by Mike Lupica
New York Daily News

The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and there was no hotter executive in all of sports than Theo Epstein. He was the boy wonder of Boston, the baseball prodigy who got most of the credit for the Red Sox winning it all for the first time since 1918. At the time Epstein seemed to be the Yankees' worst nightmare, even if Larry Lucchino was the one who really set the tone in Boston once he and John Henry and Tom Werner got the team.

Lucchino is the one who wanted to get in the face of the Yankees and never get out. But Epstein was his protégée. They were going to take the fight to the Yankees for a long time, and do it together.

At least until Epstein decided he didn't need Lucchino quite as much as he did when he was starting out.

Now Epstein is no longer the boy wonder of baseball or the boy prince of Fenway. He wanted the kind of power that Brian Cashman now has with the Yankees and couldn't get it and even left the Red Sox for a while, giving the impression that he was off to save the whales. He is back now, but whatever the organizational chart says on Yawkey Way, Epstein is back working for Lucchino.

John Henry is still the principal owner and they all report to him. But Lucchino is back at quarterback, after a couple of years when the Red Sox acted as if they could move the guy to offensive guard. The operation on Yawkey Way is back to being collaborative, instead of Theo's Boys Club.

Why does this matter here? Because it is the Red Sox and even after a season when the Yankees knocked them out of the ring, Yankees vs. Red Sox matters here as much as Yankees vs. Mets. A lot has changed since the Red Sox came back from 0-3 down on the Yankees two years ago. Most of the change has occurred in Boston, where they have spent a lot of time trying to ruin a good thing.

These are all smart people in Boston and bring a lot to the party. But more than two years after the Red Sox got the last out against the Cardinals in the '04 Series, Epstein only wishes he had the power in Boston that Cashman, who seemed to be in some trouble of his own back in '04, now has with the Yankees.

Epstein didn't make all of the bad moves that finally knocked the Red Sox all the way back to third place. He wasn't responsible for the injuries that helped sink the Red Sox after the trade deadline last year. But he is on the books for a lot of stinkers, from Matt Clement to Edgar Renteria to Coco Crisp. There was almost another one this past week before Lucchino did the most to get a deal out of Scott Boras on Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Epstein said this the other day:

"We been watching (Matsuzaka) for 10 years."

What, since Epstein was majoring in baseball sabermetrics at Yale?

We had heard for weeks about how well Epstein and Boras worked together. Well, Boras sure thought that way after the Red Sox paid $70 million to Theo fave J.D. Drew even though the Sox were bidding against themselves. Then Boras was allowed to go weeks before even making a counter-offer on the Japanese star.

Finally Lucchino - who had recently made a trip to Japan with his marketing people - took this fight to Boras and the negotiation right to the pitcher and got a deal done.

Epstein preached patience last season as things fell apart. Lucchino burned. Epstein said the Red Sox couldn't spend with the Yankees. Now the Red Sox pay more than $100 million, in posting fees and contract, for Matsuzaka.

Game back on between the Yankees and Red Sox. The name of the game is Moneyball. Just not the kind that Theo learned from Billy Beane.

Why the Yankees are Sick
10:11 AM By Goredosoxfrevr1
PROtrade.com

It has been just reported that the New York Yankees are discussing trading Melky Cabrera to the Pittsburg Pirates for OK reliever Mike Gonzalez. This is just disgusting. Think back to the trading deadline of last year (06).

The Yankees had Hideki Matsui Injured along with Gary Schefield. They did, however, have up-and-coming prospect Melky Cabrera who seemed to be filled with clutch hits and spectacular plays in the outfield. But the Yankees were not happy with having someone like that in their outfield. They wanted to have more. More More More! So they signed Bobby Abreu to a huge deal. Now, on paper, they had 5 suitable outfielders. No problem, just keep the most expensive ones and trade the rest away!

So here we are, the Yankees are using Melky Cabrera as bait. Every team in the MLB would love to get their hands on that future star. But the Yankees don't feel like seeing how he progresses through the Major Leagues. Instead, they just want expensive outfielders, and as many relievers (no matter if they're good or bad) as possible. This is the simple reason the Yankees are sick.

The Media loves the move to use 'The Melk Man' as bait. Are you kidding me? How about the golden rule: Don't Trade Awesome Prospects. Come on Yankee Media. Get with the times. But of course, the Yankees CAN trade away prospects. They CAN sacrafice the future for today. All because they have a rich owner who is willing to hand out $100 million contracts like flyers in NY. The MLB desperatly needs to fix this problem.

December 17, 2006 -- Despite the buzz leaking out of the desert, Randy Johnson hasn't asked the Yankees to deal him closer to his Arizona home.

"He hasn't called me officially and asked me to trade him, no," GM Brian Cashman said yesterday when asked if the Big Unit requested the Yankees move him.

Cashman, asked if he was attempting to move Johnson, who has a blanket no-trade clause and is 20 wins shy of 300, wouldn't comment. Alan Nero, one of Johnson's agents, said there was no truth to the rumor.

"There is nothing coming out of our camp," Nero said. "I don't know where rumors start."

Johnson, who is working his way into shape after October back surgery, is one of six starting candidates for five spots in the Yankees' rotation - and that's before Roger Clemens possibly comes along. Johnson will be the first to admit his two years in The Bronx haven't been vintage, but the 43-year-old lefty has won 34 games (17 each season). He went 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA last year while pitching with a bad back.

Even if Johnson asked to be dealt, the Yankees wouldn't be dealing from strength.

- Often-injured Carl Pavano is one of the six candidates, and he hasn't been in a big-league game since June 2005. Like Johnson, Pavano is working out in Phoenix at Fischer Sports, a physical therapy and conditioning center.

- Kei Igawa, a Japanese lefty, is part of the half-dozen. Not only isn't Igawa signed, it's not known if he even can offer back-of-the-rotation help.

- Johnson's age and injury situation could force teams to shy away from him. Then there is the case of the $16 million owed to him for 2007.

- The Diamondbacks are closest to Johnson's home, but they were the ones that dealt him to the Yankees because they wanted to shed the contract of a 40-plus pitcher with back and knee issues. The Angels, Dodgers, Padres and Giants are closer to Arizona than The Bronx, but would they be willing to pay Johnson's salary and give the Yankees at least prospects in return? Seattle, where Johnson pitched from 1989 to 1998, is shopping first baseman Richie Sexson ($28 million for 2007-08). Though the Yankees, who would prefer a right-handed hitting first baseman, would save $2 million in 2007, it would cost them $14 million in 2008.

Are the Red Sox having second thoughts on signing J.D. Drew? They at least want a second opinion on the outfielder's physical exam results, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.

Drew is scheduled to have a second opinion Monday on a shoulder issue that came up in Drew's first exam, a source told The Globe.

The newspaper reported that it isn't known if the issue could void Drew's deal with the Red Sox. Boston reached a preliminary agreement on a five-year, $70 million contract with Drew at the winter meetings on Dec. 5.

The shoulder issue could cause the Red Sox to shorten the length of the agreement, or replace some guarantees with incentives, The Globe reported.

The 31-year-old Drew has had injuries throughout his career, but he played in 146 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and hit .283 with 20 homers and a team-high 100 RBI. He became a free agent when he opted out of the last three years of his five-year, $55 million.

The injuries have added to negative perceptions that have followed Drew since the Philadelphia Phillies selected him No. 2 overall in the 1997 amateur draft. He did not sign, went back into the draft and was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals fifth overall the next year.

He was still a 17-game winner last year. Johnson should fill out the middle-to-back of our rotation nicely, and I'm not sure I'd move him either, and we won't get fair value because he's old and coming off of major back surgery.

I'm no fan of the slightly-diminished Unit when he blows up, but he has won some nice games for us, and I'd rather have him than not.

Yankees are just one of Pirates' options with Gonzalez
Team sees Braves, Red Sox in trade mix, too

Monday, December 18, 2006
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Whether Mike Gonzalez opens the 2007 season with a tomahawk across his chest or draped in pinstripes, this much is certain: His profile has been raised quite a bit this offseason.

His name was buzzed throughout Major League Baseball's winter meetings two weeks ago, when the Pirates and Atlanta Braves discussed an ill-fated deal that would have brought first baseman Adam LaRoche to Pittsburgh. The Boston Red Sox were after him, too, at one point engaging the Pirates and Braves with a three-team trade scenario.

And now, Gonzalez is becoming a mainstay on New York's back pages.

Beginning with a New York Post article eight days ago that described the Yankees' possible interest in Gonzalez, then mushrooming into another possible three-team trade involving Atlanta, then diminishing to focus solely on the Yankees and Pirates, the story has sprouted in some form or other in all of that city's dailies.

This is what is known on the Pirates' end of the matter, according to multiple sources:

General manager Dave Littlefield's priority remains finding a way to acquire LaRoche, 27, who had 32 home runs and 90 RBIs last season and would more than fit their bill for a young, left-handed power hitter. Atlanta still would welcome the addition of Gonzalez, even after acquiring setup man Rafael Soriano from the Seattle Mariners, but the Braves want more to part with LaRoche because their backup at first base, Scott Thorman, is no known commodity.

The odds still favor Atlanta making a deal with the Los Angeles Angels rather than the Pirates, as the Angels would be better able to fill the Braves' need for a leadoff-hitting second baseman.

The Pirates and Yankees have engaged in feeler-type talks regarding Gonzalez, but there is no firm word from Pittsburgh or Atlanta -- counter to the reports out of New York -- that those have included the Braves or any third party. Rather, they are focused on a deal that would send Gonzalez to New York for outfielder Melky Cabrera and another player, likely a pitching prospect.

It is not the first time the Pirates have inquired about Cabrera, 22, who hit .280 with seven home runs and 50 RBIs in 460 at-bats last season. He was the focus of their July talks with the Yankees that ultimately led to the Craig Wilson-Shawn Chacon trade.

One source in New York yesterday described the Pirates' interest in Cabrera as intense.

Boston is not yet of the mix, even after the Red Sox acquired relievers Brendan Donnelly and J.C. Romero in the past week. The view there is that general manager Theo Epstein is adding relievers to bolster his chance of acquiring a closer. Neither Donnelly nor Romero is seen as filling that role.

Still, Boston does not have a match for the Pirates' desired left-handed power hitter, which is one reason the Red Sox were part of three-way talks.

Concerns about Gonzalez's health were diminished after he had another physical last Monday in Pittsburgh and was given another clean bill. Gonzalez missed the final five weeks of last season to elbow tendinitis, which raised a red flag from Atlanta at the winter meetings.

No deal on any front appears imminent, though some expect the Pirates to make some type of move involving Gonzalez before the end of the year.

The New York Yankees and Kei Igawa both played second fiddle in the posting sweepstakes. Igawa, though, got a first-rate deal it was learned on Monday, agreeing to a five-year, 20 million dollars contract with the Bronx Bombers.

The Yanks earned the right to negotiate with Igawa in late November and wasted little time getting the southpaw in pinstripes.

The deal for the 27-year-old, who was 14-9 this past season with a 2.97 ERA for the Hanshin Tigers, also includes incentives.

Negotiations were smooth thanks Igawa's agent, Arn Tellem, who has strong ties with the Yankees. Talks opened on Nov. 29 and Tellem made it clear that Igawa wanted a long-term deal.

The Yanks, who earned negotiating rights with a bid of a little more than 26 million dollars, thought highly of the Hanshin ace and both sides were determined to hammer out a deal before the 30-day negotiating deadline.

Dogged Determination: Sox Sink Teeth Into Dice-K

By Gerry Callahan
Boston Herald General Sports Columnist
Tuesday, December 19, 2006 - Updated: 05:16 AM EST

It would have been so easy to just go through the motions. They could have just submitted a bid of $30 million or $35 million, lost out to the New York Mets, and then said, “Oh, well, we tried.” It would have been hard to blame them.

Then they could have told their friends in the media that the kid is no sure thing. He’s never pitched an inning in the big leagues, and he’s never played anywhere like Boston. Remember Hideo Nomo and Byung-Hyun Kim? They hated it here. Couldn’t wait to get out. And let’s not forget slimy agent Scott Boras. The Mets can go kiss his toes, if they’d like. We don’t need the aggravation.


In the end, the Red Sox could have saved the Chilean Sea Bass, sat out the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes and never had to worry about where to put the Million Cameraman March that will follow the pitcher to the big leagues. You know what the last Sox owner would have done if he were faced with an opportunity of this magnitude? Passed.

Not these guys. John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino went after the player like a pit bull on the neighbor’s cat, and they didn’t let up until they had a deal. It was the most aggressive and impressive play from this team since Dave Roberts took off for second on Mariano Rivera, and it proved one thing about these Red Sox owners: They are as maniacal and driven as the people who fill the seats at Fenway.
One year ago, the Sox front office was more messed up than Air America. Today it is the envy of baseball and the reason Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is looking for something to throw at GM Brian Cashman. In one big, bold, imaginative move, the Sox signed the best pitcher on the market and generated an unimaginable level of interest in an aging, 86-win team.

You don’t think they’ll recoup their $51.11 million posting fee? These are the same guys who sold dirt. They took bids on the empty champagne bottles after the ’04 World Series. Somehow they’ll find a way to cash in on Dice K Mania.

But the real beauty of this move is on the baseball field. We heard it all last summer, as the Detroit Tigers rolled through the regular season, into the playoffs and onto the World Series: To build a championship team, you start with a pitching staff made up of young power arms. With Josh Beckett [stats], Jonathan Papelbon and Matsuzaka, the Red Sox now have three 26-year-old right-handers who have the potential to win the Cy Young. None of the three is eligible for free agency until after the 2010 season.

The fact is you can find a closer. You can trade for a closer. You can even make a closer. Twenty-six-year-old starters are the most precious commodity in the game.

To his credit, GM Theo Epstein anticipated an exploding market for pitching and trumped the field with his bid for Matsuzaka. Then the Sox refused to blink in their negotiations with Boras, and wound up with a potential ace for about $8.7 million a year. If you’re keeping score at home, the Sox trounced both the Yankees and Boras, and for the second year in a row, they landed the best pitcher available.

The only difference is last year Beckett cost them shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez, who turned out to be NL Rookie of the Year for Florida, and Anibal Sanchez, who turned out to be a pretty good pitcher who threw a no-hitter as a rookie for the Marlins. Dice K cost them nothing but money and jet fuel, and what do the Sox get for their investment?
“He was the best pitcher in the world this year,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci, who nominated Matsuzaka for the 2006 Sportsman of the Year.
It is easy to say that Dice K hasn’t pitched in the big leagues, but Ichiro Suzuki won the AL MVP in his first season in the United States. Nomo was the NL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 1995. Dice K was the MVP of the World Baseball Classic last March and has been performing under pressure since he was in high school. He’s used to crowds and cameras, and for what it’s worth, he smiled more in one day in Boston than Nomo or Kim did in their entire careers.


Because of his size and stuff, Matsuzaka has been compared to Pedro Martinez, which is ironic. One of the things that drove Martinez out of Boston will help Dice K immensely in his rookie year. Pedro didn’t like sharing the spotlight with Curt Schilling [stats], the man who helped him win his only World Series ring. Dice K is probably not so egomaniacal. Who is, after all? The new kid is surely smart enough to listen and learn as much as he can from Schilling, who promises to learn a few Japanese words and phrases by the day pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
This is Schilling’s final season, and the truth is, until about a few days ago, he had his doubts. He didn’t think he had much of a chance of going out on top. Then the Sox went after Dice K, and everything changed. The Sox are a championship contender again. The best pitcher in the world will do that for you.

One year ago, the Sox front office was more messed up than Air America. Today it is the envy of baseball and the reason Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is looking for something to throw at GM Brian Cashman.

This is Schilling’s final season

By GEORGE KING

December 20, 2006 -- Doug Mientkiewicz would love to play for the Yankees, but if he doesn't, the free agent says another team is going to get a completely healthy first baseman.

"I am doing great," said Mientkiewicz, who underwent back surgery in late August to repair a herniated disc that invaded his nerve root.

"Everything is ahead of schedule. I am running and looking forward to next year."

Mientkiewicz, who has played for the Twins, Red Sox, Mets and Royals, hasn't heard directly from the Yankees but is aware they have an interest in him.

"There are other teams interested, but I would enjoy [playing for the Yankees]," the lefty-hitting Mientkiewicz said.

Oakland has expressed interest, and if Seattle deals Richie Sexson it likely would ask about the 32-year-old Mientkiewicz.

Mientkiewicz, who made $1.85 million last year when he played 91 games for the Royals, is looking for a one-year contract. That makes him more desirable to the Yankees than Shea Hillenbrand, who is seeking a multi-year deal. Mark Loretta's name also has surfaced in the puzzle to find a player who will turn Jason Giambi into a full-time DH.

*

Andy Pettitte underwent a physical yesterday, but plans for a Yankee Stadium news conference today have been scrapped. Pettitte has a family activity to attend in Texas.

Japanese lefty Kei Igawa is to undergo a physical today. Igawa has agreed to a five-year deal worth $20 million.

*

Unless the Yankees agree to give the Braves Melky Cabrera and Scott Proctor for Mike Gonzalez, a three-way deal including the Pirates won't happen.

How dysfunctional are things in the Yankees' clubhouse? Even Darryl Strawberry thinks it's messed up.

"I think the Yankees' problem is they just don't support each other," Strawberry said yesterday. "Back in the day we all supported each other. I think they need to get back to that. The talent is there, but everyone seems like they go their own separate ways."

Strawberry, the former Met and Yankee who once brawled with Mets teammate Keith Hernandez during the team's spring training photo day, was at a news conference in lower Manhattan to promote a film in which he will appear in 2008.

But when asked by reporters about the current Yankees, Strawberry had plenty to say -- especially about the Derek Jeter-Alex Rodriguez relationship.

"Jeter and A-Rod are two class acts in baseball, and I would hope they would put their relationship back together," Strawberry said. "They've got to come together. It's time for them to mend that relationship. Both of them are leaders and they need to come together as leaders and bring the Yankees back up to par."

Strawberry said that the Yankees' lack of chemistry comes through when he watches them play on TV.

"They've separated themselves as individuals," he said. "A-Rod is a big part of that team. He's a great player, a great person, but they need to embrace him. It's kind of sad they haven't done that. You hate to see that because he's part of helping you win, and you need to embrace every piece to win. I hope Jeter would embrace him this year and bring him into the circle as part of the Yankees family. If Jeter does it, everybody else will respond."

Strawberry echoed a popular sentiment about Rodriguez and the way he's been "handled" by New York and by his own teammates.

"A-Rod's a great guy, man. He's a sensitive guy," Strawberry said. "You don't get booed in Texas. You don't get booed in Seattle. You come here, the pressure's on. The team needs to embrace him. They need to make him feel he's part of the Yankees, not an outcast."

Strawberry also scoffed at the notion that Rodriguez hasn't performed up to expectations as a Yankee.

"He won the MVP two years ago -- what do they mean it's not working out?" Strawberry said. "He hit 35 (homers) and drove in 100 (runs). What do they mean it's not working out? He hasn't performed like Jeter has in the playoffs, but Jeter's a different breed."

The film in which Strawberry will appear is based on Yankees adviser Ray Negron's children's book, "The Boy of Steel," which will be adapted into a television special and DVD and a live-action movie. The movie will begin filming in September for a 2008 release, and Strawberry will play a cancer patient.

The Yankees hope to "introduce" Andy Pettitte at a news conference this week at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte, the former Yankee who agreed to a two-year, $32 million free-agent deal with the team two weeks ago, had his physical exam yesterday in New York, and as of last night the Yankees were still waiting for some test results before scheduling the news conference.

Japanese left-hander Kei Igawa, who has agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract after the Yankees bid $26 million for the rights to negotiate with him, is also slated to take a physical this week. But his signing won't be made official today, and he might not have his introductory news conference until after Jan. 1.

---

In their continuing search for a first baseman, the Yankees have contacted free-agent second baseman Mark Loretta about the idea of changing positions and manning first base for them.

"It's something that kind of recently came up," said Loretta's agent, Bob Garber. "I think he's being patient and waiting for the right opportunity."

Loretta batted .285 and made the All-Star team last year, in his first and only season with the Boston Red Sox. He actually played 11 games at first base for Boston in 2006, and for his career has played 171 games at first base, 171 at third, 328 at shortstop and 731 at second base. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are the teams that so far have shown the most interest in Loretta.

A baseball official close to the situation said the Yankees' efforts to land lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez in exchange for Melky Cabrera seemed to be "fading away."

The Yankees announced that Dave Miley, who managed their Triple-A Columbus team last year, would return for a second year as their Triple-A manager. This year, the Yankees' Triple-A team will play in Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Miley's coaching staff includes former Yankee players Butch Wynegar (hitting coach), Dave Eiland (pitching coach) and Alvaro Espinoza (infield coach).

BOSTON -- Two weeks after they reached a preliminary agreement, the Boston Red Sox still haven't finalized their contract with J.D. Drew.

J.D. Drew
Right Field
Boston Red Sox

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R OBP AVG
146 20 100 84 .393 .283

"There's some stuff in the medical reports that the team was not aware of," Gene Orza, chief operating officer of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said Tuesday. "It hasn't risen to the level of a dispute yet."

The Boston Herald reported Saturday that the outfielder's medical exam raised "a red flag'' that the team wanted to investigate further. Reports in the Herald and Boston Globe have mentioned the condition of his right shoulder.

Neither Boston general manager Theo Epstein, owner John Henry nor Drew's agent, Scott Boras, have commented about the shoulder. Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer said last week that, in the midst of negotiations over another Boras client, Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka, finalizing Drew's agreement had been delayed.

"His contract is fairly complicated and Scott and Theo have been fairly busy on some other things," Hoyer said. "They just need to dot some I's and cross some T's."

On Dec. 5 at baseball's winter meetings, Boras confirmed a preliminary agreement with the Red Sox. Epstein stressed at the time that the deal was pending a physical, but commented on how Drew would fit in the team's lineup if everything went through.

Drew's contract calls for annual salaries of $14 million, but if Drew can't meet set levels of games played, some of the final year's $14 million would be deferred.

The Red Sox envision the lefty hitting Drew playing right field and batting fifth, a weak spot in the order last season, behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Trot Nixon, last year's starting right fielder, is a free agent. Wily Mo Pena, who also played there last season, figures to be Boston's fourth outfielder.

The 31-year-old Drew had surgery on his right shoulder and right wrist in September 2005 but played in a career-high 146 games last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also drove in a career-high 100 runs. But he hit only 20 homers, an average of one every 7.3 games, his lowest in four seasons. He slugged .498, 14 points below his career average, but raised his slugging percentage every month from June on, including a torrid .683 figure for September.

Drew hit nine homers in his first 46 games but none in his next 43 before finding his power again with 11 homers in his last 57 games.

He played only 72 games in 2005, primarily because of a broken left wrist sustained when he was hit by a pitch that ended his season on July 3. He became a free agent after last season when he opted out of the last three years of his $55 million, five-year contract with the Dodgers.

ESPN's Buster Olney says the Yankees have been in contact with Mark Loretta about their opening at first base.
Loretta's finished with OPSs of 707 and 706 the last two years, so he looks like he'd be an incredibly weak option as a regular first baseman, though the insurance he'd provide at second base would be nice. The Yankees will probably end up with Doug Mientkiewicz or Shea Hillenbrand.

Taking Fewer Risks, Yankees Making the Most of $200M
Baseball

By TIM MARCHMAN
December 20, 2006


One good way to test a plan's quality is to think about how heavily it relies on many things going right. It's hardly impossible, for instance, to imagine the Chicago Cubs boasting an excellent rotation this coming year. If oft-injured Mark Prior regains his health, inconsistent young starter Rich Hill makes the leap from promising prospect to quality major leaguer, free agent signing Ted Lilly proves the rare lefty able to pitch in Wrigley Field, and fellow newcomer Jason Marquis bounces back from a season when he had the worst ERA in the National League, the team will be in great shape. Of course, all those things won't happen, and the fact that thinking about the Cubs' rotation leads instantly to these conditionals is a good demonstration of why their master plan to have a good rotation isn't really very impressive.

With the Yankees, the conditionals work in the opposite direction. You can imagine every pitcher in the team's prospective rotation doing a bit worse than they're expected to, and the team still has a fine staff. It's an improvement on such Cubs-like schemes as positing that Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright will be healthy and effective.

That the Yankees find themselves in this position is a testament to how much more soundly they've been run since general manager Brian Cashman won a power struggle with various other factions of the Yankees bureaucracy last year. The Kremlinology involved in determining how much credit Cashman deserves, is less interesting than the simple fact that it is so. Compare the circuses of past seasons to this year's simple, efficient operation. The team has traded likely future Hall of Famer Gary Sheffield and filled out a rotation that consisted, as of the end of the World Series, of just Chien-Ming Wang and Randy Johnson, and hardly anyone has, relatively speaking, noticed or cared.

It's the filling out of the rotation that's been most impressive. Assuming that the deal to bring Japanese left-hander Kei Igawa to the Bronx goes through (there are some final-stage negotiations still going on, and the pitcher needs to pass a physical),the team will have committed $85 million to secure Igawa, Andy Pettitte, and Mike Mussina to new contracts. When Gil Meche is being paid $55 million to be awful for the Kansas City Royals for five years, it seems criminal for the Yankees to get away with this sort of thing.

Consider this: Last year, the Yankees' starters pitched 933.2 innings with an ERA of 4.54, as the impressive work of Wang and Mussina was counterbalanced by Johnson's meltdown and the usual parade of fifth-starter scrubs — not the most impressive performance in history, but good enough for 97 wins. That should be considered a conservative downside for this year's staff.

Just as a back of the envelope sketch, assume the following. Wang takes a step back and watches his ERA rise to 4.25, half a run above his career mark, and pitches 190 innings. Both Mussina and Pettitte pitch about as well and about as much, Mussina a bit less and Pettitte a bit more, as their recent brilliant campaigns prove to have been flukish performances. Johnson is just as bad as last year and misses a quarter of the season with various injuries. Meanwhile, Igawa, a durable pitcher who's thrown 200 innings in four of the last five seasons despite the short Japanese schedule, throws 175 innings with a 4.50 ERA — a bit higher than a straight statistical analysis would suggest is likely — while Stadium concession stands sell lots of T-shirts featuring his "Iron Nerve" slogan.

Add that all up and the Yankees have 900 innings of 4.40 ERA ball. Note the assumptions made here — that Wang's sinker will lose a bit of its effectiveness, that Mussina will not pitch as well as he did last year, that Pettitte will more resemble the durable innings-eater last seen in the Bronx than he will the fitfully brilliant ace he was in Houston, that Johnson will not recover a bit, and that Igawa will essentially be a Ted Lilly-type. None are unreasonable propositions, but just as the Cubs would be foolish to expect all of what they need to go right to do so, there's no reason to expect the Yankees will catch no breaks.

Maybe Wang will continue to baffle everyone who says that being an ace-caliber starter without striking anyone out is impossible. Maybe Johnson will have one last glorious run left in him. Maybe Phillip Hughes will come up from the farm fully formed like one of the Detroit Tigers' bounty of young starters. Maybe none of this will happen, and the Yanks will just soldier on this year, getting pitching about as good as they did last year, and they'll win 95 again. There's no way to know for sure, of course. What we do know is that for once the team isn't counting on any kind of miracle from anyone. It's the kind of plan $200 million should buy every year.

Igawa meets GM, tours Yankee Stadium

© 2006 The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Japanese left-hander Kei Igawa is still waiting to sign a contract with the New York Yankees. Yet judging by the smile and the Yankees jacket he wore Wednesday after an hour-long meeting with general manager Brian Cashman, that should come soon.

"The deal is not done, but it will be nice if we can do it," Igawa said through a translator.

Igawa and the Yankees have agreed in principle on a five-year, $20 million contract. Igawa and agent Arn Tellem, expected to arrive in New York late Wednesday, are still working on the year-to-year breakdown of the pitcher's salary and performance bonuses.

The 27-year-old Igawa is scheduled to take a physical Thursday. He arrived in New York early Wednesday and spent much of the day looking around New York, including a tour of Yankee Stadium.

"My impression about New York was that there would be a lot of people walking," he said. "But I was surprised there were a lot of cars."

Temperatures in the low 40s probably had something to do with keeping people off the streets, but that didn't stop almost 40 Japanese reporters from huddling outside Yankee Stadium for 90 minutes to catch Igawa after his visit.

New York and Igawa have until Dec. 28 to finalize an agreement. The Yankees bid $26,000,194 for Igawa, who went 14-9 last season with a 2.97 ERA and 194 strikeouts for the Hanshin Tigers.

The Yankees must pay the fee to the Tigers within five business days after completing a contract.

Igawa is scheduled to fly back to Japan on Saturday. Even if the deal is completed before then, the Yankees aren't expected to make a formal introduction of their newest Japanese player - they also have outfielder Hideki Matsui - until January.

Pitcher Andy Pettitte, who had a physical in New York on Tuesday as part of finalizing his contract to return to the Yankees, traveled back to Houston for a family matter. The Yankees will introduce him by conference call on Thursday.

Pettitte comes back to the Yankees after three seasons with his hometown Astros. He will earn $16 million next year and holds a $16 million player option for 2008.

NEW YORK - The Yankees Entertainment Sports Network (YES) filed a breach of contract lawsuit on Wednesday against Time Warner Inc.'s Time Warner Cable, claiming they underpaid the network by more than $1.5 million.

In a six-page summons and complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court, the sports and entertainment network alleges that Time Warner Cable had "miscalculated the licensing fees due YES under an Affiliation Agreement" since February 1, 2005.

YES said the agreement in question was dated March 20, 2002, and amended on April 6, 2005.

According to the lawsuit, YES alleges that Time Warner Cable "continues to underpay YES in an amount to be proven at trial but believed to now exceed $1.5 million ... and increasing every month."

YES is also seeking compensatory damages and pre-judgment interest and an amount to be determined to reimburse the network for all its expenses.

Time Warner Cable declined to comment.

It came as no surprise when the players union released its annual average salary report yesterday that said the Yankees were No. 1 for the eighth straight year. Surprising, however, was that the Yankees’ average salary this year dropped from 2005.

The decline was not a first in recent years for the high-spending Yankees; their average fell in 2003. But any time the Yankees have lower salary figures of any kind, it is a development worth noting.

The Yankees’ average was $6,947,232, down from $7,386,451, a decline of 6 percent. They were one of 12 clubs whose average salaries fell, though the major league average rose 9 percent, to $2,699,292 from $2,476,589.

Because of the number of players on their roster and disabled list as of Aug. 31, the date both the union and the commissioner’s office use for their computations, the Yankees’ payroll was actually higher this year than last by $717,894 — $222,311,424 (32 players) to $221,593,530 (30 players).

Probably an even bigger surprise in the report than the drop in the Yankees’ average was the identity of the team with the second-highest average. The Houston Astros’ average salary soared 47 percent, to $4,283,240 from $2,905,946.

The Red Sox were third, down from second, at $3,986,768, and the Mets were fourth, up from fifth, at $3,859,172. The Mets’ average rose 15.6 percent; the Red Sox’ fell 4.4 percent.

At the bottom of the average list, not surprisingly, were the Florida Marlins at $594,722. The Marlins, whose average plummeted 68 percent, and their fellow Florida franchise, Tampa Bay ($747,536), were the only teams whose averages were under $1 million.

I hope she does well.

He's bigger than that Dice guy over in Beantown. I bet he could take him.

It makes me glad to have DirecTV.

Rosie O'Donnell is bigger than Dice too.

Francisco Butto's ERA in the Venezuela Winter League may be a tad higher than he's used to, but it's a different stat column that's raising some eyebrows.

On Dec. 17, the right-hander, who's currently playing for the Tigres de Aragua, picked up his 13th save of the offseason. The saves he's tallied in the last two months ties his Minor League career total, which spans eight seasons.

Butto's spent most of his career in the bullpen, although with Class A Lakewood in 2003 and advanced Class A Clearwater the following season, he did see a significant amount of time as a starter. But now, it seems he's experimenting, and doing well, with a much different role.

In 23 appearances -- totaling 21 innings -- Butto is 2-3 with a 4.29 ERA, which is almost a full point higher than his career ERA of 3.35. But the bulk of his ERA is stemming from a poor outing on Nov. 9, when he gave up five runs in less than an inning.

Butto and 11 other players in the Yankees organization are currently playing in Venezuela, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Carlos Mendoza, 2B -- In two games over a week's time, Mendoza went 3-for-8 with a run scored to raise his average to .295 on the season.

Raul Chavez, C -- Chavez's bat has cooled off as of late, dropping his average below the .300 mark. He's gone 3-for-15 since Dec. 13, leaving his average at .295.

Gerardo Casadiego, RHP -- Casadiego gave up his first run since Nov. 13 on Sunday after he gave up a solo homer in one inning of relief for the Tiburones. Ironically, the run he gave up prior to that also came on a solo shot. The right-hander's ERA remains at 2.12.

Edgar Omana, LHP -- Omana's last appearance was on Dec. 6, and his ERA stands at 9.00.

Marcos Vechionacci, 3B -- Vechionacci hasn't played since Dec. 8, when he returned from a month-long absence.

Dominican Winter League

Erick Abreu, RHP -- Abreu pitched under an inning over the last week, but he raised his ERA over a point to 2.02. Entering competition on Dec. 13, Abreu had a 0.83 ERA in 22 1/3 innings.

Edwar Ramirez, RHP -- Ramirez threw two scoreless innings last week to lower his ERA to 5.09.

Juan De Leon, RHP -- De Leon hasn't pitched since giving up two runs in his last outing, leaving his ERA at 14.71.

Jorge De Paula, RHP -- De Paula didn't pitch this past week, and he carries a 6.04 ERA in 25 1/3 innings.

Bryan Villalona, RHP -- Villalona also hasn't pitched in the last five days. He has a 7.24 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

Mexican Winter League

Ramiro Pena, SS -- Pena had three pinch-hit at-bats over the last week, and he struck out in all three of them. The infielder is batting .209 in 67 at-bats.