You know what Scott Boras likes more than money, or at least alongside money?  Opt-out clauses.  There has been no discussion of them when it comes to Mark Teixeira and his potential contract.  Boras is reportedly looking for massive AAV over massive years.  But wouldn't he love to have the opportunity to sign his player to another fat contract a few years down the line?  Think about it: if he's under contract for 8 years, Tex will be 36 when he's up for his final contract.  It's harder to find teams willing to sign someone in his late 30s to multiple years, especially not at high AAV and especially not if his production has started to wane (see Jason Giambi, et al).  But if he signs for 8 years and can opt out halfway through, Tex will be 32 and can sign another guaranteed 7- or 8-year contract which would likely pay him more for his age 37-40 seasons than would a contract he'd get at age 36.  Boras would follow his own A-Rod model. 

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Two interesting names who could be valuable to the Yankees in 2009 were not offered contracts by their teams today and are now free agents: Ty Wigginton and Willy Taveras.  Taveras is a 28-year-old speedy CF who steals a ton of bases, hits for a solid average, and is at least as strong a defender as Melky Cabrera and Mike Cameron.  Wigginton is a power-hitting utility IF/OF who is coveted by several teams to be a starter but who was an underrated utility guy for the Rays before they traded him to the Astros straight-up for Dan Wheeler. 

Though he wouldn't know a homer if it hit him in the forehead, I'd rather sign Taveras for two or three years at $2 million per and keep Cabrera around than trade him for a low-BA 35-year-old who we'd have to pay about $10 million for one year--that is, unless getting Cameron means we get rid of Igawa, which seems unlikely, based on reports.  (Those who worry signing a longer-term CF would block Austin Jackson's emergence should remember that Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Xavier Nady are in contract years, so AJax will have plenty of places to play.  The fact that those players will be playing for their next contract with another team (therefore increasing their usual run production) also means people who want a lineup with nine big boppers that includes Mark Teixeira are idiots. Molina also is in a contract year.)

There were rumors we were in talks for Wigginton before the '07 trade deadline.  We would have sent the Rays Scott Proctor, but they wisely refused, so we were stuck with Wilson Betemit.  I was clamoring for Wigginton then, and I'd rather sign him now than Rich Aurilia or Nomar Garciaparra (two options I mentioned in my "Utitily Infielder, Bench" post) because he is several years younger and has more pop in his bat.  The only downside to Wigginton is that we'd still need to use Cody Ransom to back up short because Wigginton hasn't played a single inning there in his entire career.  But we can afford to have three utility guys on the bench (Wigginton, Ransom, Cabrera) in addition to Jose Molina.

Thus, here's my ideal 2009 Yankee roster, considering the already-made moves.  I would prefer Derek Lowe to Burnett or Pettitte or Ben Sheets, but we're not going to change history or block a rotation slot for Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy for the next three or four years, so it's either Pettitte for $10 million or Sheets for $30 million over two years.  Next to each player is his 2009 salary (or my best guess for those who are arbitration-eligible or for those who have not signed with the Yankees).

C - Jorge Posada - $13.1

1B/LF/RF/CF - Nick Swisher - $5.3

2B - Robinson Cano - $6

3B - Alex Rodriguez - $32

SS - Derek Jeter - $20

LF/CF - Johnny Damon - $13

CF - Willy Taveras - $2

RF/LF - Xavier Nady - $6

DH/LF - Hideki Matsui - $13

Bench

C - Jose Molina (R) - $1

1B/2B/3B/LF/RF - Ty Wigginton (R) - $5

1B/2B/3B/SS - Cody Ransom (R) - $0.45

CF/RF/LF - Melky Cabrera (S) - $0.465

Rotation

C.C. Sabathia - $23

Chien-Ming Wang - $5

A.J. Burnett - $16.5

Andy Pettitte - $10 or Ben Sheets - $15

Joba Chamberlain - $0.4

Bullpen

Mariano Rivera - $15

Damaso Marte - $4

Brian Bruney - $1.2

Jose Veras - $0.4

Edwar Ramirez - ? (assume $0.3)

Phil Coke - ? (assume $0.3)

Alfredo Aceves - ? (assume $0.3)

That comes to a total payroll of $193,715,000 (or $198,715,000 if we sign Sheets instead of Pettitte)--no less than 2008, even though we apparently were planning to save some money.  If we sign Teixeira and move Swisher to the bench (replacing Cabrera), we'd owe our major-league team a record $213,250,000 (or $218,250,000).  Not gonna happen, as much as we'd all love to have him in our lineup.  Plus, we need to keep 1B relatively open for Jeter or Posada or both in a few years.  Swisher is only under contract through 2011, and he can be moved to the OF (Jeter could also move there instead of 1B).

Now here's a proposed starting lineup, along with their batting arm and their three-year averages (BA-OBP-SLG-HR-RBI-SB):

Damon, LF (L) - .286-.362-.448-17-71-27

Jeter, SS (R) - .322-.390-.448-12-79-20

Matsui, DH (L) - .297-.372-.469-26-109-3 (note: averages do not include injury-shortened 2006 and 2008 seasons)

Rodriguez, 3B (R) - .302-.403-.581-41-126-19

Posada, C (S) - .293-.396-.503-21-85-2 (note: averages do not include injury-shortened 2008 season)

Nady, RF (R) - .289-.343-.481-20-77-2

Cano, 2B (L) - .304-.340-.471-16-82-3

Swisher, 1B (S) - .246-.363-.454-27-80-2

Taveras, CF (R) - .280-.333-.336-1-26-44

Thoughts on Wigginton, Taveras, or my proposed roster or lineup?

We need a utility infielder (or two, if Cody Ransom doesn't cut it).  Reports have us pursuing Nick Punto, which wouldn't be terrible.  But what about Rich Aurilia or Jerry Hairston, Jr., or Nomar Garciaparra?  Or two of them, even?  I'd also be interested in Ty Wigginton, but we don't seem to match up with the Astros' needs.

Now with the possible Cameron trade, we'll need a bench player who can reliably play the outfield.  Would we use Brett Gardner or Justin Christian for some speed and defense, or would we try to find another free agent who can play the outfield as well as the infield?  Hairston would fit that bill.

It's looking like it will be difficult to sign two top-tier free-agent pitchers this offseason.  Could we trade for one instead?  We're often mentioned in the Jake Peavy talks, but who else may be available?

The Reds are looking for an outfielder and are reportedly in talks for Jermaine Dye.  What would it take to get Edinson Volquez or Aaron Harang?  Xavier Nady and a pitching prospect?

The Giants are looking for all sorts of pieces.  I imagine Tim Lincecum is off-limits, but Matt Cain is possibly on the table.

Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine may be available to make room for David Price, but would the Rays trade in-division?  Not likely.  They need a DH and a RF, so we could supply Nady or Matsui.

The Angels' rotation is going to be overcrowded if they sign Sabathia, and it's already bordering on packed.  They likely would make Jered Weaver available rather than Kelvim Escobar or Ervin Santana, and we don't want him.  His ERA has increased significantly every year he's been in the majors.

What about the A's and Justin Duchscherer?  Seems Billy Beane's always dumping tons of young talent every offseason, but this year, trading for Matt Holliday and gunning hard for Rafael Furcal, they may be serious about actually contending for a change.

The Rangers are reportedly shopping Vicente Padilla, who started off hot as a pistol this season before really turning into a bum.  This will be a contract year for him, and he's only 31, so getting him for one year and about $11 mil may not be a terrible option, if push comes to shove.

I'd love to have the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco.  They could probably use an outfielder.

Looks like, God knows why, the Astros are buying pitchers, not selling.  Roy Oswalt and, to a far lesser extent, Wandy Rodriguez would be welcome additions to the rotation.

Anyone else I'm missing?

Pete Abe says it all.

It's nice to lose the two weakest links in a strong bullpen in one day.  I don't know that Cusick will ever amount to anything, but it's just nice to get Hawkins off the roster and the payroll to make room for better, cheaper players like Bruney, Britton, Melancon, and Aceves.  I think Bruney and Britton warrant immediate call-ups, and Melancon and Aceves need a little more time in AAA.  They may just have to prove themselves in spring training next year if our pen stays as strong as it has been.

Nady can play 1B and is better defensively in RF than is Abreu.  He's also on a hotter offensive tear than either Abreu or Giambi (though Abreu has still been one of our better hitters so far this season).  There are often rumors he could be traded to a contender.  Should it be our Yankees?

And to fill up the stupid length requirement, I will just type another sentence that is nineteen words long.