Pinstripe Posts

Would you deal them both?

Since Joba Chamberlain isn't in the mix, we're getting the feeling that it's going to take both Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy (at least) to get a deal done for Johan Santana. But as long as the Red Sox won't deal Jacoby Ellsbury, then the Yankees are still in the picture. But, so are the Angels - especially if they can't land Miguel Cabrera from Florida.

The Yankees would also like to hold on to minor-league pitchers Allan Horne and Jeff Marquez. It would appear that Melky Cabrera is still on the table, but the Twins are acting lukewarm. Ellsbury seems to be the key to the mint.

In other minor-league news, outfielder Brett Gardner and first baseman Juan Miranda were named to the Arizona Fall League's 'Top Prospects' Team. But the center fielder of the future could be Austin Jackson, 20, who hit .341 at Class A Tampa in '07. At the Hawaiian Winter League, Jackson hit .271, but 18 of his 36 hits went for extra-bases (10 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home runs), with 33 RBI in 133 at-bats.

He wanted to be the next Torri in the Bronx

Apparently, Torri Hunter was proactive in his pursuit to wear pinstripes. Here's what the new Angels center fielder told ESPN Radio today:

"I called the Yankees a couple times, and they were just kind of putting me on the back burner. They had other things to worry about. They really need pitching and were trying to figure out how they were getting pitching, so, I had to sit back on the back burner and wait, and I couldn't wait. Yeah, I wanted to play with the Yankees, but it just didn't work out. And the Angels came out of nowhere -- they swooped down with those wings and I met the Rally Monkey, so we're friends now."

And here's what Hunter said about ex-teammate Johan Santana:

"I never heard that he wanted to play in Boston, but, you know, David Ortiz is over there. We all came up together, and he and David Ortiz...they crack jokes, they love each other. It could be possible that he could end up in Boston, but at the same time, I heard him say something about New York a couple times. He would love to play in New York. But maybe he didn't know that Boston really had interest in him. I think (the East Coast) is where he really wants to go, but you never know, those Angels might swoop up again." 

Posada to Yanks: Go get Santana

The writers just got off a conference call to officially announce Jorge Posada's contract signing, and the catcher fully endorsed the prospect of landing Johan Santana.

"We certainly need a number one,'' Posada said. "That's the reason we're going after Santana.'' Not only was Posada "really, really impressed'' by Santana at the past All-Star Game, but he was "so comfortable'' catching him, too. "I would love to have him.''

It would further be great, Posada added, to have both Santana and Andy Pettitte atop the rotation - a one-two punch of left-handers in Yankee Stadium. However, Posada said Pettitte is "leaning toward retirement,'' and would not make his decision until mid-January. Ouch.

The Pitch

If it takes Melky Cabrera, Phil Hughes and couple of top prospects, just maybe the Yankees and Twins can find that common ground for Johan Santana. Maybe the Dodgers are holding their prospects to deal for Miguel Cabrera, and maybe the Mets can't find that third club they might need to entice the Twins.

The Matt Garza-for-Delmon Young trade gives the Twins a dynamic hitter, but not necessarily a center fielder. And it sure looks as if Joe Nathan will be dealt, too - helping Minnesota plug other holes before they even get around to dealing Santana. Or not.

While we're in suspense, here's a look at some of the highlights of the Yankees' 2008 schedule. Apparently, when they get around to announcing the '08 ticket prices, they'll become - once again - the last club in baseball to officially release its schedule.

Here's the Boston dates:

April 11-13, July 25-27, Sept. 26-28 at Fenway Park.

April 16-17, July 3-6, Aug. 26-28, Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

And the July 4th game is scheduled as a night game. Nice going. As of now, that regular season finale series is at Boston. So, that makes the last regular season game at Yankee Stadium a Sept. 21, Sunday date against Baltimore.

The interleague schedule has the Yankees at Pittsburgh (June 24-26) and Houston (June 13-15), with San Diego (June 17-19) and Cincinnati (20-22) coming to the Bronx. The Yankees host the Mets from May 16-18, and they play at Shea from June 27-29.

A bit of scheduling weirdness has Seattle visiting the Yankees twice in May, three weekends apart. And the September schedule has 10 non-division games, as the Yanks visit Seattle and Anaheim and host the White Sox.

The Prize

We've only just begun. As Hank Steinbrenner mentioned tonight, the Yankees have already started to inquire as to just what it would take to pry Johan Santana from the Twins.

In reality, the Yankees must be considered a long shot to land Santana - as long as they refuse to include Robinson Cano and/or Joba Chamberlain in a deal. And if I'm Hank, or GM Brian Cashman, I'm not moving Cano or Chamberlain anywhere.

You'd sure talk about Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera and a bundle of other young prospects. But would that net Santana? It's hard to say at this stage. If Minnesota is insisting on Cano, as some people have indicated, then it's probably no deal.

And if the final packages offered between, say, the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets are roughly equal, wouldn't the Twins feel more inclined to deal Santana out of the American League?

Chewing on his future

In an e-mail to agent Randy Hendricks, we asked whether this Thanksgiving would be an important time for Andy Pettitte to discuss his future with family members. We also inquired as to how Pettitte felt so far about the Yankees' agreements with A-Rod, Posada and Rivera.

"He knows what has happened, and knows this is good for the Yankees, but nothing has changed on his end and won't in the immediate future,'' Hendricks replied.

So, for now, Pettitte remains in a semi state of retirement.  Pettitte isn't expected to make his 2008 plans known until December. Even if he's undecided on Christmas Eve, the Yankees insist that Pettitte is allowed all the time he needs.

A-ROD, A-L MVP, A-GAIN

Alex Rodriguez has won the AL MVP balloting, easily beating second choice Magglio Ordonez - although the vote was not unanimous.

The two writers from Detroit named Ordonez atop their ballots. The remaining 26 first-place votes went to A-Rod, including mine. Two writers from each AL city cast the votes to determine MVP, listing 10 players on their ballots.

This was my ballot:

1. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees

2. Magglio Ordonez, Tigers

3. David Ortiz, Red Sox

4. Vlad Guerrero, Angels

5. Jorge Posada, Yankees

6. Mike Lowell, Red Sox

7. Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners

8. Placido Polanco, Tigers

9. Carlos Pena, Devil Rays

10. Curtis Granderson, Tigers

Here's the official balloting from the Baseball Writers' Association of America:

2007 AL MVP Voting

Player 1st 2nd 3rd Total Alex Rodriguez, NY 26 2 - 382 Magglio Ordonez, Det 2 22 4 258 Vladimir Guerrero, LA - 3 10 203 David Ortiz, Bos - 1 11 177 Mike Lowell, Bos - - 1 126 Jorge Posada, NY - - - 112 Victor Martinez, Cle - - - 103 Ichiro Suzuki, Sea - - - 89 Carlos Pena, TB - - 2 64 Curtis Granderson, Det - - - 51 Derek Jeter, NY - - - 17 Grady Sizemore, Cle - - - 15 J.J. Putz, Sea - - - 12 C.C. Sabathia, Cle - - - 11 Torii Hunter, Min - - - 5 Orlando Cabrera, LA - - - 5 Bobby Abreu, NY - - - 4 John Lackey, LA - - - 4 Placido Polanco, Det - - - 4 Justin Morneau, Min - - - 3 Chone Figgins, LA - - - 3 Josh Beckett, Bos - - - 2 Fausto Carmona, Cle - - - 1 Frank Thomas, Tor - - - 1

Mo is Back!

Mariano Rivera has agreed to accept the Yankees' three-year, $45 million offer, according to a friend who spoke with Mo today.

Last night, Rivera returned from giving baseball clinics in the Dominican Republic. He told the friend that he intended to sign when he returned, but that Hank Steinbrenner's comments about his age might have caused some hard feelings that led to a week of speculation about Rivera's pinstriped future.

Either way, Rivera would have returned to the Yankees. "He would have taken two years and an option,'' the firend said, adding that Rivera did not really want a fourth year. Perhaps that was meant to make the Yankees uncomfortable for Steinbrenner's remarks about his age.

Whatever the case, Rivera is back. Now, if only Andy Pettitte would make up his mind....

Tough Talk

As they put the finishing touches on A-Rod's bombshell deal, Hank Steinbrenner's message to Mariano Rivera is essentially that the Yankees' $45 million, three-year offer is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.

For that money, "I don't see how he can be offended,'' Hank said tonight. "It's a phenomenal offer.''

The Steinbrenners are right when they say they have the backing of the industry on this offer, which would earn Rivera over $4 million annually than the next highest-paid closer, Billy Wagner.

Rivera was apparently offended at Hank's past quotes that he'd be 40 in the final year of the deal, so he's now seeking that guaranteed fourth year - after originally asking for up to $5 million additionally over three years.

Maybe they can work out something creative, such as an option. They found a creative solution to get A-Rod potentially past $300 million, with the bonuses tied toward breaking the all-time home run record.

Meanwhile, on the field (they are actually playing baseball somewhere), Jeff Karstens will start against Korea in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday night in Taipei City. Karstens, a potential '08 Olympian, beat Mexico in the opener.

During the off day on Tuesday, we heard that Chien-Ming Wang took Karstens to a Beyonce concert.

Mo Plays Hardball

Mariano Rivera now reportedly wants a fourth year tacked on to the Yankees' three-year, $45 million offer - because of Hank Steinbrenner's comments about his age. Rivera turns 38 later this month, and Hank believes that's why Rivera should take his deal and thank the Yanks.

Rivera had been holding out for a little bit more - from $3 million to $5 million over the three years - and hadn't cared about a fourth year, until now. It would still be a major upset if Mo goes elsewhere, but some hard feelings have now entered the mix.