With Halladay to the Phillies and Lackey to the Sox, the Mets need to get creative to improve their rotation. I’m not saying either of these Aces wanted to pitch for the Mets, but now that it’s a sure thing they won’t, the Mets need to react. Ben Sheets/Erik Bedard are great when healthy, but that may not be often enough for the Mets to compete, and I don’t think Piniero/Doug Davis is the answer either. I think they have to look the trade route. So to get creative, what about a deal with the Reds? They have two starters over the 10mm mark and could potentially look to unload that payroll (Harang & Arroyo). I know Votto is a fantastic, young 1b, and makes league minimum but would the following work: Joey Votto/1b, Brandon Phillips/2b, Aaron Harang/sp, Bronson Arroyo/sp for Fernando Martinez/of, Ruben Tejada or Reese Havens/mi, Luis Castillo/2b, Daniel Murphy/1b, Jefry Marte/3b, Mike Pelfrey/sp, and Moviel/Familia/Urbina -2nd tier SP prospect. Fair?

I’m more than content. Cliff Lee was lights out for the Phillies, they have less payroll flexibility for 4 years, and the Phillies could have had both Lee & Halladay leading that rotation together.

Halladay; Lee; Hamels;  Happ; Blanton/Drabek/Moyer would have been Lights Out.

Also I think some other moves fall into place now. The Mariners upgraded already this off season with the Figgins signing and another ace in Lee. I think they’ll next go with power in LF via Bay or Holliday, which then potentially forces the other to accept a little less money from the Mets/Giants/Red Sox/Yankees. However, with Cameron to Boston, the Sox are out of it, and in my opinion Damon (for 5-7 million and 3-4 years less than Holliday) re-signs with the Yankees. Therefore, either Holliday or Bay signs to a slightly less than expected deal with the Mets.

No matter what, I fully expect the Phillies to take the NL East yet again – unlike the past 3 years.

I truly wish the Mets were the 3rd team in the Yankees-Tigers-(D-backs) deal replacing the D-backs. I thought 0f a crazy, but interesting scenario that could have actually worked: Carlos Beltran, Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada or Reese Havens, and Brad Holt or Bobby Parnell from the Mets; Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, Austin Jackson from the Yankees, and Edwin Jackson, Curtis Granderson, and Miguel Cabrera from the Tigers.

Mets receive: Miguel Cabrera/1b, Robinson Cano/2b, Curtis Granderson/cf, Phil Hughes/sp (go on to sign a FA LF & another SP and their offseason needs would have been completed beyond expectations)

Yankees receive: Carlos Beltran, Edwin Jackson, Wilmer Flores (and go on to sign Hudson or FA 2b + FA lf)

Tigers receive: Ike Davis, Fernando Martinez, Tejada/Havens, Holt/Parnell, Austin Jackson (and get even more payroll flexiblity trading Miguel Cabrera for a decent haul). I of course understand the Tigers got a very nice haul of SP’s from the trade they actually did complete with the Yanks & D-back. I think if Scherzer stays healthy, Verlander through Porcello can still keep them toward the top of the AL Central.

Do you think my proposed 3-way above is irrational, however? It completely depletes the Mets farm system, which isn’t great any way, but I think it instantaneously helps them compete with the Phillies.

I wrote on facebook: “Congratulations to the most spoiled fans in the world, however… Thank you…Becasue I hate the Phillies with a Passion” to which a Yankee friend replied, “But Dan, they’re are 3rd graders who haven’t seen this yet” to which I replied but there are 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th and 12th graders that have.

Oh and I forgot to congratulate the Phillies and their fans 2 seasons ago – for their desire to have us hate them and take them seriously… Well done. Seriously though. Well done.

The Mets have a sundry of needs that Omar Minaya or whomever else assumes GM needs to attend to: mainly c, 1b, 2b, lf, and sp. I say 2b because it seems they are attempting to trade Luis Castillo and then potentially offer a deal to Orlando Hudson, which scares me if the Mets have to provide another multi year deal to an aging 2nd baseman who was benched for Ronnie Belliard during the (p)lay-offs. I’ll stop assuming our prospects pan out and offer a scenario that lands the Mets a 1b,2b,lf,and sp. I also won’t propose trading 15 tier 3 prospects for 4 mlb all stars.

Trade 1) NYM-Jankees: Carlos Beltran(cf), Wilmer Flores/Reese Havens/Ruben Tejada (preferably the later middle infield prospect), Urbina/Moviel/Familia(sp prospect) for Robinson Cano(2b) and Phil Hughes(sp).

* I know the Yankees could have had Beltran for just cash prior to him signing with the Mets, but this provides the Yankees with an every day (when healthy) offensive centerfielder and then they can sign Chone Figgins or Orlando Hudson for 2b and use Flores/Havens/Tejada at ss or 2b when that contract or Jeter’s career is over.

Trade 2) NYM-Brewers: Ike Davis(1b prospect), Fernando Martinez (of prospect), Mike Pelfrey(sp), Brad Holt (sp prospect) for Prince Fielder(1b).Maybe Angel Pagan(of) &/or Daniel Murphy(if-of) can also be involved in the deal for Carlos Gomez (cf) otherwise the Mets CF will come by way of free agency…

Trade 3) NYM-Cubs: The already infinitely proposed deal (except straight up with cash consideration coming the Mets way), Luis Castillo(2b) for Milton Bradley(lf)

Mets 2010 Free Agent signings: Mike Cameron(cf) if Carlos Gomez isn’t involved in the Brewers deal, Randy Wolf(sp), and Erik Bedard or Ben Sheets(sp) contingent on health reports and monetary demands.

*I haven’t added monetary figures to this scenario but if you include the salary subtractions of Delgado, Wagner, Putz, Schneider, Sheffield, Tatis, and Cora the Mets would have a payroll at 10-15 million less than last year ( and that takes into account salary and arbitration raises). The Mets Lineup and Rotation (depth) would look as follows:

1-Jose Reyes/ss

2-David Wright/3b

3-Robinson Cano/2b

4-Prince Fielder/1b

5-Milton Bradley/lf

6-Jeff Franceour/rf

7-Mike Cameron/cf

8-Santos/Thole/Free Agent Catcher

1-Johan Santana

2-Randy Wolf

3-Erik Bedard/Ben Sheets/John Maine

4-Phil Hughes

5-Oliver Perez/Jon Niese

6-Misch/Stoner/Nieve/Figueroa/Mejia

That’s an AL East competitor even, but so are the Phillies. The Mets must match up to them lineup spot by lineup spot and rotation slot by rotation slot.

The Red Sox kicked off their offseason quickly, acquiring Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins just hours after the Yankees won the World Series (insert vomitingsound here). The Sox gave up minor league southpaws Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez for Hermida, the 11th overall draft pick in 2002. He hasn’t performed up to expectations for the Marlins, but a change of scenery and a different role could be just what he needs. Hermida had this to say about his first major career move: “I made some great friends and they treated me very well [in Florida]. On the other hand, I’m very excited to go to a city like Boston and a team like that. There isn’t a better team, in comparison. Just the history and the fan base that they have. I’m very excited to go up there and be a part of that as well.”

In other hot stove news, the Red Sox picked up their option for catcher Victor Martinez, who was acquired from the Indians at the Trade Deadline. Martinez will return as the starting catcher in 2010, and a long-term deal may be around the corner.

Boston had three more contract options to make a decision on today, none of which were exercised. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez had a $6 million option, though the Red Sox may have plans to re-sign him for less money. Captain Jason Varitek had his $5 million option declined, but he has three days to decide if he wants to exercise his personal $3 million option that would keep him in Boston for the 2010 season.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefild’s year-to-year mutual option was nullified by a new two-year deal for the longest-tenured member of the Sox. Wakefield is just 17 wins shy of the All-Time Red Sox record of 192 that is shared by Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

All season long I have excoriated Joe Girardi in this space.  I have repeatedly noted his numerous deficiencies.  That list included his incessant overmanaging, his tendency to tighten up in the clutch, his rampant insecurity, and his unwillingness to let the players decide the game.  I have called him incompetent, clueless, and just plain lousy.  And he was.

But his team won 114 games and brought the world championship back to New York.  So much as I would prefer another manager (come home Joe Torre!), I have decided to give Girardi a pass.  He has my permission to return next year.  He can wear 28 instead of 27 and attempt to repeat the victory of 2009.

And maybe he will succeed.  There certainly is sufficient precedent.  Casey Stengel managed the Dodgers and the Braves during the 1930s, and was considered a clown.  Yet when he came to the Yankees, he won ten pennants in twelve years, a record of success that may never be broken.   Joe Torre managed the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals without success, and was deemed a failure as a manager until he came to New York.  Indeed, when he was hired at the beginning of the 1996 season, the New York media referred to him as “Clueless Joe”.

So great managers are made, not born.  Maybe Girardi learned something this year.  Maybe his many failures made an impression on him.  Perhaps he can learn to relax and trust his players to win the game.  Certainly the pummelling he took after the Game 3 fiasco against the Angels should have taught him something.

Only time will tell.  I remain unconvinced that he will ever become a top flight manager; he just does not appear to have the right temperament.  But his team got the job done this year, and joy reigns in the Yankee Universe.

So peace, Joe.  Come back next year and prove me wrong.  I hope you do it.

The Yankees are world champions.  Truth and justice have triumphed over evil.

Actually, the triumph over evil occurred when the Red Sox were eliminated.  But now the Yankee haters in the media and in the hinterlands are once again attempting to belittle the Yankees’ victory.  Over and over the talking heads on ESPN, Yahoo, and other so-called pundits are bleating that the Yankees bought the championship.  There is a technical term for this argument.  That term is:  HOGWASH.

Their theory is that the Yankees signed all the best players, thereby “buying” the championship.  A careful examination of the Yankee roster demonstrates the fundamental inaccuracy of this assertion.

Granted, the Yankees signed Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett last winter.  But aside from those three players, the Yankee roster contained only one other free agent signing – Johnny Damon, who was lured away from the Red Sox three years ago.

The rest of the team was either developed in the farm system or acquired by trade.  Posada, Cano, Jeter, Pena, Gardner, Melky, Cervelli, Duncan, Guzman, Pettite, Joba, Hughes, Coke, Robertson, Aceves, and Mo all came up with the Yankees as rookies and, with the exception of Andy’s three year hiatus with the Astros, are life-long Yankees.  The balance of the roster came through trades.  Molina was sold by the Angels.  Arod was traded by the Rangers for Soriano.  Swisher came from the White Sox for Wilson Betemit.  Hairston came from the Reds, and Hinske from the Pirates.   Bruney was reclaimed off the scrap heap after Arizona let him go.  Marte and Nady were traded by the Pirates, and Gaudin by the Padres.

Matsui was signed after a distinguished career in Japan.  You could argue that he qualifies as a free agent signing, but he was not an established major leaguer, and therefore is not in the same category as Sabathia and Burnett.  And let’s not forget that the Red Sox have incessantly raided the Japanes leagues.  Their roster includes DiceK, Okajima, and Tazawa.

In short, the Yankees did not buy the championship.  Brian Cashman did a masterful job of assembling this panoply of talent in the traditional way – through player development and trades.

But you would never know it if you listen to the mainstream media.  The so-called pundits play to the crowd, the crowd being the extensive anti-New York element that pervades the hinterlands.  I find it interesting that no one accused the Red Sox of “buying” the championship when they won with two free agent signings in the heart of their lineup.  Everyone conveniently forgets that David “Big Juicer” Ortiz and his pal Manny came from the free agent market.  And I noticed no one complained last winter when the Red Sox offered Mark Teixeira seventy million dollars to sign with them.  That was considered smart business.  But when the Yankees swooped in and stole Tex, they were “buying the championship”.

What a load of HOGWASH.

So get over it, Yankee haters.  The Yankees won fair and square.  They are the best team.  That’s why they won the World Series.  We are the champions, my friend.  Deal with it.

Tonite the Yankees won their 27^th World Championship, besting a very good Phillies team 7-3 to win the Series in six games. 

There are many reasons to have what one of my old teachers referred to as a Moment of Gloat.  (And we will.)  But for now, the feeling is one of tremendous gratitude.  To the baseball gods, and to the Game in general.  This was one of the best World Series matchups in a long time; not so much for the moment-to-moment excitement perhaps, but because you had two excellent teams that both looked and played like champions, never saying die, and pulling off amazing comebacks en route to the Big Dance.  (Kind of like that year where the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins both went 14-2 and met in the Super Bowl for a showdown.  One team was better.)  This year the Yankees happened to be the better team.  And, as it happens, they were the best team. 

As a Yankees fan who has watched this Class of 1995 play since they came up, the way the Yankees won tonite’s game was particularly special – with Andy Pettitte pitching strong; and Mariano coming on for the final 5 outs, with Posada and Jeter coming in to meet them when the final out was made.  While Hideki Matsui’s epic performance tonite was incredible, my favorite moment of this game – and of this Series – will be that moment in the 6^th inning when the fans chanted Andy Pettitte’s name, to let him know how much he has meant to us Yankees fans, and how great it is to watch the Yankees win with him on the mound.  This makes the Yankees’ 27^th championship as a franchise, and the Class of 1995’s 5^th world championship ring as the nucleus of the franchise.  After 9 years of disasters and disappointments, and when it looked like this group might never hold the trophy high again, the words of Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president, ring proudly in my mind: “Thank God I have lived to see this day.”

Wow, it has been a long time since I have been able to post here! I just got married, and boy were times crazy…but a good type of crazy!

Anyway, when we last left off, the Mets had a chance, the Mets had hope, the Mets were looking half decent…but here we are now…and as the whole world knows, the Mets completely fell apart. We can’t put the full blame on the players who led us to the record we finished with, but it was more of a combination…When you combine injuries and an overall lack of “Cohesiveness” led them to this end.

Well enough about the Mets..how about those Yankees! That’s right the Met’s blogger is 100% for the Yankees. Unlike a lot of Mets fans I am not at all a Yankee hater. I only dislike the Yankees when they beat the Mets, OR lose to the Phillies! Speaking of the Phillies…tonight is the night…tonight is the night to end their little run and bring the glory back to New York.

The Yankees absolutely must win this game tonight. Pettite has to step up big and the bullpen needs to be ready…ready to face a motivated and very dangerous Phillies lineup. A-Rod and Damon, in my opinion, will carry them through tonight. I also believe Jeter will have a HUGE game.

So from this Met’s fan…I want to let the whole world hear this…. “LET’S GO YANKEES”

Any friggin’ Mets fan out there that is rooting for the Phillies in this series need to check themselves..take off the Red and White you would never ever wear during any regular season (or post season for that matter) and slip into some pinstripes for tonights incredible game!

In 1977, the Yankees took a 3-games-to-1 lead over the Dodgers in L.A., lost Game Five decisively, and then came back to the Bronx to win the Series in Game Six in a game in which Reggie Jackson hit 3 homeruns to become “Mr. October.” 

This is what we as Yankees fans hope will happen tonite.  Actually, I’m hoping for a 1985 Game Seven-style Royals-Cardinals 11-0 type victory.  In other words, an easy night at the ball park, where the Yanks “score ten runs in the first inning and then slowly pull away.” 

Given the high-drama nature of this 2009 postseason, however, this may not be a realistic request.  Starting with the Twins-Tigers one-game playoff, there have been more two-out come-from-behind victories, more blown saves and near-blown saves, and more walk-off game winning homeruns than I can remember there being in a long time.  The World Series has followed suit, with both teams’ bullpens providing late-inning drama even in games that in hindsight were really won earlier in the game. 

The net result – for me and for Phillies and Yankees fans I’ve talked to, at least – is that this has been an emotionally exhausting World Series to watch.  My Phillies-loving co-workers and I were in complete agreement yesterday that we were glad to have last night off.  These 8 p.m. start times with games that go past midnight (I don’t think Game Three ended until after 1 a.m.) – combined with the blog writing and occasional drive home after the game, all while still having to get up early for work the next day – have made the experience somewhat physically exhausting as well.  And while I realize all this drama is “good for the Game” and all, dammit, enough is enough!  Indeed, in my heart of hearts, I can’t think of anything that would be better for Baseball than a nice easy Yankee victory in Game Six (can you???).  It would certainly be a nice change of pace.  Like a good changeup that gets a batter for strike three after a flurry of fastballs and sliders. 

Whatever happens, and however it happens, I do think tonite is our night.  Most Yankee fans I’ve talked to didn’t think it would happen in Game Five.  The Phillies have too much pride; they had their best pitcher going at home; and, indeed, they are really too good a team to go down in five games.  That having been said, this Yankee team has too much heart and determination to simply blow a 3-games-to-1 lead and collapse into a miserable pile of rubble.  And while it has been Sabathia’s year, it would be more fitting, in my view, for the clincher to be tonite with Andy on the mound.  At age 37, this could be his last World Series (as indeed it could be for Rivera, who is 39).  It would be very sweet for Andy to go 6 innings strong, and then hand it to Joba and Hughes, with Rivera (who, if the Yanks do win, gets my vote for Series MVP) coming on to close it out in the 9^th. 

It has been a postseason to remember.  It would just be really nice if we could start “remembering” it – champagne and all – starting around midnight tonite.

My Girardi-loving sons have been responsible for recent posts on this site praising the efforts of the Yankee manager.  I shall now inject a note of rationality into their fantasy land.

Girardi is a lousy manager, and he proved it tonight.  Against all logic, he chose to start AJ Burnett on short rest.  And predictably, Burnett imploded, yielding 6 runs in 2+ innings and facilitating an easy Phillie victory.

Let’s review.  The Yankees were up 3 games to 1.  They were facing the Phillie’s ace, Cliff Lee, the one pitcher who has shut them down this postseason,  at the Phillies’ home park.  Burnett has no history of successfully pitching on 3 days rest.

Girardi could have gone with Chad Gaudin.   Perhaps Gaudin would have been bad (he has barely pitched this month).  Maybe he too would have given up 6 runs in two innings.

But then Girardi would have had Burnett at home, where he has had great success, on full rest, and against ancient Pedro Martinez.  Now Pedro has pitched well this post season, but he is not Cliff Lee.  Under that scenario, the Yankees would have had a big advantage.

Instead, they will now have Andy Pettitte for Game 6, again on only 3 days rest.  Andy is a gamer, but he has a history of not being able to pitch on three days rest.  At his age, a strong performance is unlikely.

Which may well bring the Yankees to Game 7 and CC Sabathia.  CC would appear to give the Yankees a big advantage, but CC too will be pitching on 3 days rest, his third outing in eight days.  He is certainly capable of handling this kind of load, but the past two years he has broken down in the playoffs because of overwork.  Against him the Phillies will throw Cole Hamels on full rests.  Now Hamels has been bad this year, but he has pitched the phils to a championship in the past, and he may use Game 7 to redeem himself.

The Yankees had a lock on this Series.  If they blow it, Girardi will be directly responsible.  Once again, he will have shown that he panics in the clutch.  We can only hope the Yankees will overcome their manager’s incompetence.