THE BRILLIANCE OF THE BYB AUDIENCE

Dummies don't read BYB.  That's why I like you.

When we get hate comments, I immediately know it's not a regular reader.  I go into engage mode, asking questions, never rude unless I am rude to. Why? Because 99% of the time, they will snap and follow up with "No one likes your stupid blog anyway." Right. Got it.  Buh-bye.

I like my audience because we can have intelligent conversation. We have no beef with disagreements. But it's you're rude... you're dead to me.

I wanted to share some of the great comments we've been receiving over the past few weeks from every day readers.  Smart comments. Creative comments and yes, some comments that disagree with us.

Thanks guys... you make my job easy when we actually speak intelligently to each other... much respect.

Enjoy:

MISTER D comments on  CJ WILSON MIGHT BE AVAILABLE... YOU IN?

"As always, it depends on what they want. I am convinced that the Yankees are committed to a short term holding pattern, with an eye towards 2017 or 2018 when most of the big contracts come off the team (CC, Teix, ARod, Beltran) and there is a new CBA in place. As of now, in 2018, there will be no player over the age of 34, and the only FA contract to extend as far as 2020 would be Ellsbury, who will be 36. They want to get younger and cheaper. They are avoiding Lester and Scherzer because their contracts would go well beyond this period, and they would be old, expensive albatrosses of exactly the sort the team is trying to rid themselves of. But until then, old and expensive seems ok, so long as the contract is short.

That brings me to Wilson. He would certainly be expensive with $38m left on his deal, and you can argue he's not been worth the cost for 2 of his 3 seasons with the Angels. Let's pretend the Yankees believe that he has something left, and can put up 3-5 WAR for the next two seasons. His deal would expire in 2016, at age 35, which would be perfect timing if my idea of Plan 2017 is correct. In that case, acquiring him would come down to just how much the Yankees would be expected to eat."

Always love reading Mister D's comments. Simply the best.  Here are others:

DUBINSKY commented on I BLAME HAL FOR DAVID ROBERTSON WALKING!

"Signing Miller rather than Robertson is an entirely reasonable thing to do. Robertson is getting well paid and probably paid too much. He's good... but he's a long way from being the pitcher that Mariano was at Robertson's age. In related news, a closer making around $5M/year and better than Robertson, currently pitching for the Reds, is now on the trading block."

Great comment. Love that opinion.

COMPUTERMAXIMUS commented on DAN HAREN SAYS: FAMILY FIRST

"I have to disagree here. Haren is a pro athlete and unless he has a clause in his contract against being traded he has been traded. If he wants to retire let him do it but I'm sick of athletes acting like babies cause they don't get there way. Business is business trades are a part of the game."

Me:  "We actually agree more than you think. I appreciate him taking that stand, but baseball in fact a business... as I stated in the piece. Thanks for checking it out and commenting. -Casey"

MIKE DARWIN commented on  YANKEES ARE "CHATTING IT UP" WITH SERGIO ROMO

"I wanted DRob back, but taking my emotion out of it, they could get two solid relievers and a draft pick for a little more than it would have cost to bring back High Socks."

Well done Mike.  Here's another:


 STEVEN H commented on I TAKE DAVID ROBERTSON OVER CRAIG KIMBREL


"I get the feeling you shared the Kimbrel video to suggest the Phils fans were getting under his skin. Not really though. He ended up striking out the side .. and actually didn't have a clue what reporters were talking about when they mentioned the fans doing that. He has just been used quite a bit over the previous two weeks and not as sharp as usual."

Me:  "I put the video up because it's funny. We get it, you're a Kimbrel fan. I have news for you, I think Kimbrel is great. In the end this is baseball, not brain surgery. Don't take it too seriously, That's when the sport is no longer fun. -Casey"

STEVEN H:  "Loyalty though? Personally I'd rather have an established closer that's far ahead of Mariano Rivera's pace thus far in his career."

Me:  "I want a stable pitcher on the Yankees that came up through the system and is hungry. The Yankees problem in 2014 wasn't the closer, it was RISP. Loyalty? Yup, it should count for something. No one here dislikes Kimbrel. He's a great closer with a ton of upside. DRob can handle the role just fine in New York... and he's a fan favorite. It's a matter of opinion. Thanks for reading. You won't change my mind. -Casey"

Enjoy your Friday.

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DAN HAREN SAYS: FAMILY FIRST

I like that.

If you didn't know, Dan Haren was traded to the Miami Marlins.  Well, Haren isn't pleased.  He issued a statement about it. Kenny Rosenthal of FOX Sports put it out:

Dan Haren: "I have been notified of the trade to Miami. My strong desire to remain in southern California has been well-documented…
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2014

He goes on to say:

"...I will have to evaluate my options carefully before making any decisions.”

In the end, and probably out of spite, Haren would retire. I mean the reality is, Haren's been pitching for a long time, he's slowing down these days and he could hang it up and enjoy his remaining days as a decent pitcher in Major League Baseball and enjoy his family now.  Bottom line though, he didn't want to be away from his family for the length of the season, he didn't want to uproot his family and he's probably pretty annoyed by the trade. 

At the same time, you, as a player need to realize this is the business you are in.  It's a struggle, but I like Haren taking a stand.

As Hardball Talk had written of the controversy, saying the following:

 

"The Dodgers have agreed to pay the remaining $10 million on Haren’s contract whether he retires or not. If Haren pitches for the Marlins in 2015, he gets that money. If he doesn’t pitch, the Marlins will get it."

I have mad respect for Haren in this case.  I found this story interesting and wanted to bring it to you.

Meanwhile... the Dodgers are making things happen, huh? 

What have the Yankees done for us lately?

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IT'S TIME TO HOLD COACHES ACCOUNTABLE!

If we are going to be honest with ourselves, we have to admit that the Yankees have not been a solid team all season. I define a solid team as one where there is a clearly defined core, and that they are playing up to expectations. Too many key players are out due to injury and too many players are playing hurt. It makes you wonder, who is watching over the players’ physical well-being?

The manager is the one who is ultimately responsible for the overall health and success of the team. However, I am looking at the coaches. They are the ones directly responsible for the health and conditioning of the players on the team, and they have a direct responsibility to address players’ issues. So when we look at the last 3 years of injuries and sub-par performances, how is there no scrutiny on the quality of Larry Rothschild’s work? Last year the Yankees fired strength and conditioning coach Dana Cavalea, yet the injuries and subpar play continues.

There has been a lot of talk about how brittle the players are because they are all old. Not true of the pitching staff. Ivan Nova is 27 years old, and he suffered a partial UCL tear. I am not a medical professional, but the speculation is that it may have been due to stress caused by the motion of the arm. The motion of the arm, and the health of the arm, is something that the coaching staff is supposed to be directly managing. If this was the only example, you might be tempted to say that the coaches can only do so much, that injuries happen from time to time. It is not the only example.

Another example is Michael Pineda, who is only 25 years old. He is missing time on a back/shoulder injury caused by inflammation. You are not supposed to have nagging injuries that young. Some players are made of glass, granted, but we are starting to see a pattern emerging. What about C.C. Sabathia? Sabathia will turn 34 in a few weeks, so he is not old enough to be subject to regular injuries. Jonathan Papelbon, C.J. Wilson, Dan Haren are all within a year of C.C.’s age and productive at their respective stages of their careers. How his legs get hurt as often as they do, and knock him out for as long as they do, is baffling. He is now recovering from an injured knee. Last year, his season ended early due to a hamstring injury. The year before, he pitched his last game against the Tigers in the playoffs and he was dreadful – and we found out later that he might have been playing hurt. Coaches are supposed to be on the lookout for things like throwing across the body, or problems with the overall mechanics of the pitching motion. So where was Larry Rothschild in these cases?

Nevertheless, let us not just pick on the pitching coach. How are the hitters faring? They are not performing much better. The Yankees are still 12th out of 15 in the American League in runs scored. They are also below the league average in both hits and home runs. In fact, there is a disturbing trend in the team hitting stats. In 2009 when they won the World Series, the team hit .283 with an OPS of .839. The next three years saw those number drop to the .260’s and .780’s, respectively. This year, the team is hitting .253 with an OPS of .698. They are on pace to hit the fewest home runs in a full season since 1989, when they hit only 130.

Some of it has to do with personnel changes. Some of it is just a drop in productivity. Mark Teixeira is hitting 35 points below his career average. Brian McCann is 50 points below his career average. Is McCann really this poor, or is the coaching problematic? Even with struggling hitters, it is the coach’s job to work with them to get them back on track. So why is there not more scrutiny on Kevin Long?

Injuries are a tricky thing to manage. Sometimes it is just hard luck. That was the popular opinion on the team last year. However, when it starts becoming a regularly occurring event, you have to wonder. Add to that the drop in productivity, and you have to start applying some pressure to the coaching staff. They are not paid to sit on the bench and high-five hitters when they hit home runs. They have a job to do, and when you don’t see the desired results, it is time for some accountability.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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THE DAN HAREN RUMOR IS BACK IN THE FOLD

Yup, Dan Haren is a name creeping back into Yankeeland again.  In the past, the Yankees have been connected to Haren and usually it happens right around the offseason. Every once in a while over the past few years his name pops up.  This year is no different, the Nationals didn't give Haren a qualifying offer so now he's on the Yankees list again...allegedly. Read past rumors about Haren from BYB:

WHY THE DAN HAREN CHATTER WON'T GO AWAY was from November 2011 and IS DAN HAREN A YANKEE TARGET? was from November 2012. 

Now... it's November again and Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests:  "The Yanks would love to land Tanaka, re-sign Kuroda" but they may not be able to, and so, Sherman says "keep an eye on Josh Johnson (9.18) and Dan Haren (8.01), who continued to be able to miss bats even in down seasons and might be possible to lure on one-year, build-back-up-value contracts."

Bottom line is the Yankees believe Hiroki Kuroda will go back to Japan.  The Yankees have no guarantee of landing Masahiro Tanaka and as always, there are guys like Haren, Johnson and a whole slew of dudes that always come up because to be honest, the New York media is just as puzzled as all of us as to what Yankeeland is going to do.  It's a big question mark.

I personally like Haren, but I liked Haren in 2009, not necessarily 2013.  Stay tuned for this...

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WE DON'T NEED SUPERSTARS, WE NEED BELIEVERS

If you read the social networks like I do, yesterday was vicious among Yankee fans. Frustration has settled in. Many different conversations, some not coherent, some ridiculous and others logical, but all angry. I'm in there too  Trust me, I am not singling anyone out. Bottom line, Yankeeland is in a tizzy. We see the holes on our club, we know what needs to be filled and most of all, we know that despite the lack of spending, the New York Yankees have some money to do it. Whether it's to sign someone for 3 years and $12 million or 1 year and $12 million... Believe me, they can do it. But it's more than that, I don't even think it's a matter of having 9 superstars in the lineup... Yankee fans just want players that believe in themselves.  Not following me? Keep reading...

So what's been happening? Why have we passed on a lot of these guys or have not "officially" put offers in? Well, if you're Shane Victorino and you want $39 million for 3 years, Boston's a nice place for you. Cashman was smart to not engage in that type of deal. It was stupid.  Someone like Dan Haren I would have rolled the dice on, especially for 1 year and $13 million. He believes in himself, despite the bad back, there is no question he could have been a nice addition. Look at  Jeff Keppinger who is very close to a 3 year deal worth $12 million? I'll tell you something... I'm not even sure I'd do that deal either if I'm Cashman. 3 year deals are tough. But look, I'm not 100% agreeing with Cashman either. I believe is you want a player badly enough, the pitch is easy, but somehow, we've missed the mark on some.

I mean, when Eric Chavez bolted for The Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday, it was disappointing, especially when I read from Ken Davidoff that the Yankees never really engaged Chavez on a contract, read HERE. That's strange, especially if you see what he did as a part time player for the past 2 years in New York. Chavez is no longer a superstar, but he's solid and he was a believer. He believed in himself after a long time trying to get back and he did in the Bronx.  Now, truth be told, Chavez was smart. He knew he needed to latch onto any club offering a contract quick or he may be out of work. I don't fault him, he did the right thing.

But where's Raul Ibanez? He told BYB in our interview with him (HERE) that he was excited about being a Yankee again saying "I can't wait to come back to the Yankees!" Seems positive enough! Again, Ibanez is not a superstar, but he's 40 and he's a believer. Yet... Nothing.  Nate Schierholtz was the guy the Yankees were in the lead for yesterday.  All day you could read about it, read HERE. Yet, Scheirholtz signed with the Cubs.  What about Ichiro Suzuki? A gold glover that gets on base... Seems like a no brainer to me.  How the hell are the Yankees not snatching him up yet? Age is irrelevant, Ichiro is still a smart player and he came to the Bronx last year because he believed he could still offer something to a club. Still, the Yankees haven't checked in officially. What the hell?

I keep thinking something better is on the way. I keep thinking that the Yankees have something big cooking and it will stare me in the face one morning when I log on. That's how the old Cashman used to operate. Cashman can't be this stagnant, can he?  There must be something big about to happen. Why? Because we're the Yankees and right now we look like we just got the balls stripped away from us. The Red Sox are out to prove that last year was a fluke, they are overspending, which is ridiculous, but they are spending. The Blue Jays are going to be competitive. The Rays are still decent and the Orioles want a rematch. Trust me, while we have good players already, we don't need additional superstars, we need solid players, we need believers to fill the holes... that's it, yet, we're behind on everyone. In other words, I'd like to know the Yanks at least made offers and lost out to some of these guys rather than read that we never tried at all. In the Bronx, winning matters, and that applies to the fans, the players, and it should apply to Yankee brass too.

Am I panicked? Hell no, but I'm surprised we haven't done 1 thing to improve our club this week. Look, if the Yankees want to hand the ball to Jayson Nix to play third base in 2013, tell us, I could get on board with that. I'm sure Nix can handle it, plus, it will be his time to shine and  the guy plays hard!  If they want Francisco Cervelli or Chris Stewart to be the top catcher in 2013, Tweet it and put Yankee fans at ease, because this smoke and mirrors bullshit will drive anyone to drink.

At the end of the day, we will survive, we're the Yankees, but I have a huge problem with my club when a bunch of us spend hundreds of dollars each season to watch a club of winners, and yet, we see no urgency trying to sign anyone "solid"... And again, I don't need 9 superstars, I need a solid, smart baseball player that's hungry to win, a believer! Last time I checked, even solid players can help a team win. Don't believe me? Asked the Baltimore Orioles about that. Bottom line, they fought the Yanks hard down the stretch... A bunch of nobodies who believed in themselves. I tip my cap.

So, yeah, If the Yankees are looking to wow us with a Josh Hamilton type, who needs him? I'm looking for a guy who plays as hard as he can for a $1 million, $2 million... $6 million dollar and 1 year contract. And why would he play hard for only $1 million?  Because he was signed to the Yanks, and he'd be wearing the pinstripes and will know the importance and tradition of it... That's why. Stick with believers Cashman... because they become winners in New York.  Because sitting on the sidelines only brings frustration...

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DAN HAREN LANDS WITH THE NATIONALS

I would have signed Dan Haren to a 1 year deal worth $13 million if I was the New York Yankees.  I know there were plenty of you that wouldn't have wanted him because of his "cranky" back, but  I would have taken that chance for 1 year.  Remember Freddy Garcia? Remember Bartolo Colon? We found them on the junk heap.  Dan Haren signed a 1 year deal with the Nationals today.  Alittle extra stability for a team with a decent rotation, starting with Stephen Strasberg and also Gio Gonzalez...another guy I like. 

For more on Dan Haren's deal with the Washington Nationals, read HERE.

Yanks are quiet... too quiet.

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BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE PLAYER TRACKER #12

Giancarlo Stanton: Yeah, that's right... now he's being chatted about. Ever since the Marlins gave up their players in that Blockbuster deal with the Blue Jays, it makes sense to think about getting the Marlins to unload Stanton.  I was one of the first to suggest it and was quickly shut down by everyone.  Then, conveniently many are now creeping in suggesting the same thing. Enter Jim Salisury of CSNPhilly.com who thinks the Phillies need to "reach out" to the Marlins to see if Stanton is for sale... HERE.  Pay attention to Stanton, he's a hot potato right now whether you think he is or not.

Mike Napoli: Jon Heyman says the the Mariners and the Red Sox are very interested in Napoli.  Read his tweet HERE.

Rafael Soriano: According to Mlive.com, the Tigers are NOT expected to pursue Soriano, but of course Scott Boras will reach out and try to make a deal work anyway.  You can read about it HERE. There was talk HERE that suggested that it may be a good fit. That's ESPN.

Dan Haren: The San Diego Padres are interested in possibly signing Haren, but much like many teams, they are hesitant because of his back issues, read HERE.  If I'm the Yankees, I want the guy and I'd roll the dice on him, but the deal has got to be right.

Julio Izturis: The Blue Jays continue their pursuit of every player in baseball.  They just signed Izturis, Cesar's brother to a deal.  Read about it HERE.  There was apparently some confusion earlier in the week that the signed Cesar...they didn't.

Francisco Liriano: I have always liked Liriano and he's a free agent again after being traded to the Chicago White Sox last season.  You have to wonder if the Yankees have reached out to Liriano because the 2 parties have always been connected at one time or another.  Sure, there is some inconsistency with Liriano, but there is inconsistency with every pitcher.  Much like Haren, I'd low-ball him and try to get him in the stable.  Why not? For the record, I'd take Liriano over Haren.

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THE BIRDS

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles are out to change the order of the American League Eastern Division. Good for them. Doesn't matter to me and my Yankees...Why? Because at the end of the day, the Yanks know they need to go out and win 1 day at a time no matter who they're playing. Will the Yankees make moves?  Well, Randy Levine says the Yankees have "an off-season plan" and it's very quiet in Yankeeland... It seems like something big could be in the works... or at least that's my hope.

The latest in Toronto is that they just inked a 2 year deal with Melky Cabrera worth $16 million, read HERE. Good for him, a clean slate and a new city. Now let's see how he does playing clean.

The Blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins is up for review with Bud Selig, HERE, but if it goes through, they are building a team to compete hard against the Yanks and presumably the Red Sox too, who will be better now that Bobby Valentine is gone.

The Orioles will make a few moves and improve their great team of nobodies. They played great ball behind Buck Showalter who will be thinking about that ALCS loss all winter and come back better than last season, trust me. The Yankees just need to be better...that's it.

Will the Yankees make moves? They will, but what you will now see in Yankeeland is cranky fans who just want to start seeing shiny new toys wearing Yankee uniforms...anyone. I don't like to just pick anyone to soothe my addiction of big spending. The big question is who will they go after and can they do it without disrupting their plan to keep costs low?

We've given plenty of smart options here on Bleeding Yankee Blue... Shin-Soo Choo, Hiroki Kuroda, Dan Haren, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Ichiro Suzuki, Nick Swisher, Justin Upton, Raul Ibanez and so on and so forth.

Guys are out there, deals can be made... But Brian Cashman's job is getting harder now with major competition coming out of Toronto and Balitmore. Geez... It used to only be Boston and Tamps Bay we were worried about.

My, how times have changed....it feels like the early 90's again.  I wonder... Is Joe Carter next for Toronto?

The Yanks need to make a move and they need to make it now...Just sayin'.

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SIGN HIROKI KURODA NOW!

The Yankees have gone through the process of offering qualifying offers to certain players, and now as baseball goes, the team that loses players that turn down those offers get a draft pick...or so the process goes.  But I need to tell you, the Yankees should have blew Hiroki's socks off, because while it's obvious there are many choices for the Yankees in right field (allowing Nick Swisher to walk) and we are able to have another option to set up Mariano Rivera (Joba Chamberlain, DRob or even a Joakim Soria), letting Kuroda walk would be foolish. Why? Because Kuroda was our rock in 2012 and bottom line... we need him.

Not only are the Yankees competing to build a good team, they are competing directly with the Boston Red Sox who are out to prove that 2012 was just a minor bump in the road.  The Red Sox want  to be winners again, and if it means poaching the Yankees guys to do it, well, so be it.   Enter guys like Nick Swisher and Hiroki Kuroda, all on the Sox radar.  Look at what they appeared to do overnight, signing backup catcher David Ross to a 2 year deal, pending physical (Read HERE).  Don't forget the Yankees were just looking at Ross, not that we need him, but the point is, if the Sox can rain on our parade, they will... enter Hiroki Kuroda.

It's a no brainer to me.  Hiroki Kuroda was the Yankees savior, literally filling in for Yankees ace CC Sabathia while he battled his injuries as well as Andy Pettitte being out with a fractured ankle after his freak accident.  Not only would it be a big fat “thank you” for Kuroda, it’s stability for yet another season for New York…plus it’s another starting pitcher locked in as we rebuild the rotation again this off season.

As the New York Times (HERE) states today: "At worst, the Yankees will lose all three players but gain draft picks. At best, the Yankees would have had three standout players on one-year contracts, which would have allowed them to slowly get under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold in 2014. The Yankees’ payroll is still expected to be more than $200 million this season.

With all three declining the team’s offer, the Yankees will now begin to determine which of the three players, if any, will come back. The most likely candidate is Kuroda, who has said he is seeking only a one-year deal but is probably looking for more money than $13.3 million. Kuroda is also having conversations with the now free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers, who could offer more than the Yankees might be willing to pay. "

Pitching has always been the Yankees problem over the years. This year the pitching was pretty darn good, and great in the playoffs, and Kuroda was apart of that.  Kuroda needs to be signed... and fast.  Now sure, there are guys out there like Dan Haren, whom I like a lot and cranky back (HERE) and all, he would be great in the Bronx, I know it, but why not just continue on the path that Brian Cashman is going, go alittle cheaper and go snatch up the guys that have really contributed, Hiroki Kuroda.  Again, Kuroda deserves a "Thank you" contract.  Rafael Soriano? He'd be a fool to come back to New York and I think a 3 to 4 year deal as a closer somewhere else would benefit him wonderfully.  He deserves it, it's business.

Nick Swisher? It's my estimation his time is up in New York.  Many believe he should stick around, take a pay cut and continue to roam right field in the Bronx. I say there are cheaper, better alternatives, plus this is the first free agent year ever for Nick Swisher, he needs to test the waters. 

But hey,  let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Yankees need to snatch up Hiroki Kuroda because he's earned a spot. Plus, we need to keep him away from Beantown and Los Angeles. That's my bottom line, what's yours?

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AROUND MLB RIGHT THIS MOMENT

Josh Hamilton: Free Agent Josh Hamilton wants 7 years, $175 million. That comes from the Dallas Morning News, HERE.  I cannot believe that.  I thought I read that wrong.  In this day and age, and looking at Hamilton's health every year, you really have to wonder if any team will go that big for him.  I know, he's productive at the plate, but he's not a great fielder and I wonder if he's just high balling just to get a more reasonable number or if he really thinks he's worth that.  We shall see, he's clearly one of the best free agents out there this off season.  But my goodness...

Bartolo Colon: The Oakland Athletics have signed Colon to a 1 year deal. According to the San Francisco Chronicle (Read HERE), "Colon, who will turn 40 in May, must serve the final five games of the suspension next season. Despite Colon's age and his suspension, the A's will pay him $3 million next year, and an incentives package could push the deal to between $5 million and $6 million - including provisions in the event that Colon pitches in relief."

Cody Ross: The Red Sox had exclusive rights to negotiate and possibly resign Cody Ross and, like Robert DeNiro said in Copland, they "Blew it!" According to WEEI (read HERE), Ross said "that he and the Red Sox never closed in on a potential deal leading up to the end of the period allowing the Sox exclusive negotiating rights.  'It hasn’t been really what I would say close,' said Ross. Ross said his agent, Mike Milchin, received calls from “multiple teams” after the midnight deadline expired Friday night expressing interest in the 31 year-old. It’s a dynamic that has altered Ross’ mindset heading into the rest of the off season." I'd be curious to see if the Yankees are one of those teams.

Dan Haren: According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, read HERE, the Red Sox were looking at Haren for Alfredo Aceves plus more, but now with Haren becoming a free agent, I believe the Sox will be aggressive trying to sign Haren. I'll tell you, having Haren on the Sox, a division rival, would boost their credibility a bit after their lousy 2012.  I know many of you are down on Haren, but I think he could do some damage... it's just my gut acting up.

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DAN HAREN IS NOT TRADED TO THE CUBS

The world of baseball rumors is nutty. Every writer and "insider" wants to try and get the scoop first in the hopes that their correct with whatever trade is coming down the pike.  Many are correct and some are wrong.  You can't always fault them... it's their job. It's also their job to get it right.

The trade of Dan Haren to the Cubs for Carlos Marmol didn't happen after all.  According to the latest on the failed trade from USA Today (HERE), "Dan Haren became a free agent after the Los Angeles Angels failed to work out a trade and then declined the pitcher's 2013 option... Hours earlier on Friday, the Angels agreed to trade Haren to the Chicago Cubs for closer Carlos Marmol. But the deal fell apart, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke Friday night on condition of anonymity because the trade did not get completed.

 Marmol's contract gives him the right to submit a list of up to five teams he can't be traded to without his consent. The person said Marmol told the Cubs he would consent to the trade, but would not say whether the reliever provided his written consent."

So there you have it, Dan Haren is a free agent and me, being the only Yankee fan in America, I'd be willing to roll the dice on Dan Haren, just like we did on a guy like Bartolo Colon.  Enjoy your Saturday, stay warm and stay safe.

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DAN HAREN TRADED TO CUBS

Oh hell... you didn't want him anyway.

Yancen Pujols of El Caribe confirms HERE that Dan Haren has been traded to the Chicago Cubs for Carlos Marmol.  The deal is done and Yankeeland is happy that Haren isn't coming to the Bronx.

When Jesse Schindler wrote that the Yankees were targeting Haren in IS DAN HAREN A YANKEE TARGET? earlier in the week, you guys weren't too thrilled.  Look, I get it, the guy's coming off a not-so-great season with the Los Angeles Angels.  Plus, he has a cranky back, much like Roy Oswalt. But stranger signings have happened with the Yankees... Freddy Garcia.... Bartolo Colon....even Hiroki Kuroda. The point is, I would have taken a chance on Haren for 1 year. I mean, what the hell? Based on our track record, it actually makes sense.

So yeah, once again, this name has passed, and this time around, Yankeeland is rejoicing. So... bring on the next rumor.

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