Yankees interested in Mahay and Vizcaino

According to Bryan Hoch, the Yankees have contacted the representatives for Ron Mahay and Luis Vizcaino.

Mahay, a 36-year-old lefty, will probably receive a three-year, $12 million offer from the Yankees. I feel that three years may be a little too much, but the bullpen is need of improvement right now. Hoch also says that Vizcaino may seek Scott Linebrink money (four years, $19 million). If that's the case, I'd let Vizcaino find employment elsewhere.

Joba is NEXT

Buster Olney wrote a piece on our very own Joba Chamberlain for ESPN The Magazine.

Basically, Chamberlain enjoys text messaging and UFC. Also, Mike Lowell was the toughest batter he faced last season.

Cashman walked away from Santana deal because of money

From Bill Madden:

But it is more than just Cashman's belief in Hughes that suddenly put the Yankees in full retreat after Hank Steinbrenner had sounded the "Charge!" on Santana. Believe it or not, the final decision not to go through with a deal that was on the table - one that would have sacrificed Hughes, Melky Cabrera, 23-year-old Double-A righthander Jeff Marquez and 22-year-old A-ball third baseman Mitch Hilligoss - was based on money.

Once Andy Pettitte announced he was returning to the fold for $16 million, it meant the Yankees had committed $408.4 million this winter to retain six players. The acquisition of Santana would have meant tacking on another $125 million to that figure, and Cashman, who never wanted to do the Santana deal in the first place, blanched at the prospect of adding another $20 million to a payroll that was already on the cusp of $200 million, again. In this respect, the timing of Pettitte's decision to return - while initially seen as giving the Yankees additional leverage in their dealings with the Twins on Santana - actually gave Cashman the "out" he needed. (New York Daily News)

If money wasn't a factor, that trade seems like a steal for the Yankees. However, terrible free agent contracts from earlier this decade have proven to finally inhibit the Yankees' spending.

That said, I could see why Cashman does not want to trade Hughes either. Madden cites that Cashman's legacy will be the big three of young pitchers. Trading them instead of developing from within would show that Cashman does not have the power he sought within the organization.

Pettitte wants to pitch longer?

From Jim Molony:

On Tuesday, Andy Pettitte told KRIV-TV that he could pitch another 10 years if he wanted to and, at the very minimum, would like to help the Yankees open their new stadium in 2009.

"I really believe now, especially after playing with the Astros and pitching with my elbow the way it was when I needed the surgery, I realize now I could go out and probably pitch until I'm 45 years old, because I was throwing 82, 83 miles an hour and still being able to compete, maybe because I'm left-handed or whatever," Pettitte said. "For me, the thing of me not being able to go out there and get any guys out, I think that's so far down the road, probably, that's never going to play into my decision.

Everybody wanted me to come back. My wife realized that if she would have said, 'Let's shut it down,' I would have definitely done that. She was like, 'Let's see how it goes one more year.' So with that support and all of my teammates' support, no matter what, wanting me to come back and do this again, that's probably the big thing." (NASHVILLE CONFIDENTIAL)

If he can still pitch at a high level, I'd definitely want him back for 2009. Pettitte has always been a big-game pitcher and his signing last year was a huge move. He was definitely missed during those three years in Houston.

Thanks to my boy MantleMurcer for finding this.

Yankees will not change offer

From Peter Abraham:

Just spoke to a Yankees Exec Who Can Be Trusted and learned this:

The Y.E.W.C.B.T said that Brian Cashman has made his final offer and will not toss in Ian Kennedy, Alan Horne or Austin Jackson. That would seem to favor the Red Sox but the Dodgers and Angels are now getting in the mix with the Yankees on the outskirts. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

So there you have it. Abraham also says that the Twins don't really like Melky Cabrera but love Jon Lester from the Red Sox.

I'm glad to see the Yankees not give in to the Twins' demands. It was worth trying to dangle Phil Hughes, but when they wanted more, it was right for the Yankees to walk away.

Yankees reportedly trade for reliever

From Barry Svrluga:

A source with knowledge of the situation said the Nationals traded reliever Jonathan Albaladejo to the New York Yankees in exchange for right-hander Tyler Clippard, pending physical examinations of both players. The 22-year-old, who went 3-1 with a 6.33 ERA filling in for the Yankees this year, has a 3.52 ERA over five minor league seasons. He should immediately be a contender for Washington's rotation. Bowden did not return messages seeking comment on the deal. (Washington Post)

Albaladejo went 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 14 1-3 innings, striking out 12 and walking two in the process in 14 relief appearances.

The Yankees need bullpen help, so this looks like a step in the right direction.

Thanks to River Ave. Blues for digging this up.

Fans had an effect on Pettitte's return

Two weeks ago, I relayed Steve Lombardi's message to get Yankee fans to write Andy Pettitte letters urging him to return.

Apparently, it had an effect.

From Kat O'Brien:

Along with the teammates and Yankees officials, Hendricks said the barrage of fan pleas had an effect as well. One fan, Steve Lombardi, even came up with "P46" or "Project 46", representing Pettitte's number, and urged fans to write letters and e-mails to Pettitte.

"The fans helped," Hendricks wrote. "Some wrote very touching and eloquent letters." (Newsday)

Good job, Steve, and thanks go out to the fans. Pettitte returning is absolutely huge.

Yankees release Spring Training schedule

Fri., Feb. 29 U. of SOUTH FLA. AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 1 Philadelphia at Clearwater 1:05 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 2 PHILADELPHIA AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 3 Houston at Kissimmee 1:05 p.m.
Tues., Mar. 4 Toronto at Dunedin 1:05 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 5 MINNESOTA AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 6 Cincinnati at Sarasota 1:05 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 7 HOUSTON AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 8 TAMPA BAY AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 9 Minnesota at Ft. Myers 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 10 CINCINNATI AT LEGENDS FIELD 7:15 p.m.
Tues., Mar. 11 TORONTO AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 12 Tampa Bay at St. Petersburg 1:05 p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 13 PITTSBURGH AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 14 Cincinnati at Sarasota 1:05 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 15 Detroit at Lakeland (SS) 1:05 p.m.
TAMPA BAY AT LEGENDS FIELD (SS) 1:15 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 16 CLEVELAND AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 17 BOSTON AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Tues., Mar. 18 Virginia Tech at Blacksburg 3:00 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 19 Pittsburgh at Bradenton 7:05 p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 20 Toronto at Dunedin 1:05 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 21 TAMPA BAY AT LEGENDS FIELD 7:15 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 22 TORONTO AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 23 Pittsburgh at Bradenton 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 24 PHILADELPHIA AT LEGENDS FIELD 7:15 p.m.
Tues., Mar. 25 Cleveland at Winter Haven 1:05 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 26 Philadelphia at Clearwater 1:05 p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 27 PITTSBURGH AT LEGENDS FIELD 1:15 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 28 Florida at Dolphin Stadium 7:10 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 29 Florida at Dolphin Stadium 6:10 p.m. (Yankees.com)

Ah, I can't wait. In about three months, pitchers and catchers will report and the 2008 season's wheels will be in motion.

The Yankees will play a game at Virginia Tech on March 18 in honor of last year's shooting.

Molina signed, Phillips gone

The Yankees announced the signing of backup catcher Jose Molina today in Nashville. He signed a two-year deal worth $4 million.

To make room for Molina on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated Andy Phillips for assignment.

No complaints here. Molina's acquisition last year was a solid move and he's one of the better backups on the market. With Shelley Duncan, Wilson Betemit and Jason Giambi on the roster, there isn't much room for Phillips.

Pettitte to return in 2008

Andy Pettitte has told friends and family that he will return to the Yankees in 2008.

From Jose De Jesus Ortiz:

That wait is over, and the Yankees have been informed of the decision by Pettitte’s agent, Randy Hendricks.

When reached by telephone this morning, Hendricks, who was in route to Nashville for the start of baseball’s winter meetings today, confirmed that he has advised the Yankees that Pettitte will play for them in 2008.

“Many teammates have called urging Andy to return as well as manager Joe Girardi,” Hendricks said. “It’s well known that the Yankees have publicly stated that they were ready for Andy when Andy was ready.” (Houston Chronicle)

This is great news. The Yankees don't have to be desperate for Johan Santana. With Pettitte back, the rotation is very solid.

Yankees set Monday deadline for Santana trade

The Yankees have set a Monday deadline for any Johan Santana trade.

From Ronald Blum:

"I'm not going to be played against the Red Sox. That's not something I'll do. That's not something the Yankees should ever do, and that's I think what they're trying to do now," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said Sunday. "So if they want the best offer that has been offered to them, then they need to make up their minds." (Yahoo)

Thank God. I'm getting sick of writing about this.

Twins want more for Santana

From John Harper:

The Yankees were hoping their decision Friday to include Phil Hughes in a trade package would seal a deal for Johan Santana, but the Twins weren't wowed by the offer. Instead, they let word leak Saturday that they will be perfectly happy to go into next season with Santana in their starting rotation if they don't get what they want.

And apparently what they want is another top-tier prospect from the Yankees, either pitcher Alan Horne or outfielder Austin Jackson, to go along with Hughes and center fielder Melky Cabrera. (New York Daily News)

I'd be perfectly fine going to battle with Phil Hughes in the rotation instead of Johan Santana. Unless the Twins' demands go down, the Yankees would be smart to walk away.

The Yankees felt that including Hughes would allow them to offer a lower-tier prospect. However, the Twins begged to differ.

Having Santana would be a bonus. As the rotation stands right now, it has the potential to be very good.

Ken Phelps! Ken Phelps!

Jim Baumbach of Newsday spoke with Ken Phelps about his name being mentioned in Seinfeld.

This was definitely one of the funnier Seinfeld moments and it's pretty interesting to see Phelps respond to it.

Yankees ready to offer Hughes

From John Harper and Mark Feinsand:

In any case, the club finally agreed to put Phil Hughes in a package that includes center fielder Melky Cabrera and at least one other lesser pitching prospect still to be negotiated, as of Friday night. And by doing so they believe they are the front-runners to land Santana, the two-time Cy Young winner.

There had been speculation the Red Sox were closing in on a deal on Thursday, but Yankee executives don't believe there was much to the rumors. And sources Friday said the Twins won't consider a deal with the Sox unless they include two of their big three prospects, pitchers Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

The Sox apparently have told the Twins they won't do that, including only Lester among those three as part of a four-player proposal on Thursday. (New York Daily News)

I was afraid that it may come to this, and it looks like it has.

If there's anyone you trade Hughes for, it's Johan Santana. Therefore, I am not opposed to such a deal. The Yankees still have Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang and Ian Kennedy, as well as Mike Mussina and possibly Andy Pettitte to fill out the rotation.

Such a move would only make the rotation better. However, as good as this staff looks on paper, the bullpen must be improved as well.

Complete top 50 prospects list released

Minor League Baseball has released its complete top 50 prospects list.

Three Yankees are on the list.

Joba Chamberlain was ranked fifth, Ian Kennedy 26th and Austin Jackson 49th.

Yankees make offer for Santana

From Jack Curry:

The Yankees have offered pitcher Ian Kennedy, center fielder Melky Cabrera and at least one minor league prospect, perhaps outfielder José Tabata. In the trade discussions, the Yankees have told the Twins that pitcher Joba Chamberlain is untouchable and that they do not want to deal pitcher Phil Hughes.

Because the Twins are insisting that Hughes must be a part of the package, the Yankees are mulling whether to make that concession. If the Yankees insert Hughes for Kennedy in their offer, they think it could be enough to obtain Santana. Of course, the Yankees, or any team that reached an agreement with the Twins, would then have the challenging task of signing Santana to a huge six- or seven-year contract in a 72-hour window. (The New York Times)

I like this offer in terms of a starting point. I'm happy with the decision to make Chamberlain untouchable and I believe that Hughes will have to come into play eventually.

I am not opposed to trading Hughes but I'd prefer keeping him.

The article later mentions that the Red Sox offered Jon Lester, Coco Crisp and two minor leaguers.

This ride could get bumpy.

Posada: Pettitte leaning towards retirement

Jorge Posada had a conference call this afternoon following the signing of his contract.

He had a few things to say:

Where it got interesting was when he said the Yankees should trade for Johan Santana because they need a No. 1. Posada also said he has been calling Andy Pettitte once a week.

He said Pettitte is leaning to retirement but he hopes that will change given the direction of the team. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

Things have certainly improved this off-season. Hopefully Pettitte can be swayed into returning for one more season. His one-year, $16 million offer is still on the table.

Posada officially re-signs

The Yankees officially announced the re-signing of catcher Jorge Posada this afternoon.

The contract is four years long and is worth $52.4 million.

Mariano Rivera's contract hasn't been made official yet, and Alex Rodriguez is still working on his new deal.

The Yankees continue to wait on Andy Pettitte's decision. He declined his $16 million player option early this off-season and has not decided whether or not he wants to retire.

Some Santana red flags

There are two sides to every story. Peter Abraham delves into some troubling Johan Santana stats from last season.

This pitcher was 3-2 with a 5.70 ERA against teams from the AL East last season (not counting the Yankees).

He was 5-7, 4.04 in the second half of the season, allowing 88 hits (16 of them home runs) over 98 innings. The 33 home runs he allowed for the season were nine more than in any other previous season. Scouts have noticed he appears hesitant to throw his slider. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

That is somewhat of a cause for concern for me. He was 15-13 last season. However, if he was on the Yankees, the win total most likely would have been higher.

That said, if the right package is offered, I wouldn't be opposed to a Santana trade.

River Ave. Blues wants to save the Big Three

River Ave. Blues is starting a campaign to hold onto Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.

All three have been mentioned in the persistent Johan Santana trade rumors. I am against trading Chamberlain, as I feel he can be valuable either out of the bullpen or as a starter. He is an excitable character, and the team can feed off of his emotion.

I have seen enough of Hughes to like his stuff, but I would certainly trade him for Santana, and only Santana. However, if the demands are too great, I would hold on to everyone and not make the trade.

Kennedy is probably the most expendable of the three, but I don't know how much the Twins like him. A trade of Melky Cabrera and Kennedy won't get it done alone.

Whatever the case, we're in for a long ride and it will be very interesting.