New York Yankees

What would you pay for a 6'3", 190 lb pitcher with a mid 90s fastball, who was ranked as the 5th best prospect in Indiana by Baseball America?  The Yankees decided that the price was the 440th pick in the 2008 amateur draft.

With Andy Pettitte continuing to lean toward retirement and the Yankees' stubborn refusal to give Joba Chamberlain a true shot at a rotation spot—despite his career 12-7 record and 4.18 ERA as a starter—New York must consider adding a free agent to replace Sergio Mitre as the No. 5 starter this season.

Mitre was 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in three starts last season and holds a career 13-25 record and 5.48 mark in 64 career starts, so keeping him in the rotation for any extended period of time would be disastrous.

During the Steinbrenner era, the Yankees were not a team known for their patient attitude regarding their prospects.  They viewed these players as trading chips that could be used to acquire one of the games many stars; players that were already experiencing success at the major league level and were considered amongst the elite.  Yankees minor league players learned not to wait for the call to the majors, but rather for the call informing them that they had been traded.  After all, their chances of making the roster on one of the other MLB teams was much higher than the

Another day of no good news out of New York Yankees front office regarding signing a player who can help the team win in 2011. 

GM Brian Cashman’s latest rumored pursuant is pitcher Justin Duchscherer.

Once again, Cashman continues confusing Yankee fans, as Duchscherer is a nightmare version of ace Zach Greinke.

After 18 years in the major leagues, all-times saves leader Trevor Hoffman has decided to retire from baseball with 601 saves.  Long-time New York Yankee closer Mariano Rivera is 2nd all-time with 559 saves.  With Hoffman retiring and Rivera re-signing with the Yankees for two more years, is it possible that "The Sandman" will be able to surpass Hoffman and be the all-time saves leader?

Via Jack Curry of the YES Network:

The Yankees are still monitoring the very thin starting pitcher market, but don’t expect them to sign Jeremy Bonderman.

If there is a starter on the free agent market with a questionable injury history the Yankees are apparently in on him.

Well they are supposedly “stepping up their pursuit” of one questionable starter, former A’s starter Justin Duchscherer according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

Duchscherer, 33, has suffered a myriad of injuries and even clinical depression that has derailed a once promising career.

With Boston's offseason spending spree and Tampa Bay's everything-must-go jumble sale, one can make a pretty good stab at how the AL East will play out in 2011.

The Yankees and Red Sox will fight it out for the top spot, the Blue Jays and Rays will compete for third and fourth and the Orioles will still languish at the bottom.

Obviously, any of the bottom three could make a run to the postseason as the Rays did in 2008, but it would be a staggering turnaround.

It is impossible to imagine a postseason game without the reliable Andy Pettitte walking up to the mound and pitching the game to victory. The starting pitcher's future with the New York Yankees continues to remain undetermined. As he leans towards retirement, the Yankees are reliant on him now more than ever. 

If you asked me three years ago where Andruw Jones would be in 2011, I would rattle off a thousand different answers before settling on "A Major League baseball field."

Literally, 1,000 different answers. Gas station attendant. Universal Studios tour guide. Dave & Buster's skee ball maintenance man. Grifter. Anything but a big-league ballplayer.