On the Yankees beat

By Michael Axisa

It's been 19 days since the Yanks slapped a six-year, $140 million-contract offer down in front of CC Sabathia and his agent Greg Genske, but they haven't gotten so much as a counteroffer in return. While everybody but Sabathia has said he prefers the west coast and National League, no teams fitting that description have expressed interest in the burly lefthander now that the Angels' GM has debunked their reported interest. Nearly three weeks later, Sabathia is still looking at the same two offers; the Yanks' offer, and the Brewers' original $100M offer.

The Hot Stove League has been slow to develop this year, but the action has picked up recently in the wake of the arbitration deadline. After acquiring ex-Yank Javy Vazquez yesterday, the Braves have moved onto free agent righty A.J. Burnett today, reportedly preparing to offer a guaranteed five-year deal worth $15-16M per year. It's starting to reach the point that the Yanks can begin to apply some pressure to Sabathia's camp for a response.

None of the alternatives to Sabathia are as appealing as the Baseball America's Major League Player of the Year. Padres' GM Kevin Towers appears to be backed into a corner now that the Braves have moved on from acquiring Jake Peavy, and now may get stuck accepting a lesser package for arguably the most dominant starting pitcher in franchise history (similar to what happened with Bill Smith and Johan Santana last year), but there isn't any indication that Peavy will approve a trade
to the Bombers. Derek Lowe is also available, but Scott Boras isn't known for swift negotiations. Ben Sheets is hurt, Oliver Perez is extremely unappealing to an AL Team because of his astronomical walk total, and Jon Garland is nothing more than a innings eating Sidney Ponson (the difference between the two pitchers last year was one extra run every 64 IP). The Yanks don't want to get caught waiting around for Sabathia to make up his mind and have the rest of the quality pitching market pass them by.

With a need to acquire three starters (one of whom they hope will be a discounted Andy Pettitte) and the Winter Meetings set to begin in five days, the Yanks aren't in a position to wait around for Sabathia to dictate their offseason moves. Even if they just got an idea of which way CC was leaning, they could begin to move forward with the rest of their offseason plans. I'm not asking for Sabathia to sign today, just some dialogue would be nice.

Michael Axisa writes for River Ave. Blues and can be reached here.

By Joe Pawlikowski

During the latter portion of yesterday afternoon, I found myself engaged in the comments on my own blog regarding the Yanks decision to not offer arbitration to Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, or Ivan Rodriguez. The immediate, and predictable, reaction from the fans was that this move made little sense. Why forego the draft picks that we surely would have received when Abreu signs elsewhere? Why let Andy go for free? Why not try to get at least a little return from the Pudge deal?

On one level, these questions make sense. There had been an assumption around the Yankees fan base, and even in the media, that the Yankees would offer Bobby Abreu arbitration, thus securing a guaranteed first-round pick and a supplemental round pick. What this also assumed, though, was that Abreu would decline arbitration. Over the past few weeks, though, what was once a sure thing (Bobby receiving a multi-year offer elsewhere) has become less so.

Blame it on the economy. Blame it on teams not wanting a player in his decline who played arguably the worst right field in baseball. Any way you slice it, it's clear that there is little interest in Bobby Abreu. Four other corner outfielders on the market seem far more attractive
to teams in need: Manny Ramirez, Raul Ibanez, Pat Burrell, and Adam Dunn.

In other words, think of how many rumors you've heard this winter surrounding Abreu. The Cubs and Mets were said to be interested early, but that cooled off quickly. Both teams, it seems, prefer Ibanez, whose name has come up frequently in the Hot Stove rumors. Dunn, Abreu, and Burrell? Not so much.

Bearing this in mind, the primary reason for the team declining to offer Abreu arbitration is clear: They were afraid he'd accept. Brian Cashman explained this by saying the team wanted to control costs and be certain of their payroll and roster heading into 2009. If Abreu accepted arbitration, he'd be considered a signed player, meaning the Yankees would have to clear a 40-man roster spot for him. Further, they wouldn't know much about his 2009 salary, except that it would be at least $16 million.

Something tells me that this is $16 million they'd prefer to spend elsewhere. This isn't fact of course; I'm simply reading between the lines. By offering arbitration to Abreu, and to Pettitte for that matter, the Yankees would essentially be committing at least $32 million to two players in 2009. With so much money already tied up in their regulars -- A-Rod, Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Matsui, and Damon already add up to $106 million against the 2009 payroll -- they don't want to add another two players at $32 million. That could hamper the rest of their off-season plans, which revolve around CC Sabathia and what will probably amount to near $24 million per year if he's signed.

The $16 million figure certainly plays into the Pettitte situation. Many fans assume the team offered the lefty $12 million for 2009, but Joel Sherman claims that it was only $10 million. This makes sense; it's actually similar to the paycut Mike Mussina took after the 2006 season ($17 million to $11 million). Although he was guaranteed two years, it doesn't appear Pettitte, or the Yankees for that matter, are interested in such an arrangement. The Yanks want him for $10 million, and didn't want to end up going to arbitration with him over the extra $6 million. There is little doubt Andy would have accepted an offer.

Yes, the Yankees potentially lost out on a few draft picks. However, they might not have had those picks even if they had offered arbitration. If both Andy and Abreu accepted -- once again, both strong possibilities -- they would have lost payroll flexibility and still have missed out on the draft picks. It came down to risk vs. reward, and the potential reward, the draft picks, weren't worth the burden the team would face if both accepted.

With both players for the time being cleared from the forecasted payroll, the Yanks have more flexibility to deal with their top free agent targets. That $32 million will cover all of CC Sabathia's 2009 salary and then some. They could go for Teixeira, though unlikely if CC lands in pinstripes, or even Adam Dunn, who was not offered arbitration by the Diamondbacks and thus would not cost the Yankees draft picks.

It's all about the big picture. We might argue about it now, but that's because we haven't had anything to argue about in a week. As the off-season unfolds, I'm confident that this decision will reveal itself as the right one.

Joe Pawlikowski writes for River Ave. Blues and can be reached here.

The Yankees declined to offer arbitration to Andy Pettitte and Bobby Abreu. Ken Davidoff has more on this.

By Joe Pawlikowski

Yes, this is a cheesy Thanksgiving post, wherein I'll give my thanks to the New York Yankees organization. Hey, it's better than rehashing the same old hot stove rumors over and over again, full well knowing nothing will happen until the weekend at the earliest, and even then probably not until next week. That is, of course, unless the Angels pull another Thanksgiving eve move like they did last year with Torii Hunter.

* I'm thankful that we live in a market that makes it possible to spend money on good players.

* I'm thankful that ownership, whether George or his sons, aren't afraid to spend what it takes, even if that sometimes means overspending or spending in the wrong places.

* I'm thankful that Brian Cashman is our GM. I know many fans dislike him. But with the Yankees facing increasingly tough decisions, he's the guy I trust right now to make the right ones.

* I'm thankful for the rabid Yankees fan base. Blogging would be no fun without you guys.

* I'm thankful for Alex Rodriguez. Many of you are not. I appreciate that the guy is one of, if not the best player in baseball.

* I'm thankful for Joe Torre and the relative calm he brought to the clubhouse from 1996 through 2007. I'm also thankful for Girardi, but we got a first-hand look in 2008 of what Torre actually brought to the table.

* I'm thankful that Robinson Cano is working hard to improve on his 2007.

* I'll leave on a note of hope. What I hope for isn't a free agent signing or a blockbuster trade. Rather, my hope for the Yankees in 2008 is that they get a few bounceback years.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Joe Pawlikowski writes for River Ave. Blues and can be reached here.

By Benjamin Kabak

In the pages of Newsday today, Wallace Matthews posed a question upon which no Yankee fan really wants to dwell: What if CC Sabathia just doesn't want to play in the Bronx for the Yankees?

Matthews argues that Sabathia's silence speaks louder than the Yanks' lofty offer. By not responding to the contract, he writes, Sabathia is implicitly saying that he doesn't want to play in New York.

As is their collective wont these days, Yankee fans had latched on to this argument before Matthews expressed those fears today. But so far, all we know is that Sabathia prefers the West Coast. He's a native of California and hasn't hidden his love of both the West Coast and the NL. That doesn't, however, mean that he wants to pitch only on the West Coast. It just means that he prefers the West Coast. He may still be open to coming to New York even if he hasn't responded to the Yanks' offer.

Below the surface, Sabathia's silence could just be a very solid and strategic negotiating tactic. By making such a lofty offer, the Yankees are telling Sabathia that they really want him. They're willing to pay tens of millions of dollars more than anyone else for his services. So shouldn't CC try to get more out of them?

If the Angels come into play, as it seems they have, Sabathia could easily use that to his advantage. All his agent has to do is go back to the Yanks and say, "We have a $135 million offer on the table from the Angels. Can you significantly top that?"

The Yanks may then come back with an offer in excess of $150 million. Sabathia could become the highest paid pitcher of all time and one of the game's top earners. If not, the Yanks could look at A.J. Burnett, Ben Sheets or Mark Teixeira as a potential recipient of a very big deal.

Of course, this is all just speculation. We don't know what the Angels are going to do. We don't know what Sabathia wants. There is a chance that Matthews is dead on and that Sabathia will use the Yanks to get more money from the West Coast with no intention of ever coming to New York. In a few weeks, we'll find out, but as Yankee fans collective jump off bridges today, it's not the end of the world. It is just another turn of the Hot Stove League.

Benjamin Kabak writes for River Ave Blues and Second Ave. Sagas and can be reached here.

By Michael Axisa

While most fans only concern themselves with their favorite team's 25-man roster, team executives spend their time worrying about the big picture, namely the 40-man roster. Last Thursday was the deadline for teams to add prospects to the 40-man to keep them from being eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, which is held on the final day of the winter meetings. College draftees who have been in the system for at least three years and high school draftees who've been around for at least four years are eligible for the draft, which was created to help advance the careers of players stuck in particularly deep systems and/or established big leaguers. Armed with four free 40-man spots, the Yanks chose to protect three of their most Major League-ready relief arms in LHP Mike Dunn and RHPs Anthony Claggett and Steven Jackson, as well as high ceiling RHSP Chris Garcia. Claggett came over in the Sheffield deal, Jackson the Randy Johnson deal.

The Yanks opted to leave some high profile names unprotected, specifically former first-round picks RHP Alan Horne and 1B Eric Duncan (Horne is a former Indians' first rounder), as well as ex-second rounder RHP J.B. Cox. Horne and Cox are coming back from shoulder and knee issues, respectively, but are expected to be ready for spring training. Duncan is on his last prospect legs and went undrafted in last year's Rule 5 draft. Those three may slide through without incident, however a small market club could take a flier on either one of the pitchers and try to hide them in the back of their bullpen all season. If they don't stick all season, they'll be offered back to the Yanks for half of the original $50,000 claim fee.

One player who won't sneak through is Zack Kroenke, who was Nebraska's ace until Joba Chamberlain showed up. Because he's lefthanded, breathing, and has experienced moderate success in Triple-A (albeit in very few innings), Kroenke should hear his name called in the first 10 or 15 picks. With Damaso Marte resigned and Phil Coke emerging, Kroenke isn't worth a precious 40-man spot. Righty Kevin Whelan (another piece in the Sheffield deal) may also hear his name called, although his bouts of wildness (120 BB in 198.2 IP) and injury issues should be enough for a team to disregard his unhittableness (108 H in those innings). Other than those mentioned, no one of consequence is being exposed in the Rule 5.

Now that the 40-man roster is packed to the gills, the Yanks have nowhere to put any free agent signees without making a roster move, and can't make a selection of their own in the Rule 5. The two most likely casualties if/when the Yanks add some free agents are Chris Britton and Shelley Duncan, both of whom have seemingly worn out their welcome in the Boogie Down and are easily replaceable. Danny Giese, despite being more effective than anyone could have ever imagined, might fall victim to the number's crunch and find himself looking for a job. If it comes to that, hopefully the braintrust is smart enough to try to bring him back on a minor league deal like Darrell Rasner in 2007. Cody Ransom is another candidate for the Rasner treatment.

One of the main drawbacks of locking big name free agents up to long-term deals is the decrease in roster flexibility. With the Yanks looking to add several big pieces this offseason, the roster manipulation has just begun.

Michael Axisa writes for River Ave. Blues and can be reached here.

Most 20-something Yankee fans probably don't know who Howie Spira is, but there was definitely a time when George Steinbrenner was the biggest villian in New York sports. Former long-time Newsday columnist Steve Jacobson reminds us what it used to be like around the Yankees in his column here.