The Dodgers (also mentioned today on MLB.com) are first and foremost after Manny.

Boston isn’t going to throw that kind of cash at him and don’t need him as badly as the Yanks do.

Other teams mentioned- the SF Giants, don’t want to lock up another pitcher to that kind of money and years (see Barry Zito), so who does that leave? Oakland and Seattle play on the west coast, but there is NO way they front that money. The Padres are about the rebuild again, they aren’t coming up with that money, especially since they are trying to unload Peavy’s salary. The Diamondbacks aren’t big spenders and had a decent enough run last year to make minor tweeks to their team.

Phillies- no just won the WS, the Mets- no, have Santana. Cubs-maybe, but to date there has been no interest, but they have the money if they want to spend it. No one else in the NL has or will want to pony up the cash. In the AL who has the money besides us and Boston? Texas would be the only other team and they could be the only one that would make an attempt at him.

I still think CC comes here. He hasn’t made a decision yet because him and his agent are hoping for another offer. As for CC not wanting to come to NY. There has been talk since the middle of last season that he wouldn’t mind NY, and other players (from Cleveland and Milwaukee) have said CC can see himself in NY.

I don’t think he doesn’t want to be here as much as he just prefers the west coast.

I say he has that press conference by Christmas, wearing a pinstriped #52 jersey.

http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....for_a.html

CC is just waiting. There’s no rush and I doubt there is an ulterior motive. It’s reasonable to assume some teams told his agent “we can’t make an offer until after the deadline to accept arbitration so we know where we stand with certain players and the payroll”.

Sheets and AJ Burnett are comparable from a health-risk standpoint. Paguano doesn’t belong in a conversation with either of those guys. Look at the last four years:

AJ Burnett 50 Wins, 112 starts, 732 IP
Ben Sheets 41 Wins, 94 starts, 603 IP
Carl Paguano 9 Wins, 26 starts, 146 IP

Yes Sheets was a workhorse 2002-04 and Burnett was hurt a lot more in that time frame, but I think the last four years are a better predictor of future performance than those seasons.

I also feel the same way about AJ Burnett, by the way. Not crazy about the Yankees going after him, but, again, if he’s signed, his health, too, will be added to my prayers.

I wasn’t comparing their innate ability to pitch. Sheets obviously has better stuff when he’s healthy. But a lot of his injuries were of the ‘what the heck is wrong with this guy that he can’t stay healthy’ variety. If he (Sheets) was in New York, he would have been raked over the coals for some of his injuries. (In fact, in researching his injury history there was a link to a facetious listing of Sheets injuries, which I didn’t copy here because some of the items were, um, not in good taste, shall we say?) A lot of his injuries did not involve his pitching arm, but he missed a lot of time nonetheless.

I have no quarrel with Sheets’ ability when healthy, and he probably would give more innings in total than Pavano (who wouldn’t????), but at the salary he’d be making, Yankees fans would have little patience for the types of injuries and the frequency of those injuries if he was in pinstripes.

Heck, even Phil Hughes is being categorized as injury prone and therefore someone many would rather the Yankees trade. And there is no doubt that Sheets in the last few seasons has been injury prone.

If the cost of pitching wasn’t so high, perhaps you’d take a chance. I don’t think he’s worth the risk. And I do guarantee that the first time he was out with an injury, all public relations hell would break loose.

However, if the Yankees sign him, I will add his health to my list of prayers.

I think they may be out on Peavey now. Braves supposedly sending Lillibridge to Pale Hose in the Vazquez deal. I’d presume that takes dealing Yunel Escobar off the table and he was one of the key players in some of the Peavey proposals that were rumored. Lot of noise that they may be in hard on Burnett, perhaps willing to go to the 5th year. If they somehow pull that off, a rotation w/ Burnett, Jurens, and Vazquez is not bad. Figure young Tommy Hanson, the best pitcher in the AFL this year, is in the rotation soon and the Braves may have something.

cc
wang
peavey
joba
hughes
acevez
coke
giese.

they will be set with 26-33 million off the books in 11 months or so.

Agreed. He’s an athlete, for sure, albeit a very, very large athlete. He’s also a tough competitor and a down-to-earth nice guy, which has endeared him to his teammates.

Would be a great “get” for the Yanks.

Peavy is out there for the taking… i still think he’s the best fit for the 2nd addition to the Yankees rotation when compared to Lowe, Burnett, OPerez, Sheets, etc.

play the waiting game, and eventually the Padres are going to have to move him somewhere… and for much less than what they were asking for.

might only take 1 great prospect, plus 3 or 4 good prospects, for example, as opposed to two great prospects, with one of those MLB ready.