Robinson Cano To Seek 10 Year Deal & Top Money

Robinson Cano's impending free agency and contract that follows will be the talk of the season next year in between Alex Rodriguez soap operas in 2013. Robinson Cano's agent Scott Boras came out today and reported that his client, Cano, will be looking for a ten year deal with "top of the market" money to go with it. What Scott Boras wants Scott Boras tends to get, after all he was the man who negotiated not one but two ten year "above and beyond the market" money deals for teammate Alex Rodriguez. I never like to look ahead an offseason so all I will say is that a lot can happen in the 2012 season that can either aid or prevent him from getting such a monstrous deal. I will also add that if anyone on this team deserves it, 2012 post season withstanding, it is Robinson Cano.

Qualifying Offers Will Be $13.3 Million For 2013

We have heard that the new "qualifying offer" sheets that essentially replace arbitration in the new collective bargaining agreement will pool the salaries of the best 125 players in the league and average their salary. We have heard speculations anywhere from the high $11 million's to the lower $14 million's but the official number came down the pipe today and it sits at $13.3 million.

The Yankees have some decisions to make in this department after the World Series. Guys like Rafael Soriano if he opts out, Nick Swisher, Hiroki Kuroda, Curtis Granderson (although his option is almost a lock to be picked up), Robinson Cano (see Curtis Granderson), Russell Martin, Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones, Ichiro Suzuki, Raul Ibanez, Freddy Garcia, Derek Lowe, Pedro Feliciano, and Mariano Rivera all set to be free agents after this season.

Obviously you only consider offers to Soriano, Swisher, Kuroda, and MAYBE Ichiro if I am making the decisions. I would not waste my time on Mariano Rivera because he is not going anywhere and Granderson and Cano's options are as close to locks as humanly possible. I believe that Soriano would decline, Swisher would decline looking for the security of a multi year deal, Kuroda would decline due to either money or a willingness to go back to Los Angeles, but Ichiro would scare me. I would not put it past Ichiro to sign a one year deal, regardless of the team, and the $13.3 million would not be a huge discount from what he is accustomed to making.

Either way the only two that would be willing to accept in my eyes, Kuroda and Ichiro, are the two guys that I would not mind having back on the 2013 team. I say offer qualifying offers to those four men and hope we get them back on one year deals to help with the luxury tax goal or we get a ton of draft pick compensation.

Rafael Soriano Very Likely To Opt Out

The Yankees knew that they were overpaying for a set up man when they signed Rafael Soriano after the 2009 World Series Championship season. They really knew they overpaid when they slid Soriano into the 7th inning behind Mariano Rivera and David Robertson but they always had those opt out clauses in their back pockets. Soriano declined to opt out last season after a lackluster 2011 campaign but a bounce back 2012 campaign will likely end Soriano's time in pinstripes. Rafael Soriano is expected to opt out after the season is over and look for a multi year deal to be someone's closer. The Yankees are expected to offer him a qualifying offer to try and get some sort of draft pick compensation for Soriano after he leaves.

Yankees Will Pick Up Granderson's 2013 Option

The Yankees announced that they will pick up Curtis Granderson's team option for 2013 keeping him in pinstripes for one more season at $15 million. Even if he struck out 300 times next season and had a Russell Martin type batting average he is still better then anything we could potentially get on the free agent market. The trade market is obviously a whole new ball game though but I digress because we have five days after the World Series to pick up the option and it makes too much sense not to. The Yankees have no willingness to pursue a multi year extension with Granderson after 2013 either but a lot can change in a season.

Hal Steinbrenner Addresses The Yankees Fan Base

Hal Steinbrenner released an official statement to the media and the Yankees fan base after getting swept out of the American League Championship Series by the Detroit Tigers.

“I want to thank our passionate fans for their support this season.

“We fell short of our singular and constant goal, which is a World Series Championship. However, I am proud of the accomplishments of this year’s team. We earned the best record in the American League and were one of the four teams to advance to the League Championship Series, despite having to overcome and fight through a series of long-term injuries to a number of our key players.

“Make no mistake, this was a bitter end to our year, and we fully intend to examine our season in its totality, assess all of our strengths and weaknesses and take the necessary steps needed to maintain our sole focus of winning the World Series in 2013. Great teams — and organizations — use disappointment as a motivation for future improvements and success. In the days, weeks and months ahead, we plan to do what’s necessary to return this franchise to the World Series.

“Nothing has changed. Nothing will change. My family — and our organization — has a long-standing commitment to provide all of our fans a championship-caliber team year after year.

“We may have fallen short yesterday but we never feel sorry for ourselves and never make excuses. We already are beginning the process to find a way to win our 28th World Championship.

“I want to congratulate Mike Ilitch, Dave Dombrowski, Jim Leyland, and the Detroit Tigers. They certainly proved worthy of representing the American League in the World Series, and are well deserving of this honor.”

Yankees Very Likely To Offer Qualifying Offer To Swisher

The new collective bargaining agreement states that a team must offer their potential free agent a qualifying offer in order to be eligible for draft pick compensation if that player leaves. The qualifying offer consists of an average salary of the best 125 players in the league on a one year deal so this year it figures to be in the one year $13-14 million range. The Yankees have already expressed that they have no interest in signing Swisher to a multi year contract and I doubt that Nick Swisher wants to sign for one year so the Yankees may, for once, actually get some draft compensation out of a free agent. This kind of news pretty much cements, in my mind anyway, that Nick Swisher has seen his last day wearing pinstripes. Then again after a less then stellar post season on top of the team having to give up a draft pick in order to sign an above average outfielder sliding out of his prime just may force Swishers hand into accepting the deal. It is definitely going to be an interesting offseason.

CC Sabathia Headed For Tests On Left Elbow

CC Sabathia had a pair of disabled list stints this season due to left throwing elbow stiffness and problems and pitched for a huge stretch of the season like he was not fully healthy. The Yankees will send him to get that elbow checked out yet again now that we are in the offseason to determine if anything needs to be done or if CC just did not have his "A" game in Game 4 of the ALCS. He pitched extremely well down the stretch and even better against the Baltimore Orioles so I am hoping the extra rest due to the rain out is to blame and that CC is healthy. Better safe then sorry.

Expect Andy Pettitte's 2013 Decision To Come Quickly

Andy Pettitte has hinted at and teased Yankees fans all summer long about the possibility of a potential 2013 return for one last final season but the good news is we will not have to wait long for an official answer. Andy is expected to make his decision within the next month or so and let the Yankees know either way whether to expect him back for one more shot. He has never been shy in saying that the fire and the competitor is still alive inside of him but he has also pointed out that his family comes first and his kids are not getting any younger either. Andy finished the season with a 5-4 record, 2.86 ERA, 69 K's, and a 1.124 WHIP all in 12 starts and 75 IP.  The Yankees would jump for joy to have the veteran lefty back for one more reason and would not shy away from him because of money either with it being a one year deal because they could still stick true to their 2014 luxury tax threshold goal.

ARod Says He'll Be A Yankee In 2013

Just like a bull after a trip to Taco Bell, most media members are full of "it".

Contradicting an earlier report that Alex Rodriguez would be open to a trade, meaning he wouldn't use his no trade clause and 10-5 rights to shoot down a deal if one were made, Alex said he plans to "be back" next season.

I don't think ARod is "done" as a player. No, he won't live up to the $28 million he'll make next season, nor will he live up to the salary he'll make in each of the next 5 years, but I believe he'll be a useful player. While his bat has certainly slowed down some, I don't believe he's forgotten how to be a good hitter.

At this point people may pull out the "steroids" thing, but the flaw I see in such thinking is that not anybody can take steroids or any other performance enhancing drug and be an MVP candidate in Major League Baseball. There has to be a certain level of skill involved to hit .300 and make good enough contact with a ball to hit 30+ home runs. So when it comes to not taking a PED to enhance that skill I think it's more a matter of tweaking things, rather than saying he can't be productive with out them.

"We don't need no stinkin' steroids... I mean badges!"

What I liked best about what Rodriguez had to say regarding returning next season was this...

"I have a lot to prove."

That tells me he has the right attitude about things about the future. He's not going to whine and cry about the Bleacher Creatures getting on his case. In fact, Alex said the booes he received throughout the playoffs from Yankee fans was well warranted. 

I'm not going to expect him to bat .300/.400/.600 with 40 home runs next year, but I don't think a season with a line of .280/.360/.470 with 25 home runs is out the question.

In The Immortal Words Of John Sterling...

Game over.... American League Championship over... Season over.....Tiger Win.