Give the Yankees credit, the winter meetings are still eight days away and their bullpen is in order and their new slugger is on board – even though they haven’t announced all that. You’ll remember the Yankees were putting together their bullpen last year at the winter meetings, then again in August and that was a problem.
Right fielder Gary Sheffield is expected to have a physical today so that will finalize his three-year, $39 million deal, and Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill are in the fold, even though the Yankees only announced the signing of Felix Heredia yesterday to a two-year deal worth $3.85 million.
And now the franchise that has been built on pitching during Joe Torre’s reign of success is getting ready to pounce again.
The Yankees, according to industry sources, are moving closer to finalizing the trade for the Expos’ Javier Vazquez, and it figures to be Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera being packaged to Montreal. Those are the two players Expos GM Omar Minaya wants in return for the right-hander who throws lightning bolts.
Minaya has not returned phone calls this week and the Yankees have a gag order on the entire organization, but the sources insist Vazquez will be in Pinstripes soon. That will be a major move, especially when you consider Vazquez is 10 years younger than Curt Schilling and struck out 241 batters in 2302/3 innings last season.
The Yankees have to start making progress in negotiations with left-hander Andy Pettitte. For the Yankees to get this deal done, it appears they must go to four years or else it is possible Pettitte will go elsewhere. His hometown Astros are salivating over the prospect of the Yankees messing up the deal that should have been a slam-dunk.
When it comes to Pettitte, it always seems George Steinbrenner makes it more difficult than it should be to keep the lefty in Pinstripes. As for Steinbrenner, he continues his Oscar-award winning imitation of Greta Garbo, avoiding any contact with the media. Promised one Steinbrenner confidant: “He’ll be on the back page again soon.”
As for four-year pitching free-agent deals, which have become a rare breed these days, word was circulating yesterday that the Angels have offered a four-year deal to Bartolo Colon. Colon’s agent Mitch Frankel did not return calls. Colon was tied for the AL lead in complete games (nine) and his average fastball of 93.4 mph was just a shade slower than C.C. Sabathia’s 93.9-mph heater last year, so it is clear he has not lost anything even though his conditioning leaves much to be desired.
This already has been a strong offseason for the Yankees and the addition of Sheffield is monstrous. Sheffield even worked out at the Yankees’ minor-league complex yesterday, according to the AP.
The Yankees have yet to announce the deals for Sheffield, Gordon (two years at $7.25 million), Quantrill (two years at $6.8 million) and backup catcher John Flaherty (one year, $775,000).
This offseason is all about outdoing the Red Sox and the Yankees have solidified their bullpen with the additions of Gordon and Quantrill, two bulldogs who will make life a lot easier for Mariano Rivera.
Building a bullpen is key to every offseason. Rivera needs help and the Yankees have provided it. The challenge now is to get the starting pitching lined up because as of this moment under contract, it’s Mike Mussina, Jose Contreras, Jeff Weaver and Jon Lieber.
The Red Sox currently hold a major advantage in starting pitching with the Big Three of Pedro Martinez, Schilling and Derek Lowe, but it’s only Dec. 4.
