Yankees Sign Kuroda; Trade Montero, Noesi for Pineda

So much for a quiet offseason.

As per Wallace Matthews of ESPN NewYork.com, the Yankees made two big moves yesterday--one that most fans in Yankeeland might have expected; the other that I'm sure probably comes to many as a complete shock.

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Jesus Montero, the Yankees young, prodiginal power-hitting slugger and Hector Noesi, one of the Yankees top pitching prospects who proved his mettle in the Bronx late last season, were traded to the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Michael Pineda, the 6-foot 7-inch phenom who turns 23 years old next week.

About an hour later, the Yankees added another big arm to their rotation, signing former Dodger Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth $10 million. The deal is contingent on Kuroda passing a physical.

This is a big disappointment to many fanatics who fell in love with Montero after his stellar showing with the Bombers last season. In 18 games, Montero batted .328 with four home runs, four doubles, 20 hits and 12 RBIs. He also had a perfect post-season going 2-for-2 and scoring a run in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.

But it has always been my contention that Montero would at some point be traded for stellar pitching. Groomed as a catcher, he doesn't have good defensive numbers behind the plate and I always felt that he was too young to assume the role of a DH which is the position he would have been slated for. It was clear that the Yankees thought highly of Montero as they refused to use him in many trade offers, so it's obvious that the team and Brian Cashman think very highly of Pineda.

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The Dominican-born soon-to-be former Seattle Mariner pitched a 9-10 record in 28 games with a 3.74 ERA and 173 strikeouts in his first major league season last year. Pineda's showing was impressive enough that he was selected to the All-Star game and came in fifth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Pineda's top pitch is his fastball which reaches the mid to high 90's, a hard slider with good tilt and a changeup that he throws in the high 80's. Don't be surprisd if this kid pitches second in the rotation behind CC Sabathia.

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Kuroda posted a 13-16 record and 3.07 ERA last season with 161 strikeouts in 32 starts. The righty has three pitches: a fastball that sits in the low 90's, a slider that reaches about the mid 80's and a split fastball that tops out at about 87 mph. The Yankees being able to sign Kuroda to a one year deal at $10 million was a bargain compared to what they would have given up in payroll to Edwin Jackson who they were still in talks with. Jackson was rumored to be looking for a multi-year deal at $15 million per.

So on this Friday the 13th, a day for bad luck and superstitions, the Yankees pull off moves that could possibly make them the team to beat in the AL East. With all their pitching questions answered, what's left is probably the re-signing of Eric Chavez, hopefully.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Rangers Win Yu Darvish Sweepstakes

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With all the talk this week of the Toronto Blue Jays offering up a whopping $40 million to $50 million to bid for the rights to Yu Darvish, it was the Texas Rangers who utilized the stealth tactic to walk away the winner. According to a report by T.R. Sullivan who covers the Rangers for MLB.com, the team posted a crazy $51.7 million fee to negotiate with Darvish's team in Japan. The Rangers have until 4 pm CT on January 18 to make a deal, otherwise, Darvish remains with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the Rangers keep their money.

So are the Yankees losers? My opinion is a loud, resounding NO!! Darvish is a star in his own right, but unproven in the MLB. Besides, the price tag set by Toronto was absolutely ridiculous; you had to figure that the Yankees were out of this at that point. the Yankees are said to have placed a bid in the range of $20-$25 million which is still a lot considering the $75 million, 5-year contract Darvish is said to be looking for.

It had been rumored weeks ago that the Rangers were seriously looking at Darvish and that this might have come down to them and the Yankees going head-to-head as they did last year for Cliff Lee. But Toronto quashed all that hype last week and was assumed the front-runner. With no other teams seeming to want to go near what the Blue Jays offered, it was easy for Texas to swoop in and win the bid.

So with Darvish off the Yankees Christmas list, what's next? There are still some good starting pitchers available; Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez rank high on my personal faves list, but only if the Yankees can acquire them without giving up too much. The Oakland A's want Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances for Gonzalez; Edwin Jackson's free agent price tag seems to be turning the Yankees away. Hiroki Kuroda is high on the Yankees' radar, but is seeking a 1-year deal similar to what he earned last year which was $12 million. That's a lot of money that the Yankees may not be willing to pay.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Phillies Win the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes

Well, on the morning that Cliff Lee decides to sign with his former team--no, not the Rangers, the Philadelphia Phillies--it snows in New York. How poetic.

That's right fanatics. If you're just hearing this, Cliff Lee's agent contacted Brian Cashman last night to inform him that the Yankees were out of the running. About an hour after midnight, it was announced that "The Assassin" agreed to a deal with the Phillies, who it had been said just yesterday morning, were not pursuing Lee. But that changed by last evening, as MLB Network reported that the Phillies were back in pursuit. Looks like the Phillies front office played the media and everyone else to go stealth on this one. When I heard that the Phillies were back in the mix, my gut said that Lee would go back; unfortunately, I was right.

What this pretty much means for the Yankees now, is they will have to do everything--and I do mean everything--they have to to convince Andy Pettitte to come back. If Cashman has to fly down to Texas every weekend to cook Sunday dinners for the Pettitte family and their in-laws, neighbors, church members, etc., he damn well better do it.

But Andy returning is just one hump for the Yankees to get over. Who will be the fifth man in their rotation? As it stands right now, that would be Ivan Nova, but I don't think the Yankees will just settle for their novice pitcher. With the money they were going to pay Lee now available, the Yankees can still make some moves.

I read a report this morning that they are still out on pursuing Zack Greinke, but I think that maybe now the Yankees should revisit that option. If Greinke truly is interested in playing in New York as it has been said he is, he's certainly more than worth considering; his history with anxiety disorder and depression make him seem unsuited for New York, so it will be interesting to see which way the Yankees may go here. Now that the Yankees are close to an agreement on a 1-year deal for catcher Russell Martin, a package for Greinke would almost certainly include Jesus Montero, and possibly Brett Gardner (I hope not!) along with other prospects from the farm system.

Mark Buerhle of the White Sox is another option that the Yankees could trade for. He's a solid lefty with a perfect game under his belt and a career ERA of 3.85 which is admirable. He's not a strike-out type pitcher and doesn't have any one masterful pitch, but he can go deep into games and that's a plus. He could also give the Yankees at least 14 wins. There are also other free agent pitchers available, but all-in-all, Greinke is really the Yankees' best option.

The Yankees have a lot of work to do now. While the Lee saga is disappointing, it is not at all a wrap for the Bombers.

So, the Lee sweepstakes is officially over. Now maybe fanatics, we can go back to our normal lives.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Hot Stove: Latest Tidbits

Hey fanatics, I'm back from my much needed, restful Thanksgiving weekend, and ready to give you all the lowdown on the "goings-ons" from the past 48 hours. The Yankees made some additional player moves, the Jeter negotiations appear to be moving into its next phase, and a superstar on-the-horizon celebrated a milestone birthday yesterday.

In the latest round of the now infamous Jeter negotiations, the Yankees appear ready to up their original offer to the Captain. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported yesterday that the new offer would be for a 3-year, $50 million deal, a $5 million raise from the initial $45 million offering. Jeter is said to be seeking a deal of $23-$24 million for 4-5 years, but the Yankees are unwilling to 1) go beyond a 3-year contract and 2) match Jeter's last contract which paid him $18.9 million per for 10 years of which he received $21 million last year. This latest offer by the Yankees would pay him roughly $18.3 million for the next three.

According to a tweet by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports on Saturday, the Yankees signed LHP Andy Sisco and RHP Brian Anderson to minor-league deals. Via the MLB Network ticker, both relievers were invited to Spring Training and so, will vie for a spot on the 25-man roster.

Sisco began his playing career as a starter in the minors after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2001. He was taken by the Kansas City Royals in the 2004 Rule 5 draft and was converted into a reliever. He didn't do much in his time with the Royals and was traded to the Chicago White Sox during the winter of 2006. He missed the '08 and '09 seasons recovering from successful Tommy John surgery, but had a poor showing in 2010 going 4-4 with a 4.32 ERA with the San Francisco Giants Double-A team.

Anderson, a former outfielder with the White Sox was converted to a reliever while playing for the Royals minor-league system last year. In 17.2 innings, he posted a 2.08 ERA with a whip of 0.87 and struck out 17.

And a very Happy Belated Birthday to rising star Jesus Montero, who became legal yesterday as he turned 21 years old. The Yankees top minor league prospect is slated to become their everyday catcher next season and I'd like to wish him the best of luck as he has enormous shoes to fill.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

What's Been Going On This Week

Okay, fanatics. Before my And the Award Goes To...post, I'd been absent for a week trying to troubleshoot some Blogger issues. I'm back now and ready to discuss some of the more notable topics that have been reported in my absence. It's been a very interesting week with free agent chases, "Core Four" contract renewal talk, DH predictions, etc., etc. So let's just jump right on in.

The Chase for Cliff Lee Begins

No surprise here. Yesterday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, flew to Arkansas for a tete-a-tete with Cliff Lee and his agent, Darek Braunecker. While it is highly unlikely that a contract will be signed or an agreement will be made during this meeting, fanatics should be content that the Yankees are wasting no time in their pursuit for the league's most coveted free agent.

Cashman will have to go hard or go home in the Lee sweepstakes. The articles are out there about how "comfortable" Lee is in Texas because it's close to his home in Arkansas; how the Rangers' run in the playoffs may have convinced Lee that they are a team that can contend and so on and so on. The Yankees GM will also have to consider the other teams that will probably be vying for Lee: Boston Red Sox, who will be looking to lock in a third ace-caliber pitcher to compliment lefties, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester; Detroit Tigers who would surely make a serious run to top the AL Central with Lee and ace Justin Verlander headlining their rotation. The Angels may also be another team placing calls to Lee and his agent as they look to rebound from a nightmarish 2010 season. Notable National League teams include the Phillies, Dodgers and Nationals.

Realistically, however, the only two teams that will either have Lee in their rotation in 2011 are the Yankees or Rangers. Again, Lee does like playing in Texas, it's close to his home and he's noted that the Rangers look like a team that will contend "for years to come". Further, it's been reported that owner Chuck Greenberg has plenty of money in his arsenal to make a "more-than-competitive" offer for Lee. But the Yankees can offer more money than any other team. They are a given to make the playoffs every year. If it at all matters, Lee will gain rock star status in New York. And it can not be overstated, the value of Lee's friendship with CC Sabathia. Expect Cashman to highlight all these points in his pitch to Lee and his agent.

Re-Signing Jeter and Rivera

Let's be clear about this folks, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will be back in pinstripes next year. For the two most notable Yankees of their era, playing anywhere else would be blasphemous. With that said, however, re-signing both men won't be as easy as most fanatics probably thought it would be.

Mariono Rivera will probably be the easiest signing of the two. On the cusp of turning 41, Rivera knows the "contract game" of aging players and so, may accept a 1-year deal without much muss-or-fuss, but expect him and his agent to seek a 2-year deal. Not much has been written about what Mo may be seeking in terms of pay or what the Yankees are willing to lay out. Going year-to-year, Mariano could easily stay at $15 million per.

Derek Jeter, Derek Jeter, Derek Jeter. What can be said about the value of DJ to the Yankees organization? A whole lot.

He is the face of the franchise. His status as an iconic Yankee has been compared to Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. He will become the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits in his career, and he will accomplish this next year. Even after the down year he had in 2010, Jeter's production both offensively and defensively, in both regular and postseason play, put him in an elite class of players in Yankees history. Revenue earned from merchandise and memorabilia that bear Jeter's name and number, far surpass any other Yankee of his era.

Do the Yankees need Jeter? Absolutely. My prediction, like many others, is that Jeter will get about $20 million per. That's just about the right number to make a player of Jeter's caliber comfortable. Sure, there's talk of Jeter's production dwindling and that he will be "over-payed", but is $20 million even close to what he's really worth to the franchise overall? No way.

What may make this a long negotiation, however, is how long Jeter wants to play. Jeter may ask for six years. Sounds like too much when you consider he'd be playing until he's 42 years old, right? But remember, A-Rod is locked in until 2017 when he will also be 42 years old. The Yankees would certainly never want to impress upon Jeter and his agent that A-Rod is of more value to the franchise than he is. It will be interesting to follow Cashman's strategy if Jeter does seek six years.

Who's the DH?

According to reports and tweets by his wife Laura, Jorge Posada may have to relinquish his job as catcher to make way for Yankees' Triple-A superstar, Jesus Montero. As of yesterday, Posada became the second Yankee this offseason to have surgery on his knee to repair a "minor" torn meniscus; Sabathia's procedure was on October 29. Sources close to the situation cited Cashman as informing Jorge "that he should come in [to Spring training] preparing to catch, but they are going to give Montero a real shot." Jorge was also told to "prepare to DH a lot." 

Posada's stats for 2010 were .248/.357/.454. with 18 homers and 57 RBIs; considerably down from .285/.363/.522 with 22 homers and 81 RBIs in 2009. Since being rewarded with a $52 million, 4-year deal in 2007, he's caught less than half of games played thus far. Given his injuries, Joe Girardi's seemingly unwillingness to play him more than three games in a stretch, and his age--he's 39--it's not surprising that the Yankees have decided to make this move. Do keep in mind though, that Montero will still have to compete for the right to dominate play time during Spring Training, so perhaps Jorge can still make a case for himself for at least one more year. And, Francisco Cervelli, who again proved to be a viable backup catcher this season, won't be too far back in the rear-view mirror as the possible lead.

But what could the DH role really mean for Jorge? If there's any truth to the belief that the Yankees may consider moving Jeter to 3rd to hide his shortened range, and have A-Rod be the everyday DH to protect his hip for the rest of his tenure, it's possible that Jorge may face an uphill battle in renewing his contract for 2012. We shutter to believe that fanatics, but it happened to Bernie Williams, right?