Yanks expected to make offer to Sheets

Though the Yankees are still very much at the center of the talks with free-agent left-hander CC Sabathia, they may be preparing to make a run at another ace -- Ben Sheets.

The Yankees met with Sheets on Monday at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, and the New York Daily News reported that according to a source, they will offer the right-hander a multiyear deal, believed to be for two years and about $30 million dollars. The offer is expected to be made before the Meetings wrap up on Thursday.

Sheets is 86-83 in his career with a 3.73 ERA, but has missed significant time due to injury in four of his eight seasons in the Major Leagues, all with the Milwaukee Brewers. Sheets missed the 2008 National League Division Series after suffering a muscle tear in his elbow near the end of the regular season.

Source: Yankees

I just heard on ESPN that the New York Post is reporting that CC Sabathia has agreed to his 6-year, $140 million deal and WILL BE a New York Yankee!

Sources: Yankees, Sabathia near deal

LAS VEGAS -- The New York Yankees were "very close" to a preliminary agreement with CC Sabathia on Wednesday morning, following an in-person meeting between Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Sabathia in California, a baseball source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com.

Sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney the deal offered by the Yankees is now worth $160 million over seven years -- the most money ever paid a pitcher in major league history. The team had originally offered six years and $140 million.

While a deal is not yet done, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark there are "zero major road blocks" that would prevent the Yankees from reaching agreement with Sabathia.

The New York Post first reported Wednesday that Sabathia, the prize of this year's free-agent class, had decided to go with the Yankees after fielding offers from a number of teams.

Sabathia had been courted by the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers said that Sabathia, who lives in California, had expressed interest in playing there, too, although the team did not publicly make him an offer.

But in the end, it was clear that no other team was going to come close to what the Yankees offered. That was despite varying signals from the Dodgers -- owner Frank McCourt reached out to Sabathia personally -- as well as the Giants, who had talked about meeting with Sabathia this weekend, and the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees had extended their six-year, $140-million offer to Sabathia nearly a month ago and were beginning to get nervous that he simply didn't want to pitch in New York.

But two days of face-to-face meetings with the Yankees in Las Vegas, followed by Cashman's session Tuesday night with Sabathia and his wife Amber in California, sealed this deal for Sabathia.

"He's now excited about becoming a Yankee," a source told Olney.

To the Yankees, Sabathia was more than just the No. 1 prize on the free-agent market. He was the centerpiece of their entire offseason game plan. They went into the winter determined to add Sabathia and two other free-agent starters.

They have also aggressively pursued A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets, and have made a one-year, $10-million offer to retain Andy Pettitte. So a rotation of Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang and those two free-agent starters to be named later puts the Yankees in prime position to return to the postseason for the first time in two years.

But without Sabathia, that rotation would have had a whole different look. And had the Yankees not been able to land him, they might have shifted philosophies and made a major play for the biggest bats on the market, Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez.

In fact, the Yankees had begun to send signals that if Sabathia didn't accept their offer soon, they were ready to pull it off the table and move on. But all that became a moot point late Tuesday night, when Cashman was able to satisfy the Sabathias that they could play and live happily in New York.

Sabathia, who was dealt by the Cleveland Indians to the Brewers before last season's trade deadline, went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in Milwaukee, carrying the Brewers into their first playoff appearance since 1982.

He has a career record of 117-73 and a 3.66 ERA in eight big league seasons, mostly with the Indians. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 2007, going 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA as the Indians reached the AL Championship Series that season.

Source: ESPN

Report: Yanks set to ink Sabathia

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Yankees general manager Brian Cashman left the winter meetings Tuesday and traveled to the San Francisco area to meet with CC Sabathia.

The New York Post reported on its Web site early Wednesday morning that Sabathia has agreed to sign with the Yankees. No other details were available.

New York made a six-year offer to Sabathia on Nov. 14 and met with him on Sunday and Monday. Cashman's daily briefing with reporters was canceled by the team Tuesday, with spokesman Jason Zillo saying, "Brian is off hotel property and unavailable for the rest of the evening."

Cashman's trip to California was disclosed by a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn't say where the GM had gone. Cashman traveled after being invited by Sabathia, the official said.

While waiting for Sabathia to decide whether he wants to pitch in New York, the Yankees pushed ahead with talks involving A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets

Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn't think Sabathia is reticent to pitch in New York, where failure leads to harsh criticism.

"He's been in the American League long enough to know what New York is about," he said. "And CC's personality, I think, would work very well here. He's a guy that wants the ball every fifth day. He's a standup guy, he's a very honest young man. So I think his personality will be great."

Sabathia is from California, and Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said Monday that Sabathia told him he wants to join Los Angeles.

"He's, obviously, the pearl right now," former Yankees and current Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

New York spoke Tuesday with the agents for Burnett, saying it was prepared to exceed what the Yankees believe is the offer he received from Atlanta, a guaranteed four-year deal worth about $60 million. They also met Monday with Sheets and were examining his medical records.

"When you look at his numbers, they stack up against anyone," Girardi said. "I think injuries have kind of kept him out of that (top) class, but when he's on the mound, he's dynamite."

Burnett, Sheets and Derek Lowe, who also interests the Yankees, likely will wait until after Sabathia to make their decisions.

"I'm not sure who is going to be the first big name to go, but I think once someone goes, you'll see it maybe pick up a little bit," Girardi said.

After being slowed by injuries during his first two seasons in Toronto, Burnett was 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts against the Yankees last season.

"I know he pitches well every time I've seen him in New York, so that makes me believe that he would be OK," Girardi said.

Source: SI

Sweet. I just hope his time in NY doesn't screw up his career.

$161 million? Not bad. ...Except for the fact he obviously doesn't want to be in New York, and it cost the Yankees about $60 million dollars more than the 2nd highest offer to get him to reconsider!

That's a $161 million.

Yeah, I read that after the fact. I also read that Sabathia has an opt-out claus after 3 years so he may not be saying too long in New York if he doesn't like it.

But you knew the Yankees were going to overpay. Sabathia had all the cards. He knew the Yankees had money, needed an ace, desperately needed to fill a rotation, and he was the best starting pitcher on the market.

I don't know. If I guy so badly doesn't want to play in a town that he was willing to leave $40 million dollars on the table to play somewhere else, I have to question if it's worth giving him all that and another $20+ million on top of it.

Ve vill overpay and ve vill be happy about it!

C'mon, Lou, you're just jealous because the Mets don't have the highest paid pitcher in baseball any more.

as obvious as it is for the Yankees to buy the top free agent on the market, I got really surprised with this one. I really believed he would go to California. now let "his time in NY screw up his career" as the trend suggests.

signing Mark Teixeira for an even bigger contract would be much better. seven years is too much for a pitcher.

He really had no choice when the Yankees are offering $60 million more than everyone else.. He tried everything he could, including making it known publicly that we wanted to play on the west coast and the NL, preferably the Dodgers.

nah. You can have the $160 million, 300+ lb (250 lbs my ass), pitcher that doesn't want to play for you.

Report: Yanks to deal for Cameron

The New York Yankees are set to trade Melky Cabrera to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Cameron, according to two major league sources, the New York Daily News reported.

The acquisition of Cameron would give the Yankees a veteran center fielder to hold the position until prospect Austin Jackson is ready for the big leagues.

Cabrera had been seen as the Yankees' center fielder of the future. But he hit .249 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs in 129 games last season before being demoted to Triple A in mid-August.

Cameron hit .243 with 25 HRs and 70 RBIs in 120 games last season in Milwaukee. He missed the first 25 games of the season due to a suspension for violating baseball's banned substances policy.

Source: ESPN

Yeah, I really never get into the Mets versus Yanks thing. As most of you know, I do my best to root for the Yanks at any time they're not playing the Mets. But I will agree with Lou here. The guy has come out and pretty much said that he's only coming here for the money, that he doesn't really like New York, blah, blah, blah. Hardly a ringing endorsement of his new city.

Plus, a guy his size and weight can really break down at any time. Remember Luis Tiant, Mo Vaughn, John Kruk, et. al. And please, don't come back at me with Babe Ruth. Different time, different mindset. He played when men truly were men.

I loved Mo Vaughn. It was so cool to see the TV cameras have to pull back to get all of him in the shot!!

I think CC did exactly what he's supposed to do - get the most money he could out of a team that he knew was willing to pay it. Good for him.

Hey, I'm jealous of the Mets - they've got one of the greatest pitchers and now they have one of the great closers, too. Sorry, but I was never a Wagner fan. Talk about arrogant!

Talks on Cameron-Cabrera deal stall

LAS VEGAS -- A proposed swap of center fielders between the Yankees and Brewers was on hold Thursday because of financial issues, and an official for one of the clubs said it probably would not be completed before Milwaukee's contingent left the Winter Meetings.

The framework for the deal was set six weeks ago at the General Managers Meetings in California: The Yankees would upgrade with Gold Glove-winner Mike Cameron, who turns 36 next month and is a free agent again after the 2009 season, and the Brewers would get an affordable left-handed bat in 24-year-old switch-hitter Melky Cabrera.

The Brewers could also seek Yankees pitching if the deal were expanded to include other players, but the sticking point Thursday was the money involved. Cameron is due $10 million in 2009 while Cabrera is just entering his arbitration years, and the Yankees are asking the Brewers to pick up some of Cameron's salary. After losing the CC Sabathia sweepstakes, the Brewers balked at that request.

One Milwaukee official characterized talks as only "delayed," and expected them to pick up later. But progress was not likely on Thursday because Yankees GM Brian Cashman left the Bellagio on Thursday morning to travel back to New York. Doug Melvin's Brewers contingent was scheduled to leave later in the day.

The Brewers would be downgrading defensively from Cameron with Cabrera, but they are confident that he would work in center field. He's coming off a poor year that included a demotion to the Yankees' Triple-A club, and Cabrera finished the year hitting .249 with a .301 on-base percentage, eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

Cameron missed the first month of Milwaukee's season because of a suspension, but contributed 25 home runs, 70 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. He also led the Brewers with 142 strikeouts while hitting .243.

Source: Yankees

why are they so dumb?

they do every little thing the exact opposite way that I'd do. I know I must be the dumb one but they don't look so hot either.

they'll miss the playoffs next year again with that team. they really need another bat and signing a fat pitcher who threw 500 innings the last 2 seasons for 7 years is not the answer.

So what do you guys think? Is getting Mike Cameron and giving up on Melky a good idea. I hear they're doing it because Cameron can become a free agent after the 2009 season and the Yankees are betting Austin Jackson will be major-league ready for the 2010 season.

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Cameron-Cabrera trade nearly done

LAS VEGAS -- Before leaving the Winter Meetings, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said there is a "strong possibility" that he will swap center fielders with the Yankees, perhaps as early as Friday.

The framework for the deal was set six weeks ago at the General Managers Meetings in California: The Yankees would upgrade with Gold Glove-winner Mike Cameron, who turns 36 next month and is a free agent again after the 2009 season, and the Brewers would get an affordable left-handed bat in 24-year-old switch-hitter Melky Cabrera, who is just entering his arbitration years.

Melvin wouldn't say whether the deal might be expanded to include other players, but it appears that the financial hurdles have been resolved. The Brewers, who lost the CC Sabathia sweepstakes to the Yankees, rebuffed New York's request to pick up part of Cameron's $10 million salary, and after a chat between Melvin and Yankees GM Brian Cashman on Thursday, while Cashman was going through airport security, Melvin said the financial hold-up was, "not a problem now."

The deal could change over the next 24 hours to include more players, perhaps some Yankees pitching. Travel plans kept the trade from moving forward on Thursday; Cashman flew to Texas to meet with free-agent southpaw Andy Pettitte.

Melvin planned to touch base again Friday. Moving Cameron's salary could free the Brewers to be more active in free agency, and Melvin said Thursday that he is engaged with a tier of veteran pitchers including Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer, John Smoltz and Randy Wolf, though Wolf's asking price may still be too high. It's also possible that Ben Sheets could come back to the Brewers if he does not find a suitable deal elsewhere.

Cabrera is coming off a poor year that included a demotion to the Yankees' Triple-A club, and he finished the year hitting .249 with a .301 on-base percentage, eight home runs and 37 RBIs.

Cameron missed the first month of Milwaukee's season because of a suspension, but contributed 25 home runs, 70 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. He also led the Brewers with 142 strikeouts while hitting .243.

Source: Yankees

Cameron will drive you crazy. He'll strike out at the worst possible times. I believe last year he K'ed something like 140 times in 400 or so at bats. You'll love his glove, but offensively he stinks. He's one of those players that hits solo HR's when you're winning or losing by 6 runs, but K's with men on base in a tie game.

I just can't believe it's taking so long. They just gave Fort Knox to guy a guy who doesn't even want to play here, now they're nickel and diming a true veteran center fielder?.

And Lou, honestly, outside of Beltran, how many centerfielders hit consistently year after year? The Yanks should pay the money and run; it's not like they don't have it.

I just don't like Cameron as a player. I can't blame the Yankees for not wanting to spend $10 million a year on a guy that will hit .240, and strike out 140+ times. ...And give up a young player to get him too.

I don't like this deal -- I like El Leche's youth and potential. He may only hit 8 HR's a year, but in previous years was batting in the .280 range (Cameron is a career .250 hitter), though like Cameron Melky wasn't great with RISP. I don't know anything about Austin Jackson, but what if he isn't ready for 2010? Or a bust in 2010? At least Melky has room to grow -- he wasn't that bad... he had a .986-1.000 fielding percentage at CF while with the Yanks -- no worse than Cameron.

Besides HR's & RBI's, their stats aren't that different. Is giving up youth and salary for 1 year worth it? I don't know...

Add another to the list

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Burnett reaches agreement with Yanks

ATLANTA -- A.J. Burnett entered the free-agent market with a "buyer beware" tag and exited it counting the riches the Yankees will provide him over the course of the next five years.

Furthering their massive rotation-reconstruction process, the Yankees have won the bidding for Burnett. Major League Baseball sources confirmed late Friday afternoon that the 31-year-old right-hander has agreed to a deal reportedly worth $82.5 million over five years. The Yankees had not confirmed that an agreement has been reached.

Before the deal becomes official, Burnett will need to pass a physical and the two parties will have to iron out some terms of the offer.

While luring both CC Sabathia and Burnett to The Bronx in a span of three days, the Yankees have significantly upgraded their starting rotation with a pair of hurlers whom many consider to have been the most appealing options on the free-agent market. They've done so at a combined cost of approximately $243.5 million.

After landing Sabathia on Wednesday, the Yankees began their aggressive pursuit of Burnett and immediately erased the belief that the Braves would eventually win the bidding for the 31-year-old veteran hurler, who notched a career-high 18 wins and led the American League with 231 strikeouts this past season.

While the rotation-reconstruction process has gone smoothly for the Yankees, the same can't be said in reference to the Braves, who were believed to be willing to provide Burnett with a five-year, $80 million offer.

Over the course of the past two months, the Braves have proven unsuccessful in their determined efforts to bring Jake Peavy and Burnett to Atlanta to serve as their ace. They now find themselves looking at a thinner free-agent market that is now highlighted by Derek Lowe, who may find himself as Yankees general manager Brian Cashman's next primary target.

Motivated by the fact that his club missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993, Cashman has cornered the top available free-agent starters. With Sabathia he gained the top prize, and with Burnett he appears to have landed what might be the most profitable gamble.

During his eight full Major League seasons, Burnett has completed 200 innings just three times, totaled as many as 30 starts just twice and made 10 trips to the disabled list.

Whenever money has been on the horizon, Burnett has found a way to be both healthy and productive. Of the three seasons during which Burnett completed 200 innings, one preceded his first arbitration-eligible season and the other two came when he had an opportunity to test the free-agent market during the ensuing offseason.

Still with electric stuff that some have compared to that of John Smoltz during his younger days, Burnett drew tremendous interest from both the Yankees and Braves, ironically a pair of teams that just said goodbye to Carl Pavano and Mike Hampton, a pair of pitchers who are resident experts of life on the disabled list.

Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, says that his client is as healthy as he's been since undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in 2003. Statistically, it's currently hard to argue with this assessment.

While making a career-high 34 starts for the Blue Jays this past season, Burnett went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA. Fueling the interest that he gained this offseason was the fact that he went 9-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 113 strikeouts in his 15 starts after the All-Star break.

Souce: Yankees

Pitch well for 3 months, get $82 million from the Yankees.

Even as a Yankee fan, I'm often embarrassed by how much $ they're willing to spend for anyone they want... to maybe make it to the post season.

I never thought a whole lot of Cameron, other than he was an above average hitter.but I never thought much of Melky Cabrera either. I agree with Lou that in clutch situations where pitchers are more careful, he doesn't usually come through, and his homeruns don't usually come in big situations. During the playoffs when the Phillies played the Brewers, I was more relaxed when he was batting than most others on the team. I don't think he's hit close to .300 in his career.

Is he really going to get $10 million? I think he got only $6 million last year, and he's certainly on the decline. He'll be 36 this season.

I haven't heard of the prospect

I am definitely a Melky fan. He took a lot of heat last season, and I certainly don't think he deserved it. I see no reason why he can't contribute plenty in the years ahead. If we're not going to get someone who can add something both defensively and offensively, then we shouldn't bother. Melky's glove was never the problem.

I wish I wasn't a loyalist or I'd jump ship and be a Yankees fan right now. I hate the Yankees because I'm jealous they can buy whoever they want. I wouldn't mind if everyone hated my team though, so you lifetime Yankee fans are lucky.

Stoopid Ethics.

Good new as far as I'm concerned:

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YANKS TO GO AFTER MANNY, TEIXEIRA

According to several baseball officials, the Yankees New York Yankees remain in the Mark Teixeira hunt. But the same connected voices insist if the Yankees don't land the switch-hitting first baseman, they will turn their money toward controversial slugger Manny Ramirez.

"If they can't get Teixeira, they are right there on Manny," an official with knowledge of the Yankees' plan said yesterday.

The attention being paid to bolster the lineup that lost Bobby Abreu Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi Jason Giambi doesn't mean the Yankees are out of the pitching business. They remain engaged with Andy Pettitte, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets. Eventually, the Yankees believe Pettitte will take their $10 million offer.

Only fools count out the Yankees when it comes to free agents. Nevertheless, Teixeira has eight-year offers for $160 million from the Angels and Nationals. The Red Sox are wary of eight years but aren't shy of six for $150. Having already spent $243.5 million for CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the Yankees may not want to go that high (or for that many years) for Teixeira.

If they pass on Teixeira, the Yankees will try and bolster a sagging lineup with Ramirez, one of the greatest run producers in baseball history. And to clear some money, they might entertain offers for outfielder Xavier Nady, who made $3.35 million last year, is arbitration eligible and a free agent after the 2009 season.

"Hank (Steinbrenner) wants him, but he isn't alone in the organization," a source said of Ramirez. "They need somebody to protect Alex (Rodriguez)."

The Yankees are likely to offer Ramirez, 37 in May, a three-year deal in the $20 million range, though agent Scott Boras reportedly is seeking a five-year deal for the future Hall of Fame lock.

Because the signings of Sabathia (seven years for $161 million) and A.J. Burnett (five years for $82.5 million) leave $48.5 million of the $88 million that came off the Yankees' payroll, there is plenty of glue left for more additions.

Ramirez carried the Dodgers into the playoffs with his bat, producing a .396 batting average, 17 homers and 53 RBIs for the Dodgers in 53 games after getting banished from Boston. Combined, he batted .332 with 37 homers and 121 RBIs. Ramirez forced his way out of Boston with boorish behavior that included shoving 64-year-old traveling secretary Jack McCormick to the ground.

Another option would be to obtain right-handed hitting outfielder Jermaine Dye, 35 next month, from the White Sox.

"He's available, but they aren't going to give him away," said a source with knowledge of Chicago's plan to get younger.

Dye has the Yankees among the six teams for which he can veto a trade, and it's not likely the Yankees would give him an extension (or pick up a $12 million option for 2010) to waive the no-trade clause.

Source: New York Post