Yankees Sign Neal Cotts

Via Matt Eddy, the Yankees have signed LHP Neal Cotts to a minor league contract. Cotts, 31, had pitch surgery last year and did not appear in 2010. He had Tommy John surgery in 2009 and hasn't appeared in a major league game since May of 2009. Cotts has spent his career in the Cubs organization and thus worked with, new Yankee pitching coach, Larry Rothschild.

While the Yankees are looking for a lefty reliever, it is unlikely Cotts is that guy. It's more likely that Cotts will fill the role that Royce Ring did last year and reside mostly in Scranton.

Yanks Make Offer to Jeter

Via Jon Heyman, the Yankees have officially offered Derek Jeter a 3-year, $45 million contract. He is expected to turn it down just because that's how these things go. Making progress.

Notes: DePaula, Miranda

Yes there haven't been posts for a while, but that's just because I don't think it's necessary to report every time the Yankees and Jeter have a hiccup because we all know the deal will get done. Anyways, onto the news:

According to Melissa Segura, the Yankees will sign Domincan RHP Rafael DePaula later today. The bonus is said to be around $700,000. After lying about his age and identity, DePaula was suspended for a year but was cleared by MLB's verification process earlier this year. The 19-year-old DePaula is 6'3" and his fastball has touched 97 in workouts. Here's some video.

The Yankees also traded Juan Miranda to the Diamondbacks for (not Justin Upton) RHP prospect Scottie Allen. This move not only frees up a 40-man roster spot (for someone like Cliff Lee or Jesus Montero) but Allen is probably the best the Yanks could've gotten for Miranda. Once considered the Yankees' future first basemen, Miranda really fell off the radar once Mark Teixeira was signed. According to Joel Sherman, Allen has an improving fastball (88-93) and is developing an above-average curveball. He has good arm action which speaks to his command and control. Plus, dude's only 19.

And to sum up everything else that's happening in Yankeeland: Jeter wants more years and money which makes Randy Levine angry but not really. Will they work it out...(yes). Justin Upton was made available and he has every GM in baseball drooling, however the Yanks might or might not get him. Huge asking price. And King Felix won the Cy Young.

Notes: Lee, Jorge, Jeter, Gold Gloves

A few notes from Yankeeland today:

Brian Cashman and some other Yankee brass members flew to Lee's home in Arkansas to speak to the lefty today. While they did not make an offer, at least not yet, the Yankees wanted to reach out to Lee as they did with CC. When Cash spoke to CC, he told him the Yanks didn't go after Santana the year before because they were waiting for Sabathia. This made CC feel wanted and people believe Cash could be using the fact that they were willing to give up Jesus Montero for Lee in the same way. While a deal won't be getting done in the next few days, look out for this one.

Jorge Posada underwent the same surgery on his knee that CC Sabathia recieved earlier this offseason and Brian Cashman has informed him that he will have to battle it out with Jesus Montero in Spring Training for the starting job. It is likely that Jorge will be the Yankees' primary DH in 2011.

And finally the Yankees and Derek Jeter are starting to make some progress, as talks have begun heating up. The two are still miles apart, but they are getting closer and an offer will most likely be made shortly.

Oh and in-case you missed it, Teixeira, Jeter, and Cano all took home Gold Gloves this past week. Gold Glove voting isn't anything meaningful, the voters basically find the best hitter and if he can field decently, he gets it. Jeter should not get the award but the issue that bugs me more is Brett Gardner. By UZR, Gardner was the best fielder (not just outfielder) in the entire major leagues. Does he get any recognition for it? No.

Top 10 Yankee Prospects For 2011

It seems like every time after, right before, or in the middle of the season people start publishing lists of their top 10 Yankee Prospects. Well, now its my turn. Here's my list of the pinstripes of tomorrow:

1. Jesus Montero, C, 20

This one should surprise no one. Jesus is the Yankees' best hitting prospect since Derek Jeter and should rank within the top three prospects in all of baseball this year. Montero's been described as having "the best bat in the minor leagues" and this year, he'll be taking it to the show. While Jesus is a clear number one, it begins to get a bit cloudy from here on out.

2. Manny Banuelos, LHP, 19

ManBan started in the Arizona Fall League Showcase and received a glowing report from Keith Law for his performance. Banuelos ranges from the low to high 90s with his fastball, and compliments it with a nasty change and good curveball. What really sets him apart though is his demeanor and his free and easy delivery. Though there have been questions about his height (only 5'10"), the kid's only 19 and is a lefty. He has future-ace written all over him.

3. Gary Sanchez, C, 17

The second coming of the second coming, Sanchez has been repeatedly compared to Jesus Montero due to his insane bat and not-so-stellar defense. What has been more un-noticed though is that some people actually think Sanchez could be better then Montero. Gary hit .353/.419/.597 in the Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old. He was then promoted to Staten Island where he had a .759 OPS. Bottom line: kid can mash. Plus he has the potential to improve behind the dish. Lookout.

4. Dellin Betances, RHP, 22

It's all there physically for Betances. He's got a plus, plus fastball and nasty secondary pitches. The huge (6'8") Brooklyn native definitely looks the part of an ace and the only thing holding him back is his injury history. Dellin is a Tommy John survivor, but returned last year to put up career highs in 3 very essential categories: IP (85.1), K/9 (11.4), and BB/9 (2.3). If he can stay healthy and retain good control, he's definitely going to be a number one.

5. Austin Romine, C, 21

The last of the Yankees big-time catching prospects and the battery mate to Banuelos in the AFL showcase game, Romine's got the stuff to catch in the bigs. Austin's bat isn't other-worldly like those of Jesus Montero and Gary Sanchez, but he can still hit pretty good. Unlike Montero and Sanchez though, the kid's above-average behind the dish. A lot of people view him as either the Yankees' future starting catcher, or very good trade bait.

6. Andrew Brackman, RHP, 26

The final Killer B of this list, Brackman had never put up great numbers for the Yanks before '10. However in 2010, Andrew shot off the line and pitched so well that he earned himself a promotion to the show during September. While Girardi (annoyingly) never put Brackman in a game, it was a good reward for a kid who's worked hard. Brackman's got the stuff to be a solid #2 or #3 starter in the show as long as he can retain his command.

7. Slade Heathcott, CF, 21

The 2009 first-round pick by the Yankees put up decent numbers in his first season in pro-ball, but the Yankees project him much higher then that. Physically, he very much resembles Brett Gardner. Unlike Gardner however, Slade's predicted to develop much more power and could turn into a good 5-tool outfielder.

8. Hector Noesi, RHP, 24

The lone Yankee rep on the Futures World team, Noesi has great fastball command, however he is lacking a real put-away secondary pitch. He's struggled a lot with his curveball, but it definitely could be improved. A lot of people view him sort of as an Alfredo Aceves type pitcher or trade bait.

9. Adam Warren, RHP, 23

Kid has great control to go along with rising velocity. Highlight of the 2010 season came when he struck out 15 (!!) in one game for AA Trenton. Posted a 2.66 FIP in A Tampa and Trenton combined. Possible 2 or 3 starter but a sleeper prospect for sure.

10. Brandon Laird, 3B/LF, 23

Laird is an interesting case because he is learning to play multiple positions. As a third basemen, he holds almost no value to the Yankees other than maybe a power bat off the bench. However, he is trying to learn to play the outfield in order to make himself more versatile and claim a solid bench job for the Yanks. Plus, dude can rake! Laird won the Eastern League MVP despite getting bumped up to triple-A near the end of the season. He hit .281/.336/.482 with 25 HRs and 102 RBIs overall. Named the Yankees' Minor League MVP by River Ave. Blues.

Yanks To "Overpay" On Jeter

Via a report by Wallace Mathews of ESPN.com, the Yankees are prepared to offer Jeter the big-bucks. While they have yet to make an offer to Jeter, as well as all their other free agent targets, "the Yankees are going to overpay him," said a source with intimate knowledge of the discussions. "The question is, how much[?]"

It was reported that the deal will be for three years, $45-60 million. That's $15-20 million a year, about what was expected. Locking up the captain is one of the Yankees' top priorites this winter, as well as signing Mo, and more pitching (AKA Cliff Lee).

"What If?" - Cano/Kemp Trade

This is the first post in our "What If?" series. We will be taking a look at past rumored deals and ask what if they went through? What would the Yankees look like today? What would be different?

Beginning in the 2006-2007 offseason, there was a lot of speculation towards a potential Robinson Cano for Matt Kemp deal between the Yankees and Dodgers. The Yankees were desperate for outfield help with Bernie William and Gary Sheffield leaving, Hideki Matsui's legs going away, and don't even get me started on Bubba Crosby. After the '07 season it made even more sense when Joe Torre and Don Mattingly put on Dodger blue. Cano had a very close relationship to both men and people speculated it was the kind of thing they wanted to maintain. It didn't help things when Cano had a down-year in '08, hitting .271/.305/.410.

To all of us at the time however, this seemed like the usual "one young player for another young player" deal and it sort of felt like it was just going to go away within a few weeks. However, it hung around for a while and didn't actually get cut-off until after the 2008 season.

But what if it had gone through? What if Robby had gone to LA and Kemp to the Big Apple? Well let's talk about the very simplest of details first: uniform numbers. Robby currently wears #24 but switched after '06 from 22. Had he been shipped to LA, he probably would be sporting the double-twos whereas either Kemp or Joe Giardi would have to pick another number. But on to the more pressing matters...

The Yankees would be without a second basemen and would probably have to turn to the free agent market for help. Lets say this deal goes down after the 2007 season, when the rumors reached their climax. The best free agent second basemen that year were Luis Castillo, Jerry Hairston Jr., Kaz Matsui, and Mark Loretta. Now, it doesn't take much to realize how bad those four would pan out. Castillo probably would've been the most appealing out of that bunch, and well, yeah...not even gonna go there. Hairston still had some good years in him and probably could've been productive over there at second. As for Kaz and Loretta, they were at the end of their primes and have both become wash-ups since then. Clearly, none of these players come even close to what Robby has given the Yankees and what he will continue to do in the future.

While the trade would've left a void at second, the Yankees outfield would've been much stronger for the time-being. They would have Damon in left, Kemp in center, and Abreu in right. That is a damn good outfield, however, it isn't built for the long-haul. Abreu seems to be done now with '08 being his last real productive year. Damon, as we all know, was a great contributer for the Yankees, who cut him loose after the 2009 season and at the right time. Kemp too has had his struggles, hitting only .249/.310/.450 this past year.

This star-studded outfield would also have many negative effects besides aging players too. With Melky Cabrera in center, the Yankees definitely had a hole, but that weakness had a silver lining, and its name is Brett Gardner. When Cabrera began to struggle, the Yanks slotted in Gardner, and vice-versa. If the Yankees had Johnny, Matt, and Bobby, it's very unlikely that Gardner would get a real shot in the outfield and thus 2010 could've been a much different year for the Yankees in left field.

Having Kemp in the outfield also means different stories for the rest of the fielders we know and love today. Swisher was acquired after 2008 in hopes of having him as the everyday first basemen, but switched to the outfield once Teixeira came aboard. Before him, Xavier Nady was the rightfielder after having been acquired before the 2008 trade deadline. The Yankees got Nady because of the problems in their outfield which wouldn't of been there had they had Kemp. No Nady, means the Yankees probably would've gone hunting for a new rightfielder come the 2008-2009 offseason. Do they still get Swisher? Maybe, maybe not. We easily could've wound up with Brad Hawpe or maybe even Bobby Abreu for at least one year too many. Curtis Granderson also wouldn't of been acquired because there would be no gap for him to fill. The Yankees' outfield today would probably look as follows: Johnny Damon in left, Matt Kemp in center, and Brad Hawpe in right. Not pretty.

So who won this deal? Obviously the Yankees did. They were able to upgrade their outfield to the point where it stands today as one of the best in the bigs. Plus, they were able to do so without giving up the best second basemen in baseball. That is a win by any standards.

2010 All-MLB 25-Man Roster

In my last post, The 2010 All-MLB Team, I picked out the best players at each position from last year. Now, it's time to make a 25-man roster out of all that. *Keep in mind that I had to add some relief pitchers in order to fill this all out.

Starting Lineup:

1. Carlos Gonzalez LF

2. Troy Tulowitzki SS

3. Josh Hamilton CF

4. Joey Votto 1B

5. Robinson Cano 2B

6. Joe Mauer C

7. Adrian Beltre 3B

8. Vladimir Guerrero DH

9. Jayson Werth RF

Starting Rotation:

1. Roy Halladay RHP

2. Felix Hernandez RHP

3. CC Sabathia LHP

4. Adam Wainwright RHP

5. David Price LHP

Bullpen:

LRP: Darren O'Day

MRP: Daniel Bard

MRP: Mike Adams

LOOGY: Hong-Chih Kuo

LOOGY: Matt Thornton

SU: Joaquin Benoit

CL: Mariano Rivera

Bench:

1. Buster Posey C

2. Miguel Cabrera 1B

3. Omar Infante IF

4. Carl Crawford OF

The 2010 All-MLB Team

First off, I would like to apologize for not posting throughout this season, I have been very busy and Bronx Rumors has been put on the back-burner. I'm hoping to step it back up now. So on that note, I would like to present to you the 2010 All-MLB Team:

Catcher: Joe Mauer MIN

As far as choosing players go, this one is a no-brainer. Mauer led all catchers with a .327 BA, a .402 OBP, and .871 OPS. Add to that Mauer's .469 SLG and you have yourself the best catcher in the major leagues for the last 5 years.

Runners up: Buster Posey SF, Victor Martinez BOS

First Base: Joey Votto CIN

As easy as Mauer was, this one was very difficult. Miguel Cabrera by the numbers was the best first basemen last year. However, he and Votto are not very far apart. Cabrera's line was .328/.420/.622 and Votto's was .324/.424/.600. The factor that I think really sets them apart is defense. Votto is a superb defensive first basemen and could even win the gold glove. Cabrera on the other hand is one of the slowest, most awkward first basemen you'll see. Advantage: Joey Votto

Runners up: Miguel Cabrera DET, Albert Pujols STL, Aubrey Huff SF

Second Base: Robinson Cano NYY

I don't think I need to say anything other than "step aside Chase Utley, there's a new sheriff in town."

Runners up: Omar Infante ATL, Martin Prado ATL, Dan Uggla FLA

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki COL

Tulowitzki is a player i'd trade for in a heartbeat. He has all the tools. He hit for a .315/.381/.568 line and complimented that with a .949 OPS, 27 HRs, and 95 RBIs. As far as shortstops go, no one reaches his level of completeness.

Runners up: Hanley Ramirez FLA, Starlin Castro CHC

Third Base: Adrian Beltre BOS

This one may surprise some folks, but Beltre really was the best third basemen in all of baseball last year, not some guy named Evan Longoria. Beltre's line was .321/.365/.553, leading the majors in batting average and SLG. He also was the only 3B to get an OPS over .900 (his was .919). Top that off with 28 HRs and 102 RBIs and you have yourself a winner.

Runners up: Ryan Zimmerman WSH, Evan Longoria TB

Left Field: Carlos Gonzalez COL

Just a quick note, because of the insane depth of left fielders and sheer openness of center fielders, I have decided to call Josh Hamilton a center fielder for simplicity's sake. CarGo had a monster year hitting .336/.376/.598 while leading LFs in BA, SLG, OPS, HRs, Rs, Hs, and RBIs. Needless to say, the dude's a beast.

Runners up: Carl Crawford TB, Brett Gardner NYY, Ryan Braun MIL

Center Field: Josh Hamilton TEX

He's being put here because the CF race was dreadful and he played center throughout the postseason. As for my reasoning, try this: he led all MLB in batting average (.359) and SLG (.633) and led all CFs in pretty much every offensive category: BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, and he led in Hs, HRs, and RBIs despite missing about a month of the season. American League MVP right there.

Runners up: Wouldn't be fair to say anyone was even close

Right Field: Jayson Werth PHI

The soon-to-be-free agent had a monster 2010, leading RFs in SLG and OPS while batting .296, reaching base at a .388 clip, belting 27 HRs and driving in 85. Sin-Shoo Choo was close, but his numbers just weren't as good as Werth's.

Runners up: Sin-Shoo Choo CLE, Nick Markakis BAL, Nick Swisher NYY

Starting Pitcher: Roy Halladay PHI

What began as a very close race, Doc Halladay emerged as the easy favorite for the NL Cy Young. He was 5th in the majors with a 2.44 ERA, first in WHIP (1.04), tied for first in wins (21), 5th in Ks, and first in innings pitched. You could definitely make a case for Felix, but i'm gonna go with the Doc. Dude threw a perfect game and a post-season no-hitter in the same year!

Runners up: Felix Hernandez SEA, Adam Wainwright STL, Josh Johnson FLA, CC Sabathia NYY, David Price TB

Relief Pitcher: Mo

Choosing Mariano as the best relief pitcher is like the instant replay rules in baseball: a call can only be changed if there is indisputable evidence. And there is none. Sure, Rafael Soriano had a great year and Brian Wilson became crazy-popular with the "fear the beard" campaign, but none of them can touch the mystique that lies in Rivera's hand, body, number, and name.

Runners up: Rafael Soriano TB, Brian Wilson SF

Designated Hitter: Vladimir Guerrero TEX

'Ol Vladdy can still hit. Guerrero had a .300/.345/.496 line for the Texas Rangers, knocking in 115 RBIs and knotching a .841 OPS. He had a damn good year in the DH spot.

Runners up: Luke Scott BAL, Hideki Matsui LAA, David Ortiz BOS

2010 Yankees Roster: Mine vs. Actual

I recently read this post and it got me thinking about how I would put together the 2010 Yankees roster. Note that the *s mean the players definitely will be on the active roster when the season starts.

Pitching Rotation:

1. CC Sabathia*

2. A.J. Burnett*

3. Andy Pettitte*

4. Javier Vazquez*

5. Phil Hughes

Bullpen:

CL Mariano Rivera*

SU Joba Chamberlain

MRP David Robertson*

LHP Damaso Marte*

LRP Alfredo Aceves

LRP/MRP/SU Chan Ho Park*

Starting Lineup:

1. SS Derek Jeter*

2. DH Nick Johnson*

3. 1B Mark Teixeira*

4. 3B Alex Rodriguez*

5. 2B Robinson Cano*

6. C Jorge Posada*

7. CF Curtis Granderson*

8. RF Nick Swisher*

9. LF Brett Gardner*

Bench:

IF Ramiro Pena*

C Francisco Cervelli*

OF Randy Winn*

1B Juan Miranda

OF Greg Golson

Notes:

• I decided to go with an extra person on the bench (Golson, who is a speed-demon and solid outfielder) rather then an extra arm in the bullpen (Melancon would be my next pick) because of the flexibility of Chan Ho Park. He can eat up innings, pitch dominant set-up relief, or anything in between. I also felt more comfortable having a dedicated pinch-runner (Golson) and a pinch-hitter (Miranda, who I badly want to see in the majors on a regular basis).
• I don't really want to get into the whole Hughes/Joba thing, but I will give my 2 cents. After seeing Joba and Hughes in both roles, it seems like Joba is better in the bullpen, and, while he certainly was better in the pen than as a starter, Hughes is a more polished starter, with more then a fastball-slider combination. We saw it last year during the playoffs. Hughes began to struggle in the 8th inning, so Girardi instead handed the ball to Joba who took up his beast-mentality. So, to be clear: In the future, I see Phil Hughes as a Rick Porcello-type pitcher, and Joba Chamberlain as the heir to Mariano Rivera as the Yankees' closer.
• Some people have been talking about putting Granderson in left and Gardner in center, which does seem like a good idea to me. Joe Girardi called Gardner "one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game." On the other hand, people have been doubting Granderson defensively for years (despite this play) and his production resembles that of a corner-outfielder. That being said however, the reason Gardner's not in center is because he could very easily fall into a slump and have to be replaced. The Yankees do not want to see a Marcus Thames or a Jamie Hoffman rooming around in center field and are just going to stick with the security that Granderson brings. Besides, it can't hurt to have a centerfielder that hits 30 homeruns.

Around The Horn

Whenever a Yankee pitcher records a punch out, Jorge Posada throws the baseball around the horn where it reaches some pretty legendary hands. That baseball hits the leather owned by Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, otherwise known as possibly the greatest infield in baseball history.

The members of this infield have already accomplished some impressive feats: Jeter and Cano are the first double-play combination to both record 200 hits, Alex Rodriguez recorded his 12th straight season with 30+ HRs and 100+ RBIs, that's a record in itself, and Mark Teixeira is already notching switch-hitting records. Each of these are pretty amazing in themselves, however it's the combination of the three that separates this infield from those of years past.

Sure you could make the case for Murderer's Row, the Big Red Machine or even the 2008 Florida Marlins (who each hit at least 25 HRs), but none come anywhere close to the power that is the 2009 Yankees infield. A-Rod and Captain clutch are both first-ballot Hall of Famers, and Teix and Robbie could theoretically join them. All four have/are putting up incredible numbers in their career and I doubt I need to go into much detail there. If you add in the great defense of all of them (and the World Series ring they could possibly receive this season) it puts them over the top as the greatest of all time.

Personally, I wonder if Jorge, Jose, or even Francisco Cervelli ever thinks about who he's tossing to when he throws around the horn.

How Good Is Jesus Montero?

Earlier today, EJ Fagan wrote a story on just how good Jesus Montero is. I'd like to add to that by showing you the minor league statistics of two catchers:

Player A:

G: 257

PA: 1071

BA: .325

H: 318

2B: 65

HR: 37

RBI: 176

OBP: .379

SLG: .509

OPS: .888

Player B:

G: 285

PA: 1210

BA: .330

H: 350

2B: 62

HR: 9

RBI: 169

OBP: .407

SLG: .426

OPS: .807

Now I know what you're probably thinking: these players are almost equal. Player A seems to hit more for power and player B hits a little more for average, but they're almost the same. Well guess what. Player A is Jesus Montero, and player B is none other than MVP-to-be Joe Mauer. (Keep in mind these are the career minor league stats for both players).

Yes, in fact, Jesus Montero has outhit the great Joe Mauer. Despite playing in 28 less games and notching 141 less plate appearances, Montero has a whopping 28 more HRs than more, he's driven in 8 more runs, hit 1 more double, and his OPS is .081 points higher than Mauers. Now that's pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

The Johan Santana Trade Revisited

On February 2nd, 2008, the Minnesota Twins traded LHP Johan Santana to the New York Mets for four prospects. All seemed right with the world after it: the Mets, a year after they blew a historic lead to the Phillies, acquired one of the best pitchers in all of baseball in Santana and everyone thought they were primed for the post-season.

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry (both teams considered front-runners for Santana at different times) didn't dramatically shift in one direction since neither team nabbed Johan.

Plus the Twins felt that they got some very good prospects in return for their ace pitcher.

Oh how we were wrong. Let's play this thing out with the winners and losers as they stand today in 2009:

Winners:

New York Mets:

The Mets acquire Johan Santana and then immediately signed him to a 6-year, $137.5mm contract, the largest contract for any pitcher at the time. This would prove to be a great move as Santana went 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA and 206 K's in 234.1 IP. He would finnish 2nd in the NL Cy Young voting to Tim Lincecum of the Giants. This year he's been good as well pitching to the tune of 3.13 ERA, .01 higher than that of his career. However, due to injuries to other players and bad offense surrounding Santana, the Mets failed to reach the postseason in 2008 and it looks as though the same ending will result here in 2009.

New York Yankees:

By not trading for Santana, Yankees' GM Brian Cashman was bashed by the New York media. However, the move not to trade for the ace lefty has to proved to have been possibly the best move of Cashman's career; Due to the prospects he didn't give up at the time.

The Yankees top offer was Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes, Jeffery Marquez, Ian Kennedy and Jhonny Nunez.

By not making the deal, the Yankees spun those prospects around for great things. Now the Yankees have C.C. Sabathia/Mark Teixiera in place of Johan Santana (they wouldn't of been able to sign all three), Melky Cabrera has been playing a good centerfield and is having a solid bounce-back season, Phil Hughes is finally realizing his potential as a dominate set-up man, and Marquez and Nunez were both traded to the White Sox for Nick Swisher, the Yankees powerful right fielder. All has worked out extremely well for the Yankees.

Boston Red Sox:

While Brian Cashman's move not to deal for Santana was good, Red Sox GM Theo Epstien's may have been even better. The Red Sox top offer looked like this: Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, Michael Bowden.

By not trading for Santana, they now have an dominate pitcher in Lester, one of the best base-stealers in the game in Ellsbury, Lowrie's a below-average shortstop, and Bowden has huge potential (despite a terrible performance against the Yankees on Friday.

Losers:

Minnesota Twins:

Yes it's true, the Twins, the team that dealt Santana are our one-and-only losers in this deal. They held out on Santana for too long and wound up taking the worst package on the table. Carlos Gomez, despite playing terrific defense and having amazing speed, never gets a chance to show off that speed because he never gets on base. His OBP his barely over .300 while his BA is constantly in the low to mid .200s.

The Twins recently released Phillip Humber so he's a dud. Mulvey has pitched a little in the majors and hasn't been that bad and Deolis Guerra is ranked as the Twins #12 prospect.

However, what's even worse is what the Twins didn't trade for: both the Red Sox and the Yankees had great offers on the table but the Twins kept asking for more.

With the Yankees, the Twins kept asking for Phil Hughes AND Joba Chamberlain, even though the Yankees stated clearly that Joba was off-limits.

With the Red Sox it was even worse, the Twins were asking for Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, AND Jacoby Ellsbury. The Red Sox were never going to do it. Plus the Twins just should've asked for Lester and Ellsbury, both of whom were much better better than Buchholz.

Bottom line, the Twins messed up and the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox all capitalized...big time!

Yanks Should Sign El Duque

I know I already have proposed this idea before, but I still believe that the Yankees should sign Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. Despite getting released by the Texas Rangers earlier this year because he "didn't show enough velocity or command," I believe he could still pitch in the big leagues. It seems to me that he could benefit from a Bronx return like many players have in the past.

However, the bottom line is this: the Yankees could use another starter, El Duque's a free agent, and he's a proven winner. He pitches extremely well in the postseason which the Yankees could use if he proves effective over the regular season. In his career, El Duque is 9-3 with a 2.55 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 106.0 innings. The Yankees could use him as their 4th starter and put Joba in the 'pen with Phil Hughes (an idea I've already pitched before). If you do that, you don't have to limit Joba's innings as much in the regular season.

Yankees Outfield Off-Season Plan

After the news came that there was mutual agreement from Johnny Damon and the Yankees for resigning after the season, it made me think what they could do with their outfield after the season. Here's how it ideally works out in my mind:

1. Yankees outfield has openings

After the Yankees let Hideki Matsui walk to Japan after the season and Johnny Damon going to free agency, it will leave their outfield weak offensively (no Yankee fan wants to see a Melky/Gardner, Austin Jackson, Nick Swisher offense). They will probably look to sign a free agent.

2. Rays let Crawford go

With Carl Crawford set to become a free agent and Desmond Jennings waiting in the wings as the heir to the stolen base throne, it appears as though Tampa Bay will not pick up Crawford's $10MM option for 2010. So with Crawford set to become a free agent and the opening in the Yankees outfield, it makes for a perfect storm (just like Joe Mauer in 2011).

3. Yankees sign Damon, Crawford

The Yankees make a big splash in free agency signing Johnny Damon and Carl Crawford. They get Damon for two more years and $18mm and then nab Crawford for a 5-year, $64mm contract. The Yankees also resign Xavier Nady for the bench.

4. Giardi: "Were not ready for Ajax yet"

Joe Girardi tells the media at Crawford's press conference that the Yankees will not call up Austin Jackson. This causes multiple Yankee writers to start complaining about Girardi at which point Cashman reassures them "were sticking with Joe." Hank Stienbrenner (who breaks free from the stranglehold that the Yankees PR has on him) complains that "Ajax will start."

5. Spring Training Starts

Spring Training in Tampa starts with Ajax and Melky duking it out for the starting centerfield job which Ajax wins.

6. Regular Season

The regular season begins and the Yankees roster looks like this (the Yankees have accepted the fact that Damon is now a power hitter and turn him into the 5th place hitter and DH):

Lineup:

1. Carl Crawford LF

2. Derek Jeter SS

3. Mark Teixeira 1B

4. Alex Rodriguez 3B

5. Johnny Damon DH

6. Robinson Cano 2B

7. Jorge Posada C

8. Nick Swisher RF

9. Austin Jackson CF

Bench:

Francisco Cervelli

Xavier Nady

Melky Cabrera

Ramiro Pena

Rotation:

1. CC Sabathia

2. A.J. Burnett

3. Justin Duchscherer (the Yankees will sign him or another pitcher if Pettitte retires)

4. Joba Chamberlain

5. Phil Hughes (or Zach McAllister or Aceves if Hughes stays in the 'pen)

Bullpen:

1. Phil Coke-Lefty Specialist

2. Huston Street-Set-up Man

3. Brian Bruney-Reliever

4. Aceves/Hughes/McAllister/Melancon

5. David "K-Rob" Robertson-Reliever

6. Mariano Rivera-Closer

*A note: The Nady/Marte trade hasn't worked out that well. Both are pretty much out for the season while Jose Tabata is raking and Jeff Kartasens and Ross Oldendorf have both been pitching very well (Ross would've been a nice 5th starter).

Pat Venditte On E:60

Venditte's one-of-a-kind. I really hope he gets to the majors and that the Yankees don't trade him for some mediocre player.

Yankees Sign 3 Draft Picks

The Yankees have signed their 1st, 2nd and 5th round draft picks today according to Jim Callis and Keith Law.

1st Round Pick: Slade Heathcott

The Yankees signed their 27th pick overall for $2.2MM, that's about $1.9MM over the recommended amount. Heathcott will play as an outfielder in proball and is a legitimate 5-tool player.

2nd Round Pick: JR Murphy

Murphy joins in a long line of Yankees catching prospects (J. Montero, F. Cervelli, G. Sanchez, A. Romine) after signing for probably 7 figures. Murhpy was an outfielder but converted to catcher due to athleticism.

5th Round Pick: Caleb Cotham

The Yankees signed the righty out of Vanderbilt for $675,000. That's just $5,000 short of the most in the 5th round and 4 times the recommended amount. Cotham was bothered by a sore knee in the Spring, but didn't allow an earned run in the Cape Cod league and threw 91-94 with his fastball.

What More Could You Ask For?

What more could you ask for from this series so far. On Thursday, the Yankees and Red Sox slugged it out in a 13-6 Yankee win. The two teams combined 19 runs, 26 hits, and 6 home runs.

However, the story was much different on Friday as fans (that watched all 15 innings) witnessed quite possibly the greatest pitched game in Red Sox-Yankees history as the two teams held each other scoreless until the bottom of the 15th. At that point, the only pitcher left in the Boston bullpen was rookie pitcher Junichi Tazawa who had never before pitched in the majors. So that, combined with the fact that Alex Rodriguez was overdue for a home run (he hadn't it one in a career-high 70+ ABs) set the stage for a 2-run walk-off home run by A-Rod who had been booed early in that game.

So what's next? What could they possibly do to build on these first two games. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking no-hitter? They've certainly come close: remember August 29th and 30th 2007? Plus it's not out of the question with CC on the mound.

Papi Was A No-Brainer

For years Yankee fans were tormented by those of the Sox for all the pinstriped players using PEDs. But no longer must we just look back at them blank-slated, for now we have a comeback. His name: David Ortiz.

When the Minnesota Twins released Ortiz after the 2002 season, they did so knowing that they were giving up an average player. However, he was no where near the level that he was at when he arrived in Boston. "Big Papi" hit 58 homers combined with the Twins over 6 seasons. That's only 4 more home runs than he hit in the 2006 season alone. Ortiz never drove in more than 75 runs in the Twin Cities, but has accomplished that feat in every single season in Boston and had driven in more than 100 runs in everyone until last year when he "only" knocked in 89. His SLG%, which always hovered below .500, rose up to the mid .600s on the BoSox.

It really was no secret that something happened when he changed cities and it definitely wasn't the stadium. Before joining the Red Sox, Papi was a terrible 1-for-23 at Fenway with only 2 RBIs and no home runs since 2001.

At this point, it was pretty apparent that Ortiz was probably taking PEDs, but the way he talked about them, he made some people think otherwise. David was one the biggest voices against steroids in baseball that you would've never thought he would have been taking them himself. However, that has now turned him into one of the largest hypocrites to ever play baseball (unless Wade Boggs turns up on a list as well).

The only thing that remains is for Papi to admit it, something he has yet to do. And if he doesn't, that'll mean just another thing that A-Rod has surpassed him in.