Who could the Yankees go after if Masahiro Tanaka is unable to be posted?

Heading into the off-season, it was apparent that Masahiro Tanaka would be the Yankees' number one target on the starting pitching front. After all, of all the available big-name starters on the market he is the youngest and potentially the most cost-effective. However, there have been severalconflictingreports as to whether the Japanese right-hander will be able to be posted or not. So, what are the Yankees' backup plans if there isn't an agreement reached by Major League Baseball and the Nippon Professional Baseball league on a new posting system?

Target the other big-name starters

The "big-name starters" include Ricky Nolasco, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Matt Garza. Out of those names, the only one I wouldn't complain too much about the Yankees signing is Garza. Despite his rough stint with the Rangers last summer, he has been pretty solid over the past few years and has experience in the American League East, for whatever that's worth. Personally, I'd stay away from all of the others, mainly due to them consistently under-performing their peripherals (Nolasco), their overall inconsistencies (Jimenez), and allowing a bunch of home runs (Santana). Since these guys are the biggest names, they will, obviously, be the most expensive and will command a lot of years on their deals.

Target the medium range starters

These "medium range" starters are guys who we've certainly heard of, but won't command the type of years/money like the big names will. Some of these guys include Scott Kazmir, Bronson Arroyo, Scott Feldman, Dan Haren, Jason Vargas, etc. Most of these guys, if not all of these guys, are guys I'd want to stay away from. Kazmir had a good year in 2013, yes, but was a complete disaster and/or hurt the previous three seasons. Dan Haren used to be someone I'd like for the Yankees to target (namely 2010), but he's had his share of back injuries and has given up a lot of home runs in recent years (1.5 HR/9 in 2012-2013) despite pitching his home games in pitcher-friendly Angel Stadium and Nationals Park.

Speaking of home runs, Arroyo gives up home runs, and a lot of them. He has had a HR/9 rate of 1.2 or above in every season since 2006 (1.3 HR/9 overall from 2006-2013, spanning 265 starts), including a 2.1 (!!!) HR/9 in 2011 when he allowed more homers (46) than walks (45). Meanwhile, there's Scott Feldman, which, like the rest of these starters, you can put in the "meh" category. While he did have a decent 2013 split between the Cubs and Orioles, he has been very inconsistent over the years (ERA+ from 2008-2013, respectively: 84, 114, 82, 113, 86, 105).

Try to convince Hiroki Kuroda to return

This would include upping the qualifying offer that he received (and ultimately turned down) from the $14.1 million figure to, perhaps, the $15 million he earned in 2013. I love Kuroda just as much as the next guy, but I think the Yankees and Kuroda should part ways. Giving someone who ran out of gas in the final quarter of the season a touch over $14MM is enough already, but raising that figure for someone who will turn 39 and has more than 2800 innings under his belt (including from his time in Japan) might be asking too much. The general consensus seems to be either the Yankees, Japan, or retirement for Kuroda since he was given the qualifying offer and other Major League teams may be hesitant to give up a draft pick for his services.

Take a flier on a high-risk, high-reward starter

Two guys that come to mind in this category are Tim Hudson and Josh Johnson. Both are coming off injuries (Hudson ankle; Johnson triceps, knee, forearm, elbow) but have the potential to be high-end starters (more so Johnson than Hudson, however). Hudson, prior to 2013, posted a career ERA+ of 126 and threw at least 179 innings in 11 of those 14 seasons, but will turn 39 next July and is coming off that aforementioned ankle injury. I originally thought he could be had on a one-year deal, but evidently he could get two years from someone. I hope that someone isn't the Yankees, in that case. Johnson, on the other hand, is said to be looking for a one-year deal to re-establish his value as a front-line starter. If his medicals check out well, I hope the Yankees would at least be interested on a low-ish base, incentive-laden deal.

Go dumpster diving and hope to strike gold

Something like this isn't foreign to the Yankees. After failing to sign Cliff Lee prior to the 2011 season, the Yankees, instead of signing an intermediate free agent option like Jon Garland or Jake Westbrook, decided to try to save some money and go dumpster diving for the likes of Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon. As we all know, those two moves worked out and they each helped the Yankees capture the American League East crown that ensuing season. Some of this year's dumpster diving candidates include the aforementioned Jake Westbrook as well as Jason Hammel, Roberto Hernandez, Scott Baker, and Mike Pelfrey, among many, many others. All of these guys have their respective warts, whether it be injuries or just being plain awful. It'd be nice if the Yankees didn't have to resort to options like these.

Make a trade

Since we're still relatively early in the off-season and not quite at the Winter Meetings yet, the trade market hasn't been quite established just yet. However, there are two high-profile names that could be on the move in David Price and Max Scherzer (more so the former than the latter). At the same time, I seriously doubt the Yankees have the pieces to acquire either one of those arms. In order, I'd say the Yankees' best trade chips are Ivan Nova, Brett Gardner, David Robertson, Gary Sanchez, and J.R. Murphy, at least in my opinion. Trading Nova wouldn't make a whole lot of sense in this case because they're looking to add starting pitching, not subtract it, and Nova is one of their best starting pitching assets at the moment. Maybe a package of Gardner and Robertson could net them a decent starter, but by doing that you're filling one hole while creating two other holes in the outfield and bullpen in the process. For now, the Yankees' best bet to land an impact starter is through free agency.

Obviously, you can see that the drop-off from Tanaka to the next set of free agents is a pretty significant one. If MLB and the NPB can't come to an agreement on a new posting system, I could definitely see the Yankees grabbing at least one of the big-name, high-money free agents even though most/all of them aren't great fits. Since Brian Cashman is looking to replace 400 innings (which means acquiring two starters), I could definitely see someone like Dan Haren being signed by the team (remember, the Yankees tried to acquire him in September to make a late postseason push, so you know there has been previous interest) considering he fits the "veteran innings-eater" mold at this stage of his career. With all this said, though, I feel it's pretty unlikely MLB and NPB don't come to an agreement eventually on this posting system, but, say they don't, things may get kind of ugly. You can't blame the Yankees for putting all of their eggs in the Masahiro Tanaka basket given the lackluster backup options.

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Derek Jeter's health at his age and position is a question that necessitates backup plans at shortstop.

The Yankees have found their insurance at shortstop for 40-year-old Derek Jeter by re-signing Brendan Ryan, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. While ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand reports that the deal is not yet final, Heyman's sources tell him otherwise.

Ryan was acquired by New York during the 2013 season, with the Mariners, Ryan's team since 2011, sending him to the Yankees for a player to be named later on September 10. While he hit just .197/.255/.273 for the season, Ryan's glove is one of the best in the league -- for a team without any capable options for the position, Ryan can at least perform half of his job well.

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He's very much a fill-in player at this stage, though: if he could hit like he did in 2011, when the shortstop batted .248/.313/.326, that would be one thing, but he's now on a four-year run of .217/.283/.294, for an OPS+ of 64. If all the Yankees use Ryan for is as a late-game defensive replacement for Jeter, though, as well as the occasional shortstop on days where Jeter slots in at designated hitter, then he shouldn't hurt New York.

According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Yankees are still in on free agent shortstop and former Red Sox Stephen Drew, however, meaning that Ryan is possibly a temporary option, or that Jeter, if the Yankees can help it, won't go anywhere near shortstop in 2014. Drew received the qualifying offer from Boston, and would therefore require New York forfeit their first-round pick. The Yankees are currently slated to select 18th overall, the earliest they've drafted since 2005. They do have the potential to recoup picks through compensation as well, though, thanks to qualifying offers submitted to Hiroki Kuroda, Robinson Cano, and Curtis Granderson.

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With the meaty bit of Alex Rodriguez's arbitration hearing ahead of us, I ask the question that nobody else has been foolish enough to ask: why not just render a verdict by looking at some GIFs?

Word on the street is that Alex Rodriguez is being called to testify in his own case, "Old Man Who Has Trouble Hearing (and Who Frequently Seems to Have a Band-Aid Affixed to His Face) vs. Alex Rodriguez." Word on the street is right. However, I believe I can save everyone a grueling ten days of testification and deliberation over arbitration—I believe we can judge the character of a person through GIFs.

Presently, the body of Alex Rodriguez is lounging somewhere within an undoubtedly humid Californian house, riddled sick through and through by the virus influenza. So until Cousin Yuri brings him that sweet, sweet Tylenol, we’re left hanging painfully off tenterhooks. But pull those barbs from your supple skin, friends: I have searched far and wide for the finest video evidence of acts committed by Big Rod, have converted that video evidence into moving image form, and have assembled those moving image forms here for your consideration. We are the jury, and by the conclusion of today’s session, we shall have come to a verdict: innocent or guilty, which is how verdicts usually go. Unless you get a hung jury, in which case... well, back on those tenterhooks I guess.

Shine, sweet freedom. Shine your light on me.

Who, Me?

Exhibit A: Mr. Rodriguez denies all wrongdoing.

Well, that clears it up then. Should we go get some coffee?

Gracious A-Rod

Words cannot describe how good this is. I mean, this is it. This is the greatest A-Rod moment. A-Rod thanking a reporter for a thing that wasn’t even meant as a compliment. No, those aren’t fake captions. That was what was actually said. Shut it down. Shut it all down.

Disturbed A-Rod

Selfish A-Rod

Still not as bad as that time he ran into the stands, stole Jeter’s 3000th hit ball from that dude, stole the signed DJ3K shirt that Jeter was about to hand to the fan, and ran out into the parking lot yelling "I’m alive! I’m alive! I’m alive!"

Chums

Just the routine fourth inning pectoral density check (PDC) that all ballplayers are subject to.

This is from the 2001 All-Star Game, where A-Rod famously moved himself over to third base, forcing Cal Ripken, Jr. into the shortstop position for Ripken’s last All-Star Game. This act was lauded by everyone—even Boris Yeltsin reportedly applauded at his television set from his dacha in northwest Russia—and is precisely the kind of selfless behavior you’d expect from a villain like Rodriguez. Only a colossal, narcissistic jerk like him would be capable of such a dignified act.

Talking about the act and about Rodriguez, Joe Buck, a sportscaster that has a face, made the words: "A classy gesture from a classy, classy man." (He actually said that; you can check the tape. I swear on the life of my pet hamster Jeremy that Joe Buck actually said that.) Also from that day:

Utility GIF: Joe Torre Would Like You to Leave

The Fun Police

That’s right. A-Rod will tell you how many autographs you’ll get, and whatever he gives you, you’ll accept it, you’ll smile, and you’ll say thank you. Seriously though, some people are just no fun. C’mon, Alex. They only want to take whatever you sign and flip it on eBay. Have a heart already. Jeez.

Now, let’s find out what Mark Teixeira is up to! Because why not?

Juicin’

Musclin’

Stabbin’

That’s a PGS (a pretty good stab). And that’s also a good note to end on.

As always, follow us on Twitter, depress a mouse button on this bolded blue text to see more GIFs, and, if you’d like, speak your brains below on the relative merits of Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, below, in the comment field where you can type your comment, below.

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Can the Yankees really afford to wait around?

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding Masahiro Tanaka and his posting in 2013. With the agreement between MLB and NPB expired, a new deal must be struck if a team wants to sign him. It was believed an agreement was reached, but then it wasn't, and then it was again. The two leagues are still negotiating on the details, but a source elieves an agreement will be reached by the end of the year and the Japanese right-hander will post sometime before the 2014 season.

While this is better news than him being completely off the table, the uncertainties surrounding him could hinder the Yankees' offseason plans. With Alex Rodriguez's appeal hearing already keeping the Yankees from spending and Robinson Cano's free agency likely to go into 2014, the offseason seems to be a lot of waiting around.

The Yankees still need to figure out whether or not Hiroki Kuroda will re-sign with them or not so they can handle their rotation concerns. They're still looking for a catcher, someone who can play part-time at third base, and a backend reliever. If the $189 million budget is in play, then that means the Yankees will have limited money to work with and trying to score big in free agency is tough when you don't know who will be available and what your needs really are.

They need to get the answer to something before the winter meetings, otherwise it's going to be a lot of silence as they wait to see what resources they ultimately have to work with.

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The second baseman may be doing the impossible: Pricing himself out of the New York Yankees' range.

Robinson Cano wasn't exaggerating in earlier reports: He's still looking for a 10-year, $310 million contract this winter, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN. It's unclear what teams, if any, would be willing to give the second baseman that heavy of a commitment, but he hasn't softened his stance in recent weeks.

The New York Yankees still want to bring back their best player, but that contract is reportedly too rich even for their blood. The team is trying to keep its payroll under $189 million in 2014 for luxury tax purposes; by staying under that threshold, they will not only avoid the tax for next year, but also eliminate the cumulative effects of having surpassed it several times in previous seasons. Last year, the team paid a record-high $29.1 million luxury tax penalty.

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Due to these payroll concerns, the Yankees are unlikely to offer more than $210 million to Cano, reports Marchand. However, with the status of Alex Rodriguez and his $27.5 million luxury tax hit up in the air as Major League Baseball reviews his suspension appeal, there is still the chance that New York could find itself with some extra cash with which to play. If A-Rod's season-long suspension is upheld for the 2014 season, then the team would not have to pay his salary, clearing up space for the one season needed to get under the threshold.

The Yankees are not the only team interested in Cano. The Texas Rangershave expressed interest, although it's unclear where he would fit into a team that already has three star middle infielders for two positions. The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't been linked to the slugger since they signed Cuban infielder Alex Guerrero, but they always have to be considered a dark horse candidate for any big free agent given their recent behavior on the market, though, owner Magic Johnson has publicly said the Dodgers won't be chasing him.

Cano, who turned 31 in October, would be 41 years old in the final season of a theoretical 10-year contract.

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Peralta can play shortstop and third base, and the Yankees figure to have a big hole in the left side of their infield.

The New York Yankees are interested in free agent infielder Jhonny Peralta, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.

The 31-year-old Peralta can play shortstop and third base, two positions which may be problems for the Yankees this year. They are currently relying on Derek Jeter at shortstop, but there is no guarantee that the long-time star, who turns 40 in June, can still handle the job after playing only 17 games in 2013 due to injury. Their third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, is currently appealing a season-long PED suspension and may miss all of 2014; the team has already been linked to St. Louis Cardinals' third basemanDavid Freese, signaling that they are not counting on A-Rod next year.

Peralta was an All-Star last season, and batted .303/.358/.457 with 11 home runs in 107 games. However, he was suspended for 50 games at the end of the season for his involvement in the Biogenesis drug scandal. In addition to shortstop and third, Peralta got some reps in left field during the playoffs; given his poor performance in the outfield, though, it seems unlikely that the Yankees would be pursuing him in order to play him there.

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The Yankees have already signed Derek Jeter and agreed to terms with Brendan Ryan in deals for 2014, but that hasn't stopped them from pursuing one of the top free agent shortstops in Jhonny Peralta. According to Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees join the Mets in pursuit of Peralta's services.

Peralta likely appeals to the Yankees because he could fill in for Alex Rodriguez while suspended at third base and also taking over for Jeter at shortstop, which is his normal position. He may be seeking a deal with a team where he can play shortstop full-time, which isn't the Yankees, but if he is willing to put in some time at the hot corner the Yankees could solve a lot of problems by bringing him in.

Aside from a miserable 2012 campaign with the Tigers, Peralta has been above average with the bat since moving to Detroit. He posted a .299/.345/.478 batting line in 2011 and a .303/.358/.457 line in 107 games last season. Unfortunately, he was also suspended for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic and missed 50 games. Who knows what kind of effect any of his dealings with Anthony Bosch and company may have had on his statistics, but if he has put that all behind him, he could be a valuable asset in the Bronx as an insurance policy for one or both of Rodriguez and Jeter.

What kind of deal do you think Peralta is likely to receive this offseason? Do you think it's worth it for the Yankees to pursue his services with Jeter and Ryan already in the fold?

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Robinson Cano is still looking for a deal of ten years and $310 million as he waits for teams to really begin opening their wallets this offseason. Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York writes that Cano is going to need to lower his asking price by $100 million or more if he hopes to stay with the Yankees.

With the winter meetings less than a month away, it is unlikely that Cano will be signed before then and talks could very well extend into the new year. If the Yankees are waiting to find out the status of Alex Rodriguez's suspension, they could possibly have resolution on that matter as early as the middle of December. With Cano being the biggest free agent on the market, it's no surprise that he'd be in absolutely no hurry to sign while holding out for the highest bidder.

If the Yankees lose out on Cano, they may look to Omar Infante or trade to fill the opening at second base. The Texas Rangers have reportedly been interested in Cano, despite their already-present middle infielder logjam. If they make Jurickson Profar or Ian Kinsler available, the Yankees could look to trade for one of them to play second base. Otherwise, dumpster diving to replace an All-Star will likely yield poor results.

Will the Yankees be willing to meet Cano's asking price in the end, or will they have to look elsewhere for their 2014 second baseman? Do they have the pieces to make a trade for an impact player if it comes down to that?

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The team has already surpassed its bonus pool allotment, and is still expected to sign more players.

The New York Yankees are expected to continue spending big on the international free agent market, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. The team is interested in re-stocking its farm system, and the international market is often an effective way to add talent quickly at an affordable price.

New York has already exceeded its bonus pool allotment of $1,877,000, thanks to the signings of Dominican center fielder Leonardo Molina ($1.4 million) and shortstop Yonauris Rodriguez ($550,000). The signings put the team around 3.8% over the limit; if they exceed the threshold by at least 15%, then they incur the maximum penalty, which consists of a 100% tax on the excess amount they spend above the limit and the inability to sign any international players for more than $250,000 in next year's signing period. They will reach the maximum penalty if they spend at least another $282,000 in this year's signing period, which started on July 2 and extends through next summer.

It should be noted that the Yankees' pursuit of Japanese pitching phenom Masahiro Tanaka does not have any effect on the team's bonus pool. Tanaka is immune to bonus pool considerations due to the fact that he is over the age of 23 (just turned 25) and is coming from Japan's professional league. The Yankees' desire to spend on international free agents this winter is the opposite of their strategy at the major league level; the team's desire to keep its major league payroll below the luxury tax threshold in 2014 has been well documented. This contrast makes sense; building from within with cheap, unproven talent is a great way to field a quality team with a more efficient payroll.

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Which do you think is the top moment in Yankees history? Participate in our tournament and help us find out!

The Yankees have had countless incredible moments throughout their long 110-year history in New York. Recounting every single one of them is pretty damn difficult. However, Pinstripe Alley is going to try to determine the greatest moment in Yankees history by selecting the top 32 moments and pitting them against each other in a NCAA-style tournament.

We chose the 32 moments in the tournament by dividing the Yankees' history into four different eras: founding through 1959, 1960-79, 1980-99, and 2000 to the present. From there, we compiled what we felt were the top eight moments in Yankees history from each era. It was a challenge to separate Yankees history into four different eras of mostly varying lengths, but we felt it was the best way to include the highest quality array of moments in this tournament.

Limiting the Yankees' first 56 years to one group of eight was especially tough since that era featured the team's first 18 championships. Unfortunately, because the era was played so long ago that the top moments don't linger in our memories as much as those from more recent times. Altering the era's date range to a fewer year might have allowed to include Lombardi's "Big Snooze" in the '39 World Series or Allie Reynolds's second no-hitter of '51, but it also would have forced us to leave off some of those amazing moments from 1960-79 or 1980-99, all of which could be argued have a place in this tournament.

Nonetheless, these are the 32 moments we came up with, and it's a damn solid collection. Every day for the next few weeks, we'll pit one moment against another to determine by the voting poll which moves on in the tournament. The author for the day will provide a few paragraphs on each moment to give you a refresher. Here are the first round matchups:

Founding-1959

(1) Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech vs. (8) Henrich's strikeout-turned win in the '41 World Series
(2) Larsen's perfecto vs. (7) Gehrig's four-homer game
(3) Ruth's "Called Shot" vs. (6) Martin's walk-off single in '53 clinches record fifth title in a row
(4) DiMaggio's hit streak reaches 56 vs. (5) Ruth hits his 60th homer

1960-79

(1) Maris hits his 61st homer vs. (8) Mantle homer ends '64 World Series Game 3
(2) Chambliss blast ends ALCS vs. (7) Yanks and Murcer win one for Munson
(3) Bucky F'in Dent vs. (6) Line out ends '62 World Series Game 7
(4) Reggie homers thrice in '77 World Series Game 6 vs. (5) Guidry fans 18 Angels

1980-99

(1) Cone's perfecto vs. (8) Abbott's one-handed no-hitter
(2) Wells's perfecto vs. (7) Mattingly's first playoff homer
(3) Leyritz homer ties '96 World Series Game 6 vs. (6) The Jeffrey Maier homer
(4) Tino's '98 World Series slam vs. (5) Righetti's July 4th no-hitter

2000-present

(1) Aaron Boone vs. (8) Jeter dives into stands
(2) Late-game '01 World Series heroics vs. (7) A-Rod owns Nathan in the '09 ALDS
(3) Jeter's Flip Play vs. (6) Mo's last game
(4) DJ3K vs. (5) Sojo wins the Subway Series

You can also view all the moments in bracket style below (click to embiggen):

The series kicks off tomorrow with the 1 vs. 8 matchup in the Founding-1959 region, then moves on to 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5. The rest of the first round proceeds chronologically by era. Any guesses on which moment will be the tournament favorite? Have any other thoughts on the Yankees' top 32 moments? Comment, and be sure to vote once the matchup posts begin on Tuesday!

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As the Yankees turn 110 in 2013, which of the numerous talented players to don the pinstripes will land in the our top 100 list? You can help decide.

The year was 1903. Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States. Two of the world's most famous sporting events, the World Series and the Tour de France, were first organized. The Wright Brothers completed their famous flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Calamity Jane, Pope Leo XIII, and a hard-drinking, hard-hitting outfielder named Ed Delahanty all passed away. Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and a little German boy named Lou Gehrig were all born. Most importantly to this site, the New York Yankees came into existence in a rickety building on 165th Street and Broadway that came to be known as Hilltop Park.

Since 1903, there have been an incredible 1,519 different players to play for the New York Yankees. Interestingly, less than 30 percent of these talented athletes have made it into at least 100 games, but how can one whittle that number down further to just 100 when so many can be considered worthy for their great feats in pinstripes? Several Yankees who were vital contributors to the franchise's unparalleled total of 27 World Series championships and 40 American League pennants will not make it onto this list. It can be difficult to compare eras and say one person is better than the other. For instance, one player's numbers from the 1930s might be better than another from the 1980s, but do you give credit to Mr. 80's for playing integrated ball? Are some statistics more legitimate than others? Why are the clocks melting? The questions can be endless.

That being said, some of us have decided to tackle this project as several of our SBN brothers have done so in the past for their respective teams. It is high time that the blog of the most iconic and historic team in the annals of baseball gets its own Top 100. The best part is that we want your help.

Steve, Tanya, the WARbot 9000 (an average of fWAR and rWAR), and myself are in on this project; however, we would love to get some more community voices involved in it. Without the readers, we would just be writing for ourselves on Xangas or whatever the kids are doing these days (probably not Xanga). Actual people can give more thought to the idea than a simple WAR ranking, too. It might seem like a hassle to go through the efforts of assembling a list of the top 100 Yankees in team history, but it really is a fun exercise to think about all of these terrific players and how they compare to each other.

We will be commencing the project with #100 sometime soon. If you want to submit your list of the top 100 Yankees and help make your imprint on this project, please e-mail it to me at greatscott723@yahoo.com.

Take these guidelines into consideration:

• If you're a site member, feel free to add in your username so we can list you as a contributor.
• We are only ranking players--no managers or executives.
• If you think making a list of 100 is too much for you, you can submit a list of your top 50 or 75 instead, and it will also be counted.
• We're not going to accept lists of fewer than 50 Yankees since we want some good thought behind it and due diligence given to those Yankees that might not always pop in your head when thinking of the greatest players.
• Please do not submit your top 100 in the comments section for this thread. I will copy it down and include it when I get a chance to view it, but I will then promptly delete the comment so that other list-makers will not be influenced. Plus, it will just make it easier for me if I can track them via e-mail.
• You can make submissions until 11:59 PM on Wednesday, January 16th.

I think that this could be a fun project for the community to do together. Make your voice heard!

With a need for some left-handed power at DH, a reunion with Raul Ibanez could make sense.

The Yankees are reportedly interested in a reunion with former Yankee Raul Ibanez, says George King and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. With a hole at designated hitter at the moment, the Yankees could use a power bat like Ibanez's.

Ibanez, who turns 42 next June, showed last season that he has enough in the tank. The lefty-swinging Ibanez hit .242/.306/.487, 117 wRC+ in 496 plate appearances with the Mariners last season. However, he did most of his damage in the first half (143 wRC+) and fell off in the second half (79 wRC+). As we all know, the Yankees let Ibanez walk last winter in favor of Travis Hafner and that move failed tremendously.

If brought back, Ibanez would be used as a DH (considering he's a disaster in the outfield) and would probably need a right-handed platoon partner. Unsurprisingly, Ibanez has been better against right-handed pitching (122 wRC+) than left-handed pitching (96 wRC+) in his career, though last season, he posted a 121 wRC+ against lefties (140 plate appearances), but still hit well against righties (116 wRC+). If they choose to platoon him, they could use some sort of quasi-platoon with Derek Jeter DHing against lefties (and in the field against righties) with Ibanez getting the at-bats at DH against righties.

Because he's in his 40's, Ibanez could be had on only on a one-year deal and it'd come pretty cheap, too. Raul made $2.75 million last year, and although he could get a raise, it wouldn't be for that much. Guys in their 40's can fall off the face of the Earth in a hurry. Either way, with no signs of Plan 189 being abolished, Ibanez would potentially be a nice, affordable fit (if last year's second half fade isn't a sign of things to come). As we saw in 2012, most notably in the postseason, his bat would play pretty well in Yankee Stadium.

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Levine has yet to testify, but is on call if he is needed during the hearings.

New York Yankees president Randy Levine confirmed Tuesday that he is indeed on the witness list in ongoing arbitration hearings as third baseman Alex Rodriguez appeals his 211-game Biogenesis-related suspension, reports the Long Island Newsday.

"I've been on the witness list for a long time, really from the beginning," Levine told reporters. "I've been told to stand by. I'm ready to testify if they need me. I don't know what I could offer, but I'd be glad to testify if called."

Part of the reason Levine has not been called to testify already is because there is likely little he could aid with as the team is not a part of the investigation. Rodriguez has said he believes the team would stand to profit from his suspension. His salary would be wiped off the books for however many games he ends up missing, giving New York payroll flexibility.

Levine, however, says the Yankees are approaching the offseason as though they are expecting Rodriguez to be in the lineup. Numerous team officials have said they believe they are better off with Rodriguez at third base on Opening Day.

Rodriguez is the only player who received a suspension relating to the Biogenesis investigation to appeal his punishment. He also had the heaviest suspension levied upon him. Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was suspended for 65 games while the other players all received 50-game suspensions.

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Imagine what a Bud Selig testimony would be like

The Alex Rodriguez appeal hearing resumed on Monday with Team A-Rod getting the chance to defend their client. Unfortunately, A-Rod won't be testifying just yet, but according to the snippets that Ken Davidoff is reporting, things are already getting underway as they call on their many witnesses.

They called a doctor to the stand, who believes that A-Rod could not have possibly underwent the doping regimen that Anthony Bosch described without testing positive at some point in the last few years. An IT expert testified that Bosch had also somehow altered texts and emails in order to portray a relationship between him and Rodriguez that didn't actually exist.

They will call to the stand Yankees team president Randy Levine and MLB investigator Dan Mullin on Tuesday and want Bud Selig to testify as well. Independent arbitrator Frederic Horowitz still has to determine whether or not he will allow Selig to testify, as MLB believes that Rob Manfred's testimony should be all that is needed to defend the suspension.

While the doctor raises a valid point, though it's easy to get around a positive test these days, the idea that Bosch fabricated a relationship with A-Rod through emails and text messages is a little too farfetched. I don't know what Randy Levine will offer Team A-Rod, but it will sure be interesting. They need to really get into it with Mullin if they have legitimate evidence of all the wrongdoing that went on during the investigation. If I'm Horowitz, I'd absolutely want Selig testifying so he can actually be involved in this process and just to see what kind of silly things he could say.

On the flip side, MLB still believes that A-Rod's ex-spokesman Michael Sitrick has avoided a subpoena in relation to him authorizing the leak of Ryan Braun and Francisco Cervelli to Yahoo! Sports. If he turns out to be guilty, and Alex Rodriguez knew what he was doing, MLB can prove he was obstructing their investigation.

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Cano is seeking over $300 million in free agency. The Yankees, and seemingly every other team, are unwilling to come close to that number.

New York Yankees president Randy Levine says the team has no interest in meeting Robinson Cano's reported contract demands, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York.

"We want Robbie back; we think Robbie is terrific," Levine told ESPN Tuesday. "But we have no interest in doing any 10-year deals and no interest in paying $300 million to any player. Until he gets a little more realistic, we have nothing to talk about.''

The Yankees have not yet entered extended talks with Cano's representatives. According to Levine, the team has no need to discuss a deal with Cano until he lowers his asking price to a more reasonable number.

Jay-Z, whose sports agency represents Cano, met with New York Mets officials Monday. The Mets, however, have said they are not looking to sign any players to over $100 million. They have also said that Cano is the only free agent worth nine digits this offseason.

Jay-Z and Cano's other representatives were the ones to set up the meeting with the Mets, indicating the team still is not particularly interested in the second baseman. The market has been slow to develop for Cano, especially with the Dodgers out of play. No team other than the Yankees has shown a strong interest in acquiring him quite yet.

Cano, 31, is reported to be seeking over $300 million in free agency, which would make him the highest-paid player in MLB history.

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Left-handed starter turned left-handed reliever, Manny Parra could be very valuable for the Yankees in 2014. After three seasons as a full-time starter between 2008 and 2010, Parra had already gone through shoulder, hip and Tommy John surgery. As a starter he had a 5.44 ERA and 4.56 FIP over 392.1 innings. If that was it, I'd say he offered nothing for the Yankees going forward, but luckily he has revitalized his career since moving to the bullpen.

He returned to the majors in 2012 for the Brewers as a member of their bullpen and proved to be a useful weapon against lefties. In 28.2 innings he maintained a 2.82 FIP with a 3.77 BB/9 and a great 10.36 K/9 against them. In 2013, this time with the Reds, Parra had a 2.46 FIP, 3.0 BB/9, and 12.0 K/9 against lefties in 24 innings pitched.

Over his career, he has struck out left-handed batters at a rate of 11.15 batters per nine innings, while he's only managed a 7.65 K/9 rate against righties. Though he has a 4.46 BB/9 in his career, he did manage a 2.93 walk rate last season, so there's reason to believe he can improve his career rates as he adjusts to the bullpen. He's also kept lefties to a very good 51.9% ground ball rate, making him great to bring in against a lefty with men on base. He could be a perfect candidate to become a full-time LOOGY for the Yankees.

Seeing as how he has yet to be used as a full-time lefty specialist, it might be difficult to convince him to take on such a limited role if the money is similar elsewhere. An incentive-laden deal at around the $1 million he made in 2013 could be all that's needed to lock down a contender to be the next Yankee LOOGY. Between Cesar Cabral and Francisco Rondon being the only internal options at the moment, Parra would probably be the favorite for the job. If the Yankees want to avoid giving Javier Lopez a multi-year deal and don't trust Boone Logan post-elbow surgery, Parra might be a surprisingly great signing.

More from Pinstripe Alley:

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• Robinson Cano free agency: Asking price reportedly still at ten years and $310 million
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• Masahiro Tanaka could post by the end of the year, but can the Yankees really afford to wait around?
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• What happens if Masahiro Tanaka is unable to post?

The Yankees met with Robinson Cano this week and the two sides still seem to be very far apart in their contract demands. Cano is still seeking $310 million over ten years, while the Yankees have offered $170 million over seven. Until their demands come down, Randy Levine believes the Yankees have nothing more to talk about.

"As Hal [Steinbrenner] said, we have no interest in doing a 10-year deal, and we have no interest in paying any player over $300 million." While this is probably just more talk, it's good to see the Yankees don't plan to offer a contract near $300 million or 10 years. Hopefully they stick to that idea because it doesn't seem like anyone else is looking to come close to their demands.

"We have a list of five or six major free agents and we're engaged with all of them and we're not waiting around. The first guys who come off the board, those are the guys we're going to sign." The Yankees have already met with representatives for Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Shin-Soo Choo, who they could sign without needing a solution to the Cano problem. They have also been in contact with Omar Infante in case they ultimately can't re-sign Cano. It's good to know that the Yankees aren't sitting around and waiting on one player. They could get into a lot of trouble for waiting around too long.

"I'll be honest with you, I think the commitment we've already made to Robbie anticipates him being a leader and being the new face of the Yankees." With Derek Jeter's career coming to a close and Alex Rodriguez already sullied beyond saving, it's good to see the team is looking at Cano as the new face of the franchise. The Yankees would be a very boring team if they're unable to bring their All-Star second baseman back. $170 million isn't really "face-of-the-franchise-money" but it's certainly a start. Dustin Pedroia signed an eight-year, $180 million extension with the Red Sox and they still have David Ortiz and Jon Lester, the Yankees would really have no one else.

Ultimately, I think Cano will stay with the Yankees, but I think it will end up being around $200 million over eight years. The money is one thing, but the years under contract is another. The Yankees can't take on another 10-year deal, no matter what.

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Could Arruebarruena be an eventual shortstop solution?

Cuban shortstop Erisbel Barbaro Arruebarruena has defected according to Baseball America writer Ben Badler. The Yankees have said that their shortstop hunting did not necessarily come to an end with the re-signings of Derek Jeter and Brendan Ryan, so it is certainly possible that they make an effort to sign the magnificently named Cuban, especially since Arruebarruena might be more of a future investment.

Arruebarruena will only turn 24 in March, but he has played six seasons at Cuba's highest level of baseball, Serie Nacional, where he was teammates with Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu. Since he's been there for six years, he will not be subject to the international signings cap. He is regarded as a superb defensive shortstop, and Badler was quick to praise him both on Twitter and in his Baseball Americastory on Arruebarruena:

At 6 feet, 195 pounds, Arruebarruena has clean hands, quick actions and good body control. He’s a below-average runner, but his quick first step and instincts give him good range. He has a quick transfer and a plus-plus arm with accuracy, which allows him to make throws from deep in the hole and turn 4-6-3 double plays with ease. His awareness in the field is advanced and he’s shown the ability to make the barehanded play look routine and make strong throws from different angles.

His glove seems ready for the big time, but scouts have said that his swing likely needs work in the minors. Badler was much tougher on Arruebarruena's bat in his profile on the shortstop:

A righthanded hitter, Arruebarruena has a long swing, struggles with pitch recognition, swings through breaking balls in the strike zone and is prone to chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone. He has a pull-oriented approach and minimal power, so several scouts are skeptical he could hit better than .220 or hit a .300 on-base percentage against major league pitching. His lack of foot speed would also limit his appeal as a potential defensive-oriented backup, since he wouldn’t have as much value as a pinch-runner.

Although Arruebarruena hit .320/.367/.520 in 2011-12 with eight homers in 306 plate appearances, he took a step back in 2012-13 by batting .275/.324/.366 with two homers in 145 first half PA before rebounding after the WBC with a .317/.415/.495 triple slash and four homers in 125 second half PA. He was ranked by Baseball America as the 10th best WBC prospect not currently in a MLB system.

With the Yankees in such a bind for future in-house shortstop talent, it might not be a bad idea to pursue Arruebarruena since the system's best shortstop prospect is the disappointing Cito Culver. He would not likely cost as much as the recently-signed fellow Cuban shortstop Alexander Guerrero, and if the Yankees' system could help get his bat to somewhere around league-average, then his defense could make him a valuable asset. Even with his hitting struggles, he's further along in development than Culver. Taking a flier on Arruebarruena should be at least earn some consideration by the front office.

Most importantly, THINK OF THE SHIRSEY POTENTIAL!

You can't even fit his last name on a customized shirsey in the Yankees' team store. Now that's brilliance. Check out how Team Cuba managed to configure his name onto a jersey. Pursue the madness.

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A look back at an offseason full of Masahiro Tanaka

It has been reported that Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka could be posted by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for the 2014 season. The 24-year-old is said to have a wipeout split-finger fastball, a good slider and velocity to go with it. The main issue is that scouts don't know whether he profiles better as a starter or as a reliever in Major League Baseball, similar to the argument surrounding Aroldis Chapman.

In a very superficial comparison he compares well with the numbers Yu Darvish posted in Japan over the same amount of years and at the same age, namely, K/9 (8.6 vs. 8.9), BB/9 (2.0 vs. 2.4), and HR/9 (0.5 vs. 0.4). Where Tanaka is behind is in H/9 (8.3 vs. 6.5) and ERA (2.48 vs. 1.99), and has only reached 200 innings once in his career while Darvish did it four times. It seems he can give some distance (45 complete games), but won't be the workhorse that Darvish has been in America so far.

The posting of Darvish was a big deal in baseball and here on this very site, and was the subject of many a debate about whether or not his price tag would be worth his on-field production. The lower profile and his questionable role will make Tanaka less expensive than Darvish and if the Yankees are interested like it is believed, should they bid on him?

The 2014 Yankees' rotation could be CC Sabathia, David Phelps, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, and Adam Warren since Andy Pettitte, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes will be free agents. Mariano Rivera's retirement could make bullpen roles up for grabs as well.

Should the Yankees bid on Masahiro Tanaka?

Would your decision change depending on his determined role?

Has Yu Darvish proved that pitchers from Asia can find success in MLB or is he a fluke?

As the Alex Rodriguez hearing continues and we dive further and further into the complex dealings behind the fall of Biogenesis, it has been uncovered that MLB knowingly paid for stolen documents. Now it seems that those stolen documents were in fact intended for the Florida Department of Health, who were investigating Anthony Bosch and his clinic.

We all know the story of Porter Fischer, the man credited for blowing the whistle on the entire doping operation, all because Bosch owed him money. He, along with MLB commissioner Bud Selig, Yankees president Randy Levine, MLB investigator Dan Mullin, as well as friend of Fischer, Gary Jones, are all likely to provide some form of testimony as Alex Rodriguez's legal team begins their defense of their client.

I'll try my best to simplify what went on, where the evidence bounced around, and what it all means for MLB's investigation:

In the middle of Fischer's dispute with Bosch, he went to his friend and former Biogenesis associate, Peter Carbone, who gave him the idea to steal the documents in the first place. After Fischer copied the documents, he gave Carbone a copy for safe keeping. Jorge "Oggi" Velasquez, an associate of both Bosch and Rodriguez, found out about the documents and had Carbone try to retrieve the originals from Fischer. As the story was beginning to make headlines, Fischer panicked and gave Carbone the originals, hoping to cash out with the money Bosch owed him. It turned out that Carbone turned around and gave those documents to A-Rod's people instead (these could be what someone close to A-Rod leaked that outed Ryan Braun and Francisco Cervelli).

MLB attempted to purchase whatever documents Fischer still had and he confided in Gary Jones about everything. Jones was the one who later met with MLB investigators and sold Biogenesis documents for a bag of money in a diner. Fischer believes Jones got the documents from Carbone.

Around the same time, Fischer started cooperating with the Department of Health and agreed to hand over the boxes of documents he had stashed away. Jones lured him to Carbone's tanning salon while he was transporting the documents and his car was broken into when he was inside the building. Soon after, it was reported by the Florida Department of Health that MLB had paid Jones for stolen documents.

Carbone went on to show video footage of MLB buying documents at the diner to A-Rod's investigators. Jones has given a sworn affidavit to A-Rod's team and Fischer has been silenced by the state of Florida's investigation.

It's totally possible that all three men saw what was going on and decided to play MLB and Alex Rodriguez for $300,000 in documents and evidence. Whether it's a true conspiracy or just a couple of opportunists given the perfect chance to make easy money remains to be seen.

Both sides seemingly paid for stolen evidence, but most startling of all is that MLB paid Jones to steal evidence that was meant to go to the Department of Health. Now Florida police are reopening the investigation into the theft of the documents in order to determine whether or not MLB actually knew the documents were stolen.

Whether MLB wanted him to take the evidence from the state or not is obviously still up in the air, but if they can be linked back to something like this, the league could be in some serious trouble. This goes beyond punishing players for steroids use; if Major League Baseball is guilty of impeding a Federal criminal investigation, all those who dealt with the investigation, Bud Selig, Rob Manfred, and the investigators, could face felony charges. Who knows what would happen then.

More from Pinstripe Alley:

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• Robinson Cano free agency: Asking price reportedly still at ten years and $310 million
• Yankees rumors: Jhonny Peralta drawing interest from New York
• Masahiro Tanaka could post by the end of the year, but can the Yankees really afford to wait around?
• Yankees GIFs: A verdict on Alex Rodriguez
• What happens if Masahiro Tanaka is unable to post?