A New Look Yankee Team

C.C. Sabathia is still sitting on that nice $140 million deal the Yankees offered.  He should be meeting with Brian Cashman at some point during the winter meetings in Las Vegas.  Whether or not he takes the dough is another story.  Cashman has to be prepared for Sabathia to turn elsewhere.  With only Joba Chamberlain and Chien Ming Wang, both of whom are coming off of injuries, returning to a rotation that was devastated last year by injury and ineffectiveness.  Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, two pitchers Cashman banked heavily on last year by not including them in a deal for Johan Santana, were ineffective at their best.  Hughes was the youngest pitcher in the majors last year and seemed to find his groove again in the Arizona Fall League.  However, he too has been hampered by injuries.  

The Yankees need to upgrade their rotation somehow, some way.  Even if that means pulling the offer from Sabathia if for no other reason then to get the off-season under way.  Sabathia is holding the whole show up as agents are waiting to see where he goes.  Many agents aren't letting their clients sign yet.  A.J. Burnett hasn't accepted the Braves' offer which includes a fifth year.  Would you knowing what might be at stake if the Yankees become desperate?  I don't think Burnett is going to sign with the Yankees but I do think he is waiting to see if he can get more years or more money by using the Yankees as leverage.  

If Burnett and Sabathia both sign elsewhere the Yankees are going to be left holding the bag.  Andy Pettitte is a free agent and has all but rejected the one year $10 million deal the Yanks have offered.  He still wants his $16 million that he made last year when he went 14-14 and faded badly down the stretch.  The Yankees could get a younger, cheaper, more viable option for that money.  Ben Sheets is the high risk-high reward player the Yankees could use right now.  He would be cheaper in terms of years and cash than Burnett or Lowe and is younger than both.  Sheets is also expected to reject arbitration which means he won't cost a lot in terms of draft picks.  Sheets has had a serious problem with staying healthy but did come close to 200 inning last year.  With a strong bullpen and a DH to ease some burden on Sheets he might just be able to stay healthy enough to make him a very good option for the Yankees.  

Taking the heavy offer away from the hefty lefty the Yankees could turn to Mark Teixiera to fill a glaring gap left by the departure of Jason Giambi.  I am a fan of the Nick Swisher move but I don't know if Swisher should be the first baseman of the future for the Yankees.  Teixiera is 29 and is a switch-hitter with an excellent glove.  Adding him to the lineup and on the field would give the Yankees 3-5 more wins than last year.  It would also enable the Yankees to move Swisher to the outfield in a platoon with Xavier Nady in right and Brett Gardner/Melky Cabrera in center.  

Because of the platoon(s) in the outfield, the Yankees need to do something about Hideki Matsui.  Last season the Yankees flirted with the idea of sending Matsui to San Francisco in exchange for Noah Lowry.  Lowry ended up hurt all of 2008 with a rare nerve problem in his forearm but the Yankees would be wise to revisit that deal.  Lowry is a good pitcher, a Mike Mussina type who relies on changing speeds more than speed.  Matsui is 35 and has 2 bad knees.  The Giants are desperate for offense and might be willing to gamble on Matsui for a year or two.  Matsui, who owns a no-trade clause, looked like he was willing to waive it for the Giants last season.  Adding Lowry would give the Yankees a viable back of the rotation starter to go along with Sheets, Chamberlain, Wang, and whomever wins the last slot.  

Brad Penny, Jon Garland, and even Freddy Garcia all could be options as well if the Yankees can't get the pitchers they crave.  All have solid health histories, although Garcia was hurt most of last season.  Garland might be the best of the bunch.  He is an innings eater and consistent pitcher.  He has postseason experience and is a type B free agent which would only cost the Yanks a second round pick which is not much this year because the Yankees look to gain a compensation pick for Abreu between the 1st and 2nd rounds and another for Pettitte.  

Cashman needs to give up on his Sabathia pipe dream and move on towards building a more versatile, cheaper team.  The Yankees without Sabathia but with Teixiera, Sheets, and Garland would be cheaper and better than the Yankees with Sabathia.  Smarten up Cashman, you are being taken for a fool.  The Yankees need players who are willing and able to take this team back to the top.  Sabathia doesn't want Yankee dollars.  Give that money to Tex and Sheets and continue building a team that will be able to contend for the next 5-10 years.