious about Sabathia.

8:51am: The big news yesterday was the L.A. Times report stating that the Angels "are indiscussions with C.C. Sabathia and could offer him a contract that approaches the $140 million bid extended to him by the Yankees."

Ken Davidoff wrote this morning thatthe Yankees are reluctant to raise their offer to Sabathia, even if it means he signs with the Halos. Davidoff says the Yanks would step up their efforts forA.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe if they lose Sabathia.

Meanwhile Dan Graziano says Yankees officialsscoffed at the idea of the Angels turning their attention to Sabathia. Those officials believe it's a ploy to get Mark Teixeira to drophis demands. Danny Knobler, however, believes the Angels have already moved on fromTeixeira. He says the Angels have long-term concerns about Tex's knee.

 

[fede dpt]

I'm not too big on Sabathia anyway. If we get him, great. If we don't, whatever.

 

[illoquent aka dsk]

Originally Posted by Fede DPT

I'm not too big on Sabathia anyway. If we get him, great. If we don't, whatever.

Exactly.

This is what I've been saying all along...I'd prefer guys who actually WANT to be Yankees and don't come over here feeling like they're forcedor obliged to because of the $$$ being offered...if Sabathia wants to go home to Cali, that's fine...but don't come over here because we'reoffering the most $$$ and have 2nd thoughts throughout the contract...

 

[wraith aka invincible]

working out for 3 hours is really not necessary

 

[tbone95860]

[h2]LeBron talks about CC, the Yanks[/h2]
Noted Yankees fan and savior of the NBA LeBron James was in New York on Tuesday and talked to the media masses before destroying the Knicks. Sam Borden of The Journal News was on hand and filed this report:

On the idea of his friend CC Sabathia signing with the Yankees, LeBron said they had not discussed it yet. "It will be good for him, it would be good for the team," he said. "The Yankees definitely need pitching, especially with Mike Mussina retiring. They need to bulk up their pitching rotation. … I know my stuff about the Yankees - they need some pitching, because they have all the offense in the world, and that can help."

James was also asked why he thinks fans like Jeter more than A-Rod. Interestingly, he didn't even mention A-Rod at all in his answer, praising only Jeter instead.

"I'm a big fan of Derek Jeter and I like the way he approaches the game every night. It's not about numbers all the time, sometimes it's about what you do off the field in his case. He's been the leader of that team ever since he put on the pinstripes. You could always count on him to be there on and off the field, through rough times, through good times. He's kind of been that backbone for the last 10 years I guess." James said.

LeBron sounds like he knows his stuff. Jeter needs to make a call to make sure he helps recruit Sabathia.
------
Ken Rosenthal of Fox reported that Andy Pettitte had talked with Joe Torre about playing for the Dodgers. This could well be the Hendricks brothers reminding the Yankees that Andy is still waiting for his contract.

Once a player gets in the open market, all bets are off. But Pettitte owes the Yankees one for all the support they threw his way last spring after he admitted his PED use.

Meanwhile, there are reports circulating the Angels are prepared to offer Sabathia a deal. Somebody has to at least try, right? This also could be the Angels way of trying to get Mark Teixeira to the table.

Remember, almost every action in the hot stove season is related to some other move. A good way for a player to make a deal is to talk to another team. A good way for a team to make a deal is to talk to another player. If you recall last season, all it took for Jorge Posada to get his from the Yankees was having lunch with Omar Minaya.

If nothing happens today, it could be quiet for a bit. Baseball people are sane enough to talk the holiday off and Friday could be quiet as a result. It only takes a phone call to make a deal but none of these things are on a deadline.

 

[T0INE]

Fede DPT wrote:

---

I'm not too big on Sabathia anyway. If we get him, great. If we don't, whatever.

My sentiments exactly.


I just have this funny feeling that he isn't going to pan out if he comes here.

 

[tbone95860]

[h1]C.C. Sabathia Rumors: Thursday[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [November 27 at 9:34am CST]

Ken Davidoff wroteyesterday:

According to a person in the Yankees' loop, the team is reluctant to raise its offer to C.C. Sabathia, even if suchhesitancy causes him to sign with the Angels.

Something has changed in the last 24 hours, because Davidoff nowwrites:

The majority of their decision-makers support the idea of going higher for the coveted lefthander, a person familiar with the situationsaid yesterday.

Davidoff wonders if the Yankees might go to $150MM over six years if the Angels offer $130MM over six. It doesn't appear that the Angelshave made an offer yet. Sabathia's agent Greg Genske is apparently shutting things down forthe weekend.

 

[jordan201]

20 Most Important Yankees (Players, Scouts, Execs, ETC.)

Do you agree?

1. Joba Chamberlain: The Yankees will need stars once Those With Rings leave the scene andChamberlain is the best candidate in that he's a dominating player, has a personality and the fans love him. The Yankees very badly need him to be great asthey continue their transition.

2. Hal Steinbrenner: While his verbose brother grabs headlines for no good reason, Hal haslearned every aspect of the organization in the last 20 months, developed working relationships with all the right people and now he's officially theowner. He'll be 39 in December and if his family keeps the team, Hal could be The Boss for the next 30 or 40 years

3. Alex Rodriguez: Like him or not, he's probably going to be around for a long time.Despite his great talent and work ethic, A-Rod has yet to win the fans over and won't unless he plays a role in winning a championship. Will the next nineyears be about chasing Barry Bonds or being part of a winner? Either way, he's front and center.

4. Derek Jeter: He's still the face of the franchise and enjoys widespread popularitydespite those anxious to point out what he doesn't do well. How his next contract plays out will be a huge story. But it's hard to imagine Jeter inanother uniform or the Yankees allowing that to happen.

5. Mariano Rivera: He was the MVP of the dynasty and is unquestionably the best player everat his position. He'll be 39 on Saturday and nothing lasts forever. But in a world of few sure things, he remains one.

6. Brian Cashman: His new three-year deal and tight relationship with Hal Steinbrennermeans that the roster, for better or worse, will be his creation through 2011. Cashman is smart enough not to have allowed a replacement to emerge.

7. Chien-Ming Wang: Young, inexpensive and productive starters are the single most valuable commodity inbaseball and Wang is the only one the Yankees have. He is 46-15 over the last three seasons.

8. Joe Girardi: Injuries soured his first season, making his worthiness for the jobdifficult to judge. Girardi showed he could handle a bullpen. But can he handle New York? Reports of player unrest aren't a good sign. Managers come andgo, which is why he isn't higher.

9. Robinson Cano: His collapse in 2008 led directly to the team sitting out the postseason.Cano is 26, signed to a long-term deal and could be a cornerstone player if he commits himself. He is said to be readying for a big 2009 by adopting a newworkout regimen.

10. Jorge Posada: Now 37, the heart-and-soul catcher is at a career crossroads as herecovers from extensive shoulder surgery. Will he be close to the player he was in 2007 (.338/.426/.543) ever again?

11. Xavier Nady: He murdered the ball for a few weeks after being obtained from the Pirates thenfinished at .268 for the Yanks, albeit with 12 homers and 40 RBI in 228 at-bats. They need a No. 3 hitter, could he be it? He'll be a free agent after2008, which should provide motivation.

12. Andrew Brackman: He's 6-foot-10, 270 pounds and can throw a fastball close to 100mph. The Yankees spent $4.55 million to sign Brackman in 2007 and hope he'll overcome elbow surgery to become an ace.

13. Jesus Montero: Only 19 (as of today), he hit .326 with 17 homers and 87 RBI forSingle-A Charleston in 2008. Montero could be the best offensive player the team has developed since Jeter, only with light-tower power.

14. Randy Levine: The team president since 2000, his loyalty to the Steinbrenners has givenhim great power. But he is heavily invested in Girardi's success as many believe he led the charge to run Joe Torre out of town.

15. Hank Steinbrenner: George Steinbrenner's oldest son seems content to let hisbrother run the show. But he is the team co-chairman and has power to wield if he wants to.

16. Dave Eiland: The Yankees decided he would be the pitching coach before they namedGirardi as manager. If another managerial change is made, he'll likely survive.

17. Phil Hughes: Will he be a key starter for a championship contender or just another guy?The former first-round pick has seen his star fall. But he's still only 22.

18. Austin Jackson: A star in Class AA ball, Jackson has a chance to be their centerfielder for a decade. His baseball skills still lag behind his athletic ability but are catching up fast.

19. Johnny Damon: The coming season figures to be his last in pinstripes. But Damon canstill be one of the most dynamic and productive leadoff hitters in the game. He's also one of the few players on the team with an actual personality.

20. Damon Oppenheimer/Mark Newman: As the Yankees focus on development, the performance oftheir scouting director and farm director becomes more crucial than ever.

 

[tbone95860]

Ian Kennedy is doing some nice work in Puerto Rico for the Indios de Mayaguez. Here are his stats through four starts:
19.2 innings
11 hits
5 earned runs
1 home run
9 walks
18 strikeouts
Opposing BA: .169
WHIP: 1.02

His last start came on Tuesday. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing three hits without a walk while striking out four. He got 10 outs on grounders.

The Puerto Rican winter league is hardly any sort of indicator. But Kennedy pitched well for Scranton down the stretch and has pitched well for Mayaguez. He should come into spring training feeling good about himself.

For reasons I can't fathom, a large segment of fans have given up on Kennedy because he hasn't pitched well in the majors and one day made some foolish comments that he quickly apologized for.
He'll be 24 next month and has thrown a grand total of 59.2 innings in the majors. Kennedy could well be a contributor. They didn't draft him in the first round (before Joba, by the way) by accident.

 

[tbone95860]

[h2]Why the hot stove has been so cold[/h2]
The hot stove season has been pretty uneventful so far beyond a few trades and Ryan Dempster re-upping with the Cubs. There are several reasons for this:

1. Scott Boras represents 14 free agents including Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira and Derek Lowe. Scott tends to wait before making deals, believing (quite correctly) that prices rise as teams get desperate.

2. Some teams seem to be waiting to see what players are offered arbitration on Monday. Draft picks are more valuable than ever and GMs want a better sense of that landscape.

3. The pitching market won't get moving until CC Sabathia makes his decision.

4. The state of the economy probably has had some owners telling their GMs to hold back.

This is setting up what could be a very eventful Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. They get started on Dec. 8.

 

[jordan201]

Obviously, the biggest news for the Yankees right now is:


A-Rod in Mexico with Madonna.

No but really. It's sad that no action has taken place.

 

[tbone95860]

[h1]Yankees Decline To Offer Arb To Pettitte, Abreu,Mussina[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [December 1 at 4:48pm CST]

According to SI.com's Jon Heyman,the Yankees declined to offer arbitration to Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu, and Mike Mussina (and all otherfree agents). Peter Abraham and Ed Price may have had this on the web earlier; it was close.

The Abreu decision comes as a surprise; until thismorning most believed the Yankees were willing to risk a one-year deal with him to have a chance at the two draft picks. Abreu is certainly moreattractive to potential suitors now. Abreu and Pettitte are Type A free agents. Abraham has Brian Cashman saying the Yanks remain engaged withboth.

Another note from Heyman: the Yankeeshave not ruled out signing Manny Ramirez.

UPDATE, 5:27 p.m.: It came down to economics. The Yankees did not want to risk going to arbitration with any of their players given the salaries they made last season. To refresh your memories:

Bobby Abreu made $16 million, Andy Pettitte made $16 million and Pudge Rodriguez made $13 million. All three would have been in a position to get at least as much via arbitration and likely some sort of raise.

Meanwhile, if Mike Mussina suddenly decides to play for somebody else, the Yankees get nothing in return. Sure, that's extremely unlikely. But that was supposedly the case for Roger Clemens, too.

Cashman said the Yankees remain engaged with Pettitte and Abreu. To what degree isn't certain. Today's decision certainly indicates they want Andy back only at a pay cut and the same would be true of Abreu.

That the Yankees would make his decision, especially in the case of Abreu, should be all the proof you need about how determined they are to control the payroll.

 

[overtime626]

am i the only one who wants to keep abreu in the 3hole? i mean, he gets alot of walks and always makes contact

 

[tbone95860]

Originally Posted by overtime626

am i the only one who wants to keep abreu in the 3hole? i mean, he gets alot of walks and always makes contact

I wish we would... but I highly doubt we will

That's a loss of a 300, 20 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB guy.....
That's a significant loss.

 

[onewearz]

Originally Posted by TBONE95860

Originally Posted by overtime626

am i the only one who wants to keep abreu in the 3hole? i mean, he gets alot of walks and always makes contact

I wish we would... but I highly doubt we will

That's a loss of a 300, 20 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB guy.....
That's a significant loss.

we have that with nady minus the sb's and plate patience.

i think the yanks are gonna sign manny, it just hit me for some reason. i think cash wants manny in front of arod, why else would he just give up on abreuwithout the consideration of receiving compensation when he signs elsewhere.

i like it ...........

 

[bkmac]

I want Abreu back.

 

[tbone95860]

Originally Posted by onewearz

Originally Posted by TBONE95860

Originally Posted by overtime626

am i the only one who wants to keep abreu in the 3hole? i mean, he gets alot of walks and always makes contact

I wish we would... but I highly doubt we will

That's a loss of a 300, 20 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB guy.....
That's a significant loss.

we have that with nady minus the sb's and plate patience.
i think the yanks are gonna sign manny, it just hit me for some reason. i think cash wants manny in front of arod, why else would he just give up on abreu without the consideration of receiving compensation when he signs elsewhere.
i like it ...........

I think it's a real possibility that Manny ends up being a Yankee.... which would be crazy.
Where would we play though?? I guess this could be the line-up...

1. Damon - CF
2. Jeter - SS
3. Manny - DH/LF
4. A-Rod - 3B
5. Matsui/Nady - LF/DH
6. Nady/Matsui - RF
7. Posada - C
8. Cano - 2B
9. Swisher - 1B

Manny Ramirez still could have one chance to come home. While the Mets have all but decided they will not pursue the slugging savant from Washington Heights, in Upper Manhattan, the Yankees clearly have not ruled out a run at Ramirez.

Indications are that the Yankees are concentrating on their biggest needs first, led by a starting rotation that has only two certainties -- Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain. Superstar free agent pitcher CC Sabathia is their first target, but the Yankees are one team that isn't afraid to spend in the spiraling economy. They are also taking a look at star first baseman Mark Teixeira. But the Yankees are still believed to be considering Ramirez, as well. The Yankees already have a plethora of corner outfielders, including Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Xavier Nady, although the almost certain departure of Bobby Abreu -- whom the Yankees refused to offer salary arbitration on Monday -- means it won't be quite as crowded as it was at the end of last season.

Ramirez quickly rejected the Dodgers' first offer to him of $45 million over two years, but they haven't ruled out another try at the player who hit .396 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs for them in 53 games after they acquired him last year. And with the Blue Jays signaling they might not spend big if pitcher A.J. Burnett goes elsewhere and one person close to the Phillies saying he doubted whether Ramirez will be a target of theirs, the Yankees may wind up as the Dodgers' biggest competition for Manny. The other obvious possibility for Ramirez would appear to be the Angels, whose owner, Arte Moreno, has said publicly that they may turn to Ramirez if they can't sign Teixeira, their top target.

Besides the obvious advantage of adding one of the greatest righthanded hitters of alltime, if the Angels sign Manny, they'd be tweaking the crosstown Dodgers. The same could be said if the Yankees sign Ramirez. Only they'd be tweaking the Red Sox.

 

[onewearz]

get it done cash !!!!

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Manny at second?!

 

[jrp44]

Originally Posted by HarlemToTheBronx

Manny at second?!

Dude would be Chuck Knoblauch 2.0

I dont want Manny

 

[mr jordan04]

please dont sign him. the dodgers need him

 

[tbone95860]

Originally Posted by onewearz

get it done cash !!!!

Originally Posted by jrp44

I dont want Manny

I mean... I used to think the same thing... and it'd just be WEIRD.
But one thing is that he clearly ain't a Red Sox any more.... dude went out on bad terms. So that's a good thing...
And I'm always able to adapt and appreciate/like a player.... (see Damon)
And Manny's ability is just

Can you imagine Manny AND A-Rod batting 3/4??

(with Damon/Jeter 1/2 none-the-less)

 

[tbone95860]

[h1]Reagins Debunks Sabathia Rumors[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [December 2 at 9:41pm CST]
MLB.com's LyleSpencer talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who said Mark Teixeira remains the team's top priority (and they're not concerned abouthis knee). Reagins said there was nothing to reports of the Halos shifting their focus to C.C. Sabathia.

CC..... you know what to do.

 

[yungchamp]

Originally Posted by onewearz

get it done cash !!!!

 

[tbone95860]

[h1]Yankees Rumors: Burnett, Sabathia, Pettitte[/h1]
By Tim Dierkes [December 4 at 8:56am CST]

The latest on the Yankees front...

• Ken Davidoff says the Yankees and Blue Jays were willing to give A.J. Burnett a fifth year vesting option. The Braves seem likely to sign Burnett if they will guarantee that fifth year as has been reported. Braves officials are confident, and Tony Massarotti says they're "rumored to be on the verge of a five-year deal that could be worth $80 million." Meanwhile the Red Sox have moved on to Derek Lowe.
• Davidoff says Yankees officials are confident they're the only serious suitor for C.C. Sabathia, as there's still a $40MM gap between their offer and Milwaukee's. Davidoff believes the Yanks will move on to Lowe and Andy Pettitte (not Manny Ramirez or Mark Teixeira) if they sign C.C.
• According to Jack Curry of the New York Times, Pettitte does not want a pay cut from last year's $16MM. Curry says the Yanks have offered Pettitte $10MM, which was first reported by Joel Sherman on Tuesday. Pettitte still sounds like he wants to return to the Yankees, but he's letting his agents battle for a better salary.