RIDE THIS INTO 2011

So, according to Bartolo Colon, the Yankees are interested in him. Wow. I didn't realize we we're going to ring in the new year of 1999 when Colon was 18-5 with the Indians. Or maybe it's about to be 2005, when Colon had 21 wins with the Angels.

Look, I love Bartolo Colon, but I'm not so sure I love him in 2011. Get me? I've been reading a lot about this guy, a lot of it is leaks from his own camp about his amazing comeback and the weight loss and how he's on his way back to the majors. At this point, should the Yankees give him a look? Absolutely. Should they sign him? I'm no scout, but if they like what they see, sure, but I just don't think this is the big fix the Bronx have been waiting for. Right now, Yankees fans are desperate for action. If that means we take a chance on an over the hill pitcher that had a few good years in his prime, do it.

I do know this, Colon was 3-6 with a 4.19 ERA for the White Sox in 2009 before being sidelined with a knee injury. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Colon then spent last season training, and "has had a solid winter, going 2-1, with a 1.97 ERA for Aguilas in the Dominican League. That followed a solid season in the Dominican League's regular season when he posted a 1.47 ERA over seven starts."

Now to be honest, I don't remember much about Colon's career. I remember him being good, consistent and going to the Red Sox at one point and his was fat. That's mean, let's just say big boned.

I don't remember Colon's wins, his losses and strikeout totals, but 1 thing I do remember was April 26, 2005. Alex Rodriguez cranked 3 home runs off of Colon that night. Colon was supposed to be unstoppable but the Yanks did damage. 10 RBI's later for A-Rod, history was made, and I was there watching the 3rd hit, a grand slam go over Steve Finley's head into the black. That's my fondest memory of Bartolo Colon. So now he "might" be a Yankee. I say, let's welcome him. Who knows what will happen. He could be good enough for a 5th starter, or lights out for a 3rd starter. Either way, we can't lose. Does anyone agree? Kate Conroy from the Bleacher Report doesn't. She wrote about it HERE. Check it out.

On the Bullpen front, well, Brian Fuentes is still on the radar, according to Ken Rosenthal. Fuentes is a closer. Fuentes is good, but we have all seen the guy have meltdowns. Does that mean he can't handle New York pressure? Perhaps. Is he better than a Rafael Soriano? I say No. Who would I rather? Soriano, no doubt. You know my thoughts on Soriano and at the right price he should be in the Yankees bullpen. Now, according to Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are not going after Rafael Soriano. Interesting. Soriano's agent is Scott Boros. Is it possible the Yankees have learned their lesson dealing with Boros all these years and are trying to move away from Boros's clients so they don't owe millions to players and mess up their future budget? That's my theory, and it's based on nothing. Just an assumption. That being said, Fuentes could be a good fallback if that is the Yanks plan and reports are Fuentes is asking for $5 million a year. Keep your ear close to the ground on this one, something could happen.

I just hope the Yanks are able to snag Soriano. Can you imagine? Soriano with Mo and Joba, that would give an amazing trio. Not sure why Cashman isn't pitching this to Soriano right now, I just don't get it.

Finally, in case you thought we picked up some bench help... we haven't. Another part of the Yankees team that lacks... big time. There was talk about Manny Ramirez earlier in the week. Then the Yankees quickly came out and said they weren't interested. I know the truth. Manny won't come to the Yankees because then he'd have to cut his hair. That would be a bad move for Manny. That alone is a deal breaker.

And, remember that talk about the Yankees wanting the Astros Jeff Keppinger? Me neither. No one cares because to put it simply, no one knows who he is. Yankees Fans want names and talent, not "a no name with some talent." Anyway, chatter was that a trade was about to happen at any minute to get Keppinger to the Yankees. To be fair, Keppinger is actually a good ballplayer and if they were able to get him, it would have been good for utility purposes. He can play all over the place and hits left handed pitching. Here are his stats HERE.

That being said, there's still some time to pick up a few bench players. But, you know my heart lies with the pitching situation right now.

Whatever the case, it's just about January 2011 and pitchers and catchers will be here before we know it. Let's just hope the catchers have some pitchers to hang with down in Tampa come February.

Happy New Year everyone. See you on the other side.

-The Mighty Casey

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY NOT SORIANO INSTEAD OF SORIA

The Joakim Soria quote about him waving his no-trade clause to come pitch in the Bronx is gaining a lot of steam. It was first reported in a mexican paper and suddenly, because there is no news coming out of Yankeeland, the quote is now everywhere, including here...

Soria said "There is a no-trade clause to the Yankees in my contract, but did not put it in myself. My agent put it as a strategy, but if the Royals decide to move me to New York I would be happy to play with the Yankees or another team.”

(If you haven't seen it, at least that brings you up to speed.)

Look, I like Soria, I really do. I'd love to see him on the New York Yankees, but this is another trade situation, and whenever there is trade talk, there is Montero talk. If you remember, back in July READ IT HERE, there was a lot of talk about the Yankees longing for Joakim Soria. There were reports about how Soria would not wave his no-trade clause for a swap to the Yanks. There was also a lot of talk about Jesus Montero being dangled to several teams. Montero was dangled in front of the Mariners for Cliff Lee. Montero was dangled in front of the Royals for Soria, and on and on. Bottom line... Nothing happened.

Am I relieved? Kind of... here's why: Montero is a very talented player who, with some major league experience, can be truly great. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE loves the guy. He's popular among Yankee Execs and minor league players alike. That much chatter means something! Don't get it twisted. So what's my point you ask? It's this... Why trade Montero for Soria when you could easily throw a few extra million (that we didn't use on Lee) at a free agent like Rafael Soriano who is lights out and would lift the Yankees bullpen to new heights? You see what I mean? This way, you have stability with a setup man like Soriano, who, by the way, will close when we need to give Mariano a rest. Plus, when Rivera retires in 2 years, the torch can be passed and Soriano can and will officially be a "closer" again. You really can't lose. You just keep the line moving. This way, you have a great bullpen in 2011 and beyond and you can keep and groom Montero in the majors in 2011 under the direction of Russell Martin and coach and former catcher Tony Pena. I like this for so many more reasons than to unload Jesus for Soria.Now, would I like to still get Soria as well? You're damn right I would. I have that old school Steinbrenner mentailty of getting the best players to better my team. Cashman would need to be creative and figure out a way to give away farm players that we could part with, but I think he could come up with a good, inexpensive package to lure Soria to the Bronx and still make the Royals happy.

Bottom line, Yankees pitching is in a world of hurt. People who are ok with this right now are misguided. You need to operate under the assumption that Pettitte isn't coming back, and if he DOES, and you've already signed a veteran... Well, that's a good problem to have, trust me. I would not want to see Mitre and Nova as my 4 and 5 going into opening day.

The good news is it's only December. A lot can happen in January and February, hopefully for the better in improving our pitching. After all, pitching wins championships, or have we forgotten that?

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY IT'S TRULY DEPRESSING

So it's December 28th, and from a Yankee fans perspective...WTF? All my life, I loved the winter. For one, if the Yankees were to lose in the playoffs, it was great to watch them work, spend a few bucks on big name free agents, and make some trades to get the team better for the following season. But, if the Yankees won the playoffs, and the World Series, it was great to pick up a few guys and sit back and watch World Series highlights until pitchers and catchers. Well, This year's winter stinks, plain and simple. I am in shock over the last few days. I guess I'm just a fool. I really thought for sure the Yankees were going to make a move in the final days of December and bring a name to the Yankees. But no. Nothing. I just read on River Ave Blues that "Randy Levine came out and backed the team’s patient approach this offseason." Levine says Cash is doing the right thing. How so Levine? Are you saving money? Are you turning into the Pittsburgh Pirates as Confessions of a She-Fan's Jane Heller stated brilliantly a week ago? What the hell is wrong with you people? In the end, I guess considering the Yankees blew it with Cliff Lee and letting the other free agents get signed, he can't say anything else. Oh well.

So yeah, like I've been saying, there is nothing new on the Yankees front, and I wasn't even gonig to post tonight, but I feel the need to reach out. All I see is just a daily list of names that the Yankees have "on the radar" just to be snatched up by other teams the next day. Look at Brandon Webb and the Texas Rangers, right? Webb was a great choice for a 4 or 5 starter for the Yankees as I stated in WHY I LIKE LEFTOVERS , but they didn't pull the trigger fast enough and yes, Brandon Webb moved on.

Look at Andy Pettitte. Man, what the hell? I say for sure, this guy's done. Pettitte says he's still "thinking about it" but I don't feel good about him returning. Right now he's vacationing with his family in Hawaii. This means he's having too much fun with family, OR he's having one last family party before he announces he's coming back. No one knows...only Andy. I say, IT'S OVER. Sad. Very Sad. Even today it was reported that Mark Teixeira said that, through his communication with Andy, he has a sense that Andy's probably going to retire. Trust me Yankee Fans, these rumors that are leaking out is to let us down easy for when it DOES happen. So it's not a shock to anyone. Either way, it's depressing to see Andy go.

Now I'm seeing a lot of talk about the Phillies making available Joe Blanton. Oh Goodie. Well look, to put it simply, if we don't have Andy, a Joe Blanton looks real good. But it's a trade situation, not a free agent, so it would mean we'd need to move some people. Would it be farm hands? Would it be someone like Brett Gardner? My question is this... Should I be picky like Cashman and not pull the trigger on this guy if I'm the GM? Or, do I do it to fill the void in the rotation? Hard to say. I say, I want a body there with expereince. I say, I go for it. Overall, it's not a bad choice if the Yankees don't give away quality farm hands. Besides, the Yanks have a 4 and 5 rotation consisting of Mitre and Ivan Nova. Look, if the Yanks pick up a starter with a few years behind him and he's made quaility starts, I give someone like Nova a shot in the number 5 hole, and that veteran in the 4 hole, and of course, if Andy decides to come back, then all this talk of Joe Blanton, Freddy Garcia and Jeff Francis dies down. The whole thing hinges on Andy now, does it not? The reality is, the rotation is key to championships, and my suggestion would be that everyone who prays should at this moment, get down on a knee and pray to the Yankee Gods, or the late George Steinbrenner, that Andy Pettitte comes back to the Bronx for one last time. That would make for a Happy New Year for sure.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I APPRECIATE YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The next few days I will be hanging with family and enjoying the Christmas holiday. Don't be a hater, the Yanks don't appear to be doing anything anyway. If something does happen however, you all will know, I promise. Just check here.

Merry Christmas to all of you. It's been awesome these past few months. Bleeding Yankee Blue has over 8,000 reads since I began. It may seem small, but to me, that's more than I ever expected. Some of you joined the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook. I appreciate it. Some of you are friends with Bleeding Yankee Blue, or me, The Mighty Casey on Facebook. That too, is so cool. Thanks. If it wasn't for you all, I wouldn't be pumping out posts and commentary, so it's because of you readers that I'm still around. You all rock. You keep me going, but you're not the only ones that I need to thank.

Blogging is an interesting business. You think because there are so many blogs out there, it would be competitive and cut throat. It's not. I've met some very cool guys, who've helped guide me and all I had to do was ask. Seriously, no attitude, nothing, they just showed me the ropes to get me on my feet. It's cool. Blogs like Bronx Baseball Daily, Sliding into Home, Confessions of a She-Fan and others have been very helpful to me. I appreciate them guiding me, so in return, I try as much as possible to give them plugs along the way. Rob, Greg, and Jane, you guys are awesome. Also, I have to give the people at WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL some props. They helped me get clicks and that following is amazing. Plus, the idea of Swish hosting SNL is an awesome idea.

As you can tell, I'm gushing. I'm proud to say I have readers, so please keep reading. Hopefully the next post from me will have a monster player attached to it and I'll feel alittle better about my Yankees going into 2011. At any rate, Merry Christmas. Thank you.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY MY LUXURY IS WINNING

Andrew Marchand's piece This ain't Hal's father's Yankees is great! It was something I was just telling my buddy about. Bottom line, we are the New York Yankees, we can buy and sell any player in our sleep. We can offer millions in incentives because we have money stashed all over the place, from Yankee Stadium to Tampa. Bottom line? The fans are getting restless Hal, we want an arm and we want some bench help and we don't care about throwing millions of dollars at the problem to fix the problem, even if it means we need to pay a luxury tax. If we do, so be it, THE FANS DONT CARE HAL. Now look, on the flip side, I get it, Hal is a businessman who grew up around the Yankees, and understands the inner workings of the Yankees, budget and the like. Yes, I know it's probably important to him to cut the luxury tax and spend less, but for goodness sake, if the fans don't care, go do what your old man did... build to win.

All these stories on this slow Yankee news week are all the same, reporting that the Yankees have to pay $18 million in Luxury tax. Is it a surprise to anyone? We know it's going to happen every year. We're always in the red. But the fans keep coming and we'll keep paying to watch the New York Yankees play. We'll keep buying more expensive tickets, product and anything else the Yanks have their face on. Why? because plain and simple, the Yankees fans want Championships. We don't care how much money the Yankees want to save, we want the best players all the time. You know why? I will tell you... WE KNOW WE CAN. A perfect example was 2009. Yes, it's true, we had a lot of money coming off the books with Giambi and other contracts ending, So we had the extra cash to pick up 3 incredible free agents in CC, AJ and Tex, oh yeah, and a 4th dark horse named Nick Swisher. (BTW, sign up on Facebook WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL) The Yankee fans loved it, and we brought the Bronx a championship.

Now, I don't want to hear from all these anti-Yankee fans that suggest that the Yankees "BUY" Championships. Suck it. That argument is old, it's tired and doesn't work anymore. Tell that to the evil Red Sox, Gonzalez and Crawford later. Tell that to the Phillies who have the best rotation in baseball. They've took from the Yankees playbook, and you know what? They should have. Every team wants top players, wins and championships. Getting top free agents is what all teams are allowed to do in the offseason. They all get a fair shot. All the teams compete. Look at the Nationals and Jayson Werth.

So, to sum up "Luxury, Smuxury." Nobody cares Hal. We want to win. Do what you have to do to put the best team on the field. Let's Go Yank-ees!!!

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I LIKE LEFTOVERS

The end of the Core Four is near. The best thing Brian Cashman should do right now is get a veteran, experienced arm locked up and fast. By tomorrow afternoon, or right before Christmas, expect to have official word that Andy Pettitte has retired. At that point, Armageddon will hit this site.

I love Andy Pettitte as a New York Yankee. Not having him there will be a blow to the Yankees rotation, their fans and the team. Let's hope a last minute decision and some convincing from the Core Three and maybe a couple extra bucks gets the guy back to the Bronx for 1 more year.

But if not, then what? The rotation is made up like this:

1. CC Sabathia
2. AJ Burnett
3. Phil Hughes
4. ?
5. ?

Who do you like on the free agent market among the leftovers? How about in the Yankees farm system?

Kevin Millwood- Millwood has had a long career. He's bounced around but overall, he's reliable. He'd also get more wins with the New York Yankees than some of the other teams he's been with in the past. At what price? Tough to say, but I'd roll the dice on this guy.

Justin Duchscherer- not so sure about this guy. He hasn't pitched much and while he was once decent, I think I'd much rather take a shot on an experienced innings eater like Freddy Garcia, even though he's been with injury. Maybe Justin Duchscherer is a 5th starter. Or maybe Ivan Nova takes that spot.

Brad Penny- I never liked the guy. Gets hurt a lot. Hell, he could be a surprise, but I won't bet on this one.

Brandon Webb- I've always loved Webb. At one point in his career, he was among the best. He hasn't pitched in quite a while, and he's been talking to the Rangers and the Cubs, but maybe, just maybe, the Yanks make a late pitch for him. Honestly, if we went for it at a fair contract and he accepted, we check the guy out and maybe we use him as a 3rd starter. At most, Webb's lights out and we look like superstars for giving him a shot. At worst, he's mediocre and he's plugged into the 4th or 5th hole.

I sound like I'm panicking, I'm not, not totally at least. Let's just say I'm concerned. It seems like every year we are trying to fix our rotation. In 2009, we finally did what we needed to do and we won it all. Is it so bad that I want the same thing every year? Come on Cash, It's the holiday season...and without a rotation, baby, it's cold outside.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I'M GETTING NOTHING FOR CHRISTMAS

"I'm not saying I want to do it, but I may have to do it." - - Brian Cashman.

This is what the Cash man said when he was answering a question about the Yankees Starting rotation situation in a phone conversation to Andrew Marchand. I am borrowing the story from him and one of my favorite Yankee blogs Sliding Into Home. I am totally deflated.

Outrageous line Cashman. Isn't that some shit. So Brian Cashman doesn't have a plan, does he? Or he does, and the plan DOESN'T have the Yankees winning a Championship in 2011 in his outcome.

I guess all Cash wants to do it fill in the back half of the rotation with a couple youngsters behind the already slim rotation of CC Monster, AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes. Where's Andy you ask? Right now, Andy Pettitte is still on the fence about retiring. He's on his farm, feeding cows, thinking. He's thinking, "I love the Yankees, but this is the life." He's thinking: "I hate to let Jeter, Mo and Jorge down, but the Yankees didn't get Lee, maybe it's time I hang it up, after all, I have 5 rings." Just Great.

So, I see it now, Ivan Nova, our fourth starter, pitching brilliantly into the 5th inning, then, a man gets on base, and the wheels fall off. I see this scenerio happening constantly next year, start after start, until by June when they decide Nova needs a rest and so they make Mitre the fourth starter and we all know how bad that will be. We are the New York Yankees Cash... DO SOMETHING.

Cash also said this in his interview: "In the past, we might have gone out and traded away prospects just to get someone in here, but realistically, I have until July to get this solved."

Oh great, so pitching wins ball games but if we don't have pitching we'll at least have until July to get someone to "fix it." Then what? What if we're out of it by then? If we're in a 9 game hole by July, what does it matter then? The Yanks will then have to plow away to try and gain ground and hopefully make the playoffs. I thought the goal was to be number 1, not to be number 3 and hope we don't get out ass kicked too bad doing it. Am I wrong? Are we the Royals or the Yankees? Cash, I've had your back for months here, but enoughs enough, you are killing me.

I will tell you now, and I am not the only one who believes this: 2011 is not a Championship year for the New York Yankees. If the Yankees make it to the playoffs, it will be on a prayer. If the Yankees are out of it and don't make the playoffs, it's chalked up as a transition year and all of us, EVERY SINGLE YANKEE FAN OUT THERE, just got ripped off.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHAT "MISSING PIECES?"

Make no mistake, if the Yankees signed Cliff Lee, you could have made the argument that the Yankees pursuit for #28 was all but a lock. But they didn’t. Move on! Any fan who blames Cash or the Yankees organization for not getting Lee to New York is out of their minds! The guy did not want to come to the Bronx, plain and simple. The Yankees offered him the most money, and he did not come. What are they suppose to do? I even hear some people saying, “Well George would have got him.” Really, how? George would have done exactly what Hal and Cash did, they opened up their wallets and Lee said no.

Credit goes to the Yankees for pursuing Lee in the first place. There is nothing else they could have done. We know that Lee does not like the Yankees and this just proved it. Fine, see you in October/November Mr. Lee.

Okay, that tirade leads me to why I am writing this piece. This idea that the Yankees needed Lee, that Lee was some missing piece that the Yankees HAD TO HAVE, that not signing Lee has somehow set the Yankees backwards. I think that is a total crock! We are the New York Yankees! We are two years removed from our 27th World Championship (Last time I checked, Cliff Lee was on the losing end of that WS.) Look, no question Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, especially in the Post-season, but Lee would have been gravy to this team. He is NOT the answer for the Yankees. We can and will do it without him!

So, you want to tell me that Boston is the team to beat in 2011? You tell me their lineup is the new “Murderer’s Row" and their pitching is the best rotation in baseball? To those statements, I say this; OK, on paper you may be right. But does anyone really think Ellsbury plays half the season before he is on DL next year? He's accident prone. How about the health and age of Big Papi? He can't keep it up, believe me. Who believes the Evil Red Sox starting rotation stays healthy? Beckett? Come on. Boston is always our biggest threat, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN! I believe they will once again end up scratching together lineup mid-August because of injuries. It always happens. Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford are two of the best players in baseball, I am not blind to that fact, but, let’s see how they perform in Boston. I for one can hear the boo’s from the Fenway faithful already. Maybe Big Papi can handle and overcome those early season boo’s, but let’s see how Gonzalez and Crawford handle it if they get off to slow starts.

Make no mistake, the Yankees could use another starting pitcher and have to decide what the catching situation should be, but please do not use the word NEED around me when it comes to this Yankee team. I prefer... "could use."

--Mikey Blue- BYB Senior Writer

“Honestly, at one time I though Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did, I mean I wasn't born until 1961 and I grew up in Indiana.” -- Don Mattingly

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I'M IMPATIENT WITH "PATIENCE"

I'm the first person to tell you that the Yankees shouldn't have had Greinke come to the Bronx, yet, I'm aggravated that my team missed yet another opportunity to get a talented arm to stabilize our rotation. Yes, it's true, my heads all messed up, but frustration is setting in this being the week before Christmas and the Yankees have done nothing to fill in the holes that the rotation has become.

Greinke was traded to the Brewers today, and don't think for a second that Kansas City just shipped him there without any consent. Greinke did not want to play in a big market where the pressure is enormous, and guess what? He's now playing in Milwaukee because he approved it. From Kansas City to Milwaukee. More of the same for Zack Greinke. No Pressure. We wish him well.

Meanwhile the Red Sox are stockpiling relief and the Yankees are being "Patient". I still don't get it. Jenks is gone, Woods to Chicago, now Dan Wheeler to the evil Red Sox. Look, I know they aren't going to save the Yanks single handily, but they sure would help them in the bullpen. Come on Cash, you've been incredibly disappointing this winter. Do me a solid, get me some pitching. That's all I want for Christmas.

Now on the Pettitte front, Mariano reportedly was going to talk to Pettitte. Good, but what if the Core Three can't convince the 4th part of the Core to come back. Then we are down one in the Core and we are missing something major in the rotation. CC's been the king, no doubt, but he can't do it alone. Cash, we need alittle help bro.

Anyone know what the Yanks are waiting for? If you know, comment, I can't figure this one out.

That's enough tonight, I'm aggravated and tired and I want to wake up with someone big coming to the Bronx, otherwise, the countdown to pitchers and catchers won't be as sweet. Do you agree?

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY PRIVATE IS PRIVATE

Say what you will about AJ Burnett, a headcase, not focused, damn good pitcher. Maybe you even love the guy because of the whole "pie thing" to the Bronx. Overall though, AJ Burnett is a great pitcher going through a rough patch. He's also apparently a very private person, many of us are. Look at Derek Jeter, another private guy, you can't get anything out of that guy. So, what's my point? Whatever AJ is dealing with internally in his family life, his head, whatever, that is his business. Oh yeah, and the Yankees business too, after all, they invested in him.

Yesterday, ESPN’s radio blowhard Colin Cowherd came out with some story about AJ Burnett going through a quote “rough divorce” and he insinuated that it was THAT for why he was pitching so lousy, the non focus on the mound, the black eye, all that crap.

Now you can sit here and tell me the Colin Cowherd is great at what he does on the radio. OK, I give you that. But one thing he’s not good at is reporting rumors. The Golden rule in journalism, get the facts first. If it’s a rumor, check it out. If it doesn’t check out, shut up. If it does, use your moral compass; Do you really want someone’s personal life out there? Would YOU want YOUR personal life out there? Colin Cowherd doesn’t care about that I guess. Do me a favor, Leave the kid alone. Let him deal with whatever private matter he's dealing with, if he’s dealing with any at all, that is. A few hours after Cowherd blabbed his "gossip", AJ’s agent stepped in and said it was all crap. Good work.

Look, during the winter and winter meetings, "rumors" among players and teams is fun. You hear something about a trade, a deal, maybe you hear about a "mystery" team, maybe you even make up a "mystery" team. That stuff’s harmless. We all do it. No one gets hurt. But, Jeez man, blabbing rumors about a person’s private life? That's just plain irresponsible and Cowherd's a turd for doing it.

Remember, when Mike Piazza had to have a press conference just to clear his name and declare that he wasn’t gay? (I still don’t get that by the way.) Read HERE. It was probably funny to everyone else that a “rumor” was circulating about Piazza’s sexuality, but it obviously bothered Piazza. It’s private. So what if he was or he wasn't, it’s supposed to be about baseball, not these guys private life. Same thing applies here. AJ won't and shouldn't even respond to Cowherd. Ignore it, let the agent do it. Focus AJ focus on what's important.

Now, Colin apologized today saying this: “If he is not going through a divorce, that’s on me, not my source, That’s on me, not this company. That’s on me because it’s personal, and I have to eat that and I have to say that’s my fault 100 percent.” But, the Damage is done Cowherd. The damage is done.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY ARE WE PLAYING CATCH UP?

Is it me or do you feel like the Yankees are 1 step behind everyone else since the Cliff Lee offer went down the crapper? The Yanks big fish was caught by Philly and suddenly with other names like Kerry Wood and Bobby Jenks being available, the Yanks can't seem to snag them quick enough. Kerry Wood, as you know, was great for the Yanks down the stretch last year and he reportedly only wanted, 2 years, $12 million, not bad at all, but apparently too much for the Yankees. Now Wood's most likely on his way back to the Cubs. You can't blame him, Chicago native, strong ties to the Cubs, it makes sense, but what gives?

Next comes news that crazyman Bobby Jenks, while he didn't have a great 2010 for the Chicago White Sox just signed a 2 year deal with the Red Sox after the Yankees were in "hot and heavy" talks with the husky righthander. WTF? Apparently Jenks wanted closer money (much like it was reported about Wood) and the Yankees didn't bite. Why? Why wouldn't they just go for it? What are they saving their cash for? They were just about to blow $161 million on Lee? What's $8 million on a Jenks? Am I the only one not seeing this?

The Yankees reached out to Brian Fuentes at the winter meetings, and that's lingering. Look guys, if you don't want to spend "closer" money, then don't bother talking to Fuentes. That's what he wants for sure. I'm alittle baffled by all of this but I want some action and I want it now.

Now, Pedro Feliciano is someone the Yanks are about to get and yes, we need a lefty so I like that idea, but man oh man, we need alittle extra here. You guys are killing me.

Whatever the case, it appears that certain targets, except for Russell Martin who was officially announced yesterday, have just disappearing before our eyes. Come on Cash, spend alittle bread, the fans are getting restless.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY IT WAS ABOUT THE MONEY FOR LEE, AFTER ALL

So Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies, BIG DEAL. Let me tell you a story about the righteous & virtuous Cliff Lee.
Ahem, let's bust out my calculator:

Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies for $120 million for 5 years with a 6th year vesting option. The option states that:

• Lee needs to pitch 400 combined innings in 2014 & 2015 OR 200 innings in 2015. If he does, an additional $27.5 million kicks in. If he doesn’t there is a buyout of $12.5 million.

No matter what he’ll make the $120 million plus the $12.5 million. That’s $132.5 million over 5 years or $147.5 million over 6.

So even if Lee pitches 2 years then blows out his shoulder, he still makes $132.5 million between now and 2015. But what if he doesn’t do a Brett Favre you ask? Follow me here:

• Lee could be dominant all 5 years, but he only pitches 199 innings in 2014 and 199 innings in 2015. Well, he’s fallen short of the vested option. So he’ll collect his $120 million, take the $12.5 buyout, and go sign with somebody else for 2016. If he’s still as dominate as he was for the previous 5 years, he could easily earn the same $25 million he’ll make in 2015. So, that would equal $157.5 million over 6 years.
  

The Yankees offer was $132 million over the same 6 years. Granted the Yanks also had a $16 million player option for year 7, but so what. That’s only $148 million over 7 as compared to the $147.5 million over 6 he could make from the Phillies.

So, who still wants to talk to me about how virtuous Cliff Lee is? AND where’s all this money he allegedly left on the table? My calculator says he got all of it…and more. It's simple Mathematics and selective reporting. Everyone wants to kill the Yankees and their checkbook; sorry folks, not this time.

- Lem Allen, BYB Contributor






Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I'M IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Since the unpleasant shock of Cliff Lee not coming to New York yesterday, and every Phillies fan acting like a bunch of tools from about 8am until 3pm toward any Yankee fan they saw, I'm starting to come out of my funk. It's going to be alright. So we didn't get Lee, so what. It's great that the Phillies got him and he's not on the Red Sox.

Cashman, at his press conference yesterday took offense to everyone getting on his ass for thinking he doesn't have a plan B, and you know what? I jumped on him too... fact. So I'll back off now and watch him work. Maybe he does have a plan, an ace up his sleeve we don't know about. So far, it been uneventful. A lot of minor league signings of pitchers coming off injury and a deal for a major league catcher coming off a .248 season named Russell martin. Oh, and it continues, Mark Prior just signed a minor league deal with the Yanks. See, progress is slow, not exciting, but slow and yes, we have $161 million to spend now that we didn't spend on Lee, so can we spend some of it please?

First off, for Relief:

• Kerry Wood: Reports are he wants 2 years, $12 million. We love Kerry Wood, plus we already have Former Cubs, Girardi, Mitre, Rothschild and Prior, why not finish off the set. Hell, give him $13 million. We love Kerry Wood.

For Starters:

• Carlos Zambrano: Did I say finish off the set and I didn't include Carlos Zambrano? Look Zambrano may have brought trouble to the Cubs clubhouse with his attitude, but he's still a horse. Now, I don't follow the National League as closely as my buddy Dan, but based on pure appearance, Carlos may be able to bring something to the table. Cashman's eyeing him, and I'm not quite sure what to make of this move yet, so, forgive me, I'll get back to you on this one.



• Freddy Garcia: A safe Free Agent pickup in my opinion. He's on the way back and the Yanks always liked him. The timing however hasn't ever been right. Did Garcia's good years pass him by? I guess the only wat to know is if we pick him up. With the White Sox last year, Garcia was 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA.



• Carl Pavano: um...no


• Felix Hernandez: Not a Free Agent but a trade situation. Can you imagine? Look, I see King Felix in pinstripes. We'd have to give Seattle the farm for him but look, if he won 14 games with that Seattle lineup, can you imagine what he would get with our lineup? Jon Heyman reports that the King has a no-trade clause to the Yankees, but money talks so we shall see.



• Mark Buehrle: The White Sox are listening, and hopefully Cashman's talking. I like this kid. He's a gamer and there's a lot of money in his contract over the next few years but we have a lot of dough to put towards that investment. I say it's worth it, plus we'd have to unload some of our farm system, maybe and outfielder but I tell you what, Buehrle would be a great addition to the New York Yankees. Buehrle had a 13-13 record last year with the Sox.




• Zack Greinke: All indications are the Yanks and Royals are having a dialog and Gardner's name keeps coming up. I like Greinke but not on the Yankees. But what do I know, I'm a blogger. There has been talk about trading for him, or waiting 2 years when he hits the free agent market. What would you do?


• James Shields: I like him, but everyone knows the Rays would never trade him within their own division. Pass.


• Matt Garza: a good number 4 for the Yanks, but a great number 5. Again, Rays are not parting with this guy if it means a trade in the eastern division.
  

The Yanks have choices. It's limited, yes, but there are names and quality out there, it's just going to be interesting how creative they get to get a pitcher for our slim rotation. Let's hope Pettitte comes back first. That's a big one, after that, it's gravy.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY ANDY MAY HANG IT UP

For my Bleeding Yankee Blue readers, you going to love this one. Ken Davidoff from Newsday wrote a piece called The Cliff Lee aftermath, Andy Pettitte, Russell Martin and Hideki Matsui. In it, which can be found in his Baseball Insider section, he wrote this about Andy Pettitte:

"Someone who spoke with Andy Pettitte last week said that the lefty told him this: If the Yankees get Lee, then he would come back. If not, then he would stay home.

That essentially matches what Joel Sherman reported last week. Now we'll see if Pettitte actually means that. It won't be easy for someone so accomplished, someone still so good, to step away."

Now look, I'm new at this blogging stuff. I rarely toot my own horn, but I've been writing about how a guy like Andy Pettitte, who is sitting at home in Texas with family crawling all over him has a very very good shot at retiring. I've written it at least 5 times and I will list them. I have clearly stated that Andy Pettitte knows that if Cliff Lee comes to the Yankees, they have an excellent shot of winning the Championship in 2011 and Andy WILL be back. I also said that if the Yanks didn't sign Lee, Andy, sadly, would probably NOT come back.

Read them:

WHY WE NEED PETTITTE- November 11, 2010

WHY THERE'S A TEXAS TWO STEP- November 12, 2010

WHY THERE ARE MANY FACTORS- December 7, 2010

WHY IT'S A WAITING GAME FOR ANDY- December 9, 2010

WHY THERE'S NO JOY IN MUDVILLE- December 14, 2010

Now, I'm no brain surgeon, this is based on my gut, that's it. It's not investigative reporting. But let's face it, I'm a blogger, I'm not a reporter and if I can't get the info, I simply need to think about it. To me, it's common sense, and yes it's true, Joel Sherman may have talked to a friend of a friend of Andy Pettitte who stated that he may retire if the Yankees don't let Lee, but I predicted it, IF of course, it's true.

Doesn't it make sense if your Andy? Look, I pray Andy Pettitte returns. But we all see the writing on the wall, including Andy. It will take a few extra bucks and a lot of convincing from Jeter, Mo and Posada that 2011 is the last hurrah for the Core Four to be together and win a sixth ring, but Andy knows he's not the same pitcher. Yes, he was 11-3 in 2010, but he was hurt for quite a bit during the year and he was hurting in the playoffs and someone like Andy knows, when injury starts kicking in at his age and the healing takes longer, it may be time to hang it up.

Sadly, I picture Andy Pettitte on his farm raking hay, talking about the good ol' days. And sadly, I see the 2011 Yankees pitching rotation consisting of one Ace named CC, 1 kid named Phil and a lanky dude named AJ who has some issues that no one can figure out. I don't care if Brian Cashman says the Yankees "don't have holes"... They do. If they really wanted to make Joba a starter, they should have stretched him out last year instead of jerking the poor kid around. And Ivan Nova? Look, I know a lot of people like this kid, but have you seen what he does when runners are on base? He gives up runs, that's what he does. He can't handle the pressure. He freaks out, he becomes nervous, he's not settled. I don't want that on my mound. I want confidence and experience. I want Pettitte.

So what's my point besides being obnoxious and predicting Andy's possible demise? Nothing. I just wanted some props. Bottom line? Andy needs to come back and I hope my prediction is wrong.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

MARTIN'S COMING TO THE BRONX

Russell Martin, former catcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers will be coming to New York. Too bad the news about Cliff Lee is stealing Martin's thunder.

Martin is under team control through 2012 due to having less than 5 years of Major League experience. I think everyone can agree that Martin may be a good backup and may be a great platoon to Jesus Montero. God knows Martin maybe also have a break out year, much like Nick Swisher when he came over from Chicago.

Let's all hope that Jesus Montero will continue to stay with the Yankees and the loss of a Cliff Lee and gain of Russell Martin does not mark the end of Montero's brief stint as the New York Yankees starting catcher. The last thing we need is the Yankees to trade Jesus Montero because they are desperate for a starting pitcher. It's all about to get crazy ladies and gentlemen.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY THERE'S NO JOY IN MUDVILLE

What the hell just happened? Could it be that all the razzing against Jon Heyman's "mystery team" nonsense was inappropriate? Heyman was right. My apologies Mr. Heyman.

Well, it looks like the Phillies won the battle, although in fairness to the Yanks and Rangers, the Phillies showed up late to the party and played the "fond memories card" with Lee to get him. At the end of the day, they did and for only $100 million, that's $50 million less than the New York Yankees. Now the Yankees are embarrassed, sitting there with there dick in their hand and wondering what went wrong. We had the most money and the most years on the table. That was what Lee wanted right? Well, It didn't matter, we lost, and we didn't just lose today, we're about to lose more in the next few days and years unless we have a strategy to combat the evil Red Sox lineup in our division. The strategy we had failed. The Phillies just pulled a "Shock and Awe".

• Currently, the Yankees have our ace CC Monster. Got to love the dude, but how will he be after that "minor" knee surgery? Spring training will say it all.
• We have a kid named AJ with demons in his head. Will he bounce back? Let's pray he has a good season.
• We have the youngster Phil Hughes. I like him in the 4 or 5 slot.

Ladies and gentlemen in Yankeeland... that's it. Cliff Lee was supposed to join forces with CC Sabathia and be the 1,2 punch the Yankees needed to kick everyones ass. They were suppoed to be like Koufax and Drysdale, Schilling and Johnson. It was supposed to be CC and Lee for years to come. Now all we have is CC and "Number 2." Get it? We have shit.

I never really ever blasted Cashman for making bad player moves in the past because let's face it, a player can look good on paper, and may play much better for a certain team, but it can all change and they can totally blow it on a big stage like the New York Yankees. But I have to blast Cashman today. This strategy of putting all their eggs in one basket was a horrendous error that just exposed the New York Yankees. There are many holes to be filled, the rotation is major.

Plus, waiting cost us. All the top free agents after Lee are now signed with new teams. They're all gone. What are we going to do now? Sign Carl Pavano? No way. If that were to ever happen, there would be a "Fire Brian Cashman" fan page on Facebook, trust me. Here's the list of free agents... TAKE A LOOK. Who would you want? Make a comment, let me know.

I can pretty much predict how everything will go down from this point forward.

1. The Yankees will come out with a statement saying in some way or another that they really didn't want Lee any way. Oh Wait, it already happened: “Anybody who would leave $50M on the table obviously doesn’t want to pitch in New York. Thank God we found out in time.” - - anonymous New York Yankee official. Stupid fools.


2. The Yankees are aggravated at Brauckener, Lee's Agent and also AJ's agent by the way. Don't be surpised if an AJ trade happens between now and the trading deadline, espcieally is AJ sucks. That will be a signal to Brauckener that business with him is over. Real mob shit.


3. Then, I bet the Yanks make a knee jerk panic move and try to get Zack Greinke in pinstripes. If that means trading one of our outfielders away, Gardner, Swisher, they'll do it. They will be panicking to fill the holes and it will backfire.


4. They'll look at a pitcher like Mark Buehrle. There is a lot of talk lately about Buehrle being available by the White Sox right now, no doubt Cashman called Kenny Williams about it. Buehrle, I like more than Greinke and I know Buehrle can handle the pressure, but who would the Yankees give up?


5. Pettitte. Big question mark. The Yankees now have a lot of money that they didn't spend on Lee so they need to offer Pettitte more than they normally would to get him back. That is the biggest issue right now. I told you Pettitte would not come back if Lee didn't sign with New York. I bet I'm right, unless the Yanks throw a lot of money at him and Jeet, Mariano and Posada have a conference call with him, he won't.
   

As you can see, the Yankees did it to themselves. They can't blame anyone BUT themselves. They blew it big time and hopefully the knee jerk moves that are about to take place don't mess with the rest of the team. If that happens, you have ballplayers that are out of their comfort zone, irritation and panic. The next few weeks need to be handled brilliantly before the Yankees fans all turn against them. It's already happening. One of my friends has swore he will find something else to watch this baseball season. Yes, we will have dark days ahead, maybe even as dark as today, but they Yankees can right this ship, they just can't push the panic button or it all goes down the drain.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY IT'S ALL ABOUT NOTHING

So what have we learned since the Winter Meetings?

1. Wondering where Cliff Lee will go is killing me.
2. Jon Heyman needs to come up with another line of then "a Mystery team is in the mix for Lee". It's old now Jon, stop it.
3. The Phillies are among the 3 teams hoping to get Cliff Lee into their rotation. Maybe...maybe not.
   
4. Zach Greinke rumors are continuously reported on connecting the Yankees to him, and then later debunked, just to be brought up again. Why? I'm telling you, it's not happening.
   

So where will Lee go? Could it be that the Phillies have a shot? Let's face it, he's pitched there, he's comfortable and he knows the territory. Reports from Ken Rosenthal say the Phillies are "not out" with Lee and I don't put anything past the Phillies, so hey, this late in the game, maybe reviewing a new contract is a breath of fresh air for Lee and his family. Or could it be... maybe Heyman isn't full of shit when he says there is a "Mystery"team in on Lee. Maybe, just maybe it was the Phillies all along. Whatever the case, it's getting late early and I'm stressed.

I've tried not to write something every time a high level baseball person makes a comment or takes a dump. It's not productive. I think all that does is makes the wait linger longer and annoy people. Look around at these blogs... hell, look at this post you're reading; There's nothing to it, just alot of speculation and you can probably picture me salivating behind my keyboard as I type it thinking about Cliff Lee in pinstripes. What I'm trying to say is, there's nothing coming out of Arkansas right now. NOTHING. The only thing we know for sure is this: Lee's hanging out with family, his attorney is filling him in on the contracts, he knows he's wanted so he's chilling out because he's about to be very very rich. Lee's wife is begging him to stay close to home. Meanwhile, we all sit around writing rumors that are most likely not true. Like:

• Lee's friend said he's staying in Texas
• CC says he's coming to NY, or not
• Josh Hamilton shot a deer while hunting with Lee
• Cashman won't add money to the contract, but he probably will
  
• Lee went to the Mini-mart to pick up milk and told the clerk he's going to the Diamondbacks. All bullshit.
  

The Bottom line? We wait... all of us, you, me, Cashman, Lee's agent, and that clerk at the Mini-mart. Yes, the suspense is killing me, but at the end of the day, we all knows a decision's coming, and when it does, all of us bloggers and sports reporters will bring you the same version of the same story of how it went down. If Lee comes to the Yanks, you know Bleeding Yankee Blue blog will have some inspirational spirit about the decision and you will sense me smiling from ear to ear. If Lee decides he won't come to New York, you know this blog will be Armogeddon. Either way, you'll get what you want, straight talk from the Mighty Casey.

The waits alittle longer...hang in there.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY THERE'S HOPE

We are still waiting right now... Saturday...12:08pm in the Tri-State area for Cliff Lee to decide. And Yankee fans. listen, it seems doubtful at this point that Lee will be a New York Yankee next year. Right? First off, New Yorkers are impatient. What the hell is taking so long anyway? Well, he has a family to discuss this with. What else? There's alot of money and years on the table, and not just from the Yankees, from the Rangers, and who knows who else is in the mix at this point.

For days now Jon Heyman from SI has reported that the Yankees have the advantage with a "monster" offer to Lee. The Rangers do as well though, don't get it twisted. The Rangers may offer less years, or even less money, but they are geographically closer to Lee's home in Arkansas, as Bronx Baseball Daily points out in their piece today. It's true. That, believe it or not, is a huge factor for a ballplayer.

CC is in New York and yes, the wives are close friends since the Cleveland days, but family to Lee is most likely more important than Carlston Charles. Yes, it's good to have a pal on the team with you, but there's something about homecooked meals and having your kids around you that gets you all fuzzy inside, especially now, the holiday season, where that's all around him while the contracts sit on the dining room table. Can money change that fuzzy feeling? Yes. Will it? Not sure yet, but the answer appears to be NO.

Many of us believe that the longer it takes for Lee to "decide", the more obvious it is that Cliff Lee will be a Texas Ranger next year. Rumors were 2 days ago, Lee was hunting with Josh Hamilton and Tommy Hunter. If this is really true, how do the Yankees compete with that?

They would have Lee's ear all day long. Whatever the case, I believe that the windows aboout to close on the New York Yankees. I hope to God I'm wrong.

Then, I was sitting here reading through the blogs and I thought, "Wait a minute, I kind of remember CC taking an awful long time to decide where he wanted to play in the winter of 2008 when the Yanks made their Monster offer to him." And I was right. It gave me hope. I found the article and here it is: HERE. If you read this, it gives a Yankee fan hope as well. WHY? Because the Yankees made their offer to CC Monster on November 14, 2008, and CC Sabathia didn't decide until around December 10th, right about now in 2010, if you're Cliff Lee. What's my point? Lee just got the offer, why not give him a few more days. Right?

I remember back in 2008, I was talking to my buddy Scott and I said "No way Sabathia's coming to New York. That much money and he's taking this long? No Way." At the end of the day, he did, and all of Yankeeland was happy.

The big point here is there's hope. There are many factors that go into a decision like this, family being the biggest, but providing for them is right there as well. And while it is overwhelming, time is one of the most important things for Lee to have right now. Take your time Cliff, come to New York. See the sights, wear the pinstripes and bring us another championship... you can't go wrong.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

TICK, TICK, TICK

be-hoove [bih-hoov] verb: to be necessary or proper for.

Hank Steinbrenner: “For somebody of that stature, it would certainly behoove him to be a Yankee, which would probably be for the rest of his career."

2 things

1. The waiting game is killing me.
2. Can someone shut Hank up? Honestly.

There's no doubt about. Tom Petty was right... "The waiting IS the hardest part." So far, the Evil Red Sox have schooled everyone in this years Winter Meetings, except for the athletes they are paying. Man oh man, it was not exactly what I expected. The Yankees don't have any tricks up their sleeves as of yet, and man oh man, everything is so public. If Cashman takes a piss, Buster Olney is reporting it.

So far this winter, the Yankees hand is exposed. Everyone knows what they're doing. They want Cliff Lee and they don't care who knows it, they just want it done. But waiting and waiting is giving me stress headaches because it's really not about if we get Cliff Lee. No, now it's about if we DON'T. Like I've stated, signings have happened and the Yanks haven't done anything while it's going on around them. They are trying to catch Moby Dick. It's Cashman, concentration, aggression and finesse. Hopefully you can also factor in alittle CC texting and maybe even a Jeter phone call, but who knows what it's going to take to get Cliff Lee to see the light. By Sunday, hopefully, Cliff Lee will decide he wants to be a New York Yankee, if Lee decides not to? Well, then we have some serious issues.

Russell Martin, former catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, while a smaller fish, is still an important fish, in my opinion. Like I said in WHAT THE BUCK? back on November 15th, A veteran, or in this case, an experienced catcher may be a good idea instead of a Montero, Cervelli platoon. You know I love Cervelli's passion, but the hitting isn't there and dare I say either is his defense. Signing a Russell Martin can help a lot. Personally, I think it would give a lot of Yankee fans a sigh of relief. The truth is, I think at this point, we just want to see signings in our favor, ANYTHING to better our club. Selfishly, I lashed out a friend of mine who happens to be an Evil Red Sox fan via text earlier today:

Me: Tell the red sox to stop hogging everyone. I want russell Martin. They r trying to take all the good players

K: We need a catcher!

Me: We need one. We have a old man behind the plate and a rookie named Jesus. Not going to happen.

K: We have v-tek who is 52 and Saltalamacchia who is eye-talian.

That's how it went down. Now, if you need to know anything about this woman, she's offensive toward Italians (That's a joke), but more importantly, she absolutely hates the New York Yankees. Any conversation about the Yankees and Red Sox turns vicious. So, what's my point? It's that same aggression by the Red Sox that's currently kicking our ass in this Free Agent market. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the Red Sox were in on Lee too! Right now, anything can happen. That's just the way this winter is going so far.

So what does the fanatical Yankee fan do right now? Let me guess, you read the blogs like crazy looking for an update, and when you go to your favorite blog, and it's not updated, you get pissed. Well, welcome to my world.

I just want to see something happen, maybe a good bullpen pickup, a trade for alittle bench help, Lee, a solid catcher type like Martin. Give me something I can be happy about and maybe even think of something clever to write, because let's be honest, as a Yankee fan right now, waiting sucks. It could be worse though, you could be a Mets fan.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY IT'S A WAITING GAME FOR ANDY

This is a tweet from Jack Curry, that I am borrowing from Sliding into Home, one of the best Yankees blogs out there.

As I've told you every time before in:
WHY THERE ARE MANY FACTORS

And in:
WHY PETTITTE NEEDS TO RETURN

And here, on December 4th:
WHY ALL IS WELL IN YANKEELAND

Andy, is waiting it out. Not to analyze this tweet, because it's kind of stupid to do, but it appears that Pettitte's gearing up for a comeback, but I think it all hinges on Lee. Let's hope this all plays out.







Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY BOSTON SUCKS

Me: Guess who just signed Carl Crawford?
My 8 year old: Yankees????
Me: The Red Sox
My 8 year old: NOOOOOOOOO

That dialog at 7:23am today defines what every single Yankees fan feels like right now. Yes, it's true, I never thought we needed Carl Crawford on the New York Yankees, but more importantly, I definitely didn't want him on the Evil Red Sox.

With the Yankees "Plan B" going to our stupid rivals, and us waiting like a bunch of Tools for Cliff Lee to make a decision, it puts the New York Yankees in a tough spot for 1 reason and 1 reason only; What if Cliff Lee decides he doesn't want to come to New York? Right? What if Cliff Lee passes us by and stays put inTexas? If that was to happen, the Yanks are screwed.

The 1 danger of waiting and waiting for the big fish is some of the little fish get caught up around you. And in the end, if the big fish swims away, the only thing left are a few tadpoles and some allgey. Wait, what the hell am I talking about? Anyway, you know what I mean. It puts the New York Yankees in a bad spot. The Red Sox lineup right now is built on speed and power. I'm pretty jealous quite frankly. Yes, I love the Yankees lineup, but with a down year from A-Rod and Jeet, I'm not going to lie, I'm alittle worried.

I get it though. I know the Yankees want great pitching and I personally really want Lee in our rotation. But considering Carl Crawford just signed a 7 year deal worth 142 million, There's no way Lee settles on a 140/6 contract. If I'm Cashman, I'm on the phone with Lee's agent right now sweetening the deal, to 150/7 because the markets out of whack and whether or not you think 140/6 is ridiculous, well that's irrelevant now, the Nationals threw a wrench into the whole free agent market with Werth's 126/7 contract. Yankees need to comment now 100 and break the bank if needed, because now it's not a question of wanting Lee, it's a question of Needing Lee.

Another factor you need to think about is; The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Remeber them? They were the team that practically had the Crawford deal wrapped up until the Red Sox swept in and got Crawford. Now the Angels have the money to put toward a Cliff Lee, and why not? They lost out to the lead of hitter, but everyone knows pitching wins championships. Why NOT put an offer into Cliff Lee if your the Angels? It makes sense.

Cashman has a lot to think about. Yes, I love his style, but Theo Epstein, while he's equally talented, just took a page from the Cashman playbook, and this morning, all of New York is praying Cash's offer gets us Lee, otherwise it's all for nothing.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

AN OPEN LETTER TO SANTA

Dear Santa,

I hope you're well. Listen, I've been good all year. I swear. Oh yeah, there was one incident at Yankee stadium where I bitched out Cliff Lee's wife during the playoffs. I was drunk. But Lee had a press conference after it happened and said he didn't care about a couple of drunk fools, so we're square now right? Oh yeah, and I punched AJ in the eye. He sucked at the time. I know you would have done it too.

I wanted to get my list to you now, because I know I'm running out of time with the Winter meetings happening this week and all, so here it goes:

1. I'd love to get Cliff Lee most of all. I don't care about the money or years. I just think it would be nice to see him, CC, Pettitte (hopefully) and "the good" AJ kick some ass next year.

2. Kerry Wood. He's a gamer and proved he's back. I think he would be a good addition to our bullpen.

3. I'd like the Yankees to trade Sergio Mitre to the San Diego Pardres for newly acquired Dustin Moseley. The Yanks made a mistake with this and they need to fix it. Ironically, Moseley signed with the Pads for $900,000, the same amount Mitre signed with the Yanks for. Stupid.

4. I'm a fan of an aging Scott Podsednik and I wouldn't mind having him in the mix for outfield and bench help.

5. Bench Homerun hitter. I have no clever ideas for this one. Give me someone cheap who can hit homeruns. A lefty is preferred. Is it stupid to bring back Johnny Damon for a year? Discuss this with the elves.

6. Bullpen. We need help with this one Santa. A few lefties would be nice. Cashman has stated he didn't want any "Type A" free agents, but seriously, who are we kidding, we're the Yankees.

7. A 2011 World Series championship ring. It's the ultimate, right?

Thanks Santa, say hello to your mother for me.

-The Mighty Casey

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.