AJ Burnett Trade No Easy Feat

Simmons/Daily News

If you thought the AJ Burnett trade saga would have been done and over by now, well, you thought wrong. Burnett has become the unlikeliest attention grabber of the Yankees offseason, being the centerpiece of major trade talks between the team and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was believed just days ago that the two teams were close to finalizing a deal that would send Burnett packing for players from the Pirates minor league system.

But, as is normally the case for a player set to bank as much as the Yankees still owe Burnett, deciding on a ratio of who will pay what has driven talks into a stalemate. The two teams seem unable to agree on how much each should pay of the $33 million left on AJ's contract. And today, another team made things more interesting, momentarily.

Bryan Hoch of yankees.com reported this afternoon that the Cleveland Indians were in talks with the Yankees on a possible trade for Burnett as early as today. However, the discussions fell through. As per Hoch, CBS Sports claimed the Yankees would have acquired slugger Travis Hafner. Makes some sense, as Hafner has a quality the Yankees are looking for in a potential DH: left-handed power.

But the deal was never made and talks have ceased. No word yet on why or on which side pulled out.

Unless another team decides at the last hour that perhaps their lineup could benefit from Burnett's fastball and changeup, it seems that either the Pirates or the Yankees will end up with him on their roster. It's common for teams to jump into trade talks at the last minute, but there may not be many teams left where a trade for Burnett would make sense, I'm assuming, since there has been no talk of the Yankees aggressively looking elsewhere.

Hafner might not have been a great option for the Yankees anyway. He is injury-prone, and hasn't played so much as 120 games in four seasons. His last great season was in 2006, where he managed  42 home runs and 117 RBIs, and slugged to a .659 percentage. Those numbers have dropped dramatically since then.

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Fan Poll: What Will Be the Yankees Biggest Story in 2012?

Via wikipedia.org

There are a lot of questions for the Yankees going in to the 2012 season. Although they improved their bullpen depth with the signings of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, other factors will play a huge role in how successful the team will be this year. One of the biggest factors being the health of Alex Rodriguez.

What do you think will be the major X-factor in the Yankees making another trip to the World Series this year? Please check out the fan poll at the top right and let your opinion be known. Poll closes on February 29 at 11pm.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

No, No Guerrero

A few hours ago, ESPN's Buster Olney posted this tweet:

Vladimir Guerrero has made it known to the Yankees that he wants their DH spot. IMO, Raul Ibanez still the frontrunner to sign w/NYY as DH.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 13, 2012

Via wikipedia.org

It's typical for players to reach out to teams like this, especially now, when Spring Training is just around the corner, and they have yet to sign a deal. Knowing that the Yankees are in need of a reputable DH that can provide power and play everyday, it makes sense that Guerrerro, of all the hitters left in the DH pool, would make himself available.

He's wise to the Yankees' reputation of signing stars; there is no question that Guerrerro is a future and possible first-ballot Hall of Famer, the stats speak for themselves. He's also wise to the fact that the Yankees offer the best situation for him to play and get back to the postseason, since many of the true contending teams in the AL (Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Blue Jays, etc.) are in no immediate need for a designated hitter.

But Guerrerro's offering comes a bit too late in his career. He is coming off of a season where his power numbers dropped significantly enough from the year before. In 2010 with the Rangers, Guerrero's slash line read .300/.345/496 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs. With the Orioles last year, those numbers dropped to .290/.317/.416, with only 13 homers and 63 RBIs. Guerrero also seems to have lost some speed on his bat. The graph below is a measurement of Guerrero's ISO or Isolated Power.

Via fangraphs.com

US Presswire

The drop from '10 to '11 is an indication of the decline in his bat speed. Power is what makes Guerrero marketable. He has nothing else to offer that the Yankees could possibly be looking for. He has no speed on the bases, and no longer possesses the powerful arm that made him such a threat as a right-fielder. As the DH spot will see many players from the Yankees lineup throughout the season, it makes more sense for the Yankees to have a DH that can be a reliable platoon player. From the pool of Yankee possibilities, Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones are not as far removed from playing the outfield as Guerrero is, and possess more speed on the base paths.  They are better options to relieve the Yankee starting outfielders when necessary.

Adam Hunger/Reuters

Olney seems sure that Ibanez will be the winner of the Yankees DH sweepstakes. Ibanez didn't have a great season with the Phillies last year either, but was able to post 20 home runs and 84 RBIs, which is exactly what the Yankees need. As a lefty, Yankee Stadium is an ideal ballpark for Ibanez who should make great use of the short porch in right field. The same could be said for Damon, who has been there and done that.

Who do you think should be the Yankees DH? Add your comment below.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Best of the Yankees Weekend Blogosphere

Noah K. Murray/The Star-Ledger

While I took a break from blogging this weekend for family, parties and closet cleaning, many of my friends throughout the Yankee blogosphere kept rolling out posts for all you fanatics that simply can't go a day without some news on our boys in the pinstripes. One of the biggest stories in Yankeeland was the trade talks between the Yankees and Pirates for AJ Burnett and players to be mentioned soon. My fellow bloggers did a great job covering this. Here is the best on that story and others from the weekend:

The Mighty Casey and Co. at Bleeding Yankee Blue give their take on when a possible Burnett trade will go down, and recap news from notable sportswriters who are staying close to this story.

Over at The Greedy Pinstripes, BryanV21 discusses AJ's value and breaks down the drop in his numbers since the 2010 season.

Mike Jaggers-Radolf of The Yankee Analysts (TYA) recalls three memorable Burnett moments while in pinstripes. You should also take a look at this post from TYA's Steve Sciacco, where he inadvertantly discusses Burnett by debating the argument of not trading players when their "stock is low."

Matt over at Bronx Goblin gives his satirical take on the Burnett situation. Gotta love his use of Photoshop on this one!

Brad at An A-Blog for A-Rod does a nice job on his round-up of the Yankees Spring Training invitees. Here he breaks down his predictions on which players he believe will have the best chance of making it onto the regular season roster.

Delia E. of Yankee Fans Unite givers her take on what the Yankees lineup should like in 2012. Love that she is on board with my feeling that Andruw Jones should be the Yankees DH.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

My Take On the Forbes "Most Disliked Athletes in America" List (Part 2)

It's time to break down "Most Disliked" athletes 6 thru 10 on the annual Forbes list. Continuing from yesterday's list, I will again judge who should or shouldn't be on the top 10 of this list, and arrange their standings accordingly.

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6. LeBron James - I find it so ridiculous that people are so angry at Lebron for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. First of all, LeBron was a free agent and had every right to choose where he wanted to play basketball. I'd say waiting for his contract to expire was a lot more classy than the guy that follows him on this list, and Carmelo Anthony, both of whom demanded trades mid contract because they simply didn't want to play with their teams anymore. LeBron felt the same way about the mediocre crew surrounding him in Cleveland, but he stuck it out, and did everything in his power to make them the best team in the NBA his last two seasons there. I am in agreement with those who felt that going to Cleveland's owner and just saying he was done, was better than LeBron leaving him in suspense and announcing it on ESPN. But is that really enough to place him 6th on a list of so many athletes? No way.

And by the way, for those of you who all of a sudden have a problem with LeBron's "swag" and the way he plays the game--the chest pumps, the glares, the dancing--it's what he's done his whole career, so why is it a problem now that he's "taken his talents" to South Beach? And these ridiculous arguments of him not having the "clutch gene," please tell me who was coming up in the clutch for seven straight years in Cleveland? Anyone?

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: Somewhere between 10 and 15 (should be much lower, but I get that greatness is always hated)

AP

7. Kobe Bryant - Bryant is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. No question. But he's also one of the most attitudinal and arrogant players to ever hit a basketball court. He's a whiner who plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he always has a problem with somebody. His feud with Shaq; his standoff with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who, he admitted he purposely set out to embarass by demanding a trade in 2007;  his grudge against Ray Allen after a Seattle Supersonics route of the Lakers in 2004; his nit-picking of Allen Iverson after the Sixers took game 1 of the 2001 Finals. And going back to Shaq, Kobe was completely out of order when he threw The Big Diesel under the bus. He saw it necessary to mention Shaq's escapades with numerous women; a ploy by Bryant to take some of the heat off of himself after he got caught cheating on his own wife. Not cool.

It's been said that Bryant grew up around sisters that doted on him, and parents that spoiled him and it shows. He's a child, and something tells me that the way this season is going for the Lakers so far, we should expect to hear a lot of crying come season's end.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: 2 (had Ndamukong Suh not purposely try to hurt someone, Bryant would be No. 1)

AP

8. Terrell Owens - I guess what surprises me the most here is that T.O. has been out of the NFL for such a while now, it surprises me that people care enough to dislike the former Niners wide receiver for him to rank in the top 10. There's no discussion of Owens' talent. He's an All-Pro with two Pro Bowl selections, 153 career touchdowns and nine seasons where he ran for over 1,000 yards. But Owens has always appeared more about self-promotion than about simply playing the game. I guess his narcissism still rubs people the wrong way. But he did have a "quiet" season with the Bengals in 2010, and that should count for something.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: 8 He's where he belongs.

Via wikipedia.org

9. Alex Rodriguez - I'm actually a little surprised, but also a little content with A-Rod's ranking. I thought he would be higher, but he actually is starting to move his way out of the top 10 and that's good news. Listen, I'm an A-Rod fanatic, but I criticize him fairly, just as I would any other Yankee. Was it stupid for him to use steroids? Absolutely. Has he shown himself to be too caught up in his personal drama? No question. Has he given many a Yankee fan reason to hold their breath when he takes the plate in the post-season. Yes, he has.

But let's get clear on a few things. A-Rod has been the Yankees best player since coming to the team in '04. If you're too prejudiced against him to believe that, check his stats. While his post-season numbers in New York have been paltry, the Yankees as a team were unable to reach beyond the ALCS until he carried them there. Think about that. A-Rod may be the best on the team, but he is not the only great player that the Yankees have had since '04; why no trips to the World Series? Hmmm.

Now as far as the steroids go, I get it, he cheated. But I do give him credit for owning it and moving on. Yes, originally he lied to Katie Couric on 60 Minutes years back, but who wouldn't have? Again, there we go holding players to a higher moral standard than we hold ourselves.

The personal drama? Like Tiger Woods, A-Rod never should have gotten married. He's a playboy and he knows it. Hopefully he's learned from that, and won't be marrying anyone any time soon. And him and Jeter? I think we all care more about the state of their relationship than they do. They're fine; Derek said so.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: Between 10 and 15 (The steroid use keeps him near the top 10, but his heroics in '09 and his re-dedication to "team" moves him down just a bit)

Getty Images

10. Kurt Busch - I'm not a NASCAR enthusiast at all, but I'm aware of Busch's rants and raves. He is definitely one with profanity, which is a no-no because we live in such a "straight-laced" society? It's not simply that Busch likes to curse, it's just never a good idea to direct it towards fans, the media and the owner that pays you. But again, I think we have far more examples of worse behavior by athletes than this. And a former Sprint Cup champ reserves the right to get testy every once and a while.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: Not sure, but it's not so serious that he belongs in the top 10

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

My Take on the Forbes "Most Disliked Athletes In America" List (Part 1)

It's that time of year again folks. Forbes has released its annual list of the "Most Disliked Athletes In America," and I wasn't at all surprised to see the names that came in on their top 10. But that doesn't mean that I agree with whose on the list or their standing. So, I've to decided to go through each name, in order, and give my take on why this person does or does not belong here. I'll also re-rank names as I see fit. This is a two-part list and tomorrow's will feature Mr. Alex Rodriguez.

Erich Schlegel/Corbis

1. Michael Vick - I know that we live in a society where the abuse of animals is simply not tolerated, and for that reason, Vick absolutely belongs on this list. But at number one? Seriously? This is a guy who did his time for his treatment of dogs, and came back humble and fully aware of the scope of his crime. He came back as the undeniable leader of the Philadelphia Eagles and continues to carry himself as a young man whose trying to do better. If he were cocky and arrogant like many athletes are, I would be okay with this. But forgiveness is a virtue, and it's time to bestow some on Vick.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: 10

AP

2. Tiger Woods - My question here is, what are people really mad at? Are they mad because he cheated on his wife? Are they mad because he lived every man's fantasy and cheated with droves of women? Or are they mad because he shattered their image of the perfect guy and perfect athlete? Let's be real here folks. Our idols fall under the ridiculous standards that we create for them. No man, or woman for that matter, is perfect. Because Tiger was so great for so long, many of us held him to the standard of a God. The problem with that is, he's human, and when he makes a mistake--a very big mistake--the disappointment stings something horrible. But should Tiger have to suffer for our failing to recognize him as just a man? No. I think his biggest mistake was getting married in the first place. We tend not to care so much about our idols being "playboys" when they remain single. Derek Jeter, anyone?

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: 6 (because what he did just wasn't cool)

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3. Plaxico Burress - I'm really at odds with this one. I'm a Giants fan, hence, I'm a Plaxico fan. I can't stress enough how big he was for the Giants when they made that fantastic run in 2007. So when news of his "shooting" came, I wasn't thrilled. To see a young man with his talent and at the height of what looked to be a fantastic career, do something stupid like carrying an illegal weapon in a NYC night club? Sheesh. Didn't he get the memo: Mike Bloomberg ain't tolerating that here! So yes, I can understand the disappointment, but to end up 3rd on this list over that? Come on. We know that there are worst things an athlete can do.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: Somewhere between 10 and 20

Getty Images

4. Ndamukong Suh - The superstar defensive tackle of the Detroit Lions may have tarnished his "nice, humble guy" image after stomping a Green Bay offensive lineman in the chest on Thanksgiving Day. What makes this even worse is that Suh has yet to acknowledge that he actually did what the rest of us saw, and continues to say that he was just trying to get out of the way. Really? I don't like this guy, for this reason and because of other incidents Suh was guilty of during the season. The Lions suddenly became an actual football team in 2011, mainly due to their great defense, and I just think it all went to Suh's head. And to step into the chest of another man with cleats on...you just don't do that.

Bomber Boulevard Ranking: 1

Getty Images

5. Kris Humphries - Kris is exactly where he belongs on this list. Why? Because he should have realized that he would be no match for Kim Kardashian's alter ego. The seemingly polite and humble Kim, is actually very spoiled, very selfish and somewhat narcissistic. Watching this past season of Kourtney and Kim Take New York was likely watching a train wreck between these two in slow motion. Kim wanted everything her way and Kris did everything possible to not give in and retain his "man card." This was a marriage made for good reality TV, but at the end of the day, it's a marriage not suitable for real life. Humphries let himself get sucked into the Kardashian whirlwind because he simply wasn't paying attention. Kim is a serial athlete stalker, and like a serial killer, she gets her kicks and then moves on to the next victim. And besides, no one really knew Humphries before he became "Mr. Kardashian" anyway, so disliking him here is pretty easy.

Stay tuned tomorrow for "Most Disliked Athletes in America" numbers 6 thru 10.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Bob Lorenz Arrested on DUI Charge

via bleacherreport.com

All I will say to this is that Bob Lorenz is much loved and respected here at Bomber Boulevard. Every human being is entitled to make a mistake, and hopefully, however this turns out, Bob will be the better for it. Here is the report from The Hour Online:

WESTPORT-- YES Network studio anchor Robert 'Bob' Lorenz, was charged with driving under the influence after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel and nearly crashing into a telephone pole Wednesday morning.

Lorenz listed his occupation as "actor" on his uniform arrest report -- a document that details the personal information of an arrestee -- and he declined to reveal his profession to the bail commissioner at Norwalk Superior Court. After his arraignment, Lorenz was asked if he was an anchor on the YES Network, and he politely replied, "No. I get that all the time."

Lorenz, a three-time Emmy Award winner, was sleeping behind the wheel of his car with his foot on the brake and the car in the drive gear on Compo Road when police arrived on scene at 3:05 a.m. according to police. When police woke him up, the vehicle accelerated, speeding through an intersection, police said. Officers repeatedly yelled for him to stop, and he stopped the vehicle feet away from a light pole in the right shoulder of Greens Farms Road, police said.

Police say Lorenz was slurring his speech while talking to officers and his breath reeked of booze. He failed the field sobriety tests and later refused a Breathalyzer test, according to police.

Lorenz was charged with operation while under the influence and held overnight on $500 bond. He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon at Norwalk Superior Court, and released on a promise to appear in court. Judge Maureen Dennis ordered him to undergo substance abuse evaluation and treatment. His next court date is Feb. 29.

According to his biography on the YES Network website, Lorenz is the host of the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets pre- and post-game shows, as well as the network's Yankees Baseball Daily, Yankees Hot Stove and Forbes SportsMoney shows. Lorenz also has play-by-play credits to his name at YES, including Yankees in-season telecasts, Yankees spring training games, Staten Island Yankees games and Ivy League football.

In April 2011, Lorenz won his third consecutive New York Emmy Award recognizing him as the top sports anchor in New York.

Prior to joining the YES Network in 2003, Lorenz served as an anchor for CNN/Sports Illustrated, which he joined in April of 1991.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Yankees Sign Russell Branyan

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The Yankees continue to load up on hitting prospects in the hopes of acquiring solid bats out of Spring Training. Their newest Spring invitee is Russell Branyan, who The New York Post reports has inked a minor league deal, most likely similar to that of Bill Hall.

Again, I won't go into "I don't know why they made this deal" mode, because of the low risk involved with signing a guy that probably won't make it out of Spring Training and would most likely have very limited play if he did. And Branyan can still smack a homer to all parts of the field, and a couple of those here and there can never be a bad thing. Just seems to me that with every new signing, the Yankees could be moving further away from a deal with Eric Chavez. You can find the article from The Post here.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Greatest Hits: Curtis Granderson

It’s been a while since we last visited the Greatest Hits segment here at Bomber Boulevard. With just two weeks left before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training camp, now is the perfect time to go back into the Youtube video vault and relive some great moments from a great Yankee.

CurtisGranderson had a season for the ages in 2011. Ending the regular season with a .262 AVG (not a sexy average, but we’ll take that), 41 home runs, 119 RBIs and 136 runs scored, he was easily the Yankees MVP last year. Speaking of the MVP, he came in fourth place in the AL MVP voting, which we here at Bomber Boulevard believe was a bit of a crime. He was also voted into the second All-Star game of his career and walked away with his first Silver Slugger Award. An international ambassador for Major League Baseball, one of the best defensive center-fielders in the league, and just an overall cool dude, here is the Grandy Man and these are his Greatest Hits.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper

Yankees Sign Bill Hall to Minor League Deal

Cary Edmondson/US Presswire

The Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with utility infielder, Bill Hall. Not a great pick up for the Yankees in my opinion; Hall put up less than decent numbers last year with the Giants and Astros, but played well against the Yankees in 2010 when he was a member of the Red Sox. I'm sure this will be the typical Spring Training invite scenario, and who knows, maybe Hall will surprise us all. My only real concern with this signing is that this may mean the end of Eric Chavez in pinstripes. Can't see why the Yankees would need to sign another infielder. Here is the official release from the Associated Press:

NEW YORK — The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with utilityman Bill Hall and invited him to big league spring training.

Hall announced the deal on his Twitter account Tuesday, and New York confirmed the agreement.

If Hall is added to the Yankees' 40-man roster, he would get a $600,000, one-year contract and have the chance to earn an additional $600,000 in performance bonuses.

The 32-year-old played with Houston and San Francisco last season before he was designated for assignment on July 28, batting a combined .211 with 14 RBIs and two homers. He finished the season at Triple-A Fresno.

Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper