The New York Mets defeat Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Monday night. Matt Harvey started for the Mets and pitched great. David Wright and Daniel Murphy led the Mets offense. 
Harvey pitched seven innings giving up three hits and a run with two walks and nine strikeouts, he picked up his second win of the season. Josh Edgin pitched two innings giving up a hit and a run with a strikeout.

Murphy had two hits and a walk, Wright had two hits, an RBI and drew a walk and Ike Davis had a hit. Marlon Byrd had a hit and drew a walk, Lucas Duda had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and John Buck had a hit and three RBI. Ruben Tejada had a hit, two RBI and drew a walk. Byrd, Murphy and Wright each hit a double and Buck hit a homerun. The Mets were 4-13 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Davis committed an error.

Roy Halladay started for the Phillies and took his second loss of the season. He pitched four innings giving up six hits and seven runs with three walks and three strikeouts. Chad Durbin pitched an inning giving up a hit and a walk with a strikeout, Jeremy Horst pitched two innings giving up a hit and striking out three and Raul Valdes pitched two innings giving up a hit and a walk and striking out two.

Ben Revere drew a walk, Jimmy Rollins had a hit and an RBI and Chase Utley had a hit. Ryan Howard had an RBI, Lance Nix drew a walk and Humberto Quintero had a hit. Kratz had a hit, Rollins and Kratz each hit a double and the Phillies were 1-6 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Revere had a stolen base.

In the second inning Buck hit a three run homerun to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. Duda hit an RBI single in the third to increase the Mets lead to 4-0. In the bottom of the fourth Howard hit a sacrifice fly to cut the Mets lead to 4-1. Wright hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to make it 5-1 Mets. Tejada hit a two run single to make it 7-1. In the eighth Rollins had an RBI groundout to complete the scoring at 7-2 Mets.

The Mets record improved to 5-2 and the Phillies record dropped to 2-5. The two teams will play game two of their three game series on Tuesday night.

The Mets rally to beat Roy Halladay and the Phillies

The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by the score of 5-2 on Monday night. The game was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Mets were trailing 2-0 but they fought back. The game was tied at two in the ninth and the Mets got a three run homerun off of Jonathan Papelbon to take the lead. The Mets got an ok start from Jonathan Niese but he walked too many and was out of the game early. The bullpen did a great job for the Mets. Roy Halladay pitched very well but he did give up a two run lead and Jonathan Papelbon gave up three runs to allow the Mets to win the game. 
Niese pitched five innings giving up four hits and two runs with four walks and five strikeouts. Manny Acosta pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout, Bobby Parnell pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up four hits and a walk and Tim Byrdak got the win pitching to one batter and striking him out. Frank Francisco earned his eighth save with a perfect inning including a strikeout. Halladay pitched seven innings giving up five hits and two runs with a walk and seven strikeouts. Bastardo pitched an inning giving up two walks and Papelbon pitched an inning giving up two hits and three runs with a walk and two strikeouts. Papelbon took his first loss of the season.

Andres Torres drew two walks, Kirk Nieuwenhuis had a hit and David Wright had a hit, two RBI and drew a walk. Daniel Murphy had a hit, Ike Davis had a hit and drew a walk and Josh Thole had a hit. Mike Nickeas had a hit and Jordany Valdespin had a hit and three RBI. Wright and Nickeas had a double and Valdes pin a homerun. Valdespin it was his first major league hit and to make it a game winning homerun is incredible. The Mets were 2-6 with runners in scoring position and they left five men on base. Murphy had a stolen base, Torres committed an error.

Jimmy Rollins had two hits for the Phillies. John Mayberry had a hit and an RBI, Shane Victorino had two hits and drew a walk and Hunter Pence drew a walk. Ty Wigginton had a hit, Carlos Ruiz had a hit and drew two walks and Placido Polanco had a hit and an RBI. Juan Pierre drew a walk, Rollins and Polanco each had a double. The Phillies were 1-9 with runners in scoring position and they left ten men on base.

Mayberry hit a sacrifice fly in the first to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. In the second inning Polanco had an RBI double to make it 2-0 Phillies. In the sixth Wright hit an RBI double to tie the game at two. In the ninth inning Valdespin hit a three run homerun to give the Mets a 5-2 lead which they would hold onto.

The Mets have now won two games in a row and won the first of three in Philadelphia. The two teams will play game two on Tuesday night. The Mets will try to win the series and then have a chance at a sweep on Wednesday.

Yankees Lose To Phillies

The New York Yankees lost to the Philadelphia Phillies by the score of 3-2 this afternoon. CC Sabathia got the start and wasn't perfect giving up 2 hits and 2 walks in 2 innings. He didn't give up a run though and was pleased with his first outing. He said April 4th is when it matters and he understands what he has to do to get ready. He said that his delivery was so-so and that he had a couple of times where he fell off the mound and wasn't headed toward the plate. He said he will work on that in his bullpen coming up. Roy Halladay who started for the Phillies was his usual self facing the Yankees. He pitched 2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. Zack Segovia, Zach McAllister, Ivan Nova and Mark Melancon all pitched scoreless innings. Segovia gave up a walk and Melancon gave up a hit but had 2 strikeouts. Romulo Sanchez pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up 2 hits, a run and a walk. Boone Logan pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings and Wilkens Arias blew a save and got the loss pitching 2/3 of an inning giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, he did have a strikeout. The Yankees offense didn't see anyone get more then a hit. Jaime Hoffman, Jesus Montero, Robinson Cano, Eduardo Nunez, David Winfree, Colin Curtis, Jose Gil and Brandon Laird all had one hit. Colin Curtis is really trying to make a name for himself after hitting a 3 run walkoff homerun yesterday. The rbi's were produced by Jose Gil and David Winfree. Winfree is another one of the outfielders trying to stick as the 5th OF but he is a long shot, Jaime Hoffman is the rule 5 pick who has to make the team and stay on it all year or be offered back to the Dodgers for half the price 25,000. Jorge Posada, Randy Winn and Ramiro Pena all struck out twice. The Yankees will host the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM with Phil Hughes getting the start. Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to pitch also in this game. The game will be televised on the YES network.

Yankees Win Opener on Walkoff

The New York Yankees defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon in their exhibition opener. The game was tied 3-3 when Colin Curtis hit a walkoff 3 run homerun in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory for the Yankees. A.J. Burnett wasn't around to deliver the pie, but it was a good start as the Yankees started the way they ended with a win. The Yankees also continued on a trend last year of walkoff wins, they sure seem to love the pie. Here are some of the stats and the notes from today. Alex Rodriguez recorded the Yankees first hit of the spring. Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves each pitched 2 scoreless innings. They each also had a strikeout and Gaudin was the only one who allowed a hit with a infield single to lead off the game. Nick Johnson had a rbi double and made a nice pick over at first. He has always been a good first baseman and will provide great defense when Mark Teixeira is dhing or taking a day off. Jon Albaladejo had a rocky outing, he gave up 2 hits and 3 runs without recording an out. Royce Ring pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts. Jason Hirsh faced 2 batters and struck them both out. Sanit pitched a scoreless inning. I really don't know much about him but he is a minor league pitcher. Ramiro Pena had a solo homerun, he was the utility guy last season and I would think he is the frontrunner for the same job this season. He started it off the right way and he did make a couple of nice plays in the field, he is known for his defense though. George Steinbrenner was at the field briefly, he was driven through the concourse and quickly driven out. CC Sabathia is scheduled for 2 innings or 35 pitches tomorrow when he faces Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies. Javier Vazquez threw a bullpen today becoming the last starter to do so, Joba felt better today and threw a bullpen and then went home. If he feels ok tomorrow he will be good to go for Friday. Derek Jeter, A-rod,Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Marcus Thames, Jon Weber, Francisco Cervelli, P.J. Pilittere and Mike Rivera. If I see this correctly that is 3 catchers which would lead me to belive we will see top prospect Jesus Montero in the game tomorrow. There is Joe Girardi and Curtis Granderson audio up on the great Lohud Yankees Blog by Chad Jennings. You can hear it at http://yankees.lhblogs.com/. The Yankees take on the Phillies tomorrow in Clearwater at 1:00pm, the game is on the MLB network.

New York Mets report to Camp

The New York Mets seem to be quiet a chatty bunch early on. Johan Santana met with the media today and when asked who the best pitcher in the NL East is he said Johan Santana. You have to remember that Roy Halladay is in the NL East now also. He also said that he expects the Mets to win the World Series just like David Wright had said yesterday. The Mets are coming off a terrible year which was preceded by 2 epic collapses to miss the playoffs. I wonder if this is a new attitude because of all the losing, they decided to be cocky and arrogant and maybe it will rub off on everyone. They have to remember the best way to get people to forget about the dissappointments is to win. They just have to get on the field and win ballgames and then no one will care about anything else. Johan Santana said that he spoke to Oliver Perez who is mentally prepared this year, he said he didn't have that last year. That is a big problem, to me this is your livlihood shouldn't you always be mentally prepared?? The Daily News has a video of Oliver Perez throwing a bullpen. Jose Reyes did a interview with Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. He said that he doesn't want to go anywhere and isn't thinking about his contract. He will earn 9 million this season and the Mets have a 11 million dollar option for next season. He said right now he just wants to go out on the field and do his job to help the team win. He said he wants to finish his career as a Met. Reyes is a huge key for the Mets this season, when he goes the team goes, he has to stay healthy and tone it down a little bit and produce. It looks like he will take on more of a leadership role this season which the team really needs.

Hot Stove Burns up

Today started out as a routine Monday and then this afternoon the Hot Stove really started burning up. Monday's are usually a big football day with all of the analysis of the Sunday games and looking ahead to the Monday night game but baseball took center stage on this Monday. The Boston Red Sox were especially busy signing pitcher John Lackey to a 5 yr 85 million dollar deal and now pending a physical signing Mike Cameron for 2 yrs and 15.5 million. Hideki Matsui became the first World Series MVP to leave since John Wetteland in 1996. Matsui signed a 1 yr 6 million dollar deal with the Anaheim Angels. The biggest news of the day was that Roy Halladay was traded from the Blue Jays to the Phillies and the Phillies traded Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners and the Blue Jays are getting back prospects which we don't know yet because Halladay is still working out the extension and the deal won't be official to maybe tomorrow. I think the Seattle Mariners have had a good offseason and may have surpassed the Angels by getting Chone Figgons and now Cliff Lee. The New York Mets and their fans have had a very bad day. The Mets biggest need was pitching and now they don't have anywhere to turn as their are no other big pitchers left. They may land Jason Bay now that everyone else is out on that but that isn't going to solve the problem of having Johan Santana and then a bunch of questions. Roy Halladay going to the hated Phillies is just a stab in the heart but the truth is they aren't that much better since they did trade Cliff Lee away. The Yankees side of things isn't really all that bad, they don't have to face Halladay anymore who owned them and John Lackey doesn't have very good numbers against the Yankees and he has really bad career numbers in Fenway. John Lackey is also a injury risk as he has been injury prone over the last couple of years. I don't think it was terrible for the Red Sox because you can never have enough pitching and he is a gritty guy who usually pitches well in big games. I do find their offense curious though with Bay gone and being replaced by Cameron and maybe Hermidia in a platoon. It doesn't look like the Lowell trade will go through now since he has a thumb injury and may need surgery. I wonder if the Red Sox may try and trade for Adrian Gonzalez and move Youkilis to third base?? If they did this I think they would be pretty even with the Yankees but right now as a Yankee fan I don't think you have to be that worried because I don't think their offense is so great. I wonder what tomorrow will bring with the Hot Stove after this busy day.

Hot Stove News

The Winter meetings have ended but the Hot Stove is still burning brightly. The Chicago White Sox signed former Seattle Mariner closer and most recently Met J.J. Putz. The deal is for one year and 3 million. He will be a setup man but give the White Sox another option to close other then Bobby Jenks. The Boston Red Sox are really coming hard after Adrian Beltre even though the Mike Lowell trade to Texas is not yet finalized. There is a report on ESPN.com today that the Blue Jays are seeking either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes and Jesus Montero as well as others from the Yankees for Roy Halladay. That price is too steep for the Yankees at this time and I can't blame them. If the Red Sox don't get him which looks like they won't and they don't end up with him they can still sign another pitcher as the 4th starter and be in good shape. The Cardinals have made a formal offer to Matt Holliday today but terms of the deal are not known. The Cardinals GM said he expects a response from agent Scott Boras within the next 48 hours. If he resigns with St. Louis the market for Jason Bay will really heat up as he will be the only significant position player left on the market.

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.

Reaction to the Granderson trade

I like Austin Jackson but at this point he is a minor league prospect only, he hasn't proved anything yet. I know he can be good but we won't know that for at least a couple of more years. He is fast and a good outfielder, he seems to be a good hitter but has no power at all at this point. Curtis Granderson is young, a good outfielder, fast and has lots of power. The Yankees can slide him into the 2 hole if Damon leaves and put him or Melky Cabrera in left field. The Yankees got better defensively and also got younger which is a good thing. I also can see them maybe going for Doc Halladay but can they do that without giving up Hughes or Joba?? I am not sure if they can I see Hughes as the 5th starter with Pettitte and Halladay in the rotation and Joba back to the pen. It looks like they are angling for Joba back to the pen with Coke and Bruney gone in the last 2 days. I know Granderson doesn't hit lefties well or at least didn't last year but how often do you face a lefty?? It isn't very often and also he is a pull hitter and will love the short porch in Yankee Stadium. Phil Coke and Ian Kennedy are not a big deal, they have Marte and also have Mike Dunn still as a lefty reliever. They have other starters they like better then Kennedy in Andrew Brackman, Zach McAllister, Ivan Nova etc. They also have Gaudin, Mitre and Aceves still. I like this trade and think the Yankees made themselves better, I also like the fact that the evil empire is back. The Yankees are back on top and plan on staying there and everyone is back to complaining about them.

Red Sox notes from Winter Meetings

I didn't get a chance to get to the Terry Francona press conference notes from yesterday. Here they are coming from Lohud Yankees Blog and Journal News writer Chad Jennings who is at the Winter Meetings. Francona the manager of the Red Sox was asked about the Yankees and said this: " They have a couple of things that make life difficult for us. They have a lot of money and they have smart people deciding what they are doing." I say yes but don't the Red Sox also?? Francona has talked to Jason Bay this winter but just casually and hasn't asked him about his plans. Francona was asked about interest in Hideki Matsui and he said where would we put him? Daisuke Matsuzaka will prepare as he always does for a role in the rotation with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and Clay Bucholz. "We like our starters," Francona said. " At the same time, we have to be realistic enough to know you need more than five." They have Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa in reserve. Jon Heyman is tweeting that he is hearing the Red Sox won't give up Clay Bucholz or Casey Kelly for Doc Halladay, hello Yankees and could the demands really plummett?? This is why I love baseball, it is neverending and always interesting. A NFL game can only be analyzed for so many days but there is always something to talk about with baseball even in the offseason.

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.

Hot Stove action

It looks like the Seattle Mariners will be getting speedy leadoff man Chone Figgons. The preliminary figure is for 4 years and 36 million. This is a good move for them getting a player like this and also taking him away from their divisional rival. The New York Mets have stockpiled catchers signing Chris Coste and Henry Blanco and still looking to sign Bengie Molina, why they are doing all of this doesn't really make much sense but it is the Mets. I don't want to jump to conclusions because maybe they will still get a John Lackey or Matt Holliday or someone like that. The Boston Red Sox today did aquire Marco Scuttaro who said he signed with them because they have the team with the best chance of winning a title for him. The big news today was coming from Jon Heyman of SI.com who tweeted that the Yankees are going to make an offer for Roy Halladay, he does believe the Red Sox have the best chance of getting him though. The Jays want some combination of Jesus Montero, Austin Jackson, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain from the Yankees. It does look like it will be a battle between the two ancient rivals for Doc Halladay and the Jays do seems intent on unloading him now when they can get something rather then waiting and have his value decrease or lose him to free agency and get nothing.

Hot Stove starting to heat up

The baseball Winter Meetings are scheduled to being on Monday from Indianapolis but the hot stove has started heating up. Roy Halladay of course is a big topic as everyone awaits to see if he will be traded and to whom with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at the top of the list. The Seattle Mariners are on the verge of signing Chone Figgons according to multiple sources. It looks like he will sign for 4 years and around 32 million or so. This would be a great move for seattle and deal a huge blog to their divisional foes the Anaheim Angels. The Brewers signed veteran catcher Gregg Zaun today and yesterday Placido Polanco signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. There is talk that the Mets are trying to unload Luis Castillo but that still remains to be seen. It will get really interesting next week as all 30 clubs will be together in one place looking to shape their rosters for the spring. The Boston Red Sox signed SS Marco Scutaro today also as they look to play catch up with the Yankees who went on their big splurge last offseason signing CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. Boston apparantly will be pushing hard for Roy Halladay according to some although others believe they will stay away from him and go after John Lackey who is the biggest name pitching free agent. It sure looks like it will be a fun week so stay tuned.

Yankees offer Arbitration to No One

The New York Yankees offered arbitration to no one again this year. If they offered arbitration and that player signed elsewhere they would be awarded a draft pick as compensation but then they would also risk having that player sign and go to arbitration. This really wasn't a suprise as they will still try and retain Damon and Pettitte. I am almost certain Hideki Matsui will be gone. Joe Girardi was out at Jets camp today teaching Mark Sanchez how to slide. The Jets were worried about him not knowing how to do that well and contacted the Yankees to see if they could help. Today was the day that Joe Girardi was available to come out to Florham Park and help the Jets out. I read today that A.J. Burnett was pushing for Doc Halladay, that is no suprise but I don't think the Yankees will end up getting him. The Yankees would have to give up a lot in prospects and money to sign him to an extension and that is too much. John Henry the Red Sox owner had a interesting take on the revenue sharing system today. He did basically bash the Yankees but at the same time he kind of defended them. The website www.waswatching.com has all the information on that. Dustin Pedroia stated today that he would move to shortstop to help the Red Sox with that problem. I don't think that is going to happen though and they will end up signing Marco Scutaro away from the Blue Jays. Did the New York Mets really sign Alex Cora for 2 million?? They also signed Chris Coste and are thinking of adding Henry Blanco also. I know the bench was criticized last year but is Omar Minaya going to be short sighted again and not worry about LF, SP, 1B?? I really hope not because after last season the Mets have to do something to excite their fan base.

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.

Mets and Yankees Hot Stove

The official start to the Hot Stove was at 12:01 yesterday morning when free agents were able to sign with any team they choose. The free agent class for this season appears to be weak and with the economy being the way it is I don't think teams will be rushing to sign anyone and these players may just have to take some deals quick otherwise risk being out there in January without a job much like last year. I am going to start off with the New York Mets since they have many holes to fill and a lot of work to do. The Mets need a leftfielder, starting pitching, a setup man, possibly a first baseman and a catcher. I think the best thing the Mets can do if it is possible is trade for Roy Halladay this would give them a very nice 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation with Santana and Halladay and would energize their fan base. These fans need a reason to come back to Citi Field next season and right now they don't have one, they aren't going to want to hear that they will get their players back healthy next year. Omar Minaya and the Mets need to make a big splash. If they can't get Halladay then they really need to look at signing John Lackey. The Mets also may need to sign a Jason Marquis or Joel Piniero and that is fine but only if they get one of the other pitchers to put behind Johan Santana. They can't go into next season with John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and whoever else behind Johan Santana, that would be a very questionable rotation and they can't have that. I think for leftfield the Mets need to sign Holliday or Bay. I know people will say that is a lot of money to spend but the Mets have to stop acting like they are a small market team, no they can't compete with the Yankees but no one can. The Mets are the only ones that know if they got hurt by Bernie Madoff but if it is true that they didn't lose money then they have to step up to the plate and spend it. The Mets farm system is a mess and they have to build the big team up first and at least get the fans interested again. I do think the Mets really have to flex their financial might in the international free agent market and also the draft like the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox do. This is what really hurts their farm system when they aren't willing to overslot guys in the draft. If the Mets can unload Luis Castillo which I don't think they can then they could sign Chone Figgons or Orlando Hudson. I am not sure what they can do for the bullpen but Mike Gonzalez and Rafiel Soriano are out there as good options for the bullpen, maybe they will resign J.J. Putz. First base is intersting, they may resign Carlos Delgado if they think he is healthy or they could explore trades or maybe get a Mark Derosa or someone like that as a stopgap. They feel that Ike Davis their big prospect may be ready in 2011. The New York Yankees are coming off a World Series Championship and really don't have many holes. They could use a starting pitcher but if they don't they have Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain ready to become the 4th and 5th starters. I think they want to resign Andy Pettitte for one year and I think he wants to come back. If they have CC, A.J. and Andy at top they are in pretty good shape. I think they will explore Roy Halladay but he is going to cost a lot in money and prospects and unless they jump in because it looks like the Red Sox might get him I don't see the Yankees getting him. I could see the Yankees signing a Randy Wolf or Jason Marquis or someone like that as a 4th starter and then having Hughes as the 5th and keeping Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen. I also thik it will be interesting to see what the Yankees do with Chien-Ming Wang. If they do sign him and he comes back healthy then they could have a really strong top 4 but that is very questionable if he can come back and be close to what he used to be. The Yankees will try and resign Johnny Damon for leftfield and I see them giving him either a one year deal with a option or a 2 year deal. I could see 2 years 20 or 22 million. I think Hideki Matsui will be let go and they will use the DH spot for Posada, A-rod, Jeter, Damon. I can see the Yankees signing Mark Derosa who went to Bergen Catholic and would serve them well as a super utility guy. The only way I see the Yankees in on Bay or Holliday is if Damon doesn't resign.

Yanks go down but not without a fight literally

The New York Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays by the score of 10-4 tonight. Sergio Mitre got the start and was pretty awful giving up 4 homeruns and 6 runs in 5+ innings. Roy Halladay didn't have his best stuff as the Yankees had 11 hits off of him but only 2 runs. The Yankees just couldn't get the big hit off of him. The story of the game though is the bench clearing brawl that took place in the 8th inning. Aaron Hill was hit in the back by Mark Melancon in the top of the inning, Jorge Posada came up to bat and was clearly thrown behind on purpose. He had some words with the pitcher and then walked. He later scored and as he crossed the plate he elbowed the pitcher who was standing in front of the plate. A bench clearing brawl ensued with Posada really going at the pitcher and Shelly Duncan in the middle of course. Joe Girardi had a cut and his eye appeared to be swelling up. It will be interesting to see if there is any carryover with tomorrows game or if it is over. I would expect that Jorge Posada will be suspended for a few games which may not be the worst thing because at least he can get some rest and the Yankees have Francisco Cervelli up now. Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter all had multi hit games and every guy in the starting lineup had a hit. Chad Gaudin will face Brian Tallett as the Yankees look to finish their homestand at 7-3 before heading to Seattle and Anaheim.

Blue Jays at Yankees

The New York Yankees begin a 2 game series with the Toronto Blue Jays tonight at 7:00PM on MY9. The matchup is Sergio Mitre vs Roy Halladay. Roy Halladay threw a 1 hit complete game shutout against the Yanks on Sept. 4th. Ramiro Pena had the lone hit a double. Sergio Mitre faced the Jays on Sept 6th and allowed 11 runs(9 of them earned) on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. He really didn't pitch that bad but the team was just out of it and played terrible defense and didn't help him at all. Here are the pregame notes and lineup from Peter Abraham. Brett Gardner has 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts this season. Over the last 50 years only 3 other Yankee rookies have stolen at least 21 bases in a season. Alfonso Soriano had 43 in 2001, Willie Randolph had 37 in 1976 and Jerry Kennedy had 25 in 1969. Gardner has been successful in 34 of his first 40 attempts in his career. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Damon(LF) Tex(1B) A-rod(3B) Matsui(DH) Posada(C) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Gardner(CF) Andy Pettitte is being skipped because of shoulder fatigue. Chad Gaudin will start tomorrow in his place. They don't think its serious and should be knocked out with the extra rest.