Pettitte was painted as a selfish crybaby (by the press) because he refused to accept a pay cut from his previous season's salary ($16 million). Pettitte disagreed with that assessment, stating in an interview:
"Heck, the bottom line is I'm a man, and I guess it does take a shot at your pride a little bit," he said. "But when you put all that aside, I wanted to play for the New York Yankees and, you know, that was the bottom line. I wanted to 
Pettitte will likely fill out the back end of the Yankee rotation, joining newly acquired arms CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett as the Yanks open up their new ballpark with a significantly upgraded roster compared to last season.
Pettite finished the 2008 season with a 14-14 record, posting a 4.54 era in 204 innings pitched. Pettite also posted great control numbers again, walking only 55 batters while striking out 158.
That's why he's going back home.
The Oakland A's have announced they have agreed in principle (and pending physical) on a one year deal worth $4 million. The team also has an option for the 2010 season (worth $6.5 million) with a $1.25 million buyout option.
The contract has $5.3 million in performance bonuses.
No word yet on whether running his ferrari into the back of a garbage truck is one of the incentives.
Gehrig. Mattingly. Tino. Giambino. Now Teixeira?
According to multiple news sources, the Yankees and Mark Teixeira have agreed, in principle, to an eight year deal worth $180 million.
So here's the Yankees current lineup, if opening day was tomorrow;
| LF | Johnny Damon |
| SS | Derek Jeter |
| 1B | Mark Teixeira |
| 3B | Alex Rodriguez |
| DH | Hideki Matsui |
| RF | Xavier Nady |
| C | Jorge Posada |
| 2B | Robinson Cano |
| CF | Melky Cabrera |
| Bench-- Nick Swisher | |
Teixeira's arrival in New York will add to the logjam that's currently developing in the outfield. Along with the newly acquired Nick Swisher, the Yanks have Matsui, Cabrera, Damon, Gardner, and Nady all vying for the three outfield spots.
Updating the site and filling in the "Old News Category" that we missed on reporting while suffering from a wonderful vacation, here's the Yankees free agent signing updates.
As if you needed us to tell you:
The free-agent pitchers reached preliminary agreements last week, with Sabathia getting a $161 million, seven-year contract and Burnett an $82.5 million, five-year deal. Sabathia's agreement is a record amount for a pitcher.
According to various news sources, the Bombers and the Brewers are ready to swap outfielders Melky Cabrera and Mike Cameron.
This move is the second in as many days for the Yankees, as they upgraded their rotation yesterday by signing CC Sabathia.
Acquiring Cameron, a player who has proved he can play in New York, the Yankees have bought themselves a little more time in the "Developing Austin Jackson Department".
Editor's Note: Looks like this deal is dead in the water. The Brewers balked on taking on Kei Igawa's contract and the Yanks seemed to have wanted the Brewers to pay some of Cameron's contract. No talks since this was first reported have led Brewer GM Doug Melvin to say this deal is all but lifeles.....
According to an ESPN.com News Services report, the Yankees have increased their offer to free agent lefty, CC Sabathia, and are close to acquiring his John Hancock:
Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney the deal offered by the Yankees is now worth $160 million over seven years -- the most money ever paid a pitcher in major league history. The team had originally offered six years and $140 million.
While a deal is not yet done, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark there are "zero major road blocks" that would prevent the Yankees from reaching agreement with Sabathia. Not all terms of the deal are agreed to yet, the source indicated. Sabathia also would need to take a physical.
The CC deal for the Bombers has been an "on again, off again saga for the Yanks" as their contract offer turned one month old yesterday. There had been reports that the Giants were set to sign the lefty and multiple reports that CC was going to be a Dodger.
If the signing actually takes place, the Yankees would have acquired their main offseason target and can now look to adding additional arms to solidify their shaky rotation.
According to MSN's Ken Rosenthal, the Bombers are talking trade with the LA Dodgers, and Robinson
As the Dodgers try to resolve their infield, they are again talking to the Yankees about a trade for second baseman Robinson Cano. The teams have resumed their discussions about Cano at the winter meetings, according to one source.
The Dodgers also are interested in Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera, and the Yankees likely would want outfielder Matt Kemp and pitching in return.
The Dodgers' interest in Cabrera is a sign that they might not be confident of Andruw Jones making a strong return in 2009. The Dodgers also need to find a match for Juan Pierre, who has requested a trade.
The Yanks declined to offer arbitration to Andy Pettitte, who they thought might receive a similar salary ($16 million) if he won the case. The Yanks are looking to bring Pettitte back, but at a lower price tag than his 2008 salary.
Abreu's arbitration offer was also withheld by 
This comes on the tails of a precedent setting offer to CC Sabathia, the left hander whom the Yankees have targeted as their main arm in attempts to rebuild the rotation.
With the Cubs signing Ryan Dempster to a four year deal, the Yanks look to quickly remove starters before the market turns into an ugly bidding war.
Darrell Rasner had asked Yankee GM Brian Cashman to be shipped over to Japan, where he would eventually sign a two year deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Pacific League.
Rasner finished with a 5-10 record, posting a 5.40 era in 24 games with the Bombers last season. With all the talk of the Yanks retooling their rotation this offseason, Rasner inevitably saw the writing on the wall.
We say in most cases, because frankly, this is not one of those times.
WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER! WE GOT NICK SWISHER!
AHHHAHAHAHAAHAH!!! WAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Ok, now back to normal-ness.
The Yankees acquired outfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Wilson Betemit and two minor leaguers (the Bombers picked up a sinkerballing minor leaguer as well).
We can not begin to stress how huge this deal is for the organization, as well as for my personal video gaming pleasures. I'm possibly Nick Swisher's biggest fan, and usually wind up overpaying to get him to play for the Bombers in the MLB 2K Sports franchise series, so this year, I won't have to!
We'd like to point out that, yes, Swisher had possibly the worst batting average (.217) among active players to qualify for the batting crown, but we can explain. Chicago misused Swisher, making him their leadoff guy, when he has no right leading off a lineup.
Swisher's ability to work the count fits in nicely with a perenial patient Yankee lineup, and would be a great #6 or #7 batter in the lineup. Swisher's acquisition is an excellent insurance policy, in the case the Bombers can't land Teixeira.
So, in conclusion, great move on the Yankees end, picking up a quality bat and getting rid of Wilson Betemit in the process.
The Yankees had initially opted to buyout Marte's contract, as opposed to picking up a $6 million option.
The move gives the Yankees a left handed option out of the bullpen, but not a solid one. Marte went 1-3 with a 5.40 era after being acquired by the Yankees in the Xavier Nady deal at the trading deadline.
The Yankees haven't had a solid left handed specialist since the days of Mike Stanton and Grahame Llyod.
"It's great to hear," Cashman said Wednesday at the general managers' meetings. "Obviously, Andy is a guy you'd like to have back."
Pettitte confirmed that sentiment in an interview with KRIV, a Houston based TV Station.
If Pettitte were to resign with the Yankees, he'd most likely have to take a pay cut (earned $16 mil last season) and would most likely have to accept a one year deal.
With the first round of General Manager meetings in full swing, Brian 
Giambi will receive $5 million for the buyout and Pavano cashes in another $1.95 million. This, obviously, isn't the first time the Yankees have given Pavano money for doing absolutely nothing.
The moves free up some cash for the Yankees, as the two spots held by Giambi and Pavano free up close to $28 million dollars.
Some sources think that Giambi may return to Oakland, as reported by ESPN:
In a sign that Giambi may want to return to the Athletics, Oakland announced Tuesday that Bob Alejo will become its director of strength and conditioning. Alejo was Oakland's strength and conditioning coach from 1993-2001 and followed Giambi to the Yankees, working for Giambi personally and for the team during some years.
Don't expect to see Mitre in pinstripes until after the All-Star Break, as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Mitre was a member of Joe Girardi's 2006 Florida Marlins, going 5-8 with a 4.65 era. Mitre's most effective pitch is his sinkerball.
Andy went 14-14 in 2008 and was a symbol of "awful consistency". He could never put together consecutive quality starts, and his ability to stop Yankee losing streaks (as had in the past) was almost non-existent.
His era of 4.54 was his worst since he posted a 4.70 era in 1999. He was still able to throw over 200 innings last season, but his 103 earned runs was a career worst.
Andy's return will depend on how successful the Yankees are in luring free agent arms to their new home in the Bronx. If the Yanks can sign CC, AJ, or any othe guy they have on their radar, Andy's return chances may seem slim.
In continuing with our Offseason 2009 analysis, we take a look at upgrading the Bomber's Roster via the trade market. We're only looking into feesable trade opportunities, ones that aren't far fetched (say Melky Cabrerra and a sack of potatoes for Carlos Beltran).
Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrerra for Brian Roberts and a low level prospect.
Why This Trade Works
If the Yankees are truly dedicated to getting to the World Serie
We understand that Cano had an off year in '08 and is likely to rebound next season. Melky, on the other hand, is a nightmare with an outfielder's glove.
Baltimore is a team that's preparing for the future, and they have to decide whether they are going to committ 100% to that rebuilding plan. Obtaining Cano and Melky provide a short term boost to the team's flailing existence while allowing their other components (Adam Jones, Matt Wieter, etc) to grow at a major league level.
Brian Roberts is a great fit for the Yankees. His consistency in the field and at the plate are a major upgrade over Cano and would be better suited to hit leadoff than Damon. Roberts hit 51 doubles last season and stole 40 bases. The year before, Roberts hit 42 doubles and stole 50 bases. His speed is sorely needed in the Yankees aging lineup.
By moving an underperforming Cabrerra, the Yanks would free up roster space to give Brett Gardner and extended shot at playing everyday.
Why This Trade Doesn't Work
Might be too early to give up on Cabrerra (although that ship has already sailed by our measure). His trade value plumetted this season, after a late season demotion to Scranton. Both Cano and Cabrerra are young, and this trade could come back to bite the Yanks 
We're sure that there are Yankee fans who are fed up with Cabrerra, and wouldn't bat an eyelash if he were moved this offseason, but Cano is worth a lot more than a 31 year old second baseman who has never had to produce in a pressure situation.
The same thing, however, was said when the Yanks traded away Alfonso Soriano.
With a lazy fly ball out during a 19-8 whooping of the Red Sox, Abreu was able to drive in his 100th run of the season. Abreu points to his consistency as his main selling point for what he hopes to be a return to pinstripes.
In an article on MLB.com, Abreu was quoted saying; "I've played here two years and two months, and I think they can see what kind of player that I am.I haven't changed anything. I just do my things. I put my numbers every year there and I do my job like a third hitter. I'm not trying to do more than I've been doing, just always be the same. I think I've been doing good the last two years and two months."
Abreu, according to the same article written by Byran Hoch, says he wants to return to the Yankees next season.
But, as we've pointed out in the past, MLB.com is a communist organization that rarely reports on anything outside of candy canes and fairy dust in the world of baseball. So take that article with a rather large grain of salt.
Abreu knows what the market is for an everyday outfielder, and is a free agent for the first time in his career. He'll be looking for a multi-year deal that'll pay him big money.
Abreu will also be smart to sign that deal before Manny signs on with another team. We're thinking that Manny won't get the type of years/money he thinks is coming to him, and its in Abreu's best interest to dicate the market for an outfielder before Manny signs.
Abreu also knows how desperate the Yankee outfield situation currently is. Matsui and Damon can't play everyday anymore and Cabrerra is coming off a horrific season that ended with a demotion to Triple A Scranton. Brett Gardner shined in his brief stint in the big leagues, but he's a powerless (albiet younger) version of Abreu.
If Abreu walks, the Yanks can look to Xavier Nady to fill in right, which is his natural position. Other free agent outfielders include Adam Dunn, Manny, and Vlad Guerrero if the Angels do something stupid like buyout his contract and refuse to pick up the club option.
River Avenue News Prediction:
Abreu signs with crosstown bums; solidifies Met's outfield.
First up is Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi. Giambi's contract situation with the team is unstable at best. The Yanks have a $22 million club option on his contract, or a $5 million buyout option.
It doesn't take an advanced degree in 
All signs point to Cashman opting to use the buyout clause, saving the Yankees a cool $17 million. Once that's taken care of and the money's been wired, there are two roads the Yankees can go down with Giambi.
Road #1: Cutting Ties
There are a handful of Yankee fans that are salivating over this option, 
If the Angels can't quickly resign K-Rod, we have a hard time believing that the Angels will be able to convince Teixeira that they're committed to winning. Despite their recent success, their lineup is aging quickly and could be subject to fire sales this offseason.
While Teixeira would be a huge upgrade over Giambi, there are rumors that Teixeira would be willing to play for the Orioles next season. He grew up in Maryland and rooted for the Orioles as a child. We all know that Orioles brass have been known to recklessly pony up big bucks. This could be one of those times. Don't look for the Yanks to get into a bidding war over a first baseman, as pitching is a top priority this offseason.
Internal options at first base are intersting. Cody Ransom comes to mind as the best prospect suited to play first, but when all is said and done, he's most likely nothing more than a super utility guy. Juan Miranda, a relative unkown until his September call up, has been dominating the Arizona Fall League; The 25-year-old ranks second in slugging percentage (.871) and third in batting average (.452),
Road #2: Sign and Cross Fingers
The road less likely traveled is to buy out Jason's contract and sign him to a lesser deal, one loaded with performance based incentives. This prevents Giambi from signing on with a team like the Red Sox or Angels and going on a 50 HR/150 RBI binge-like season and hurting the Yankees in the long run.
The posibility of that happening is highly unlikely, we're just writing it down now so we have something to link back to next September when Giambi hits the game winning walk off home run for the Angels in the one game playoff that keeps the Yankees out of the postseason.
River Avenue News Prediction:
Yanks lose the 'stache and bring in a handful of journeymen to compete for the first base job.
