***yankees official offseason thread*****

[Matt Williams]

[ QUOTE ]
Please don't trade Hughes. Don't trade anyone. Gamble that he'll be a FA and give him the world. Please Cashman.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not in Cashman's hands. Hank is the one doing all this.

[jtg51]

Anyone see this yet?

Some Minnesota newspaper blog is saying the latest offer is Hughes, Kennedy and Melky. Then he updates to say the Yankees want to keep either Hughes or Kennedy.

I really hope that's just bad reporting. How does that package even get mentioned?

[jtg51]

Just notice Jon Heyman says the third prospect with Hughes and Melky will not be Kennedy, Horne or Tabata.

This is going to drive me crazy.

[owsley]

The worst part about all of this is that it looks like the decision to include hughes is coming from hank over the protests of cashman. What really worries me is that cashman will get pissed off over being vetoed and want to leave for another club where he really is in charge and doesn't have to deal with this BS. It looks like he is very settled in here and I don't think it's very likely, but him leaving and going back to the old ways would be a monumental disaster.

Hank seems like a giant douchebag. If I was cashman and I spent years putting up with George's interference, and then finally got increased control after threatening to leave, and built up a great crop of young players, and then saw the very best one traded by some [censored] a couple months after he takes over... I would probably be [censored] pissed off. I am sure there are multiple other clubs with great resources who would love to have his services. Hank's comments about arod and torre really worry me for the long term future of the club. His influences are going to make this a very unhealthy organization. I mean, this is a ridiculous way to act.. I can understand being upset by Torre saying the offer was an insult, but be responsible and show some class and refrain from firing back. His comments about that and arod are so immature it scares me that he the figure of leadership right now. Why does he feel the need to argue about this crap publicly?

I am curious what people like JOA or kyleb think of this whole situation, I haven't seen much about it on BP or HBT.

[Franchise 60]

[ QUOTE ]
The worst part about all of this is that it looks like the decision to include hughes is coming from hank over the protests of cashman.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think any realistic person realized Kennedy/Melky wasn't going to get it done, so if the Yanks ever wanted Santana then Hughes would have had to be included. I'd be surprised if Cashman didn't think this when talks started.

[HoyaSaxa123]

[ QUOTE ]
If I was cashman and I spent years putting up with George's interference, and then finally got increased control after threatening to leave, and built up a great crop of young players, and then saw the very best one traded by some [censored] a couple months after he takes over... I would probably be [censored] pissed off.

[/ QUOTE ]

If I was Cashman, I'd be ecstatic. Through my rebuilding of the Yankees farm system, I'd have acquired the best pitcher in baseball at the age of 29. Not only that, but I'd still have numerous legitimate prospects that could be important parts of the future Yankees teams for years to come.

Sure, Hughes is a great PROSPECT, but Santana has proven for years that he is a dominating, frontline starter. If Hughes pans out, he is AT BEST what Santana already is. If the Yankees end up acquiring Santana, I don't see how anyone can deny that the Yankees are closer to winning a championship. Isn't that what it's all about if you are a Yankees fan?

[Franchise 60]

Well said ^^

[Rubeskies]

As a Yankee fan I'm indifferent about the Santana talks.

Since I don't think the Sox are willing to give up enough to get Santana, I'm don't really care what happens.

If we get Santana, we get a great pitcher. But we lose Hughes and Melky and will end up signing somebody like Rowand for way too long and for too much money and be stuck with another Johnny Damon.

If we don't get him, we don't botch the CF situation and the Yankees keep a pitcher who has a great chance to be close to what Santana is. Either way, I'm happy as long as the Sox don't get Santana. If they do, big problems.

[DesertCat]

If I was Cashman, and felt I was going to lose Santana to Boston, I would immediately grant as many interviews as possible where I would say, "I can't comment on other teams's players, but I think people consistently under-estimate the value of a top pitcher. I can see us paying as much as $150/5 for a free agent ace."

Then let the Red Sox try to sign Santana. They'll have to match that, or Santana will blow up the trade by refusing to sign an extension with them.

[onlinebeginner]

from a buster olney article

"And the club's internal plan, if center fielder Melky Cabrera is included in the trade, is to switch veteran Johnny Damon from left field back to center field. "

there isn't any truth to this is there....ROWAND