Yanks reclaim favorite role with Teixeira

Well, I don't think many of us could say they saw that coming.

Mark Teixeira is a Yankee, and with that, the balance of power in the American League East has shifted. With a fortified starting rotation and now the most coveted slugger on the market in the fold, the Yankees have become the team to beat.

Phew. That underdog stuff didn't suit us around these parts.

It goes without saying that this transaction has people up in arms. A whole new line of venomous "The Yankees are ruining baseball" chatter has filled the interwebs, the club being painted as the demonic warhorse that cackles in the face of a recession. The angry mob points out that the Yanks have committed to nearly half a billion dollars in salary this offseason and that the four highest-paid players in the league will now call Yankee Stadium home in 2009. The general manager of some team called the Milwaukee Brewers even went as far as to send a missive to the press calling for a salary cap. It was adorable.

I can certainly understand the anger in some respects. This is the Yankees' Shawn-Michaels-kicking-Marty-Jeanetty-through-the-Barber-Shop-window move, a defining act of power lacking any sense of subtlety. This is who we really are, screw you for thinking we were anything different. The Yankees have the financial might to dig deep into their war chest, and when the Red Sox hesitated on pulling the trigger to get Teixeira, Brian Cashman jumped in. An eight-year, $180 million mega-deal was born.

And how about those Red Sox? It's hard to say they didn't drop the ball in a big way here. The Yankees needed a young slugger like Teixeira in the worst way, but Theo Epstein and the Boston brass were apparently convinced by New York's possum act. The Sox have become the model for front office excellence in recent years, but their policy of refusing to go beyond set financial limits backfired in this case. Was that $10 to $15 million difference on their end really worth allowing one of the league's premier players to suit up for the archrival? It doesn't seem to make sense.

I have to hand it to Cashman here. If this was his plan all along, it was pretty damn brilliant. You got the two pitchers you coveted and now you stole the top position player right out from under the hated Red Sox's nose. Sure, his job is made exponentially easier with all the resources at his fingertips, but this hot stove work is very much a finesse business. Cashman has kept his cards close to the vest throughout, and now it is the Yankees who will head into April with baseball's best hand.

A winter wonderland, indeed.

Good news or a front?

My personal offseason wishlist was all about 1a and 1b. Get that ace in CC Sabathia and get that young slugger in Mark Teixeira. Mick Jagger taught us that you can't always get what you want, but at least the Sox may not get what they need, either.

Via ESPN.com:

It looked Thursday afternoon as if the Boston Red Sox had made strides toward completing a deal for first baseman Mark Teixeira, major league sources told ESPN.com.

But by Thursday night, Red Sox owner John Henry had sent an e-mail to The Associated Press saying they had been outbid for Teixeira and "are not going to be a factor" in signing him to a nine-figure free agent contract.

"We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him," Henry told AP. "After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

The Red Sox seem aware that their once-robust lineup could be significantly weakened this season, with Manny Ramirez long gone and David Ortiz a year older, a year fatter, and coming off tricky wrist surgery. They are also a smart, albeit despicable, organization that has earned a reputation for making smart business decisions in recent years. It will be interesting to see if Henry's bluffing, or if the Boston braintrust actually feels Teixeira is not the best fit at this time.

That said, if he is true to his comments, more good news for the Yanks. If the Angels are stupid enough to let him get away, even better. This offseason is going very well for the Bombers thus far.

Yanks ransack Winter Meetings

The Yankees remind me right now of one of those movies where the bad guy is sucking power from somewhere (a scientist's brain, the city's electric current) and while the source gets weaker, the bad guy keeps on getting stronger, laughing maniacally along the way.

The Yankees are, of course, the bad guy ... familiar thespian ground for the Bombers. And the rest of baseball's recession-conscious organizations are helpless to stop them from taking over the Winter Meetings. You see that when they bid $60 million more than the next suitor to lock down CC Sabathia, and you're seeing it again with the reported fifth year (are you kidding me?) that has been offered A.J. "Don't Call Me Carl" Burnett.

Brian Cashman is not messing around here. He has a fortune in which to rebuild the starting rotation, and he isn't taking any chances. If he gets his way, Phil Hughes will have gone from No. 4 starter in the Bronx to Double-A ace waiting for someone to get injured on the parent club ... all in the space of eight months.

Burnett scares the hell out of me, but on paper it would further fortify a rotation that has come a long way since the end of the 2008 campaign:

September '08
RHP Mike Mussina
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Carl Pavano
RHP Sidney Ponson
RHP Alfredo Aceves

December '08
LHP CC Sabathia
RHP Chien-Ming Wang
RHP A.J. Burnett
RHP Joba Chamberlain
LHP Andy Pettitte

As for Sabathia, the Yankees are catching a lot of flak for their supposed over-pursuit of the left-hander, but the fact is that the guy did have reservations about playing in New York and Cashman did a great job alleviating them (adding the extra year was a nice bullet to have in the chamber as well). The pursuit and eventual securing of Sabathia showed a world of improvement over the laughingstock that was the Johan Santana dance. Remember Hank Steinbrenner spewing forth those hollow deadlines? It made the franchise look foolish. This time Hank -- perhaps forcibly -- was completely out of play, allowing Cash to do his job. It was a delicate process, and the GM got the job done.

The Winter Meetings end today, and you get the feeling the Yanks are far from done. Stay tuned.

Yanks may dodge Burnett bullet

It looks like A.J. Burnett may not be in the Yankees' plans after all.

The pitching-starved Braves are making a big play for the talented right-hander. According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, Atlanta has offered a four-year deal with a "easily vesting" option on a fifth year. Burnett has been chasing a five-year pact since he opted out of his contract with the Blue Jays and Atlanta is said to be willing to guarantee that fifth year if it will get it done.

Let's assume this deal goes down. First off, congrats to Allan James Burnett, who went from being the Great White North's answer to Carl Pavano to signing the richest free-agent pitcher deal this side of CC Way over the course of 12 months. Bravo. Secondly, this is great news for the Yankees. Admit it ... you weren't looking forward to holding your breath every time Burnett through a pitch for the first Obama administration. The guy was a walking M.A.S.H. unit for two seasons in Toronto before last season. You're not getting consecutive seasons of 34 starts, you're just not.

On top of that, a deal with the Braves would mean Burnett wouldn't be re-signing with the Jays and he wouldn't be going to the Red Sox. In fact, he wouldn't even be in your freaking league anymore. This dude kiiiillllls the Yankees, going 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts against New York in '08. With the exception of one Interleague series next June -- a likely three-hit shutout, of course -- Burnett would be out of the Yankees' lives. Praise Jesus!

My wish when free agency kicked off last month was that the Yanks would sign Sabathia and Derek Lowe. Well, Mark Teixeira as well, but that's a whole other story. While Sabathia continues to take his sweet time -- hey CC, no one else is giving you $140 mil, get over it -- you still have to figure he'll end up in slimming pinstripes. Lowe is more of a longshot at this point and there's talk that he may return to Boston. If he does end up back at Fenway, bring back whatever's left of Pettitte and head into 2009 like this:

• LHP CC Sabathia
• RHP Chien-Ming Wang
• LHP Andy Pettitte
• RHP Joba Chamberlain
• RHP Phil Hughes/RHP Alfredo Aceves/RHP Ian Kennedy

That would potentially be the best 1-2 punch in baseball, but the rotation as a whole looks dangerously thin to me in this scenario, with a innings-limited Joba coming off a scary DL-stint, Pettitte on the decline and Hughes/Kennedy reprensenting huge question marks. Burnett isn't the right fit for the Yanks, but general manager Brian Cashman should remain committed to making a splash that goes beyond Sabathia. If I'm in charge, I lock up CC and lock up Lowe, even if I have to overpay for the playboy sinkerballer. Sabathia gives you your ace, Lowe provides you peace of mind.

It's just money, Cash. Spend it.

Yanks roll the dice with Swisher deal

The Yankees opened free agency on Friday making no secret of where their focus would be.

CC Sabathia was reportedly offered the biggest deal for a pitcher in the history of the game. A bit of a gamble when you're talking about an overworked, overweight left-hander. That said, desperate times call for desperate measures and the Yankees desperately need a true ace. Big offers to right-handers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe are said to be coming as well. The Yankees, it seems, are not messing around with their offseason plan to overhaul their rotation.

Prior to free agency's start, the Yanks made an interesting move Thursday that gives you an idea where they feel they're at offensively heading into 2009. New York acquired 1B/OF Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox, dumping Wilson Betemit and two mid-level prospects. Looking at the deal by itself is a no-brainer for general manager Brian Cashman and the Yankees. Betemit was never close to being the player that Cashman coveted before dealing for the strikeout/error machine in 2007. The underlying story of the trade was that it effectively removed the Bombers from the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, a somewhat curious move considering the Yankees' steep offensive decline in 2008.

Listen, Swisher had a poor season under Ozzie Guillen, but he proved in his seasons with the A's that he can be a very effective player. If you can throw out his .219 '08 season -- and I understand if you can't -- Swisher had some nice seasons by the bay, including a 35 homer, 95 RBI year in '06. He'll also be just 28 on opening day, can play first base, is a switch-hitter and he's known to be the gregarious type the stiff Yankees can always use more of in the clubhouse. If nothing else, he helps fill the Oakland Idiot role vacated by Jason Giambi.

But this decision is not without risks. Teixeira was the perfect fit for this Yankees lineup, but New York's pitching-pitching-pitching free agency doctrine simply didn't have a plan for a $120 million first baseman. Can you blame them after the Giambi fiasco? I suppose I'd be gun shy, too.

Barring an unforseen deal, the Yanks now seem content to go into the season with an offense high on potential but also risk. Do you get 2008 Swisher, 2006 Swisher or somewhere in between? Will A-Rod continue his trend of monster seasons every other year? Can you expect another productive season from Jeter? Will Cano regain his stroke after a lost '08? Can Damon remain healthy and effective? Will center field become an offensive albatross? Can Nady be a consistent everyday player? Can we really still expect big numbers from Posada?

Those are a lot of questions. Looking at it in a glass half-full kind of way, the offense will likely be just fine if even half of those answers come back favorably, but Cashman is still rolling the dice here. And if it's June 1 and CC Sabathia has a 2.70 ERA and eight no-decisions?

Too many ... angry and misinformed Hank Steinbrenner ... sound bytes ... brain cannot ... compute.

A look inside the new Stadium

The Yankees gave select media members a tour of the new Yankee Stadium on Friday. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times was there to document it.

The upside here is all over the place, for fans, players and the media. The only downside (besides the ticket prices) is that the seats are further from the field, which is kind of a bummer.

I can live with it though as long as Cotton Eyed Joey doesn't make the trip across the street. I would literally lock that dude in his stupid little box and throw the key into the Harlem River if I had such power.

(Photo via the NY Times)

Ranking the Yankees' top FA targets

After a couple of painful months of reflection following the Yankees' first dark October since he was 13, River & Sunset returns today with a look at the free agent class of 2008. The free-agent signing period begins on Friday.

The Yankees find themselves in a precarious position as free agency begins. They have hundreds of millions of dollars burning a hole in their pocket and an especially high level of stakes. Botch these signings, and a veteran team coming off a down season could go tumbling into a steep decline. Make the right moves, and you have a World Series contender playing in your new zillion dollar stadium. It's possible that general manager Brian Cashman is going to age worse than a two-term president this winter.

Here at River & Sunset, we're not crazy about the free-agent class. Even the sure things (with one notable exception) seems to carry baggage, and the drop off to the Randy Wolf's and Jim Edmonds' of the world hits quick. It proves that the dudes that run baseball are getting smarter. If you have a stud, don't let him get near free agency. Chances are you ain't getting him back if you do. If you are a complete baseball nerd like me, check at this Yahoo! Sports article that breaks down each of the 183 free agents. Here's to hoping the sweet Lord finds it in himself to grant a roster spot to Cousin Sal Fasano (No. 177). Not on my team though.

Here's my thoughts on the Yankees' likely free-agent targets, in descending order of desire. To get you "geeked up" (you're a dork, Michael Kay), keep in mind the Yanks will probably end up landing at least two of these dudes. Who knows, maybe all of 'em.

CC Sabathia, LHP - If you think highly enough of him, he's the reason why you didn't give up Hughes to get Santana last offseason. Two things that worry me: a) His physical condition, which falls somewhere between the aforementioned Sal Fasano and that dude who had to be taken out of his house on a flatbed truck for his wedding, and b) The Brewers, perhaps irresponsibly, rode Sabathia real hard after acquiring him from the Indians on July 7. Sabathia made 17 starts for Milwaukee, going the distance in seven of them. He averaged nearly 7 2/3 innings each start he made. In 1978, those are numbers that you'd expect from your ace. But in 2008, that makes you worry. That said, he's a left-hander who was a monster with the Brewers (11-2, 1.65, 128 K/130 IP) and will be just 28 on Opening Day. As someone who always thought the Wanger to be baseball's best No. 2 starter, this would perfectly set up the rotation with a developing Joba not getting asked to carry too much of the load. Simply put, Sabathia has to be the priority.

Mark Teixeira, 1B - For all the talk about how badly the Yankees need starting pitching (which they do), it cannot be understated that their offense is in need of a serious boost as well. Teixeira, a switch-hitting, power-hitting, Gold Glove-winning, beast in his prime, is the perfect fit for this team. He is essentially a better-rounded, less steroidy and sweaty version of the player Cashman thought he was getting when the Yanks signed Jason Giambi in 2001. Think about a Bombers offense without Teixeira filling the three-hole in front of A-Rod. With Abreu in all likelihood history, your outfield would consist of Damon, Gardner/Melky and Nady, while your first baseman would be perhaps Casey Blake. Yikes. With Jeter on the downside, Posada 37 and coming off shoulder surgery and Cano standing as a huge question mark, runs could end up being at a dangerous premium in New York. The Steinbrenners are going to want fireworks in their new park, Teixeira would ensure that. While pitching conquers all, Texeira is very nearly as important to the Yankees as Sabathia.

Derek Lowe, RHP - I have always been a big Derek Lowe guy ... for several reasons. Back when I was in school in Boston, Lowe was the social heart of those crappy Red Sox teams of the early 2000s, a rabid bar fly who'd get drunk with hot blondes at Northeastern University's White Hall (the freshman dorm, natch). Beyond having sex with 18-year-olds, Lowe managed to squeeze in some good moments on the mound in Boston as well, and in his four subsequent seasons with the Dodgers he became one of baseball's most dependable starters. This is what you know you're getting from Lowe: 33-35 starts, 210-220 innings, 13-15 wins and an ERA in the 3.50 range. Like Wang, he's a sinkerball pitcher who doesn't pick up a ton of strikeouts but doesn't walk many either. He's proven he can pitch in the AL East, and at 35, probably has three more good years in him. If you're not worried about him sleeping with your sister, he's the perfect No. 3 starter for the Yanks.

A.J. Burnett, RHP - Using the Carl Pavano Corrollary here, there's no chance in hell you should go near this guy. Prior to his healthy and effective '08 season, Burnett was essentially Toronto's version of Pavano, missing large chunks of the '06 and '07 campaigns among whispers that he wasn't working hard enough to get healthy. Funny what a contract year will do for your health, however. This past season Burnett became the pitcher the Jays thought they were getting in 2006, making every start in an 18-10 season, while striking out 218 in 210 innings, killing the Yankees every chance he got along the way. Burnett likely opted out of his contract last week in part because he (or, more accurately, his agent Scott Boras) believed New York would bite hard at the chance to pry a Yankee Killer away from a division rival. My feeling is the Yanks won't gamble, especially with the $40 million sting of Pavano still fresh. That said, if the Yanks can't acquire Sabathia, everything changes.

Manny Ramirez, OF - As you may have heard, our beautiful country is in a bit of a financial crisis. It seems to have affected everybody, including the poor New York Yankees, who said today that seven of their luxury suites in the new Stadium are without a tenant. For shame! With exorbitant ticket prices, the Yanks need to field a winning team to keep that new ballpark filled in '09 and beyond. Now let me ask you this: If the Yanks were to lose out to Sabathia, and if the Angels managed to retain Teixeira, is it beyond the realm of possibility that a panicked Yankees brass may give sure Hall of Famer, known quitter Manny Ramirez the four-year, $100 million that Boras is asking for? If Boras is smart (and we know Manny isn't), they should ride this process out to see if the Yankees get desperate. As a philospher named Bono once said, "Desperation is an ugly thing." Maybe. But Manny killing the Saux in pinstripes sounds kind of beautiful, no?