Can we talk Off Season??

To get my mind off of the present, can we talk about the future??

Who do we think is getting traded? Who do you think we'll be picking up?

I HOPE we get rid of Brown...but will anyone take him? His salary is huge, he's not young and well, look at his record this season. Will we be stuck with him?
We need to get rid of Javi too. Actually, while we are at it....any chance Mel will be replaced?
I'm sure we will get rid of Clark. Think this will be Bernie's year to retire? This was definitely not his best year, although he did play well for most of the postseason. I think he has peaked though.

Ok, well at least talking about next year is making me feel less depressed.

I love talking about the off season so here are my feelings:

Major changes. I wouldn't be surprised to see the following traded if the Yankees can take some of their contracts:

Giambi
Brown
Rivera
Posada
Lofton

I don't know who in the bullpen is up for free agency so I can't comment on them.

I wouldn't want to see the Yankees trade Mo or Posada but if they can get younger replacements they might. Troy Percival is a free agent. I would not be surprised to see him signed. If they can convince him to be a set up man than I think Mo is safe and Gordon is gone.

They will probably try to trade Brown but I can also see them just letting him go. Lofton is a dead duck.

Bernie still has another year on his contract. He'll play it out and retire as a Yankee.

I was thinking about Mel, but I think Torre will protect him. Javy is not going anywhere-he's too young for them to give up right away. They'll give him another year.

You think Posada could get traded?? I feel like he is one of the best catchers in baseball....I think that would be a mistake.
I also think trading Mo would be a mistake as well. He is the best closer out there...despite him losing a couple of saves to Boston. I think that would be a big mistake as well.

Gordon on the other hand - they need to get rid of him. We need someone that can set a good situation up for Mo!!

I honestly think they need a new pitching coach. It just seems that there is something fundamentally not working with our pitching...something with our mechanics.

I think Posada is an excellent catcher and I would hate to see him go. But if they can get a better catcher or one just as good as him who is younger they'll get rid of him. Jorge is 33-34 years old. That's old for a catcher. He doesn't have many more years ahead of him and the Yankees have no farm system.

Mo-would be a huge mistake to trade. And I don't think anyone blames him for the 2nd blown save-the first one was his fault though. He's going to be 35 next year. They have to start thinking about trading away some older players and getting some younger ones in. Although Percival is not younger so he would not fall into that catergory. I truly think Gordon is a goner and Percival might be the new set-up man.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Mel. He didn't have a good pitching staff. We knew that in Spring training. But I think the boss might use him as an example. Don't forget Mel didn't even want to come back for 2004 until Pettitte convinced him to do so and then Andy went and signed with Houston.

You know who I could see the Yankees getting in the off season? Tino!! Especially if they trade Giambi. I would not rule out that possibilty. He's a leader and a clutch/patient hitter. Just what they were missing this post season.

Kevin Brown is a definite - they need to get rid of him.

They need some more starting pitchers -- maybe they will go after David Wells again or even entice Clemens to return tho Clemens wont come back. I would love to see Petitte back too I miss him :)

I think they will and should keep Rivera, Posada and Williams but maybe go after Carlos Beltran too.

OMG - I loved Tino. I was so sad to see him go. I personally think they should def trade Giambi - he's really a liability at this point. I would love to see Tino back.

I agree about Cashman. FH and I were talking about that this morning. He told me that the boss wanted to go after Ortiz 2 years ago but Cashman did not want to...that came back to bite us in the butt. He really went after Brown too.

We really need to get a young pitcher that can turn into an ace. Lack of good, young pitching is what kills us.

---

Posted by Jenn524You know who I could see the Yankees getting in the off season? Tino!! Especially if they trade Giambi. I would not rule out that possibilty. He's a leader and a clutch/patient hitter. Just what they were missing this post season.

---

Just the thought of this warms my heart. You have brought a glimmer of happiness to my sad sad soul today, Jen

I could die a happy woman with the knowledge they brought Tino back to the Yankees

OK don't get me wrong -- I'm a Yankee fan thru and thru, and not the type of woman who watches baseball for the simple fact that 'the boys are cute' .. but I was heartbroken (in more ways than one) when Tino left us. I have never felt that Giambi was worth even half as much to us as Tino was in so many varied ways

---

Posted by verdila

Kevin Brown is a definite - they need to get rid of him.

They need some more starting pitchers -- maybe they will go after David Wells again or even entice Clemens to return tho Clemens wont come back. I would love to see Petitte back too I miss him :)

I think they will and should keep Rivera, Posada and Williams but maybe go after Carlos Beltran too.

---

I would rather not see Wells nor Clemens back. Doesn't mean they won't go after them, but I'd be just as happy if they stayed away

I agree with Becks that we have to focus on young, strong pitching talent.

I never understood the Giambi move to begin with-other then the thought that Boston might get him and George didn't want that. They should have re-signed Tino and had him 'train' Nick Johnson. It would have saved them tons of money and they would have had a young, talented first baseman.

As far as Clemens and Andy go-I hope they don't bring back either and I don't think they will. Both of them went to Houston to be close to their family. Clemens I just don't want back after his whole fake retirement. Andy I wouldn't mind if he was healthy. But it will take next season to determine if he's healthy. Not worth the risk.

Cashman ain't going anywhere cause he is a Seinbrenner 'Yes man'.

Also... nobody is going to take Brown and that 16 mil salary so the Yanks are stuck with him.

If they really wanted to deal Posada... they could have had the Unit for him. They said no then... so they aren't going to look like hippocrites and trade him now. Posada stays.

Nobody in their right mind will want G-Man and his salary. He has no legs/knees left. Is injured often. And that issue he had with the parasite/tumor will scare a lot of people away.


Remember... its easy to say someone is gonna get traded. But for every trade to happen... you have to find a team that will WANT these players. Frankly... nobody is going to want yankee has-beens.


The only real major tradeable players the yankees have that I can see will possibly be traded are Rodriquez, Vasquez, and Posada (but i doubt that for the reason i listed above). Who knows... they might even trade Matsui if they can get the right pitcher for him.

---

Posted by FeliciaDA

---

Posted by Jenn524You know who I could see the Yankees getting in the off season? Tino!! Especially if they trade Giambi. I would not rule out that possibilty. He's a leader and a clutch/patient hitter. Just what they were missing this post season.

---

Just the thought of this warms my heart. You have brought a glimmer of happiness to my sad sad soul today, Jen

I could die a happy woman with the knowledge they brought Tino back to the Yankees

OK don't get me wrong -- I'm a Yankee fan thru and thru, and not the type of woman who watches baseball for the simple fact that 'the boys are cute' .. but I was heartbroken (in more ways than one) when Tino left us. I have never felt that Giambi was worth even half as much to us as Tino was in so many varied ways

---

DITTO DITTO DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I REALLY want our Tino back - Giambi has done an ok job, but he's not Tino!

OH my GOD - I totally agree I LOVE TINO - he was my favorite player of those championship Yankees teams. Plus he is so cute

I miss all those Yanks - Paul O'Neill (i know he is retired, Brosius and even Chuck Knoblauch who I dont think play anymore) - they were great teams. I just think they had more heart than this group with the exception of Bernie and yes I love Jeter too.

---

Posted by Jenn524

Actually Posada is already rumored to be on the trade block. Arizona wants him for Randy Johnson.

---

They should have gotten Johnson for Posada when they had the chance last year.

Arizona is going to want more than just Posada now cause they know the Yanks are mad desperate for pitching.


I don't think Rivera can even be traded till after June 1st cause he signed an extention to his contract last season.

So i guess Stottlemyre is not coming back next season. Honestly, I am not upset about that at all. I think we need a new pitching coach that can work on the mechanics of the pitchers. I think that it was time for this change.


ETA: I also heard that we are possibly going to go after Nomar for 2nd base!! (I heard he said he would play 2nd for the Yanks, even tho he has been a SS).