Here are a few stories worthy of discussion today Around the Yankee Universe.

Infielder Mark DeRosa's glove could be good fit

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News is suggesting that the Yankees pursue DeRosa, the veteran utility man.

If the Yankees bring back Johnny Damon, DeRosa would be a good fit because he could play left field on days when Damon serves as the designated hitter. DeRosa, who has started 212 games in the outfield, 311 at third base, 304 at second base, 139 at shortstop and 23 at first base, could also spell Alex Rodriguez at third base on his DH days, making him an ideal addition for the aging Yankees.

The Yankees have shown prior interest in DeRosa, who is well-regarded by many inside the organization. At least 10 teams are reportedly in the mix for DeRosa, who hit .250 with 23 home runs, 78 RBI and 78 runs scored in 139games with Cleveland and St. Louis last season.

My take: This is an idea that I like, particularly if HIdeki Matsui and Jerry Hairston Jr. are not part of the 2010 Yankee roster. There have been seasons when GM Brian Cashman has pretty much ignored the bench, and last season we saw how important having quality depth is. Just like Hairston was an upgrade over Cody Ransom, DeRosa would be an upgrade over Hairston.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Fred Thornhill - AP

Roy Halladay

Browse more photos »

Trade prospects, and maybe Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes to Toronto for Roy Halladay? Hang on to the youngsters, like Jesus Montero and Austin Jackson, and watch the Red Sox get the best pitcher available who is not already in a New York Yankee uniform?

That is the question confronting Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman this winter. Here is Jon Heyman of SI.com discussing the possibility.

Here is the most obvious reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) may now finally have a legit shot to trade for arguably baseball's best pitcher: New Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos is making it clear he is genuinely willing to consider a deal with either the Yankees or Red Sox, a sharp contrast to Anthopoulos' predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi, who had GMs convinced he'd never make a Halladay trade with either the Yankees or Red Sox.

And here's yet another potential reason the Yankees (or Red Sox) might have an edge this time around: While Halladay's latest desires are not yet known (and agent Greg Landry did not return calls), with a year to go before free agency a player in Halladay's position can leverage his no-trade clause to engineer a trade to a team amenable to an extension. The Yankees have not heard that this will be the case. But if that happens here, the field could be limited to the teams who can pay a franchise pitcher. This is often the case when talking about big stars, and it was two years ago when Johan Santana was being shopped by the Twins -- the field was quickly winnowed to the two New York teams plus Boston, the three teams that could most easily work Santana into their budgets.

I have only one thing to say about this. MAKE THIS HAPPEN, CASH! If there is a realistic possibility you can put Halladay in pinstripes YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!!

Continue reading this post »

There is always news in Yankee land, so let's take a tour Around the Yankee Universe and see what stories are making the rounds today.

Moneyball: Dead, Alive, or on Life Support?

Gnashing of teeth around baseball about how much money the Yankees spend, and about how they can "buy" World Series titles, has been going on forever.

Well, a group of Harvard students did an exhaustive study of baseball's payrolls since 1990 to see just how much influence payroll has on winning in baseball.

Their conclusion? Money helps, but it's really how you spend and not how much you spend. I think I could have told you that without all the research. Anyway, here is part of the report.

Considering the past 8 seasons, this year was not particularly notable in terms of payroll predicting success. However, the big market clubs are spending smarter, particularly in the draft and on Latin American teenagers, which is not reflected in opening day payrolls. The margin for error for the little guys is razor thin and the window of opportunity can be very short (see: Indians’ downfall after 2007 and Rays’ slide after 2008). However, the data suggest that this year may not have called for the alarmist musings by some members of the media. Competitive balance is probably not what it should be, but this year was hardly different from most other recent seasons.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Matt Holliday

Browse more photos »

According to Buster Olney, the Yankees have no interest in free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday.

Question is, do we believe that? Or, as they have done in the past, might the Yankees just be laying in the weeds pretending to have no interest  and waiting for a chance to swoop in at the last minute?

I think the Yankees would prefer to keep Johnny Damon on a short-term deal. And I know GM Brian Cashman plans to take his time looking at the free-agent market. If the Yanks are, for whatever reason, not able to work something out with Damon I can't believe they would completely shut the door on a player the caliber of Holliday.

Here are a few other stories on interest concerning the Yankees.

• New York Baseball Digest wonders if the Yankees can afford to lose Hideki Matsui

Brian Cashman is a smart GM. He knows better than to let sentimentality sway him when it comes to on-field decisions. Just look at how Bernie Williams’ situation was handled. Resigning Matsui goes beyond sentiment however. There are members of the Yankees organization who feel that the team will take a PR hit in the Japanese / Asian markets if they allow Matsui to walk. Finding and maintaining alternative revenue streams is part of the life blood of every pro sports franchise, even for a colossus like the Yankees.

From a purely baseball stand point, letting Matsui go is a no brainer, as it makes no sense to bring back a 35 year old DH with bad knees. From a financial and business standpoint, the Yankees will be taking a bit of a risk if they don’t bring "Matty" back. Only time will tell if It’s a risk that both Brian Cashman and Yankees management are willing to take. My guess is, in the end, they will.

Continue reading this post »

It is awards time around Major League Baseball these days. Not to be outdone, the baseball bloggers here at SB Nation held their own awards voting.

I know they aren't official. But, kinda fun to see how our results compare with the official voting.

Here is how it broke down, according to our bloggers.

• AL MVP -- Joe Mauer
• NL MVP -- Albert Pujols
• AL Rookie of the Year -- Elvis Andrus
• NL Rookie of the Year -- Tommy Hanson
• AL Cy Young -- Zack Grienke
• NL Cy Young -- Tim Lincecum
• AL Manager of the Year -- Mike Scioscia
• NL Manager of the Year -- Jim Tracy

Keep reading for a few notes that actually involve our New York Yankees.

Continue reading this post »

First they brought home the Golden Gloves, now Jeter and Tex bring home Silver Slugger Awards.

You don't think the two are related, do you?

We have all winter to debate whether Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes should be in the starting rotation or the bullpen for the New York Yankees next season. But, let's come at the debate I am sure we will have for the next several months knowing exactly where General Manager Brian Cashman stands.

"I look at them as starters that can relieve," he said. "But I look at them as starters."

The Yankees will likely have lots of options for the back of the rotation, and no one knows for sure how it will play out. But, we know the organization seems steadfast in its belief that both guys are long-term rotation corner stones.

Let's look at some other stories making the rounds of the Inter-Google today that affect our World Champion Bronx Bombers.

Continue reading this post »

IF the New York Yankees pursue an expensive free agent who did not just help them win a World Series -- and at this point that appears to be a big IF -- the early speculation is that their target will be Angels' starting pitcher John Lackey.

From Jon Heyman of SI.com

The world champion Yankees have top free-agent pitcher John Lackey on their free-agent shopping list, sources said. The Yankees aren't expected to be as aggressive this winter on the free market as last offseason and they haven't firmed up all their plans as yet, but one league source said of Lackey, "He's definitely on their radar.''

Word is that the Yankees probably will be willing to repeat A.J. Burnett's $82.5 million, five-year contract for Lackey. Although, one person close to Lackey -- whose offer to stay with the Angels this spring was for less than $40 million over three years on top of this year's $10 million salary -- indicated the longtime Angels right-hander sees himself in a higher echelon than Burnett. Lackey was 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA for the Angels last year and has been their ace for some of his eight seasons there.

Even if postseason hero Andy Pettitte returns to the Yankees -- and he told a few teammates he believes he'll come back for one more year, though there's no definitive word on this -- the Yankees envision themselves looking at the starting-pitching market

Continue reading this post »