Yanks Get Nick Swisher, Re-Sign Marte, Will Make Deal for Sabathia Tomorrow
So far, I am very happy with the way Cashman has been approaching this offseason. This goes against many of the past Yankee offseasons which were characterized by the signing of big name sluggers with little defense. The New York Yankees announced today that they have acquired switch-hitting first baseman/outfielder Nick "Dirty 30" Swisher and right-handed pitcher Kanekoa Texeira from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for infielder Wilson Betemit and right-handed pitchers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez. Some of these guys show promise, but they are have yet to prove anything, so it is still hard to gauge how good this deal really is. Swisher will provide something that the Yanks have been missing since the days of Tino Martinez at 1st base: defense. Now that I think about it, Swisher reminds me a lot of Tino as a player. Of course Tino hit for higher average in his career, but Swisher is still young. He turns 28 in 12 days. Swisher hits for power, draws lots of walks, and plays great defense. He can also play outfield, if need be. Overall, I would say he is an upgrade from Giambi.
In older news, the Yanks signed Marte to a 3 year deal worth 12 million. That seems reasonable given his nasty stuff and the idea of having a guy who can get the ball to Mariano who is not Joba. Having a lefty like him is especially valuable in the AL East. Need I say more?
Tomorrow is the day the Yanks are expected to make an offer for Sabathia. Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Yanks will make an initial bid of 6 years in the $150 million range. While that kind of money would entice most people, I'm still convinced we will see Carsten Charles in Dodger Blue come March/April. When you make as much money as Sabathia does, you have to wonder if he will pitch where the money is or where his heart lies. I think the Dodgers will make a nice offer that will fall short of the Yanks' offer, but will be enough for CC. I've stated in a previous post why Sabathia likes the Dodgers.
In other non-Yankee related news, Kerry Wood will not be returning to the Cubs since Kevin Gregg was just acquired. The Mets will certainly have an interest in Wood's services. The Matt Holliday trade is huge news. It is uncharacteristic Billy Beane since he traded a bunch of moneyball type players for one superstar. I think the A's will make a run in the weak AL West this season.Billy Beane could potentially be on the buy side this offseason to round out his team. While he lost Carlos Gonzalez and Huston Street, he now has an upgraded outfield with Holliday, Ryan Sweeney, and Matt Murton. If the A's become buyers, there is a lot of speculation that Beane will pursue Furcal, who is one of the premier Shortstops in the game. The A's would certainly be contenders if they were able to jumpstart their offense to supplement their already excellent pitching.
