Gom

I do, but I refuse to give money to a team that will finish in 4th next year.

I'm cancelling them. If anyone wants the tickets before I cancel them, let me know. THIS IS TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE NEWS. THE YANKEES HAVE BEEN RESIGNED TO THE SECOND DIVISION FOR THE NEXT DECADE. Seriously, if anyone wants to pay for the season tickets next year and is willing to give me the money upfront, they can have any and all of my tickets. I refuse to pay for a product I know will suck.

As far as I remember, I said I'd take him over 2/3 of the SS's in baseball. So that leaves 8-10 SS who are better. Seems like I'm right on point here.

This is true. Unless she's willing to come up to New York, your statement rings true.

It's Jacko, ORS. He lives in a world where free agents don't have other options, where the Yankee farm system is filled with future Hall of Famers, and decline over time to a player's skill only happens if you don't wear pinstripes. Let him be.

Angels sweep Red Sox in three games. There is my prediction. Lester loses a close one, the Angels destroy Matsuzaka, and an ineffective Beckett struggles and gives it his all, but it's just not enough as it's obvious that he's pitching hurt. Angels celebrate in Fenway.

You, I don't mind being on top of me.

Who's looking up at who in the standings, BITCH? How do you feel losing to me and I know s*** about football? Eat my shorts.

The comparisons are valid. He's known nothing but success, and he'll do whatever it takes to win. Plus, he's a fan favorite. At this point in their careers, it's a legitimate comparison.

No, just a bad manager.

The media isn't happy with him since he isn't too forthright with injuries like Torre was. Torre was a player's manager, and Girardi is a better strategist in my mind. Let's not forget that Torre didn't do anything to spur this team since 2000. I'm a Girardi fan, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if he was replaced.

You can only hope.

Mistakes are made. The bigger mistakes are sticking with them. Was Nady/Marte a mistake? No. It just didn't work out, since the Yankees didn't make the playoffs. Jacko, saying that Nady slumped but it didn't matter because we are out of it is laughable. So Cano's resurgence didn't mean anything? Neither did Hughes good starts? Or Phil Coke? Or Brett Gardner? Come on, buddy. You dropped the soap on that one. Also, Nady's OPS since 2005: .760, .790, .806, .867. The .867 OPS is highly skewed to his time in Pittsburgh. He had a .793 OPS with us. That is more in line with what he'd be. What we saw in New York is what we'd get over a season. I'm not that impressed. He has the most value in a trade, so I'd dump him, recoup some of what you gave up. Holding on to prove a point is what hurt us initially in not getting Santana, and then not trading for CC. Remember, this is what we SHOULD do, not what Cashman would do. If Cashman comes back, look for another 3rd place finish while touting youth. When that youth arrives and it sucks, it will be "Oops. I guess I missed...but wait..there is this 12 year old parapalegic we signed from Burkina Faso who will be the next Hall of Famer, once he recovers from Tommy John surgery". What I'm saying is that I'd like to use Nady and Marte to recoup some of the draft picks lost [i.e. prospects] in signing one, two, or three Type A free agents. According to Brian Sabean, Matt Cain is untouchable. His words. Read transcript here. You're overly optimistic. The Yankees are on a downward trend. I say the new drop off is 32 years old. Jeter, Abreu, Giambi, Posada, Mariano, Arod, Damon, Matsui are all on the wrong side. Do I expect a drop off? More like injuries. If they tread water offensively, I'd be ecstatic. Overall, what you'll get is what you got this year, maybe a slight overall offensive decrease. Can't beat Father Time.

26, a couple of things you don't realize. First of all, to get the picks, you have to offer arbitration if it is available [correct me if I'm wrong here]. Secondly, Giambi is not going to take a 16 million paycut after a 100 RBI season. I looked at the numbers, and he'd be looking at at least 12 million at the bare minimum to stay. As for our bench being solid again...it wasn't solid this last year. It was terrible. Please don't include Melky in the discussions for OFers. He's not a viable major league player. When you said Nady is a good OF...I don't consider a .793 OPS OF that good. He's not a great defensive OFer, and offensively, he's average at best. I'd consider moving him and bringing in a solid right-handed OFer [burrell or Manny comes to mind]. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the Yankees don't have to do a lot. The injuries were not an aberration. This is an old team that needs a lot of flexibility in the lineup. Their players will regress more quickly than in Tampa and Boston, and they will lose more time due to injury. They are not as close as you think. It was this thought process that caused the problem.

You're right about Clemens. Was it two or three Cy Youngs after he left? Even the FO wanted Bernie back, just not as a full-timer. Bernie had really lost his skills. Not like Damon, Boggs, or Clemens. Can't argue this point.

You can add Sheffield and Kevin Brown and Jeff Weaver. Certain players the fans don't like. Look at Edgar Renteria. However, the difference here is players who were brought in who didn't do the job. I'm talking about beloved players, players who grew up with the team and came up through the ranks like Clemens and Boggs, and players who were absolutely adored like Damon. None of those players you listed count. This would be like the Yankees running Rivera or Posada or Jeter or Bernie out. Next on the list will be Varitek, and then Youkilis. There is no FO that does a better smear campaign on their own players than the Red Sox. I'm wondering why.

I thought Oki had done a lot worse. My bad. I remember when he was sucking, and I haven't seen him pitch against the Yankees or heard much either. I dropped the soap on Oki. My bad. As for the Yankees defensively, yes, they are poor. We saw earlier this year how many wins Melky gave us with his stellar defensive play. Defense is overrated in my mind. The offensive contributions of the following players outweigh any defensive deficiencies: All the starting Yankees [with the exception of Posada], with the jury out on Matsui due to injury. Last I checked, you guys did ok when Papi was still playing the field and Manny was in the OF.

AJ will opt out to find out what other teams are going to offer. I would say that's a pretty strong bet. Why not test the market and see what you're worth is? With the richest team in sports has money to burn and have all but salivated over you, don't you think it's a smart move to test the market? Also, the Blue Jays lose nothing by making an offer to Burnett. If he takes it, great. If not, you've just pushed the Yankee payroll up by raising the bar. As for kicking the tires on Teixeira, I don't think the Angels will get shut out this off-season. I'm trying to be realistic and realize that they won't get everyone they target. The Angels are losing K-Rod, and I figure they get one or the other, Tex or CC. Considering they have Lackey, Saunders, Santana and Weaver, I see Tex as being a bigger priority. I also see CC as being the bigger priority for the Yankees. Kind of a common sense thing. There is no doubt that the Yankees will offer less for Abreu than other teams. Like I said, a one year deal [they'll offer him arbitration for sure] with a club option if he accepts. If he does, and you can't work out a 2 year deal, you get a productive OF for one season, although pricey. If it doesn't work, you get the compensation picks and move Nady to RF, Damon to CF and Matsui to left, with Manny as the DH. I don't think there is a Yankee fan who wouldn't trade Abreu and 2 million for Manny, which is what the difference in salaries would be. Arod, Manny, Giambi or Ortiz, Youk, and Drew? Which one scares you more? I am not looking at Coke as being the answer, I am just not sold on a reliever who has poor control in Marte. I like Coke's mechanics and he has a decent fastball with decent control. Do I think he's a solid reliever, the new bridge to Mariano? No. I see a 1.30 WHIP, a 4.20 ERA. An average reliever who hopefully will get better with experience. Incidentally, that's what I expect you'd get out of Marte. Why spend six million for the same production you can pretty much get out of 300K? Plus, relievers have a longer initial effective time, since they don't pitch as often. Just ask Oki. He went a full season before teams figured him out. How bold is that prediction Kilo? They finished 3rd this year. A bold prediction would be first or last place. Predicting the same place as the year before hardly qualifies as bold.

I've done some analyzing, and have come up with a revised plan for the 2009 Offseason. Without further ado, here you go. The moves that have been changed have had an asterisk assigned to them. 1. Convince CC to come to NY. I'm not so sure that he's so in love with the West Coast as the media makes him out to be. I think it's part of the gamesmanship to maximize the biggest payday for a pitcher in baseball history. Sadly, it works. He's going to top what Johan made, and he isn't worth it, but that's the price you pay for mismanagement. My call: 7 years, 140 million. [+20 million] *2. Blow out the competition immediately for AJ Burnett [i had previously advocated Ben Sheets]. The truth is, the Yankees really need two starting pitchers. My change of heart is due to the fact that pitchers who switch leagues to the AL East tend to bottom out, and vice-versa. Look at Beckett his first year, and how well Pedro did when he went to the Mets, and Derek Lowe when he went to the Dodgers. Let someone else take a shot at Sheets and Lowe. Give me AJ, and pass on Sheets. Brian Bruney met with AJ, they went to dinner during the last series. Rest assured, he let AJ know what management wants.[+16 million]. 3a. Kick the tires on Teixeira. What's not to like about a young, switch-hitting Gold Glove firstbaseman who hits for power and average? Nothing. However, I can't see the Angels letting him go. I'd offer him 17 million a year for 6 years, but my guess is he'll stay in Anaheim. Of course if he takes it, I'd have to revamp some of the thinking. I'm assuming he stays out in the sun in Cali. If you can't, and you probably won't be able to sign Texeira, then that leads to 3B.[break even with Giambi's 2008 salary] *3b. Bring back Giambi. On second thought, we would be better off bringing back the Big Sexy. Looking at his final numbers, and realizing that what's out there would cost a lot more than what we could bring back, Giambi as the full time 1B is the best option. One year deal, mutual option at 10 million is a good call. Factoring in the $5 million payout, it's a net of [- 3 million]. *4. The shocker of the off-season. Get ready for this. Sign Manny Ramirez. 4 years $70 million. The market is really reduced to three teams. Dodgers, Yankees, Mets. That's it. The Mets have bullpen and rotation issues. The Dodgers are forced to make a run at him. Manny should be Bronx-bound. Don't buy this "Manny will be Manny" crap. He was a happy and productive player in Cleveland. In recent years, you have had a slew of "bad" people leave the Red Sox and join the Yankees. Boggs, Clemens, Damon. Don't lose sight of the fact that Manny is from Jackson Heights, and nothing would make him happier than to beat the pants off of Boston. Signing one of the best hitters in the game that's got a personal vendetta against your hated rivals would be a coup we haven't seen since Ruth joined the Yankees. If you give 4 years, you get three productive ones from Manny. This move alone will give the Yankees one ring in the next three years. Maybe more. Just ask the Red Sox if he was worth the money. They are still without a championship since 1918 if not for this guy. [+18 million] 5. Resign Abreu for 2 years, 11 million a season, club option in second year. He claims to want to come back. Let's see if he does. Abreu is one of those players whose value is greater than the first look. He can run, he takes pitches, and can succeed in the pressure cooker of New York. Plus, the Yankees, being an older team, will have injuries. They need to rotate their players to keep them fresh. This will be one of Cashman's big mistakes this off-season. Letting Abreu go. I say keep him. [+11 million, net -6 million] 6. Trade Nady. There is no place for him. With Giambi at 1B, Manny at DH, and re-signing Abreu, you have one too many OFs. Which Yankee OF has the greatest trade value? Nady, who ironically, is their worst hitting starting OF. Nady came back to earth with the Yankees. He's a career .794 OPS hitter. For the Yankees, he had a .793 OPS. Expect a full-season of about .280 BA and .330 OBP and a .450 SLG. Not what you'd really want, but as far as value goes, he gives a lot of bang for your buck. Trading Nady for some prospects will offset one set of prospects lost in signing CC or Manny [and Tex if they can lure him]. -3.3 million 7. Bring back Moose. He also is used to New York, and likes it here. A good guy to have around, and a nice change of pace in the rotation. 2 year contract at 11 million, with the second being a club or mutual option, is the way to go. [Wash]. 8. Do not trade Cano. If anything, Cano's struggles this year will probably be a bit of a wakeup call. Will he get back to the .330 BA he once had? Doubtful. However, look for him to generate more power next year as he has closed up his stance a bit. Giving up on him at this point is a mistake. This will be Cashman's biggest mistake this off-season if he get's rid of him. 9. Trade or release Marte. $6 million for a wild lefty reliever in the pen? I'll take my chances with Coke. Better mechanics, better speed. A bullpen of Mariano, Bruney, Coke, Veras, and Robertson should be sufficient. I see the Yankees cutting costs here and going with their youth in the pen, which is actually starting to look like a strength in the Cashman Era. [-5.75 million] 10. Say goodbye to Pettitte [-16 million], Ivan Rodriguez [-using Farnswoth's salary of 6 million], Pavano [-9 mill [11 million-2mil buy out]. If Pettitte wants to come back, that would be fine to bring him back at no more than 8 million a season. I don't see him taking a 50% paycut, so it may be fitting that he started the last game at the old stadium. Total saving from this trio: [35 million] So there you have it. The new updated plan. I may tweak this a bit before the start of the off-season, but when you put it all together, you have a net decrease in payroll of one million. Not a lot, but a start in the right direction. So, according to my plan, you'd have the following lineup: CF Damon SS Jeter RF Abreu 3B Arod DH Ramirez LF Matsui C Posada/Molina 1B Giambi 2B Cano You can move Molina down in the lineup. The important thing is that you will be able to rotate some of these players out with Brett Gardner, who has shown an ability to be a terror on the basepaths, and will be the defensive replacement CF, taking Abreu or Damon out of the game. He can also spell those guys once a week each to give them a rest. Starting rotation: CC Sabathia AJ Burnett Wang Joba Mussina For goodness sake, the Yankees #4 pitcher would be an ace on most teams in baseball. You'd have Hughes and Rasner as backups in case someone gets hurt or Moose comes back down to earth. You can never have too much pitching. You can also play around with moving Joba back to the pen if Hughes has an awesome spring. Bullpen: Mariano Coke Bruney Veras Ramirez/Robertson/Aceves All this and you save a million a year from this year. If Pettitte comes back, it would be an increase of 7 million, but I don't see that happening. If it does, who really cares? The Yankees are posed to make nearly $400 million next year anyways. The important thing is that you're bringing back a lot of players who want to come back on reduced contract lengths due to club options. Another overhaul is needed next season for the OF, but at least the rotation is in place. Maybe this Austin Jackson guy pans out, but you have Magglio and Crawford and Holiday as free agents, and Damon, Matsui, and Abreu [option] coming off the books, the team can be remade on the fly again. With increased revenue from the stadium, this would be a two or three year transitionary period of intense free agent activity until some of the young players who Cashman drafted either come up and make a difference, or he's relieved from duty. Your thoughts on the update?

Update: I have some brainstorms. I will revamp my 2009 blueprint. More to follow, after I fix my Big Mac attack.

Have you ever actually been to a game and actually watched the game instead of stuff yourself with hot dogs and beer? The reason why I ask this is that you see things you don't see on TV. You see how the RF plays a lefty pull hitter. You'll see how the infielders will shift to the left or right on a pitch, depending on whether it's an off-speed pitch or the hard stuff. This is what I mean. You can see and dissect the defensive aspect of baseball better than you ever could on TV as a layman fan. They differ from Red Sox fans, or fans of what other team, in what way? As an outsider, I saw Hall of Famers Boggs, Clemens, Pedro, and Manny leave, and most Red Sox fans be happy to see them go. Was this because of their performance on the field, or the media's ballwashing? Come on Rician, you're better than that. As the immortal ORS once said, there are ****-stains on both sides.

True. However, you did lose one of the greatest post-season hitters of all-time in Manny. If you're going to give Beckett credit, you have to take into effect Manny's loss.