Sign CC Sabathia.  Easier said than done right?  Yet the Yankees still don't have their "ace" and if passing on Johan Santana was done in part because of what he would've cost the Yankees in dollars, they have $88 million coming off the books so no excuses.  Granted Sabathia's arm has been taxed over the last couple of seasons and he has looked worn down come playoff time, chances of that happening with the Yankees bullpen anchored by Mariano Rivera unlike Sabathia are slim to none.  Sabathia also sports a career 21-8 record against the rest of the AL East.

Sign A.J. Burnett.  Why?  Because besides wanting an entire rotation of initialed pitchers, Burnett is a big time strikeout pitcher.  Grabbing Burnett would be a key loss for Toronto and as history has shown when the Yankees pick up ace type pitchers from the Blue Jays (Jimmy Key, David Cone, Roger Clemens) they tend to win championships.  Now Burnett does have the "Florida Marlin curse" or propensity to get hurt much like Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Dontrelle Willis, Ryan Dempster, Carl Pavano.  However Burnett has shown that he can compete against the rugged AL East with a career mark of 20-5.

So far with this rotation, if one brings back Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte, a combined 33 wins out of your back end starters isn't too shabby.  If I'm the Yankees I make a strong push to get both of them back in the fold.  Mussina has his confidence back, has reinvented himself and could be especially driven to get to 300 wins and if he won 20 games on a 3rd place team, his prospects should only improve on a better team even if the chances of winning 20 again are almost remote.  Pettitte will no doubt be driven to prove last season was a fluke, like Mussina knows how to pitch in New York and like Mussina has the potential to have a bounce back season after everyone has all but written him off as washed up.  Even if Pettitte did win between 13-15 games next season, one could do a lot worse for a 4th starter.

Of course there are a lot of variables here: Such as how much are the Yankees willing to spend?  How many pitchers do they want to bring in and how many want to come to New York?  Will they go more long-term with guys like Sabathia and Burnett or do they go more short-term with Derek Lowe, Mussina and Pettitte?  Does Mussina want to come back and do the Yankees want Pettitte back? 

The biggest wild card so to speak is Joba Chamberlain.  The Yankees say he and Chien-Ming Wang are the only two guaranteed to be in the starting rotation, so that would likely leave out one of the aforementioned starters.  I'm a huge believer in keeping Chamberlain in the starting rotation, especially when one looks at the way Cole Hamels and Josh Beckett both carried their respective teams to championships the last two seasons.  Though one could make the arguement that with Mariano Rivera coming off of shoulder surgery and if indeed the Yankees did bring in all of the starters mentioned above, that would only make the staff that much more unstoppable.

When it comes to the Yankees defensively, even though they just picked up Nick Swisher in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, I believe they still need to go after Mark Teixeira for 1st base.  Tex is a two-time gold glove winner, has not been injury prone or linked to steroids.  At 28 he would be one of the younger Yankee regulars and would lock down 1st base for the better part of the next decade.  Tex, a switch-hitter, can absolutely mash averaging 36 HR's a season while posting a .467 batting average in the 2008 playoffs.  The Yankees just locked up A-Rod last year for 10 years at age 32, so what's the big deal with Tex for 10 years at 28?  Additionally as mentioned, they shouldn't be scared off by the deal given to Teixeira's predecessor Jason Giambi, because he just doesn't possess those same initial risks, poor defense, steroid allegations and injuries.  The Yankees shouldn't be worried about clogging up 1st for the likes of Jeter and Posada when they decline, that's what the DH is for.

If the Yankees want to make up for Derek Jeter's "declining range" at SS, perhaps signing Orlando Hudson for 2nd base would be a cure-all.  Hudson. a three time gold glover, is also spark plug in the clubhouse as opposed to Robinson Cano who can be moody at times.  The Yankees could then flip Cano for either a centerfielder, corner outfielder or a front line starter should they not be able to obtain one of their free agent targets. 

Finally I'm going to contradict myself here a bit but this is well worth the exception and I think you can tell where I'm going.  The Yankees as evidenced last season and the past few post season's have lacked that late clutch hitting with RISP and they are in need of players that have won and come up big with the game on the line.  That's why the Yankees should sign Manny Ramirez, because let's face it the guy is oblivious to pressure because half the time he can be just plain oblivious.  Manny is a flat out RBI machine, makes good teams great and great teams into champions.  In the playoffs which the Yankees are all about, Ramirez has 28 career HR's, a .286 post season average, a World Series MVP and two rings.  What more could one possibly want?  He's been on winning teams everywhere he's been, is from the Bronx and is no doubt chomping at the bit to get back at the Red Sox.  Manny is no worse defensively in the outfield than Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui (both of whom I'd think about dealing) or Bobby Abreu and you saw what he could do for David Ortiz, just imagine what he would do for A-Rod.  The Yankees should base this signing as a baseball decision and I would hope that the same team that almost gave Manny's ex-teammate Albert Belle a deal about a decade ago wouldn't get all high and mighty as if they were above it.

This is just a blueprint for where the Yankees should go as they head into 2009, while I understand and applaud the want and need to get a younger, more versatille, flexible roster and payroll, there's nothing wrong with spending large sums of money if you spend it wisely.  Besides, this is a now team that needs some upgrades to compete in the toughest division in baseball and Jeter, Rivera and Posada only have so many years left in the bank. 

I'd like to first start by saying that Bill James is a hack.  There, that felt good.  Mr. James you can't be serious when you say Derek Sanderson Jeter is the worst infielder in baseball.  No love for the "Jeter Jump" or "The Flip?"  I'm not here to say Jeter is Honus Wagner, but Mr. James your blind alligence much like that of George Mitchell to the Boston Red Sox for whom you are of current employ is ignorant and stupid. 

As someone opined on another blog, has Jason Giambi retired or is his fielding so bad that he is not even considered an infielder?  How about looking at your own clubhouse with Jason Varitek and an arm only Johnny Damon could love?  Or you and Mr. Mitchell get together and see if David Ortiz isn't indeed the worst infielder or roided out?  Oh that's right, I guess one must actually be in ownership o####love and hat in order to be considered an infielder. 

 Look Boston I'm sorry if your cognitive dissonance has been thrown out of wack by virtue of winning two recent championships, but get over it.  You beat the Yankees, you have a $130 million payroll with more All-Stars than one can shake a stick at, so stop your whining and relax.

Looking back at the free agent class of 2008 which 3rd baseman on the market did you think would have the most impact on winning a championship?  A-Rod off his monster year?  Mike Lowell the reigning World Series MVP?  Try Pedro Feliz, who held down the hot corner for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies had been scrounging for an adequate 3rd sacker since the days of Scott Rolen and while Feliz's stats didn't exactly jump off the page during the regular season, he filled his role much like the rest of the Phillies roster in coming over from playing eight seasons with the San Francisco Giants. 

Feliz in 18 World Series at-bats had six hits and two RBI with a .333 batting average and also knocked in the series winning run in Game five. 

So when all the dust settles after "Hot Stove 2009" and the big names have made all their dollars, it will be interesting in the end to see who makes the most sense.

The Yankees final game in Kansas City before they head off to Boston, showed just how different this team is at the start of this year compared to the 2007 Bombers.  Well ok, so Andy Pettitte is still back to being the stopper again, but it goes much deeper than that.

Pettitte who shut down the American League in the 2nd half of 2007 to win 15 games overall, still could've won much more.  In fact had Pettitte had this type of run support and bullpen help early last season he could've easily gotten himself around 21-22 wins.

Pettitte and his efficient outing of 6/2/3 innings of one run ball were aided by a couple of guys who weren't in the mix this early last season.  Melky Cabrera the Yankees now starting Centerfielder batting in the two hole for the injured Derek Jeter, went 2-5 with a solo HR, two RBI and a run scored, raising his average to .320 on the season.  Remember folks, Melky was being used as the 4th outfielder at this time last year and got off to a slow start, not this time around. 

Morgan Ensberg also had his best game as a Yankee, filling in for Mr. .056, going 2-4 with a run scored.  Jose Molina was also 2-4, brilliantly continuing his play for Posada.  Additionally chipping in for the Yanks were two guys who were hot last April and are hopefully breaking out of it just in time for Boston in A-Rod who hit his 520th career HR while passing Mickey Mantle on the RBI list and tying Bobby Murcer on the Yankees HR list and Jorge Posada who went 2-4 with a HR as well.

Finally the Yankees got some Mo-Jo out of their bullpen to pick up Pettitte and keep the lead.  Joba Chamerlain was just dominant, there's just no other way around it, as he worked 1/1/3 fanning two on 98 MPH fastballs.  And of course Mariano Rivera was as sharp as ever in his one inning of work, sending the Yankees off to Boston with a 5-5 record.  

For the first time since October 4, 1995, (Game 2 of the ALDS to be exact) a Yankee manager not named Joe Torre led the Bronx Bombers to a victory.  That man was Buck Showalter and just as Buck had a young up and coming star centerfielder in Bernie Williams, so too does the Yanks new skipper Joe Girardi in Melky Cabrera.

And as we embark on a change from this Yankee Stadium to a "new Yankee Stadium" it is evidently clear that change is a good thing (and no I'm not an Obama supporter).  That change in philosophy, brought on by Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman should put the minds of Yankee fans at ease.  When we wonder if we'll ever see the next "Bernie Baseball" we get a young switch hitting kid with speed and a rocket arm, making diving grabs and catches up against the wall with a new confidence and swagger.  That confidence with a little help from the "Ghosts" hanging out on the Bambino's short porch, allowed Melky to take Toronto ace Roy Halladay deep.

Yes it is that same peace of mind we get as fans as we once pondered if we'd ever get an "Andy Pettitte type" pitcher out of the allegedly dry farm system until it produced Chien-Ming Wang.  Like Pettitte, Wang isn't flashy, but he's a workhorse and all the guy does is win and give the team an opportunity to win.

And it is that same pitching first philosophy on the farm which has given us a glimpse of hope that we may have the next Mariano Rivera in Joba Chamberlain.

Folks, Opening Night 2008 was certainly "night and day" in scope from Opening Day 2007.  Wang was on the hill, not Carl Pavano, Cabrera was in center, not Johnny Damon, in the 8th inning Chamberlain was on the mound, not Kyle Farnsworth and at first base it was Giambi, not Josh Phelps.

I know it's only the first game and that Melky is projected to hit 80 homers and Wang to win 30 games and the Yankees to go 162-0, but one can't help but notice the drastic change in preparedness in this ball club.  This team just looks primed, ready and in shape to win.  A lot of that credit goes to manager Joe Girardi

Change is good for these Yankees, especially if the "winning" refrain remains the same.

Bomber Bites: A-Rod looks very comfortable and motivated this season already.  It is obvious that he has taken to New York and the feeling is mutual.  The reassurance that he'll be a Yankee for life, makes him an even more likeable figure in the Bronx.

Anyone else thankful that Melky was doing that in our yard and not in the Metrodome?  Well that and thankful that one is allowed to appeal Spring Training suspensions.

Robbie Cano, slowly but surely creeping up to 6th in the batting order.

Jason Giambi flashes the leather.  Donnie Baseball left the building and apparently left his glove.  Well at least Giambi has a glove, unlike that Shreck character up in Boston.

And finally, though Jonathan Papelbon may be in his prime and the premiere closer over the length of the season in the American League, there's no question in my mind that when it comes down to getting one batter out with the game on the line I'm taking Mariano Rivera every time, hands down.

Does the phrase "Red Sox Nation" give your a case of the #### chills?  Well I don't know where it came from but to me Red Sox fans seemed certainly less obnoxious before its inception back around 2003-2004.  While its roots (though somewhat mutated) seemingly stem from the old "Royal Rooters" who used to sit in the rightfield stands at Fenway Park back in the early 1900's, this bunch is just a load of Mass-hole marketing. 

“Red Sox Nation?  What a bunch of #### that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans. Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.” - Hank Steinbrenner.

Where I'll disagree with Hank is that, yes you will see a great number of Red Sox hats and jackets around the country.  Evidence from my own experience stems from an August 2, 2003 game at Camden Yards when the O's were playing the Sox in what was at the time the 2nd largest crowd in that park's history.  That ballpark was packed to the hilt with Red Sox fans.

However when it comes to evidence of which team is more popular, and not frontrunner kind of popular just because the Red Sox just won the 2007 World Series popular.  I would tend to say that there is no team more loved or hated than the New York Yankees and following that is probably the Dallas Cowboys.

Here's the facts though, when it comes to total attendance the Yankees were the only team to break the four million mark once again in baseball in 2007, ranking first in that category with 4,271,867, averaging 52,739 also first in baseball. 

As road attendance goes in 2007, in 81 games Boston led baseball with an average of 38,641, while the Yankees in 80 road games were second with an average of 37,227. 

When it comes to popularity of MLB merchandise sales as of Opening Day 2007, the Yankees topped that by an overwhelming margin ahead of Boston, with a Market Share of 25.4% to 8.2%. 

How do I know the Yankees are a more popular road draw?  Simple, in addition to playing one less road game in 2007, one has to factor in their games against Boston.  Both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park sell out when the two teams play each other.  Yankee Stadium fits about 57,000 max while Fenway Park can get to about 38,000 max.  Thus that's a 19,000 seat swing in road attendance in favor of the Red Sox just by size of the two stadiums.  

Might I also add what makes the Yankees attendance marks at home even more impressive is that they also compete against a solid Mets team that itself drew an impressive 3,853,955 fans of their own averaging 47,579 which ranked third in baseball.  The Yankees also have to compete against eight other professional teams in the area along with various college programs.  Whereas Boston is the only MLB show in town and last season with the B's and C's out of the playoffs, the Red Sox had the town to themselves from late April on. 

You may not like Hank Steinbrenner, what he said or how he said it, but plain and simple the facts are there to back it up.   

Twice in recent years the Boston Red Sox have been World Series Champions and twice they've met with two-term President George W. Bush.  What do they have in common?

  (Write your own caption)

"Nice to meet you Senator Obama"

"Red Sox Nation meets Red Neck Nation"

Dice-K: "Hey even I know more English than that guy"

"Are you Jackie Robinson or Sammy Sosa?  I'm sorry they all look alike to me, he-he."

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the New York Yankees may want to follow the lead of the Boston Red Sox in grabbing what could be a bargain of a pitcher.  While the Red Sox inked Bartolo Colon to a minor league pact, the Yankees would be equally wise to inquire about the services of Freddy Garcia. 

Though Garcia may not be ready until about June or July, he's well worth the risk.  Because aside from his injury last season, only once in his career (2000) has he ever not hit at least 200 innings in a season.  As evidenced by their 2007 campaign, one can never have enough pitching and Garcia seems to fit the bill as a solid insurance policy.  He's even younger than Colon and would add an effective veteran presence to the staff, even moreso than Roger Clemens did when he joined the staff last June. 

Signing Garcia if even for a short time works well for the Yankees needs.  If say for instance Andy Pettitte is worn down by off-field distractions, Mike Mussina really is over the hill, Phil Hughes pops a hammy, Ian Kennedy is back down in Wilkes-Barre and Joba Chamberlain is desperately needed in an ultra-thin bullpen, Garcia could truly be that pick-me-up the Yankees need.  Now hopefully none of those things happen, but this could also be a beyond 2008 plus for the Yanks. 

Assuming Garcia pitches well, at 33 as one of the veterans on the staff he could take Mussina's spot in the rotation after his contract is up or if for some reason Pettitte decides to ultimately hang 'em up. 

Garcia is also needed because if the Yankees truly plan to limit the amount of innings on their young trio of Hughes-Chamberlain-Kennedy, to say 150 innings a piece, it is paramount to have someone to be able to eat those innings.  Another plus out of this is that unlike Roger Clemens, this won't cost them $28 million either.

Did I mention that Garcia also has an impressive post-season resume?  Overall he is 6-2 with a 3.11 ERA and 45 K's in 55 innings.  He won a ring with the Chicago White Sox in 2005, pitching a gem in the World Series against the Houston Astros allowing no runs in seven innings striking out seven along the way to pick up the win.  His first post-season win if you're wondering came at... Yankee Stadium.

To quote Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly, Curt Schilling should just "shut up!"  I'm with him on the fact that Roger Clemens used steroids, but with all of this "holier than art thou" garbage, Schilling needs to pipe down. 

Why do I bring this up with Schilling?  Well for one thing he is as annoying as all get out.  Secondly, somebody (namely Schilling) needs to for once and for all tell me what Red Sox trainers shot into Schilling's leg that enabled him to go out and pitch Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS on that bum ankle.  Was it the same stuff Brett Favre uses to keep his consecutive starts streak going on every Sunday when his arm is completely numb on Thursday? 

Additionally I have to wonder did Schilling return to the Boston Red Sox for below his market value for one year because he loved Boston or was it because the Red Sox blackmailed him into coming back because George Mitchell who is on their board of directors told him if he were to come back that he would indeed cover Schilling's butt on this steroid issue.

One could also make the case that Mitchell's connection to the Red Sox made him overlook some of the more prominent recent Red Sox, including Schilling, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciapara.  In any event, come on Curt you seem to be quite the talker, so tell us all what you had injected into your leg before that October night in 2004 that allowed you to pitch on a bum ankle?  Must be a pretty difficult question to answer for a guy that just won't shut up.

The so-called "Mitchell Report" is about to explode, just like Barry Bonds' head presumably will when he rolls out of bed one day and lets out a big sneeze.  But how will you feel, how will you rationalize everything when it comes out that your favorite player or your favorite team was aided by steroids?  Or on the flipside your team was beaten in an important game and #### over by a steroid user?  In any event some will care, some will be shocked, some will disappointed, some will rationalize and make excuses and others will say oh wow and oh well and simply move on and keep watching  the sport.

My take, the media cares about this story way more than the fans do and the attendance figures over the last four years which keep rising prove it as such.  Fans were much more upset with baseball after the 1994-95 strike than they have been with this steroid epidemic.  That having been said, fans are still very protective when it comes to the integrity of records ala, Hank Aaron and Roger Maris.

I believe that this stems from the fact that like a poorly officiated game in which your team gets #### over, you're still resigned to the fact that you can't get it back.  Sure you can put your own black mark on it and the league can apologize and admit it messed up, but what happened, happened and unless there's an immediate correction then why care about it if the league doesn't care to do anything, because really you the fan can't do anything, except not show up and really when has that ever happened except for post-strike circa 1994-95?

Some fans when their favorite player comes up or an important star on their team is listed will simply say they don't care.  Now part of that stems from an attitude that says well yeah it's wrong but everybody is tainted at this point or has been at some point and it's far too ambigious to know for sure how much of an effect or advantage this has given to certain teams and players.  Additionally those same fans must realize that not caring all-together means you're cool with Barry Bonds as the all-time HR king or say for instance of speculation's sake, Roger Clemens as the best pitcher of this generation.

On one side you'll have Yankees fans screaming at Red Sox fans about what was injected by trainers into Curt Schilling's leg that allowed to let him pitch in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS and just how did David Ortiz go from platoon player in Minnesota to overnight Fenway sensation?  Then you'll certainly have Red Sox fans countering back at Yankees fans about Jason Giambi's two HR's in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS and Roger Clemens who shut them down in Game 3 of the ALCS in 2003 as well.  How might another nation besides this one and the one in Boston, Mass. react in Japan if and when Hideki Matsui's name crops up.  You'll have Mets and Giants fans wondering if back in 1998 if they and not Sammy Sosa's Cubs should've made the playoffs as the NL Wild Card, or those agruments become quickly irrelevant when suddenly it surfaces that Barry Bonds and Mike Piazza were also implicated.

If nothing else fans finally know what's going on, even if they don't know all of what's going on.  They know it and it stinks, like a poorly umpired game where their team gets hosed and they're left with nothing but empty apologies like we're sorry you didn't like our calls and the fans gripe but proceed to move on.  Gee it's no wonder baseball doesn't want to implement instant replay, they might get caught with their pants down.  Too late for that! 

Far be it from me to criticize a franchise that has won more World Series' than any team in baseball aside from the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox since its inception in 1993.  However it is absurd to me as to why the Florida Marlins still exist.

Granted like I said they have won two championships (1997, 2003) and seem to have an excellent grasp on scouting and developing their own talent as well as that of the rest of baseball.  But honestly when is enough, enough with this franchise?  In a sport where over the last four years attendance records and revenue streams are off the charts, this team still can't seem to get its head on straight.  I'd rip into the sorry fan base, but I can absolutely understand their genuine apathy.

Everyone knows the deal with them, spend, win, break up team and deal for prospects... and lather rinse repeat as needed.  Ask Joe Girardi what a joke this franchise is, he came in with the expectation of having at least a competitive club in 2006 and then they deal off the likes of Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Carlos Delgado.  Ask the fan base how they felt after the team axed Girardi after overachieveing with that team. 

It is just astonishing to me how a team that only has a $15-20 million payroll then feels the need to slash it further by dealing its best two players in Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis.  Yes the Detroit Tigers did give up some very valuable prospects in this transaction, both in quantity and mainly in starter Andrew Miller and outfielder Cameron Maybin whom the Marlins may be able to build around to make a run with a young team in the future as they did back in 2003.  However this deal for the Tigers (and excuse the phrase) might look like the Red Sox Beckett and Lowell deal on "steroids." 

This is clearly an excellent move for the Tigers and it'll be great to see Cabrera and Willis hopefully flourish even more in an atmosphere of winning and a city that cares very passionately about its baseball.  If nothing else this deal will certainly make up for Jimmy Leyland sticking around out of the kindness of his heart to manage the 1998 Marlins.

But I can't help but look at the Florida Marlins today without turning to MLB and asking where exactly does this end?  Why is this team allowed to perpetually do this and continuously operate some semblance of a major league club?  When does the commissioner's office lower an ultimatum that says, "get a new stadium, move your team or else we will come in an cease and suspend operations."  The Marlins aren't the only culprit of this in baseball or an over-expanded sports landscape in all of the "four-major" professional leagues, but it has already reached the point of being beyond ridiculous with this club.

Besides didn't some owner named Walter O'Malley just get voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for moving the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles exactly 50 years ago?  Just a thought.

With the hiring of Manager Joe Girardi, Hank Steinbrenner stressed patience and many scoffed.  However if one looks at the Red Sox of 2006 and 2007, patience was a key ingredient to their success.

If one will recall, the natives in Beantown got mighty restless at the 2006 trade deadline when BoSox management essentially stood pat.  This after an off-season of losing Johnny Damon and making a deal with the Florida Marlins which saw SS Hanley Ramirez take home NL Rookie of the Year honors and pitcher Anibal Sanchez throw a no-hitter while winning ten games.  Granted the Red Sox did fall to 3rd place and ulitmately missed the playoffs, however they refused to deviate from their plans. 

As a result of that patience, young players such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia helped the BoSox to win this year.  In addition, Josh Beckett turned from a 5+ ERA to ALCS MVP and Mike Lowell from adequate 3rdbaseman to World Series MVP.

Thus the key to the Yankees future success will be hanging onto guys like Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, just as they did at this past Summer's trade deadline. 

If nothing else A-Rod certainly got Boston's attention during Game 4 of the World Series.  So enough with the posturing already, is A-Rod going to become a Boston Red Sox or what?  In a city that has seemingly gotten over the choker label as far as its baseball team is concerned, do they really even want to entertain bringing in a guy who embodies what they used to be?  A guy who wanted all of the riches and yet wound up all alone with nothing in the end?

For the Red Sox this could ultimately be a Randy Moss type deal where he enhances an already successful franchise like the Patriots or it could be as fatal as when the Yankees after the 2001 World Series chose to let Tino Martinez go and brought in Jason Giambi. 

Perhaps Red Sox management views this as what they really wanted all along since the Fall of 2003.  And maybe, just maybe they see it as this century's "Babe Ruth deal" in reverse.  It does make sense considering where the Red Sox are coming from financially over the next few seasons.  In fact the Red Sox higher-ups could be viewing this as a coup, grabbing the sport's best player away from their bitter rival to the already stacked defending World Champions.

There are many reasons for Red Sox Nation to both love and hate this potential signing of A-Rod.  For one thing, you really can't get around to love or hate A-Rod because he is such a talent but does bring along quite the hefty baggage.  With the Yankees essentially telling him to take a hike, he may very well return serve and join the BoSox without giving a single care to his "Yankee legacy." 

From a fantasy perspective however, one can't help but gush at what A-Rod would do in a batting order between Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.  You're easily talking around 155 HR's just between those three.  Just think about this if you will, A-Rod did as a Yankee what no other right handed hitter including Joe DiMaggio could not, hit over 50 HR's.  Now just imagine what A-Rod would do that Joe D. almost did but could not, play all of his home games at Fenway Park with the Green Monster.

Oddly enough everything may come full circle for A-Rod, much like it did for Roger Clemens.  A sure fire Hall of Fame player who'd accomplished virtually everything as an individual in his career and cemented his legacy by joining a team he also once spurned, that was already good enough to win two championships without him while he piggybacked onto two more. 

Both A-Rod and Clemens know how to make the headlines and the big bucks.  They've both done the "Texas two-step."  While Clemens won a Cy Young and recorded his 300th win in New York, perhaps A-Rod picks up another MVP and his 800th HR in Boston.  Either way both players will have had that golden midas touch all the way to Cooperstown. 

Both the Boston Red Sox and Mike Lowell have seemed to say everything that the fans want to hear, while at the same time they have also managed to play a calculated game of possum.  So much so that it has gotten to the point where Lowell is now available to talk turkey with 29 other ballclubs about 2008 and beyond.

At first it appeared as though Lowell would be allowed to walk after this season, then he became team MVP and eventually World Series MVP.  The Red Sox having been pressured by their "Nation," caved into the notion of offering a third year to keep Mr. Lowell at that position through 2010.  That is until Mikey Lowell (as his almost former and could be future manager Joe Girardi refers to him as) wanted a fourth year in the same vein another Boston playoff hero Johnny Damon did after the 2004 World Series before he too bolted to the Bronx Bombers.  Which begs the question, what happens from here?

Lowell will likely field offers from other clubs and someone will offer him that fourth year.  Lowell will then likely take that fourth year back to the Red Sox, who then may give him a salary hike over three years in a "take it or leave it" type deal and then ultimately lose him because someone will give him that fourth year.

If I'm Boston am I wary of giving him that fourth year?  Sure.  But unless the BoSox have something else up their sleeve, I'm not sure how wise it would be to give up a guy who fits so well chemistry wise.  Some say chemistry is overblown and has a lot more to do with winning.  However, Lowell just fits.  He's a blue-collared, tough-nosed, clutch ballplayer.  Just as an example, the guy who blocked Lowell in New York, Scott Brosius also coming off a career year in which he won World Series MVP was given a multi-year deal.  Brosius was the same mold of a player and while in his last year he wasn't quite the same player, he still had that winning attitude and came up with some big playoff hits in 2001.

It's not looking like a messy divorce for the Red Sox and Lowell, but it's beginning to appear like they will mutually depart while "staying friendly for the kids," or in this case Red Sox Nation.

Opie and Anthony fans will certainly enjoy the headline and Jorge Posada will certainly enjoy his new deal.  What would have cost the New York Yankees $39 million over 3-years back in February, will now cost them $52.4 million over 4-years.  Thus Jorge Posada becomes a Yankee for life and the highest paid backstop in the game.

Posada who came up in the Yankees farm system as an infielder, will likely finish out this his final contract as such, if not a DH.  With no suitable replacement yet ready in the minor leagues and no comprable catchers on the free agent market, the signing seems like a no-brainer.

The former Albany-Colonie Yankee is a five time All-Star with five silver slugger awards and four World Series rings.  Posada, who in the process of tying Yogi Berra's single season Yankee record for HR's by a catcher with 30, finished 3rd in the MVP race in 2003 behind A-Rod, and history may prove to repeat itself once again in 2007 after Posada batted .338.

The Yankees now turn their attention to the beleaguered bullpen with Mariano Rivera and beg Andy Pettitte to return to their starting rotation.  As far as the 3rd base situation goes, GM Brian Cashman may have been given a reprieve, seeing how negotiations have fallen through between the Boston Red Sox and Mike Lowell. 

Here's a question to ponder for the Yankees, with Mike Lowell's availability does one use that as leverage to pry Miguel Cabrera away from the Florida Marlins at a lesser price?  Or do the Yankees sign a Type-A free agent in Lowell, giving Boston draft picks instead of one of their major league ready pitching studs to the Marlins? 

This much is for sure on the "Yankee-Lowell watch" if they were just so willing to sign a catcher who came up through their system and won championships also coming off of a virtual career year, a four-year pact that reaches into his 40's, then what would preclude them from offering a fourth-year to a player in Lowell  who fits the same mold, a fourth-year as well?  We shall see.