Sunday Newsday Special

Here is a special article by Kat O'Brien, it was a pretty good read.

Mo, Posada No. 1, 1A on Cash's checklist

Brian Cashman's trip to the general managers' meetings, which begin tomorrow in Orlando, Fla., suddenly got busier when Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract last Sunday. The Yankees had hoped - although they weren't exactly counting on it - to hang on to Rodriguez with a long-term contract extension. But they never even had the chance to meet with him before he opted out. Now that they no longer own the rights to one of the top players (if not the top player) in the game - a good defensive third baseman who hit 54 home runs and drove in 156 runs in 2007 - they are left with a huge void. So what are the big to-dos on Cashman's list of things to start working on in Orlando?

1. Lock up Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada.
The Yankees are having contract discussions with both free agents and hope to retain them. Each would be the top player available at his position via free agency if he didn't re-sign with the Yankees, who have exclusive negotiating rights until Nov. 12. It could take contracts of three years and $40 million, or even more, to keep each. The Yankees already have met in person with Rivera and his agent, Fernando Cuza, and could meet with Posada and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, this week.



2. Look for a new third baseman.
A perfect fit might be Mike Lowell, but that can happen only if the Red Sox don't re-sign the World Series MVP. Other than Lowell and Rodriguez, the free-agent market is thin. On the trade front, the Yankees could pursue the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera at a premium price. Other possibilities include the Rangers' Hank Blalock (though he hits lefthanded and the Yankees are lefty-dominant), the White Sox's Joe Crede and the Reds' Edwin Encarnacion.


3. Talk Andy Pettitte into coming back.
Pettitte has until Wednesday to exercise his $16-million option for 2008. If he decides not to do that and retires instead, the Yankees might need another starting pitcher. They could fill out a Pettitte-less rotation by using Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. But it would not be as strong and it would leave them counting on three pitchers (Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy) who made their debuts in 2007 and have 16 major-league starts between them.



4. Decide on centerfield.

The Yankees can commit to using Melky Cabrera full-time in centerfield, as they did most of this season (Johnny Damon's days as a full-time centerfielder appear over) or pursue someone in one of the deeper pools in a weak free-agent class. Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones highlight this bunch. Giving either a massive contract makes sense only if the Yankees are uncertain about Cabrera.



5. Shore up the bullpen.
The bullpen tends to be one of the last things teams seek to fill out, and that might be the case here. The Yankees need to decide whether to re-sign Luis Vizcaino and to find out if they can get anything in return for Kyle Farnsworth. With Chamberlain slated to move into the rotation, the Yankees could have several holes to fill here. Re-signing Rivera would be a start. Getting a lefty wouldn't hurt.

6. Think about first base.
This is a position the Yankees clearly could fill from within if necessary. Andy Phillips, Shelley Duncan and Jason Giambi are options. The Yankees also could re-sign Doug Mientkiewicz, who was out much of the year with a broken wrist. He has said he would like to return, but it's not clear if the Yankees want to bring him back.