I thought Tex wanted to play in Baltimore.

BTW, Eric Chavez is lobbying for the A's to sign Giambi.

Given the economic downturn and especially John Henry's specific liquidity problems in respect to his hedge funds, it'll be interesting to see if the Red Sox actually do anything in the free agent market. Rather, I think they'll pursue some trades. They have received a lot of good press about their farm system recently. Wouldn't surprise me if they leverage that for an interesting corner infielder or starting pitcher.

I do hope Yanks go all out to get CC. I think that's a bigger priority.
That would give us CC, Wang, Joba, Andy and Hughes and or Moose. And I'm still not confident in that rotation.

The biggest problem the Yanks have had in the last few years has been pitching, they have to get back to that even if it means overpaying for it.

The reason the Rays and the Redsox are playoff teams is because of their pitching.

As far as Teixeira goes, I hope the Yanks do go after him aggressively too but I wonder if they land him will hey stop there and not address their outfield problems?

I'm distressed that so many 'fans' are ready to trade Cano. And to fill a hole... by creating another hole at 2nd base? Cano had a bad year and his attitude/persona seem to be a problem, but we all know he has the potential to be one of the best in the game at his position. I wonder how many people who want to trade Cano ALSO piss and moan because we let Pena 'get away'?

And how many guys on the Yankees are above average on both O and D? ANY? ARod maybe on a good year. I feel Cano COULD be a centerpiece for the Yankees for the next 10 years.

S. Goldman had a very good 'Bible' piece on the state of the Yankees. While he agrees we have a number of challanges now, he again lays out the stategy that has gotten us in our current 'overpaid, old, inflexible' position. While it is tempting to go out and 'buy us some talent', he cautions that this is just the past repeating itself.

Nobody wants to see the Yanks in 'rebuilding mode' for another year or 2 or 3. But Boston and TB are both built for now AND the future. To be a dominant team over the next 10 years, Cashman et al MUST be very smart and careful in the way they build this team.

Of course I want Tex. I also want cheesecake for breakfast everyday. But is this really a good idea? The guy is good, but not near the force Giambi was when we got him, and everyone bemoans the Giambi contract. Yes, Tex is a SW/H and a great glove, and a few years younger then Jason was. But 8/$160 or more? The guy is just NOT a $20/m year guy for that long. What does insurance cover? 3 years? Again, I'd love to have Tex but he may be morning cheesecake.... a delicious thought but not good for the long term.

The same withh CC, but as a pitcher who has logged many innings, he is an even greater risk. Dice-K is about the only pitcher with an expensive/long contract that APPEARS to be working out.

Detroit sold the farm this year, and on paper, EVERYONE predicted them to be dominant, the best team in baseball.... yet they finished 14 games UNDER .500.

While the 'big guns' on Boston helped create dominant teams, it is their youth... Youk, Paps, Lester, Buchholz, Pedroia, Lowrie, Masterson, Ellsbury... that is the supporting staff that allows them to take chances on expensive FAs. It is also their youth that got them Beckett/Lowell.

I'm NOT necessarily against CC and/or Tex. It's just that the future is in the kids... that we have now and that we might get. We can buy enough talent to get close... maybe win a WS here and there, but we will NEVER get back to 1996... to a dominant team, without making youth a priority.

Frankly, I would consider:
1) See what 'stud' FAs are coming up in 2010 and 2011. It's possible with the economy, and some big contracts not working out, that prices on FAs may come down. We all know that this years crop (CC, Tex, et al) are all overpriced and looking for too many years.
2) Consider Jason for 1 more year.
3) Take 2009 and maybe 2010 to see how many kids are real
4) Posada. Again, there are certain decisions that hinge on whether Posada is still a catcher or not. Can he play 1st? DH? Do we just DFA him if he can't catch? Do we need a 1st baseman... or a catcher?
5) Hughes. Can he be at least a #3? If he is, a top 3 for Wang/Joba/Phil ain't bad. Maybe CC money would be better spent on 2 Ted Lily types and a position players?

It's possible that Cano/Hughes/Melky-Brett/Melacon/IPK/other young pitchers... will have more impact, for almost no cost, then a CC/Tex. Maybe we should play Billyball this year. Buy/trade SMART. Get solid, if not star players. Stress defense more. Hold our young assets.

I don't see any 'stud' really good/cost efficient moves this year. I believe our team AS IS is not that bad. Maybe this year, we look before we leap.

I don't envy Cashman. Maybe for his own good, he should have left. This is a very tough winter coming. Very tough decisions. Should be an interesting 5 months here at the Banter.

How do we feel about going after Orlando Hudson? (yes, that means moving Cano ...)

Keep Cano. Make Teixeira the priority. The Yankee system is awash with young pitchers. They need productive hitters who can also improve their defense behind those pitchers. Teixeira is exactly the kind of player the Yankees need most right now.

5 In short, no thanks.

In long form: he's injury prone (only once played over 150 games in a year). He hits poorly outside of the BOB (or whatever its called now) - and that's in the easier league. (2006 on the road: .254/.313/.421; 2007 on the road: .286/.370/.369; 2008 on the road: .288/.337/.381). And he's likely to fall off a cliff by 32 (PECOTA had his collapse rate at 50% going into this year.)

4 I have only one problem with trading Cano. The Yanks have one under-28 hitter with upside who is definitely an MLB-capable hitter on Opening Day 2009: Cano. If the Yanks trade him and do not get another young MLB-ready hitter in return, they are screwed. Late 90s-Orioles-style-too-many-veterans-no-MLB-ready-kids-with-talent-screwed.

6 Agreed (and you said it in far fewer words than I could have, Cliff).

Not signing Tex would be the Yanks' biggest mistake since they choose Sheffield over Vlad. He's got to be priority #1.

6 Agreed. While Tex may not be the big bopper in the lineup many are looking for, he's plenty good enough and is a switch hitter, which gives the lineup some balance again. The Yanks got killed last year when A-Rod went down after Posada. They were just too lefty leaning.

They Yanks' Cano had holes in it last year and took on water but I'm confident it will be patched up and seaworthy in 2009.

I'm hoping I can corner CC and ask the man himself where he's leaning ormore importantly, if any teams/cities are wasting their pitches (pardon the pun). If that doesn't pan out I have a very close and reliable source regarding his desires. I know in the past CC liked the idea of playing for the Rangers, but that was a couple years ago. Obviously, no decisions will be made in the next few weeks, but once the offers and statements start flowing I'll try and get some behind-the-scenes info.
As far as the mileage goes, I'm hoping the 3-days-of-rest attrociousness didn't do any harm, but it's difficult to think it didn't. That being said, I don't think the Yanks would go into a situation where he couldn't be insured (thanks Carl!).

4 I don't get the argument suggesting Boston has built its success on the backs of its kids. Yes, Lester, Papelbon, Youkilis and Pedroia have been big contributors, but guys like Lowell, Beckett, Dice-K, Drew, etc. are the result of spending money or trading prospects. The same was true of the 96-01 Yankees. They didn't simply build from within...they did both.

With Cano, Joba and Hughes, I am comfortable with having that as a young core. That doesn't mean the Yankees can't add both Texeira and C.C. (both under 30 free agents). In fact, it is the combination of the two philosophies that makes a winner.

Building with the kids is a crap shoot. Sustained success is created by using every avenue available.

11 i believe that it is nearly impossible to insure contracts longer than 3 or 4 years at this point, especially for pitchers. the yankees will most likely not have coverage on CC.

12 i'm with william here, with the contracts the yankees have coming off the books this year and next and the resulting protected draft picks, there's no reason a hybrid approach cannot be utilized.

I'm leary on CC only because of the # of innings this year. And, while I think pitching is important, I would also love to see a big move for Matt Holliday. He'll be an FA in 2010 and I think the Rock's might prefer warm bodies to draft picks.

10 Ouch. You may be in need of a paddling.

To me, it's pitching. Go for CC, and I think the Yankees' bullpen is in good shape to spell CC, thus taking his innings down a significant amount.

As for Robbie, I'm not of the "get rid of him" view, but I no longer have him or Melky in the untouchable category. If the right deal is out there and Cashman can land a decent second base man, then pull the trigger.