Cano is NOT crappy. He's made some errors, but overall, he is pretty slick in the field and he's still young. He's a future gold glover.

Cano has had his share of bobbles and erros, but watching him and Jeter turn the double play is just a thing of beauty from both of them.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by majorleads:

Posted by TMS:

if the Mets wanna have a shot at winning a WS, they'll do what it takes to trade for Johan... same for the Yankees... both teams are lacking a true #1 ace, & those types of players can make all the difference in any playoff series... u can replace Reyes' speed w/Carlos Gomez & sign a leadoff hitter like Eckstein to be the catalyst at the top of your lineup... u cannot in any way, shape or form hope to replicate the production that you'd get out of a guy like Johan anchoring your rotation for the next 7 years... i doubt the Mets do it though.

All true, however, no matter how great Johan is, Omar Minaya can not sell David Eckstein as our SS for the next 4 years right after trading Jose Reyes. We need to concentrate on developing our farm system FIRST, before we go out and give away what little talent we do have. Heck, we would have been in the playoffs last season had we not blown a million leads. Over the course of the season it was our bullpen that killed us, not our starting pitching. Omar fu cked up there and Billy Wagner bombed in September.

With Johan on the Mets, it doesn't guarantee anything, the only thing it would guarantee is that Reyes is not here.

probably true... the Mets are so far away from winning a championship right now, they need to address a lot more needs than just getting an ace to anchor their lineup... if they try & fool their fans into thinking they're 1 player away from being a contender they'll just end up being bitterly disappointed once again... u guys should hold onto your prospects & hope they turn into something worthwhile next year like u said, & shore up your weak bullpen... also time to start phasing out old washed up has beens like Pedro, Delgago & Alou.

The Mets arent as far off as you make it sound. Their offense is fine as is actually. Last season they were 4th in NL in a pitchers park. 2 teams ahead of them were in hitters parks. Pedro isn't washed up yet, i don't know what he did in his return to make you think that. Same with Alou. Maybe injury prone, but not washed up. Delgado had a wrist injury and missed spring training, he did much better towards the middle to end of the season. So far, Pedro/El Duce/Maine/Perez is a very solid 4. The pen will have Sanchez, Padilla, and a fresh Joe Smith back which can't be worse than Mota. Overall I would try to add an ace like Santana or Haren, if not then someone like Blanton or Willis. And I would also look for a reliever who can be a setup or a closer somewhere in the future.

We already have depth. There is Castro, Eisley, Anderson, Gotay, and Chavez as far as the bench goes all of which are very solid reserves. If Milledge continues to develop and improve upon his .787 OPS from last year, RF will be fine. And if Alou gets hurt there is Gomez+Chavez that can fill in. I attribute Delgado's dip in power as a result of his wrist injury and no spring training. Without April, his OPS jumps 60 points(.781 to .844). Pitching is our main weakness, get one starter to have Pelfrey+Humber waiting in the wings in case of an injury, and a reliever or 2 just in case Sanchez or Padilla can't return.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/11/27/2007-11-27_yankees_inquire_about_johan_santana_hank.html?page=1

"I don't think he's going to go to anybody unless they sign him," Steinbrenner said. "We're not going to trade the kind of stuff they're asking for unless we can sign him."

Minnesota already lost free agent Torii Hunter to the Angels last week, costing them one of their most popular players. The Twins have a new ballpark being built by taxpayer money in Minneapolis, yet even with the funds they receive via revenue sharing, they haven't been able to come up with the dollars to retain their own players, making for a tough situation.

The Yankees are among the handful of teams that can afford to give Santana a nine-figure contract, though some of the other clubs might have more prospects to offer.

The Bombers likely will offer a package including Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera and at least one more pitching prospect, as the Twins are seeking a young, inexpensive center fielder to replace Hunter, as well as young pitchers. The Yankees have no plans to include Joba Chamberlain in a deal.

The Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Mets and Tigers are believed to be interested, though the Twins appear unwilling to deal Santana within the AL Central, likely taking the Tigers out of the equation.

The Angels ordinarily would be the front-runners because of their surplus of pitching and prospects, but they are already engaged in talks with the Marlins for Miguel Cabrera, and it is doubtful they would be able to pull off both deals.

Boston, which would love to block Santana from heading to the Bronx, has the prospects to make a deal, starting with pitchers Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. But Boston sources say the Red Sox are unwilling to part with rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, a player the Twins covet.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spyanks275477973nov27,0,4929166.story

Asked about specific players who might be part of trade talks for Santana, Steinbrenner said, "I don't really want to get into that."

However, a few players believed to interest the Twins are righthanders Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, second baseman Robinson Cano, centerfielder Melky Cabrera and perhaps minor-league outfielders Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata. But the Yankees have worked hard to upgrade their farm system and want to hold on to as much of that young talent as possible.

Santana is a special case, though. One source said yesterday that none of the above players would be off-limits in the right deal for Santana. Another source indicated that the Yankees plan to cling hardest to Chamberlain and Cano but that the others might be negotiable. The Twins need a centerfielder, as Torii Hunter signed with the Angels via free agency last week.

The Red Sox, Dodgers and Mets also are expected to be suitors for Santana. He has a no-trade clause and can veto any trade, but someone close to Santana said he would waive that clause for the Yankees.

[Edited by - TMS on 11-29-2007 9:41 PM]

u can count out the Mets in the Johan sweepstakes:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3134403

"Jose Reyes is one of our core players," general manager Omar Minaya said Thursday. "I don't see us trading Jose Reyes for one of those guys being mentioned. It just doesn't make sense for us."

just saying i told u u guys had no shot at Johan unless u were willing to give up Reyes.

so ur pretty confident that the Mets can get Haren for a package of prospects? who do u think they'd take back in a trade? just curious.

wow, u really are defensive... i really don't wanna get into this again with you... we'll just agree to disagree then... u obviously don't rate the Yankees' prospects highly & vice versa.

btw, if you guys had a young Tom Seaver, i wouldn't be ripping him, trust me.

Melky's a great fielder but he's overrated by Yankee fans. I think he's a well below average hitter for an outfielder and that makes him an average overall player. There's nothing wrong with that and I like the guy, but I'd have no problem trading him for a good pitcher--let alone a great pitcher.

Posted by jaydh:
career 4th OFers(except on a OF defensive deficient team) are difficult to come by.

i agree, y'all shoulda held onto Lastings Milledge

[Edited by - TMS on 11-30-2007 2:13 PM]

I'd offer the Twins Hughes and Melky Cabrera first to try and get Santana. If that's not enough, I go Hughes, Melky and Kennedy. If that's not enough, oh well. Good luck trying to sign him Minnesota.

I quickly turn to the A's and try and get something done for Dan Haren, who I like a lot and who I just read could be available. We aren't exactly talkin' sloppy seconds here with Haren. Haren's got stuff that reminds you of David Cone in his prime. He's that good. Filthy splitter. And he's a horse - Over 215 IP 3 years in a row with his best year so far coming last season: 222.2 IP - 34 starts, 214 hits, 192 Ks, 3.07 ERA (in the AL with the DH). Only 1 start against Boston last year: 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 9 Ks. Impressive. Plus, he's a year and a half younger than Santana. I'm kinda suprised that the A's would make Haren available. It makes you think - if Haren's available, could Rich Harden be too? He's younger than both Santana and Haren. I know Harden's always hurt but talk about stuff. 95-100 mph fastball with a splitter just as good as Haren's. This kid's stuff is a good as any young pitcher's in the game today - Chamberlain, Verlander, Felix Hernandez, you name it. If we're gonna be talkin' Phil Hughes with Oakland, maybe Rich Harden's the guy we should be looking at.

This is what I'd like to see the Yanks do:

START LOOKING FROM WITHIN TO PLUG HOLES-

(1) If we deal Melky, I wouldn't mind seeing the Yankees give Brett Gardner a shot in CF. Homegrown guy who should be a good leadoff hitter for years to come. You don't need a star at every position (I think I was the only one who really wanted Bubba Crosby to be our CF instead of throwing that big deal at Damon a few years back). This kid can be an impact table-setter for a long time. .280-.300, 50+ stolen base offensive potential here with great range in CF and a plus arm. If we dealt Melky, Damon's on the decline and Matsui's not the greatest outfielder. You don't need to throw 50-65 millon at Aaron Rowand when we have this kid Gardner sitting there waiting for his chance. Give him a shot. When's the last time we had a legit leadoff hitter with this kind of ability?

(2) Do not deal Joba Chamberlain, Dellin Betances, Jose Tabata (Abreu's eventual replacement in RF and in the 3 hole) or Jesus Montero (Posada's replacement in a few years behind the plate) under any circumstances. My 4 untouchables. These 4 guys are the key to the Yanks remaining a dynasty and still one of MLB's finest teams 3-4 years from now. All homegrown talent.

(3) If Pettitte really decides to hang it up and we don't land a lefty like Santana or Bedard, I give Garrett Patterson a chance in spring training. Didn't have the best stats the last couple of seasons but has huge potential. 95 mph fastball and has experience as a starter and most recently as a reliever. If he doesn't wind up being a starter for us when's the last time we had a lefty in the pen with his kind of stuff? Exactly. I can't remember either.

(4) With Joba now looking like a starter, I look from within for his replacement in the bullpen - Ferdin Tejeda. Came back from TJ surgery successfully, hitting 95 on the gun with the potential for more velocity once his rehab comes full circle which could be by the beginning of next season. This is a guy who hit 98 mph with ease before the surgery. World-class arm. Could be the setup