From everything I've been reading in the papers and online since the Mark Teixeria signing, it appears less and less likely that the Yankees will bring back Andy Pettitte, even if he decides he can play for $10 million.   There comes a point when you need to stop spending, and the Yankees may have reached that point.   Pettitte was mediocre last season, and if he does not come back, it's not going to leave a gaping hole in the rotation.

I would really like to see Phil Hughes earn that spot in the rotation.   I still have high hopes for him, and he's still very young.   Ian Kennedy should be in the mix, if he's not traded.   Kennedy's going to be a useful pitcher, but he does not have the upside that Hughes possesses.   Alfredo Aceves could be a factor, after turning in a handful of solid starts last year.

Of course if the Yankees trade one of their outfielders, it's possible that they target a 5th starter in return.   However, I think they'd be better off trying to add a minor league bat.   If the Yankees don't sign Pettitte, they have players good enough to fill that 5th starter spot.   It shouldn't just be handed to someone, but I do hope Hughes earns it this spring.

The Yankees have reached an agreement to sign Mark Teixeira to an 8-year contract, for more than $170 million.   I've been hoping and praying it would happen, and my prayers have been answered.   With no good first basemen in the system, and little else available, the Yankees need Tex more than they need Sabathia.   Not only that, but the Red Sox will be unable to counter with a big signing, since Manny Ramirez is out of the question for them.  

I would bet money on the Red Sox now signing Derek Lowe, but make no mistake, this will be a gigantic blow to their plans.   And you can ,also now be certain that the Yankees will not be going after Manny Ramirez anymore.   The Yankees now have signed the two best available players this winter to monstrer contracts.

You can bet that the Yankee haters will be out in full force now, and I don't blame them.   But as a fan, I am thrilled beyond belief.   This will pretty much do it for the Yankees this winter.   They still need to get a 5th starter (probably will be Andy Pettitte, but if not, Phil Hughes might be given the job), but other than that, their team is set.   Nick Swisher will move to left-field, and Teixeira will likely bat behind A-Rod to form one of the scariest middle-of-the-order pairs the Yankees have had in generations.

Well as of right now, it looks like the Yankees will not be getting Mike Cameron.   When I first heard about this trade, I was intrigued.   But the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that it's for the best that we don't get him.   At this point, Cameron is a better centerfielder, and all-around player, than either Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner.   But at the same time, he's a lot older, and he makes a lot of money.   Do the Yankees really need another player in his late 30's in their everyday lineup?   I don't think they do.   I think a good playing time battle between Cabrera and Gardner will raise both of their games.   Cabrera's never going to be a great player, but I think he's better than what he showed last year.   And Gardner brings a lot of things to the table, even if he doesn't hit .300 with 20 home runs.  

The fact is, Mike Cameron strikes out a lot, and always has a low batting average.   As he gets older, eventually his power is going to go away too.   When that happens, he won't really be much better than Andruw Jones currently is.   The Yankees have enough guys on the team that strike out a lot, and don't get the high average.   They need to go back to the days of taking lots of pitches, and getting on base.   I'm not saying Cabrera or Gardner will do that, but using one of them will allow the Yankees to take the money they would spend on Cameron's salary, and use it to improve other areas of the team.

If Andy Pettitte doesn't sign, they could use the money they would have spent on him and Cameron, and put it towards a Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets.   Maybe they use it to help fund a Manny Ramirez pursuit.   Heck, maybe they use it towards Mark Teixeira (highly unlikely).   Cameron would improve the current team, but I'm convinced the money would be more useful improving the team in other ways.   If the Brewers would pay a large chunk of Kei Igawa's salary in a potential trade, then it's probably worth it.   But that apparently is not a possibility.   The Yankees don't need to be spending that money on another older guy.   It's not a huge commitment, and Cameron's still a good player, but the team does not need him.

According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, Andy Pettitte has a 3-year, $36 million offer on the table from a mystery team.   First, let's assume this is true.   Unless Pettitte has absolutely no desire to pitch beyond 2009, I think he takes this deal.   After refusing to give the Yankees a discount following the down year he had last season, I question his loyalty.   He has suddenly turned into a mercenary.   If that offer is really on the table, it doesn't matter what team it's coming from, Pettitte may very well take it.   The next question would be which team is offering him the money?   My guess would be either the Atlanta Braves or the Chicago Cubs.   I know the Dodgers are interested, but with all the holes they need to fill, I can't see them dedicating that much money to him.

The Cubs may be desperate for a starter after their trade talks for Jake Peavy went up in smoke.   They are rumored to be in on Randy Johnson, but Pettitte is a younger pitcher, who can go a little deeper into games.   The Braves missed out on AJ Burnett, and instead of spending a lot of money on Derek Lowe, they could view Pettitte as a cheaper alternative.   Could the Mets possibly be involved?   It's an interesting thought, but I would think they'd go for Oliver Perez first.   The Rangers would be an interesting team, as would the A's.  

Of course, this could all be a fabrication created by Pettitte's agent.   Maybe there is no real offer, and he's just trying to pressure the Yankees into raising their offer.   But if Brian Cashman is smart, and I believe he is, he will not raise the team's offer above the $10 million it's been reported as.   If Pettitte wants to go to the highest bidder, then the team will move on.   It's not like they don't have any players that did the same thing to their previous team.   If Pettitte goes, bet on Ben Sheets or Derek Lowe quickly being brought in as a replacement.

After getting A.J. Burnett, it seemed like the Yankees would be done spending the big money.   And if they did make another big-money signing, it would probably be for another pitcher, like Derek Lowe.   But George King has come out with an article in the New York Post today, quoting a Yankees official that said the Yankees may be going after Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez.   The official says that if the Yankees don't get Teixeira, they would go to a 3-year contract offer for Ramirez, for about $20 million a year.

I am almost certain they won't get Teixeira, not with the other offers that are supposedly on the table for him.   But I believe that if Manny gets a 3-year offer from the Yankees, he will jump at the opportunity. 
Without knowing him personally (thank god), I bet Manny would like nothing more than to be given the chance to punish Boston 18 times a year for the next 3 years.   Would the Yankees really be willing to put up with him for the next 3 years?   I think they would.   They have to believe that Manny will be out to show that he does not deserve his terrible reputation, and will be on his best behavior throughout the length of the contract.   The only thing they will need to worry about is finding a spot for him.   A trade of Xavier Nady does seem like the most likely scenario should they sign Manny.

If the Yankees really do end up offering that contract to Manny,  I truly believe he will take it.   I'm still not convinced that offer will be there though.   With all the money the Yankees are spending, I just don't see them offering up another $20 million a year for one player.   But, you never know.   I wouldn't be shocked to see Manny in pinstripes next year.   Stranger things have happened.

There's no doubt that A.J. Burnett is an immensely talented pitcher.   The problem is that he's hardly ever healthy enough to play a full season.   If he stays on the mound, Burnett will be an excellent signing for the Yankees.   But if (and when) Burnett gets injured, the Yankees need to make sure they can have someone step in, and not another Sidney Ponson or Darrell Rasner.   That man should be Phil Hughes.

Unless they can package him in a deal for Jake Peavy (which isn't going to happen), the Yankees need to hold onto Hughes. 
With all the money they're spending on pitching, Hughes is affordable, and still has massive potential.   Despite a down year, Hughes is still very young.   He was excellent in the Arizona Fall League this year, and reportedly got his velocity back.   Hughes could benefit from some time in Triple-A, and should be the first pitcher the Yankees call up if an injury occurs.

Just a year ago he was viewed as the one untouchable in a potential Johan Santana trade.   They cannot give up on him now.   He needs to be given the patience necessary to allow him to develop.   With Burnett and Joba in the rotation, there's a good chance that the Yankees will need a few starts from somewhere else at some point.   When that comes, it needs to be Hughes that is given that chance.

You would think the Yankees signing CC Sabathia would be enough to let the team relax for a while.   Apparently that's not going to be the case whatsoever.   Less than 24 hours after the team has reached an agreement with Sabathia, the Yankees are moving in hard on Derek Lowe and AJ Burnett.   There have been several reports on Lowe today, and depending on who you believe, the team is either very close to signing him, or just negotiating hard.   And now there's word that the Yankees have increased their offer to AJ Burnett to five years.   If they really are offering Burnett that much money (which I find ridiculous, but oh well, my opinion isn't really considered by Brian Cashman and the rest of the brass), then it's hard to imagine him signing anywhere else but the Yankees.   In fact, some people say that deal could be done by tomorrow.   If that's the case, it's hard to remember a team aquiring two starting pitchers with that much talent in such a short time span.

I think Burnett is a very talented pitcher, but 5 years is overkill.   Even the most optimistic fan can't expect him to be healthy for that whole contract.   And while he's older than Burnett, Lowe is a lot more dependable (physically), and I would much rather give him a 5 year deal.   Of course with the way the Yankees are suddenly spending, I wouldn't be shocked to see them wind up with both Burnett and Lowe.   The Yankees need to watch Sabathia's innings after the way he was treated last year, and with Burnett a constant health risk, Lowe would add a lot of stability to the rotation.

So much for the economy hurting everyone.   If the Yankees end up with their three big pitching targets, they will  be spending around $55 million a year to the three combined.   Will that kind of money guarantee success?   No, but it can't hurt.   The team tried to rely on offense in the last few years, and that didn't work.   With these guys they would have arguably the best rotation in baseball, and would be a good bet to return to postseason baseball.  

While the Yankees haven't made any moves during the winter meetings yet, they're apparently getting extremely busy on the pitching front.   Brian Cashman met with CC Sabathia for the second straight day, and the Yankees touched base with a couple other pitchers, including Ben Sheets, and are making a renewed effort to sign AJ Burnett.   It's unlikely the Yankees would end up with all three of those pitchers, but two of them are a distinct possibility.   According to reports the Yankees may offer Burnett a 4-year, $64 million contract.   It's still not the 5-year contract that Burnett is seeking, but it may or may not be enough to get Burnett to sign up.  

It has been assumed in the last few days that Burnett would end up signing with the Braves.   But maybe the Yankees are not confident that Sabathia will sign with them, and may jump in because they don't want to risk losing both pitchers.   Or, maybe the Yankees are envisioning the two pitchers dominating at the top of their rotation for the next few years.   But at the very least, it's becoming obvious that the Yankees are looking at many different solutions for their rotation, and it's hard to imagine that they won't end up with at least two of their top choices.

After weeks of waiting, I have reached the point where I'm not sure if I really want C.C. Sabathia to sign for the Yankees.   On the one hand, he's obviously the best pitcher out there, and better than any potential free agent starters that will be available in the next couple years.   He's arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now, and he's not 30 yet.   On the other hand, it seems likely that he really just doesn't want to pitch for the Yankees.   If that's the case, should the Yankees just raise their offer until he can't say no?   Do they really want a guy on their team for the next 6 years who really doesn't want to be there?   Is it really worth it?

So apparently Sabathia is going to meet with Brian Cashman tonight, at which point Cashman should have a better idea as to whether C.C. has any real interest in playing for the Yankees.   If Sabathia truly wants to play somewhere else, then the Yankees need to move on.   For arguments sake, let's say the team end up with Mark Teixeira, Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets and either Andy Pettitte or Oliver Perez instead.   The rotation would then be Wang, Lowe, Sheets, Perez/Pettitte, Chamberlain.   That is still a formidable rotation.   Teixeira and A-Rod in the middle of the lineup would help generate a lot of runs.  That team would easily be contenders.

I'm not saying that if the Yankees don't sign Sabathia, they'll be able to sign all those guys.   But Pettitte/Perez, and Lowe are already in the plans, regardless.   Then you're just using the money saved from passing on CC, and letting Abreu go to go after Teixeira and Sheets.   It's not out of the realm of possibility.   In a perfect world, Sabathia comes to the Yankees.   But if it doesn't happen, there will be other ways for this team to compete.  

There was a time when I was Andy Pettitte's biggest fan, but unfortunately, that time has run out.   Pettitte says he only wants to play for the Yankees, but he does not want a pay cut from the $16 million he made last year.   This is despite having a terrible second half, amidst concerns that his elbow is not in good shape.   The Yankees have apparently offered Pettitte $10 million, but that's not good enough for Andy.

Not only are there questions about how much he has left in the tank, and how healthy his elbow will be, but there also have to be concerns about just how much Pettitte really cares about being a Yankee.   Does he really think he's worth $16 million?   Does he actually think that any team, let alone the Yankees, will give him that kind of money?   Pettitte's unlikely to get $10 million from any other team in this economy.   And after the Yankees made every effort to stand by his side when his name came up in the Mitchell Report last winter, Pettitte owes it to the team.

So unless Andy changes his mind and accepts the original $10 million offer, the team should focus its efforts elsewhere.   Where?   How about Ben Sheets?   There have been occasional rumblings that the team is indeed interested in the talented, but oft-injured right-hander.   Sheets is extremely good when he's on the mound, as evidenced by the fact that he was the starting pitcher for the National League in last year's All-Star Game.   The problem has been that Sheets has not been on the mound often enough.   Injuries have plagued his career, otherwise Sheets would be in almost as high demand as CC Sabathia.

But the real question is: is Sheets any more of a question mark at this point than Andy Pettitte?   Sheets is 5 years younger than Pettitte, and is a much better pitcher than Pettitte.   Pettitte's elbow is just as much a concern to me as any of Sheets' injuries.   Would signing Sheets to a 2-year contract for $15 million a year, with an option for a 3rd year that kicks in if he pitches enough innings be much more of a risk than giving Pettitte the money he wants?   The Yankees can get away with taking that kind of risk, particularly if they sign another pitcher or two.   If they look at Sheets as a #3 or 4 starter, behind say, Sabathia and Derek Lowe, then they would have a potentially formidable rotation.   Then if Sheets does get injured, they could plug Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy into that spot.  It would not be a huge commitment in years, and for the Yankees, in money.  

If Pettitte wants to forget everything the Yankees have done for him, and refuse to back down on his commands, then signing Ben Sheets would not be a bad contingency plan.