check the pics out here:

http://zellspinstripeblog.com/2008/11/19/pictures-of-the-new-yankee-stadium-some -updates/

Everybody..let's welcome Nick Swisher to the New York Yankees. [clap, clap, clap] It seems to me like Nick Swisher is very excited about wearing Yankee pinstripes. I have seen Swisher play, and many say he gives the game everything he's got. He had an "off-year" in 2008, but he is looking to put that in his past and move on. It will also be interesting to see if Swisher becomes a factor in the Sabathia negotiations. The two have been friends for many years now, but Swisher stated that he hasn't contacted him yet. I don't think Nick realizes yet, but his whole life will change in NY. I think everyone who comes to the Big Apple becomes attached to it in a way. The fast lifestyle, all the media, and the spotlight.

Swisher's first thoughts:

"It really is a dream come true," Swisher said on Tuesday in a telephone news conference. "I think every little kid in America, at one point or another, dreams about playing for the New York Yankees. Lucky for me, it's coming true. I couldn't be more excited, not only with the tradition but, more than anything, to just have the honor to be able to wear a uniform like that."

"I think one of the best compliments you can have in this game is that you go out and play the game with passion, 150 percent," Swisher said. "I think that's the way I've gone about my career. Last year was a rough one, but hey, that's going to happen."

"This is a different year. This is '09, not '08," he said. "All the tough times I went through, I know in my mind that I've not only grown as a man, but as a player in general. In most situations, you only grow when you go through the tough times. Last year was a very humbling year for me, and I learned a lot from it."

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Yankees Official Website: Murcer brain scan mobile unit launches & A-Rod, Mussina earn AL MVP votes

First it was Sabathia's huge contract, but now the Yankees are focusing on A.J. Burnett & Derek Lowe. The Yankees will reportedly offer A.J. a 5-year contract worth $80 million. A.J. Burnett is coming off one of his best seasons of his career, and it was also a season in which he stayed healthy. He has made multiple trips to the DL throughout his career, which is why some fans are against this move. People are comparing him to Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright, but I don't think that's fair. Burnett might have been injured like those other two, but the stats he puts up are far better. Burnett (when healthy) is a far better pitcher than those two. Nobody can predict the future, and know whether or not someone will go down with an injury. I wouldn't say I fully support the deal, but I definitely wouldn't mind if it went through. The big question is his health. If he stays healthy..you guys should seee a dominant Burnett in '09.

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The LoHud Yankees Blog: Free-agent prediction fest / Swisher: "2009 will be a special year"

Boston Herald: Yanks may go after Varitek?

Yankees Official Website: Kevin Russo up for AFL Award

The New york Yankees announced today that the Yankees will host the first-ever exhibition games at the new Yankee Stadium against the Chicago Cubs. It will take place on Friday, April 3 at 7:05PM ET & Saturday, April 4 at 1:05PM ET. These teams barely ever meet up during the season, so this is pretty cool. They made the right choice by picking a original team, with one of the great fan bases around. Not that I really have a problem with this event, but does anyone think this takes anything away from Opening Day? Meaning..they have already played a game there. I think it would be better if the first event was an actual game. No big deal though.

Ticket information for the Yankees' two exhibition games vs. the Chicago Cubs will be released at a later date.

"The Yankees organization is excited and honored to host the Chicago Cubs in two exhibition games to be played at the new Yankee Stadium," said Yankees co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner. "As we welcome our fans into the ballpark for the first time, it is fitting to showcase two of baseball's greatest and most historic franchises."

"We are thrilled to have such a great organization in the Chicago Cubs agree to play the first-ever exhibition games as we unveil Yankee Stadium," said Yankees president Randy Levine. "It will be a symbolic event for the fans of two iconic teams while we celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in this proud franchise's history."

"The Cubs are thrilled to be the Yankees' first opponent in the new Yankee Stadium and are honored to take part in this historic event," said Cubs chairman Crane Kenney. "Lou Piniella and eight of our players had the honor to partake in All-Star Game festivities that helped say farewell to Yankee Stadium last summer, and we look forward to participating in the opening of the Yankees' new ballpark next spring."

Kevin Towers has said that he hasn't had any "serious" discussions with Brian Cashman. What that means is that nothing is going on right now. This is what I like to hear. FORGET PEAVY! I am a big fan of Peavy, but as I have stated before..it's not worth giving up the farm for him. Peavy is a NL pitcher..in a pitchers park, and I don't think your going to want to mess with that. He will be facing better hitters in the AL, and the ballpark he pitches in will be different. Can he adjust? Probably, but why take the chance? People like Hughes a lot, (I know some dislike the guy) and now all of a sudden..they are going to deal him with a bunch of other top prospects for a guy who isn't a proven AL pitcher. Doesn't make sense to me. I also don't think it's a good idea to lock up the rotation for years and not allow guys like Hughes, Betances, McAllister, etc. to have a shot.

"They have got a few attractive pieces, but it would probably involve a third or a fourth club," Towers said.

"I have had no direct conversations with Cashman about Peavy over a period of time," Towers said.

"But nothing is imminent and there's nothing close at this point," Towers said.

Mike Mussina is dragging it on now in my opinion. I like the Moose, but I don't want this to turn into something Brett Favre might do. haha. It's either he wants to play or he doesn't want to play. End on a high note..or go after 300 wins? He has a lot to consider, but I think he would know what he wants to do by now. Mussina is expected to decide whether or not he is returning within the next few days..but some say his decision might be coming next week. I guess I am just anxious to know where the Yankees stand this off-season. They have many questions still unanswered. Mike's decision effects what moves the Yankees make and what pitchers they might go after. I believe he will retire like many others, but you never know anymore.

In other news:

Peter Abraham talks about how the bullpen is set next year. If there is one area of the team the Yankees appear settled, it's the bullpen.

Steve Lombardi talks about what happens if the Yankees obtain C.C., Lowe, & Burnett.. Where does Hughes go if they get all 3?

Lowe is a perfect fit for Yanks

As one Yankee said in the final weekend of the season, "Even if we had made it to the playoffs, we probably would not have gone too deep because of our pitching."

Consider this about Hughes: There are 122 pitchers in the Arizona Fall League, 108 are older than Hughes. He's still only 22.

Over the last seven seasons Lowe has made between 32 and 35 starts each of those years. You can pencil him in for 200 innings right now.

"He's so consistent," said one admiring scout. "You can't go wrong with Derek Lowe. He's just what the Yankees need."

Joba says he is sorry for what he did.

You've always got to take a negative and turn it into a positive and teach kids and understand that it's not right," Chamberlain told The Post following an autograph signing at Last Licks in Rye. "And coming from somebody that's experienced it, there's a little more legitimacy behind it. But you never want to -a€" once is enough. That's not going to happen again.

"And I apologize not only to the kids, but to the fans that spend their money to come out and to do the things that they do for us and for myself. And as somebody that's in the spotlight, you've got to understand that there's more important things to life than baseball and you realize that."

from rotoworld.com:

Sources within the baseball industry believe CC Sabathia may be getting pressure from the Players Association to accept the record six-year, $140 million offer from the Yankees.

Presumably, having Sabathia ink that deal would result in monster contracts for other free agent pitchers. Even Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he thought the union could be putting the heat on CC, replying, "Yeah, probably," when probed about the possibility. Sabathia, a native of California, is believed to prefer his home state and the National League.

The New York Yankees have sent Darrell Rasner to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for $1M. (Japan's Central League) Rasner wasn't getting the playing time in NY he wanted, and he requested to be let go. (he got a lot of work in this year because of all the injuries) Rasner is expected to sign a two-year contract with the Golden Eagles soon. Rasner was a spot starter, and was really only needed when a pitcher went down with an injury. I wasn't happy with his performance, and I don't think other fans were impressed either. He had a few good starts now and than, but overall..he just couldn't get the job done.

Rasner's 2008 Statistics: (W-L) 5-10 with a 5.40 ERA in 113 1/3 innings.

That ain't going to cut it for the Yankees..

Rasner's agent, Matt Sosnick, told ESPN.com that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman "really bent over backwards to make this work for Darrell and his family."

NBA superstar..Lebron James believes that C.C. Sabathia will be a Yankee in 2009. James is a well known Yankee fan, who was spotted at Game 1 of the 2007 ALDS last year wearing a Yankees cap. He might like them so much..that when he hits the FA market in 2 years, maybe he will join the Knicks. Maybe Lebron will call C.C., and persuade him to come to NY..sort of like what Jeter did. haha

Asked before Cleveland's game against Utah on Saturday night if he thought the Yankees would win the Sabathia sweepstakes, James smiled and said, "We're gonna get him. Absolutely."

There was a report that the Mets were supposedly interested in Sabathia. They pretty much made their move last year in obtaining C.C., so it was interesting to hear. Now the teams source says that they will not be pursuing him. People were already getting ahead of themselves saying that there will be a showdown between the Mets and Yanks, but that isn't the case anymore.

The Brewers manager, Doug Melvin is shocked at what the Yankees have offered C.C. Sabathia. He thinks they are overbidding, because there haven't been any other offers on the table yet, and they should have made a lower starting bid. The Yankees have confirmed that this offer was made, and the idea is that they will try and "blow away" everyone out of the running so there won't be a contest.

The Mets aren't planning to pursue Sabathia- Team source says club's plan differs from published report

A person familiar with the club's plans, finances and, in general, fiscal responsibility, said flatly the Mets would not pursue the most attractive pitcher in the 2008 class of free agents.

"It's a business," he said. "The Yankees are going after him. We're not."

"I'm not sure any club can make that kind of move two years in a row," the Mets source said.

Yankees' offer baffles Doug Melvin-Sabathia bid reportedly $40 million

"It sounds like they're overbidding," Melvin said. "If the speculation is true that we've offered CC $100 million, why would you offer $140 million? Why wouldn't you offer $110 million?"

The answer to that question, according to reports out of New York, is that the Yankees are trying to "blow away" Sabathia with an offer he can't refuse. The New York Daily News, citing "industry sources," reported that the Yankees made an initial bid of $140 million for six years.

Melvin was asked if the Brewers could compete with that figure.

"I don't want to respond to that," Melvin said. "It's up to the player to go where the money is.

"(The Yankees) have been pretty adamant about bidding on everybody. That doesn't mean that's what the market is. That's just one team's offer. Until all the bids are on the table, I don't know what the market is."

The only way I would be in favor of landing Peavy is if Hughes isn't included, which is highly unlikely. If he is in some sort of proposed deal..I would put it out of the question. We really don't need Peavy. If they can get Sabathia..Peavy isn't a priority, as there are other options. (Lowe, Burnett) The Yankees can keep there young talent, and just give C.C. the big money. This is the same problem I had with the Santana deal. Why should we give up the young talent for someone you can just buy? It makes no sense at all. Everyone complains we have no farm system. The first time in years we actually have some promising prospects..you are in a rush to trade them away? Let's just hope the Yanks land Sabathia.

Yankees Official Website: Peavy added to Yanks' wish list

FOX Sports: Sources: Pads, Yanks had 'numerous' Peavy talks

rom rotoworld.com:

A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com that the Yankees have had "numerous discussions" with the Padres about Jake Peavy. Rosenthal claims that Padres GM Kevin Towers had a conversation with the Yankees' Brian Cashman at the general managers' meetings earlier this month. Towers told Cashman that he'd discuss a deal with the Yankees after working through a list of National League teams. With the Braves bowing out, it appears discussions with New York are now on.

"Right now, I need to stay focused with National League clubs," Towers told Cashman. "If I'm not able to get close with any of them, I'll circle back to you."

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Manny Ramirez update:

MLB.com reports that the Dodgers have withdrawn their contract offer to Manny Ramirez, but will continue to negotiate. The Dodgers reportedly offered Ramirez a two-year, $45 million contract with a third-year team option that could have made the deal worth a total of $60 million, but their window for Ramirez to accept the proposal closed Thursday night. "We still have an interest in him," general manager Ned Colletti said. "It's like any other free-agent negotiation now. Now they'll have a chance to hear what other clubs are willing to pay and for how long."

So Manny is still a option..

Looks like Hank has opened his mouth once again. I get a kick out of this. I don't know why Yankee fans don't like him. He bring excitement to the club. Poke fun at him all you want..but its you the fans who are constantly bringing him up, so it looks like people enjoy giving him attention. A Yankee fan must feel really good right nowa€¦

from the LoHud Yankees Blog:

After hours of unrelenting torture at the hands of the Associated Press, Hank Steinbrenner broke down tonight and revealed what the Yankees are up to.

Steinbrenner confirmed that Brian Cashman made an offer to CC Sabathia. Then he added: "And we're prepared to make offers to (A.J.) Burnett and (Derek) Lowe. I'm starting to become very optimistic. I think it's going to be mutually beneficial to us and for these particular players that we're after for them to join the Yankees."

Offers are a long way from acceptance. But if the Yankees are seeking Sabathia, Burnett and Lowe, are they prepared to leave Andy Pettitte by the side of the road? Or are they offering three, hoping to get two and then moving on to Pettitte?

One thing is fairly certain: They're not messing around.

Interesting artcile on ESPN: Buster Olney's Blog: Yankees can have whatever they want

Yankee fans have gotten to the point where they don't realize how good the lineup is. The lineup is filled with all-stars & MVP caliber players but it's "not enough." Giambi & Abreu are on there way out..but that doesn't mean the lineup is terrible. If you go back to the days of the 1996 Yankees..they didn't have one player with over 30HR's. Its not all about hitting HR's. The Yankees don't need to sign a superstar player at every position to contend for a World Series. They had guys like Girardi, Duncan, G Williams, Leyritz on the team, who weren't All-Star/HOF players, but they got the job done and played hard. The 2008 Yankees had all-stars at almost every position. Jeter, Damon, Cano, Giambi, Rodriguez, Abreu, Posada, and Matsui can all be considered All-Stars. Do they need Teixeira? No, they don't. Would he be helpful? Yes. Is it worth dropping $200 million on Tex? ehhh..I don't think so.

Could Swisher/Nady..be the next O'Neill/Brosius? Now don't bash me for saying that. Nobody knows what the future holds. They were both beloved in pinstripes so I don't want to get ahead of myself, but give them time..see what happens.

The Yankees just acquired Nick Swisher and everyone is going nuts. "He Sucks!" etc. Nice Swisher isn't a great player, but he has some pop in his bat, and if he can get his batting average back up..he could be even more useful. The Yankees had role players like Chad Curtis and Scott Brosius, who got a hit when they needed one and brought it up a notch when it really mattered. They didn't have the best career numbers either. I'm just trying to say..don't be mad if they don't bring a guy like Tex in. The Yankees lineup is cluttered enough already. The big reason why the offensive production was down last year was because of injury. I expect big things out of the lineup in 2009.

Now onto the bullpena€¦.

The Yankees recently acquired Damaso Marte on a 3 year/$12 million contract. In my opinion it was a good move. Having two left-handersa€¦like Coke & Marte is a big plus. The Yankees have struggled to find lefty pitchers over the years and I think they finally found a duo that might work. I expect huge things from the pen next year. They got rid of the bums: Farnsworth/Hawkins/Ohlendorf/Traber. Those were very important steps in making this team better. Cashman held onto them until the bitter end..and they lost a lot of games because of it. Now they have a rush of youngsters like Aceves, Giese, Robertson, Sanchez, and Albaladejo, who can be very helpful in the rebuilding of this bullpen. Rivera at the back end of the bullpen..makes it the best in baseball.

Here is some of the latest stuff on the Yankees:

River Avenue Blues:

Teixeira still a target for the Yankees? / Mariano>K-Rod in 2008

CBS Sportsline:

a€"C Jorge Posada told reporters there were no setbacks in his recovery from surgery on his right shoulder. He expects to throw in the second week of December. "I'm really looking forward to getting ready before spring training, too," said Posada, who missed much of last year and underwent surgery July 30. "But when it comes to March 1, I think I'm going to be 100 percent." Posada again repeated his mantra that "I want to be a catcher" when asked if he would take some practice time at first base.

a€"LHP Kei Igawa may be one of the Yankees' biggest big-budget busts at the major league level, but he earned some acclaim in the minors. Topps recently named Igawa to its Class AAA All-Star team after he set a club record for wins (14) with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Of course, he might not have reached such a lofty mark had he not been quickly chased off the mound in his brief return to the majors for the Yankees last season. Igawa pitched in two games, yielding six runs and 13 hits in four innings.

Rotoworld reports:

JAKE PEAVY:

General manager Frank Wren said Friday that the Braves "have moved on" and are no longer in the running for Jake Peavy."We had our last discussion with San Diego yesterday and let them know that if the final names we were discussing wouldn't get it done, we would move on to other opportunities, other possibilities," Wren said. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Braves will now turn their attention to free agents A.J. Burnett, Ryan Dempster and Derek Lowe, leaving the Padres to either trade Peavy to the Cubs or find a new potential landing spot such as the Angels or Yankees.

DEREK LOWE:

SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Yankees will follow up their pitch to CC Sabathia with offers to A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe in the next day or two. Obviously, Burnett and Lowe won't be offered the same kind of money as Sabathia, who is expected to receive a proposal that eclipses $140 million in total value, but the Yankees are prepared to sign two or the three if they can.

MARK TEIXEIRA:

The New York Post reports that Thursday's trade for Nick Swisher makes the Yankees unlikely to heavily pursue Mark Teixeira. According to the newspaper, Teixeira is "a backburner issue" while the Yankees "concentrate on starting pitching" with an eye on CC Sabathia.

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The Record: Villone on the free agent market again

The New York Times: The Red Sox won't be raising ticket prices in 2009