OK Yankee fans What do ya think

[Webster29]

Are you happy with the McCann and Ellsbury signings???     What are your thoughts.    Time to stoke up the hot stove league.

[Giant Obsession]

McCann....a 10.  Ellsbury....an 8, given his injury history.   If he stay healthy..a 9.5.

If they resign Granderson...I give up.  They did make him a qualifying offer of 14 million, which insures they get a #1 draft choice if someone else signs him.  Unfortunately I can not believe anyone else is that stupid.  Granderson is a great guy, one of the most well spoken athletes I have ever seen.  But he, like Texeira, refuse to do anything but pull the ball.  .230 - .240 hitters making their kind of money.....ridiculous.  Tex at least is a switch hitter and IMO the best defensive first baseman in baseball, probably in the last 25 years.  He saves that team 10 wins a season with his glove.

Why in the world they signed Kelly Johnson from Toronto is beyond me.  Another .230 hitter who is versatile but below average defensively.  They should have just kept Nix.

Pitching will be interesting.  They bought up some young arms last year that did not embarrass.  Phil Hughes has finally gone the way of Ramses Barden and Sinorice Moss.

And finally, I told my brother last summer 3 weeks before the trade deadline that Cano needed to be dealt.  Hal Steinbrenner will not give in to the ridiculousness of his "hip hop" agent.  Hal is a finance man.  He will no longer pay the luxury tax for a team that finishes 11 games out.  And with the McCann and Ellsbury signings, the cupboard just got thinner for Cano.

The Yankees missed the boat not trading him, just like the Giants missed the boat on Hakeem Nicks.

I want as many youngsters on that roster as possible...time to make that scouting department accountable.....sound familiar.  If the cupboard is bare, roll a few heads.

Jeter is on a 1 year, and if he produces I expect an extension of another year by the All Star break.  If he is shot, HE will announce at the break that he is retiring at the end of the year.

Nothing beats the Hot Stove League...hope springs anew.

[Webster29]

Thanks Mike.    I'm glad someone is looking.

What do you think of Robby leaving.   I'ts funny but I find myself not all that upset.   I would have loved for the Yankees to keep him but not for that kind of money.   He was/is a dam good player.  But I couldn't help but remember many times when the Yankees needed a timely hit and he just wouldn't come through.  And I would rather see some of the money they saved by having him leave go to bolster the pitching.    Who plays 2nd base now??

[Giant Obsession]

Bill, this is like our own private board.  I should thank Rich.   

You mirror my thoughts on Robbie, especially the TIMELY hitting, or lack thereof.

How long before the fans in Seattle mistake his smooth, effortless style with dogging it.  Now he does dog it while running out routine ground balls, but as my brother and I say..."That's just Robbie being Robbie".

I knew this was coming last summer, so not a big deal to me.

The bigger deal to me, and I always try to pretend I am an owner when assessing, is our scouting and the supposed lack of talent in our minors. 

But I still believe the "pinstripes" are magical, and when spring and baseball arrive, hope and optimism spring forth.

[Giant Obsession]

Bill, apologies for not answering your last question....who plays second base.

The kid Adams who filled in at 3rd and was coming around late is a natural 2nd baseman.  Also that is kelly Johnson's natural position.  So the Yankees were prepared.  I am pulling for Adams and iIreally like how Austin Romine came on in the last month.

Much like on our NYG, I want to see youngsters have the chance to succeed...or fail.

[Bill Brown]

Start by saying I am a lifelong Red Sox fan so you can take my opinion for what that may be worth.   It appears that the yanks are loading up again this year.  I Think Beltran will be a great addition to your team.  More so than Ellsbury.  As much as I liked Ells you have to wonder how long before he is on the DL with some sort of injury.  He seems to be brittle and doesn't play tough.  He missed over 200 games in the last 4 years.  I think the yanks need to address their starting staff.  Loosing Cano is a big hit but I can see why they couldn't resign him. 240 million for 10 years is way too much. 

Looking forward to the upcoming year and hope the sox and yanks will be fighting for the division 

Bill


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[Giant Obsession]

Well, shows you what I know about 2nd base.  The kid Adams, who I thought came on at the end of last year, was not kept and has signed elsewhere...KC, I think.

Joba to the Tigers......that has been a botched player from the day he took the mound.

Phil Hughes gone.....what a shock.

Boone Logan to the Rockies.....I can not believe he was not the first player wrapped up in the off season.  Carrying the load as the only left hander in the pen for 3 years and we let him walk. ??

[Webster29]

I was sorry/surprised that Phil Hughes never fulfilled the promice so many thought he had coming up.   I saw him pitch with Trenton in Erie against the Tigers farm team Seawolves.   And he was amazing.  He went 6 innings and just dominated.  He was throwing between 65 and 95 mph on the gun and had fantastic control.  His breaking ball was like rolling off a table and always around the strike zone.  I thought the Yankees had their next truly great pitcher in him.   And at times he did look like the pitcher I thought he would be.   Just not on a consistant basis.   

Anyway I wish him the best.

[Giant Obsession]

I was sorry/surprised that Phil Hughes never fulfilled the promice so many thought he had coming up.   I saw him pitch with Trenton in Erie against the Tigers farm team Seawolves.   And he was amazing.  He went 6 innings and just dominated.  He was throwing between 65 and 95 mph on the gun and had fantastic control.  His breaking ball was like rolling off a table and always around the strike zone.  I thought the Yankees had their next truly great pitcher in him.   And at times he did look like the pitcher I thought he would be.   Just not on a consistant basis.   

Anyway I wish him the best.

You know, they did everything right with him and still it did not turn out well.

A No. 1 pick, he spent the requisite time at each minor league level honing his craft.  They always resisted the urge to rush him up to the next level.  They refused to include him in trade talks.

And yet, the dividends were minimal.  His best contribution was out of the pen in late 2009.  He was solid all the way thru the Series.