Tag Archives: Yankees

During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter last night, ESPN.com’s Tim Kurkjian said that, while it is still a three-team race, he believes that Johan Santana will eventually be traded to the Yankees, ‘since they have made the strongest offer.’

…well, i certainly hope the Twins trade santana to whomever makes the strongest offer…i just hope they eventually see the Mets as having such an offer…

…that said, it is amazing to me just how quiet things are on the santana-trade front…

…honestly, i have not heard much, nor asked much for that matter…i find that when things get down to it, and real dollars are on the line, comments from insiders are even harder to interpret than usual…so, it’s often easier to just sit back and let the narrative play out…

…however, if i had to make an educated guess – emphasis on the word guess – this is what i believe is going on…

…the Twins want to trade santana before spring training, and santana would like to be traded before spring training…the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have let the Twins know what they are each willing to part with…however, the Twins would like to acquire a ready-for-action, major-league player in the deal, such as Jon Lester or Phil Hughes, a) because they’d like a semi-instant return on the deal, but b) because it will be easier to sell the fans on parting with johan if such a player is starting for the Twins next season…

…the problem is, a) the Yankees no longer want to trade hughes, b) the Twins are not all that enamored with the Red Sox package, otherwise they would have sent them santana by now, and c) the Mets do not have any major-league ready talent to trade, which is why adding Fernando Martinez to their rumored four-prospect package is no guarantee to wrap this up…i keep hearing people say, “Just add Fernando and be done with it,’ but adding martinez will not get the Twins any closer to that major-league ready player…which is why we keep getting radio hosts and random reports suggesting Jose Reyes must be involved…because, if the Mets want to drop the hammer and end this, that’s what it will take, i.e., a major-league ready player…of course, as we know, that’s never going to happen…

…however, at some point, the Twins will have to make a decision…especially if santana forces the issue…

…and so, the Twins are in hiding as they take one more look at what the Mets are offering, and decide whether they absolutely must get that major-league ready player or if they can live with and sell a collection of minor-leaguers…at the same time, santana and his agents are quiet, as they decide how best to encourage a deal, while getting him the most money from his new team, all while helping the Twins get the most back in a trade…meanwhile, the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have made their case, some more aggressively than others, and they’re sitting quiet while waiting for the Twins to call…

…lastly, the Mets are hoping santana calls the Twins and says, ‘Trade me now, preferably to Queens,” as it will give the Mets all the leverage in a trade, and more or less guarantee they do not have to part with Fernando Martinez…

…again, the above is a ‘guess,’ but it’s a fairly educated guess, and i would not be surprised to learn i am more right than wrong…

Tagged Yankees |

The Daily Intelligencer, a blog for New York Magazine, takes a closer look at Hank Steinbrenner’s ever-changing positions regarding his team’s pursuit of Johan Santana.

On December 3, Steinbrenner set a deadline for the Twins to accept their best offer. On December 8 and 15, Steinbrenner said the door is still open. On January 3, he stated that the Yankees had the best offer, and the Twins know it, but two weeks later he said it was likely his team would “go with what they’ve got.”

On January 14 reports indicated that the Yankees were done talking to the Twins, unless Steinbrenner had a change of heart. So, naturally, the next day, Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that the Yankees are still discussing Santana, adding, “There’s still a little talk back and forth.

…jeez, hank, you want syrup with them waffles…you’d think he was running for public office with all that back and forth…

…by the way, thanks to ruffian for the link…

Tagged Yankees |

Yesterday, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reported that the Yankees had pulled their ‘Phil Hughes-centered trade offer’ for Johan Santana, adding that the they will not restart trade talks unless Hank Steinbrenner has another change of heart.

Roughly four hours later, Steinbrenner told the Associated Press that the Yankees are still discussing Santana, adding, “There’s still a little talk back and forth.

…oh…my…god…it’s like the movie Groundhog Day…

Steinbrenner, as quoted by the AP…

“There wasn’t an official offer anyway. You can’t withdraw something that wasn’t there.  There was no official offer on the table at this time.”

Additionally, according to Tyler Kepner in the New York Times, the Yankees have not had a formal trade offer since the winter meetings in December.

…well, that at least jives with what i had been writing, which is that the Twins want Phil Hughes, and the Yankees will not part with him…once they say, ‘Hey, here’s Hughes, come and get it,’ the Yankees will vault in to the front-runner’s position in this race, and i believe that is what the Twins are holing out hope for…

…of course, if the Yankees can offer a better package from the Twins point of view, one which keeps hughes in pinstripes, but gives minnesota the impactful, major-league ready pitcher they are seeking, the Yankees current quotes could be true - even though they read like flip-flopping nonsense…

In the New York Post, Mark Hale and Mike Puma quote Yankees GM Brian Cashman as saying he could still make a deal for Santana, “if the Twins lower the asking price.”

According to Puma and Hale, citing ‘another Yankees official,’ the Twins continue to demand Hughes, Melky Cabrera, Ian Kennedy and Jeff Marquez.

For more on the internal arguments within the Yankees, check out Kepner in the New York Times.

At the same time, according to the Pioneer Press, the Red Sox remain ‘keenly interested’ in trading for Santana.

Meanwhile, according to a person familiar with the situation, Puma and Hale write that a) the Mets are unwilling to go give more than a five-year extension to Santana, and b) the Mets are not engaged in heavy discussions with the Twins anyways.

Last night on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, the Star-Ledger’s Dan Graziano, FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal and former-GM Jim Duquette talked with Kevin Burkhardt about whether the Mets should trade so many prospects for Santana.

To watch a clip of the discussion, click here.

…by the way, am i the only one who winced at the irony of duquette providing insight in to trading young prospects…eek…

For what it’s worth, when asked where he believes Santana will eventually end up, Rosenthal ‘reluctantly’ said ‘the Mets,’ since he no longer believes anything the Yankees say publicly.

Tagged Yankees |

“The Yankees have pulled their ‘Phil Hughes-centered trade offer’ for Johan Santana off the table,” reports ESPN Radio’s Andrew Marchand.

According to Marchand, citing a baseball official with knowledge of the talks, the Yankees will not restart trade talks unless Hank Steinbrenner has another change of heart.

…call me a paranoid, or just your typical, skeptical Mets fan, but i don’t trust the language being used here…so, if the Yankees have pulled their Phil Hughes-centered offer, does that mean a new offer with other players may still be on the table…or, are all offers pulled…

…either way, it’s pretty quiet…the insiders who had been communicating with me are no longer saying a whole lot…and i don’t know if that’s good or bad…the only sense i get is that we may start reading words like ‘two teams are close,’ and ‘reached preliminary agreement,’ etc, within the next week or so…the thing is, i just hope it’s linking the Twins and Mets, and not the Twins and Yankees, who are starting to give me an anxiety complex…

Tagged Yankees |

According to the Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com, citing ‘a source,’ the Yankees are no longer talking with the Twins about LHP Johan Santana.

…obviously this is great to hear, but i’ll believe it when santana is either on the Mets, stays with the Twins or any place other than the Bronx…

On the hand, other sources tell Rosenthal that by passing on Mike Cameron, who agreed to a deal with the Brewers today, it ‘could indicate’ the Yankees are still considering Santana.

…that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me…i mean, it seems to me that had they signed cameron, Melky Cabrera would now be expendable…and melky’s availability could indicate interest in santana…not the other way around…

…at any rate, during the last few days, i have written repeatedly that the Mets are the only major, pro-active team that is dealing with the Twins and things between the two sides are progressing…the thing is, the emphasis is on ‘pro-active,’ meaning other teams must certainly be monitoring the situation…

…i’ll say this, though, i’m getting pretty tired of this…i mean, i feel like i run SantanaBlog.com, not MetsBlog…i want so badly to start thinking about spring training, the roster, schedule, etc, but it’s all a waste if there is a realistic chance that santana ends up in Queens, since the entire dynamic changes…what’s worse, from what i can tell, the entire league is waiting on this situation, not just you and i…seriously, there are other trades between other teams, free agents, uninvolved GMs, etc, all of which are on hold…it’s getting a little ridiculous…

Tagged Yankees |

…this has me a bit worried…

The Yankees are showing ‘serious interest’ in free-agent OF Mike Cameron, writes Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com.

…it seems to me that if the Yankees acquire cameron, Melky Cabrera will be as good as traded…however, where will he be traded to…hopefully not to the Twins, along with Phil Hughes, in a deal for Johan Santana…instead, from what i can gather, melky could be used in a deal to get a set-up man, which could allow Joba Chamberlain to slip back in to the starting rotation…

…as i said yesterday, and this is total speculation, but i wonder if all the rumored talk between the Red Sox and Twins and the Yankees and Twins has more to do with Joe Nathan than santana…just a thought…

…Update…3:00 pm…

According to Buster Olney at ESPN.com, the Brewers are ‘on the verge of an agreement’ with Cameron.

…thanks to Jason B for the link, and thanks to buster for calming my initial fears…

…Update…3:20 pm…

According to Rosenthal’s recent report, Cameron and the Brewers have reached agreement on a one-year deal.

…well, that was quick…

Tagged Yankees |

According to the Daily News, Hank Steinbrenner said he is ‘leaning away’ from trading for Johan Santana.

Multiple reports over the last few weeks have written that while Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner have been against acquiring Santana, Hank Steinbrenner had been on the fence.

The thing is, as noted yesterday by Peter Abraham at his blog for the Journal News, Hank and Hal have equal power – despite Hank’s overt presence in the media.

Steinbrenner, as quoted by the Daily News…

“I’m growing more and more comfortable with what we have, and the veteran players I’ve talked to seem to be pretty comfortable with what we have. But we’ll see what happens.”

…additionally, the buzz from boston suggests that the Red Sox continue to explore a deal that will bring them a significant set-up man, which will likely cost them one of the players needed to get santana…initially, i assumed they would target A’s RHP Huston Street, while using Coco Crisp, who Billy Beane is quite fond of, according to Peter Gammons…however, and this is total speculation, but i wonder if all the talk between the Red Sox and Twins is more about Joe Nathan than santana…just a thought…

Tagged Johan Santana Trade Mets Yankees, Yankees |

According to Baseball America, the Yankees signed LHP Billy Traber and RHP Scott Strickland to minor-league contracts.

Traber was the Mets No. 1 pick in 2000.  He was 2-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 28 games for the Nationals last season.

Since leaving the Mets after having elbow surgery in 2003, Strickland has pitched just four major-league innings - all for the Astros in 2005, during which he allowed two home runs.

…if you recall at the time, word from the Mets had been that strickland lacked the needed arm strength
to cut it at the major-league level, and that the team could fill his old role internally, such as with Juan Padilla, Aaron Heilman, Jose Santiago or Heath Bell…

…thanks to Craig M for the information…

Tagged Yankees |

In the Star-Tribune, citing ‘several people with knowledge of the trade talks,’ La Velle E. Neal III reports that the Twins have recently ‘adjusted their demands’ for Johan Santana.

According to Neal, Jose Reyes no longer needs to be part of any deal for Santana, just as the Twins are willing to accept other players instead of Ian Kennedy when negotiating with the Yankees.

However, Neal concludes by writing…

“It’s still hard to view the Mets as a serious player in this game, because although they have good young players, they lack quality talent up front of the deal.”

Meanwhile, according to multiple reports, while in Boston to support the annual Hot Stove, Cool Music charity event put on by Red Sox and Peter Gammons, Yankees GM Brian Cashman essentially said he has less control under Hank and Hal Steinbrenner than he did under their father, George.

…this isn’t really news, in that reports have indicated how cashman wants to build from within, i.e., not trade prospects for Johan Santana, while hank wants to make the big splash, i.e., trade for santana…

…this report is unique because cashman is actually saying it all out loud, and he’s usually very, very quiet…

Cashman, as quoted by multiple reports…

“Mostly, especially in our big markets, you get challenged on the short-term stuff so much you can make a mistake if you get caught up in the winds of the pressure of making a trade…Like right now, the Red Sox and Yankees, at least, are in the middle of this Johan Santana stuff.  What’s the right thing for the now?  What’s the right thing for the future?  These are the wrestling matches that go on in the organizations and you have very spirited conversations about what’s right and what’s wrong.”

…as a Mets fan, who would like to see santana in queens, this worries me, because cashman’s control clearly helps the Mets cause, while hank’s does not…

For more on a Yankees perspective, check out Steve Lombardi at Was Watching.

Tagged Yankees |

During the 5th annual Daily News Breakfast Club, Daily News Senior Executive Editor Robert Sapio was asked why the Yankees get more coverage from his newspaper than the Mets.

According to Sapio, right now, ‘the Yankees are magic,’ since they have Alex Rodriguez, the Steinbrenners and Derek Jeter.

However, he noted, had the Yankees continued to lose last summer, and had the Mets continued to win, instead of how it eventually played out, ‘it would have been the Mets dominating the sports pages in September.’

…well, of course…and that’s exactly why this question was asked…i mean, look, part of my job is to keep very close tabs on what newspapers are doing…from what i can tell, using the very scientific method known as ‘my eyeballs,’ over the last two years, regardless of who is winning more, or who’s losing more, the Yankees get more coverage, plain and simple - be it in print or on television…according to me, this is why there are far more regularly-updated Mets blogs than Yankees blogs…

…the thing is, outside of actual Yankees fans, most people hate the Yankees…you’re either a fan of theirs, or they’re the enemy…for the majority of baseball fans, there appears to be no middle ground…and this goes for pretty much every fan in baseball, as far as i can tell…and so, when a team is that hated, it makes sense that they’ll be so obsessed about locally and nationally…people obsess over their success, because it’s ‘bad for baseball,’ and they obsess over their failure because it’s downright hilarious and so much fun when it happens…

…i stopped caring about the War of the Back Pages when i stopped being concerned with the Yankees altogether - and, instead, started focusing my energy on worrying about the Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Nationals, and the rest of the National League…seriously, i am a far happier baseball fan, in general, ever since i started mocking the American League as a whole, started viewing them as some side-show circus, while seeing the National League as the place where real baseball is played, and where the true competition sits, with regards to the Mets getting to a World Series…

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