Resign Hairston. That is all.

YankCrank wrote:

I like the idea, but unfortunately i’ll decline comment.
We’ll have four agonizing, baseball-less months to debate these moves all day/every day. I’m loving the ride that our current squad is taking us on, and only care about 2009 at the moment. Sorry!

I agree. what they need is dependent on how they finish…gone in the first round or World Series champs. To me it’s too early to speculate actually and things look great right now. That all might change come October BUT right now things look great…….

1. Move Damon to semi-regular DH duty and find an affordable left-field successor.

2. Retain a solid, deep bench and possibly add to bullpen depth from outside the organization to replace Hughes.

3. Retain Pettite and add at least one fringe starter with ML experience to step in when Hughes hits is innings cap, when injuries occur, etc. (In other words, another Mitre/Gaudin type, if not one of them.)

Note that I do not suggest deciding whether to keep Hughes in the bullpen because the Yankee organization has already made that choice — he’s going to transition to the starting rotation next year. Cashman has a definite plan for the future of the starting staff and it includes both Chamberlain and Hughes.

My list looks like many of the other posters’ here (Damon, Pettitte, keeping the bench intact), but I would also add a few more items:

- Take a good, long look at Cervelli this September before casting off Molina. I think everyone was a little too quick to anoint Frankie as the next backup, but I could be convinced to go this way if Montero hadn’t hurt himself…
- Consider going after a 4th or 5th starter in the offseason to compete with Hughes and/or Joba. We’ve been lucky this year in that no one *else* from the front 5 has gone down since Wang, but I wouldn’t count on the same luck for 2010.
- I hate to say it after the last few months but Matsui’s gotta go. Way too many DH’s on the roster, and we’d be better off going hard after a big-name outfielder (wherever he may happen to play), with Melky/Swisher/Gardner as the backup.

Other than that, not too much to do I’d say.

1) Plan to move Hughes to rotation and allow Melancon every shot to take an important bullpen role.
2) Bring back Damon on a short term deal.
3) Sign Pettitte to another 1 year deal.

The truth is, this team does not have a ton of holes. They need Pettitte back to be an innings eater in the middle-back of the rotation, and they need to keep Damon rather than splurge on Holliday/Bay. Otherwise, some pitching depth and holding on to bench guys like Hairston and maybe Hinske are the only other things that I could see as being important.

My two areas of attention (not need, merely attention) are:

1. Figuring out the CF situation; and
2. (a) Either keeping Pettitte or (b) replacing him with a comparable AL-experienced LHP innings eater that can pitch a tick or two above league average.

If they can keep Damon on a short (1- or 2-year) deal at above market, that would be fine with me as it beats overpaying for Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. I don’t think the Yanks should bother re-signing Jeter this winter, nor should they think about replacing Swisher. The Hughes/#62 questions can’t be addressed in the offseason.

I don’t think moving Hughes to the starting rotation can be done in the offseason. He’ll be on an innings limit next year and there’s no way around it. Hughes moving to the rotation is the most likely scenario but the move itself will be a slow, painful process, much as it’s been this season with #62.

I like the idea, but unfortunately i’ll decline comment.

We’ll have four agonizing, baseball-less months to debate these moves all day/every day. I’m loving the ride that our current squad is taking us on, and only care about 2009 at the moment. Sorry!