The LoHud Yankees Blog

In the first award announcement of this offseason, the American League Gold Glove winners will be released today and Robinson Cano has to be considered a favorite to win his first.

I fully respect the defensive statistics even if I don’t fully understand them all the time, but with Cano the change in his fielding over the years has been absolutely visible. I remember watching him when he first came up in 2005 and he could make all the plays but just seemed to lack the edge and intensity that the Yankees wanted from him (Larry Bowa used to ride him all the time). Now, he still makes it look easy but the completeness of his game is apparent; he’s a true all-around star.

Is this the day he gets recognized for his fielding prowess? We’ll see. Other Yankees who could be in the mix include Brett Gardner and Chef Curtis Granderson.

* That’s an Associated Press photo of Cano in the field.

Of all the issues the Yankees have this offseason, one of the most important also figures to be one of the simplest: Bringing back Mariano Rivera.

We know it’s going to happen. If there’s, say, a 5 % chance that the Yankees don’t work out a deal with Derek Jeter (if that much) than there’s like a .0001 % chance they don’t get Rivera signed (maybe a two-year deal, though there are rumblings that maybe Rivera just wants to go year-to-year now). In other words, the Yankees have their closer.

But what about their setup guy? Kerry Wood did a nice job after coming over late, but he (understandably) wants to try and close somewhere next year. And as the great MLB Trade Rumors site mentions here, he isn’t be the only one. With a glut of closer hopefuls likely on the market and few actual closing jobs available, it figures that the Yankees might try and add a high-end reliever to work behind Rivera. If you can’t be a closer, I’d say that setup man for the Yankees is about as good a gig as there is.

Would the Yankees bring in someone from outside to pitch ahead of Joba Chamberlain or Dave Robertson? I wouldn’t be surprised.  Jesse Crain, Jon Rauch, Kevin Gregg and another (sort of) intriguing injury reclamation in J.J. Putz, who bombed with the Mets but had 65 strikeouts in 54 innings for the White Sox last year, are some of the possibilities. Depending on how the trade and non-tender markets shape up, someone like Heath Bell or Leo Nunez could be available, too (though the package, especially for Bell, might be pretty steep).

One name I get emailed all the time from people is Scott Downs. Obviously he had a very nice year for Toronto and would give the Yankees another lefty (something we may talk more about later this week), but don’t forget: He’s a Type-A free agent. Giving up draft picks for Mark Teixeira is one thing, but I’m not so sure the Yankees would want to give up picks for a lefty reliever.

Remember, the Yankees got ultimately Wood for two extremely low-level prospects – the deal at the time was actually for cash or a player to be named. The key for bullpen acquisitions is always finding high value for low price since production typically varies so wildly from year to year.

As many of you know, I’m a fan of food.

Macaroni and cheese, in particular, has always been a favorite of mine. Growing up, my grandmother’s housekeeper had a fantastic recipe for a mac & cheese casserole that was insanely good and, thankfully, was carried on by my mother (and now, occasionally, by my wife, too). I think it uses Velveeta or something, but whatever the secret, it’s fantastic.

I mention this because if you’re a fan of the Yankees, Curtis Granderson or macaroni & cheese, you might be interested in today’s edition of “The Martha Stewart Show.” Granderson will be appearing on the show, and he and Martha will be making comfort food – specifically mac & cheese.

Click here for a link to the show’s site where you can find out what time it’s on in your area.

* That’s an AP photo of Granderson with CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez.

A few notes to snack on if you’re not into the NFL game tonight …

• Jon Miller and Joe Morgan won’t be returning as voices of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. If the speculation that Dan Shulman will become the new play-by-play guy turns out to be true, I’d be happy – he does a great job.

• The Jim Leyritz DUI trial is taking some interesting turns.

• Jon Heyman did an interesting column on free agents to be wary of and free agents who could be big bargains. I tend to agree with him on Hideki Matsui – in the right situation, he can still be a serious hitter.

• Congratulations to good buddy Bryan Hoch, who does a great job covering the Yankees and ran the New York Marathon over the weekend.

• Honestly, does it get any better in the NFL than when the Cowboys are this bad? I mean, who doesn’t like this (other than close relatives of Wade Phillips)?

Have a great night. Back at it tomorrow.

* That’s an Associated Press shot of, you know, the moon.

With boxing, rap concerts and the occasional graduation ceremony already in the books, Yankee Stadium is getting ever closer to hosting its first football game with Notre Dame and Army christening the field on Nov. 20. Thanks to a picture distributed by Notre Dame, we can see the Stadium’s new look – grass everywhere and some goalposts, too.

Interesting location for the uprights, no? If anyone misses wide right, it looks like they run the risk of hitting George Steinbrenner’s moon-sized monument (thus causing massive lightning strikes from the heavens above, one assumes).

By the way, for any of our NYC readers: It seems the PSAL football championship will also be played at the Stadium on Dec. 7.

Do you think George Steinbrenner should be in the Hall of Fame? If you do, you might get your wish as soon as next summer.

A special “Expansion Era” ballot for the Hall includes the Boss, and if 75 % of the 16-person veterans committee votes for Steinbrenner he’ll be posthumously inducted into Cooperstown. The committee will meet at the Baseball Winter Meetings and results will be announced on Dec. 6.

The other 11 names on the ballot along with Steinbrenner are: Vida Blue, Dave Concepcion, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Al Oliver, Ted Simmons, Rusty Staub, Billy Martin, Pat Gillick and Marvin Miller.

If you want to read the rest of the release from the Hall – which includes info on who is on the committee as well as bios for each of the candidates – it’s after the jump.

* That’s an old AP shot of The Boss, Joe Torre and Rudy Giuliani celebrating after the 1996 World Series. How young do they look? It freaks me out sometimes how long ago 1996 really is now. Doesn’t it still seem like just a few years ago?

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It’s absolutely freezing and windy in Connecticut today and I actually saw a little bit of snow on the ground earlier this morning. So, this release from the Yankees ought to make it feel like spring isn’t so far away.

The 27-time World Champion New York Yankees today announced they will open their 2011 spring training schedule on Saturday, February 26 at 1:05 p.m. vs. the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.

This season marks the second-earliest start to the Yankees’ spring training game schedule in the last 60 years behind only 2009, when they played their first game on February 25 due to the World Baseball Classic.

The Yankees will play a 32-game Grapefruit League schedule that will include 16 home games, including four Saturday contests – all slated to start at 1:05 p.m. The Yankees will wrap up their spring schedule playing five of their final six games at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Included in the Yankees’ home exhibition games are seven home night contests (7:05 p.m. start time) on Friday, March 4 vs. Boston; Wednesday, March 9 vs. Pittsburgh; Wednesday, March 16 vs. Baltimore; Thursday, March 17 vs. Tampa Bay; Wednesday, March 23 vs. Toronto; Friday, March 25 vs. Houston; and Monday, March 28 vs. Tampa Bay.

In addition, George M. Steinbrenner Field will once again host the “Florida Four,” featuring matchups of four Florida universities on Tuesday, March 1. The University of South Florida (USF) and the University of Miami (UM) will go head-to-head in the first game scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by the University of Florida (UF) against Florida State University (FSU) in the second contest to begin one half-hour after the conclusion of the first game.

Season tickets for the Yankees’ 2011 Spring Training are on sale now at www.steinbrennerfield.com or www.yankees.com. Individual-game spring tickets will go on sale on December 3 at 10:00 a.m. at the Steinbrenner Field box office, online at www.yankees.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Monday, February 14, with the first workout scheduled for Tuesday, February 15. The Yankees’ first full-squad workout is scheduled for Sunday, February 20.

This will be the Yankees’ 16th spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. The complex was renamed for the Yankees’ Chairman on March 27, 2008, following two unanimous resolutions supporting the change issued by the Hillsborough County Commission and the Tampa City Council. The resolutions cited Mr. Steinbrenner’s many charitable donations to youth activities, hospitals and the arts, and recognized his numerous extraordinary contributions to the area.

For ticket information, fans can call (813) 879-2244 or visit www.yankees.com.

Sat., Feb. 26 PHILADELPHIA 1:05 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 27 Philadelphia at Clearwater 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 28 Detroit at Lakeland 1:05 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 1 Pittsburgh at Bradenton 1:05 p.m.
Florida 4 at GMS Field 4:00 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 2 HOUSTON 1:05 p.m.
Thur., Mar. 3 Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte 1:05 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 4 BOSTON 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 5 WASHINGTON 1:05 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 6 Houston at Kissimmee 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 7 PHILADELPHIA (ss) 1:05 p.m.
Baltimore at Sarasota (ss) 7:05 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 8 Atlanta at Lake Buena Vista 1:05 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 9 PITTSBURGH 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Mar. 10 Philadelphia at Clearwater 1:05 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 11 ATLANTA (ss) 1:05 p.m.
Toronto at Dunedin (ss) 1:05 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 12 Washington at Viera 1:05 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 13 MINNESOTA 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 14 Boston at Ft. Myers 7:05 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 15 Off Day
Wed., Mar. 16 BALTIMORE 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Mar. 17 TAMPA BAY 7:05 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 18 Toronto at Dunedin 1:05 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 19 TORONTO 1:05 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 20 Philadelphia at Clearwater 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 21 Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte 7:05 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 22 Baltimore at Sarasota 1:05 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 23 TORONTO 7:05 p.m.
Thur., Mar. 24 Off Day
Fri., Mar. 25 HOUSTON 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 26 PITTSBURGH 1:05 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 27 Minnesota at Ft. Myers 1:05 p.m.
Mon., Mar. 28 TAMPA BAY 7:05 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 29 DETROIT 1:05 p.m.

There has been a lot of talk about the Yankees catching situation next season and you can put me down as one of the (many) people who believe it’s time for a change. Posada’s bat can still be a weapon but to think of him as an everyday catcher is, at this point, probably unreasonable. The Yankees are high on Jesus Montero and want to give him every chance to win the starting job in spring training, but Posada says he’s not changing his preparation for next season. At least not yet.

If the Yankees want to do something else with him, Posada says they should just be honest with him up front.

“I’m going to prepare for (the starting catching job),” he told reporters over the weekend at the bowling tournament to benefit his foundation. “I love catching, love being behind the plate. I take a lot of pride – that’s my position. If they want me to be DH or catch, just be honest and let me know what’s up.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Montero steps up and takes the reins during spring training. If the Yankees want to give him a little bit of a cushion, they could always sign a veteran-type catcher (Rod Barajas?) to play in the beginning of the season while Montero gets a few games in the minors before a call-up. Either way, I’d expect Posada to see the majority of his at-bats at DH in 2011.

* That’s an AP shot of Posada looking very, very intense.

Good morning and welcome to the first business day of the real Hot Stove League. Although most MLB teams keep something at least resembling regular office hours during the offseason, everyone knows that transactions and discussions and negotiations happen around the clock.

The latest example? The Yankees reached out to Cliff Lee’s agent early Sunday to let him know that – surprise – the Yankees are interested in signing Lee. Unlike their pursuit of CC Sabathia, the Yankees didn’t make an outright offer; they said they’ll be getting back to Lee shortly with that after some more internal discussion.

I’m hoping to have a variety of posts this week (including, perhaps, a giveaway contest and a mailbag) and I’m going to try to start each day off with a prediction. For the format, I was thinking of an homage to the old board game “Clue,” which occupied many hours for my brothers and me when we were kids (“Colonel Mustard … in the Conservatory … with the lead pipe?”) and demands specificity with your assertions.

Thus, for today’s prediction, it’s not enough to just say the Yankees will sign Lee. I’ll say that the Yankees will sign Lee on Dec. 5, one day before the Winter Meetings begin … and give him a five-year contract worth $110 million. … They’ll then introduce him at a lavish press conference at Yankee Stadium a week later, where there will be plenty of barbecue.

What say you, readers? More years? Less money? Before Thanksgiving? After Christmas? And what will the main dish at the press conference be? New York Cheesecake, maybe? Or pancakes for the table? Are there any out there who think the Rangers or another team swoop in and steal the Yankee prize? Get on the record in the comments section and we’ll look back at this post later on to see who had the clearest crystal ball.

I am no longer in charge of my high school bedroom. I’m sitting in it right now, and although my senior prom picture is still framed on a shelf next to an old paintball trophy, the room itself has been the victim of a hostile takeover.

There are flowery and feathery decorations everywhere. Two huge boxes take up a ton of space, and I have no idea what’s in them. There’s a blue dress hanging on the door, and I assure you it’s not mine. Blue’s just not my color.

Fact is, my little sister is getting married on Saturday. She wanted an October wedding, but when I got the Yankees job, she pushed the ceremony back to make sure the playoffs would be finished by the time she walked down the aisle.

I’ve flown home to serve as — according to the program — the Man of Honor. More accurately, I seem to be here to shut up and do what my mother and sister tell me to do. And I’m happy to do it. I could not have hand-picked a better brother-in-law, and to give you some idea of how cool my sister is, the big musical performance of the actual wedding ceremony will be our friend Sam Smith — back in town from Hawaii — playing piano and harmonica and singing a cover of Taj Majal’s Further on Down the Road. It’s going to be epic. We should be selling tickets.

I’m going to take the week off to recharge and hang with the family. Our good friend Sam Borden will be guiding the LoHud ship for a few days, and I’ll be back in action next Monday when I fly to Orlando for the GM Meetings.

Until then, I’m afraid I’ll be at the mercy of my wedding-crazed sister and mother. Assuming I make it to the other side, I’ll see you again in a week.

That’s a picture of the growing Jennings family, with my sister’s fiancé on the far right.