Cano’s New Deal Finalized

As reported yesterday, Robinson Cano’s new deal was finalized today.

Overall? It’s a good deal. The options are what really make it worthwhile. So, we’ve got the best offensive 2B in the AL locked up, now how about one of the best pitchers in all of baseball?

The New Stadium is Quite a Spectacle

The Yankees had the media over at the new Yankee Stadium today, providing them with a tour and some information about the current building process and the final product that will be built (there was also info about the old stadium, that will soon be torn down).

PA at the LoHud Blog has more information on it all (he was there) and he even posted up some nice pictures as well. The stadium is looking greater and greater each day.

ESPN (via the Associated Press) also has a writeup about the new stadium, in which they figure the cost for it all to be around $1.3 billion. The article also states that the new stadium will be equipped with a “Martini Bar,” which, when relayed to my girlfriend (a Red Sox fan), caused her to laugh out loud (it is sort of “elitist” sounding).

To read more about your favorite team, the NY Yankees, click here.

The End of an Era?

From the NY Times:

Bob Sheppard, the Yankees’ distinctive public-address announcer since 1951, who missed the division series last October because of a bronchial infection, “is struggling to recover his health,” a spokesman for the Yankees, Howard Rubenstein, said Wednesday.

The team “hopes he can return to the booth,” Rubenstein added.

One of Sheppard’s sons, Chris, a retired navy aviator who is now a New York-based pilot for a major airline, seems to be interested in eventually following in his father’s footsteps. He will get a tryout during spring training at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., Rubenstein said.

Sad news. Hopefully we’ll have a Sheppard in the booth (at some point) in 2008. Our thoughts go out to Bob and the Sheppard family.

Schilling’s Shoulder Woes

From ESPN:

The Boston Globe and Boston Herald are reporting that Schilling has a shoulder injury that has the right-hander and the club in a dispute over whether he needs surgery and the Red Sox have at least investigated to see if they can void his 2008 contract.

That would leave the rotation at Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, Buccholz, Wakefield. We have Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Joba, Moose/Kennedy. Which would you rather have? I think there’s consistency all throughout that rotation (ours), which is ultimately unmatched. Dice-K (to a degree), Lester, Buccholz and Wakefield are all question marks for an entire season of action (And you thought we had problems?). If the Red Sox even make it to the playoffs, the clutch Beckett and Schilling combo would be no more.

So, don’t let the writers wrap up the AL East just yet.

Yanks Were Interested in McPherson

Dallas McPherson (3B) was once a prized prospect in the Angels’ farm system, and he truly had a tremendous amount of power. In the minors he hit for average, got on base and did everything one could offensively. Hell, in 2004, in Double-A ball, he hit 20 HRs, was promoted to Triple-A ball, and hit another 20 HRs (all in a single season).

However, due to some problems at the major league level, which were apparently brought on by a series of injuries, (including hip problems and a seriously herniated disk) forcing McPherson to have major back surgery (before the 2007 season) , he’s pretty much been awall. The Angels never offered him a new contract and, in order to have a shot as a starter, he recently signed with the Marlins.

However, before signing with the Marlins, McPherson was also approached by the Yankees (and the Rays). The Yankees have been stockpiling talent, old, injured, used-to-be-good, crippled, whatever, they’ve been looking for bodies and McPherson still has upside at the age of 27 (if physically right). They were probably interested in him at first or as a power bat off the bench, but his back problems would scare anyone away.

(Thanks to MLBTR).