New York Yankees News Recap: Garcia, Free Agents, Yoenis and Berkman

by Travis G on Nov 9, 2011 6:00 AM EST in New York Yankees News

Freddy Garcia's agent said there is "mutual interest" between his client and the Yankees. Garcia is one of many available pitchers that Brian Cashman will look at. Expect a lot of rumors to fly next week during the GM meetings in Mill-e-wah-que (Algonquin for "the good land").

After locking up CC Sabathia for five more years, Cashman said he will take a "conservative" approach to the free-agent market, but wants to add at least one starter. He's contacted the agent for C.J. Wilson - who he identified as the top FA pitcher - and Roy Oswalt already.
Cash also contacted Mark Buehrle's agent, but Buster Olney said the Yanks won't make a serious run at him.

Yoenis Cespedes is still on the radar, but will he fall on the Hideki Matsui side of the fence or on the Kei Igawa side? It's always tough to tell with IFAs who haven't played against top competition.
Lance Berkman doesn't like the DH and is rather opposed to the idea of the Houston Astros moving to the American League -

I think it's a travesty... It's a National League franchise. I think if they were going to do something like that, Milwaukee's the choice to go back to the American League; they're historically an American League franchise.

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Berkman's right.

Why don’t the Brewers go back to the American League. It makes the most sense. Selig*

by mrob on Nov 9, 2011 6:29 AM EST reply actions

Yes

Berkman is right. It would also give Milwaukee all the reason in the world to try to resign Prince Fielder.

Romine!

by david d on Nov 9, 2011 7:53 AM EST up reply actions

but then you couldn't put the Brewers in the AL West

thats the point. It doesn’t make sense to have two Texas teams playing for the West and Central

by jetanumba2 on Nov 9, 2011 8:07 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, geographically you’re right. I’ve been around a little longer than most of you guys, and I still think of Milwaukee as an AL team.

Romine!

by david d on Nov 9, 2011 8:10 AM EST up reply actions

I've been around

long enough to remember Milwaukee as NL city with the Braves.

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Nov 9, 2011 8:19 AM EST up reply actions

boom.

yeah i imagine that must be why they moved them in the first place? Tradition and all that?

by jetanumba2 on Nov 9, 2011 8:51 AM EST up reply actions

WIN

" You see this? This is my BOOMSTICK"

by NYC Jim347 on Nov 9, 2011 12:39 PM EST up reply actions

The Brewers have natural rivalries in the NL Central whereas the Astros don't

Milwaukee is a lot closer to the rest of the teams in the NL Central than Houston is. Also by moving the Brewers to the AL, if you wanted to have 6 divisions of 5 teams, which seems to be the goal, you’d have to put the Royals or the Twins in the AL West where they’d have no geographic rival.

Houston in the AL West, on the other hand, would gain a natural rival in the Rangers and would also give the Rangers a natural rival. That makes a lot more sense.

As for why the Brewers were moved in the first place rather than just putting both the Rays and Dbacks in the same league in 98, Selig thought being in the same division as the Cubs and Cardinals would improve his attendance and the other owners agreed to throw him a bone.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Nov 9, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

What's a "natural" rival?

A lot of the rivalries spawned from interleague play are manufactured rivalries. I don’t think rivalries matter when they’re making this decision. It’s about money and possibly evening the playing field between the leagues and among markets.

Besides, the Rangers do have a great rivalry with the Angels.

by phonty on Nov 9, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions

By natural I mean geographic

For example, New York and Boston are natural rivals because they are close to one another. Houston and Pittsburgh are not natural rivals. This is, of course, not to say that geographic rivalries are the only good ones, but geography certainly helps.

Rivalry games tend to sell more tickets so if the Astros and Rangers were able to establish a rivalry, it stands to reason that both teams would make more money thanks to additional games with one another. I never thought of the Rangers and Angels as “rivals” they just happen to be in the same division.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Nov 9, 2011 10:00 PM EST up reply actions

Hasn't MLB already said no realignment until at least 2013?

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Nov 9, 2011 7:55 AM EST reply actions

What people seem to forget

or maybe most of you are just too young to remember is that the Atlanta Braves were the Milwaukee Braves and that the Milwaukee Brewers of today were actually the Seattle Pilots that came into the AL in 1969.

So, the case can certainly be made for the Brewers shipping back to the AL. But I would rather see Washington or Colorado in the AL.

by OldYankee Fan on Nov 9, 2011 8:32 AM EST reply actions

Houston actually makes the most sense

There are 6 teams in the NL Central and only 4 in the AL West. This move would give each division 5 teams.

Romine!

by david d on Nov 9, 2011 8:39 AM EST up reply actions

that lopsidedness annoys me to no end!

by jetanumba2 on Nov 9, 2011 8:52 AM EST up reply actions

The Braves

were in Boston before Milwaukee. The Atlanta Braves were in the west at one time, too. I think it had to do with Turner’s “America’s Team” concept and Cable TV ratings. I never understood why the Brewers switched leagues in the first place. I think Arizona was originally supposed to be an AL team at some point. Houston should move now to balance things out. Or … just start over, align according region, east/west – north/south, establish new rivalries and to hell with leagues. ;)

by ogrover on Nov 9, 2011 9:04 AM EST reply actions

Yes, that's true.

But I think more people relate the Braves with Milwaukee rather than Boston because of the Hank Aaron years.

by OldYankee Fan on Nov 9, 2011 9:39 AM EST up reply actions

Nice job, Travis G!

Love the Alice Cooper reference (via “Wayne’s World”) about where the GM meetings are this year.

by Rick V on Nov 9, 2011 9:22 AM EST reply actions

I agree. Keep Houston in the NL

Move the Rockies or D’Backs to the AL and move Houston out west. That way I won’t have to see their hideous f’in stadium. Also, as much as I’d love to see Braun play, before they moved to the NL I remember the Brew Crew use to whip us around much like the Angels did, as in no matter if the team was good or not. So yeaaaaah, I kinda don’t want them back! Or, you know, don’t do anything.

Also, great Wayne’s World ref.

"WHO WOULD LEAD?! THE CLOWN?!"

by I'mGivingYouARaise on Nov 9, 2011 1:44 PM EST reply actions

Arizona should go to the AL West

by ekwfan6 on Nov 9, 2011 3:14 PM EST reply actions

To keep things consistent

So far MLB has split up the following “paris” of teams into the AL and NL:
- Yankees and Mets
- White Sox and Cubs
- Dodgers and Angels
- Indians and Reds
- Marlins and Rays
- Rangers and Astros
- Giants and A’s
- Brewers and Twins
- Orioles and Nationals
- Royals and Cardinals

So (to me) the clear choice would be to follow the trend and split the Phillies and Pirates (with the Pirates coming to the AL, since we can’t have the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies in the AL East!). If you want to keep the Pirates in the NL because of tradition, then move one of the unlisted NL franchises to the AL:
- Diamondbacks
- Rockies
- Padres (although that creates imbalance on the west coast)
- Braves

by Sports Fan! on Nov 9, 2011 5:41 PM EST reply actions