TMS wrote:

Allanfan20 wrote:I wonder what the chances are that we see all 3 of Melky, Gardner and Jackson in the outfield, at once, this offseason. My thinking is there's a chance it can happen.

i think the only time you're gonna see that is during some Spring Training games & after September callups, barring any serious injuries to Damon or Swisher (knock on wood)

Maybe, but if we don't sign Damon, then it's going to happen.

Allanfan20 wrote:

TMS wrote:

Allanfan20 wrote:I wonder what the chances are that we see all 3 of Melky, Gardner and Jackson in the outfield, at once, this offseason. My thinking is there's a chance it can happen.

i think the only time you're gonna see that is during some Spring Training games & after September callups, barring any serious injuries to Damon or Swisher (knock on wood)

Maybe, but if we don't sign Damon, then it's going to happen.

if we don't sign Damon we're gonna sign someone else in all likelihood, so i don't think u'll see Austin Jackson much except for ST & after September callups regardless unless some injuries occur.

Bob Sheppard calls it quits at the ripe old age of 99... just heard it on the news... at least he had his day at YS in 2000... there will never be anyone who inspires memories of Yankees history just by hearing his voice than Bob Sheppard.

I'd be willing to go into the year hoping some of the prospects are ready to play, or make a midseason trade as opposed to signing Jason Bay or Matt Holliday--good players who don't scare me at all.

If the team is going to make a splash, I'd advocate pursuing Miguel Cabrera, who probably could be had pretty cheap. The city of Detroit may soon fade off the map. They need cheap assets, likely not the Yankees' best cheap assets. Furthermore, I'd empty some pieces from the cupboard for Roy Holliday.

Lineup

Jeter
Cano
Teixeira
ARod
Cabrera
Posada
Swisher
Melky/Gardener
Who Cares?

Starters

Sabathia
Holliday
Burnett
whoever is left between Joba/Hughes/Kennedy
Gaudin

Halladay reportedly would OK trade to Yankees
SportingNews staff reports 14 hours, 25 minutes ago

Roy Halladay(notes) has told the Toronto Blue Jays he would accept a trade to the New York Yankees, according to an online report.

Canadian Web site SLAM! Sports quoted an unnamed major league executive as saying the right-hander would waive his no-trade clause to join the Bronx Bombers.

"I don’t know who Toronto will wind up with (in any Halladay trade)," the executive told SLAM! Sports. "I don’t know when he is going and I don’t know where he’s going. But I do know that Halladay has told the Jays he’ll approve a trade to the Yankees."

Even before this report, there has been much speculation around a possible Jays-Yankees swap. Top-level Yankees prospects such as catcher Jesus Montero and outfielder Austin Jackson(notes), as well as New York right-handers Joba Chamberlain(notes) and Phil Hughes(notes), have been mentioned as possible trade bait.

The site did not have any comment from Halladay or the Blue Jays, who have been shopping their ace for months. Halladay, 32, can become a free agent next year and reportedly has said he won’t re-sign with Toronto.

There were conflicting reports this week about whether the Yankees’ archrival, the Boston Red Sox, were looking to make a quick strike and acquire Halladay before New York could respond. The Red Sox reportedly were very active in trying to acquire Halladay last July. There has been no word of whether Halladay would accept a trade to Boston.

I say don't mess around, just make TOR an offer they can't refuse... Halladay is the best pitcher in the game & he's still got at least 5-6 great years left in his arm... make the trade & set up another dynastic run to start off the new decade.

Halladay wants deal done by spring

By Buster Olney
ESPN The Magazine

Roy Halladay, the All-Star pitcher who has been the subject of much trade talk since before last July's deadline, will not approve any proposed deal after he reports to spring training, according to his representatives.

This means that the Toronto Blue Jays either will have to work out a trade of the right-hander by the end of the offseason, or be prepared to receive only draft-pick compensation when the pitcher becomes eligible for free agency in the fall of 2010.

Halladay, through the terms of his contract, has the power to veto any trade. He is renowned for his focus and preparation, and despite the fact the Jays have finished behind the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox year after year in the standings, he has not lobbied for change.

But sources say that when Halladay, 32, was approached by club officials before the trade deadline, he told them he wanted a chance to play with a team with a chance to win, without making specific demands about a destination. And now the Blue Jays are headed into another period of rebuilding.

The Blue Jays made him available for trade offers before the July 31 deadline, setting a high price that some rival executives found to be unrealistic -- and there has been recent speculation that if the Jays don't trade Halladay this winter, they might wait until next July to deal him.

But Halladay wants the situation settled by the time he goes to spring training, according to Jeff Berry, a partner at CAA who works with Halladay's longtime point agent, Greg Landry.

Berry said in a phone interview late Monday night that the representatives and Halladay have had a "very good dialogue" with new Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos, and that the Blue Jays will have to make a decision "based on what they believe is in the best long-term interest of the Blue Jays organization."

"[But] one thing is certain -- once Roy reports to spring training as a member of the Blue Jays, from that point forward he will not approve or even discuss any potential trade scenario," Berry continued. "This will eliminate a repeat of the distracting media frenzy of 2009 for both Roy and his teammates, and will allow Roy to focus on pitching at the exceptional level Jays fans have come to expect."

Anthopoulos, in an e-mailed response, said: "We don't comment on anything with respect to trade rumors or speculation involving our players. With respect to Roy, we understand that due to his place with the Toronto Blue Jays, the events last summer and his contractual situation, that his future will continue to be discussed and speculated about.

"One thing that I feel is important to reiterate is that Roy Halladay has made it very clear that he loves the city of Toronto and the Blue Jays organization. That being said, Roy has also made it clear that his number one priority is to pitch in the postseason, and his hope is that it would be with the Toronto Blue Jays."

Halladay is 148-76 in his career, with a 3.43 ERA, winning the 2003 Cy Young Award and finishing in the top five in the Cy Young voting four other times. He went 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA for the Jays in 2009, throwing 239 innings and leading the league with nine complete games.

Two years ago, Johan Santana made a similar demand of the Minnesota Twins, as his situation reached a critical mass: He informed the Twins that he would not approve any trade after he reported to spring training.

The Twins wound up dealing him to the New York Mets for outfielder Carlos Gomez and others, and Santana signed a six-year, $137.5 million extension with New York, a record at the time; a year later, CC Sabathia received a seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees.

Santana made it clear to interested teams that he would require a contract extension in order to approve a trade, and this affected the offers made by the Red Sox and the Yankees. Halladay isn't necessarily going to make that demand, although it stands to reason that any team that acquires him would want to lock him up to a long-term deal, and that Halladay would be in line to ask for compensation along the lines of what Santana and Sabathia received.

"Obviously, there are recent contract markers for a pitcher of this magnitude," Berry said. "That being said, each potential trade situation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with a critical factor being the legitimate opportunity for Roy to pursue multiple World Series championships."

The Blue Jays talked with the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels, Red Sox and Texas Rangers about possible trades before the deadline, and one source indicated last week that Halladay could be swayed to accept a deal to Boston, the Yankees, Phillies or Angels.

Toronto president Paul Beeston was quoted last week as saying that Halladay is "not inclined" to re-sign with the Blue Jays. That's something the team has known to be fait accompli once it began rebuilding again.

The Blue Jays would appear to have a clear choice in the matter, going forward: A) They could either conclude a deal before the start of spring training for less than what the Blue Jays hoped to get before the July 31 deadline, or B) be prepared to have Halladay lead their staff through the 2010 season and walk away after next year, with Toronto receiving draft picks as compensation after he departs as a free agent.