26 to 6

I'm certainly high on Robertson, and was so when he was called up last season. He's got great stuff and good movement on his fastball. If he develops properly he has a chance to be a great setup man in this league for a long time. And if the postseason has taught us anything, it's that Phil Hughes needs to be starting next year, no matter what. Whether they wanna send him back to Scranton or flip/flop roles between him and Joba, he needs to be starting. Lets not forget what he's supposed be. It's time for him to start living up to all the hype he's gotten since being drafted and justify not being traded for Santana.

I think the Knicks are going to make a huge run at Lebron whether they get rid of Curry or not. They've been clearing cap room for the past 2 years trading away big money players for next to nothing. Donnie Walsh is determined and the ball will be in LeBron's court. Now if we were to move Curry and say bring in both LeBron and Bosh, that would be quite something. I'm not gonna get too excited though. After all, this is the Knicks we're talking about. LeBron or no LeBron, they always find a way to f*** things up. It's second nature. http://lp.imageg.net/prod?set=key[name],value[JAMES]&set=key[number],value[6]&set=key[displaysize],value[220]&load=url[http://chains.imageg.net/graphics/dynamic/chains/p5323265_customback.chain] Pretty sweet though

To honor MJ LeBron is switching to #6 next season. Just posting this because it was mentioned earlier in the thread.

At least your fair about it.

What's with the shoulder shrug? I did say no Boston, and I think it will come down to the Knicks and Cavs. So? It appears he's wearing red laces in the picture you linked. I realize it matches his jersey, but I think it kinda ruins the shoes.

What a fight that would be. there have been whispers for a little while now that the Yankees would like to host boxing matches, as they did in the old Stadium. A fight of this magnitude would be incredible. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/sports/16boxing.html?_r=2&ref=sports A Pacquiao/Mayweather fight would SURELY sell out Yankee Stadium, and I would hope to be one of the lucky people there. I've never been to a pro fight, but between the location and the fighters involved, if this ever did come to fruition I'M THERE!

Yup lol

Where did I say that? Show me one post in which I failed to ackowledge the Yankees big financial advantage and their willingness to spend? ONE.

Fair enough. I was aware of the bonuses, but neglected to mention them because I didn't think they went towards the actual payroll. As for Burnett, Cot's baseball Contracts had him getting just $13m this year. he signed for 5 years/$82.5m, which as you said averages out to $16.5, but I figured there was some sort of bonus or backloading in the contract. As for the LT and it being based on AAV and whatnot, you know much more about that than I do, so I'll take your word for it.

Done

My mistake, I though you were tying Lee to the Cubs for some reason. As for the dollar figures, why would I debate any of that when it's all true. I never said that the Sox spent MORE in 2007 than the Yankees did this year, i just said that they also spent big. I agree with everything you said. And don't call it "Actual 26 to 6 value," it's the value of the contracts in that particularly given year. How is that at all debatable? On this seasons payroll, only $47 mil went to Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixeira; not $450 million. If you guys are going to use the $450m argument this year, then you can't use it in the future. What do you mean completely different stance? That's what I've been arguing from the start regarding the Santana discussion.

I NEVER SAID that the Yankees interest was directly tied to the Red Sox. NEVER. All I said is that their reluctance to make a deal was tied to the Red Sox. Of course they explored the option, any smart GM would. But they soon passed when taking into consideration the fact that it would cost them big prospects and big money. What part of that don't you understand? All I said in regards to the Sox in this debate was that the Yankees probably only would have gone in and made the deal to keep him away from Boston, which is a very reasonable argument considering the recent history of that type of action between the two teams. I'm not denying that the Yankees wouldn't have liked to add one of the best pitchers in the game, but the price tag; both in terms of players and dollars drove them away. Now we all know the Yankees are no stranger to spending big and trading away promising young players, but with CC on the horizon and the Red Sox for the most part out of the running the Cashman and co. was perfectly content letting him walk. I don't understand how and why you continue to argue this point which has NOTHING to do with the thread.

I'm not saying that it was only the Sox that used, let's be serious now. We all know it was wide-spread. But until manny and Ortiz were revealed to have been users Sox fans threw the steroids in the face of Yankee fans and called their past 4 Championships illegitimate. So now that Sox players are guilty of the same thing that illegitimacy argument conveniently goes away? Come on now.... Ummm....what does Carlos Lee have to do with the Cubs and their big offseason in 2007? (Which is EVIDENCE that big-spending doesn't equal winning; as is the Yankees of 2004, 2005 ESPECIALLY, 2006, 2007, and 2008).

Listen, no offense but idk what type of news coverage they have down there in the Dominican, btu you have NO IDEA what you're talking about. If the Yankees wanted Santana that bad they would have done what they always did and mortgaged the future for him, but every discussion started, and quickly ended with the Twins reasonably asking for a top prospect. I'm not saying the yankees interest wasn't genuine, but that they had more interest in keeping him out of their division and league than they did in shelling out not only a huge package of prospects IN ADDITION TO a huge contract. Because it was so long ago it's going to take too long to go and dig up old reports covering the Santana deal, but I assure you Cashman said he didn't want to do that; his decision to pass on Santana (FROM THE GET-GO) was part of his "youth-movement" that he experimented with going into last season. Believe me when I tell you that Cashman was just as content letting Santana go to the Mets at no cost to the Yankees than he would have been trading away a bunch of prospects and dishing out a huge contract to get him in pinstripes. Right or wrong that's the way it was. Do you forget that Cashman had to convince Hank Steinbrenner not to go above him and pick up the phone himself and make a George-style deal that would result in the loss of several big prospects plus add a huge chunk to the payroll? C'mon Dipre, you're not a Yankee fan, so don't act like you follow the Yankees as close as I do. Especially in the offseason, my favorite part of the Baseball year...I know what I'm talking about. This is evident by the Yankees passing on Santana in the final hour with the bargain-bin offer the Twins made before shipping him to the Mets for nothing. The only way the Yankees would have swooped in and given up top prospects and big money to get Santana is if he appeared headed to the Sox, as they've done many countless times before.

Listen shorty, nowhere did I deny the Yankees advantage. And nowhere did I say that the Patriots had an unfair advantage. And I doubt any Patriots fans felt that their advantage was unfair then, so why should i think the Yankees advantage is unfair now. Don't hate the player, hate the game. In other words; don't hate the Yankees, hate the system. if it's ok for you guys to hate all over the Yankees, then it's ok for me to hate on the Pats...who lost to an inferior team lets not forget. And I didn't shoot my argument in the foot because I've stopped arguing about this. Red Sox fans are too biased and non-objective, and want nothing to do with hearing what Yankee fans have to say. It's like arguing with an 8 year old kid "I'm right, you're wrong, and that's that." It gets kind of tiring after a while. Not really. There were huge question marks coming into the season. A-Rod was at the lowest of low coming into the season between his divorce, steroid revelations, and hip surgery. Nobody could have predicted the year he was going to have. Posada missed most of last season with injury, so don't tell me you expected him to put up the numbers he did. Same with Matsui as he only played in 93 games last year. Melky was SENT DOWN late last year and only returned to the bigs after the rosters expanded in September, at which point he was playing behind Gardner. I could go on and on, but basically what I'm getting at is that while most of the players on the Yankee roster have All Star potential, there were still plenty of question marks coming into the season. What he said What part of that post wasn't true?

For the reason that it would cost him both prospects and the money to negotiate an extension. Did you follow the proceeding AT ALL? Doesn't seem like it, so stfu.

lol ...that's exactly what it was Really? What does that mean? Would you like me to recap all of the injuries the Yankees endured last season? I don't think anybody is denying that without them we wouldn't be champions, but two things I would like to add. Even if we just got one of the three (probably Sabathia), whos to say that the other guys we added instead of them wouldn't have had big years. It's not fair to predict because baseball is such a crapshoot, anything can happen. As for $450 million, I hate when people throw that out there. The cost of those 3 guys on this years payroll was $47 Million ($14m for Sabathia, $20m for Tex, $13m for Burnett). If you guys are going to argue that it cost us $450 Million to buy this years championship, then you can't use that argument for any future Championships that the Yankees might win while those 3 are still on the team. I think that's fair.

I agree, and support the notion that there should be a third team in New York. Unfortunately Steinbrenner and Wilpon would do anything possible to prevent that from happening. Even if they put a team in Newark or upstate in Buffalo or something I think it could help even out the tremendous financial advantage. You should follow his lead. Agreed. With the enormous financial advantages that the Yankees have come enormous expectations, which we as Yankee fans acknowledge and hold our team to. We won because we were SUPPOSED to win, unfortunately it doesn't always work out that way though. This year it did, and even though we were supposed to win it all doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate the fact that we did. That would be like refusing to celebrate other accomplishments that you're supposed to achieve such as graduating High School for example. That might not be the best example, but you catch my drift. You mean like the Patriots of recent history? I'm not even a Giants fan; I'm a Jets fan, but I was so damn happy when the Giants pulled off that upset. ohhh, he got you guys there lol So why is everybody still bitching? Don't blame the Yankees, blame the system. I agree...now we just need to find a way to get the dodgers back to Brooklyn lol...that will really balance out the Yankees advantage. If the Dodgers still played in Brooklyn, or moved back, I think they would arguably be a bigger draw than the Yankees. Of course this is all hypothetical and the Dodgers aren't going anywhere ever. That's just a wishful dream of mine. And while I'm not so sure that the city could support a third baseball team (not financially speaking of course, but in terms of space, public transportation, etc) without inconveniencing a major chunk of the population, the market certainly could. Whether it be Newark, Hartford, or upstate somewhere I think expansion into the greater NY-metropolitan market could be a good thing for baseball. Earlier in the thread somebody was advocating contraction, but I honestly think that's the worst thing for baseball. If anything, add more teams, don't eliminate them. I respectfully disagree. While a cap would probably be the best (and most unlikely) thing for the game as a whole, I can NEVER see the players union favoring one. But now that Fehr and Orza are no longer running the show Weiner might feel differently, idk though. I still think baseball is a long way from implementing a salary cap. Tell me about it Well said. Absolutely true, and Cashman even acknowledged this. Well actually you are mistaken. Ruth played on 7 World Series winners. 1915, 1916, and 1918 with the Red Sox, and 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932 with the Yankees. woops, beat me to it. Are you referring to Santana? If so then.....WRONG. The Yankees turned down several proposals from the Twins, and would have only gone all out to get Santana if he appeared likely to be headed to the Red Sox. Cashman really wasn't willing to sacrifice both prospects and money to get Santana. Either or would have been fine, but that's why he favored Sabathia. They went back and forth quite a bit. Cashman just wasn't willing to give up any of his big prospects, namely Hughes. By the time Minnesota was willing to accept a lesser package and countered with an offer that didn't include Hughes, Kennedy, Joba, Melky, or any of their other top prospects at the time the Sox were already pretty much out of it and Cashman had grown frustrated and content with letting him go elsewhere, particularly to the NL. Cashman's interest in Santana came nowhere near that of hank Steinbrenner, and he only engaged in discussions because a) it would be foolish not to, and his boss told him to. Agreed. The Yankees should have jumped on that final offer.

I hadn't heard that, but that is indeed very classy. I think it should be done. I hadn't seen that. That's awesome. Edit: http://www.sneakerobsession.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/air-max-lebron-vii-ny-yankees-2.jpg Those are pretty sick. I'm a Knicks fan and follow the NBA casually (it's hard given how poor my team has been in recent history), and speaking objectively and fairly I really think it comes down to just two teams. The Knicks and the Cavs. I think he loves playing at home in Cleveland and being the biggest Ohio sports icon....well probably ever. But it is also clear that he is enamored with New York, and I have a strong feeling that we might very well be seeing him play his home game at the Garden for a long time. I also know how badly he wants to win a championship in Cleveland. I'm not going to go on talking like I know a great deal about the inner-workings; contractually and business wise, about the NBA, but I honestly do think it comes down to those two teams, and from there I think it is a complete crap-shoot. 50/50 he signs with either team. No Boston, no LA, no Miami. Just the Knicks or Celtics, IMO.

LOL priceless, let's just throw the Daisuke posting fee out the window for the convenience of your argument. You guys are f***ing crazy. Keep thinking what you want, I'm done arguing finances with Red Sox fans. No matter what the Yankees are still the World Champions and there's nothing you can do about it until next October, so quit your f***ing bitching and deal with it.

Lol no way, this doesn't come close to Papelbon's irish jig lol. Still gay though haha

I agree 100% Although I wouldn't be opposed to Damon leaving, getting that draft pick, and retaining Matsui. Either way though I'm on board with bringing back Nady and one of Matsui or Damon. As for Joba and Hughes, I think ideally Joba should go to the pen and Hughes should be starting, whether he start the season in Scranton or in New York, I think he should go into the season as a starter. I also wouldn't be opposed to both of them starting, as long as there are no restrictions on Joba. But if they do that who would you guys propose they go out and get to set up for Mo? I don't think you can rely 100% on Coke and Robertson and would definitely need some sort of insurance down there.

Probably better off moving Melky to left if they somehow got Granderson. I think we should bring Nady back anyway, he can still be a productive player and he won't cost much coming off TJ. I'm sure Matsui could play a little bit out there, not everyday, not even 3 or 4 times a week, but I'm sure he could scatter some starts around out in the outfield. I think either way with Nady, Swisher, Melky, Gardner, and Matsui we could field a decent outfield every day. Add Granderson and it makes it that much better.

I liked that when I saw it. In other news, Theo Epstein shot down a Hideki Matsui rumor yesterday. Other potential suitors for Matsui could include the Rays if the move Burell, the Angels, Baltimore; who I think would be a good fit, and of course the Mets if they think he can play the field. I would officially cross Seattle off that list now that Griffey has re-signed. I didn't think he would go there anyway considering he and Ichiro do not have a good relationship. And according to Jon Heyman, the Giants seem to be a suitor for Damon. Good! let him go to San Fran, give us their picks, and everyone can live happily ever after. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_heyman/11/12/gm.meetings/index.html With all this talk recently of Johnny wanting a 4 year deal, I think they should just say "see-ya!" Michael Kay style! I hope boras doesn't reasonably think he can get Damon 4 years, and hopefully it's just a negotiating tactic. But either way, we have no use for him. Offer him arbitration, give him a fair 1 or 2 year deal (or I would say a 1 year with a vesting or club option) in good faith, and let him either take it or leave it. If he accepts arbitration, then fine take him for one more year at a reasonable rate. I wouldn't not offer him arbitration though, we need those picks, especially after losing so many last year.

Agreed 1000000% If Hideki retained that Type B status as projected that would be one thing, but I think we're better off keeping Matsui and snagging the picks than we are with ol' Noodle Arm out in left field.