Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune has written a pair of new articles. One focuses on the New York Yankees, while the other explores news from around the majors. Here are some of his points:
- Pitching depth is the Yankees' main priority this offseason. Having Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes all healthy and effective would be ideal, but Rogers doesn't think GM Brian Cashman will be able to resist looking hard at free agent veteran starting pitching.
- Rogers thinks the Cubs will attempt to bolster their bullpen through trades.
- He also mentions that the Cubs could be looking to fill a couple vacancies in their Opening Day rotation, with Rich Harden expected to leave and Ted Lilly's health in question.
- Rogers expects the Minnesota Twins to "get busy" working on an extension for Joe Mauer, and wonders what the starting point will be (his guess: five years and $95MM).
- The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to re-sign Vicente Padilla based on his on-field performance. However, his off-field actions, including last week's shooting in Nicaragua, make the decision more problematic.
