Yankees Offer To Tanaka In Six Years $120 Mill Neighborhood

According to MLB Trade Rumors teams submitted formal offers to free agent Masahiro Tanaka on Thursday, January 16th. The New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to be the list of teams having offered Tanaka at least six years and $100 million.

The Diamondbacks have made it no secret that they want Tanaka in the worst way and have even come out and said that their offer to Tanaka was six years and $120 million, an AAV of $20 million and the largest in Diamondbacks history. According to the report the Yankees and Dodgers are said to be in the neighborhood of the Diamondbacks offer. The Cubs offer has yet to be released or even speculated on much. Either way we have six more days to get this wrapped up so the end is drawing near.

Derek Jeter Talks A Rod, Tanaka, and Cano In Interview

Derek Jeter was interviewed by Harold Reynolds when he sat down to do an interview with MLB Tonight on MLB Network. Derek has not been this open, truthful, and non political in a very long time, if ever, while I have been watching him. He was especially candid when speaking about Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and the recruitment of Masahiro Tanaka. Enjoy the interview on this cold and lazy Saturday. We have had some troubles with embed codes so here is the link just in case.. http://m.mlb.com/video/v31308835/derek-jeter-talks-about-injuries-arod-and-more

Cubs "In The Lead" For Masahiro Tanaka

MLB source believes Cubs are lead team for Tanaka .
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) January 18, 2014

Should the Yankees be worried just because someone on Twitter said that the Chicago Cubs are in the lead to acquire Masahiro Tanaka? Honestly I am not worried, not yet, but maybe I should be. I just don't see the Yankees being outbid on this guy because we are really the only team that truly, truly needs him. Either way a lot of things will happen fast once Tanaka decided who he wants to sign with and this is all wrapped up, either way, by this coming Friday the 24th.

ARod the Movie?

With the latest news coming from the ARod camp, we hear about how he's looking forward to a break. 

“I think that the year 2014 could be a big favor that [Major League Baseball has] done for me because I’ve been playing for 20 years without a timeout,” he said. “I think 2014 is a good year to rest mentally and physically and prepare for the future and begin a new chapter in my life.”

While everyone picks their collective jaws up from the ground, think about this...are we missing the big "picture" here?

It has been rumored that a "tell all" book was in his future, but could it be written on a one year hiatus? We all know ARod is a terrible liar so is he actually dropping hints without realizing it? ( Prepare for the future? Begins new chapter?)

Hmm, well knowing ARod and his camp, it's only a matter of time before ARod the book becomes ARod the movie! You know how things progress in his world, bigger is better, so grab some popcorn and if I had to guess, your 3D glasses and lets cast this puppy!

Playing ARod: A hero type that everyone loves and can't possibly hate. Also, known for causing trouble and breaking the law but all for the greater good. 

That's right...Robert Downey Jr!

Playing Bud Selig: Has to be a man that America hates. Also wants the viewing audience to think he has a hidden agenda to destroy America (and its past time!)

 Perfect, although, he might have to sing him a Birthday song and possibly play some ball overseas to get him to agree?

Now, last but not least. 

Playing Tony Bosch: Has to be lower than scum. Someone who is known for taking thing that are precious (career and chances of getting a ring or crown for that matter) Drum roll please...

Wait, you say, he's not real? Honestly folks, after what has transpired over the past few months...does any of this seem real? 

After all, it is ARods world, and were just watching. So like I said before, pony up the 58.00 and grab some popcorn, sit back and relax, because the show has just started.

Yankee Stadium Legacy: # 73 Bernie Williams

A major part of the New York Yankees dominating postseason machine during the 1990's was Bernie Williams. Williams boosted New York to four World Series championships from 1996-2000 and over his 16 seasons the center fielder played in a stunning 121 games. Williams collected 128 hits and scored 83 times to go with 29 doubles, 51 extra base hits, and 80 RBI's which were all postseason records at the time.

73 days until Yankees Opening Day

This Day In New York Yankees History 1/18

On this day in 1947 there was a bit of a Yankees related misunderstanding going down in Detroit. The Tigers owner thought Hank Greenberg had posed in a Yankees jersey and sold the 1946 American League home run leader, 44 home runs, to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Greenberg joined the National League home run leader from 1946 in Ralph Kiner who hit 23 home runs.

On this day in 2011 the New York Yankees announced the signing of the highest paid 6th and 7th inning pitcher in the history of the world in Rafael Soriano. A management driven deal was struck for Soriano for three years and $35 million after he led the American Leagues in saves with 45 in 2010.

Expected Minor League Assignments From Newman

Chad Jennings of LoHud interviewed Yankees Vice President Mark Newman over the phone, SEEN HERE, and Mr. Newman was nice enough to give us some expected minor league assignments for some of our bigger names. Obviously minor league camp is some two months away so these are not set in stone nor are they concrete but this can give all you prospects guys something to look forward to and give you a general idea of what the Yankees are thinking.

Eric Jagielo - High A Tampa Yankees
Aaron Judge - High A Tampa Yankees
Gosuke Katoh - Staten Island Yankees
Slade Heathcott - Trenton or Scranton, depending on his rehab

For the entire write up from Jennings click the link above. There is some speculation on Jose Campos, Manny Banuelos, Ty Hensley, Ian Clarkin, Michael Pineda, and other minor league assignment thoughts. Also Chad touches on the winter league games including the show that Zoilo Almonte put on and gives us a Tyler Austin update, it's a good read so check it out.

Yankees Avoid Arbitration With All Eligible Players

I am a little behind on this as my job actually expected me to work today, what a concept I know, but the New York Yankees have now agreed to deals for 2014 with all of their arbitration eligible players. Last night the Yankees agreed with Francisco Cervelli on a one year deal worth $700K and now they have agreed with their other four players Ivan Nova, Brett Gardner, David Robertson, and Shawn Kelley.

Kelley has agreed to a deal worth $1.7625 and can earn another $25K if he appears in 55 games or more. Kelley was projected to earn $1.5 million in arbitration so he got a slight raise, good for him. Gardner agreed to a deal worth $5.6 million in his final year of arbitration on the heels of speculation that Gardner could earn as much as $8 million in arbitration. Gardner was initially projected to earn $4 million so he also got a nice little raise over 2013. Robertson agreed to a deal worth $5.215 million also in his final year of arbitration after being projected to earn $5.5 million. That is still a nice piece of change for an 8th inning man, although I expect him to be the closer eventually, before he heads into free agency. Finally Nova agreed to a deal worth $3.3 million after being projected to earn $2.8 million in arbitration. After an up and down season he did enough to get a raise so good for him.

I like to hear that none of our players are going to court for their cases, none of them are being greedy, and we now have a clearer picture at our payroll. Now if we could solve this whole Masahiro Tanaka thing...

Staten Island Yankees Announce 2014 Coaching Staff

The A Rod Suspension Makes Me Miss The Boss

Previously on The Bronx is Burning II

Alex Rodriguez's name was scribbled on a piece of paper and sold to Major League Baseball by a drug dealer thus making him the star witness of a case against the players. Alex Rodriguez was then suspended for 211 games after everyone else on that same piece of paper that Anthony Bosch had to be paid millions of dollars to produce only got 50 game suspensions and Ryan Braun took a 65 game ban. Months went on and Alex returned to baseball only to get beamed by opposing pitchers because he was using his right to appeal the decision. Alex's season finally ended with a leg injury and the appeal to Frederic Horowitz began, not that he ever had a chance. The MLB's star witness, Horowitz, apparently made his case because A Rod's ban was "reduced" to 162 games, more than 100 games more than anyone else and 97 games more than the guy with the failed test that blamed the Fed Ex guy. Now we wait as Alex takes his case to the Supreme Court, again his God given right, and drags this out some more. The problem I have with this whole ordeal is how little support Alex has been given throughout the whole process.

The Major League Baseball Players Association and the MLB Players Union were put in place to protect the player, where in the world were they during this whole ordeal? The New York Yankees are on the hook for a whole lot of money to Alex Rodriguez this season and beyond, you would think they want to protect their investment, no? Surely they are not THAT worried about saving somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million are they? Is this what we've been reduced to? Coupon clipping and penny pinching? George Steinbrenner, wherever you are, must be rolling over in his grave right now.  

Times like these make me really miss the boss. Not because this site was sort of inspired by him and his greedy ways when it came to acquiring players and talent but because, especially in the latter part of his career and his life, he stood up for his players. The way this whole thing has gone down George would probably be banned from baseball again, and would be happy to do it for the Yankees. You know why? Because bottom line, hate the man or not, Alex Rodriguez makes us a better team. Bottom line. Makes us a better team on Hal's Excel spreadsheets and makes us a better team on the field. George knew that, George could recognize that, and George would have done everything he could to make sure his investment, and the team he loved so much, were protected.

If I could just have one wish it would be to bring back George for just one more day. Not to have fun with it and fire Billy Martin for a 19th time but to fire Randy Levine and tell his sons "sorry, not sorry" and sell this team to someone else. Those three men are a disgrace to this game and to the Yankee pride. Selling their souls, and the Yankees soul, for $25 million bucks.