Andy P: "I'll only play for the Yankees"

Hey ARod, are you listening???

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spandy1101,0,7597234.story

Pettitte nixed the idea that he might play elsewhere next year, in an interview with Houston's FOX 26 Sports (KRIV). The story was posted on the TV station's Web site. He told KRIV that he will either play for the Yankees next year or not at all.

"The New York Yankees committed an awful lot of money to me and put it in my hands, gave me a player option and trusted me with that option," Pettitte told KRIV Tuesday. "It probably wouldn't be real honorable for me not to do anything other than if I shut it down, shut it down or go back and play for the New York Yankees."

gotta love Andy Pettitte.

another Yankee makes it clear that he wants to stay... this is how you conduct business... face to face, man to man... you don't fax in your resignation like Pat Riley, you don't send a text message or voicemail & notify the team that's paying your salary that you're opting out without even meeting with them to offer them a chance to make an offer.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/10/31/2007-10-31_mariano_rivera_hopes_to_stay_with_yankee.html

Rivera, who filed for free agency on Monday, informed the Yankees that he wasn't interested in leaving the only organization for which he has played, but he made it clear that he wants to be treated with respect.

"It was mostly about good feelings," said one team official. "Now we have to get into the serious stuff and try to get a deal done."

Rivera had contacted the Yankees to set up the meeting, as he wanted to sit down and discuss the state of the team. According to a source, Rivera was "very supportive" of the team's hiring of Joe Girardi as manager.

The Yankees did not make Rivera an offer, and money was not discussed during the meeting, but according to a source, the team is expected to present an offer of three years and roughly $40 million to the closer in the coming days.

After arriving at Legends Field, Rivera said he would talk to reporters after the meeting, but a security staffer later retrieved Rivera's car and moved it to a restricted area.

Fernando Cuza, Rivera's agent, was asked if Rivera would be a Yankee next season, to which he replied, "I don't know. It's up to them."

The Yankees have made it clear that they plan to do everything possible to retain Rivera and Jorge Posada, who is also expected to get an offer of three years and about $40 million.

SOLUTIONS FOR 3B?

in my view, we have a choice of 3 options that will likely go down:

1 - try to steal Mike Lowell away from the Red Sox : he is said to be looking for a 4 year deal & BOS is only supposedly willing to offer 3... at the age of 32 & after a career & career season (albeit playing at Fenway) & being named MVP of the WS to capture his second world championship, do you guys want the Yankees to sign him?

2 - trade for Miguel Cabrera : probably the longest shot of the 3... the Marlins will want heaven & earth for this guy, & i don't think Cashman will be willing to trade away any of the big 3 starting pitching prospects right now... still, he's as close to ARod as you're going to get playing his position offensively, & he already has a relationship w/Joe G from his Marlins days... do you think the Yankees pursue that option aggressively?

3 - trade for Joe Crede : he's coming off a season of inactivity due to surgery, but he did hit 30 HRs playing in the AL the year before... he's still relatively young at 29, plays a solid 3B defensively, & would provide some decent pop from the right side, something this team surely needs now that ARod's gone... probably the most realistic option of the 3 & the Sox probably won't want all that much for him at this point... maybe a package of level B pitching prospects would do the trick?

Of course, they can forego any of these 3 options & just go w/a platoon of Wilson Betemit & Andy Phillips to start the season & wait to see if any veterans get non-tendered during the offseason.

What are your thoughts?

if he's got that much upside why would they trade him to us for our garbage? i don't see it happening... i like the Kouz idea but i'd say we'd have to give up more than just Igawa & 2 C level prospects for him if he's worth anything.

ARod's done in NY... the Yankees told him what would happen in NY if he opted out & he still chose to do so... Boras is not calling the shots, he works for ARod... they badly miscalculated by calling the Yankees' bluff on this one... now they're going to find that no other team in baseball will be paying him close to what he wants... the Yankees were prepared to give ARod $240 mil over the next 8 years to stay in NY & he turned it down... Boras wants $350 mil over the next 10, but he won't come close to getting that from any team... look what happened to his client Carlos Beltran a couple years ago when Boras said he would only start the bidding at a minimum of $200 mil for 10 years... he didn't get close to that either.

Revamp the Yanks Plan:

here's what i would do if i were Cashman:

1 - trade Johnny Damon for Joe Crede - White Sox will be looking for a leadoff hitter because Posednik is just too weak a hitter to be a viable option, & Crede fills our need for a righty hitting 3B w/some pop

2 - trade Wang & Hughes for Johan Santana - yeah, i know it's alot to give up, but come on, we're talking about the best pitcher in baseball here, & a lefty at that... he'd be perfect for YS & gives us the ace that we desperately need... it's a no brainer... a starting rotation of Santana, Pettitte, Joba, Kennedy & Moose matches up with any other rotation in baseball including the Red Sox

3 - sign Torii Hunter to play CF & move Melky over to LF - good character guy, still in his prime, & steals bases w/some pop from the right side (will lessen the blow from losing Damon & ARod's stolen base production... we need to have some guys who can run the bases on the team so we can play a more national league style ball next year under Joe G)... & we all know about his stellar defense & range in the OF... he'd save runs w/his ability to run down balls that other guys can't get to in the gaps... w/ARod off the books, we have plenty of money to spend this offseason... why not use it? an OF of Hunter, Melky & Abreu looks pretty damn good to me.

4 - sign Jeremy Affeldt for the bullpen - big, hard throwing lefty reliever will add some nice depth to our setup corps

5 - obviously bring back Mo & Jorge

6 - let Giambi, Betemit, Phillips & Duncan fight it out for 1B in ST - if 1 guy clearly outperforms the others, then i make him the fulltime starter... if there is no clear cut winner, i go w/a platoon of Betemit & Duncan at 1B, make Phillips my utility guy on the bench, & bite the bullet using Giambi as a lefty power hitting pinch hitter/backup DH option for the season until his contract runs out.


there's a team built on pitching, defense, & a well balanced lineup of youth & vets w/no 1 player being looked upon to carry the offensive load, pretty much the same formula we used to win all those championships in the 90's to begin with.

Johan has 1 more year left on his deal & he becomes a FA... the Twins won't be able to pay him what he's looking for on an extension... if the trade came w/a caveat that he sign a longterm extension, i don't see how the Yankees could pass it up... imagine if the Red Sox are willing to give up a Buchholz & Ellsbury to get their grimy hands on Johan? that's something no Yankee fan wants to see... it's going to take a helluva package to get Johan, no matter what team you are, & i think we will have to bite the bullet & give up a blue chipper like Hughes & Wang if we want to have any realistic shot at trading for Johan.

imagine this nightmare scenario... what if the Muts sign ARod & then offer up Jose Reyes for Johan? they'd be a championship favorite going into next season... but of course, since all Met fans would hate that idea in favor of the old "spirit of competition" angle, i'm sure they'd boycott the games if that ever happened... afterall, only the Yankees try & buy championships.

Posted by TMS:

imagine this nightmare scenario... what if the Muts sign ARod & then offer up Jose Reyes for Johan? they'd be a championship favorite going into next season... but of course, since all Met fans would hate that idea in favor of the old "spirit of competition" angle, i'm sure they'd boycott the games if that ever happened... afterall, only the Yankees try & buy championships.

First off, Mets really aren't going to offer the most money to arod, so he is not coming here. Second, Jose Reyes is a Met for life, or at least the duration of his contract. Besides it would take a lot more than that for Santana. You are talking SEVERAL top tier prospects for Santana.

Posted by VDesai:

One option that Newsday brought up for 3b was Scott Rolen. Rolen's been hurt the last few years, and is owed 36 mil over 3 seasons. But he's the best defensive 3b in the game and his range to his left is as good as anyone in the league (good cause Jeter doesn't go to his right that well). If healthy he's a very good hitter too. Because of the injuries and contract he won't cost much in terms of prospects. Mostly a cash cost.

i love Scott Rolen & would be doing cartwheels if he came to the Yanks, but what do u think we could offer to get him other than our pitching talent that we'd want to hold onto? i don't see the Cards jumping at any offers of guys like Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo or Sean Henn.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by VDesai:

One option that Newsday brought up for 3b was Scott Rolen. Rolen's been hurt the last few years, and is owed 36 mil over 3 seasons. But he's the best defensive 3b in the game and his range to his left is as good as anyone in the league (good cause Jeter doesn't go to his right that well). If healthy he's a very good hitter too. Because of the injuries and contract he won't cost much in terms of prospects. Mostly a cash cost.

i love Scott Rolen & would be doing cartwheels if he came to the Yanks, but what do u think we could offer to get him other than our pitching talent that we'd want to hold onto? i don't see the Cards jumping at any offers of guys like Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo or Sean Henn.

Rolen has been injured a lot lately, he wants out, and I'm sure LaRussa wants him out as well. I think all it would take is paying most of his salary and a second tier prospect(Alan Horne, Humberto Sanchez, Ross Ohlendorf and Jose Tabata).