Justin Sablich has the report:

…but after the game Manager Joe Girardi said that [Alex] Rodriguez was heading to the 15-day disabled list.

“We don’t feel that he’s any worse than he was the time before,” Girardi said. “But we’re just gonna play it extremely safe here and know that we have a player in 15 days.”

“Sometimes you’re going to think that they’re ready, and they’re just not because it’s hard to recreate the intensity that you put into a game,” Girardi said.

The right-hander Ivan Nova will take Rodriguez’s roster spot and make his first major league start on Monday in Toronto.

Girardi said Nova’s start is intended to give each of his other starters an extra day of rest and that he is not looking ahead too much farther than that.

According to STATS, the Yankees are 11-0 without Rodriguez in the lineup this season. It will be interesting to see what that mark is by the time Alex comes off the D.L.

It will also be interesting to see if Ivan Nova replaces Javy Vazquez in the starting rotation before the end of the season.

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Via Bryan Hoch -

The Yankees sent right-hander Zach McAllister to the Indians on Friday, as the player to be named later, completing the July 30 trade for outfielder Austin Kearns.

The 22-year-old McAllister was regarded as one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects coming into this campaign, earning selection last season as the club’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year with Double-A Trenton and ranked as New York’s fifth-best prospect by Baseball America.

McAllister had spent all of this year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 8-10 with a 5.09 ERA in 24 starts, ranking 11th in the International League in innings pitched (132 2/3). He was a third-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

Coming into this season, McAllister was ranked by BBA as the 34th best RH SP prospect in all of baseball. And, at the end of last season, BBA had him as the Yankees 5th best prospect, overall.

He’s a big kid. Still only 22-years old. But, he doesn’t light up the radar gun like guys such as Brackman and Betances. I guess the Yankees see him as a heavier version of Tyler Clippard – and thus expendable. Maybe he’ll get a movie deal now that he’s been labeled as such?

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Via the AP -

The New York Yankees acquired pitcher Kerry Wood from the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, the third deal in less than 24 hours for the World Series champions as they beefed up for the stretch run.

Wood, a hard-throwing, 33-year-old righty, gives the Yankees another setup option alongside Joba Chamberlain for closer Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees sent Cleveland a player to be named or $500,000, and the Indians gave New York $2,172,131. New York will pay $1.5 million of the $3,672,131 remaining on Wood’s $10.5 million salary this year. His contract includes an $11 million team option for 2011.

Oh, this has got Jay Witasick, Gabe White, Felix Heredia and Mark Wohlers written all over it…

On the bright side, as a result of this pick-up, the Yankees have designated Chan Ho Park for assignment.

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Via George King –

The Yankees recalled reliever Jonathan Albaladejo from the minors to take the place of Andy Pettitte, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin.

Albaladejo was having a tremendous season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. In 41 appearances, the righty had a 0.96 ERA and 31 saves. Albaladejo has pitched part of three major-league seasons with the Nationals and Yankees with a career 4.19 ERA and a 6-3 record.

It could be a short stay for Albaladejo, who could be sent back down when the Yankees call up Sergio Mitre on Saturday to take Pettitte’s place in the rotation

By the way, what ever happened to Mark Melancon? Remember when he was the next great thing?

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Here’s the confirm.

No word on whether or not Kevin Russo will be invited back for the Old Timers Day game tomorrow.

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Jorge Vazquez is headed to Triple-A today, and, to the Yankees soon after that? Via Donnie Collins -

Josh Norris of The Trentonian is reporting that Jorge Vazquez will be promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for tomorrow’s game against Indianapolis.

In 10 games since coming off the disabled list, Vazquez was hitting .390 with six RBIs at Double-A Trenton.

You’ll remember that Vazquez was initially slated to open the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. But, he needed an appendectomy late in spring training, and it set him back nearly two months. The Yankees lineup sure could use him.

Hey, we know Cashman likes the guy. Let’s just hope that Jorge Vazquez isn’t to Don Nava the same way that Kei Igawa was to Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Here are the numbers on Vazquez to date:

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He’s played both first and third in the past. I have no idea how good he is with the leather. But, it seems like he has a clue at the plate.

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The Yankees have cut Randy Winn.

Brian Cashman’s comment: Randy Winn…Wilson Betemit…Jeff Weaver…Rondell White…Tony Womack…Jaret Wright…why do players with “W” in their name work out so poorly for me?

(Yeah, I know, Womack and Wright were not Cashman. It’s just a joke, ya know…)

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Look’s like they’ve run out of epidurals to stick in Aceves’s back. Via Mark Feinsand -

Chad Gaudin was the odd man out this spring following the five-man battle for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, but it appears the righthander will be back in pinstripes by Wednesday night.

The Yankees agreed to terms to re-sign Gaudin on Wednesday, according to a source, adding him to their bullpen as a long reliever. Gaudin’s arrival may mean that the Yankees received bad news on Alfredo Aceves, who suffered a setback with his injured back on Tuesday and could be headed for surgery to repair a herniated disk.

According to the source, Gaudin is in Minneapolis, where he’s expected to be activated for Wednesday night’s game. The Yankees and Twins will finish their suspended game Wednesday afternoon, after which the Yankees will make a roster move to make room for Gaudin.

General manager Brian Cashman was unavailable for comment.

If contacted, I’m sure Brian Cashman would say: Gaudin, it’s the new Ponson.

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Via Chad Jennings -

Despite on-going speculation that Juan Miranda was on his way to Detroit, it was Greg Golson who walked through the clubhouse doors this morning. He’s here for Alfredo Aceves, who went on the disabled list.

“We’ve been short on outfielders,” Joe Girardi said. “And we felt we were covered pitching-wise.”

That doesn’t mean Miranda has been ruled out. For now the Yankees want the expanded depth, not the lefty designated hitter, but Girardi hinted that another move could be in the works in the coming days.

“Eventually we’ll probably, possibly, make a move,” he said.

Short on outfielders? I guess that means Joe is not sold on Ramiro Pena taking fly balls during BP…

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Looks like Juan Miranda is coming up.

No knock on Juan. But, I would have liked to see Kevin Russo get a longer look. Bummer.

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Via Donnie Collins:

Ivan Nova, whose regular turn in the rotation would have been yesterday, has been called to New York, where he’ll undoubtedly serve as the long reliever for a few days. A move was expected after Romulo Sanchez went several innings last night. Tonight’s starter, Sergio Mitre, is on a 65-75 pitch count. Tomorrow’s, Javier Vazquez, has been ineffective all season. Sanchez would have been unavailable tonight, and probably tomorrow, too.

I’m sure there’s a Nova “No Go” Recall joke in here somewhere…if you want to look for it. Here are Ivan Nova’s minor league career numbers to date:

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For what it’s worth, most of the reports on Nova that I’ve seen say “low 90′s fastball, makings of a plus curveball, and also thows a change – good attitude, needs command to be successful.”

Think “Jorge De Paula.”

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Via Chad Jennings –

Now [Nick] Johnson is heading to the DL with a sore right wrist, the same wrist that was injured in 2008 and cost him nearly the entire season. He said he felt it on a swing during his first at-bat. “I just didn’t get my strength back for the next pitch,” he said.

Joe Girardi said Johnson will go for tests in New York tomorrow. The Yankees will make a move to call-up an infielder — almost certainly either Eduardo Nunez or Kevin Russo — to help them get through a day or two without Cano, who was hit by a pitch on inside of his left knee. Girardi said he doesn’t expect Cano to play tomorrow.

Memo to Cashman: Next time there’s a brittle dough-boy on the free agent market, just say no.

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Yanks are now carrying 13 pitchers on their active roster, heading into tonight’s game.

What does that leave them with, a three man bench? Man, that’s crazy…

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At least, the speculation is that Greg Golson will be activated today.

I wonder if Greg Golson has ever had a Molson Golden?

And, why do I have a mental picture of Rich Coggins every time I think of Greg Golson?

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Curtis Granderson has a Grade II strain to his left groin and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. (Since Javy Vazquez brought cause for the Yankees to use Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves in the same game today, and it seems that New York doesn’t trust Phil Hughes to go deep into tomorrow’s game, Mark Melancon will replace Granderson on the Yankees roster – at least for now.)

This is the first trip to the D.L. for Granderson since 2008 when he missed a month due to a fractured right hand. His only other extended time missed came in 2004 when he was out for two weeks with a sprained left ankle.

When it comes to groin strain grades, here’s how it works:

Grade I—A minor stretch of the muscle which results in some discomfort, but normal everyday activity is not significantly impaired.

Grade II—A more severe stretch and possible partial tear to the groin muscle. A Grade II groin injury is considerably more painful. Also, activity may be limited due to the pain, bruising, and swelling.

Grade III—A severe tear of the muscle, pain from which can limit even the smallest movements. A Grade III injury often produces marked bruising, muscle spasms, and severe swelling.

The Angels’ Torii Hunter had something like this last season and missed close to six weeks. It’s probably safe to expect Granderson to miss 4-6 weeks with this injury today. Then again, only those who have gone through this know what it’s like to have a groin injury…

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Rumor has it that the Yankees have claimed Chad Huffman on waivers from the Padres – and will assign him to Triple-A. Here are his minor league stats, to date:

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Two years ago, Padres vice president of scouting and player development Grady Fuson, on Huffman, said: “He’s got a chance to be just a huge RBI guy. This guy loves to hit with runners on. He’s strong. He’s got big loft power. He’s a good defensive left fielder.”

Think Kevin Towers had any input on this one? There’s no doubt on that. Nice pick-up here for the Yankees.

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The Yankees have released pitcher Chad Gaudin, who was one of five candidates for the fifth starter spot.

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The Yankees have placed Chad Gaudin on waivers. So, for now, he is a hanging Chad.

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Via Chad Jennings -

Just got to Clearwater in time to hear that Rule 5 pick Jamie Hoffmann has cleared waivers and been returned to the Dodgers.

Here’s what the Yankees had said about Hoffman when they basically traded Brian Bruney to get him -

“He’s a big, physical outfielder with big league experience,” said Yankees pro scouting director Billy Eppler. “Our scouts saw some good things in him, including good defensive ability and a good arm. He runs well for his size, we’ve got him as a 55 runner [scouts use a 20-to-80 scale to grade each tool; 50 is considered major league average] at 6-foot-3, 235. Kevin Long, our hitting coordinator, looked at him on video and thinks there’s a foundation there hitting-wise.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that Hoffmann will compete for the final roster spot for the World Series champions. Hoffmann was also picked in the 2003 NHL draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. “He’s got a hockey mentality, a Minnesota kid,” Cashman said. “A very athletic, hard-nosed outfielder.”

I guess this is good news for Marcus Thames? So, does this now make the trade, in net, Brian Bruney for Thames?

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Mike Ashmore has the story.

Anson was/is a total non-prospect. But, for some reason, I was pulling for the guy. I thought, with a few breaks, maybe he could have gone on to have a Ron Hodges type career in the big leagues.

Guess he wanted to get on with his life? I wish him well.

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Via mlb.com –

Right-hander Chan Ho Park, who pitched for the National League champion Phillies in 2009, announced early Monday that he has reached a one-year agreement with the World Series champion Yankees, according to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

Park, 36, a native of Korea, made the announcement at Park 61, a fitness center he opened in Seoul after last season, when he went 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 45 games, including seven starts, for the Phillies.

The press conference occurred after 1 a.m. ET. The Yankees have not made a formal announcement. The contract is reported to be for $1.2 million, with incentives that could net an extra $300,000, provided Park passes a physical.

MLB Network analyst Jon Heyman had reported that the Cubs, Rays and Yankees were possible destinations for Park.

Park is expected to pitch out of the Yankees’ bullpen.

Park will be 37-years old this season and has been a below league average pitcher in 7 of the last 8 seasons. How and why the Yankees found room for this signing within their “budget” is beyond me. Really, I’m speechless on this one. The only thing I can guess is…that they couldn’t talk Rich Monteleone into coming out of retirement and this was their next best move?

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Here Come the (Spring Training) Citrines! Can you spot Terence Aloysius ‘Slip’ Mahoney and Horace Debussy ‘Sach’ Jones Jr.?

Well, actually, it’s Citrons…but some call them Citrines. And, in the end, it’s all just dried up bits added to the good filling. And, dunno ’bout you, but, Amaury Sanit and Kei Igawa look more like fried zeppole than creamy cannolis to me. In any event, here’s the lucky 20 to get a golden ticket to Tampa Camp this year:

 Yankees 2010 Spring Training Non-Roster Invitees

  Pitchers           B/T Ht  Wt  DOB
  -- Wilkins Arias   L/L 6-1 150 11/04/80
  -- Jeremy Bleich   L/L 6-2 195 06/18/87
  -- Grant Duff      R/R 6-6 210 12/19/82
  -- Jason Hirsh     R/R 6-8 250 02/20/82
  -- Kei Igawa       L/L 6-1 210 07/13/79
  -- Zach McAllister R/R 6-6 230 12/08/87
  -- Royce Ring      L/L 6-0 220 12/21/80
  -- Amaury Sanit    R/R 5-11 187 07/04/79
  -- Zack Segovia    R/R 6-2 245 04/11/83
  -- Kevin Whelan    R/R 6-0 200 01/08/84
  Catchers           B/T Ht  Wt  DOB
  -- Kyle Higashioka R/R 6-1 190 04/20/90
  -- Jesus Montero   R/R 6-4 225 11/28/89
  -- P.J. Pilittere  R/R 6-0 215 11/23/81
  -- Mike Rivera     R/R 6-1 235 09/08/76
  -- Austin Romine   R/R 6-2 210 11/22/88
  Outfielders        B/T Ht  Wt  DOB
  -- Colin Curtis    L/L 6-1 200 02/01/85
  -- Reid Gorecki    R/R 6-1 200 12/22/80
  -- Marcus Thames   R/R 6-2 220 03/06/77
  -- Jon Weber       L/L 5-10 190 01/20/78
  -- David Winfree   R/R 6-3 230 08/05/85

Oh, just yummy….

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Per Greg Cohen:

Joel Sherman is reporting that the Yankees have reached and one-year agreement with outfielder Randy Winn.

Four years ago, I would have been happy with this move. But, now, Winn is a 36-year old OF who posted an OPS+ of 75 last season. Yes, seventy-five.

I know what the Yankees are thinking here – that Winn, the last few seasons before 2009, has hit LHP pitching pretty well. But, can he rebound do it again in 2010? Time well tell…

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Via mlb.com –

The Yankees added to their outfield depth Tuesday, acquiring Greg Golson in a trade with the Texas Rangers.

New York, which gave up Minor League infielder Mitch Hilligoss in the deal, receives a 24-year-old who batted .258 with 40 RBIs in 123 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2009. Golson, who had 27 extra-base hits last year, is a .263 career hitter in the Minors with 48 homers and 265 RBIs in 634 combined games in the Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.

Golson, a first-round pick by the Phillies in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, has made it to the Major Leagues for seven games — six with Philadelphia in ’08 and one with the Rangers last year. He is 0-for-7 with two runs scored in the big leagues.

Prior to the 2009 season, Baseball America magazine named Golson “Best Athlete,” “Fastest Baserunner” and “Best Outfield Arm” in the Texas organization. The acquisition of Golson puts the Yankees’ 40-man roster at 39.

Here’s a report on Golson from a year ago – when the Rangers picked him up – via Baseball America:

With the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster staring them in the face Thursday, the Phillies and Rangers arrived at an inspired decision as they contemplated the organizational futures of Greg Golson and John Mayberry Jr., their toolsy but slow-moving outfielders. They traded their prospects straight-up for one another.

Philadelphia sent Golson, its first-round pick (21st overall) in 2004, to Texas for Mayberry, the Rangers’ first-rounder (19th overall) in 2005. Both players are on their new clubs’ 40-man rosters, making them exempt from December’s Rule 5 draft.

Golson, 23, offers huge speed, arm strength and range in center field, but his hitting tools and pitch recognition remain unrefined. A product of Austin’s Connally High, he batted .282/.333/.434 for Double-A Reading in 2008, chipping in 13 home runs, 18 doubles and 23 stolen bases in 28 attempts. The righthanded batter struck out 130 times in 426 at-bats, a rate that was in line with career norms, while drawing 34 walks. Even with a low contact rate, Golson’s power plays as average, and Eastern League mangers named him the league’s most exciting player. He’s batted .265/.309/.406 in 2,101 minor league at-bats, and he went 0-fot-6 for the Phillies as a September callup.

Mitch Hilligoss is a long ways away from being useful at the major league level whereas Greg Golson could be a spare part off the bench at some point. Think “If Homer Bush was an outfielder.” Not a bad move by Cashman here…getting potentially something out of nothing.

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When it comes to the roster of the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees, so far this off-season, we know the following:

Gone For Sure:
Brian Bruney
Hideki Matsui
Melky Cabrera
Phil Coke

More Than Likely Not Coming Back:
Chien-Ming Wang
Johnny Damon

Pretty Sure Not Coming Back:
Eric Hinske
Jerry Hairston
Jose Molina

(I know that Shelley Duncan, Xavier Nady, Michael Dunn and Ian Kennedy could be on these lists too – but, they barely played for the Yankees this season.)

Now, I know that the Yankees will still have, at least as of today, the following on their roster next season: A.J. Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Alfredo Aceves, Andy Pettitte, Brett Gardner, C.C. Sabathia, Damaso Marte, David Robertson, Derek Jeter, Joba Chamberlain, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher, Philip Hughes and Robinson Cano.

And, they have added: Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson, Javy Vazquez, and, it appears, Mark DeRosa.

But, you have to wonder about how much Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon will be missed – as they seemed to have that special “play maker” ability. Also, Phil Coke and Jose Molina, while not stars, filled special roles on the team. And, lastly, Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston and Chien-Ming Wang seemed as if they were liked by their teammates – much the same as Godzilla, Leche and Damon.

Now, this is not to say that Granderson, Johnson, Vazquez, and, DeRosa are bad guys in the field or the clubhouse. And, I really want to stress that point.

It’s just more a matter of how much Matsui, Cabrera, Damon, Coke, Molina, and the others will be missed in terms of what they brought to the total team picture.

To be honest, I have no idea. It’s just that it is a question, in my mind, that we should not lose sight of…in Yankeeland…as we head into next season.

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Reports say that the Yankees have traded Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan.

I’ll have some commentary on this deal later this evening. In the meantime, feel free to leave your thoughts on this trade in the comments section here.

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If you would have asked me 800 days ago, what were the two things least likely to happen in the near future, I probably would have suggested that Tiger Woods would be caught having a ménage à trois with Jesus and Scooby Doo and that the Yankees would release Worm Killer Wang. But, we now have this on the latter:

Taiwanese pitcher Chien-ming Wang has become a free agent after the New York Yankees declined to offer him a 2010 contract.

“There’s no doubt that we had to make a tough decision,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said in a statement on Saturday.

“We are still hopeful that our relationship can continue but those decisions are yet to be made.”

Wang, a two-time 19-game winner who has struggled in recent years with injuries, will now pursue a contract with all 30 Major League Baseball clubs, his agent told MLB’s official website.

Under baseball labor rules, the Yankees would have had to pay the 29-year-old at least $4 million to keep him under contract.

New York could still sign the right-hander to a lesser, incentive-based deal, agent Alan Nero said Wang would take all other options into consideration.

“I think it’s difficult to rationalize a non-tender as further building a bridge with a team, but we’ll see,” Nero said.

Hey, if you see the Shroud of Turin and a set of golf clubs outside the Mystery Machine, and it’s a rockin’, then don’t come a knockin’…because anything is possible…

Or, as former Cardinal Joaquin Andujar said in 1984: “There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, ‘You never know.’ “

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The trade details, via Tyler Kepner -

Curtis Granderson is the Yankees’ new center fielder, coming over from the Detroit Tigers in a three-way deal that also included the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal, which is pending approval of medical records, will send outfielder Austin Jackson and reliever Phil Coke to Detroit and starter Ian Kennedy to Arizona.

The Diamondbacks will also receive starter Edwin Jackson from the Tigers, who will also get starter Max Scherzer and reliever Daniel Schlereth from Arizona.

I’m only going to comment on the Yankees end – since I really don’t care about the Tigers and D-backs.

What the Yankees gave up: Austin Jackson, Phil Coke and Ian Kennedy. And, what the Yankees got: Curtis Granderson.

Ian Kennedy is a AAAA-pitcher. Maybe he’ll be effective in the big leagues, at times? But, too much has to be perfect for him to excel at the major league level. Basically, he was expendable.

Phil Coke is a nice kid and has a bulldog attitude towards pitching. But, he’s probably never going to be better than he was this season and could be worse. He’s a “nice to have” pitcher – but, he’s not a “can’t do without pitcher.”

Basically, the thing the Yankees gave up here was Austin Jackson – their best position playing Triple-A prospect. Now, back in August, I asked this question about “A-Jax”:

Is he a true blue-chip prospect as the Yankees say, or, is he just a good athlete who will never be a solid, everyday, major league player?

And, today, we still don’t know the answer to that question. It may take another couple of years to get that answer – maybe more.

This brings us to Curtis Granderson. Last month, I had this to say about him:

In terms of “make-up,” Granderson is off-the-charts…probably Derek Jeter like, in that regard.

And, I still stand by that comment. But, what about his on-the-field production? Well, first off, he doesn’t hit LHP – at all. See his career splits in that regard:

I          Split   G   PA   H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB  SO   BA  OBP  SLG
    vs RHP as LH 618 2211 572 102 51 86 245 229 449 .292 .367 .528
    vs LHP as LH 305  685 130  23  6 16  54  45 169 .210 .270 .344

Further, as a center fielder, he leaves something to be desired. Note his 1.6 UZR/150 in CF in 2009 and his -9.4 UZR/150 in CF in 2008.

If the Yankees end up playing Curtis Granderson in left field next season and give him the day off when the likes of Jon Lester, John Danks, Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, David Price or Joe Saunders is starting for the other team, he should be a fine addition to their team – all things considered.

But, if the Yankees are going to play Curtis Granderson everday, against all pitching, he’s probably going to bat between .260 and .275 with an OBA around .350. And, if they play him in center, at best, he’ll match what Melky Cabrera did out there with the glove and will not be as good, defensively, as Brett Gardner.

So, is this a smart trade by Brian Cashman? It sort of depends on how the Yankees use Granderson and how Austin Jackson develops. Let’s just hope it turns out better than the last three-team deal that Cashman brokered with the Tigers being involved.

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According to reports, #99 on the Yankees is now available for anyone who wants it.

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Via the Ledger –

The Yankees announced in a statement Tuesday that they will not be offering arbitration to any of their eligible free agents.

The team has seven arbitration-eligible players: OF Johnny Damon, INF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr., INF/OF Eric Hinske, DH Hideki Matsui, C Jose Molina, OF Xavier Nady and LHP Andy Pettitte.

This only matters on Damon, Pettitte and Nady, as Rhett Bollinger points it out:

The Yankees announced Tuesday that they will not offer arbitration to any of their eligible players by Tuesday night’s deadline, meaning the club will not receive Draft pick compensation if any of the players sign elsewhere.

Outfielder Johnny Damon is the lone Type A player in the group, while left-hander Andy Pettitte and outfielder Xavier Nady rank as Type B players. Designated hitter Hideki Matsui, catcher Jose Molina and utility men Jerry Hairston and Eric Hinske were unranked and therefore arbitration doesn’t apply.

If they would’ve offered Damon arbitration and he signed elsewhere, the Yankees would have been in line to receive a first-round Draft pick from the signing team if that club selects in the second half of the first round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft or a second-round pick from the signing team if that club selects in the first 15 picks of the first round, plus a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds in either case.

And in Pettitte and Nady’s case, the Yankees would’ve received a Draft pick in the supplemental round if they chose to sign elsewhere.

My guess is that that feared Johnny Damon not getting a decent offer as a free agent and then accepting arbitration and possibly getting a one-year deal through the process worth more than $13 million bucks. But, then again, had that happened, would that have been the worst thing in the world for the Yankees?

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