1/1/2006 - Johnny Damon baby !!!! - Love the deal , another coup for the yankees over the Bumbling Red Sox. Now hows this for a lineup

1. Damon
2. Jeter
3. A-Rod
4. Sheffield
5. Matsui
6. Giambi
7. Posada
8. Bernie
9. Robinson Cano
Damn thats potent , now only if some consistent starters (3-5)emerge from our stockpile of questionable arms (pavano , wright , Chacon , Small , Wang) Right now it looks like

1. R Johnson

2. Mussina

3. Wang

4. Chacon

5. Pavano - unless dealt

Small and Wright may start off season as long relievers as well as depth should starters get injured.

Now the bullpen looks like a big improvement over last years mediocrity and inconsistency (other than Mariano of course)

Closer Mariano - Set up man - Farnsworth and mid season Octavio - While myers and villone give the yankees two lefty killers missing from our bullpen for years. Tanyon Sturtze may be dealt but with him thats a strong bullpen assuming Mariano can still close them out.

Should be another first place finish for the Yanks..
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Yankees beat the Bosox babies again ! Feb 22nd 2004 - Kevin Beary

The Yankees did it again. In capturing baseballs` prize player A-Rod, they added to the mystique of The Curse , of the afflicted Red Sox. Not only did the hapless Red Sox lose their bid for A-Rod but also they now have lost it to the Bombers.
Hypocritical Owner John Henry complained bitterly about the move arguing that baseball should have a salary cap. A typical Boston Red Sox crybaby reaction. This, from a team that has the 2nd highest payroll.
The Boss, loving every moment of his coup stated, "Henry must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by his failure in this transaction."
Not only did the Yankees add one of the best players in the game improving the position Aaron Boone played; who ironically sent the Red Sox home with an extra inning homerun during last years playoffs, but they added only 1.6 million dollars to their payroll. What! Hey! How do you ask?
In pulling off this blockbuster trade the Yankees negotiated 67 million dollars of A-Rods salary to be paid by the Rangers. They started by moving Soriano`s 5.4 million (and soon to rise) salary, dumping the injured Aaron Boone to the tune of 4.8 and finally conceding that Drew Henson will not be playing baseball (2.2 mil. This covers 12.4 mil of A-rods` $14 mil contract. You can say it; that is a smart organizational move no matter whose side you are on. But wait, it gets better.
Four days since the A-Rod deal, the Yankees sold 104,000 tickets totaling $4.6 million in revenue which is double the sales during the same time period last year. That is a $2.3 million dollar increase, more than covering the $1.6 balance of A-Rods salary. That is a Sweet Deal indeed !
I, for one am looking forward to the baseball season to watch this drama play out. The Red Sox , who usually need no help burying themselves , will have A-Rod to throw the first pile of dirt. Go Yankees !

New faces: Players acquired via trade or free agency
Kevin Brown -- Brown was acquired by the Yankees within hours after Pettitte bolted for Houston, as the Yankees parted with Jeff Weaver, two minor leaguers and cash for the six-time All-Star. Brown is coming off of his first healthy season in three years, having won just 14 games despite a 2.39 ERA. Brown should benefit from his new offense, which is being called one of the best ever.

Gary Sheffield -- Sheffield gives the Yankees a big bat in right field, a position that saw a rotation of David Dellucci, Karim Garcia and Ruben Sierra in the second half of 2003. Sheffield has posted huge power numbers in recent years, topping 30 homers in five of the past eight seasons.

Alex Rodriguez -- The newest Yankee may be the most talked-about acquisition in a long time, as A-Rod became the first reigning MVP to be traded. Rodriguez moves from shortstop, where he won two Gold Gloves, to third base, showing how much he wanted a chance to get to the World Series.

Kenny Lofton -- Lofton does not possess a strong throwing arm, but the Yankees believe that he can cover more ground in center field than Bernie Williams. Lofton also gives the Yankees a conventional leadoff hitter.

Javier Vazquez -- Vazquez moves from the pressure-free environment of Montreal to the intense world of the Bronx, as New York dealt Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera and Randy Choate for the 27-year-old hurler. New York must hope that Vazquez doesn't go through the same problems that Jeff Weaver encountered in his time with the Yankees, and that Vazquez can step up as a big-game pitcher under the New York spotlight.

Tom Gordon -- After watching the bullpen utilize 19 relievers last season, the Yankees went out and signed Gordon to bolster the right-handed setup spot. Gordon received offers from other teams to serve as a closer, but the chance for postseason glory led him to New York.

Paul Quantrill -- Not satisfied with the addition of Gordon, the Yankees inked Quantrill to further solidify the bullpen. The pair, combined with lefties Gabe White and Felix Heredia, should be a strength for the Yankees this season.

Miguel Cairo -- Cairo was brought in to serve as a utility infielder and backup outfielder, but now finds himself competing for the vacant second base job. If he doesn't win it, he will be the team's backup at second, short and third, as well as a spare outfielder.

Tony Clark -- Clark was signed to replace Nick Johnson as Jason Giambi's backup at first base, but the former All-Star may find himself without a job if the Yankees sign Travis Lee.

Long gone
Alfonso Soriano -- A superstar in the making, Soriano was dealt for A-Rod just before Spring Training. Coming off of two 35 home run, 35 stolen base seasons, Soriano will be considered one of the best players in the game if he can learn some patience at the plate, improving his on-base percentage.

Andy Pettitte -- Pettitte's move to Houston was hardly shocking, as the Texan wanted to be closer to his family. The move left a big hole in the Yankees' rotation, which now finds itself without a left-hander for the first time in the Joe Torre era.

Roger Clemens -- The Yankees weren't counting on having Clemens in the rotation this season, as the Rocket was expected to retire after the 2003 season. His signing in Houston has rubbed some fans the wrong way, but the team has planned to be without the 300-game winner regardless.

David Wells -- Wells left the Yankees in a similar fashion to the way he arrived, spurning what was thought to be an agreement in order to take more guaranteed money in San Diego. After last spring's book incident and his one-inning outing in Game 4 of the World Series, Boomer's act may have run dry in New York anyway.

Jeff Weaver -- Once thought to be a future ace of the Yankees, Weaver was never able to overcome his inconsistency in the Bronx. The last straw came in Game 4 of the World Series, when he served up a walkoff homer to Alex Gonzalez in extra innings. Weaver was traded to Los Angeles for Kevin Brown.

David Dellucci -- Dellucci was a useful player for the Yankees last season, but the signing of Gary Sheffield made him expendable. Dellucci signed on with Texas, where he will likely be a jack-of-all-trades off the bench.

Karim Garcia -- Garcia found himself in the same position as Dellucci, as both players weren't offered arbitration by the Yankees. Garcia, however, won't have to pack up his family, as he signed with the Mets to compete for the right-field job.

Jeff Nelson -- Nelson's second stint with the Yankees didn't work out quite as everyone has hoped, as New York opted to bring in Gordon and Quantrill. Nelson's role in the ALCS bullpen brawl at Fenway Park probably didn't help his cause.

Nick Johnson -- The Yankees didn't want to part with Johnson, but needed to deal him in order to acquire Javier Vazquez from Montreal. Johnson's departure means that Giambi will be relied upon to play in the field 150 times this season.

Chris Hammond -- Despite posting solid numbers in his only season with New York, Hammond never quite earned the trust of his manager. Hammond is the rare lefty who has greater success against right-handers, leaving him in no-man's-land in New York's bullpen.

Juan Rivera -- Rivera was also included in the Vazquez deal, which will give the young outfielder a chance to play on a consistent basis. Despite his huge potential, Rivera wasn't going to have the opportunity to play this season given the abundance of outfielders on the Yankees' roster.

Antonio Osuna -- Osuna, acquired last year for Orlando Hernandez, started out well with the Yankees before falling apart in the second half. Osuna wasn't on the postseason roster at all, so his departure was hardly a surprise.

Returning from injury
Steve Karsay -- Karsay missed the entire 2003 season following rotator cuff surgery, and his availability for Opening Day is in doubt. The right-hander will be back this season, though with Gordon and Quantrill in the fold, his role is up in the air.

Jon Lieber -- By signing Lieber to a two-year contract last year, the Yankees allowed him to rehab from 2002 Tommy John surgery at his own pace. Barring an unforeseen setback, the right-hander will be part of the season-opening rotation.

New kids on the block: Prospects to watch
Jorge DePaula -- Although there is no room for this youngster in the starting rotation, DePaula currently serves as the Yankees' only insurance against an injury to one of their starting pitchers. Will likely start the season at Triple-A Columbus, but should find himself in the Majors at some point this season.

On the rebound
Bernie Williams -- Sore shoulders and a balky knee hampered Williams last season, but mid-season surgery fixed up the knee. After a long winter of rehab, Williams is ready to resume his spot among the top hitters in the league.

Jason Giambi -- Giambi's power numbers didn't suffer from his eye and knee injuries, but his batting average was much lower than his career mark. After undergoing offseason knee surgery, Giambi says he's in the best shape that he's been in as a Yankee, so expect his average to be back in the .300 range.

The bottom line
New York doesn't have very many positional battles this spring, so the main objective will be to get the coaching staff and players acquainted with each other, while working in a new group of superstars. The Yankees kick off the season early, opening in Japan on March 30, where they will kick off what is expected to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent history.