Source: Yankees.com

NEW YORK -- If you had been in Miami in 1992, watching Westminster Christian School race to a Class 2A football title, you would have seen high school quarterback Alex Rodriguez firing passes to a tight end named Doug Mientkiewicz.

Fifteen years later, very similar actions will be on display in New York, as A-Rod and Mientkiewicz again link as teammates in the Yankees infield. And like before, it'll be Mientkiewicz's job to grab those throws from Rodriguez.

"I'm looking forward to sharing the same uniform again," said Mientkiewicz, who finalized a one-year contract with the Yankees on Jan. 5. "He's going to help me a lot more than I'm going to help him."

Having watched Rodriguez morph from the gridiron to a No. 1 draft pick on his way to baseball superstardom, Mientkiewicz is qualified to help analyze a situation that grew especially trying for Rodriguez last season.

The 31-year-old third baseman batted .290 with 35 home runs and 121 RBIs in yet another All-Star campaign, but it was a year that will be remembered more for Rodriguez's prolonged slumps and postseason struggles.

As Yankee Stadium fans cooled on Rodriguez, speculation of trade talk began to heat up. Rodriguez went 1-for-14 with an error in the American League Division Series against the Tigers, including batting eighth in the deciding Game 4.

Rodriguez insisted that he continued to fit in the puzzle and would be part of the solution, and the Yankees later issued a vote of confidence that Rodriguez would not be traded.

Mientkiewicz said that much of Rodriguez's troubles had likely stemmed from pressing.

"Alex is such a perfectionist," Mientkiewicz said. "He realizes the talent that he has. You're talking about, probably, the guy who's going to go down as the best baseball player to ever play the game. I think sometimes people have a perception of him to be perfect all the time.

"Trust me, no one is harder on themselves than Alex is on himself. He's always been that way since the day I met him -- always been working his butt off, to the point that it's almost a detriment and he doesn't allow his abilities to take over."

Much of the logic in importing Mientkiewicz centers on defense, though the 32-year-old had a bounceback offensive season in 2006. He batted .283 in 314 at-bats for the Royals before his campaign ended with August back surgery.

Now reportedly healthy and on track for Spring Training, the 2001 Gold Glove Award winner was brought back to New York, where he spent 2005 with the Mets. Mientkiewicz's main task will be to help the Yankees' infield glovework while engaging in part of a platoon at first base.

Since making his Major League debut in 1998, Mientkiewicz ranks second among all first basemen (behind Travis Lee) with a .996 career fielding percentage, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, "I'm not sure if there's anybody better defensively than him."

"I know sometimes as an infielder you don't feel very comfortable with your release and where the ball may go," Mientkiewicz said. "To know that someone on the other end is going to do their best to catch it -- it sounds pretty simple, but it goes a long way."

With Jason Giambi now slotted as a designated hitter after appearing in 68 games at first base in 2006, the left-handed-batting Mientkiewicz will garner the bulk of first-base at-bats against right-handed pitching, against whom Mientkiewicz has batted .259 over the past three years.

That leaves Andy Phillips and Josh Phelps, a selection in December's Rule 5 Draft, to battle it out in Spring Training for the right-handed portion of manager Joe Torre's first-base mix.

Phillips, who will turn 30 in the first week of the regular season, had a disappointing 2006 season in his first extended taste of big-league action, batting .240 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 246 at-bats.

Though Phillips has punished left-handed pitching in the Minor Leagues, batting .365 against them for Triple-A Columbus in 2005, he hit just .195 (16-for-82) against big-league southpaws last year.

Phelps, 28, was selected in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft from the Orioles, meaning that the Yankees must keep him on their roster for the entire season or offer him back to Baltimore for $25,000, half the selection cost.

"For $50,000, I thought it was worth the free look to see what he can do," Cashman said in December.

Having last played in the Major Leagues in 2005, Phelps spent all of last season with Triple-A Toledo in the Tigers system, batting .308 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs, numbers which placed him among the International League's offensive leaders.

Utility infielder Miguel Cairo, who recently agreed to terms on a one-year, $750,000 contract to return to the Yankees, should see some action at both corners.

The 32-year-old Cairo started at all four infield positions, plus one game in left field, while batting .239 last season for New York.

Source: Yankees.com

NEW YORK -- They can turn a double play any day of the week, but it's at the plate where Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano really do their damage.

The Yankees' middle-infield combination teamed up to put a 1-2 punch on the American League batting race in 2006, as Jeter and Cano finished second and third, respectively, behind the Twins' Joe Mauer.

Along the way, they earned hardware to remind them of their in-season exploits, with both players logging a Silver Slugger Award -- given to the top offensive player at their position as voted on by Major League managers and coaches.

Jeter, 32, added an AL Hank Aaron Award and his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award to the mix.

Beginning his 12th full season as the Yankees shortstop, Jeter is the team captain and has long been established as the face of the organization. He lost out on a bid for his first Most Valuable Player Award last season, falling 14 points shy of the 320 logged by the Twins' Justin Morneau.

Many had expected Jeter to run away with the balloting following his tremendous 2006 campaign, but he logged 12 first-place votes -- three fewer than Morneau.

Jeter, once again an All-Star after missing the 2005 squad, finished second in the AL with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored. He was fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases.

A clutch performer who batted .381 with runners in scoring position in 2006, Jeter also hit 14 home runs and drove in 97 runs, though the Yankees captain would have traded his kudos and accolades for another World Series title.

"You've heard me say it a thousand times, but winning the World Series for the New York Yankees continues to be my main focus," Jeter said in a statement following the MVP vote. "There is no individual award that can compare with a championship trophy, and I look forward to working towards that challenge again in 2007."

In 2004, Jeter became the first Yankees shortstop to win a Gold Glove Award. However, his fielding has remained a regular source of criticism, even though he has added two more to his trophy case.

Last year, Jeter's .975 fielding percentage ranked fourth in the AL, while his 15 errors were the third-fewest behind the Rangers' Michael Young and the White Sox's Juan Uribe (14 each) among all AL shortstops who played in at least 130 games.

Cano, 24, helped create a dangerous offensive tandem with Jeter during his second full Major League season. The All-Star hit 15 home runs and collected 78 RBIs for the Yankees, finishing just one point behind Jeter with a .342 batting average -- good for third in the American League.

Cano missed six weeks during the summer with a hamstring injury, but he finished the regular season on a tear, batting .373 (41-for-110) in September to earn AL Player of the Month honors.

Since taking over as the Yankees' full-time second baseman in May 2005, placing second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting, Cano has gained entry into discussions about baseball's best young talents.

The left-handed-hitting Cano finished ninth in the American League with 41 doubles, and for the second straight year, he did some of his best work away from Yankee Stadium. Cano led the AL again in road batting average, hitting .364 away from the Bronx.

Continuing to improve his defensive craft, Cano started 115 games at second base for the Yankees in 2006. He posted a .984 fielding percentage, committing nine errors in 572 total chances and works well with Jeter up the middle.

Miguel Cairo is set to return as the Yankees' utility infielder. Cairo became a valuable player for New York last season when Cano went down to injury for 34 games, batting .239 with 30 RBIs in 222 at-bats. Cairo played all four infield positions in 2006, plus one game in left field.

Who is Derek Jeter???

That mediocre hack who plays shortstop for the Yankees.

Irish, try making a joke about the Florida Management firing the NL Manager of the Year, and then announcing in a press conference the new manager, all within 10 hours. That's some comedy gold up in them hills!

Source: CBS Sportsline

Best offseason stories

1. New York Yankees keep their wallet closed. Who are these guys, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays? GM Brian Cashman clearly is in charge of this organization's baseball path now, and his operating philosophy became obvious this winter: Make the Yankees younger, stockpile pitching prospects and, ahem, even reduce payroll. Which will give the Yankees more flexibility. Why, this keeps up, Cashman is going to become Time's Man of the Year, Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the Leopard Lodge's Grand Poobah, all at once.

2. The Cubs' wild spending ways. Somebody had to step into the breach left by the Yankees. Rumors abound that the Cubs are being groomed to be sold, and throwing $300 million at players either is going to make them a whole lot more attractive ... or scare a few potential bidders away. Either way, they should be much more attractive to their fans this year. No Lysol needed.

Theo Epstein and the Red Sox opened up the vault for Daisuke Matsuzaka. (Getty Images)
Theo Epstein and the Red Sox opened up the vault for Daisuke Matsuzaka. (Getty Images)
3. All the good money spent on bad pitching. Welcome to the age of the .500 pitcher making $10 million or more annually. Or, as you like to say come tax time, charity.

4. Boston's espionage laced pursuit of Daisuke Matsuzaka. It contained all the elements of the best spy novels, with a whole bunch of baseball thrown in. All that was missing was a James Bond girl or two. Now if the 2007 season is a page-turner for the Red Sox, they'll look brilliant.

5. Barry Bonds tests positive for amphetamines. Hmm, do you think he was the only player who violated baseball's amphetamines policy last year? You don't? Then isn't it quite the coincidence that his name is the only on that has been leaked so far? Baseball has some 'splainin' to do.
Most overdone offseason stories

1. Alex Rodriguez trade talk. Thank goodness for the Internet, which, at the very lest, doesn't kill trees when printing wild, rampant, unfounded speculation.

2. Manny Ramirez trade rumors. Can't wait for next winter, when the Red Sox trot out Chapter 42 in the longest running saga this side of The Thornbirds ... and we all fall for it again.

3. Roger Clemens. Play. Don't play. Come back in May. Or June. Or July. Whatev ... yawn ... er ... bigger yawn ... Zzzzzzzz.

4. New York Mets pursue Barry Zito. People have had Zito pegged for the Mets since last June. Uh, whoops. Just because you have a plastic badge and a fingerprint kit doesn't mean you're a detective.

5. The Yankees' dealing Randy Johnson to Arizona opened the door for them to pursue Zito. No, it didn't. It only opened the curtain. And when everybody went charging through to put the Yankees with Zito, they all ran into the glass sliding door. Nobody saw that.
Best contracts

1. Boston, Matsuzaka, six years, $52 million. The contract was brilliant. Especially when you see what Ted Freakin' Lilly and Gil Freakin' Meche are getting. The tough thing to swallow is the $51 million the Red Sox paid simply for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers, Randy Wolf, one year, $8 million. While the other kids were all getting crisp $20 bills, Wolf happily accepted 50 cents and went on his way. If he's right physically, working in a pitcher friendly ballpark, the Dodgers could be getting the best pitching bargain of anybody.

3. Detroit, Sean Casey, one year, $4 million. Casey is as Midwest friendly as they come, he fits into the clubhouse like postgame pizza, he's a gap hitter who fits into Comerica Park even better, and he was eminently affordable. What's not to like?

4. St. Louis, Adam Kennedy, three years, $10 million. Very reasonable deal for a guy who can still play, already has a working knowledge of maneuvering around the second-base bag with shortstop David Eckstein and is the consummate professional.

5. Boston, Julio Lugo, four years, $36 million. If Lugo plays like he did with the Dodgers last summer, this could backfire. And the Red Sox already have been there, done that with Edgar Renteria. Here's guessing Lugo will revert back to his old, steady form in his return to both a league and a position in which he is comfortable. Compare this contract to Rafael Furcal getting $13 million a year, and Boston did well.
Worst contracts

1. Zito, San Francisco, seven years, $126 million. There's almost as good a chance of Paris Hilton walking into your computer room right now as there is that this contract will work out for the Giants. Monster contracts for pitchers have a long and sordid history of backfiring. See Brown, Kevin (seven years, $105 million), Hampton, Mike (eight years, $121 million), Dreifort, Darren (five years, $55 million) and Neagle, Denny (five years, $51 million).

2. Juan Pierre, Dodgers, five years, $44 million. Personally, if somebody is going to get $44 million, I'm really happy to see a great guy like Pierre get it. But there's zero power, and he didn't rank among the NL's top 50 in on-base percentage last year.

3. J.D. Drew, Boston, five years, $70 million. Wait until Red Sox fans get their hands on this loafer.

4. Meche, Kansas City, five years, $55 million. Oh ... my ... goodness.

5. Danys Baez, Baltimore, three years, $19 million. The Orioles needed bullpen help and spent $42.4 million on four relievers who are somewhat less than state-of-the-art. In this division, Baez will wear out his welcome far earlier than three years.
Best personnel moves

1. Tigers trade for Gary Sheffield. Detroit needed a middle-of-the-order bat and struck early, before the winter really got going and salaries spun out of control.

2. Cubs hire Lou Piniella as manager. What a pleasure it will be to again see Piniella have some talent to work with.

3. Giants hire Bruce Bochy as manager. He's just like Felipe Alou, only younger and not quite so philosophical.

4. Atlanta beefs up its bullpen. Adding Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, plus having Bob Wickman for a full season in 2007, gives the Braves an important element they didn't have a year ago.

5. Texas hiring Ron Washington as manager. He has paid his dues, he has experience and he is a unique, direct personality players love. Not anywhere close to the cookie-cutter, corporate-type of manager, and good for the Rangers for hiring him anyway.
Worst personnel moves

1. Giants bring back Bonds. Won't be long before Giants players and coaches will be issued toxic waste suits and respirators before entering their own clubhouse.

2. Padres say "see ya" to Bochy. The Padres refuse to admit that they wanted Bochy gone because they were, among other things, too cheap under owner John Moores and president Sandy Alderson to pay a manager more than $1 million. But if that's not true, and if Alderson is so smart, why didn't the Padres at least demand compensation from the Giants for allowing Bochy out of his contract (he was signed through 2007), to a division rival, no less? Answer: Because they wanted Bochy gone, and because Moores misrepresented himself to fans when he was lobbying for Petco Park -- intimating that he would spend a lot more money than he has -- and they didn't want to pay Bochy, let alone marquee free agents. When Seattle allowed Piniella to go to Tampa Bay, the Mariners received outfielder Randy Winn as compensation. The Padres didn't even ask.

3. The Cubs spending $300 million and the only pitching they added was Lilly and Jason Marquis. Ugh. Mark Prior, you'd better be healthy.

4. Padres trading second baseman Josh Barfield to Cleveland for third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. Barfield had a terrific rookie season. The Padres needed a productive bat in the middle of their lineup. Odds are long that Kouzmanoff is it.

5. Seattle keeping manager Mike Hargrove. What's the point?
Most underrated personnel moves

1. Cubs sign Mark DeRosa. Maybe DeRosa did have a career year in 2006, and some scoff at $13 million over three years. But he's versatile, he's smart and he'll help the Cubs cover several positions.

2. Milwaukee signing Jeff Suppan. The Brewers have a lot of good, young position-player talent. They need pitching. Suppan knows how to win, and he knows October.

3. Cleveland trades for Barfield. Great, great move by GM Mark Shapiro.

4. Atlanta trades for Soriano. Braves GM John Schuerholz firmly believes that if the Braves had closer Wickman for all of '06, their streak of division titles would remain intact. This trade with Seattle will help solidify the Braves late in games, giving them more than just Wickman in '07.

5. Texas signs Frank Catalanotto. Watch him flourish now that he has the luxury of playing one position (left field) instead of several as a utility man.
Most harrowing moments

1. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry's angioplasty. Hendry was having chest pains at the winter meetings in December, finally was convinced to go to the hospital and completed the deal with Lilly while hooked up to machines testing his heart. Let's see Sprint, Verizon or Cingular put that in their plan.

2. Boston's owners and GM Theo Epstein flying unannounced to Scott Boras' "doorstep" in Southern California to finish off the Matsuzaka contract. Maybe you should try it with the doctor you can't get in to see for another three weeks.

3. Bonds arriving at winter meetings. It has come to this, that he has to personally show up to sell himself?

4. Shortstop Juan Uribe says he might not play this year. The AL Central leads the league in emotional infielders. Uribe, who almost certainly will play this year, talked a few weeks ago as if he might not after he, his brother and a family friend were questioned after the shooting of two men in the Dominican Republic. The White Sox's heart skipped a beat, and it reminded everyone of Detroit's Placido Polanco calling it a season while rehabbing from an injury last summer -- before returning to help the Tigers to the World Series.

5. Ken Griffey Jr.'s broken hand. It's always something ...
Coldest offseason deals

1. Texas signing Eric Gagne and telling him he'll close ... and telling Akinori Otsuka sorry. Thanks for bailing us out last year with those 32 saves, Aki. Now get back downstairs to the eighth inning.

2. Drew cutting ties with the Dodgers. The guy spends September telling everyone he likes it in L.A. and definitely will be back. Then he disappears into the winter, his word as reliable as a '78 Pinto.

3. Catcher Rod Barajas backing out of an oral agreement with Toronto. A guy's word just doesn't mean as much as it once did -- sense a pattern here? The Jays thought they had Barajas' deal done, only to have him back out of it late the night before it was to be announced. Last laugh, though, was for the Blue Jays: Barajas didn't have a fallback plan and eventually signed with Philadelphia, losing roughly $5 million in the process.

4. Craig Counsell veering away from the Padres at the last minute after all but giving an oral commitment. He wound up signing with Milwaukee

5. Nationals freezing out Frank Robinson. Hey, what was a fired manager going to do, anyway -- just hang around?
Most apropos offseason moment

Padres acquire relievers Ring and Bell. That's, uh, Royce Ring and Heath Bell.
Most improved teams

1. Chicago Cubs. Not just because they spent the money. They lost 96 games last year, and they can't be that bad again. They invested in Aramis Ramirez returning, they signed the best player on the market in Alfonso Soriano, and though Lilly and Marquis aren't exactly Claude Passeau and Ferguson Jenkins ... they'll help.
Which team improved most?
Cubs
Braves
Indians
Red Sox
Phillies


2. Atlanta. Acquiring Gonzalez this week from Pittsburgh was the masterstroke. The Braves badly needed bullpen help, and in Gonzalez and Soriano, they've gotten it.

3. Boston. Anybody who watched Matsuzaka work in last spring's World Baseball Classic knows he is capable of making a big difference in the AL East -- or anywhere else.

4. Philadelphia. Freddy Garcia gives the Phillies a whole new twist. He should be really good in the NL, so much so that you can forget GM Pat Gillick's initial assessment after dealing Bobby Abreu last year when he said that the Phillies realistically wouldn't contend until 2008. Mix Garcia in with Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and the rest of what's here, and you have the makings of a pretty good story this summer.

5. Cleveland. The Indians added Barfield and a stable of relievers: Joe Borowski, Keith Foulke, Aaron Fultz and Roberto Hernandez. OF David Dellucci. And Jhonny Peralta can't be that bad again, can he?
Least improved teams

1. Washington. The Nationals, after not trading Alfonso Soriano last July, lose him essentially for nothing. Until they move into their new stadium, they're not doing anything. Their farm system is depleted from the Montreal days. They spent the winter collecting six-year minor league free agents. This is going to be one ugly team -- the inspiring play from two years ago might as well have been 100.

2. Los Angeles Angels. About that marquee move owner Arte Moreno promised to make over the winter for an impact, middle-of-the-order bat. Gary Matthews Jr.? I don't think so.

3. San Diego Padres. Greg Maddux is a good addition. But a team badly in need of a productive bat for the middle of the lineup instead subtracted Mike Piazza and Barfield.

4. Oakland. The A's lost their best hitter from last year (Frank Thomas) and their best starting pitcher (Zito).

5. Minnesota. Where the heck are the Twins going to get starting pitching with Brad Radke retired and Francisco Liriano out for the season? Sidney Ponson? Ah ... next? One thing I will say: GM Terry Ryan and his excellent staff have proved adept at coming up with something, somewhere.
Good gambles

1. Colorado trading for Willy Taveras. Lots of folks think the Rockies are crazy for giving up Jason Jennings, but they added speed they needed along with two pitchers -- Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz -- who can help sooner rather than later.

2. Houston acquiring Jennings. Sure, the Astros lost Andy Pettitte and might lose Clemens. Jennings will help pick up some of the slack.

3. Pittsburgh acquiring first baseman Adam LaRoche for Gonzalez and Co. Question: Why does a team that loses 90 games need a closer? The Pirates need LaRoche -- a left-handed hitter who maybe can help protect Jason Bay in the lineup -- a lot more than they need Gonzalez at this point.

4. The Yankees getting prospects for Johnson and Sheffield. We have no idea right now whether Humberto Sanchez (from Detroit in the Sheffield deal) or Ross Ohlendorf (from Arizona in the Johnson deal) will turn into All-Stars or busts. But Johnson is going to wake up finished one of these mornings, and Sheffield wasn't a long-term guy for the Yanks. At some point, New York must get somebody into its system other than Philip Hughes who maybe can develop into a starting pitcher one day. That process started this winter, and it's smart baseball on the part of Cashman.

5. Cincinnati trading for outfield prospect Josh Hamilton. The kid badly flamed out in Tampa Bay thanks to drugs and other assorted missteps. But the talent is there, and Cincinnati is the perfect place to give him a new start. It's low risk and high reward for the Reds.
Longest stay in the on-deck circle

The Mets signed reliever Guillermo Mota. But remember, he'll start 2007 by serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for steroids.
Best pre-emptive moves

1. St. Louis extending Chris Carpenter's contract. Walt Jocketty took one look at the way the money for pitching was soaring and immediately moved on Carpenter. Result: A five-year, $63.5 million deal for Carpenter, giving him security and the Cardinals comfort in knowing they will not have to meet him on the free-agent market anytime soon.

2. Toronto re-signing Vernon Wells, avoiding a spring and summer of trade rumors and speculation.

3. Detroit signing Jeremy Bonderman to a four-year, $38 million extension. The ink was barely dry before inflation struck the pitching market.

4. The White Sox trading Garcia as he was entering his walk year. No worries over Garcia's impending free-agency for Chicago.
How about simply adding a retractable roof?

The Rangers are planning to move the start of their home games back 30 minutes, to 7:35 p.m., this summer. They think maybe it will help attendance, and they really hope that even a minimal temperature drop in those 30 minutes, an average of about two degrees, will help eliminate some of their fatigue problems. It's part of a major campaign by the Rangers to eliminate fatigue -- the first step was firing manager Buck Showalter.

Why they would bend over backwards for someone who left them in the lurch the way the Rocket did is beyond me, though.

However, I do respect the man, and will forgive all pastdoings if he can produce a title.

Source: ESPN.com, AP

In a radio interview Tuesday, Bobby Murcer said he's doing "fabulous" in his battle against a malignant brain tumor and hopes to continue broadcasting Yankees games for the team's YES network this season.

Bobby Murcer tells ESPN Radio 1050's Michael Kay that his treatment for cancer is going well and he's overwhelmed by the support he has received. Listen

Appearing on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio 1050 in New York, Murcer took questions from callers and said he feels "blessed" with all the support he has received.

"I'm just doing absolutely fabulous ... I haven't had any setbacks of any kind," Murcer said.

Murcer said he's leaning on his faith and has a "real sense of calm."

"Whatever will be will be. I feel that through my faith that God will heal me," Murcer said.

Murcer, who currently is undergoing treatment for the tumor, said he plans on attending Yankees spring training in Tampa, Fla., if he feels well enough to do so.

"I plan on being back in the booth and spring training if all goes well," Murcer said.

The 60-year-old Murcer had surgery in Houston on Dec. 28 to remove the tumor. It was revealed this month that the tumor was malignant.

The tumor was discovered following an MRI exam on Christmas Eve after Murcer had been having headaches and feeling a loss of energy.

Murcer played 17 seasons in the major leagues from 1965-83 and was a five-time All-Star and a Gold Glove-winning outfielder. He batted .277 with 252 home runs and 1,043 RBIs with the Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.

Murcer has won three Emmy Awards for live sports coverage as one of the voices of the Yankees.

BTW - Since he did the interview, anyone else here really can't stand Michael Kay besides me? In addition to just disliking his commentary and attitude, after finding out he beat his dog to death (which he confessed to on-air), I've relegated him to the "reprehensible piece of shit" category.

Where did you hear he beat his dog to death? I've never had a problem with him and like his commentary, but if this is true, he just lost A LOT of respect in my book. I f*cking hate people who abuse animals (or worse, beat them to death)!

That is absolutely disgusting. I had a lot of respect for the man but not now. I'm sorry, but when people take their frustration out on poor, defenseless animals, it just pisses me off to no end!

Source: NY Post

The Yankees finalized their one-year, $750,000 agreement with Miguel Cairo yesterday. Cashman wouldn't say who Cairo will replace on the 40-man roster.

Pitching prospect J.B. Cox did not receive an invitation to spring training because of a fracture in a bone in his throwing hand. Cashman would not disclose how Cox injured his hand, but said that the second-round draft pick was not undergoing disciplinary action.

Cashman said Cox is healing and expected to start his throwing program the first week in February. Cox was 6-2 with a 1.75 ERA and three saves with the Trenton Thunder last season.