MLB Winter Meetings Recap

It was a wild and very busy four days at the annual baseball winter meetings in San Diego, California.  The local New York teams stayed quiet but the rest of the league didn't.  It used to be just the big spending big market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs etc would make noise but not anymore.  The Oakland Athletics have been very buys, the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins were very busy this week, the Red Sox and Cubs were active also. 

The Chicago White Sox signed David Robertson to be their closer.  He got a four year deal for around 46million.   They also traded for starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija from the Oakland Athletics.  The actual trade was RHP Chris Bassitt, C Josh Phegley, 1B Rangel Ravelo and IF Marcus Semien for Samardzija and RHP Michael Ynoa. 

The Cleveland Indians acquired OF/1B Brandon Moss from the Oakland Athletics for minor league second baseman Joe Wendle.  The Athletics were very busy but it appears they are in rebuild mode although Billy Beane doesn't see it that way. 

The Chicago Cubs signed Jason Hammel to a two year deal and then they signed Jon Lester to a six year deal.  The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their six year deal with cuban Yasmany Thomas.  The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed RHP Josh Lindblom off of waivers from the Oakland Athletics.  The Toronto Blue Jays claimed 1B/OF Chris Colabello off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins.  The Chicago White Sox claimed C Rob Brantly off of waivers from the Miami Marlins.  The Texas Rangers claimed LHP Scott Barnes off of waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates resigned pitcher Francisco Liriano to a three year deal.  He had a very good year last year and has stabilized their rotation.  The Chicago Cubs acquired catcher Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Jeferson Mejia and RHP Zack Godley.  The Anaheim Angels acquired C Drew Butera from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations or a player to be named later. 

The Miami Marlins acquired second baseman Dee Gordon, RHP Dan Haren and IF Miguel Rojas from the Los Angeles Dodgers for LHP Andrew Heaney, IF/OF Enrique Hernandez, RHP Chris Hatcher and C/IF Austin Barnes.  The Dodgers then acquired second baseman Howie Kendrick from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for LHP Andrew Heaney.  The Angels acquired infielder Josh Rutledge from the Colorado Rockies for RHP Jairo Diaz. 

The Houston Astros signed reliever Luke Gregerson to a three year deal and reliever Pat Neshek to a two year deal.  The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired left handed pitcher/reliever Antonio Bastardo from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitcher Joely Rodriguez. 

The meetings finished with a flurry on the last day.  The San Diego Padres acquired outfielder Matt Kemp and C Tim Federowicz from the San Diego Padres in exchange for catcher Yasmani Grandal, pitcher Joe Wieland and minor league pitcher Zach Eflin. 

The Detroit Tigers acquired outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Rick Porcello.  They also received RHP Alex Wilson and LHP Gabe Speier.  The Miami Marlins acquired Mat Latos from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Anthony DeSclafani and C Chad Wallach. 

The Minnesota Twins signed pitcher Ervin Santana to a four year deal.  The Kansas City Royals signed 1B/DH Kendrys Morales to a two year deal.  The Detroit Tigers acquired Alfredo Simon a pitcher from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Jonathan Crawford and infielder Eugenio Suarez.  The Boston Red Sox signed pitcher Justin Masterson to a one year deal. 

The Texas Rangers acquired pitcher Ross Detwiler from the Washington Nationals in exchange for two minor leaguers.  The Miami Marlins acquired RHP Andre Rienzo from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for LHP Dan Jennings.  The New York Mets signed outfielder/1B John Mayberry Jr. to a one year deal. 

MLB hot stove news and notes

The Baltimore Orioles lost Nelson Cruz to the Seattle Mariners just the other day.  They have now lost long time right fielder Nick Markakis.  He signed with the Atlanta Braves for four years and around 45 million dollars.  Nelson Cruz signed with the Mariners for four years and 58 million.  The trade front has been pretty active and will be more active next week during the Winter meetings in San Diego, California.   The Toronto Blue Jays who have been very busy this off-season continue to be.  They traded pitcher J.A. Happ to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Saunders.  Saunders is a 28 year old outfielder who played in only 78 games last season.  He batted 273 with a 791 OPS and eight homeruns.  He has battled injuries over the past three seasons.  Happ is 32 years old and went 11-11 last season with a 4.22 ERA in 28 starts. 

The Jon Lester sweepstakes have really heated up and appear close to coming to an end.  The Los Angeles Dodgers have become a very late entrant and may be pushing hard for him.  The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are believed to be the two other front runners although there are other teams in the mix as well.  There were reports that this should get done this week but now today they are saying not until the winter meetings next week most likely.  There hasn't been much talk about the other top pitcher Max Scherzer, there were some rumors about the Yankees the other day but nothing has come out of that. 

The other big pitcher that has been getting the spotlight the last couple of days is lefty reliever Andrew Miller.  It looks like it is down to just a couple of teams with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros appearing to be the favorites.  There have been conflicting reports about the Astros and Red Sox being out of it though.  I am guessing the Yankees do end up signing him.  He may get four years and around 40 million though and most believe the Yankees don't want to go to four years but maybe three and an option year.  I also wonder if this would put them out with David Robertson or if they are trying to sign both and have a super bullpen.  Can you imagine if they have Robertson, Miller, Betances and then have the next  tier like Justin Wilson, Shawn Kelley and Adam Warren.  That would be a pretty sick bullpen and shorten games to six innings and take stress off of their injury plagued starters. 

How about the Atlanta Braves and Justin Upton??  He appears likely to be traded and maybe the Seattle Mariners are a team that would match up.  They are looking for another bat to put with Robinson Cano and Cruz.  There were reports today that the Detroit Tigers are shopping David Price and Rick Porcello so stay tuned for that next week also.  The Yankees may be talking to teams about trading for a shortstop so also look for that.  Chase Headley reportedly has a four year and 65 million dollar deal in hand from a mystery team.  If that is true he will be gone from the Yankees and they will have Martin Prado as their third baseman and two rookies battling for second in Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela. 

I would expect a flurry of trades next week during the winter meetings.  I also forgot about a big trade that happened during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Josh Donaldson was traded to the Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie and three prospects.  The Jays have some lineup now with Russell Martin, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Donaldson and now Michael Saunders also.  There was a report that Donaldson and GM Billy Beane were at war by the end of the year and that may be a big reason he traded him. 

The New York Yankees Winter Meeting Notes

New York Yankees Winter Meeting Notes


The New York Yankees didn’t do anything at the winter meetings but to be honest nobody else really did either. The New York Mets may have been the most active believe it or not. They officially announced the signing of Curtis Granderson and then on the last day signed Bartolo Colon to a two year and 20 million dollar deal.

The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher but may not get it. The general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged on Wednesday afternoon that the trade market or the free agent market is not really encouraging right now. The Yankees preference is adding a high-end starter such as Tanaka from Japan. The Yankees may have to take what they can get though, if they have to sign a back of the rotation innings eater like Bronson Arroyo they will.

The Tanaka situation is clearly affecting the pitching market. We still don’t know when and if Tanaka will be posted. Teams want to go after him especially the Yankees, Dodgers and apparently the Diamondbacks. I personally don’t think the Yankees pitching are as bad as people say it is. I expect CC Sabathia to bounce back and Michael Pineda to be a good pitcher for the Yankees. I think Ivan Nova has taken a step forward and Hiroki Kuroda is a solid pitcher. The Yankees have several options like David Phelps, Vidal Nuno, Adam Warren for the fifth spot and none of them are that bad.

Brian Cashman hinted at trying to get some good value out of non-roster invitees. He said he could add a couple of bullpen pieces and then get a lesser starter. The Yankees clearly are all about Tanaka and then after that they will go to plan B. Dellin Betances has a fourth year option now and can be sent down to AAA. Eduardo Nunez also has an option left. Brendan Ryan and Kelly Johnson are on the team so he may end up back in AAA. I personally would start him at third and play Kelly Johnson at second. If they do sign someone like Omar Infante then that changes that thought process. The Yankees have spoken to Johan Santana agent but not really about him. It doesn’t sound like the Yankees are too interested but they may take a flier on a guy like that.

Matt Krause is the new strength coach and has met with Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia already. Cashman said he wasn’t sure of the exact details but there has been nothing negative in Jeter’s rehab. The Yankees 40 man roster is full so they won’t claim anyone in the Rule V Draft. They could lose a couple of guys though.

Cashman said he thinks it will be easier to get a second baseman then a third baseman. He said second base is deeper in terms of options they have. Cashman said that in any of his talks with relievers no one has stated they want to be a closer and that has to be guaranteed in a contract. The Yankees did a lot of their heavy lifting before the Winter Meetings. They still have some work to do and I am sure Cashman is working the phones like crazy.

A wild day for the Hot Stove league

A wild day for the Hot Stove league


The baseball off-season is never really boring. It does have its ups and downs. There are times that are much more exciting then others. The time is usually coming as the MLB winter meetings begin on Monday. This year though something crazy happened, we had a winter meetings like day a week early. I have never seen anything like it, it was a wild day for the hot stove as there were signings, trades etc. This all happened on a Tuesday, the week before the winter meetings. To be honest I don’t even think a single day during the winter meetings could top this.

I will try to keep up with it all but I am sure I may be missing something. It was so crazy I don’t even know if I could keep up with it. I am a HUGE baseball fan and it was still hard for me to comprehend all that went on. The New York Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year 153 million contract. The Oakland Athletics were wheeling and dealing as they traded for Jim Johnson technically the night before. They also traded Seth Smith to the San Diego Padres for Luke Gregorson. The Robinson Cano saga took an interesting turn as it looks like the Seattle Mariners are appearing as major players for him.

The Boston Red Sox signed A.J. Piersynski for one year. The Florida Marlins signed their catcher from last season Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a three year 21 million dollar deal. The Detroit Tigers finally got their closer in Joe Nathan for a two-year deal. The Tampa Bay Rays took part in a three-way deal. They traded for Ryan Hanigan who is a catcher from the Cincinnati Reds and Heath Bell from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Reds received David Holmberg from the D-backs and Arizona received right handed pitcher Justin Choate and a player to be named later or cash considerations from Tampa. The Diamondbacks also sent around 500,000 to the Rays.

The Kansas City Royals were moving closer to signing Carlos Beltran who started his career with them. The Oakland Athletics also completed a rare in the division trade. They got Craig Gentry from the Texas Rangers and right-hander Josh Lindblom and they are exploring trading their pitcher Brett Anderson. The Rangers got from Oakland Michael Choice. The Houston Astros, yeah the Astros got involved. They traded for Colorado centerfielder Dexter Fowler. Colorado reportedly agreed to terms with Justin Morneau. Do you have that all and I hope I didn’t miss anything.

It was the wildest day I can remember without there even being a game. I don’t even remember a day during the winter meetings being like this. The winter meetings won’t be as interesting this year but there are still some things that could happen.

Shin Soo Choo is still out there as well as Robinson Cano. The starting pitching market hasn’t really taken shape and a trade for the Rays David Price could happen during the meetings. If nothing else I am sure you will hear plenty of rumors about it. The intrigue for Tanaka will go up with a new posting system about to be put in place. It looks like it will be a max bid and then basically an all out free for all like free agency for him. There will be plenty to talk about and then it will be holiday time which will lead you into the new year and about a month away from spring training.

The Winter Meetings end with the Yankees remaining quiet

The New York Yankees aren’t used to being quiet at this time of year. The Yankees right now are quiet though. I don’t want to be like everyone else and start speculating on what is wrong with the Yankees. I actually don’t think there is anything wrong with them. They went after pitching first and did resign Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Hiroki Kuroda. They have a formidable rotation right now with CC Sabathia, Kuroda, Pettitte, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova/David Phelps. Their bullpen sets up pretty well also even without Rafael Soriano. The Yankees right now though need a right fielder, a catcher unless they go with what they have and a 3B since Alex Rodriguez is hurt for at least half the season. 
The Yankees did make an offer to Kevin Youkilis on Thursday for one year and 12 million. It looks like it is between them and the Cleveland Indians who have his former manager Terry Francona as their new manager. It is being reported also that Cleveland offered two years, less money per year but the extra year. It will be interested if he ends up with the Yankees. He played most of his career in Boston and was hated by the Yankees fans, also what kind of first clubhouse meeting will it be between him and Joba Chamberlain?? It should be interesting but I do think he may be the best fit for them in that position. He isn’t as good as he used to be but can play a pretty good third and is a high on base guy. He has some power also. The Yankees lost Eric Chavez and Jeff Keppinger but in the end they may end up with someone better.

The Yankees I think will still end up resigning Ichiro Suzuki and to me that would be the best fit for right field. They are losing a lot of power from Martin, Swisher, Arod but I think they need to get away from that and become more balanced like the great late 90s teams were. It is only December and they don’t need to field a team until the middle of February so there is plenty of time. It doesn’t look like the Yankees will do much or anything big though. They could swing a trade which there is a rumor today that they are shopping Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova. I am not so sure about that and I am sure they would ask for a lot.

MLB Winter Meetings Day One

The Winter Meetings have begun and the Yankees are in the news but not for good reasons. Alex Rodriguez will need surgery on his left hip and be out about half of the season. What does this mean for the Yankees?? Will they make a trade for a third baseman, could they sign a third baseman or will they go with what they have. Brian Cashman the general manager has already said Eduardo Nunez is being strictly seen as a shortstop. Eric Chavez is still out there but can he play everyday for half a season?? Chase Headley is a name that has been mentioned but the Padres told writer Joel Sherman they won’t be trading him. Kevin Youkilis is a free agent although I can’t see him landing with the Yankees. There are a couple of other free agents also like Placido Polanco, we will have to wait and see what the Yankees do but they are being patient. I think it is the right thing to not make a panic move and see how it plays out.

The Yankees may be looking for a catcher although that doesn’t seem as much of a priority as right field. It doesn’t look like the Yankees will make any big moves or sign any big names but you never know with them. I still feel that Ichiro Suzuki will end up back with them and be their right fielder but there hasn’t seemed to be any conversations between the two sides.

Jacob Ruppert an old owner of the Yankees has been posthumously been elected to the baseball Hall Of Fame. A lot of people assumed he was already in for all that he did. He presided over the Yankees first six world championships and brought Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

Tuesday is another day and we will see what that brings. The Red Sox did sign Mike Napoli today to a three year deal. He will play first base for them, Angel Pagan resigned with the San Francisco Giants, four years and 40 million. It looks like R.A. Dickey is a name that is getting a ton of attention, the Mets may move him and a lot of teams are interested but the Mets want a good package for the 2012 NL Cy Young award winner.

New York Yankees updates heading into the Winter Meetings

The baseball hot stove has heated up the past couple of days. The Yankees are in the news for signing a couple of their old players. The Yankees have resigned Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera to one year deals. They did the same for Hiroki Kuroda a couple of weeks ago, they seem pretty set in the pitching department. The Yankees head into the winter meetings looking for a catcher, right fielder and some bench help. 
Andy Pettitte was signed officially yesterday for one year and 12 million with performance based bonuses. Mariano Rivera officially signed tonight for one year and 10 million also with performance based bonuses. Kuroda had signed earlier in the off season for one year and 15 million. The Yankees did lose Russell Martin to the Pirates tonight though, he signed for two years and 17 million pending a physical. The Yankees apparently didn’t make him an offer as they said they weren’t going to match that offer. I want to make it clear that it wasn’t that they didn’t have the money, they just chose not to spend it on Martin. The Yankees I am sure have a plan for catcher. I would trust Cashman and company more then some of the fans do. I do think he was a very good catcher but he did hit 211 last year so let’s not act like it is the end of the world.

The Yankees right now though have Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart as their catchers with Austin Romine in the minors about to get a good luck. I don’t think the Yankees will sign any of the free agents such as Mike Napoli and A.J. Pierzynski. I think if anything the Yankees will make a trade for a catcher, maybe they will just go with what they have, say play good defense and don’t worry about the hitting. They may figure that these guys can’t really do worse then 211, they will lose a lot of power though.

The Yankees most likely will resign Ichiro Suzuki to a one year deal to be their right fielder and I am all for it. They are going to lose Nick Swisher along with Martin though and that is a lot of power gone from the team. The Yankees may have a whole new offensive strategy though which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I am all for Ichiro, Gardner, Nunez and one of those catchers playing. They can use speed, more bunts and hit and run and manufacture runs. When it comes to the playoffs that is how you score runs and the Yankees won’t have to wait for the homerun and more often then not fail because of that.

In other baseball news the Minnesota Twins traded Denard Span to the Washington Nationals for minor league right handed pitcher Alex Meyer. It was a good move for the Nationals as they have a legitimate leadoff hitter now and he will play good defense also. Bryce Harper can now shit to left field where he is better served.

There are some other rumors going around such as the Dodgers being the favorites to sign Zack Greinke. The winter meetings will begin next week and I am sure we will get a lot of action and really start to see how things are going to line up for next year. Will the Yankees have a new catcher and right fielder by the end of the meetings, will they sign some spare parts?? Will the Yankees make a big move such as signing Josh Hamilton?? I would doubt them making a big move but you never know.

Winter Meetings end with a bang and Braun tests positive for PEDS?

The Final day of the winter meetings was Thursday and it ended with a bang.  Albert Pujols formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals decided on going to the Anaheim Angels.  The Angels in recent years have always been involved with free agents but never went the extra mile and always seem to fall short.  This time they gave the best player in baseball a ten year deal worth 254 million dollars.  This deal is crazy, he is the best player but he will be 41 years old at the end of the deal, if you believe he is really 31 now.  There are some who believe he is older then he has said.  I would say they will be good with him for the first five years and then he will start to decline and the contract will become a big problem.  The good thing for Pujols is that he could become a DH, we have seen what has happened to Arod after he signed his ten year deal with the Yankees. 

The Angels didn't stop with Pujols though, they signed C.J. Wilson to a five year 77.5 million dollar deal.  Anaheim got a lot more interesting with the additions of these two players.  The Angels who have been a very good team for the last decade or so have missed the playoffs the last two years but instantly they are a contender once again. 

Ryan Braun tested positive for PEDS it was being reported tonight by ESPN.  The test was done in October and Braun and his camp have stated that they are appealing it because he didn't knowingly take anything and he is innocent.  I would say don't hold your breath on that one, you just can't believe these ballplayers with the history of them but you never know.  It is being reported now later tonight that Braun requested a second test and it came back negative and they are using that in their appeal process, or trying to use it.  We will stay tuned with this story as it continues to develop.  He will be a marked man no matter what now though and suffer because of it and after such a great year and October for baseball and offseason so far this is another black mark on the sport. 

Winter Meetings Heating up

The Winter Meetings began on Monday in Dallas and nothing really happened.  The Jose Reyes signing by the Miami Marlins actually happened on Sunday.  There were lots of rumors and suprisingly but not unexpected the Yankees have been quiet.  Tuesday was a different story.  The Mets in a span of an hour this evening became very busy signing two relievers and making a trade.  The Albert Pujols derby has really heated up.  We first heard that the Marlins wanted a resolution by tonight and are believer to have offered 10 years and as much as 220 million.  The Cardinals also upped their offer apparently and then we heard there was a third mystery team involved.  In the last half hour or so it looks like the mystery team has been revealed as the Anaheim Angels who may also have a 10 year offer out there.  Stay tuned on this, I don't think we will know tonight but maybe on Wednesday. 

I want to look at the Mets action more closely since I do cover the Mets as well as the Yankees.  The Yankees right now are very quiet so we will look at them later.  The Mets signed Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch.  This should solidify the back end of their bullpen.  I wouldn't say that Rauch is great but Francisco is good.  The deal the Mets made was Angel Pagan to the Giants for Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres.  Torres will most likely be the leadoff hitter.  There had to be someone replacing Reyes at the top of the lineup and Pagan didn't like doing that, the Mets also didn't like Pagans non baseball instincts for lack of a better word.  Ramirez is a very solid reliever, one of the better ones in all of baseball so it will be interesting to see what they do for the closer. 

The Yankees are interested in bringing Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones and even Bartolo Colon back.  These will be one year deals and maybe even only minor league deals so they are on the back burner.  The Yankees are interested in starting pitching but find the prices to be too high and that hasn't changed yet.  They like Hiroki Kuroda and we heard today he would come east but doesn't look like the Yankees will get him.  Gio Gonzalez was another rumor, even heard a three team between Oakland, the Yankees and Royals but I don't think that was a legitimate rumor.  Heard the A's were asking for Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances which isn't going to happen.  The Yankees like John Danks but for right now they want too much for him also.  I think the Yankees will come away with a pitcher this offseason but not yet, the prices will drop eventually and then they will strike.  The Yankees aren't desperate remember with a full rotation right now and young guys who are looking to get into the major leagues. 

Tomorrow could be a big day with news of the big guys like Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson signing.  Wilson looks like it could be the Angels, the Marlins and Rangers are also involved.  Prince Fielder is the other big name out there and it looks like the Mariners may be the front runner for him. 

MLB News and Notes

Ken Griffey retired from baseball last night. He will go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time. I am a little suprised he did it now and not at the end of the season but I guess he just realized it wasn't happening anymore. He should of been the story of the day but was overshadowed by Jim Joyce. Jim Joyce is the umpire who cost the pitcher Galaragga a perfect game. If you didn't see it or hear about and I am sure everyone has by now it was the last out of a perfect game and the hitter was clearly out by a full step or more and Joyce called him safe so the perfect game became a one hit shutout. I have to give credit for the pitcher who is handling this so well saying he will tell his kids and grandkids one day that he did pitch a perfect game but this is what happened. The comissioner and some other baseball officials are meeting about it now but I don't think you can overturn it, it would take away from the moment and also this will be remembered more because of what happened. It may also open up a pandora's box situation. This will definitely spark the debate of instant replay though, I like how they do it with the home runs but I am not a big fan of it and still like the human element. These umpires have gotten worse and worse though and something has to be done, maybe punishing them or training them better, I don't really know what the best answer is but something needs to be done. I am sure no one feels worse than Jim Joyce though.

Some Winter Meeting final things

There were no major free agent signings over the last few days from the Winter Meetings. The Yankees were the big movers, as they traded Brian Bruney to Washington for their Rule 5 pick which ended up being Jaime Hoffman and outfielder from the Dodgers and then of course the big 3 team trade. The Yankees now have Curtis Granderson as their center fielder but I think they may still bring back Johnny Damon and if that is the case Melky or Brett Gardner would become expendable. I dont see Matsui coming back as they really don't have a place for him but there doesn't seem to be a big market for him so maybe he will come back on a cheap 1 year deal. The Mets tonight were offering Jason Bay a contract for 4 years and 65 million. I know they could use him as they have a hole in left field but wouldn't they be better off getting a #2 starter to put behind Johan Santana?? They were also offering Bengie Molina a contract and I think that is fine as they could use a good catcher. The Tampa Bay Rays added Rafael Soriano from the Atlanta Braves. This is a very good move for them as their bullpen was a real problem last season and he will definitely help. There was a report that the Yankees were negotiating with Johnny Damon today but the Yankees shot that report down. It also looks like right now the Angels and Phillies are the front runners for Roy Halladay and the Yankees are backing off and going to look to solidify the back end of their rotation.

Yanks Rule 5 Pick from Nats

The New York Yankees completed their trade with the Washington Nationals this morning by obtaining their Rule 5 pick that the Yankees had them choose. The pick was from the Dodgers Jamie Hoffman a outfielder. He has some pop and is a good defender, what the Yankees really liked about him is that he hits lefthanders well and he will have a chance to stick as a bench player out of spring training. I find this kind of curious because he seems like a Shelly Duncan type and why didn't the Yankees just keep Shelly. I think Shelly never got a fair shot after him coming up in 2007 and becoming a fan favorite and belting all of those homeruns. We will see how this works out. I have one other thought which is thinking outside of the box. I have no knowledge of this at all but could the Yankees include Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera in a trade with the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay and have him as the extra outfielder. If Johnny Damon does come back I can see him more of a DH now, I guess we will wait and see what happens.

Winter Meetings Day 3

The New York Yankees were busy again today as they resigned Andy Pettitte to a 1 year 11.75 million dollar deal. They now have the top 3 pitchers in their rotation set and with Granderson in CF they have done what they wanted to get done to set up the rest of the winter. The Yankees will most likely now offer Damon a 1 year 10 million dollar deal at most and maybe give him an option. It looks like Damon could come back and play DH a lot. I know a lot of people say why bring Damon back at all now with Granderson but remember Granderson is bad against lefties and Damon is a clutch player, they can make it all work with Damon and Posada splitting most of the DH duties and then playing Damon in the OF at times with Granderson on the bench and Melky in CF. I think it isn't the worst thing but they don't have to offer too much to Damon and if he leaves they will be fine also with Melky and Granderson in the outfield and Brett Gardner as the 4th OF and they will still split up the DH duties between A-rod, Posada, Tex, Jeter if Matsui doesn't come back which I don't think he will. I believe someone will offer him more then a 1 year deal that the yankees will and they will give him more money and maybe even let him play the outfield some. I know the Angels have shown some interest. The Milwaukee Brewers officially signed Randy Wolf to a 3 year anywhere between 27 and 30 million. This deal isn't official but is being reported first by Yahoo sports via Twitter and now by others. It looks like the Angels have made a very good aggressive offer to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay. They have offered Joe Saunders, Erik Aybar and a top prospect the question now is would he go to the west coast?? The Red Sox have talked about Milton Bradley, which is interesting he is so talented but a disaster waiting to happen, he would destroy that clubhouse. I think they will end up with Bay or Holliday but it is looking more and more like Bay may go to Anaheim or Seattle. The Yankees are prepared to offer Damon and Matsui 1 year deals and I think they will say whoever accepts first comes back. I don't have anything official on this but I am taking a good guess on that. The Baltimore Orioles made a nice move this evening aquiring starting pitcher Kevin Millwood from the Texas Rangers for Chris Ray and some cash. The Texas Rangers are prepared to sign Rich Harden to a 1 year deal for 7.5 million with a 11.5 million dollar option for 2011.

Winter Meetings Day 2

There is a lot of buzz coming out of the Winter Meetings and the Yankees are involved. Last night there was a rumor about a three was trade involving the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Tigers. The proposed trade had the Yankees getting Granderson, Mike Dunn, Phil Coke, Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy leaving the Yankees and Max Sherzer leaving the Diamondbacks. The deal had appeared to be dead late last night but has picked up steam again this morning and now a couple of sources have indicated it is getting close. The new deal that is being tossed around has the Yankees giving up Austin Jackson to Detroit getting Granderson and giving up Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke and maybe a lesser prospect then Mike Dunn to Arizona. The Tigers would still get Max Sherzer from Arizona. I don't know this for sure but seems to me that the Yankees may get Granderson to play CF, keep Damon to play LF and now that makes Melky or Gardner expendable and I can see one of them being put into a Doc Halladay deal. It also looks to me that they are clearing out space in the bullpen starting with trading Brian Bruney to put Hughes or most likely Joba in the pen if they don't get traded. I wish the Yankees would have Edwin Jackson put into this deal and then I would really like it and they wouldn't need to get Doc Halladay, i can see the Yankees getting a 4th starter and having Phil Hughes as the 5th and Joba as the main setup man for MO with David Robertson, they also really like Mark Melancon to step up this year and be a main bullpen piece. The Angels appear interested in Hideki Matsui as well as Jason Bay. The main teams for Jason Bay are the Angels, Red Sox and Mariners. The St. Louis Cardinals have signed Brad Penny. The Washington Nationals have signed C Pudge Rodriguez for 2 years and 6 million. It looks like the Brewers will sign Randy Wolf but nothing is official yet. UPDATE: 4:25PM- The Yankees have traded OF prospect Austin Jackson and lefty relief pitcher Phil Coke to the Detroit Tigers for CF Curtis Granderson. The Yankees will send right handed pitcher Ian Kennedy to Arizona and Edwin Jackson will go from Detroit to Arizona. Arizona will send pitchers Max Sherzer and Daniel Schlereth. The Chicago White Sox finalized a deal for 3B Mark Teahen for 3 years and 14 million.

Winter Meetings Day 1

There has been no real action but a lot of talking and rumors are running rampant. The New York Yankees though did make some noise, they have traded right handed relief pitcher Brian Bruney to the Washington Nationals for a player to be named later. He was a pretty good relief pitcher for the team but in the playoffs he lost his setup role and they have more guys just like him in the organization so I don't think this is that big of a deal. He was due for arbitration so maybe the Yankees save a few bucks here. The New York Mets have stepped up their efforts to aquire catcher Bengie Molina. The Mets are also said to be interested in Adam Kennedy for second base if they can get someone to take Luis Castillo off of their hands. Mark Feinsand of the Daily News is reporting that he believes the player to be named later in the Bruney trade will be the Nationals first Rule 5 pick. There was a lot of stuff coming out with the media meeting with Red Sox manager Terry Francona earlier and the media will be meeting with Yankees GM Brian Cashman shortly. I will be back later with the news and notes from those sessions.

Baseball Winter Meetings

The annual Baseball Winter Meetings will start tomorrow and run through Thursday. I thought I should do a little preview especially focusing on the Mets and Yankees and what their needs are and what they may do. I am going to start with the New York Mets since they have more holes to fill. The New York Mets are looking for: Catcher Starting Pitcher Left Fielder 1st baseman The Mets have been stockpiling catchers with the signings of Henry Blanco and Chris Coste to go with Omir Santos but they are still looking to sign Bengie Molina who would become their starting catcher. I personally think finding a #2 starter to put behind Johan Santana should be their main priority and really they should get in on the Roy Halladay sweepstakes and see if they can make that work. If they were able to get Roy Halladay to put with Johan Santana right there they would have something and it would energize their fan base. If they can't get Halladay I think they should look at John Lackey which I am sure they are going to check in on. I do think the Mets need to find a leftfielder, I saw last week where they were requesting medical records on Hideki Matsui but I just don't see that being a fit with him not playing the outfield in a year and a half. I think Marlon Byrd would be good but if the Mets want to really do something big they should sign Matt Holliday. I don't think they are going to be in on Holliday but we will see. The Mets are claiming they are going to take a look at bringing back Carlos Delgado for a year if he is healthy but I am not so sure about that, i can see them platooning someone like a Mark DeRosa with Daniel Murphy. The Mets feel that top prospect Ike Davis who is the son of Ron Davis who played with the Yankees is going to be ready next year. They don't want to sign someone big for first base since he will be taking over their as early as next season. I really don't know what to expect from the Mets as we still don't know what they are willing or able to spend. I think we may get a good idea of what is possible for them this week. The New York Yankees are coming off a World Championship but they do have a couple of needs. Their main priority is going to be resigning their #3 starter Andy Pettitte which I think may get done this week. They are sure to check in with the Blue Jays about Roy Halladay but I think they are skeptical of trading prospects and giving him big money for an extension. I wouldn't rule out the Yankees for anything though so it will be interesting to see if they are serious or just trying to stop the Red Sox from getting him. I could see the Yankees signing a Joel Piniero for the 4th spot in their rotation and then using Phil Hughes as a 5th and having Joba go back to the bullpen. The Yankees right now need a leftfielder and I think they will try to resign Johnny Damon but they will not go more then 2 years with him. If he thinks he can get more then 2 years he will leave but I am not so sure anyone is going to give it to him. I can see him resigning for 2 years and between 16-18 million. If the Yankees don't resign him then I can see them jumping in for Jason Bay or Matt Holliday but I don't think that will happen. They may try to resign World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to a 1 year deal where he will get less then he was making this past season but I don't think he will come back. I think the Yankees will really like to use a revolving door with the DH position. They could use Posada, Damon, A-rod, Jeter, Tex as DH's giving them rest in the field. I think Francisco Cervelli will be the backup and catch from 50-60 games leaving Jorge Posada to catch no more then 110 games. This free agent class is considered weak and the big names are John Lackey, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. I am not so sure anything major will get done this week but teams will put things in motion and I am sure you will get a flurry of activity with the middle tier guys. It should be a fun week of rumors and stories and hopefully some activity to talk about.

Johnny Damon and the Yankees

Johnny Damon was at the Empire State Building with his wife and Nascar driver Jimmie Johnson yesterday. He reiterated the same message he has had for several months now and that is he wants to remain a Yankee but he is listening to other offers. " I would love to come back to New York but I also know other teams are calling to have me go and help them win a championship," he said. " I have loved my time here. Hopefully, it is not over, but we just have to wait and see what New York comes to offer. We are listening to anybody out there." Damon stated that he has not heard from the Yankees GM Brian Cashman yet and he and agent Scott Boras are waiting. He said he feels fine physically even though he turned 36 earlier this month. I feel like I can play another 10 years he said. He said he feels great now and has during the season. Johnny Damon has to be realistic here he has been breaking down, he is pretty durable and tough but defensively he is not the same player, he has to rest more and be used as the DH more to keep his legs fresh. If he really wants to stay in New York then he should prove it by taking a pay cut but of course no player can do that. Paul O'neill did it and others in the past have but that doesn't happen anymore. Johnny also said " I know what is here in New York, the New Stadium, the great coaches, the great players. You guys tell Cash to get things going with me. I am up for it." The Yankees have told everyone they are not even meeting until the end of next week to formulate their plans. The Winter Meetings begin Dec 7th and that is when things should really heat up with the hotstove. This news came from the NY Post but was everywhere on the news and internet since he was in a public place. There was a article out of the NY Daily News today that the Red Sox are really heating up talks with the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay and speculating about the Yankees jumping in. The article said it would start with Clay Bucholz and Casey Kelley a 20 yr old prospect that Theo Epstein is said to love and that may be a sticking point in negotiations. The Yankees would have to give up Joba or Phil Hughes and Austin Jackson or Jesus Montero. If I was the Yankees I would really have to think about giving up Joba and Austin Jackson. I know this is tough but if the Yankees have a rotation of CC, Halladay, A.J. Andy and Phil Hughes that will be very very tough to beat. They can use Dave Robertson, Damaso Marte, Phil Coke as the setup guys. The other benefit of course is that the Red Sox wouldn't get him. It is very tough because the Yankees as World Champs could just have Joba and Phil Hughes as the 4th and 5th starters and hope they fulfill thier potential and have a great rotation like that anyway. They also save a lot of money by doing this but that isn't a guarantee, it is a guarantee that Roy Halladay will pitch well for another couple of years at least. The article said the Red Sox hope to land him within the next couple of weeks so this could get interesting quickly.