Last year’s performance by AJ Burnett was debatably good. Some thought his 13-9 record and 4.04ERA was underwhelming, while others, like myself, were just happy he made it through the whole season. He pitched 207 innings last season (third most in his 11-year career) but managed to reach career highs in walks (97) and wild pitches (17).

Whether you were happy or upset by his wild performance last year, you have to be happy with the end result: a World Series Championship. Although his post-season performance mimicked his erratic regular season routine, you have to admit that his 13 wins (second highest in his career) and 195K’s helped contribute to last years success.

Even I have to admit that at times he was hard to watch. His wild stuff mirrored that of Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn. And when he wasn’t throwing balls above the umpires head or into the dirt three feet shy of the plate, he was being hit all over the Grand Concourse. That would explain why in 2009 he allowed 25 HR (worst in his career) and 193 hits (seconds worst in his career). So while I often back him up and want people to give him credit, I also have to call him out when he stinks and in a couple of areas last season, he stunk.

Still, I’m glad we have him. He likes to win, he wins, and he knows his place. He has no beef being number two and knows CC is the main man in the Bronx. In fact, he is such a number two guy that he is adopting a new pitch into his repertoire after seeing how effective it was for Sabathia. Burnett told reporters in Tampa that he hopes to start working on a true change-up this season saying, “ All winter, I really harped on it. Watching CC [Sabathia] throw last year, being a power guy and how much he uses it, it just kind of opened my eyes a little bit. Why not work on something, you know?” (mlb.com)

The change-up would give him yet another strike out pitch. His curve ball is normally his go to pitch when he needs a big out. It is one of the better curves in baseball, when it works, but when it doesn’t Jorge has to block a lot of trash. This change-up would help speed up the appearance of his fastball and fool hitters expecting a curveball in the dirt. It would allow him to go deeper into games because of the different ways he could attack a hitter. It may even save some of his arm strength.

I have no idea if his change-up is going to work or if it is going to improve his performance but what I do know is this: Burnett won his second World Series last year putting up more than satisfactory numbers, he has made a lot of money and has a lot more guaranteed in the future, yet after all of that he is still looking to improve, he’s not settling. I like that. I like that he wants to win and win often. I like that he wants to be creative and powerful. That he wants to give his team and their fans something more. There are plenty of players out there who would take Burnett’s situation as an invitation to relax and collect a paycheck. I’m glad Burnett’s not one of them.

Spring training starts for the Yankees in less than 24hrs. So if you’re still debating the quality of Burnett’s 2009 season, while wondering what 2010 will hold, don’t forget to think about how that change-up could change all those curve balls in the dirt.

33 days until opening day.

Chan Ho Park has announced from his hometown of Seoul, Korea, that he has reached an agreement with the Yankees for a 1-year contract that is estimated to cost $1.2M–assuming he passes all his physicals.

The 36-year-old Park has racked up 16 seasons of experience in the MLB for 5 different teams (the Yankees will be his sixth).  Despite all of his experience on the pitchers mound, he might be best remembered for the spinning jump kick he gave then Angels pitcher, Tim Belcher, after Park was tagged out bunting. (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/133074/top_ten_baseball_fights/ clips of the top ten baseball fights, Chan Ho Park is Number 6 but enjoy the rest).

Park has never been able to repeat his performance from 2000 when he went 18-10 with a 3.27ERA for the Dodgers. While he did make it to his only All-Star game in 2001, his career has been lack

luster and full of mediocrity.  However to Park’s credit, he did perform well against the Yanks in the World Series last year pitching 3.1 innings allowing 2 hits and no runs.

Chan Ho Park is not bringing much to the table but I doubt anyone will be expecting much. It’s good to have a veteran long reliever in the bullpen to rescue those 15-4 after 4 inning games and to fill in as injuries occur. He’s a good cheap pick up.

Marcus Thames signed with the Yankees over the weekend, agreeing to a very moderate contract. At $900K for a season with no guarantees, you can’t really complain. Thames came up through the Yankee farm system back in 2002, but has spent the majority of his career as an every-other-day outfielder for the Tigers. He’ll be joining his former teammate, Curtis Granderson, this spring as the Yankees try and figure out who their every day outfielders are going to be. You can expect to find him coming in late in the game for a PH/defensive switch combo, or on days that other guys have off.

The Yankees have been willing to scrape the bottom of the outfielder barrel and are going to give no name guys like Randy Winn and Marcus Thames a shot at competing for spots. This is all thanks to Johnny Damon walking away from a 2-year $14M deal that the Yankees offered him at the end of last year.  Damon and his infamous agent, Scott Boras, felt Damon was worth more money and more years. Instead Damon found a 1-year contract worth $8M to play for the Tigers.

While it is more annually than the Yankees offered, it’s only for one year and in the long run I don’t see Damon getting a contract next year for more than $5M, leaving him with less money than the Yanks were offering. And I also don’t see the Tigers being able to compete for a Title this year so I’d have to imagine Damon is wondering just how much he should have listened to Scotty B.

These couple of last minute signings shouldn’t really surprise anyone. The Yankees love to load up on Outfielders and Bullpen pitchers. Thames will be battling for a starting position, but I doubt he’ll get it, just like I doubt Park will get that fifth starter spot that he could potentially be fighting for. But both of these guys can expect to be involved as the season goes on. Cashman doesn’t just sign people for fun; the Yankees will use these guys even if it’s just for an inning here and there.

It’s business as usual for the Yankees in Tampa.  41 days until opening day.

Mariano Rivera is 40-years-old this season and some people are beginning to think about who will replace him as the Yankee closer once his career reaches its inevitable end? Some think his age signals the beginning of the end of an impressive career. I’m not one of those people.

The idea that Rivera can be replaced is preposterous. Make no mistake: When Rivera decides to hang up his spikes, Yankee fans will feel it.  The idea that the Yankee organization will just take either Joba or Hughes and throw him into the closing role a couple years down the line is a little naive. You can’t just practice really hard and become a Mariano Rivera.

But before I get into how valuable Rivera is and how he’ll never truly be replaced or replicated, people have to remember that the term “age is just a number” has never been more relevant than when it refers to Mariano Rivera.

At 39-years-old Mariano threw just as many innings as he did when he was 27 (66 IP).  He struck out 72 batters, the fifth most he’s had in 13 years as a closer. And allowed 14 less hits than his career 162 game average of 62. What do all those stats and numbers mean? That he is just as effective today as he was in 1998 when the Yankees had arguably one of the best seasons in baseball history.

MO has done this throwing two pitches, neither of which is a product of a twisted, bent or flicked arm.  He has made a career out of throwing fastballs that cut–something that has been a lot tougher on opposing batters than on his elbow or wrist. While he did have shoulder surgery two winters ago, I think his performance last season, especially in the playoffs (16 IP, 1 ER, 14 SO and 5 SV), has shown any doubters that his shoulder is just fine.

I can’t help but think of Nolan Ryan and his ability to pitch until he was 46. Ryan pitched 27 seasons and spent the majority of his career flinging fastballs that helped him achieve 232 strikeouts in 204 innings in a season at the age of 43. At the end of his career, Nolan Ryan pitched 5,386 innings, 4,296 more than Mariano has thrown thus far in his career.

Nolan Ryan is just one example of athletes performing into their 40’s. Satchel Paige played from the age of 41-46 in the majors after an extensive and Hall of Fame career in the Negro Leagues and then later returned at the age of 58 to pitch 3 major league innings for the Kansas City Athletics.

And it’s not just baseball. Look at football, the sport with the shortest career spans, and you’ll find Vinny Testaverde who started 15 games at the age of 41 and 6 games at the age of 44. Or you can more closely compare him (age wise) to Brett Favre who just took the Vikings to the NFC Championship game at the age of 40.  Am I getting my point across yet?

Age can prevent a lot of athletes from continuing to perform, but not all of them. Mariano may have a 40-year-old body but he still performs like the 27-year-old who anchored one of the greatest baseball teams in baseball history. So while your sitting at the bar arguing over which youngster should get the nod to be the fifth starter and which one will head to pen to learn MO’s ways, don’t forget that MO isn’t done yet.

“I have a contract this year,” Rivera said to the media on Thursday. “That’s all I need to know.” If you think he’s done or ready for anyone to even talk about taking his spot you can forget it. And if you’re like the other half of the people fearing that his end is near, take a deep breath and realize that he’s got plenty of fight left in him and that he isn’t even the only 40-year-old closing in the majors (Hoffman).

Mariano is definitely in the midst of the second half of his career. His years are in some respect, numbered. But people have been confused and awed by him his whole career, so why should his age be any different. When you think about 40-years-old in baseball you think, “that’s old.” But when you think about 40-years-old and MO you realize, it’s just a number.

With 1 day left until spring training, I think we can finally say that the Joba rules are no more. After a tedious process that resulted in a mediocre performance and, to be fair a World Series ring, Joba will finally be relieved of his inning curfew.

Joba spent the better half of a season on strict pitching rules that limited his innings last season.  His limitations caused bar arguments and marathons of journalistic opinion bashing through out the second half of the season. His 160-inning limit (he pitched 2.2 innings less than that) was most comparable to the little league 3-inning rule.

The worst part of his inning constraint was how it affected his over all performance. I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again: they ruined his season. He was arguably one of the top starters in the American League up to the two-week period that he was forced to take off as the reins were pulled tight on his pitch count.

But this season, which starts in less than 24hrs, should be something different for the hefty cornhusker. Coaches around the Yankee’s spring training clubhouse have stated quite bluntly that the fifth spot in the rotation is up for grabs and Joba, Mitre, Gaudin and even Hughes are under consideration. Spring training will determine which one of these gentlemen gets the nod from Papa Girardi come April.

My money is on Joba to take that fifth spot, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Gaudin found himself starting games early in the season (Gaudin is undefeated as a Yankee, they are 6-0 when he starts).  No matter what the Yankee coaching staff says about having only five guys starting, I’d find it hard to believe that they won’t have 6 guys starting through April. So I’d be on the look out for Gaudin starting some games while the weather is cold and CC is going through in inevitable slow start.

Joba should secure that fifth spot early though, assuming everything goes according to plan. He has the pitches he needs and minus a few floating sliders that turn into gappers and still fastballs that find the seats, he should find himself not only owning that fifth spot but maybe even moving up a little.

The Yankees have always been about accumulating starting pitchers. And they have done it again this season. The signing of Javier Vazquez was a no brainer and it should work out a hell of a lot better than the first time the Yanks signed him.  They virtually added him to replace the injured Chien-Ming  Wang who the Yankees let go despite an impressive mid-decade resume. But coming off a plethora of depressingly poor starts, sandwiched between two serious injuries made Wang and obvious choice for release. Vazquez has a lot to prove to Yankee fans that only remember his playoff woes in 2004 (grand slam to Damon? yeah that was him), but I think he’ll have no problem keeping his ERA between 3.50-4.50 with a few more wins than losses if not a lot more.

Assuming Vazquez fits into the third spot nicely and Pettitte gives us similar veteran consistency to last year’s, the question surrounding Yankee starters will remain on who is number five going to be?

To be honest I wish Hughes wasn’t in the conversation. Having him set up MO was a joy to watch and a comfort to have. Hughes was a force to be reckoned with coming out of the bullpen and shouldn’t have a problem waiting another season before taking another crack at the starting position.

Allow me to get ahead of myself: Assuming Pettitte is pitching his last season this year, that would leave a spot empty in the rotation. You then move Joba up one spot with a full season under his belt, which leaves an open fifth spot to be filled by Hughes in the 2011 season. That would then save the Yankees from needing to sign a big name pitcher, which gives them money to contemplate signing another big offensive man or better yet, money to re-sign Jeter so he never plays in any other uniform. But again that’s me getting ahead of myself.

The off-season is coming to a close today, and tomorrow will jumpstart arguments over who should pitch in the fifth spot? Where Hughes should pitch? Is Gaudin worth considering? How great is this Jesus Montero fella? And when will we see him in the Bronx? So as spring training gets started we’ll take a look at all of these areas and find out if the Yankees will repeat in 2010.

1 day until pitchers and catchers, 47 until the season opener at Fenway.

The Yankees signed the switch-hitting outfielder, Randy Winn, signaling the end of their offseason spending. With less than three weeks until the Yankees welcome pitchers and catchers to their Tampa facilities, the Yankees have closed the door on any possibility of re-signing Johnny Damon.

The 35-year-old Winn has played 12 seasons in the Majors for three teams (Rays, Mariners and Giants), and has put together a decent resume that is highlighted by his speed, defense and a .286 batting average.  Winn, who is no Johnny Damon, agreed to a one-year deal that is worth approximately $2 million.

Since Damon turned down a 2-year, $14 million offer made by the Yankees towards the end of their World Series season, the Yankees have had to look elsewhere to find a cheaper way to add depth to their outfield and fill the rather large hole left by the absence of Damon’s powerful and relentless bat. Winn does 1 of the 2.

Thanks to the trade for Javier Vazquez and a stricter budget, the Yankees were left with only three people to play the outfield: Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher, and newly acquired Curtis Granderson. This isn’t enough outfielders for any MLB team let alone the Yankees, who often find themselves with a plethora of mediocrity in the OF. Until Winn joined the Bombers yesterday afternoon, the Yankees were looking to rely on two Rookies as outfielding cushion.

This signing isn’t really as good as it is necessary. Winn can’t even try and compare to Damon’s offensive production. Despite a surprisingly high career average, his power numbers leave a lot to be desired. Excluding a 2004 season when Winn hit a combined 20HR for two teams, Winn hasn’t done much offensively to get pitchers shaking in their spikes. Not to mention his lack of experience in the post-season (he’s never been).

He is a speedy guy but not very. His season high for stolen bases was 27 back in ’02. And while I do expect Girardi to be aggressive with him when he gets on base, we have to remember two things: he’s not as fast as Gardner (no even close) and he turns 36 this year (with age comes loss of speed).  Although it’s nice to have a quick guy who can hit from both sides of the plate, the fans have to remember that the Yankees are getting what they paid for.

I’m sad that Damon won’t come back and play another couple seasons as a Yankee. It stinks that he chooses to listen to Scott Boras and his swollen bank account, but I’m not surprised that he did. However I am surprised, and relieved, that Hal Steinbrenner stuck to his budgetary guns. He said they’d start the season with a smaller payroll that wouldn’t break $200 million. And unlike his father he actually did. I’m happy Hal didn’t bow down to Damon and offer him what he wants because I doubt any other team will offer him more than $14 million over two years. I hope the best for the money chasing Damon, but I’m ready to move on if he is.

The Yankees only have a few weeks before they start spring training and their team looks to be set. There is always room for a surprising Rookie (especially in the bullpen) but for the most part all the invites to Tampa have been sent out. I’m excited to see if the newly signed Yankees will be an improvement or a mistake. I think it’s obvious that the Yankees have improved defensively by removing Damon from the outfield alone.  Granderson and Winn could play a better left field with a goldfish net.

Damon’s bat however, will be missed greatly. Countless times through out the season and post-season Damon would battle back from an 0-2 or 1-2 count and end up getting on base and starting a rally. He had a cockiness with two strikes that would make Chad Ochocino blush. And his ability to hit when the pressure was on can’t be matched by any of his replacements; just ask Boston.

Girardi is going to have to spend a lot of time this spring figuring out who hits in the two-hole now that Damon is gone. Whoever that is…good luck.

20 days until pitchers and catchers.

Except for the announcement of Derek Jeter becoming engaged to his gorgeous “Friday Night Lights” girlfriend, Yankee Land is pretty quiet. There hasn’t been any pocket-emptying free agent signings or jaw-dropping trades. The real estate agents of Nassau and Westchester Counties can take a seat; the Yankees aren’t bringing any big named house-hunters to the area. It’s been silent in the Bronx.

But please don’t let the silence fool you. The Yankees have been busy doing something very unYankee-like; signing players they already have to small contracts. I know, crazy right? It’s true. Since the December trade for the return of Javier Vazquez, the Yankee have quietly re-signed Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin and newly acquired Boone Logan (the Yanks got him with Vazquez but didn’t sign him until recently). These moves, while small and somewhat cheap, will have a great impact on the start of the 2010 season.

The question on everyone’s mind when the pitchers and catchers report in 4 weeks and a day, will be where does everyone belong? With the exception of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and MO, no one on the Yankees pitching staff knows where they’ll be come April.

First the Yankees will have to figure out if Javier Vazquez pitches before or after Andy Pettitte in the starting rotation. 2009 numbers would point to Vazquez being number 3, but anyone who remembers 2004 and Javier’s first try in Pinstripes would say it’s the other way around.

Personally I’d like to see Pettitte in the third spot for a number reasons. For starters, he earned it. Last season Petttitte muscled out many victories when the Yankees needed one, especially in the playoffs as he captured the most post-season wins in baseball history and contributed greatly to the Yankees 27th World Championship. Secondly, it would give the Yankees the perfect lefty-righty alternation, something heavily desired by the Yankee front office. Thirdly, Pettitte is a better Yankee plain and simple. I’d be shocked if Vazquez started the season at the number 3 spot, yet I wouldn’t be surprised if he found himself there come August.

Once they’ve figure out who is third in the rotation and who is fourth, they are going to have to decide, quite obviously, who is fifth. This decision will be tougher to make because there are a lot of guys fighting for the spot.

Joba Chamberlain started a lot of games last season but didn’t throw as many innings. Assuming his “rules” are over and done with, he should be unleashed as a starter for the beginning of the season. Before being messed with by his own front office (worked out though, they won the World Series, hard to complain anymore), he was one of the most electric starters in the American League. Unfortunately Mama Cashman and Papa Girardi got nervous and rested his little arm for basically the remainder of the season. I think the time to unleash Joba is now. You have to see if all this fine-tuning and pruning will help him live up to the hype. He showed he could start and win; now all they have to do is stop fixing what ain’t broke.

If Joba isn’t the no-brainer for the fifth spot that everyone thinks he is, then you have to start looking at Phil Hughes–the Yankees best set-up man since MO was the set-up man, Sergio Mitre–Girardi’s boy since his Marlins days, Alfredo Aceves—arguably 2010’s best long reliever in baseball (10-1, 84IP 3.54ERA), and Chad Gaudin—he went 2-0 for the Yankees as they went 6-0 in games he started.

If for some awful or unusual reason Joba isn’t the fifth man in the rotation I think Gaudin is the best choice considering his age (27 in March) and the fact that he wins. He hasn’t lost as a Yankee and since this is baseball and he will lose eventually, I have no problem jinxing that fact. Gaudin has only won as a Yankee, what else could they want out of a fifth starter? Although Aceves and Hughes had dominating years in the bullpen I don’t think either would transfer well as starters. At 23-years-old Hughes has plenty of time to start. And with Pettitte getting older the Yankees know they’ll have space for another young arm somewhere down the line.

Aceves is too valuable as a long reliever to move to a starting spot and Mitre just isn’t very good. I like Aceves as the janitor, cleaning up accidents left by Yankee starters and I like Mitre as an only-when-necessary man. The obvious choice for a fifth starter is Joba, and then Gaudin or Hughes, in that order.

It’ll be fun to pay attention to Tampa this March and see who is proving themselves as a starter for the season. With Melky being traded and Nady asking for too much, the outfield decision is made; Gardner will play right and Swisher will play left. The only offensive questions are where to hit Granderson and who will hit 2nd. My guess is Swisher until he slumps hard again, if not him who knows? With Granderson’s inability to hit lefties and massive strikeout count it can’t be him.

Although it’s still pretty cold and the Super Bowl is on everyone’s mind, baseball is really just around the corner. Think 75 and sunny New York, it’ll be here soon.

The Milkman, Melky Cabrera, is delivering elsewhere next season thanks to the 5-player trade between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees. The 25 year-old centerfielder had 4 full seasons with the Yanks, a better than average arm and a knack for getting key hits. He was a fan favorite in the Bronx and was the subject of many nicknames and a lot of John Sterling wordplay.

Of the three players the Yankee gave up–Arodys Vizcaino, Mike Dunn and Melky Cabrera–Melky is definitely the most recognizable for Yankee fans. But who they got, Javier Vazquez, should sound almost as familiar. Vazquez was a part of the biggest Yankee meltdown in baseball history and was greatly responsible for the “up 3-0 collapse” against the Red Sox.  His numbers for the Yankees that season were: 14-10, 4.91ERA and 150 K’s (Least amount of K’s for a complete season in his career) and included a post-season ERA of 9.38 in only 11 innings.

While those numbers don’t really jump off the stat sheet there is something to keep in mind when thinking about Vazquez: he’s coming off the best season of his career.

The Yankees went looking for a 4^th man in the rotation type starter immediately following the trade for Curtis Granderson. By trading for Vazquez they did that and then some. Vazquez finished the 2009 season 4^th in Cy Young votes despite not making the all-star team. His 15 wins is as many as the eventual Cy Young winner possessed  (Matt Lincecum SF) and was the second most in his 12-year career. In fact the 2009 season boasted career bests for Vazquez in 12 categories including ERA (2.87) and Strikeouts (238).

This is a tough trade to stomach for a Yankee fan because as much as one likes Melky’s attitude, approach and control under pressure, I think they’ll like Vazquez even more if he snags 15 wins with a sub 3.00 ERA again.

With the trade of Melky you have to assume that the Yankees are either going to find a way to sign Damon (let’s hope so) or Holliday (let’s hope not). If you are to believe the Yankees when they say they don’t want to go over budget, then Holliday is defiantly off the table. He’d be too expensive; what ever he would have asked for would have been too much.

So this brings the Yankees back to talking with Mr. Boras and his client Jonny Damon. Damon has screwed teams he has won for before so I wouldn’t be surprised to find him in another uniform at the start of the 2010 season. But like a cocky yet naive Yankee fan, I hope that the aura of the Bronx is too much for him to resist. He is arguably the best 2-hole hitter in Baseball and can turn any 0-2 account into a 15 pitch marathon ending in a single. He has a lot of fans in New York but he had even more in Boston so nothing will surprise me at this point.

If Damon doesn’t end up coming back and the Yankees do end up pinching their pennies then the Yankees are stuck with what they got. Which right now is: Swisher, Gardner, Granderson and who ever took Austin Jackson’s spot as talented OF prospect. That would be interesting for the Yankees. A team that normally has more outfielders than they know what to do with.  But if you know the Yankees then you know they won’t be starting the 2010 season with only three big league outfielders, budget or no budget.

All in all I like this trade but I’ll miss Melky. I’m not shocked that he is leaving but I am sad to see him go. He played well in pinstripes and managed to get the NYC crowd on their feet on more than one occasion. When everyone doubted the Yankees, saying that the Angels were their kryptonite, just remember that is was Melky Cabrera who got the rally starting hit against the Big Ugly (John Lackey) in the 7^th inning of game five. It was Melky who hit .391 in the 2009 ALCS when everyone else in pinstripes not named Alex Rodriguez was hitting under .300 to help propel the bombers past their foes.

Melky may not be put into the elite club of Yankee centerfielders but for 5 seasons he was a real New York Yankee and after seeing many players come to the Bronx, try and fail, that’s saying something. There are plenty of big name center fielders that you’d rather have over Melky Cabrera, but with 2 outs late in the game there aren’t many I’d rather have instead.

One of the biggest stories in baseball at the moment is John Lackey signing with the Boston Red Sox. This is big news in the AL East division that seems to have 3 or 4 of the top 10 pitchers in the majors, if not more. Lackey gives the Red Sox a little more to work with next season when they try and take back the division from the World Champs. There is no question that he’ll make the Red Sox starting rotation stronger and uglier, but how much of a difference he make in the divisional race still remains unclear.

Lackey’s numbers in 2009 were less than spectacular. He was 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA. Those 11 wins are the fewest for Lackey since his second season back in 2003 and that 3.83 ERA is his highest since 2004. The 30-year-old ogre has had over 14 wins once (2007 19-9) and averages a hit an inning.

The Red Sox got a good number 3 man out of Lackey and while I think $85M is a lot of money for a player of his caliber, I can’t really say anything seeing as this is a Yankees blog. Putting Lackey behind Lester should be a no brainer for Boston as it gives them the ideal righty-lefty-right alternating flow. But the third spot is all he really deserves. He is very beatable and while he performed well at times in the playoffs his 3-4 career playoff record would tell us he’s not a big game pitcher.  Lackey is big, obnoxious, ugly and overrated…perfect for Boston.

The other popular starter that was available this offseason found a new home yesterday as well: Roy Halladay. He is the most talented player being sought after this winter, hands down. While it won’t be official until after the physicals are finished, it looks like Halladay will be a Philly next year and Cliff Lee will be a Mariner. I’m ecstatic to see Halladay leave and go bother someone else with his freakishly quick and dominate performances; assuming he’s still got it.

Some say this is the biggest trade baseball has seen in two decades and they may be right. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports said “Not since 1990, when Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez were dealt from Toronto to San Diego for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter – yes, the pipeline used to send superstars north – has a deal of such magnitude gone down.” These are two very talented All-Stars who have each won an AL Cy Young Award. They each have seasons with 22 wins and each have finished a season with an ERA below 2.60.  These guys are proven studs in the major leagues and make any team they go to infinitely better.

So as Halladay leaves the Yankees division, Lackey enters. If you had the choice of which pitcher you’d rather face on a regular basis you’d choose Lackey: no brainer. So while the Red Sox improve by getting Lackey, the division gets worse by losing Halladay. And since I didn’t think Halladay would make the Red Sox good enough to take back the division, you can imagine my feelings on the sAWks getting Lackey.

It may be the biggest trade in 20 years and although the sAWks just got a more than solid number 3 man in their rotation, none of this really affects the Yankees all that much. In fact the best things that could have happened, happened: the Yankees stayed out of the big name starter talk and are better for it.

Lastly but maybe most important to Yankees fans, is the loss of Hideki Matsui. Matsui has gone to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where I’m sure he’ll be accepted with open arms.  The 2009 World Series MVP and 7-year Yankee-vet has been an invaluable part of New York baseball since he first arrived. Godzilla was a Japanese baseball hero before he got off the plane back in 2003 and has since become a legend in Japan. I’m sure he’ll have a couple more years of success out in LA and there is no doubt that Japan will be thrilled to have him closer. It’ll be tough to not have that fixture in the line-up but his time was up in the Bronx. It’ll be weird to see him in the Angels uniform but you can expect to hear a huge ovation when he comes back to Yankees Stadium for the Yankees home opener, which is ironically, and now obviously, against the Angels.

Lots of commotion and plenty of big moves in the Major Leagues this week but nothing that really will soften the Yankees defense of the World Series trophy. Teams may have gotten better, but not better than the Yanks.

Andy Pettitte’s deal has officially been made with the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers signed the 37-year-old lefty to a one-year $11.75M contract. Pettitte will make more than double in 2010 than he did in 2009, not counting performance bonuses. I guess a stellar performance in the playoffs pays huge dividends.

The Daily News had some creative word play in this morning’s paper to make one think that the Yankees next move will be to go after Roy Halladay. But in reality the Daily News doesn’t have a freaking clue. Just below the Halladay is coming to NY propaganda article, there was another one that quoted a New York Yankee employee claiming they’ll be searching for a 4^th of 5^th starter and not another ace. Considering Pettitte’s deal is official and they already traded one of their two big minor league prospects (OF Austin Jackson) away to get Curtis Granderson I doubt the Yankees will be fishing for a Halladay holiday or willing to trade any more of their young guys, especially not Jesus Montero.

Other rumors in the world of Yankee fandom claim that the Steinbrenner’s have no desire to go over the budget of $200M. As of last night’s signing of Pettitte, the Yankees are around $180M. This gives them nowhere near enough money to grab Halladay and barely gives them enough (assuming a few million in breathing room) to sign Damon and a 4^th or 5^th starter. Although the Yankees have and will always be the biggest spenders in American sports, I just don’t think they’ll sign Halladay. But maybe that’s just because I don’t want them too. Then again this all is assuming the Yankees actually stick to a budget.

Talks in Indianapolis are coming to a close but that by no means indicates that the Yankees’ checkbook will be put away. In fact it doesn’t really mean much of anything. Keep checking in with us at gearupforsports.com and I’ll keep you informed.

The Yankees acquired centerfielder Curtis Granderson yesterday in a three team, block-rumbling trade: to call this a block-”buster” may be a little bit of a stretch. The Yankees buried any hope of resigning World Series MVP Hideki Matsui under only if they don’t resign Jonny Damon dirt. The Yankees have made many decisions with this one transaction and, as per usual, it has raised a lot of questions.

The first being: why go after a centerfielder now? The Yankees would like to improve at their centerfield position eventually but according to yesterday’s interview with Yankee GM Brian Cashman the Yankees were going to concentrate on “pitching, pitching, pitching and then left field.” I guess he lied. With rumors that Andy Pettitte is willing to resign, even just a one-year contract, I guess the pressure of getting another pitcher was relieved by the hopes of a trusty veteran’s return. I personally would have preferred they went after a middle of the pack starter for little money or nobody at all, but that’s why I watch the games from home in Queens instead of a luxury box with my name on the door.

Next you have to wonder if giving up Austin Jackson (or more like the fantasy of Austin Jackson’s future) was worth getting a centerfielder whose numbers have tapered in more categories than they’ve grown? I am a fan of developing your own prospects and watching them mature and have therefore been waiting for Austin Jackson for a few years. He had great numbers in AAA last year despite falling off slightly towards the end of their season. His power numbers may never be where the Yankees want them but after all the anticipatory hype that the Yankees doused his name in can you blame me for actually believing it? I guess you can; chalk it up to naivety.

Before I continue I should probably say I see no problem with giving up Ian Kennedy or Phil Coke. I could care less about Mr. Coke and I could take or leave Ian Kennedy who missed all of last season with an aneurysm on his armpit. Those two guys were easy to get rid of without anyone’s back losing skin. But you can obviously see I’m having trouble understanding giving up Jackson for Granderson. Some would say why keep the gamble when you could get a sure thing? But my question is: just how much of a sure thing is Granderson?

Mr. Granderson doesn’t have anything that pops out of his numbers sheet except for his 2007 season, which was no question, his best. That was the only year he hit over .300 (.302) he led the league in triples with 23 and had the same number of home runs, which complimented his career high in RBI’s (74) very nicely. That’s it. That is why the Yankees traded for him and if I were to stop writing you’d have lots of trouble trying to figure out why I’m so against it. But I’m not done writing.

While Granderson has led the league in triples twice (2007, 2008) he has also led the league in strikeouts with 174 in 2006. Since then he has consistently struck out at a 140+ rate per 162 games. In case those numbers don’t mean anything to you I’ll do some comparisons. Nick Swisher, who seemed to have struck out every other bat last season, recorded 126 strikeouts in’09 and led the team. Nick Swisher also finished the season with the same batting average as Granderson with .249. They had similar power numbers: Swisher had 29 HR and 82 RBI, Granderson had 30 HR and 71 RBIs). But what Swisher had that Granderson didn’t was 25 more walks and almost 50 more points on his OBP. Meaning what you could be getting in Granderson is a Nick Swisher who doesn’t get on base as much or produce as many runs and strikes out more; as for the triples Granderson only had 8 last year.

Yes. I am suggesting that Granderson peaked already. His eye popping numbers are over and I have little confidence that he knows what his is doing switching from Detroit’s baseball market to New York’s. Look, Granderson could come in here and impress every fan in the seats and at home. He could look like the 2006 Granderson of the WS Tigers. On the other hand Austin Jackson could have been the next great Yankee centerfielder. The hype could be real and the Yankees could have just blown it. I guess we won’t know until it happens, but what I do know is that we’ve given up a homegrown player with limitless potential for a guy who’s hit under .250 twice as much as he’s hit over .300.

This trade puts a lot of pressure on Damon and his people. With an already stacked outfield, the Yankees signed one more player making Damon less of a necessity. I want him back and wouldn’t waste much time saying sayonara to Matsui (not worth keeping now if you can keep Damon) considering Damon was arguably the most valuable 2-hitter in the majors last year. That being said he’s not worth what Scott Boras thinks he’s worth. I’m hoping this encourages Damon to sign with the Yankees quickly but I know Scott Boras will do what Scott Boras does and make this take twice as long. Damon’s bat is one of the more valuable on the open market lets hope it stays here.

The offseason has officially started in New York and I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings. I’m hoping it’s a signed contract by Andy Pettitte but we’ll wait and see.