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

[mez 0ne]

I hope the title aiint serious, if so ya'll are too gullible.

Andy is probably gonna retire if he don't sign with the Yanks.

 

[mr jordan04]

Pics of the wife?

 

[briannnnn]

She isn't the typical "15 out of 10" many NTers prefer...but I think she is cute.

More photos from the press conference can be found here.

 

[tbone95860]

[h1]Yankees Sign Angel Berroa[/h1]
By Nat Boyle [January 6 at 7:09pm CST]

Ken Rosenthal reports that theYankees have signed infielder Angel Berroa to a minor-league contract.

Rather than having his $5.5MM option picked up, Berroa was bought outfor $500K and non-tendered by the Dodgers in December. It was anticipated they would attempt to re-sign him. He'll compete with Cody Ransom to be theYankees utility infielder.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox is reporting that the Yankees have signed Angel Berroa to a minor-league contract.

The AL Rookie of the Year in 2003, Berroa has been on a one-way trip to palookaville since.

Berroa is a shortstop with limited experience at second base. The Yankees will see whether he has the versatility to be a backup.

Heard today that the Yankees have signed several guys to minor-league deals. The typically wait to announce them all at once. Most of these players will end up with Scranton.
UPDATE, 9:32 p.m.: For instance, Joel Sherman of the Post is reporting that the Yankees have signed OF John Rodriguez to a minor-league deal.
[table][tr][td]Seasonal Averages (per 162 games played)[/td] [/tr][tr][td]YEARS[/td] [td]G[/td] [td]AB[/td] [td]R[/td] [td]H[/td] [td]2B[/td] [td]3B[/td] [td]HR[/td] [td]RBI[/td] [td]BB[/td] [td]SO[/td] [td]SB[/td] [td]CS[/td] [td]AVG[/td] [td]OBP[/td] [td]SLG[/td] [td]OPS[/td] [/tr][tr][td]4.39[/td] [td]162[/td] [td]576[/td] [td]73[/td] [td]150[/td] [td]26[/td] [td]5[/td] [td]10[/td] [td]57[/td] [td]26[/td] [td]102[/td] [td]11[/td] [td]5[/td] [td].260[/td] [td].305[/td] [td].378[/td] [td].683[/td] [/tr][/table]

 

[jpzx]

Berroa is a good signing in my opinion...he had some very good years in Kansas City.

 

[T0INE]

^ Yeah he did, but he quickly faded into Bolivian.

 

[briannnnn]

^^^

I see what you did there.

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by toine2983

^ Yeah he did, but he quickly faded into Bolivian.

 

[bkmac]

I remember the day. I was livid when I saw the update on MLB.com that he beat out Hideki for Rookie of the Year by, what was it, 2 points or so?

 

[Pedro Navaja]

still gonna suck

 

[tbone95860]

Extended Tex Press Conference

 

[tbone95860]

Originally Posted by Mez 0ne

I hope the title aiint serious, if so ya'll are too gullible.

Andy is probably gonna retire if he don't sign with the Yanks.

NEW YORK - In the catacombs of the old Yankee Stadium, dressed in a charcoal suit with pinstripes, Mark Teixeira settled his large frame into a ratherordinary folding chair yesterday. The latest member of the Yankees gently removed his cap, exposing an undeniable impression on his forehead.

Too tight.

Much too tight.

"Do you mind if I take this off?" Teixeira politely asked, softly dropping his cap on the floor in the wake of a press conference to announce hiseight-year, $180 million deal with the Yankees. "It's a little too small."

And so, in the end, maybe it was that simple.

Maybe Mark Teixeira was merely determined to squeeze on a Yankees cap, independent of any greasing.

Yet, as the Red Sox, Yankees, and Teixeira all formally (and finally) move on today in what will go down as perhaps the greatest free agent competition inthe considerable history between the participants in baseball's Hundred Years War, some final reflection is inevitable and mandatory.

Did the Red Sox overlook the Yankees here? (They say no.) Did Teixeira truly regard Boston as an option? (He says yes.) And what will the impact be on theAmerican League in 2009 and beyond? (Time will tell.)

In the interim, let the record show that Teixeira acknowledged that he all but decided on the Yankees two weeks before Christmas, during a Dec. 12 dinnerwith his wife, Leigh, at the cou ple's Dallas-area country club. And let the record show, too, that the Teixeiras' weekly date came precisely six daysbefore the Red Sox' fateful and fruitless visit to Dallas in hopes of closing a deal with the player.

Nonetheless, there is so much more to the story.

"The whole process was confusing," said Teixeira. "Sometimes I'd tell Scott [Boras] to stop calling me, then I'd call him five timesa day saying, 'Tell me what you know.'

"Two weeks before Christmas, I talked to Leigh about it again, and we kind of decided that, hey, the Yankees are where we want to be. [Yankees generalmanager Brian Cashman] might want to give Leigh a hug, because when I asked her during the process, 'Where should I go, where should I go?' she'dalways say, 'I just want you to be happy.'

"Finally she said, 'I want you to be a Yankee,' and it was a done deal. Once we got the contract figured out, it was a no-brainer forme."

Whether the Sox could have done anything to change that remains questionable, though club officials certainly would not have offered Teixeira the biggestcontract in club history (and, at the time, third largest in baseball history) had they been operating with any degree of hopelessness. If and when the Soxchoose to reflect on this saga - and they should - they should focus on Dec. 18, date of the infamous Dallas-area meeting that might have sealed the deal andinstead sealed their fate.

According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Sox began their pursuit of Teixeira with a six-year, $120 million proposal just minutes after theofficial bidding process began, shortly after midnight on the morning of Nov. 14. During the winter meetings Dec. 8-11 in Las Vegas, the Sox increased thatoffer to eight years and $168 million, an average of $21 million per season.

Roughly a week later, during the fateful meeting in Dallas that included Sox general manager Theo Epstein, Boras, and Teixeira as well as principal ownerJohn Henry and team president Larry Lucchino, the offer peaked at $170 million over eight years - $10 million more than the club-record deal signed by MannyRamírez during the winter of 2000-01.

Along the way, Epstein and Sox manager Terry Francona spent a day with Teixeira in the Washington, D.C., area Dec. 2, a meeting both sides described ashighly productive. That meeting took place three days before Teixeira had an equally productive meeting with Cashman in the nation's capital as the playerfamiliarized himself with a group of suitors that also included the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Angels.

"When I met with him in Washington, I felt that he wanted to be a Yankee," Cashman said yesterday. "He didn't say that, but I just got areally good feeling of like, 'You know what, if all things were equal, I think this is where he would prefer to play.' That was my sense. Then again,some players are good at selling that type of [sentiment], but that was my genuine feel."

Teixeira, meanwhile, expressed similar feelings about the Red Sox, calling Francona "a good man, a good manager," and referring to Epstein as"a great general manager - I enjoyed my time with him." All of that suggests the Sox had the momentum to close a deal in Dallas, something Teixeirasuggested yesterday despite the assertion that his wife lobbied for a deal with the Yankees earlier.

All of that brings additional emphasis on the dynamic involving Teixeira, Boras, Henry, and Lucchino, the last two of whom were not present when Teixeiramet with Sox officials in Washington. Boras and Lucchino are longtime adversaries, and one can assume Henry has had his share of frustrations with the agent,too. The Sox now have had tense negotiations with Boras in three of the last four seasons, with the departure of Johnny Damon, the acquisition of DaisukeMatsuzaka, and now Teixeira.

While Boras insisted that he did not string along the Red Sox - or, for that matter, anyone else - Teixeira said the Sox might have had a deal had theyincreased their offer Dec. 18. Multiple sources confirmed that Boras presented the Sox with a proposal in which Teixeira could have been signed for aguaranteed $176 million over eight years - precisely $22 million per season - but the deal included a pair of attainable vesting options that would havebrought the value to $220 million over 10 years.

While it is unclear whether the Sox could have negotiated down those options, indications are that they dismissed the proposal.

Believing that Boras was bluffing, Henry then blasted out an e-mail to multiple media outlets in which he appeared to call Boras's bluff.

Less than a week later, Teixeira agreed to terms with New York.

"Every team did [have a chance]," said Teixeira. "I told my agent, 'This is the pecking order,' and I gave him my idea of who wasgoing to be near the top.

"At the same time, I'm not going to lie to you guys. Contract was important. I wasn't going to take half as much money to play in New York. Butwhen a team like New York steps up and is very competitive with their contract, it was an easy decision for me.

"I'm sure there could have been [a deal with Boston], but like I said, contract is important. When everyone was kind of around the same contract,there was no rush for me to make a decision, so that's kind of the way I went about that meeting with Boston.

"I have so much respect for [the Red Sox], but when their offer wasn't with the Yankees' and it just didn't seem like they were going tocontinue to better their offer, and the Yankees came in and did what they did, it was an easy decision."

Said Boras, "As far as Boston goes, I think Boston knows they got good-faith proposals and they were given proposals, which means, if accepted, theplayer would have signed the proposal. If teams reject them, they cannot in any way suggest they were strung along."

Indeed, even Cashman went so far as to suggest that he believed Teixeira would be a member of the Red Sox up to two hours before news leaked Dec. 23 thatthe Yankees had reached agreement.

Epstein again declined to comment publicly on the matter yesterday and the club has since agreed on deals with backup catcher Josh Bard and pitcher BradPenny, though neither is represented by Boras.

However, in an e-mail to the Associated Press last night, Henry wrote, "There was no mention of the Yankees, but we felt all along that they were goingto get the last call. That's what you deal with in working with Scott."

There now seems legitimate question as to whether the strained relationship between Boras and the Sox will affect the club's willingness to sign JasonVaritek, for whom there currently seems to be no market.

As for Teixeira, he will face the Red Sox at least 18 times a year for the next eight seasons.

By the end of that time, presumably, we will all know whether the classic cap of the New York Yankees was the right fit for him.

 

[onewearz]

 

[bkmac]

Originally Posted by onewearz

When he was talking with the reporter from MLB Network (I think it was Hazel May?) he came off as such a personable guy. He said how he'splayed with A-Rod, Jeter, Nady, etc before, so it's nice to be reunited with them.

So glad he is our 1B for 8 years

 

[xnyles]

Glad we have him.

 

[Los Angeles]

teix looking like ari gold in that pic with his wife

angel berroa cannot hit a pitch to save his life, but he has very good defense / good range / good clubhouse dude

 

[Cashflow]

Decent signings to fill out our minor league system and potentially our bench.

It's so sad to see Pettite go. I feel like they really didn't want him back and offered him a deal they knew he wouldn't accept. We still need aveteran though or someone to eat innings. Sheets? Bedard? Perez?

Red Rumors: Swisher, Nady, Baldelli
By Cork Gaines [January 7 at 5:13pm CST]

John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer has a few notes from Walt Jocketty...

* Jocketty has talked with Brian Cashman of the Yankees "a lot" and that the Yankees are looking to move either Nick Swisher or Xavier Nady.

Whoever we trade, hopefully we can get a SS or OF prospectin return. 1B/3B prospects in the farm are now trade bait and potential backups. I feel like we should keep Swisher, he has more value/potential.

MAN-NY?

I see no reason why they would try and move eitherSwisher/Nady if they weren't considering it. the Outfield would be...
LF Damon CF Gardner/Milk Man RF Nady
Swisher on the Bench
Matsui as a DH

Maybe....
LF Matsui CF Damon RF Swisher/Gardner
Melky on the Bench
Manny as a DH

I honestly think that would be most ridiculous line-up ever
1. Damon 2. Jeter 3. Manny 4. A-Rod 5. Tex 6. Matsui 7. Posada 8. Cano 9. Swisher
No need for a pinch hitter at all. Good god.

Ca$h DO IT!

Matsui, Damon, Nady all come off the books next year.

Side note... Has anyone else noticed the depth we have in relievers, not only on the major league level but also the minor league level.

 

[briannnnn]

The amount of pitching we have in the minors =

Looks like it's going to be a war for that #5 spot...Hughes, Kennedy, Jason Johnson, Phil Coke (Yankees told him to come into spring training to be readyas a starter)...

I wonder if we'll ever see Mark Melancon come up this season?

 

[onewearz]

yanks seem to be loaded but thats what scares me. maybe i'm just being a nervous nancy but this team has had lots of potential in recent years only to foldat the worst times. we are one of the oldest teams in baseball and the past winners have done it with youth, aside from maybe the sox.

hopefully all the bulls*** ends and we get back to being the bullies of baseball

mlb channel got me super hype for baseball

 

[proshares]

(Yankees told him to come into spring training to be ready as a starter)...
Hmm didn't know that.

mlb channel got me super hype for baseball

Had to stop watching it, I was getting a little too hyped

 

[venom lyrix]

Very happy with the introduction of Tex. He said the right things and he seems really happy to be here and that is huge. One thing people should know, he is aslow starter. Its unfortunate but he generally has started off in a slump. Maybe this will be different with the protection he will have in this lineup. I justhope he lives up to the expectations. Besides the bat, i love the fact that he is a fantastic glove, and we dont have to worry about him being a liability atfirst.

Also the recent news of the Yankees shopping Nady and Swisher is big. We are full of OF. I really want to get rid of Cabrera and send Gardner back to theminors. Neither of them deserve to get PT. I feel that the Yanks should try and pedal one of these 2 (Swish or Nady) for a solid CF. Also maybe try and re workthe talks for Mike Cameron...yes he isnt great offensively but hes a good CF. And to get rid of Kei Igawa and Cabrera is a dream come true.

And like cashflow said, with them trying to get rid of these 2 Manny might be in the picture. As much as i hate him and cant root for him or want him playingfor the Yankees, the logic behind the idea is there.

 

[xnyles]

Mr red sox peter gammons already starting things.He wonders if alex and tex can get along because there was alot of "testiness" in texas.Who carespeter , worry about david's offense.

 

[speakup23]

Im soooooooo hype for next year. As a Yankee fan I hope that the Mets and Red Sox get mad good too, you know just to make thats rivalry games a bit moreinteresting

 

[onewearz]

Originally Posted by Xnyles

Mr red sox peter gammons already starting things.He wonders if alex and tex can get along because there was alot of "testiness" in texas.Who cares peter , worry about david's offense.

ms. gammons can't help herself, she's in love with her ****** .

pathetic this little bald headed deli clerk won mvp. where u at deadset, i'm feeling like a little rivalry bashing

 

[briannnnn]

Originally Posted by Proshares

(Yankees told him to come into spring training to be ready as a starter)...

Hmm didn't know that.



Forgot about these guys, too

Albaladejo (competing for a bullpen spot?)
Aceves (long relief or starter?)
Humberto Sanchez = ?
George Kontos = dunno if he will start in AA or AAA this year...heard he's really good, and he was one of the pitchers who was supposed to go to Pittsburghin the Nady trade before the Pirates ended up taking McCutchen, Ohlendorf and Karstens.
Alan Horne = will he ever make an impact or will he just be trade bait?
Brackman: doubt he will make it to the big leagues unless he's a Sept call-up

Gammons also took a shot at Leigh Teixeira for not liking Boston