CASH'S CORNER: MO

The Yankees are focussing on Derek Jeter and Cliff Lee, but they need to get Mo done too.

Cashman has stated that he met with Mariano's agent last week during a visit to Tampa.

Cashman said: "We happened to be in the same spot at the same time, So it made sense." It was the first meeting between Cash and Mo's agent, Fernando Cuza.

The greatest Yankees closer in history is 40 years old. He turns 41 at the end of November. In 2010, he had a 1.80 ERA. He's still unstoppable.






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CASH'S CORNER: DE LA ROSA

Another update brought to you by the Pinstriped Bible.

This is the latest update on the De La Rosa story brought to you by River Ave Blues.

Cashman's working the phones.... Go Cash Go! The Yanks have interest in Jorge de la Rosa, according to Mark Feinsand and Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. Cashman hasn't confirm it but we all know how Cashman operates. Gotta love Free Agent season.

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WHY TORRE IS A CLASS ACT

Joe Torre is a class act and the people he surrounds himself with are even classier. Last night's Joe Torre Gala is today's talk of the town. The stars were gracious, and the cause was and is courageous. The Safe at Home Foundation and Margaret's Place is headed up by Joe and Ali Torre and is about helping abused children and letting them know that they have someone to talk to. No child, or adult who's abused or has witnessed abuse is not alone. Bravo to the Torre family for such a terrific event.


Derek Jeter was honored last night for being a leader and positive role model for children. Damn, what can I say about this guy, he's the man. Even if you wanted to dislike him, you really can't, his date last night was his grandmother. That alone just got him 1OOO more fans.

Garth Brooks and Bernie Williams performed, Lorraine Bracco, James Lipton, Bobby Valentine, Todd Zeile and Brian Cashman were also there. Cash was literally on his phone all night.

I get it Cash, go get Lee. Lee Mazzilli was there. Love that dude. Suzyn Waldman was there but I never found her. Goodness Gracious . I did see John Sterling and for a brief moment, it was funny, he stood up and looked around and I think right at that instant he had no idea where he was. Then it registered and he walked out of the room briefly.

I met Mariano, Al Leiter, O'Neill, John Franco and Matsui. All standup guys. Godzilla even signed a ball for my kid.

Jeter made a few jokes about his contract and it got huge applause. Matsui suggested Jeet and Mariano and he go to play in Japan because they were all Free Agents. He killed. Funny stuff.

So, why am I telling you this? Because sometimes you just have to sit back and take it all in. I looked around the room and I saw grown men and women standing around tables watching the celebrities eating, me included. It was like being in a zoo. We all waited for the moment when the plate was clean and the pictures could start again and let me say this, it was probably very annoying for them, but all of them, every single celebrity there couldn't have been more patient and gracious to their fans. Classy. I watched Jeter look at Torre at their table trying to talk, but the crush of people was just too great. Occasionally, they would stop, sign a few things, shake a few hands and take a few pictures and the whole time I'm watching in awe thinking "What a balancing act". I was impressed. I AM impressed. I've met Jeter once in my life, Torre 4 times. I find them both to be truly remarkable people. Both have foundations, both give back, both live in a fish bowl but maintain their cool, focus on their life, but balance it with putting a smile on a fan's face once in a while.

Finally, I need to mention this for my Mets friend Dan. I have never been a Mets fan, and over the years, I've managed to like individual players in the Mets organization rather then the club as a whole. If you've ever thought it was impossible to hang out with a celebrity like a "regular" person, you've never hung out with Todd Zeile, Al Leiter and John Franco. Three of the most regular dudes around. I was impressed. Leiter talks to you like the two of you went to high school together. Its kind of comforting.

A salute to the Torre Family. The Safe at Home Foundation is a terrific charity. Bravo to you Joe and Ali. Well done.

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WHY WE NEED PETTITTE

A lot of talk about Lee, Jeter and free agents but not enough talk about Andy Pettitte. Look, since 2006, it's been a year by year thing with Andy. You have to respect that. He's having an inner struggle between family and his second family. Can he still pitch? Hell yes. Does he want to? Of course. Will he? That's the million dollar question. Time will tell, but I believe in my heart Andy gives it one more year. He was 11-3 last season and he was hurt and still gave us amazing pitching in the post season. He was a stud in The 2009 post season and that's still fresh in his mind. So, How do you walk away from that?







How about this; If they sign Lee, is Pettitte more inclined to pitch one for year? Does that help cement the deal for Andy to come back? I think it really helps him make his decision. Wow, It could be a Lee, CC, Pettitte, AJ, Hughes rotation. I'll put my money on that.

Andy is still a great pitcher, he knows that, the Yankees know that. It's in Andys court. Once he decides, " Yes, I'm coming back", it is just a matter of working out a number, hammering out a contract. Done deal. If he decides to hang it up, well, then the Yankees have a significant hole in the rotation. I actually think signing a Lee or at least showing Andy that they have every intention of signing Lee helps Pettitte's chances of coming back. Am I wrong? I'm not sure yet. Pettitte had said he didn't want it to drag on and he wanted to make a decision. The question is, when. Plus, Pettitte always says that. The Yankees LoHud Blog had a breakdown of Andys moves after each season going back to 2006. Here it is, check it out:

• After the 2006 season: Pettitte signs a one-year, $16 million deal with a player option for a second year on Dec. 9, spurning the Astros who had hoped to bring him back.
  
• After the 2007 season: After declining his option on Nov. 5, Pettitte accepts arbitration from the Yankees on Dec. 7 and officially signs on Dec. 12.
  
• After the 2008 season: Some backs-and-forths over money push the ultimate decision later this time around, with Pettitte not signing his incentive-laden deal until Jan. 26.
  
• After the 2009 season: Back to the usual, Pettitte followed up his fantastic postseason by filing for free agency and then signing a one-year deal with the Yankees on Dec. 9.
  

Bottom line, Andy needs to come back. He will be welcomed back with opened arms and can still win us 15 games. Not bad for a 3rd pitcher in the rotation. If he doesn't come back, it could mean Armogeddon. Yanks need to think fast and scramble. Will they go farm help? How about a free agent like Arroyo or Garland? A trade perhaps? Something solid but inexpensive would need to happen. No one wants that as Yankee fans. No. As Yankees fans, we want Andy back. That's the Yankee Way.

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LEE UPDATE

Update from MLB Trade Rumors and analysis from River Ave Blues' Joe Pawlikowski in Hot Stove League:

The Yankees are flying to Arkansas for a face-to-face meeting with Cliff Lee. While there’s little chance that Cashman walks away with a signed contract, I have to think this bodes well for the team’s chances.

Money played the biggest role in Sabathia’s decision. It plays an enormous role in nearly every free agent decision. Players know that they’re getting ready for their one big pay day, and they want to make the most out of it. The Yankees, as we know, do not take kindly to getting outbid for a player they desire. We saw this as well two winters ago, when the Braves aggressively pursued A.J. Burnett. The bidding increased until the Yankees finally hit that $82.5 million mark. Contract signed. We saw it again a few weeks later, when the Yankees outbid the Red Sox for Mark Teixeira. I doubt they’ll let another team offer Lee more money.

What the Yankees should accomplish with this trip is what they accomplished by flying to Vallejo in 2008. That is, the purpose is to make Lee know that he’s the Yankees’ guy. After signing his contract, Sabathia said that what swayed him was his central role in the Yankees’ plans. Once Cashman revealed that they didn’t trade for Johan Santana because they wanted CC instead, the big man said he felt wanted. Again, money certainly played a bigger role. But there are certainly other factors to consider, and the feeling of being wanted — being needed, even — plays a part in that.

With Lee, the Yanks probably don’t have to do much work. They did, after all, offer up their best prospect for a half season of Lee. That should signal right there how much they wanted him. And now, presumably, Cashman will give Lee the Sabathia pitch. They wanted him then, and they want him now; they plan to pair him with CC for a top that can match with anyone else’s. There are plenty of other points to make, and I trust that Cashman will hit on all of them. Why else would he make such a personal visit?

Remember, though, that these types of visits are fairly routine at this time of year. In 2008 the Yankees paid a similar visit to Mark Teixeira and nothing came of it for another month or so. The Red Sox then tried a similar tactic and were rebuffed — if you’ll remember, at the time John Henry talked about how the two sides just weren’t going to fit. In a similar way, I don’t expect Lee to sign a contract any sooner than we previously expected. But I do appreciate Cashman’s approach to the matter. They want Lee, and they want to make it as clear as possible. That sounds like a plan.

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WHY WE NEED TO FIX JOBA

We have a bullpen to revamp in addition to trying to get a big fish starter from the free agent market. I'm not going to talk to him until he's officially signed. Yes, it's true, our bullpen, while great at times in the 2010 season, just plain straight shit the bed in the playoffs.

Kerry Wood, one of the most stable and biggest surprises for the Yanks had an option the team couldn't pick up, too expensive. So we had to say goodbye and it's a shame because, we actually had our setup man for Mo in Mr. Wood. He was consistantly good, he could also be a closer to give Mo a night off and life was good for that brief 2 months after the trade deadline. Before that was Robertson, still a gamer but he hit some bumps along the way. That's ok, he's young and he'll recover. I see him being dominant again in 2011. Next you have Boone Logan, a good lefty specialist who finally figured it all out, until he didn't. Unfortunatley for him it was the most important time to be on, and he wasn't... The playoffs. Next is Mitre and Gaudin.... gone... Thank God.

Finally, we have Joba the Hutt. What can I say about Joba. This guy was heavily advertised as part of the big 3 in 2006. It was him, Hughes and Ian Kennedy. It was the Yanks really saying "We don't have any good pitching, so let's mask these three youngsters and fool everyone."
Well, they didn't fool us. And what happened? Ian kennedy pitches for the Diamondbacks, the Yanks jerked Joba from starter to setup to starter to setup and Phil Hughes was finally stretched out and is the most promising of the bunch.

But my question is this...Is Joba really a starter or a reliever? Should the Yankees stretch out his young arm and give him another shot? I say no... here's why. Keeping Joba in the bullpen and teaching him how to explode in 1 or 2 innings and be totally dominant is more effective for him.
People say, "You're wasting all that talent." What talent? I haven't seen anything yet and last time I checked he was most effetive in short outings, plain and simple. I remember him dominating the Red Sox in late innings. He had some great moments this year as well. Joba can throw real hard if he learns that role consistantly, he will eventually be the Yankees closer. I believe that.

My friend Dave said to me, "I don't know about Joba, something changed in him with those bugs in Cleveland." I laughed and I didn't know if he was joking or not but then I thought, could one tramatizing situation like that night in Cleveland really have affected his psyche, his confidence? It is possible that it was the beginning of his lack of drive? You couple that with being transformed into starter and then put back in the bullpen and you might think you just don't have it anymore. I bet Joba didn't believe in himself. I see how that could happen. So what's the fix? For me, it's getting Joba in the right state of mind, focus him, teach him the Mo way. He'll never be Mariano, no one can, but he could can come damn close if he has the guidance and drive to do it. If we fix Joba, maybe, just maybe then we can build that bullpen too. Try and bring back Wood cheaper, get a Benoit or Balfour and get a couple grizzled veterans to compete for a role in spring training. I see a solid bullpen in our future. Remember the Graeme Lloyd, Stanton, Nelson, Mariano bridge? Picture the Robertson, Benoit, Joba, Mo Bridge, 2011 style.

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WHY THE YANKS AND JETER ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER

According to ESPN New York, The Sporting News, Wally Matthews, my mom and anyone else waiting to hear about it, Derek Jeter will receive a three-year offer from the Yankees worth between $45 million and $60 million. Sources with "intimate" knowledge of the talks say that New York will "overpay" for its 36-year-old shortstop and captain. "Jeter's (offensive) numbers are exactly the same as (Red Sox shortstop) Marco Scutaro's," one source told the site. "He's gonna get paid a lot more than Scutaro, of course. He's gonna get more than the best shortstop in the league, Hanley Ramirez, who makes less than $12 million a year." This season, Jeter batted .270 with a .710 OPS, by far career lows for a full season. His stats in other key offensive categories held steady or dropped (111 runs, 10 home runs, 67 RBIs, 18 stolen bases).

WHY LEE WILL BE A NEW YORK YANKEE

So, What are the positives that give the Yankees an edge in signing Lee?

Factor 1: Money, a huge factor. Like I've said so many times, CC did it, he moved his family to the New York Area. Lee can do it too. Just show a number with a lot of zeroes and a chance to win a Championship and why not? If Lee signs with the Yankees, he's a multi-millionaire. If he moves to the New York area like CC did, great, but if he stays in Arkansas, he would be able to travel all over the place, whenever he wants anyway. He won't even have to move his family if he doesn't want to.

Factor 2: Lee's agent. Yes, that Braunecker. He was the same guy to get Burnett to the Yankees with an $82 million deal. And to think, Burnett was a concern because of his health record. The Yankees went for it anyway and healthwise, it paid off, it was unfortunate that Burnett had a lousy second year as a Yankee but that can change. Lee rarely gets hurt, That's a better investment than Burnett was. That agent/Yankee relationship can be a plus.

Factor 3: CC. They're pals since Cleveland. I know if my best bud wanted to pitch in the same rotation as me, I'd be flattered and go for it, especially for millions and especially because I had a chance to win. Plus, they probably have that fuzzy feeling inside, Together again, better than ever. BFF's. (I can't see CC saying that. I had to write it though, it made me laugh.)

The Downsides:

Factor 1: Age. Lee's older than CC. Although, his last few years as a starter have been dominant, so age may not be a major factor for the Yankees if they sign Lee long term. It is possible someone with Lee's makeup can get better with age. It is also possible he breaks down by the age of 35.

Factor 2: Kristen Lee hates us. Wives make the deals in the house unless the money is so great, it doesn't matter. Let's hope Mrs. Lee put the punks behind her and turns the other cheek, for the sake of the New York Yankees courting her hubby.

Factor 3: The Rangers constant courting: the Rangers are in the Lee's ear all day long, before the Free Agent's were official, they were all over him. It was his team for half of this year and Lee said he loved playing with the Rangers. They can sweet talk him any way they want. It's like having a crush on the girl at the dance with the boyfriend. You can talk to her all night while you're there with her but she goes home with that guy at the end of the night. You need to seal the deal fast or it's over. The Yankees are planning the package, they will have a number at any moment... and once they deliver it, They have to keep on his ass.

According to his agent, Lee said he would be ready whenever the right team presented the right offer. I'm assuming it would be over $100 million, 6 years, incentives for playoffs wins, World Series. Hell, throw in a few cars, let's get it done.

Looking through the lack of news about Lee and the Yankees this past 48 hours, one thing is clear: Lee's getting many offers, even from teams like the Nationals... Lee will talk is over, Lee will decide no time soon. I don't expect this happening before Thanksgiving and maybe a week or 2 after.

One things for sure at the end of this Free Agent Market. There is a lot of relationships flying around with this deal and it all points to the New York Yankees. I like that. There's a lot of money flying around, Burnett's agent is Lee's agent, CC and Lee are pals, the wives are friends, Lee literally was a Yankee before the Mariners took him out from under them and Cashman is the king. My gut says, we could have this guy, and a kick ass rotation. Let's hope it shakes out that way.

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WHY IT'S TAKING SO LONG

S-10 of the Bergen Record has alittle box on the left side, below the fold telling us the Yanks reached out to Cliff Lee. No other info is out there so you know this is being handled privately, delicately and sensitively by the Cash Man. I just hope it's not one of these weeks where we get drips and drabs like: "Yanks visit Lee in Arkansas" or "Cashman makes dinner for Lee Family over contract talk" or "CC sleeps over Lee's house talking Yankees, takes top bunk.". Enough already, give me news when there's news.

What? You expected to hear the Yanks already signed Jeter, Lee, Werth, Crawford and Mariano over the Sunday when free agents became available? Why hasn't anything happened you ask? Don't get hasty, quality pitches take time and finesse. If anyone can make a package deal impressive, it's Cashman. All we know is they reached out and said and offer is coming. Plus, yesterday and today there were text messages, calls from friend players, family, agents, teams and it was totally overwhelming for everyone. Give it a few days. We will hear about the Lee offer soon. Trust me, It will be big, bold and beautiful and hopefully appealing to Lee and his family.
If Lee was to NOT sign with the Yanks, it would be based strictly on comfort level of his family. There has always been talk out there that Lee is only about the money. But everyone, EVERYONE has to take into account the toll it takes on the family. Lee may like the money but family is a major factor. So, we will see. Selfishly, I'm hoping he takes the money. I envision 2 huge mansions, CC and Lee's. Side by side, the wives are sipping white sangria on their country style porches, huge stone walls surround their mansion compounds with Cervelli living in the guest house.

As far as Werth is concerned, I see the guy going to Boston. I don't want that happening but I see it happening. I also see Cashman swooping in at the last moment with some "money that was lying around" and signing the stud, so you don't know. This is an aggressive time of year. Anything is possible.

One thing's for sure, we will all start to hear something soon about numbers and incentives. I bet it starts leaking out by this afternoon or Tuesday. Don't worry, the baseball gods won't deprive us too long. With twitter, blogs, blackberrys, you'll get the information fast. BYB has some reliable sources in the know and will bring the info to you quickly. Be sure to check out the us regularly and the other great blogs out there:

Sliding Into Home

The Yankee Scrolls

Pinstripe Alley

River Ave Blues

MLB Trade Rumors

We all got it, check back soon. Go Cash Go.

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BRILLIANT PIECE IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

JETER & A-ROD STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE


You haven't read this terrific piece by Jason Gay in the Wall Street Journal, do it. It's exciting, inspiring and very calming for any Yankee fan. Bravo Jason, Bravo.

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WHY YOU DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ

I've heard this one before. The Yankees said that Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford are not in their off season plans. If I remember correctly, that was a similar statement they made about Johnny Damon and one morning I woke up to the headline of " Here's Johnny" in the New York Post. Look, everyone knows the way Cashman operates, I just think that when it actually happens, everyone is taken by surprise, like "how did they pull that off?", much like I did when they signed Damon.

The Damon deal personally for me was great because we took him away from the Red Sox in the middle of the night. If Cashman were to pull off a signing of a Crawford similar to that, it would be " Wow". A Crawford signing would be more gratifying for me because we would take him away from the evil Rays. I don't have to remind you how much of a stud Werth is, but you see my point about division rivals. Reliever Joquian Benoit, the Rays setup man was also talked about. Take them both away from Tampa Bay. I like it.

Now, all my Anti-Yankee fans are reading this right now, some are deleting it, some are writing me a letter and it goes something like this: "Mighty Casey, Dude! The Yankees pay for championships. It's not fair. You guys make me sick! I hate the Yankees".

To that, I say this: This is baseball, the greatest sport in the world. You put the best team on the field to win. You don't play to win second place....ever. Plus, the Yankees don't win every year. Before 2009, there was a whole crop of amazing baseball stories, the Red Sox twice, White Sox, Marlins, and oh yeah didn't the Giants just win this year? Suck it. We're in the thick of it just like you guys.

Ok, enough of my rant, back to my point. Crawford was someone the Yanks always wanted. If you get him you spend big money though and that's my concern. Gardner at the end of the day is my choice, cheaper, younger and if he's the leadoff man, you will see production.

On Sunday at 12:01am Cash starts his pursuit of Cliff Lee. CC is already chatting it up, believe me. The Rangers are courting Lee good right now and they probably have the upper hand. To the Rangers credit, that ballclub is loose and they look like a good bunch to play with. Plus, there is a lot of talk of some sleeper teams about to jump into the fray; The Washington Nationals, Tigers, Angels and I never forget Boston, they are just as sneaky as the Yanks. The upside is I can't see the Lee wanting to go to Detroit. Kristen Lee can't stand New York, can you imagine the Lee's picking Detroit over the Big Apple? Sorry Will. Anaheim.... maybe. The Nationals? If Lee goes to Washington, he can change the whole face of that franchise. I doubt it though. In the end, it comes down to New York and Texas. May the best team win.

Let's just hope today's headlines denying any interest in some big free agents Actually means a big winter for the Yankees, with Cashman's slight of hand and all. It could be really interesting.

By the way, Let me remind all of you. The Yankees have tremendous players, and great characters on the team. People like AJ who bring pies, Jeter, our leader, Tex, CC and Swisher all have given life to the clubhouse... Hopefully if others like Lee and who knows who else can get to New York it will be even more fun. If you haven't already, be sure to vote for Swisher to host Saturday Night Live. That would be amazing and I send this out earlier in the week and I'll remind you again. There's a huge campaign to get him to host, it will be as great as when Jeter did years back... maybe even better. Check it out on Facebook: WE WANT NICK SWISHER TO HOST SNL.

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WHY CASHMAN BRILLIANCE DELIVERS RESULTS

I'm sitting here thinking about the State of the Yankees and while I'm not concenred about Jeter and the Yanks getting a deal done, I am thinking about the "soft" spots of the roster. For instance, I'm loving the outfield right now, but I sometimes feel like having Gardner as leadoff is better than batting him in the 9th spot. Let's face it, Jeter's a great lead-off, but he's not technically a lead-off hitter. Gardner is. Speed and a singles hitter is someone you want there. The 2 man can hit you over with a base hit or sacrifce automatically.

The 4th outfielder is something that is sticking in my mind, as well as other things. I'm thinking someone cheap but solid can be much better than a big fish free agent like Crawford or Werth.

Would the Yankees be better with one of those 2? Yes. We would kick ass, but can we afford them? Hell no. Let's be smart, let's blow our load on Lee, Jeet, Mo and a few solid lefty relievers and bench players. You know what I mean? Back to my thought though... I just read that Podsednik is now a free agent. Is he a good 4th outfield option? I like that dude. Scrappy. But, what would he cost? Is he someone who would be good off the bench? Would he WANT to be on the bench? Would he rotate with the others? How about a Pat Burrell? Can we pry him away from San Francisco? He loves it there. See what I mean? There's names but at what cost. Cashman needs to be smart with the dough.

Look at the DH role? Who is a good replacement for Marcus Thames? Pat Burrell again? Maybe Adam Dunn or Rocco Baldelli. Oh, I got it... Jim Thome... That lefty bat at Yankee Stadium would be incredible. Thome such a throwback, he'd be bad ass in a loose fitting Yankee uniform. Can you picture it? But again, at what cost? Can we get these guys cheap?

Then you have to look at the catching situation. You can look at me and say "Yo, Mighty Casey, we have Posada, we're good!" Try again, 39 year old Posada is not as good as he used to be. I love the guy, but age is a bitch. Face facts, Posada can't catch 162 games anymore, maybe not even 140. Plus, what I've been hearing is that the Yanks like Cervelli but don't love the guy, and, he can't hit homeruns. Look, I'm the first to tell you all that I love enthusiasum and the fist pump, Cervelli provides that. But the dude doesn't hit home runs. I like my catcher hitting home runs. Posada hits home runs, not Francisco. So what do you do? Do we bring up Jesus Montero? Do we look at free agent backup like a John Buck or a Matt Treanor? Would that be a cheap, yet solid fix?

And what about our bench? I know Garrett Atkins, Jorge Cantu and Melvin Mora are out there, and they can also play 3rd and maybe even first. But... and there's a but... Would they also ride the bench and perhaps platoon to give our regulars a rest once in a while? (By the way, I love Cantu. I always wanted him in New York.) Or maybe the bench is someone like a Brad Hawpe who helped Tampa Bay down the stretch this year. (BTW, he's the Austin Kearns for this post, I just can't see him a Yankee). OR do we reunite with Johnny Damon? Both Hawpe and Damon are outfielders and could platoon to with our regular outfielders to give them a rest.

Then you need to look at our bullpen, we need lefty help. And we lost Kerry Wood, but can we get Wood back at a decent price? He's the obvious choice for the 8th inning guy and he's 33 years old and kicked ass for the Yanks this year. Boone Logan was a good lefty for us, but not great when push came the shove. Scott Downs is a lefty from Toronto. He's an obvious, awesome choice. J.C. Romero? Maybe. Again, money is a factor. How much are these guys going to cost, and if it's expensive, how do we get the guys we really want up top in Lee, Jeet and the like?

As you can see, it's a tough Free Agent market out there. While we may be able to get a few lower level free agents, trades will be key as well as home grown talent. But don't worry Yankee fans, Cashman's on the move. He was on the move during the playoffs and ready to pounce... Hal insists the Yanks will have a Championship team next year. Let's hope it all goes our way.

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