The offseason

[David Goodman]

Let's talk about all the offseason news, rumors and ideas here.

[jumbo]

Reporter cries over Yankees loss
Posted: Wednesday October 10, 2007 06:25AM ET
Suzyn Waldman was unapologetic Tuesday for choking up and sobbing briefly in her report Monday night on WCBS-AM after the Indians knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs. "That's who I am," she said. "It's unusual, but not for me. I am emotional. I'm a conduit between the players and the fans, and everyone was crying."--New York Times


Yankees: No deal if A-Rod opts out
Posted: Wednesday October 10, 2007 06:48AM ET
Brian Cashman reiterated his stance yesterday that the Yankees would not pursue Alex Rodriguez this winter if the third baseman opted out of his deal, as the Bombers would lose the $21 million due from the Rangers toward the $81 million remaining on the final three years of the contract.--New York Daily News


No hometown discount for A-Rod
Posted: Wednesday October 10, 2007 06:43AM ET
Forget about Alex Rodriguez giving any significant discounts to the Yankees. In fact, his agent, Scott Boras sold his top client not only as Babe Ruth, but also as a TV star with as much value to a regional sports network such as YES as Jerry Seinfeld once had to NBC. And Boras also slyly noted that among the organizations that run regional sports network are the Yankees' main two nemeses, the Mets and the Red Sox, and that the Angels are considering starting one next year. The Angels have been heavily linked to A-Rod should he opt out of his contract. Boras clearly is aiming to outdo Rodriguez's current 10-year, $252 million contract. Boras has indicated in the past that the first $30 million-plus-a-year player is near.--New York Post


Front-runner for Yankees job
Posted: Wednesday October 10, 2007 06:29AM ET
If George Steinbrenner lets manager Joe Torre go, as expected, most people around the team believe the front-runner to succeed him is the bench coach, Don Mattingly. Others believe Joe Girardi has a chance, and Tony La Russa -- like Lou Piniella last year -- is the biggest name on the managerial free-agent market. Steinbrenner will seek opinions on whether to offer Torre a new contract, but his public decree before Game 3 of the division series -- that Torre would lose his job if the Yankees lost the series to Cleveland -- resonates.--New York Times

[jumbo]

Steinbrenner will listen to sons
Posted: Thursday October 11, 2007 05:32AM ET
Now 77 years old and uneasy in public, George Steinbrenner is depending more than ever on input from his sons, Hank and Hal. The decision on retaining Joe Torre is his, and his opinion is clear: he wants Torre gone, just as he did last year, as punishment for another first-round playoff loss. But if Steinbrenner were truly the same as ever -- as it seemed last weekend when he decreed that a loss to Cleveland would end Torre's 12-year tenure -- he would have already dismissed him. The aging Steinbrenner is different. He seeks a consensus and is more open to hearing other opinions; or, perhaps, he is simply more malleable. Hank and Hal Steinbrenner will be instrumental in deciding whether the job should be offered back to Torre or offered to someone else, like Don Mattingly, who is their father's first choice.--New York Times


Yankees tell media to back off Joe
Posted: Thursday October 11, 2007 05:52AM ET
Joe Torre might have managed his final Yankees game Monday night, but the team nonetheless acted yesterday and Tuesday to move persistent newspaper photographers and TV camera people off his lawn and driveway. When the clubhouse opened Tuesday, Jason Zillo, the team's director of media relations, said he told the news media that their photographers and camera crews had to leave Torre's home. He said he told them that if the scene were repeated, their clubhouse access for yesterday would be revoked. As a courtesy, the clubhouse is usually opened for two days after the Yankees' season has ended.--New York Times


Torre to manage Cardinals?
Posted: Thursday October 11, 2007 08:20AM ET
Best bet is that Joe Torre's next stop as manager will be the St. Louis Cardinals.--St. Paul Pioneer Press


Torre verdict may sway Rivera
Posted: Thursday October 11, 2007 07:31AM ET
When the verdict on Joe Torre comes down, it will almost certainly have repercussions on the potential re-signings of other Yankees free agents, particularly Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. The Phillies seem like a leading candidate to bid for Rivera. They need a closer, have the financial resources to join the bidding, and would be a likely playoff contender again.--Newark Star-Ledger

[jumbo]

Boras: A-Rod worth 12 years, $360M
Posted: Friday October 12, 2007 06:19AM ET
According to agent Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez getting a 12-year deal isn't out of the question and painted a picture where the team committing a dozen seasons to his client would make money with Rodriguez. Asked if Rodriguez was going to seek a 12-year deal, Boras didn't deny it. And since it's generally been assumed that Rodriguez, 32, will be looking for $30 million a year, that's a whopping $360 million.--New York Post


Mrs. Clemens: It's time to retire
Posted: Friday October 12, 2007 08:32AM ET
Roger Clemens, speaking to two Houston TV stations at a golf tournament yesterday, was noncommittal when asked if he would play next season. Clemens' wife, Debbie, seemed much more certain that her husband was finally ready to call it a career and begin his five-year waiting period before Cooperstown comes calling. "I think he's ready to do the barbecue and come home," Debbie Clemens told KRIV-TV. "I think it will be hard for him to play a little bit. He's been such a workaholic and he's really put his heart and soul into baseball. But I just think it's time."--New York Daily News


Piniella would listen to Yankees
Posted: Friday October 12, 2007 06:57AM ET
If the Yankees fire Joe Torre and give Lou Piniella a ring, the Cubs' manager definitely would listen. No matter how much Piniella talks about Cubbie swagger and loving Chicago, he will never shed his Yankees pinstripes. For a man winding down a Hall of Fame-caliber managerial career, he would have to at least consider the possibility. And so would the Cubs.--Chicago Tribune


Signs that Torre will return to Yankees
Posted: Friday October 12, 2007 06:09AM ET
If the Yankee brain trust can't agree on an alternative to Joe Torre next week in Tampa, and Torre wants to take a paycut, there is a chance Torre could return for a 13th year as the Yankees' manager. There are signs that Torre will be brought back since some members of George Steinbrenner's Inner Circle want to invite Torre to the organizational meetings. If he was a lock to be fired, that wouldn't be discussed. The popular belief inside the Yankees' offices is that Steinbrenner made it difficult to fire Torre when he popped off last Saturday with the Yankees down 2-0 to the Indians in the ALDS. Had The Boss kept quiet, the Yankees could have conducted their business without having to hear the players' love for Torre.--New York Post

[mpep]

Why would anyone want Torre near the organizational meetings even if he was being rehired? He's a horrible judge of talent.

[David Goodman]

I fear we are going to see a repeat of last offseason.

[jumbo]

Torre's future tops Yankees agenda
Posted: Monday October 15, 2007 07:39AM ET
Asked to handicap Joe Torre's chances of remaining the Yankees manager, an organization voice said it was impossible because nobody knows what will come out of tomorrow's Legends Field sit-down between decision-makers from the team's New York and Tampa families. Talk to Yankee employees long enough and ask them their gut feelings on Torre's future and they predict he returns. Yet, nobody is guaranteeing that.--New York Post

[jumbo]

Mattingly doesn't want Yanks job
Posted: Tuesday October 16, 2007 06:48AM ET
Yankees bench coach Don Mattingly has told a member of the Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Joe Torre, according to a friend. The friend, who requested anonymity because the situation is unresolved, said he spoke directly with the former Yankees great in recent days. Mattingly's stance could open the door for the Yankees to bring back Torre for a 13th season because he was the leading candidate for the job.--Newark Star-Ledger


New Yankees pitching coach
Posted: Tuesday October 16, 2007 08:50AM ET
Should Joe Torre return, Don Mattingly would remain the bench coach, while Tony Pena and Larry Bowa likely would return as the first- and third-base coaches, respectively. Ron Guidry appears to be on the outs, with Dave Eiland - who worked with the team's young pitchers at Triple-A last year - the leading candidate to take over.--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Silence doesn't bode well for Torre
Posted: Wednesday October 17, 2007 07:44AM ET
There are three ways to look at this non-announcement on a day in which Yankee legions had great expectations of a momentous decision coming out of Tampa -- none of which would seem to bode particularly well for Joe Torre. No. 1 is that either the powers-that-be -- and in this case that would be George Steinbrenner, his two sons, Hal and Hank, his son-in-law Felix Lopez, team president Randy Levine, chief operating officer Lonn Trost and GM Brian Cashman -- really haven't been able to come to a decision on Torre; No. 2 is that they have reluctantly decided to bring him back but are letting him sweat a little more, and No. 3 is they have decided to begin the Don Mattingly era but still need to figure out a seamless, kindly way to execute this transition.--New York Daily News


Girardi won't talk about Torre
Posted: Wednesday October 17, 2007 07:42AM ET
Joe Girardi was on the hot seat last night, and you could see him squirming. That's the way it is when your name has surfaced as a possible successor to Joe Torre. Girardi, a Fox Sports and YES analyst, appeared on Fox's ALCS Game 4 pregame show. He mentioned Torre's name, but only in the context of the Yankees' 1996 World Series run. He was never asked about the possibility of replacing Torre. Well-embedded TV moles said Girardi made it clear to Fox execs that he was "extremely uncomfortable" about addressing the Yankees' managerial situation.--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Red Sox helping Torre's case?
Posted: Thursday October 18, 2007 07:38AM ET
The Red Sox are helping Joe Torre and it has nothing to do with the support from David Ortiz. Suddenly Boston resembles the Yankees, right down to losing three of four to Cleveland so far this month. In the ALCS, the Red Sox have had too many automatic outs, too much unreliability from veteran starters and have been unable to shake that horrible mojo that worsens in October when momentum flees.--New York Post


Yankees risk losing A-Rod
Posted: Thursday October 18, 2007 05:28AM ET
At Yankee Stadium last week, Brian Cashman said he would recommend to ownership that the Yankees not chase Alex Rodriguez if he opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent. The comment seemed to hedge on his previous statements, putting the onus on George Steinbrenner to agree with Cashman's stance. Over two days of meetings in Tampa, Fla., Cashman made his point. Steinbrenner and his sons, Hank and Hal, agreed.--New York Times


Torre decision may hinge on cost
Posted: Thursday October 18, 2007 05:25AM ET
Ten days after they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, the Yankees have still not announced whether Joe Torre will be asked to manage next season. But it is clear, after their two-day organizational meetings, that they are not ready to cut ties. If the Yankees had decided to dump Torre, announcing it would have been easy. A decision to keep Torre is trickier. Retaining him at his present salary is different than keeping him at a lower one.--New York Times

[David Goodman]

Thanks for all the articles Jumbo.

[jumbo]

Six playoff moves that haunt Torre
Posted: Saturday October 20, 2007 07:53AM ET
Since Joe Torre was ultimately judged on his team's postseason record, here is a quick rundown of the critical move in each losing playoff series for the past six years: Leaving Orlando Hernandez in to start the eighth inning of Game 2 of the 2002 division series against the Angels. Using Jeff Weaver in Game 4 of the 2003 World Series in Florida. Benching Kenny Lofton for Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS against Boston. Starting Bubba Crosby in center field in Game 5 of the 2005 division series in Anaheim. Dropping Alex Rodriguez to eighth in the batting order for Game 4 of the 2006 division series in Detroit, without telling Rodriguez first. Not stopping Game 2 of the 2007 division series against Cleveland when the midges swarmed Joba Chamberlain.--New York Times


Yankees new front-office villain
Posted: Saturday October 20, 2007 08:01AM ET
Now the Yankees are run by a tangle of titles, by a couple of Steinbrenner sons and a gaggle of in-laws and headed by a professional politician named Randy Levine who never has made any pretense about the fact he is unconvinced that Joe Torre personally hung the moon in the night sky. Torre always believed the harshest postgame questions asked by the Yankees' own state-run network originated in Levine's office. will be the new villain. He will be the new target. He will be the one that Yankees fans point to if the man selected to replace Torre turns out to be anything less than a cross between Connie Mack, John McGraw, Joe McCarthy and Miller Huggins - none of whom, for the record, ever managed a team to the postseason 12 consecutive years.--New York Post


Yankees reach out to candidates
Posted: Saturday October 20, 2007 08:04AM ET
The search for Joe Torre's successor is officially underway, with three familiar faces already getting calls from Brian Cashman yesterday. The general manager reached out to Don Mattingly, Tony Pena and Joe Girardi, informing each that the team wanted to interview them as potential replacements for the man who won four World Series and led the team to 12 playoff berths in as many seasons at the helm. Mattingly is considered by most to be the front-runner, though unlike Pena and Girardi, he has no managerial experience.--New York Daily News

[mpep]

Six playoff moves that haunt Torre-while not complete (using Gordon in the blow-out in game 3 in 2004 is another obvious one), that's quite a list. Other things that could be on that list would be the regular season misuse and abuse on the BP leading to a used up set-up pitcher(s).

[jumbo]

Steinbrenners want Mattingly
Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 07:43AM ET
The Steinbrenner family's top choice to follow Joe Torre will be the first person interviewed for the vacant Yankees' manager's job. Don Mattingly will meet with Yankees brass this week in Tampa, Fla., to talk about replacing Torre. Though the team will interview other candidates - Joe Girardi and Tony Pena have been told they are on the list - George Steinbrenner and sons Hal and Hank want Mattingly to be the next Yankees manager, according to Tampa whispers.--New York Post


Yanks to make A-Rod offer
Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 07:47AM ET
Despite not having a manager, the Yankees are preparing to make an offer to Alex Rodriguez soon that they hope keeps their third baseman and cleanup hitter away from free agency. The Yankees believe they can make Rodriguez a solid offer while taking advantage of the $23.1 million they receive from the Rangers in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The offer isn't expected to approach the $300 million range or be for a dozen years, something agent Scott Boras predicts is available to his client, who next month figures to notch his second AL MVP award in three years. Yet, the Yankees shouldn't expect Rodriguez to jump at whatever the offer is.--New York Post


A-Rod's contempt for Yanks candidate
Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 08:40AM ET
It's hard to believe the Yankees would seriously consider bringing back Buck Showalter. If they did that, they could offer Alex Rodriguez a 35-year, $3-billion extension beyond 2010 (for an annual average value of almost $79 million per season) and A-Rod probably would turn it down, so strong is his contempt for his former Rangers manager.--New York Newsday


Secrets of Yankees road trips
Posted: Sunday October 21, 2007 07:59AM ET
Joe Torre has often been called a player's manager, but when the Bronx Bombers were on the road, he wanted to be as far away from them as possible. And while George Steinbrenner spent huge sums on player salaries, Yankee management routinely docked the paychecks of Torre and his athletes for the most picayune expenses.Take the instructions team execs gave to out-of-town hotels, telling them when they booked Torre's room to remember that he wanted "no players on same floor." They also reveal Yankee management had a penny-pinching policy toward expenses racked up by the manager and other team members on the road. After one road trip, traveling secretary David Szen sent a note to the Yankees' payroll department. "Please deduct $84.38 from Joe Torre's next paycheck," Szen wrote. "This is for the cost of incidentals at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore."--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Steinbrenners to talk to A-Rod
Posted: Monday October 22, 2007 06:58AM ET
The Yankees are making plans for a face-to-face meeting with Alex Rodriguez in the hope they can persuade their All World third baseman and cleanup hitter to stay in The Bronx and not opt out of his contract to become a free agent. Asked if there were an offer on the table from the Yankees, agent Scott Boras didn't say yes or no but explained Rodriguez wasn't interested in talking financial terms until he hears from Hank and Hal Steinbrenner about the direction George Steinbrenner's sons intend to take with the Yankees.--New York Post


Yanks to interview Girardi first
Posted: Monday October 22, 2007 07:03AM ET
Don Mattingly is still perceived as the favorite to replace Joe Torre as Yankees manager, but the order in which the team will interview candidates has been altered. Joe Girardi will go first today, ahead of Mattingly, who likely will talk to the Yankees brass tomorrow. Tony Pena is slated to follow Mattingly. All three interviews are scheduled for Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., where club president Randy Levine spent the weekend preparing and where GM Brian Cashman will be on hand.--New York Post

[jumbo]

Yankees to confront Boras
Posted: Tuesday October 23, 2007 06:31AM ET
The Yankees will soon confront Alex Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, and the overriding issue is which side will back down first. Neither side accepts the other's premise. Boras does not seem to believe that the Yankees will remove themselves from negotiations if Rodriguez opts out of his contract and becomes a free agent. The Yankees are highly dubious that Boras can find a more lucrative contract than the one they plan to offer. In any case, Boras said, he is not interested in talking finances yet. He said he expected to sit down soon with the Yankees' hierarchy -- George Steinbrenner's sons, Hank and Hal; the team president, Randy Levine; and General Manager Brian Cashman -- to discuss the direction of the team as Steinbrenner, the principal owner, recedes. Eventually, the Yankees hope to deal directly with Rodriguez--New York Times


Girardi gains NYY support
Posted: Tuesday October 23, 2007 06:46AM ET
Don Mattingly, who served on Joe Torre's coaching staff for the past four years, is considered to have the inside track, but there are those inside the front office who are pushing for Joe Girardi.--New York Daily News


Yankees to spend big on Posada
Posted: Tuesday October 23, 2007 07:42AM ET
The Yankees plan to do what they can to keep Jorge Posada from hitting the open market, but it doesn't look like anything will happen before the team has completed its interview process for the open manager's job. Yankees sources said the organization hasn't begun substantive talks with Sam and Seth Levinson, the agents who represent Posada, but the team is said to be planning an offer of three years and about $40 million.--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Does Yankees GM favor Girardi?
Posted: Friday October 26, 2007 05:05AM ET
Yankess general manager Brian Cashman's superiors, notably Hank and Hal Steinbrenner and team president Randy Levine, did not like how they took the brunt of public criticism over the divorce from Joe Torre while Cashman mostly avoided blame. So Cashman's superiors have empowered him to pick the next manager with the understanding it will be rubber-stamped by the hierarchy. That leaves Cashman in a position of authority, but also a quandary. Cashman has long been viewed as favoring Joe Girardi and knowing George Steinbrenner has hoped to see Don Mattingly manage the team. So Cashman either has to go with his gut, which might mean defying The Boss' wishes, or make a decision he may not believe in wholeheartedly.--New York Post

[jumbo]

A-Rod's decision hinges on manager
Posted: Saturday October 27, 2007 09:12AM ET
Hank Steinbrenner could be making a tactical mistake by believing Alex Rodriguez's decision to stay or split won't be related to Joe Torre's replacement as Yankees manager. Rodriguez is gathering plenty of information and wants to hear from the Steinbrenner family on the direction of the franchise. He has told people he is very interested in who the manager will be before deciding whether to opt out of the final three years of his contract and become a free agent or sign a long-term extension and remain a Yankee.--New York Post


Steinbrenner endorsing Girardi?
Posted: Saturday October 27, 2007 07:41AM ET
Did Hank Steinbrenner endorse Joe Girardi early yesterday afternoon to replace Joe Torre as Yankees manager? It sure sounded that way when Steinbrenner spoke to reporters outside Legends Field.--New York Post


Yankees seek A-Rod sit-down
Posted: Saturday October 27, 2007 07:47AM ET
As Alex Rodriguez moved one day closer to his opt-out date, the Yankees were working to set up a face-to-face meeting with the third baseman. Hank Steinbrenner said yesterday in Tampa that he believes the meeting will take place "soon," though he added that A-Rod's situation had nothing to do with the team's timetable on its manager search.--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Steinbrenner doesn't want A-Rod
Posted: Monday October 29, 2007 06:15AM ET
Hank Steinbrenner may be new to the baseball business, but the eldest son of George Steinbrenner knows one thing: If you don't want to be a Yankee, the Yankees don't want you. That was Steinbrenner's message to Alex Rodriguez last night after he learned that the third baseman had opted out of the final three years of his contract, electing to become a free agent before the Yankees even had a chance to offer him an extension.--New York Daily News


Why Red Sox don't need A-Rod
Posted: Monday October 29, 2007 06:01AM ET
A-Rod has no value to Boston. Classless in his timing, the agent Scott Boras picked last night -- the Red Sox' evening -- to announce that his precious client, Alex, had opted out of his Yankees' deal. The Red Sox don't require A-Rod to complete them because World Series rings have a way of putting closure on fulfillment. "We're celebrating the World Series right now," Theo Epstein said of A-Rod's decision. Why ruin good karma by hiring A-Rod? He was once privately nicknamed the "cooler" by his teammates in Texas for his habit of turning a hot team tepid. He is known for dividing the Yankees' locker in 2006 with his stats-first attitude. He crossed a line on the Yankees' patience by fleeing for free agency.--New York Times


Yankees to hire Girardi today
Posted: Monday October 29, 2007 06:06AM ET
Joe Girardi was so impressive during a 10-hour interview last week in Tampa that he is likely to receive an offer to manage the Yankees today. When Brian Cashman makes his recommendation to the Steinbrenner family today, the GM is expected to ask Hank, Hal and George to accept Girardi as Joe Torre's replacement.--New York Post

[jumbo]

Boras' timing upsets MLB
Posted: Tuesday October 30, 2007 06:35AM ET
Scott Boras announced Alex Rodriguez was opting out of the final three years of his contract during Game 4 of the World Series, the Red Sox's clincher over the Rockies. Major league COO Bob DuPuy lashed into that decision in a statement. "We were very disappointed that Scott Boras would try to upstage our premiere baseball event of the season with his announcement," DuPuy's statement read. "There was no reason to make an announcement (Sunday) other than to try to put his selfish interests and that of one individual player above the overall good of the game." Boras, who said he made the announcement Sunday because he was traveling yesterday, conceded, "I should have been more sensitive."--New York Post


Marlin may wind up with Yankees
Posted: Tuesday October 30, 2007 07:25AM ET
The vacancy at third base for the Yankees could pave the path for trade discussions with the Marlins involving third baseman Miguel Cabrera who is gradually pricing himself out of Florida's moderate budget. If the Marlins trade Cabrera, the asking price will be steep. They would almost certainly demand top, young prospects in return for an All-Star hitter on a Hall of Fame career trajectory. One possible trade piece could be Melky Cabrera, the Yankees 23-year-old center fielder.--Miami Herald


Frontrunner for A-Rod is...
Posted: Tuesday October 30, 2007 06:41AM ET
The Angels are generally considered the frontrunner because he fits their top need (lineup protection for Vlad Guerrero) and with reluctant GM Bill Stoneman now out of the way, bold owner Arte Moreno could act.--New York Post


Mets may enter A-Rod sweepstakes
Posted: Tuesday October 30, 2007 06:16AM ET
When he was still a shortstop, Alex Rodriguez accompanied his agent, Scott Boras, to Game 4 of the 2000 World Series at Shea Stadium. He was also a free agent, and the Mets were interested -- very interested -- in signing him. The Mets were also believed to have the inside track. Although Rodriguez wound up in Texas, Omar Minaya, the Mets' assistant general manager at the time, did not stop coveting him. And there have been indications in recent weeks that the Mets may enter the Rodriguez sweepstakes. The last place in the world Rodriguez may wish to play is in New York, where he would be the subject of continuing harassment from Yankees fans.--New York Times


Steinbrenner's son flexes muscles
Posted: Tuesday October 30, 2007 06:09AM ET
From the moment Joe Torre volunteered his version of the events that led to his departure, Hank Steinbrenner could not have made it clearer that he was the one who orchestrated them. He could not have announced more assertively that the weepy sentimentalism of his father's twilight steerage was over if had he walked through Times Square with a bullhorn. When Hank Steinbrenner was not returning calls from reporters, he was initiating them. When he was not saying something rational, he was sounding a tad hysterical. Beginning with the tortured offer to Torre, he has presided over an organizational spectacle in the middle of baseball's premier events, no doubt exasperating the commissioner, Bud Selig.--New York Times


Yankees want Boston's Lowell
Posted: Tuesday October 30, 2007 06:02AM ET
As the Yankees move forward by picking Joe Girardi as their next manager, they are interested in Boston's Mike Lowell as Alex Rodriguez's replacement. Lowell, who was the most valuable player in the World Series, can become a free agent and is in excellent bargaining position. Despite the Yankees' interest, they are skeptical about whether the Red Sox would let Lowell, who is as steady and popular as any of their players, walk away.--New York Times

[mpep]

getting rid of Torre was great.

losing Arod is a killer-I find it hard to believe they wouldn't negotiate at all.

Big mistake.

[jumbo]

Rivera, Yanks want to deal
Posted: Wednesday October 31, 2007 06:12AM ET
Two days after Alex Rodriguez told the Yankees he was opting out of his contract without returning ownership's calls, another star Yankee showed up at the team offices in Tampa, Fla. It was Mariano Rivera, the free-agent closer, and the sides want to make a deal. The Yankees have made their initial offer to Rivera, who gave parameters of what he wants. Mostly, though, the meeting was designed for the sides to tell the other that they want to stay together.--New York Times

[jumbo]

Boras blames Rivera for A-Rod's woes
Posted: Thursday November 01, 2007 06:47AM ET
Scott Boras has made himself unusually available in the last few days, which means even he understands what a disastrous decision he made to upstage the World Series by leaking word of A-Rod's opt-out Sunday night. Apparently he feels it's his duty to try to stem the flow of venom aimed at his client from baseball and media people all over the country. But yesterday he only inflamed the situation by insulting the intelligence of Yankee fans and anyone else who paid more than casual attention to A-Rod's trials and tribulations in pinstripes. Boras made the mistake of trying to defend A-Rod's failures in the postseason as some sort of twisted media perspective that needed correcting. He even blamed Mariano Rivera as a cause for A-Rod's problems, which may be the height of desperation.--New York Daily News


A-Rod hopes Yankees reconsider
Posted: Thursday November 01, 2007 06:44AM ET
Alex Rodriguez's career in pinstripes came to an end when he opted out of his contract on Sunday night. Or did it? The Yankees have made it clear that they have no plans to bid on Rodriguez when free agency gets underway, but a source with knowledge of the situation said Rodriguez is hoping that the Bombers reconsider their stance.--New York Daily News


Pettitte won't follow Torre to L.A.
Posted: Thursday November 01, 2007 06:42AM ET
Andy Pettitte doesn't know if he's going to return to the Bronx next season, but the lefthander has no plans to follow Joe Torre to Los Angeles. Pettitte told a Houston television station yesterday that although he hasn't made up his mind about 2008, his only two considerations are a return to the Yankees or retirement.--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Jeter mum on A-Rod return
Posted: Friday November 02, 2007 08:20AM ET
Yankees captain Derek Jeter didn't lobby for Alex Rodriguez's return when given an opportunity during an interview with Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN yesterday. Jeter said nothing about whether he would want Rodriguez back, or if he was disappointed or wished Rodriguez had not opted out.--New York Newsday

[jumbo]

A-Rod wanted $350M for sit-down
Posted: Saturday November 03, 2007 07:45AM ET
To get their desired face-to-face meeting with Alex Rodriguez and his agent, the Yankees would have had to start the negotiations on a contract extension for the star third baseman with a guarantee of at least $350 million, Yankee sources say A-Rod's agent told them. Scott Boras, Rodriguez's rep, told Yankees GM Brian Cashman of the requirement in a conversation Oct. 25, the sources said. Three days later, during Game 4 of the World Series between Boston and Colorado, Boras announced that Rodriguez had opted out of the final three years of his historic $252 million contract.--New York Daily News

[jumbo]

Why A-Rod refused Yankees meeting
Posted: Sunday November 04, 2007 05:40AM ET
Alex Rodriguez wants to stay a Yankee -- albeit after proving his open-market value -- and has gone out of his way to make it possible for the Yankees to climb down from their posturing and match any offer. If the Dodgers can afford to pay the $32 million a year, can the Yankees -- the richest franchise in sports -- plead poverty? Now we understand why Rodriguez did not meet with the Yankees or return their calls. He did not want to give the Yankees an opening to make him a good offer, leaking the details to the news media.--New York Times


Sox considering Damon trade?
Posted: Sunday November 04, 2007 07:21AM ET
With Joe Crede recently cleared to perform baseball work, the White Sox's trade options for teams seeking third basemen could expand and pave the way for Josh Fields to return to third after playing left field for four weeks last season. One possibility is the New York Yankees, who could make leadoff batter/outfielder Johnny Damon available after picking up the $16 million option on Bobby Abreu.--Chicago Tribune

[jumbo]

Why Damon won't be dealt
Posted: Tuesday November 06, 2007 05:51AM ET
There is a lot of Johnny Damon-for-Joe Crede speculation. The Yanks, however, strongly indicated they feel Damon has greater value than Crede, who is coming off of back surgery that robbed most of his 2006 season and is a year from free agency with Scott Boras as his agent. With Alex Rodriguez gone, the Yanks envision having to, perhaps, manufacture runs more in 2008 and Damon is their most legitimate on-base/speed leadoff man. In addition, the Yanks felt Damon played much better as he got into better shape during last season. And they feel he will be in better condition to begin spring training in February than he was last year. Also, the Yanks think Damon became a well-above average defender in left and they may emphasize defense more in the post-Rodriguez world, as well.--New York Post


Girardi to mimic Showalter's style?
Posted: Tuesday November 06, 2007 05:34AM ET
Buck Showalter was watching television with some friends when he learned that Joe Girardi would succeed Joe Torre as manager of the Yankees. The reporter on the broadcast said that the intense Girardi might be more of a control freak than the focused Showalter, who preceded the laid-back Torre in the Bronx. Showalter was not flattered. Girardi never played under Showalter and barely knows him, but Girardi's managerial style has been compared to Showalter's approach. Both are savvy and detail oriented, and both like to be in control of every situation that affects their team.--New York Times

[jumbo]

Yanks' inside info on Cabrera
Posted: Wednesday November 07, 2007 07:12AM ET
The Yankees have interest in Miguel Cabrera. They also are in the unique position of having great insider information. The Yankees' new manager, Joe Girardi, was Cabrera's Marlins skipper in 2006. And inside information is needed on Cabrera since his reputation extends to more than elite young slugger. Teams express concerns about both Cabrera's love of nightlife and an expanding girth that might soon make him a first baseman or DH, though he is only 24. Yet, Girardi, despite his drill sergeant persona, was effusive about Cabrera.--New York Post

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Damon to stay with Yankees
Posted: Thursday November 08, 2007 05:46AM ET
Over breakfast with Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi yesterday, Johnny Damon learned he is the Yankees left fielder and leadoff man, and that will only change, Damon said, if "someone blows their pants off with an amazing offer." With Alex Rodriguez almost certainly gone, the Yanks are anticipating having to play a game built more around manufacturing runs and being sharp defensively. Damon is ideal under those circumstances.--New York Post

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Why Yankees don't want Tejada
Posted: Friday November 09, 2007 06:42AM ET
There were some rumblings the Yankees were interested in Miguel Tejada. But a person familiar with their thinking called that highly doubtful. Tejada has some association with the ongoing steroid investigation and the Yanks already have lived - unhappily - dealing with Jason Giambi. In addition, the Yanks are badly trying to avoid expensive, thirty-somethings that already are in decline. And, perhaps most important, the Yanks feel they have to emphasize defense at the position because they are trying to break in young starters and because they recognize that Derek Jeter's shortstop range has become so limited. They cannot be sure that Tejada can even make the transition from short to third.--New York Post