New York Yankees

Hello once again!

Well, the hot stove fire really sparked and crackled for the Yanks during the General Managers' Winter Meetings this past week, so let's do a quick recap of the biggest deal made, so far, in this offseason.

Three Team Trade between the Yanks, D'Backs, and Tigers

Here is how it broke down for the Yanks: New York received OF Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, while shipping out Ian Kennedy to the D'Backs, and trading prospect Austin Jackson, and LHP Phil Coke, to the Tigers.

He's making a list.

Checking it twice.

Gonna find out who is terrible or nice.

Santa Cashman is coming to town, Santa Cashman is coming to town.

Yes, I am in the Christmas spirit, and the Yankees are too, because they have begun their holiday shopping.

Unlike us, who shop for December 25, Brian Cashman is shopping for next season and beyond.

Cashman had a proven center fielder with a decent contract on his list. A three-way trade for Curtis Granderson took care of that need.

Good starting pitching wins championships. 2009 was a great example of that as the New York Yankees had three top of the line starters with CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte.

The Yankees are looking to add to that rotation this winter.

We all know they have been negotiating with the agent of John Lackey and have been discussing a possible trade for Roy Halladay.

However, what happens if the Yankees lose out on both Halladay and Lackey?

This is what we will call the "Plan C."

New York Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman appears to be giving the New York Yankees bullpen a face-lift.

Already faced with the uncertainty of whether or or not Phil Hughes and/or Joba Chamberlain will rejoin the starting rotation, Cashman has unloaded relievers Phil Coke and Brian Bruney.

News reports today have the Yankees negotiating to re-sign Johnny Damon.

Damon turned 36 years old on Nov. 5. For the past three seasons, he has had problems with his legs and feet.

Once a fearsome threat to steal bases, Damon had only 12 thefts in 2009.

Once a centerfielder with range as good as all but three or four players in the majors, Damon now is a shadow of himself on defense. 

He cannot cover the ground he once did and his throwing arm is virtually non-existent. Beginning in 2008, teams realized they could run on Damon at will.

Since it remains to be seen whether the Curtis Granderson deal will work out for the Yankees, this writer will withhold criticism on that deal, although there is still a chance it may be a bust.

So in considering the worst mistake Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman has made in the past two years, focus will be on the one he let get away.

Bobby Abreu was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies and at the end of the 2008 season he became a free agent.

The Rule 5 Draft has come and gone, with the Yankees adding Jamie Hoffmann and losing two relievers in the process.

The first pitcher taken was Zach Kroenke by the Diamondbacks, a left-handed reliever who spent the entire 2009 season in Triple-A and pitched well there. He was actually taken by the Marlins in last season's Rule 5 draft as well.

Kroenke has gotten good results in the upper minors over the past few seasons despite his fringy stuff. 

The Yankees are showing why they are an elite team once again. Say what you want, like “They buy all their championships.” Maybe, maybe not. I say, “If you don’t reinvest in your product, it becomes stationary. It becomes average.” Merely weeks after celebrating another championship, they are still at work making some major moves this current off season.

This week, Andy Pettitte announced that he wanted to return to pitch in 2010 for the Yankees.

On Wednesday, the Yankees and Pettitte agreed on a one-year deal worth $11.75 million to bring the 37-year-old left hander back for at least one more season.

This is the third time Pettitte has put off retirement to pitch again for the Yankees. It's hard to blame him after a terrific 2009 season.

He went 14-8 in the regular season with a 4.16 ERA in 194.2 innings. He had 148 strikeouts in 32 start.

“The pitch- swung on and hit in the air to deep right-center field, that ball is high, it is far, it is GONE! It’s a GRAND SLAM! Ballgame over! Yankees win! THE YANKEES WIN!

The unmistakable voice of the New York Yankees, John Sterling, is the source of this booming home run call. He made this call on May 17, 2002, when Jason Giambi hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 14th inning against the Minnesota Twins during a massive, hours-long downpour of rain.