Rogers On Yankees, Cubs, Mauer, Padilla

The Yankees are definitely going to need help in their rotation if they want a chance to repeat. Their offense is terrific and I wouldn't be surprised to see them let both Damon and Matsui go to sign someone like Bay or Holliday. The rotation doesn't look very solid though; Sabathia, Burnett and Pettite. I'm not sure how much confidence they have in Chamberlain or Hughes, neither has really delivered on the hype that they received. Wang isn't going to be an option until mid-season at the earliest and I don't think that they can expect much out of him even when he does return. Its hard to imagine the Yankees expanding their payroll after last year when they lost $3.7M, but the YES network gives them the ability to lose money and not worry about it.

The only two pitcher the Yanks should think hard on are Ben Sheets and Eric Bedard. If one is signed then Joba/Hughes should battle for a rotation spot. I would think Joba would be the ideal choice since he won't have any inning restraints on him. If they pass on Sheets or Bedard then go with CC-AJ-Pettite-Joba-Hughes w/ Gaudin out the pen and Wang on rehab.

Sheets and Bedard are both red flags. Bedard has some serious attitude problems, and is very injury prone. Bad, bad combination for pitching in the Bronx. Sheets hasn't pitched a full healthy season in many years, if ever. Not good, considering the already injury-prone-ness of their staff.

As for offense, they should look to add a FA outfielder, but again, they don't need Holliday and certainly don't need Bay. If they bring back Damon or Matsui to DH (I would prefer Matsui), they should go after a Mike Cameron, or a Marlon Byrd. They can fill in in CF and Melky/Gardner can handle LF. With a Cameron or Byrd/Melky/Swisher/Gardner OF (and if they bring back Hairston or Hinske throw them in the mix- i would like to see Hairston back next year), that should certainly be enough.

Yanksfan:I dont know if I would be so quick to relegate guadin to a bullpen spot. He could be a very serviceable 5th starer (especially with the offense that we have) and has more experience than Joba or Hughes. If I were the yankees I would sign pettitte to a 1 year deal and then have gaudin, hughes and joba fight it out for the last 2 spots, putting the guy who doesnt get a SP role into the pen. I am strongly opposed to getting any FA pitchers. We have enough of them in-house. If anyone, I think we should look at Chapman. Look at this pitching depth:

1. Sabathia
2. Burnett
3. Pettitte
4. Hughes
5. Joba
6. Gaudin
7. Chapman
8. Kennedy
9. McAllister (although I dont think we see him till 2011)

With that much pitching in our arsenal can ANY intelligent person say that we have to get a guy like lackey, bedard or harden?? I dont think so.

"I'd rather the Dodgers go for Bedard or Harden. They have much more upside than Padilla.

Posted by: Mr. LA Sports Fan | November 08, 2009 at 01:15 PM"

I would too, if they would take a Wolf type deal next year.

the Yanks should take a nice long look at Lackey. As a number 3 or 4 behind CC . AJ and Pettite .

Then we can play with Joba and Hughes at the back end .

Lets not play around with Bedard or Harden. Go for someone proven. Lackey is the answer

"Bedard>>>>>Wolf
Harden>>>>>>Wolf"

When healthy, sure, but I'd take Wolf in a heartbeat over those two. Ideally though:

Kershaw
Bedard/Harden
Wolf
Billingsley
Kuroda

If the Yanks resing Pettite they should look for 1 more starter if he retires we need 2 starters, but I dont like Lackey because he will cost to much for what he brings to the table (he will demand a long term contract) besides i dont think the Angels will let him go.

Chapman is an unproven mayor league pitcher so the answer is someone like Wolf, Garland or Sheets (if healthy) for no more than 2 or 3 years contracts. They would be a lot cheaper than Lackey besides they Yanks could go after Halladay in 2011.

Resing Damon for 2 years and Matsui for 1 if they declined then trade for Carl Crawford because he will a be free agent in 2011 and wont cost too much (also younger than Cameron) and DH Posada and put catcher Cervelli in the 9 spot. We dont need Holliday or Bay cause they will demand long term contracts costing to much and are unproven playoff performers.

Lackey is an awful fit for the yankees and Cano will never be a 2 hitter, he strikes out to much, it would most likely be swisher batting 2nd. I still think garland would be a good 4 starter, then in spring training you let Hughes and Joba pitch, i think joba is better as a future closer and hughes as a starter because he has more than 2 quality pitches. When you win the world series, people think u have to make huge changes, the team won the world sereis, keep as much the same as you can. Obviously the'll get rid of one of Damon or matsui, im not sure who theres good and bad for both.

Sabthia
Burnett
Petitte
Garland
Hughes/Joba

jeter
swisher
tex
arod
posada
cano
FA
FA
Melky

Wolf isn't a frontline starter, but he's far from "mediocre". FIP the past three years:

3.99. 4.17. 3.96

He's also just 33 and has made 33+ starts in each of the past two years.

He won't be one of the winter's huge bargains again as a result, but you could do worse for a #3/#4 starter certainly.

Phil Rogers thinks Mauer would agree to 5/95? I don't see it as a stretch to think some team could offer Mark Teixeira money after this year, so that would be quite the hometown discount. I don't see Mauer signing an extension for less than $130 million over seven years.

the Yankees will look for an outfielder. I hope they can make a deal to trade for Ludwick, if not wait next year, and just sign Matsui and damon. As for the rotation:
1.CC
2.AJ
3. Pettite
4. (1)Bedard/ (2)Sheets/ (3) Wang / (4) Gaudin
5. (1) Joba/ (2) Hughes

If joba AND Hughe both faulter as a 5th man you make Wang the 5th man. Thats why i think it important to get a fifth starter. I really like Bedard, hes really good when healthy and has AL EAST experience.

Hey MIKE

Lackey is no #4 pitcher he can be an ace for many teams but i understand the yanks have CC but lackey is way better than AJ and Pettitte hands downs!!!!!

"With that much pitching in our arsenal can ANY intelligent person say that we have to get a guy like lackey, bedard or harden?? I dont think so."

Let me go through this list you made and correct you on some points you seem to be missing out on.

1. Sabathia - Great
2. Burnett - Average
3. Pettitte - Average
4. Hughes - Garbage
5. Joba - Garbage
6. Gaudin - Garbage
7. Chapman - Wishful thinking
8. Kennedy - Garbage
9. McAllister - Yet to prove anything

Now with those corrections I think it becomes quite obvious that the Yankees are going to be in need of at least one solid starter. Two would be better considering that neither Chamberlain nor Hughes has ever proven that they have what it takes to be a starter, unless of course you like your starters with a 5 ERA.

Funny Yankees were pitching with garbage pitchers and they beat Boston by how many games for the division?

Yankee prospects= garbage/unproven
RS prospects= untouchable in any trade because they're too good. unless you want Lowrie, Delcarmen and Bowden for Felix/Agonz/Doc!!

"Yankee prospects= garbage/unproven
RS prospects= untouchable in any trade because they're too good. unless you want Lowrie, Delcarmen and Bowden for Felix/Agonz/Doc!!"

The Red Sox have proven that they are able to develop players into contributing members of the major league team. The Yankees have proven that they are able to do that since 14 years ago when they brought up Jeter, Posada and Rivera. I'm sorry you're not able to face the facts.

"Besides being carried to a World Series by the three top free agents"

What?? I thought burnett was "average"......

"What?? I thought burnett was "average"......"

He is... but if they didn't have him they wouldn't have two average pitchers to go with their great starter Sabathia. With the Yankees offense they don't need two or three great pitchers.

I think it is knee slapping hilarious that Yankee fans consider Free Agents as home grown stars.

The 04 RS club had 2 guys developed by the Sox, right?

"Go count the number of homegrown players on the 04 and 07 Red Sox teams and compare it to the 09 Yankees."

Just because the players came up through the Yankees farm system doesn't mean that they are any good. The only home grown players on the current Yankee roster that are worth anything are Jeter, Posada and Rivera... who were prospects 14 years ago. Robinson Cano who was a prospect 5 years ago. What have they done lately? Provided the team average to below average bullpen arms, a garbage center fielder and two over hyped pitchers that haven't made it as starters and then didn't make it as relievers.

Blackcourt is obviously an idiot who simply wants to start something up. Anyone who calls Cano, Wang, Joba, Hughes or David Robertson garbage isn't really worth arguing with. Anyone who wants to draw the conclusion that Hughes w/ a 4.20 ERA and 177 ko in 192 career IP @ age 23 or Joba w/ a 3.61 ERA and 285 ko in 281 career IP @ age 24 are failures clearly is a short sighted person who expects every prospect to immediately hit the ground running. By his thinking David Price and Clay Buccholz are complete busts as well.

"Blackcourt is obviously an idiot who simply wants to start something up. Anyone who calls Cano, Wang, Joba, Hughes or David Robertson garbage isn't really worth arguing with. Anyone who wants to draw the conclusion that Hughes w/ a 4.20 ERA and 177 ko in 192 career IP @ age 23 or Joba w/ a 3.61 ERA and 285 ko in 281 career IP @ age 24 are failures clearly is a short sighted person who expects every prospect to immediately hit the ground running. By his thinking David Price and Clay Buccholz are complete busts as well."

If Chamberlain and Hughes are so gosh darn good then why don't they have a spot in the rotation? Why are the being moved back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen? They start out having a little bit of success and then they turn to garbage, they move them, they start to have a little success and then they turn to garbage. Its the same cycle with them for the past two years. Watch and see for yourselves. The Yankees just don't have any idea on how to develop their players any longer.

Blackcourt:

Hughes was dominating AAA talent. He was brought up to replace Wang who was injured. When Wang returned they felt like it would've been a waste to send him back to AAA. Once he started pitching in the pen and became so dominant and took over the problemed 8th inning spot, they decided to keep him there even when Wang went back on the DL. My guess the thinking was that they solved 1 problem with Hughes now holding the 8th inning spot and they felt they could fill the hole in the rotation with Mitre and later Gaudin. However, he wasn't sent to the pen because he failed. I don't know if you bothered to break down his starts but obviously, aside from two bad starts, he was pretty good overall.

As for Joba he started 31 games last year and aside from the 1 relief apperance he made in oct and being moved to then for the playoffs, I'm not sure how you figure he was moved back and forth to the pen?

Please don't confuse the musings of sports writers with nothing much to write about with the thinking of the Yanks FO. While I'm obviously not privy to the inner thinkings, I would suggest that Cashmand and Girardi still consider the two of them starters. Just because writers speculate it certainly doesn't make it the gospel.

There will be alot of talk and speculation of the Yankees being in on big free agents like Bay and Holliday but I think it will be a very quiet offseason for the Yanks.

This is what I think/hope happens:

* Sign Damon to a 1 year plus option around what Abreu got
* If Damon falls through try and get Cameron for less to play LF
* Get Matsui back on a One year with a team option also
* Lastly, sign Pettitte to a same type of deal with more guaranteed money
* Also I see alot of people are saying to sign Gaudin again. Gaudin is under contract already next year
SP- CC
SP- AJ
SP- Andy
SP- Joba
SP- Hughes

CL- Mo
RP- Marte
RP- Aceves
RP- Robertson
RP- Coke
RP- Melancon
RP- Gaudin

RF- Swisher
CF- Melk/Gard
LF- Damon
3B- Arod
SS- Jeter
2B- Cano
1B- Tex
C- Posada

Bench:
Hairston
Gardner
Cervelli
Pena

Bedard scares me more than Sheets. Bedard couldn't even finish the season this year after missing signifigant time last year. I think he may have come back too soon in efforts to showcase himself and get a better deal this winter. Sheets on the other hand, has been resting and rehabing for over a year. If he's healthy, he should be able to hold up for at least another year, maybe two before he's due for another surgery/DL stint (sarcasm). The beauty of him pitching with the Yanks is that we don't need him to go 200 IP for us and our bullpen can probably help protect him, as opposed to going somewhere with the burgen of being the #1 guy.

I'd rather give Hughes and Joba the chance to develop instead of signing Bedard or Sheets. I don't see the reasoning to go after any of them if Pettitte doesnt retire.

Yankfansince78

Sheets doesnt scare you. After any major surgery it takes about a year to get back together, sheets hasnt pitched in a year, he might me rusty. Both will be very good signings though. I lean towards Bedard because im a big advocate in the whole AL pitchers better than NL and for good reason.

yanksfan1: Joba killed himself because he was tentative at times and walked a lot of guys which was uncharachteristic of him. If he's on then expect his pitch count to be lower and his ability to a little deeper to be better. PLEASE keep in mind. I could care less how durable Garland or Gaudin are. If they give up 5 runs by the 4th inning then they'll be gone and our bullpen will be worn out anyway. In no shape or form should Garland be part of the equation. Even Wolf is ver debatable. How Joba and Hughes can go from top pitching prospects to bullpen arms w/ such a small sample size is utterly amazing to me. Unless they acquire a true stud then go with Joba and Hughes.

Hes also has a 5ish ERA against the Sox.

I like Joba and Hughes, always like Hughes more though. I dont lk Gaudin or Garland. The Yankees ned a starter for the depth. We all saw last year when the Yankees relied on Phil and Kennedy. We need the reassurance that if one guy gats injured than the rotation starts looking bad. But having Wang or Phil/joba in the background, two very good 4th and 5th options is extremely valuable.

Hughes hasnt accomplished anything as astarter. Having two relative 3rd year pitchers that you dont know what to expect out of be making 40% of your starts is crazy. Aceves cant start and Gaudin isnt very good. Wang is an big if. and how do you plan to mak the bullpen better. Throwing out a guy who was the best 8th inning man in baseball when he got the job is hard to replace.

ok, i should be the yankees GM. this is easy guys.
Rotation
CC
AJ
Pettite
Joba/Hughes (Whoever doesn't get rotation spot is obvious setup man)
Sheets

Try this out. Sheets is an injury risk but it a low risk sign. if he doesn't work we got Gaudin, Kennedy, Wang. And if it gets really bad a trade could work. Joba i believe will be ok without having to worry about any innings limit. Let the guy throw and I say he goes 14-8 with a 4.00 era which is good for a 4th starter.

Lineup
Figgins LF
Jeter SS
Tex 1B
Arod 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

This is a great lineup. Figgins might score everytime he gets on base with these guys behind him. Drop Damon as good as he was and go hard for Figgins. He can play OF no problem cause he is a good athlete. WATCH out for AROD next year. I say he hits .300 with 45 bombs. MVP again now that his confidence is all the way back.

I think the yankees r gonna sign holiday and bay will go to the angels and lackey will go to the rangers. I think the yankees will g after either wolf, or harden or bedard

Blackcourt,
Not real accurate comment
lets see... heres the red sox starting players....
1st Youkilis
2nd pedroia
ss green (former yanks bench) gonzales
3rd base lowell (yanks minor league developed)
lf bay pirates developed) player)
cf Ellsbury red sox developed
rf drew free agent
c martinez indians
ortiz-trade/fa?

Yanks starters... posada, cano, jeter, melky 4 developed, soriano traded for arod, 2 minor leaguers traded for swisher then fa's -damon, mattsui and tex
Not much difference between the 2 teams, except we have 5 world champioships with this group and red sox have 2....whats the rub here? jealousy? don't get the comment, its inaccurate
Yanks 4 homegrown, red sox 3, not counting trades?

I find it hilarious that no one out of the state of New York is a Yankee fan, other than the few exceptions.