Yanks and Twins Not Talking

Today, Ken Rosenthal provided us with an update on Mike Cameron, informing us that Cameron and the Brewers had reached a one-year deal. In the same report, Rosenthal also stated that the Yankees and Twins are not currently speaking about Santana.

The Brewers had wanted a quick answer from Cameron, intending to pursue other free agents if he signed with another club. The Yankees declined to jump.

Another source, however, says the Yankees no longer are talking to the Twins about Santana and simply chose to keep their outfield intact rather than sign Cameron. Hank Steinbrenner has been the Yankees’ executive most adamant about landing Santana, but he seemingly has backed off in his most recent public comments.

This is similar to the report released recently which featured Hank Steinbrenner as he wondered out-loud whether or not Santana to the Yankees would even happen (he seemed to be backing off). Steinbrenner, in that article, also said that the deal of Melky-Hughes-Marquez (and a fourth) was actually not available anymore.

If that deal is no longer available to the Twins, and if the Yankees and Twins are no longer talking, this seems to signal the end of any potential Santana-Yankees trade. All the Yankees have to do is hold on for a little bit longer. If the Mets don’t get him, I doubt the Sox will. Then it’s free-agent time in 2009.

A Sign of the Times

And so comes the end of a precautionary tale about steroids, sports, money, and the neverending quest for athletic perfection.

Baseball players, take note.

No Cameron Here

Mike Cameron has reached a one year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Look’s like Melky is here to stay (for now) and A-Rod can stop his campaigning (who does he think he is, Oprah?).

The Indians and Irony

The well-known Jacobs Field (aka The Jake or Midgemania), home to those pesky Cleveland Indians, will now be known as Progressive Field. Progressive Insurance, a Cleveland based auto-insurance company, and the Indians have made a 16-year deal ($3.6 million per), allowing the field to be renamed in relation to the company.

Now, in terms of irony (which is a hard word to use and I hope I’m using it correctly…), isn’t it sort of ironic that a baseball team wielding stereotypical images of native americans across their caps and shirts, will now be playing in Progressive Field?

The term “progressive” obviously stems from the word “progress” (moving forward, positive development and advancement) and the Indians are simply living in the past. During the playoffs (Yanks VS Indians), to see tons of Cleveland fans painted red and wearing feathery headdresses, while Joba Chamberlain stepped onto the field, seemed like an unsettling and strangely amusing hallucination.

Hell, while they’re at it, instead of selling the rights to their park and renaming the field, why not rename the team?

Brian McNamee Back at it

From the Daily News:

Brian McNamee met Thursday in his lawyer’s New York office with the federal agents who cut a deal with him last summer that required him to talk truthfully with Sen. George Mitchell about steroid use in Major League Baseball or face prosecution.

The article goes on to say that the feds (who he met with) are not happy with the phone conversation that Roger Clemens’ produced at his press conference. Actually, they’re not happy with McNamee’s comments in the convo (e.g. “what do you want me to do?”), which hurt his credibility and weakened his testimony.

McNamee repeatedly asks Clemens, who played the taped call in a press conference Monday, “What do you want me to do, what do you want me to do?” – a question that might be interpreted as McNamee offering to change his story.

“He’s hurting himself as a witness when he makes that call,” said the source, who asked not to be named. “The prosecutors would want to know the genesis of the call, why he made it. The more statements he makes like that, the more likely they’ll become inconsistent. I’m sure they told him they’re not happy with that call.”

That phone conversation really sent this entire thing into a whirlwind. How do you let yourself fall into such an obvious trap?

Chuck Knoblauch Throws a Wild One

The Times has an interesting read on Chuck Knoblauch. Apparently, they found him (which is interesting in itself) and spoke with him briefly about the Mitchell Report.

Here’s a partial bit of text from the article.

“I read my name in the paper and see it on the news, but I haven’t heard a word,” Knoblauch said. “I’m supposed to be somewhere, but I haven’t been told where to be.”

Asked if he will talk to the committee, Knoblauch said: “Yeah, if I have to do that, then what are you going to do?”

He basically states that he could care less about what’s going on (and, truthfully, not many people even care that he was mentioned).

The Santana Saga Continues Ends?

According to Murray Chass, it seems as though Hank Steinbrenner believes that the Yankees will pull out of the negotiations for Minnesota’s Johan Santana.

The Yankees’ interest in a Santana trade is uncertain. There has been an internal division among Yankees executives, and on Thursday Hank Steinbrenner, the leading (perhaps lone) proponent of a Santana deal, said he was leaning against it.

“I’m starting to wonder myself,” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m starting to waver. Would we want him? Of course. But it would be a tall order.” He referred to the combined price of a player package and a new contract.

This confirms some of the news that we’ve heard recently, and definitely supports earlier thoughts regarding Hank’s change of heart in relation to a Santana trade. Chass also states that the Phil Hughes-Melky Cabrera-Jeff Marquez (and a fourth prospect, maybe Mitch Hilligoss) deal is no longer on the table, and it will be up to the Twins to reach out to the Yankees for a revamped deal.

Steinbrenner, the club’s top-ranking executive, said he did not want the Twins to think the Yankees were completely out of the picture, but he said their offer of four players, including Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera, was no longer available for the taking.

“I think they like our offer best,” he said. “But that offer isn’t on the table, where it’s up to them to take it. It’s up to what we want to do.”

Steinbrenner knows that this deal isn’t going down. Yes, he’s traded for Jason Lane recently (as a backup OF because the 1B rumors don’t make much sense), so it seems likely that Melky Cabrera could get dealt soon (for a reliever?). But, his language here indicates a total disconnect with the Twins and their organization and therefore, I think we’re seeing the end of what seemed like an endless Santana Saga.

This could be the case, even after a variety of reports surfaced that indicated a Santana trade maybe a possibility for the NY Mets. Some have said that the reports are exaggerated, as they are simply meant to kick-start the tires on a new trade with the Yankees. This doesn’t really make much sense though, considering that the Yankees would be more than happy to see Santana venture out into the NL.

Brian Cashman seems to agree with this notion. He had the following to say recently (yesterday) on the YES Network (in relation to any trades involving the Yanks).

“I think we’re probably closer to going with what we’ve got than making any substantial changes at this stage of the game,” Cashman said. “Discussions can always change and that’s why you stay engaged with the opposing teams as well as the ownership side of this. Every day could be something different, but right now I’d say we’re going to go with what we’ve got.”

2004 Red Sox and PED’s?

 

Of course this is worthwhile news. If the Yankees and their fans have to hear about every single injection, pill, and PED, why not others?

From Was Watching:

On the drive home tonight, from work, I caught the very last minutes of The Show on X-Radio (MLB Home Plate) with Rob Dibble and Kevin Kennedy.

At that time, Kevin Kennedy was addressing a caller who had some thoughts on the Mitchell Report.

I was pretty surprised at what Kennedy had to say there. In wanting to make a point about the Mitchell Report not being the all-inclusive bible of naming PED users, Kevin Kennedy said that a current colleague of his, who was with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, told him that he (the colleague) witnessed, for a fact, a member of the ‘04 Red Sox injecting himself in the buttocks with a needle full of PEDs. Kennedy said that the user is no longer a member of the Red Sox – but, he was a player on the team that won the ring in 2004. As per Kennedy, his colleague said that the “user” was giving a demo (to the “colleague”) on how to do the injection.

I’m banking on Bill Mueller or Trot Nixon. Actually, it was probably Mark Bellhorn (aka Steve Guttenberg’s body double) who was on the Yankees for 9 games in 2005. Funny how that Mitchell Report missed a couple of guys, huh?

Yankees Sign Lane, Interested in Cameron

Hey guys, sorry for the late posting. It’s been a busy day. 

So, the Yankees signed Jason Lane (for whatever reason) to a minor league deal and will add him to the mix if his numbers warrant such an inclusion. This basically tells me that the Yankees are worried about Shelley Duncan (blood clot, unlikely), OR they are ready to part with Melky Cabrera for either another bullpen arm or as part of a deal which brings Johan Santana to the Bronx (or maybe just for some minor leaguers).

The Yankees have expressed an interest in Mike Cameron (A-Rod used to like him and still does) which would further support such a trade, given that Cameron could provide some pretty decent power numbers and offensive ability if added to an already potent Yankee lineup (and he could play the OF). Cabrera could be traded (according to Ken Rosenthal) to the Braves, Reds, Cubs, Royals and Pirates, and maybe the Pirates would be a good fit, providing us with an arm like Damaso Marte.

However, remember that Cameron has been suspended for 25 games, even when the 2008 season starts up. Also, Rosenthal states that the Brewers (good team) are very interested in Cameron and would like to have him (instead of their second option, which is Kenny Lofton). According to Kenny, it seems that the emergence of Austin Jackson is a big factor in the decision to trade Melky Cabrera (Jackson’s numbers are solid).