New York Yankees

Come on everybody let's sing! "It's the most wonderful time of the year, duh, duh, duh duh duh duh, blah, blah blah blah blah blah, it's the most wonderful time of the year ."

That is, except for the obscenely manic, your compulsive over eaters, and New York Yankee fans already fretting over the state of their team and the very recently improved roster of their hated rival, the Boston Red Sox.  

Update: While I was writing this Bill Hall signed with the Astros. This potentially makes Keppinger even more available as the ‘Stros have less of a need for him.

It's been a disappointing offseason for the New York Yankees. Normally a lock to sign the best free agents available, the Yankees whiffed on Cliff Lee, despite having the larger offer. Reliever Kerry Wood then signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, leaving a big hole in the Yankees' bullpen.

Next season Pedro Feliciano will be making the short trip to the Yankees from the New York Mets. The 34-year-old lefty relief pitcher will join what is already a star-studded pitching staff.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Yankees will finalize the contract today that would bring Feliciano to the Yankees for two years with a contract worth $8 million and an option for the 2013 season if the Yankees choose to keep the left-hander.

Sure, the New York Yankees had already signed a pitcher in Mark Prior, however let’s not count that. The Prior deal is a minor league contract. After losing out on Cliff Lee, the Yankees appeared as though they would focus on improving their bullpen.

As the Derek Jeter contract negotiations degenerated into a very public he-said, she-said battle of egos, Mariano Rivera and his representation quietly went about the business of re-upping with the only team he has ever known.

The two sides soon agreed on a two-year, $30 million deal, the news made official via press release. Apparently, an awkward press conference where the player appeared to be wondering if he could choke his GM to death and get away with it was deemed unnecessary.

The New York Yankees have to divert whatever attention is left from all the Cliff Lee drama, but there is no denying the painful disappointment still lingers.

Losing Kerry Wood to the Chicago Cubs was unexpected, but the signing of former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin gave the first ray of hope thus far in this offseason.

Why is signing Russell Martin such a positive? For two reasons:

The Yankees have a strong need for a starting pitching.

They lost out on Cliff Lee.

Andy Pettitte is undecided about retiring or coming back for one season.

I've thrown out suggestions like Brandon Webb and Carlos Zambrano.

The Yankees are rumored to not be interested in Webb, and a trade for Zambrano is unlikely because he has a full no-trade clause.

So if those options are out, they need to get a little creative.

A.J. Burnett is coming off an extremely disappointing season with the New York Yankees, and as if things cannot get any worse, he has to deal with ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd.

Burnett did not need this especially, as he is going to try and bounce back from a dreadful season in 2010.

Cowherd ironically made cowardly comments regarding a divorce between A.J. Burnett and his wife. Cowherd made comments about Burnett's wife being spiteful and vindictive.

A.J. Burnett is fuming, steaming and most likely darn-right mad.

He's mad at ESPN voice on the radio, Colin Cowherd.

This one's a doozie.

Seems the guy with the strange name—that would be Mr. Cowherd—said something on his show about the New York Yankees pitcher that he might, at this moment, want to take back.

Ah, but such is the beauty of our modern day sports talk radio. Once you say it, it's ON the record. No misquotes, no pleading, no back-peddling.