For Eric Chavez discussions, click here. This will be for all other baseball news.

• The Yankees made the Raul Ibanez signing official today. I'm kinda "meh" on his addition. He should still hit decently against RHP and can - unlike Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui - play the field (not well, mind you, but he can still play). Damon is currently a better hitter, but considering he wanted around $5M, signing him (a platoon DH) didn't make sense. And while Matsui might've been willing to take the $1.1M Ibanez got (and is a comparable hitter), he's barely an outfielder anymore either. Ibanez has played at least 129 games in the outfield each of the last six seasons; he brings more versatility.
• Andruw Jones thinks his surgically repaired knee will allow him to contribute more in 2012. Frankly, I'd be ecstatic if he merely duplicated 2011.
• Bobby Abreu told the Angels that he wants to be traded before the season if they don't plan to play him everyday.
• Ichiro won't be Seattle's leadoff hitter anymore. Manager Eric Wedge told reporters that he'll be moved to the third spot in the lineup.
• Ken Rosenthal profiled the most desirable player of the next free agent class, Cole Hamels.
• MLB instituted a rule change after Tampa's Joe Maddon used a position player to pretend to warm up on the mound just to give his actual pitcher more time.

Always good to see the new guy arrive in camp early. Michael Pineda threw a bullpen session today and said he wants to learn from CC Sabathia and that he needs to work on his changeup.

• A.J. Burnett to the Pirates is still being reported as "close." A trade that would've brought back Travis Hafner from the Indians was discussed, but is no longer available. Cleveland is still reportedly interested, as is Anaheim.
• The more I hear about Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, the more I support the Yankees signing him. He's supposedly just 19 years old, and has true five-tool potential.
• Seedlings to Stars profiled the Yankees' farm system.
• Injury/medical expert Will Carroll speculated on which "injured aces" would return with strong seasons. (It could help you in your fantasy league.)
• The Rays extended the contract of manager Joe Maddon through the 2015 season.
• A couple players avoided arbitration today: CF Adam Jones will receive $6.2M from the Orioles in 2012; RHP Casey Janssen will receive $5.9M for the next two years from the Blue Jays.

Bill Hall, who has played every position in the big leagues outside of catcher, has a Spring Training invite and minor league deal with the Yankees. If he makes the ML team, he'll get $600K with incentives to follow based on PA.

• The Orioles traded RHP Jeremy Guthrie to the Rockies for RHPs Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom. Guthrie was once a highly-touted prospect, having been selected 22nd overall by the Indians in 2002.
• Speaking of the O's, the Korean Baseball Organization protested Baltimore's signing of Korean teenage pitcher, Kim Seong-min.
• Madonna will play Yankee Stadium on Sept. 6th. There's an A-Rod joke in there somewhere.
• Hong-Chih Kuo, the hard-throwing LHP with injury problems, signed with the Mariners for $500K with potentially a bunch more in incentives.
• Ken Rosenthal says Brian Cashman's scandal should have no bearing on his job.
• THT examined the correlation between payroll and wins.
• A class-action lawsuit has been brought against Royals legend George Brett for advertising jewelry that supposedly "improved health and sports performance."

The Yankees hired former Cubs GM Jim Hendry as a "special assignment scout." It's a good hire. Cashman likes to hire former GMs and Hendry has a lot of experience.

• Mark Teixeira said he will lay down more bunts this year to combat the shift that most teams employ against him.
• Baseball America updated their prospect rankings to include some recent trades. 19-year-old RHP Jose Campos, who came over in the Pineda-Montero trade, dropped into the No. 5 spot behind Gary Sanchez and ahead of Dante Bichette, Jr.
• Before broaching the aforementioned trade, the Mariners requested 3B Brett Lawrie from the Blue Jays for Michael Pineda. Toronto obviously rejected the offer, and then Seattle turned to the Yanks...
• Andrew Marchand (via an unnamed GM) lists the reasons for A.J. Burnett's untradeability.
• A really in-depth (and interesting) article detailing a single pitch Freddy Garcia threw last year.
• Check out an interview with CF prospect Mason Williams (who was profiled here yesterday).
• An O'malley may once again own the Dodgers, but with help from South Korean investors. Peter (son of the famous Walter), was president and/or owner of the Dodgers from 1970-1998. He's one of eight prospective owners currently in the running to buy the L.A. club.

In addition to Edwin Jackson and Matt Garza, the Yankees are reportedly showing interest in Roy Oswalt. Finally. Why wouldn't they take a chance on him if it was only one year?

• The Cubs have asked for Jesus Montero and one of Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances for Garza.
• The Yankees "secret" bid for Yu Darvish has apparently been sniffed out by Jon Heyman, who says it was only $15M. Amazing to think they bid $11M more for Kei Igawa.
• Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima is willing to be a utility infielder in MLB, but he still wants a good contract. The Yanks are apparently not reaching his idea of "good" so far. Jack Curry thinks a deal won't get done (he'd also have to pass a physical by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline).
• If you want to see hockey at Yankee Stadium, you'll have to wait until at least 2016.
• A good read on the farm system at TYA.
• The Cubs inked OF Reed Johnson to a one-year, $1.2M contract.
• Are the A's insane? They've agreed to pay OF Coco Crisp $14M for the next two years.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

-The Boston Red Sox acquired Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics for two lower level minor leaguers, Miles Head and Raul Alcantera, and Josh Reddick. This marks a big win for the Red Sox if you ask me, as the two prospects are essentially lottery picks, and Reddick for Sweeney isn't a big deal.

-Andrew Bailey explained his thoughts about the deal here.

-SB Nation New York looks at both the top 10 New York stories and top 10 Yankees stories.

-NYT profiled John Sterling, who sounds like a sad man. As Deadspin noted, this paragraph is especially depressing.

Within 90 minutes of the final out, Sterling is usually at home in his apartment in Edgewater, N.J., where he lives alone. In public, he always seems undeniably on display, a tall man stalking through hallways with a booming voice that precedes him. Late at night, he mixes a drink, revs up the DVR and reclines in the quiet of his living room to watch the soap operas he missed earlier in the day.

-Ken Rosenthal talked to Scott Boras about Edwin Jackson, and used the quotes to examine the free agency of Jackson.

-Bryan Hoch reports that the Yankees will wait to see what happens with Hiroyuki Nakajima before talking to Eric Chavez. I do not want Chavez back on a major league deal.

-Come back tomorrow for my interview with Jim Abbott!

• You know the rumor mill is winding down when this is your best remaining free agent team.
• According to Ken Rosenthal, the Indians have kicked the tires on Nick Swisher. I doubt anything happens as the Yankees have no in-house replacement for Swisher and the Indians don't really have anything the Yankees need.
• Javier Vazquez may be back in 2012 after all.
• Multiple sources are reporting that Scott Boras is seeking a 10-year contract for Prince Fielder. The Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Rangers, and Blue Jays all appear to have legitimate interest, albeit not for 10 years. Which leads us to our question of the night:
  
  
  

UPDATE: It is now confirmed that John Danks signed a 5 year $65 million contract extension with the White Sox. Cross him off the list.

The New York Yankees have a storied history, one that consists of many fantastic players. Fans are being asked to rank the top ten over at Yankees.com, and the results are as followed:

1. Mariano Rivera

2. Yogi Berra

3. Derek Jeter

4. Whitey Ford

5. Mickey Mantle

6. Joe DiMaggio

7. Don Mattingly

8. Lou Gehrig

9. Reggie Jackson

10. Babe Ruth

Thoughts?

Meanwhile, the number of trade proposal suggestions are increasing, partially due to the 29 Trades for 29 Teams series.

Two key pieces of a lot of trade proposals have been Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances. Josh Norris provides a scouts take on Banuelos here, while Norris tweets that "of big names, guy the Yankees seemed most willing to give up around trade deadline was Betances."

Questions of the night:

Why is baseball your favorite sport? (If it is)

Hiroki Kuroda or Roy Oswalt on a one year deal?

Tony Pena or Joe Girardi, who would you rather be the manager?

Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain, when all is said and done who will have the better career?