With perhaps the most-coveted pitcher removed from the market, the price for those remaining goes up.

The Rakuten Golden Eagles will not allow MLB teams to bid on star pitching Masahiro Tanaka(according to a report in the New York Times), which removes the presumed top pitcher off the market, and improves things for top remaining starters Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana.

Matt Garza now becomes the top pitching prize on the market, because not only is he seen by most as the best starter out there, he's also not tied to a draft pick, due to his having been traded during the 2013 season, and thus not eligible for a qualifying offer. Things are more complicated for Jimenez and Santana, as whatever team signs them will have to forfeit its first available draft pick (except for the top ten picks in the draft, which are protected). Teams value their high draft picks quite a bit, and factor its value into the cost of a signing, leading some teams to lose all interest in such players, while others at least discount the offer they're willing to make. This is what allowed the Indians to sign Michael Bourn for less than most expected him to get last offseason, as the Mets dropped out due to their unwillingness to forfeit their pick.

On Tuesday ESPN's Buster Olney speculated (account required) that Jimenez and Santana might each return to their previous team because of the draft-pick factor (something numerous Tribe fans have also been saying for the last couple weeks). I wasn't particularly sold on that notion Tuesday, and I'm even less confident in it now, because whatever team would have won the bidding on Tanaka will now be looking elsewhere to fill that spot in their rotation.

I bet once the holidays pass (and perhaps before then) we'll see teams begin to move on Garza, Jimenez, and Santana, and at least a couple of those teams will be willing to give up a draft pick. Look at the Yankees, for example: For all their spending, their starting rotation isn't very good, and they're not looking to miss the playoffs for the second straight season. They've been planning on getting their 2014 payroll below $189 million for luxury tax purposes, but I think they'll decide to let that go and sign another starter (MLB might also bail them out on the payroll issue by determining that Alex Rodriguez's salary doesn't have to be counted). They've already signed other players who received qualifying offers, so the draft pick they'd give up isn't as significant.

Even if the market for Jimenez never really develops, and he were willing to return to Cleveland for something close to the $14.1 million of the qualifying offer, would the front office be given the green light to add that much salary at this point? The payroll is currently at ~$85 million, and I don't believe ownership will approve a $100 million budget. Someone substantial would have to be traded away, such as Michael Bourn, Asdrubal, or Nick Swisher.

It should also be noted that while the Indians wouldn't have to give up their 1st-round pick to re-sign Jimenez, they would be forfeiting the compensation pick they'd receive, were he to sign elsewhere. That pick will probably fall somewhere around #40 overall.

Ever since Jimenez turned in the best second half of any American League pitcher, I've believed he was finished as an Indian. This news about Tanaka only makes me more sure of it.

.

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Are we witnessing the last days of Vernon Wells and Eduardo Nunez?

If you haven't noticed yet, the 40-man roster is currently full. That's why Carlos Beltran, Brian Roberts, and Matt Thornton aren't on the roster as of yet. Apparently Beltran will have his introductory press conference on Friday, meaning the deal will be official, and then he will need to be added to the roster.

That means in the next few days the Yankees will have to clear at least three spots. They want to add a right-handed infielder, which is a fourth spot, and possibly another reliever, which makes five. Add onto that the possibility of signing Masahiro Tanaka and it looks like the Yankees will have to clear a total of six spots on their 40-man roster over the next month.

It means that the Yankees will have to rid themselves of five (or six) of the following players: Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells, Eduardo Nunez, Dean Anna, Vidal Nuno, Cesar Cabral, David Huff, Zoilo Almonte, Ramon Flores, Austin Romine, Francisco Cervelli, J.R. Murphy, Brett Marshall, Shane Greene, and Bryan Mitchell.

Vernon Wells is the most likely major leaguer to be cut. While they Yankees needed his right-handed bat, he has proved that he's worthless no matter what you do with him.

While getting rid of him would be hard, it's clear that Ichiro Suzuki just can't cut it anymore. He was one of the worst everyday hitters in baseball last season and removing him from the team, though trade or DFA, could open up a spot for a younger player.

The Yankees could DFA Eduardo Nunez, since they reportedly don't trust him with much of anything anymore. Getting rid of him would make the team better and then they could have Dean Anna as infield depth.

It's possible they could even DFA Anna, considering he's a 27-year-old minor leaguer with no experience in the majors. If they cut him it's entirely possible he makes it through waivers where they can store him in Triple-A.

The Yankees currently have three left-handed relief options on the 40-man roster, so it's possible they could get rid of at least one. My money would be on David Huff getting the boot, considering he's been used as a starter for most of his career and he's not good. Hopefully they keep Nuno and Cabral because both can be useful down the line.

There seems to be a lot of excess fodder on the roster at the moment. Prospects like Jose Ramirez, Manny Banuelos, Nik Turley, Slade Heathcott, and Jose Campos all make sense to keep. Greene and Mitchell were just protected from the Rule 5 Draft, so they aren't likely to be designated for assignment, though they could always be traded.

Brett Marshall could end up getting squeezed out, considering his redundancy as a young emergency spot starter. If they cut him, Greene or Nuno could always be used in his place if the Yankees ever need someone to start a game.

While I don't think Zoilo Almonte or Ramon Flores will be designated for assignment, it might make sense to try and trade at least one of them for something they need. Right now the Yankees have five catchers on their 40-man roster, and that makes no sense. If they have two in the majors, one in Triple-A, and one in the Double-A, that would leave one available for a trade.

The Yankees will likely cut one of Nunez and Anna, one of Huff, Nuno, and Cabral, one of Wells and Ichiro (allowing Alfonso Soriano to mostly DH) to make the three spots they need now. They can then trade one of Murphy, Romine, and Cervelli, and one of Almonte and Flores to get two more spots if they sign anymore players.

My prediction for the coming roster cuts are: Vernon Wells, Eduardo Nunez, David Huff, Brett Marshall, and then they will trade at least one of their catchers and minor league outfielders. Who do you think they should/will cut?

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Though he's not necessarily getting a lot of buzz outside the saber community for the Hall of Fame, there are many reasons why Mike Mussina should be in the Hall.

When you look through the 1990s and 2000s pitching leaderboards, there are names that will stand out: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Roy Halladay, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and so on. To a baseball fan, a lot of these names just scream "Hall of Famer." Mike Mussina's name doesn't necessarily evoke the same reaction, but it should.

Mussina spent all of his career pitching in the AL East: 1991-2000 for the Orioles, then 2001-2008 for the Yankees. If you look at his basic statistics throughout his career, they might not seem like something that stands out. A 3.68 ERA, 1.192 WHIP, and 270-153 W-L record. That's not mediocre by any means, but he's no Clemens or Johnson. But who expects everyone to be on that level? (No one, really; that's rhetorical.)

What's not seen on the surface of his statistics is Mussina's consistency and well-above-average performance throughout the years. He put up 10 five-plus fWAR seasons and two four-plus fWAR seasons over 18 years, which is quite a feat in an offense-heavy division and an overlap with the steroid era.

Here are some more career numbers that can back that up:

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The fact that his K/9 is high while BB/9 and HR/9 are low -- despite at least half of his career overlapping with the steroid era -- is telling of how good his control was, showing that he was able to challenge the most powerful hitters in the league. Mussina was still able to find success despite the dingers and RBIs of the time, a fact that's overlooked because he wasn't as prolific as, say, Johnson or Martinez. He may not have had the strikeouts or the no-hitters, but that didn't prevent him from performing better than many pitchers of his generation.

In nine seasons, Mussina finished in the top 10 for the AL Cy Young award. The closest he got was second place in 1999 -- right behind Martinez and his career year. Call it bad luck or bad timing, but being a step behind surefire HOFers doesn't diminish the fact that Mussina was a high-caliber pitcher in his prime. In fact, it goes to show that he was able to hold his own as a pitcher with the best of them.

When you look at the fWAR and RA9-WAR leaderboards from 1990-2009 -- the two decades Mussina pitched in --his value to both the Orioles and the Yankees was exceptional. In both categories, he placed in the top 10 (fifth in fWAR and sixth in RA9-WAR), placing behind pitchers such as Greg Maddux (104.7 fWAR, 114.2 RA9-WAR) and ahead of pitchers such as Curt Schilling (82.1 fWAR, 81 RA9-WAR). While Maddux has the Cy Youngs and Schilling has the World Series rings, Mussina did help the Orioles to two postseasons and the Yankees to seven. Nine AL Division Series, five AL Championship Series, and two World Series is nothing to ignore.

And then you can look at the line for an average pitching HOFer on Baseball Reference and compare it to Mussina's career numbers:

At the very least, Mussina stacks up against the averages, which is nothing short of excellence. It's easy to overlook him because he may not have the accolades or because he spent a better part of his career on middling Orioles teams ... or even because his basic statistics make him seem like any average pitcher. However, there's no reason he shouldn't be in the Hall if you look closely at the numbers. Considering the era he pitched in, this can actually show that his numbers are outstanding against powerful offenses.

Mussina was consistent throughout his career, averaging 34 games started every 162 games. Any rotation that has a pitcher who can average 30+ starts, post a five-plus fWAR season almost yearly, log a low walk rate and an even better strikeout rate, and can keep his team in the game all the while putting up Hall of Fame-quality numbers -- that is a rotation that's lucky to have this pitcher on their staff, even through mediocre seasons. Mike Mussina is that guy.

. . .

All statistics and information courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.

Jen Mac Ramos is a contributor for Beyond the Box Score. You can follow her on twitter at @_jenmac.

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After the signing of Brian Roberts, the Yankees have a couple of options to play 2B, but who is going to play third?

Going into the offseason, there were a number of questions up in the air regarding the 2014 season. Namely, would Alex Rodriguez's 211-game suspension be upheld. If yes, great--more money to spend/help stay under Plan 189. If no, great--the actual third baseman on the team could do his job and play third base. The final word on this can't come fast enough, especially if Plan 189 still is in play.

After the recent signing of second baseman Brian Roberts, the Yankees now have both Roberts and Kelly Johnson as options to play second base. That still leaves a hole over at third, since it seems likely that A-Rod will have to serve at least some (probably 50 games minimum) of that suspension. Kelly Johnson has some experience playing third, but not much. He has played 16 games (118 innings) total at third, all of which were played during his time with the Rays last year. Incredibly small sample size alert: Johnson's UZR at third was 2.6. Comparatively, Eduardo Nunez played 14 games (120 innings) at third base last season, and his UZR was 0.1. Make of that what you will; it is possible that Johnson would be okay defensively at third, or at least an upgrade from Nunez, but it's also possible that I'd be okay defensively at third.

If the plan isn't for Johnson to play third, then who? Nunez? (If so, I hope that some of the money spent this offseason goes towards buying him a helmet that actually fits his head). Mark Reynolds is still available, although his defense is shaky as well, having put up a -5.7 UZR during the 409 innings that he played at third between his time with the Indians and the Yankees last season. Free agent options are dwindling at this point. Eric Chavez is off the table, as he just re-signed with the Diamondbacks. Michael Young is still an option, but his defense is on about the same level as Mark Reynolds, with both sporting a UZR in the range of -12 when looking at UZR per 150 games played. Young is also several years older than Reynolds, so you'd have to guess that the Yankees are just dying to sign him.

There is still time for the Yankees to sign someone else to play third base, but the options are starting to look a little thin. Which player would inspire the most confidence in you to play third?

Called it

The Yankees signed Carlos Beltran about two weeks ago and it had yet to be official. The hold up could be any number of things, but it is likely because they needed to figure out who they were going to DFA to make room for him on the roster. Beltran's three-year, $45 million deal has officially been announced on Thursday, in time for his introductory press conference on Friday, and Brett Marshall has been designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Just 23, Marshall made his major league debut in 2013, pitching 12 innings across three games while managing a 4.50 ERA. In his first career start against the Mariners on May 15, he surrendered five earned runs on nine hits and gave up five walks in 5.2 innings. In Triple-A he had a 3.52 ERA and 4.09 FIP in 138.2 innings, and a total of 437.1 innings over the last three seasons. While he's always been a mediocre innings eater, and that has some value, he was easy to cut now that they have David Phelps, Adam Warren, Vidal Nuno, and Shane Greene on the 40-man roster. All have more impressive recent track records, so he wasn't really worth keeping when a move needed to be made.

It's possible the Yankees could try to re-sign him, though another team is more than likely willing to give him a roster spot, at least through spring training, to see if he can be useful on their team. He could serve as someone else's Adam Warren, though that in itself is probably why the Yankees didn't want to keep him.

With Matt Thornton and Brian Roberts still needing roster spots, expect at least two more moves to happen soon.

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Tanya, Jason, Greg, and Andrew go through podcast group therapy trying to get over the Robinson Cano signing while looking forward to the possibilities of 2014.

What is life without Robinson Cano? We'll have to experience that soon, but at least we have a shiny new Brian Roberts! Huzzah?

[1:34] yay Brian Roberts
[5:28] Assessing the chaotic Cano contract talks
[28:00] The possibilities of Tanaka and Pineda
[33:14] Beltran for three years
[38:34] #NoPapelbons
[45:08] 40-man roster crunch
[48:42] Rapid fire tweetbag: non-Tanaka starters, lineup comparison to 2013, the Choo offer + intoxication, players for Christmas, Matt Thornton, and more
[57:03] Yankee/Mitre of the Week (including our guesses on Sterling HR calls)

Podcast link (Length: 1:07:24)

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Sound off in the comments if you have any questions you'd like us to answer for next time, or if you have any feedback on the podcast! Send your tweets to the Tweetbag (which was empty this week) by tweeting @pinstripealley.

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The Yankees need Mark Teixeira in the heart of the lineup, but there are legitimate concerns aside from his wrist that make his ability to deliver questionable.

Losing Robinson Cano has placed the onus on the rest of the lineup to make up for his absence. One of those players responsible going forward will be Mark Teixeira. Wrist issues that led to surgery cost him much of 2013, a void that was felt largely because of his replacement in Lyle Overbay. Now, with Teixeira hopefully at full strength, he's needed to at least be a semblance of his former self. But can he be?

Wrist injuries are serious in nature, but the particular problem Teixeira dealt with has been a bane for a few other hitters in recent years. Jose Bautista, Mark DeRosa, Sam Fuld, Nick Johnson, David Ortiz, and Rickie Weeks have all experienced ECU tendon sheath tears, with Big Papi being the lone player successfully rehab it without surgery. I had theorized that Ortiz avoided surgery based on which wrist it was, but that is still just a guess. So, for those who went under the knife, how did they perform with the bat afterword?

Nobody's performance really stands out nor tells any story. It's interesting to look at, and perhaps provides some confidence that one can return from this injury and perform well. However, it shouldn't be considered predictive for Teixeira. It's a very small sample, and there are simply too many other things going on with Teix that need to be analyzed. Prior to his wrist injury, evidence points to Teixeira's body betraying him and already being in offensive decline.

In terms of age related decline, take Bautista for example. He was 31 the year of his surgery, so even without surgery, a slight decline wouldn't have been surprising. Teixeira turns 34 in April, and it's clear that the Yankees' first baseman had already entered the decline phase of his career before surgery. With this in mind, it's hard to imagine him improving much on his pre-surgery numbers, if at all. For what it's worth, Steamer projects a 119 wRC+ for Teix, which I would sign up for in a heartbeat. That would be a slight improvement on his 116 mark in 2012.

Keeping the switch-hitting slugger healthy will be vital next season, but unfortunately also uncontrollable. Before the wrist issues, he had already begun to show signs of physical breakdown in prior years, with a hamstring injury in the 2010 postseason and a calf strain in September of 2012. Realistically, it's hard to imagine Teixeira holding up for a full season. In fact, ZiPS foresees him only getting 356 plate appearances, while Steamer is slightly more optimistic with 488.

Even if the other players' post-surgery performances had any predictive value, the other issues involving Teixeira are very troublesome. As of now, he's being counted on to help bridge the gap created from Cano's departure along with some of the other free agent additions. Just don't be disappointed if Teixeira's age and/or body don't permit him perform at a high level.

**Johnson did not play in 2007, so I used 2006.

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The Yankees' stated goal keeping payroll under $189 million in 2014? Yeah, not actually a thing.

The Yankees have wanted us to believe for several months now that their goal is to sneak under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold in 2014 and potentially saves millions of dollars down the line. The common refrain has been that if the club can work to avoid the fees now -- saving up to $100 million over the next two years, per Joel Sherman of the NY Post -- then they'll have more freedom to spend more later.

It is a solid plan in theory, but it's not one that the Yankees have actually employed. Sure, the club made a show of (very) relative thriftiness by not offering Robinson Cano more than $175 million, but just about everything else they've done points to having little to no concern for that $189 million marker.

Perhaps the adding of roughly $69 million in 2014 salary for Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Hiroki Kuroda doesn't convince you that the club values contention far more than any end-of-the-year fine, but the news that the Yankees offered Shin-Soo Chooa seven-year, $140 million contract should. The Bombers' current payroll commitments -- which do not include arbitration raises and several other components -- are already somewhere between $172-$177 million for next season, leaving no room for an offer like Choo's.

The luxury tax is calculated by summing what MLB refers to as a club's Actual Payroll, which applies to all players who make an appearance on a team's 40-man roster in a given season. While most player salaries are simply added to the overall total, all calculations for players with multi-year deals are derived from the contract's average annual value -- e.g. Alex Rodriguez is set to earn $25 million in 2014, but for tax purposes his salary is $27.5 million because that's 275 divided by 10 ($/years). There is also a flat Player Benefits Cost of roughly $11 million that is added to each team's total for the yearly medical costs and other overhead.

If you add those extra costs and the combined estimated salaries (~$14.8 million) for the club's five arbitration-eligible players, the Yankees' taxed payroll for 2014 comes in at a little over $200 million. Even if Alex Rodriguez's hefty salary is removed from the equation -- which it shouldn't be yet, at least not by the club's front office -- offering $20 million a year to Choo still smacks of a team who could not care less about payroll. If Choo is added, where do they come up with the money to find more starting pitching? It's simply not there unless $189 million isn't a real cap.

New York has paid out roughly $253 million in luxury-tax penalties since its inception in 2003, accounting for more than 90 percent of the league's total. They've gone over the mark every single season. The only other club to eclipse it more than once is the Red Sox ('04-'07, '10-'11).

If Hal Steinbrenner and company really are worried about the luxury tax, they haven't done a good job demonstrating it this winter. It's possible that coming in under the threshold was a real goal at some point, but it's fairly evident that it's no longer a big issue. Like everyone else in the league, the Yankees have taken the opportunity created by record revenues and expanding TV deals to spend freely in the open market, luxury tax be damned.

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Michael Pineda could very well help round out the rotation, with or without Masahiro Tanaka.

A wise man once said, "The waiting game sucks. Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippo." This is pretty much the most apt description of where we've been with the Masahiro Tanaka situation this offseason. First it was waiting for the posting system agreement between the MLB and the NPB would be. Now that it's figured out, we have to wait to see if the Rakuten Golden Eagles will post him or not. This is where we are right now. Even if he is posted, the Yankees are not the only team that is going to bid for his services. Essentially, we waited and now we're waiting to potentially wait some more. It's like Disney World, only the hot dogs and beer are more expensive in the Bronx.

The Yankees have to have backup plans in case Plan Tanaka (Planaka?) falls through. At least, I would assume they do. For all we really know a DKNY Leather Wallet duct taped to an Alpaca's forehead is at the helm right now. As Andrew wrote a few days ago, the Yankees are reportedly not interested in Matt Garza or Ubaldo Jimenez. Unless the Yankees have a trade in the works, the plan seems to be to go with internal options. The 2014 season could be the season of Michael Pineda, with or without Tanaka.

Michael Pineda's Yankees debut fell short, and by fell short I mean it didn't happen. Before the 2012 season even began, Pineda suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder. In May of 2012, he underwent surgery to repair his torn labrum. This spring training, he will be competing for the starting rotation for the first time since the Yankees traded away Jesus Montero for him. There was many a debate and discussion whether or not the Yankees did the right thing by trading Montero away. It's still too early to judge, but as that magic ball says, all signs point to yes. Next season could signal that very sign.

Pineda is still young, and there is still hope. He will be 25 years old on January 18th of next year. Pineda is not a free agent until 2017, the same time as now 33 year old CC Sabathia. Age and team control were very good reasons to trade Montero for Pineda. With all the talks we have about the Yankees needing to get younger, Pineda is a prime example of Cashman attempting to do exactly that. This particular trade has not worked out that well so far, but there is still time, and there is still hope.

The recently retired Andy Pettitte and the now Minnesota bound Phil Hughes are no longer in Pineda's way. Pineda's current competition includes David Phelps, Adam Warren, and possibly Vidal Nuno. The offseason is still young, and the Yankees could always trade for someone. The pickings are very slim though, and the Yankees do not have much to offer. Pineda might very well be the backup plan if they don't acquire Tanaka. I'm not saying it's a very good plan, mind you. The Yankees should not go into 2014 gambling on Pineda. They might not have much of a choice though.

Currently, all eyes are on Masahiro Tanaka and whether or not the Golden Eagles post him or keep him for another year or two. He will wind up in the MLB eventually, that much is certain. It's just a question of when. Until that time, the Yankees rotation remains a question mark block. We don't know what we're getting until we hit it. CC Sabathia could gain an extra life and put 2013 behind him as "that one bad year" he had. Hiroki Kuroda might continue with his early on invincibility but have it run out too early. Ivan Nova will hopefully continue his growth. Even if they both come back and pitch well, the Yankees still need a young rotation for the future.

With that in mind, come Spring Training all eyes should be on Michael Pineda. He could very well be the key to the future of the Yankees rotation, even more than Masahiro Tanaka.

Last Time on Pinstripe Alley

Yankees News

• It's About the Money | Michael Eder: It still could makes sense for the Yankees to go after Shin-Soo Choo.
• New York Post | Joel Sherman: Suspending Alex Rodriguez might end up being a bad thing for the Yankees.
• ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: The Yankees are ready to move on without Masahiro Tanaka if they have to.
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• SB Nation | Nathan Aderhold: It appears that the Yankees' plan to get under $189 million is not really a thing.
• Beyond the Box Score | Jen Mac Ramos: Looking at Mike Mussina's Hall of Fame case.
• ESPN New York | Wallace Matthews: There are plenty of internal and external alternatives to Masahiro Tanaka.
• New York Post | Ken Davidoff: The events surrounding Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, and Robinson Cano make up some of the top ten stories of the year.

Was a perfect game or a game-winning World Series slam the bigger highlight for the late-'90s dynasty Yankees?

The Pinstripe Alley Top Moments Tournament enters the second round of the 1980-1999 bracket. Vote for the moment that deserves to move on in the poll below.

#1: David Cone's Perfect Game

On July 18, 1999, the Yankees held "Yogi Berra Day" in the Bronx, celebrating Berra's terrific career in pinstripes, a career that saw him make 18 All-Star teams and win 13 World Series championships as a player and coach. Don Larsen, the very man who had tossed a perfect game with Berra behind the plate in the 1956 World Series, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

While memories of that perfect performance began the afternoon, fans would leave with another pitching masterpiece fresh in their minds. On that day, David Cone turned in the best game of his career, throwing just the third perfect game in Yankee history. Coming off a season in which he'd won 20 games, posted a 3.45 ERA and a 5.2 fWAR, Cone hadn't quite replicated those levels of success in 1999. Still, he was 9-4 when the Montreal Expos (remember them?) came to the Bronx, although the Detroit Tigers had roughed up Cone is his last start to the tune of six earned runs in seven innings.

In the top of the first, the Expos' came as close to a hit as they would all afternoon. Center fielder Terry Jones smacked a pitch up in the zone to right-center field, and Cone himself later said, "I was thinking triple, right off the bat." But Paul O'Neill robbed Jones with a diving save, and Cone retired James Mouton to end the inning.

Cone stuck out the side in the third before a 33-minute rain delay halted the game. But even a break in the action couldn't knock Cone out of his rhythm. Once the weather cleared, Cone went back to work, proceeding to strike out ten on the way to retiring 27 straight batters. It was the highlight of his career, made even more special by taking place in front of Yankee legends Larsen and Berra.

#4: Tino's 1998 Game 1 slam

As I did during my last post in the Top Moments Tournament series, I actually happened to cover Tino Martinez's amazing slam in my three-part series on the iconic moments of the Yankees' 27 championships. Here's how Tino's slam went down and crushed the San Diego Padres' hearts:

The '98 Yankees were an amazingly good team that seemed to dominate everyone they faced. They just didn't have any weaknesses. They romped to a then-AL record 114 victories with an outstanding +309 run differential, swept the Rangers in the ALDS, and rebounded from an unexpected 2-1 ALCS deficit to beat Cleveland in six games. The World Series was not much of a contest, even though the Padres were a fine team. It still brought some memorable moments, especially in Game 1.

ALCS MVP David Wells did not bring his good stuff to Yankee Stadium for the opener, as San Diego touched him up for three homers to take a 5-2 lead. Padres ace Kevin Brown allowed just the two runs through six, but the Yankees knocked him out of the game and put two runners on for Chuck Knoblauch. He was the goat of ALCS Game 2 when he argued with the umpire rather than throwing out the game-winning run. Knoblauch atoned for his mistake by smashing a three-run homer, knotting the score at 5-5.

The rally was already exciting, and a few batters later, Tino Martinez had a chance to make it unforgettable with the bases loaded and the score still even. He has struggled in his playoff history to date, but after a close 2-2 pitch called a ball, Tino launched Donnie Wall's next pitch to the upper deck in right for a go-ahead grand slam. Yankee Stadium, now 75, literally shook. The Yankees won the next three games to sweep and secure their 24th World Series title.

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After almost two decades of Derek Jeter, who will be found at shortstop once he departs?

While Derek Jeter has not officially announced his retirement, it is safe to say that that day will come soon. It could be after this season, or he may even squeak out another year in pinstripes and sign another one-year contract. But regardless, we all know that his career is waning. In Jeter's career we have seen five World Championships and he collected some great accolades: 13 All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger awards, 1996 Rookie of the Year, a World Series MVP, and is an exclusive member of the 3,000 hit club. Unfortunately for the Yankees' organization, Jeter's career will not last forever. It would be in the team's best interest to consider who will take up the mantle of shortstop after he is gone. Here I will examine the opportunities on the 2014-2015 free agent market, the trading block, as well as the (unlikely) possibility of an internal replacement.

Of the free agents next season at shortstop, only four will be under the age of 33: Asdrubal Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, Jed Lowrie, and Hanley Ramirez. And of those four, Only J.J. Hardy and Hanley Ramirez have put up more than two 2.0+ fWAR seasons; Cabrera and Lowrie have only compiled 13.0 and 9.4 fWAR, respectively, thus hurting their standings as viable, long-term solutions. So, what about Ramirez and Hardy? Whether the Yankees want to pursue either one of them depends on their financial situation come next year. If they are severely strapped for cash, then Hardy would obviously be the cheapest. But if the Yankees want to settle the issue of who will be the Yankees' shortstop for years to come, then Ramirez would be worth it. Hardy, when accounting for 2014 Steamer projections and a -0.5 fWAR per year regression model, is projected to tabulate 6.2 fWAR from 2015-2018, and only the first two years would be of starter level quality. That would mean if they wanted to save money and acquire Hardy as a stop-gap, they would need a replacement for him lined up as well. Ramirez, on the other hand, will be worth much more and for much longer. Going by the same model as with Hardy, Ramirez is projected to compile 11.8 fWAR from 2015-2018, nearly double of what Hardy is projected to put together. This just means, though, that Ramirez will command the highest price on the free agent market--if the Yankees are unwilling to pay that price, then there are also trade alternatives.

What pieces the Yankees could actually put on the trading block themselves is up for immense debate, but some of the following candidates for shortstop could be worthwhile. One of them, whose name was brought up very recently in Hot Stove talk, is Didi Gregorius. Many are torn on his future, though. Gregorius is a promising prospect, but his under-performing offensive numbers put into question whether Gregorius could handle a starting shortstop position. Through 425 plate appearances, Gregorius has put up an unimpressive 90 wRC+ and an ISO of just .114. Luckily for the Diamondbacks and for the Yankees if they looked to acquire him, Gregorius is only 23 years old. Because of his defensive potential, he could project to be a strong, defensive shortstop during the prime of his career. Another worthy candidate that would be deserving of a look is Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez is similar to Gregorius in that he is a primarily defensive shortstop with a light bat. He is 32, though, which means that he is not on the upside like Greogrius. But, he would only have 1 year (with an option year) on his contract left after 2014 and would only cost $8 million per year. And considering that he has put together three 3.0+ fWAR seasons in the past four seasons, this would make him a great bang-for-the-buck acquisition. Both of these options aren't the most glamorous; I'd like to see the Yankees pursue a prospect like Carlos Correa or a rising super star like Andrelton Simmons just as much as the next guy, but realistically most teams are unwillingly to sacrifice their shortstop. Maybe, though, there are solutions that can be found internally.

As we all know, the internal options are rather thin. We're very familiar with Eduardo Nunez, and I think we can all agree that he should not be the starting shortstop moving forward. In 336 PA, Nunez put together a paltry 83 wRC+ and a -1.4 fWAR. Enough said. Luckily the Yankees did acquire defensive shortstop extraordinaire Brendan Ryan, but he can't hit well at all. And while he did have two seasons at 2.8 fWAR, he's now on the wrong side of 30 and will probably be no better than a utility shortstop for the rest of his career. Beyond that, the farm system is very, very weak. The only prospect who raised any eyebrows was Gosuke Katoh, who is actually a second baseman. Katoh was drafted in the 2013 draft as a high school senior and showcases an Ichiro-esque swing and well above average defense, good enough defense that he will be given a shot at shortstop.

The Yankees will not realize how lucky they were with Derek Jeter until he is gone. It's not very often that a team doesn't have to worry about a position for nearly 20 years, and now the dream is over and reality is going to set in. Given that: most excellent young shortstops are locked under team control, there are few shortstops on the upcoming free agent market, and their farm system is essentially empty, it is a possibility that shortstop will be a black hole. Whatever route the Yankees decide to go down, I don't foresee their option lasting for a generation.

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It was previously reported that the Yankees, after already signing Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million contract, extended a $140 million deal to Shin-Soo Choo. It was said that Scott Boras wanted his clients to be paid the same, demanding an extra $13 million for Choo to match Ellsbury. The Yankees disagreed, pulled the offer, and signed Carlos Beltran instead. It turns out they might have been off by even less than that.

Heard NYY/Choo agreed at 7/140. Then Boras asked to make it $143, $1M over Carl Crawford. Angered NYY, agreed with Beltran instead.

— CJ Nitkowski (@CJNitkowski) December 20, 2013

Scott Boras is well known for being a shrewd negotiator, but if he's asking for unnecessary contract terms, it kind of looks silly. I would take a demand like that to be as insulting as the $5 million raise that the Yankees offered Robinson Cano before he walked.

Still, to be this reactionary when considering two players makes it look like they really didn't care WHO they got, just as long as they got SOMEONE. That makes me think even more that there's no specific plan this offseason, but maybe that's just me.

I also find it hard to believe that Boras angered the Yankees, considering how tight he seems to be with the Steinbrenners. But what do you think?

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The Yankees' injury-ravaged supposed third baseman from 2013 will have a new home. He will not be missed.

After receiving a one-year, $12 million contract just a year ago, Kevin Youkilis will have to settle for a new job overseas.

Nikkan Sports: Rakuten is going to acquire Kevin Youklis http://t.co/yU9cE8XHvC

— Patrick Newman (@npbtracker) December 20, 2013

If only it could be a simple trade of Youkilis for Mashiro Tanaka. Like the Yankees did a year ago, it looks like Rakuten will be gambling with Youk at third base since they already have a decent incumbent first baseman (Ginji Akaminai). They have an opening at third base anyway since former Yankee Casey McGehee played third for them last year and he just signed a deal with the Marlins. I'm sure trying Youkilis at third won't backfire at all for Rakuten!

The $12 million spent on Youkilis turned out to be one of the worst investments in Yankees history. The Yankees had hoped that he would rebound from a shaky 2012 split between the Red Sox and White Sox, but instead he only made it into 16 games before the back injuries that have long plagued his career emerged again. He played just one game between April 21st and Memorial Day Weekend and was atrocious after perhaps being rushed back from injury, since the Yankees had basically no backup plan for him beyond the punchless Jayson Nix. A 6-for-41 eleven-game stretch culminated with an 0-for-7 in that ugly 18-inning game against the A's on June 13th ended his season. Youk underwent lower back surgery to repair a herniated disc and never made it back to the team other than a few random TV appearances on the bench. It was a delight.

Youk had previously stated a desire to play on the West Coast closer to home, but my guess is that none of the West Coast teams wanted him for his terms. I doubt he would have wanted a bench role, and he basically needs a role where he would DH part of the time since he's so fragile, so NL teams were out. The only three West Coast AL teams are set with their first basemen and making him a starting third baseman is foolish, so it's off to Japan for Youk.

I'd wager that Youk will not be invited to Old Timers' Day. Is Japan far enough away?

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Remember that time the Yankees added several minor league infielders in an attempt to supplement their thin Triple-A roster? They signed Yamaico Navarro, Zelous Wheeler and traded for Dean Anna in quick succession after the season they had in 2013 with no help from the minors. Nailing down some decent depth was a good idea, but now they're selling Navarro to the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization.

Navarro was brought in to provide infield depth, having experience at second base, third base, and shortstop. Now that David Adams has signed with the Cleveland Indians, they could stand to sign another player, but the pickings are slim for minor league depth. They could look into Elliot Johnson and Justin Turner, who have experience at all four infield positions, or reunite with Jayson Nix.

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Twenty years ago, the Marlins acquired infielder Kurt Abbott for a speedy young minor league outfielder named Kerwin Moore.

Twenty years ago, the Marlins acquired a helpful piece to their team's early development and their 1997 World Series championship team. On December 20, 1993, the Marlins traded away a speedy young minor league outfielder named Kerwin Moore in exchange for a little known infielder named Kurt Abbott.

With the departure of shortstop Walt Weiss, the Marlins were looking to add infield depth and competition for the job of replacing Weiss. Due to the Marlins outfield being set for the 1994 season, intriguing outfield talent Kerwin Moore was available. From the A's side, they too enjoyed depth, but it was in the infield, which made Abbott easily available, especially since he was getting lost in their deep organization, a team still amongst the top tier teams in MLB at the time. Adding that the A's were looking for younger outfield organizational depth, it made the situation ripe for a trade between the two teams.

Kerwin Moore

With Kerwin Moore, the A's were getting an enigma in the outfield. Moore was one of the fastest talents and best base-stealers in the minors and pro baseball as a whole. He had stolen 231 bases in his previous four full minor league seasons. He also had the patience of a leadoff hitter with 396 bases-on-balls and an OBP of well over .350 during that span (coming off a .405 OBP that season). However, Moore had a difficulty with hitting the ball. Moore struck out 481 times and had a .235 batting average during that same span. For the A's, their stature in the game during that time, made Moore worth the risk to them. The thought of Moore potentially gaining knowledge of the game from future Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson, and from quality base-stealing outfielder, Stan Javier, made the situation even more favorable. Therefore, the A's were all in for this perceptually minor trade.

However, the A's would not reap any benefits from acquiring Moore in this trade. Moore would go on to play in only 22 MLB games - all in 1996. He would have 18 plate appearances, 16 at-bats, score four runs, have one MLB hit (a double), and have one stolen base. He struck out six times and walked twice. After 1996, he played a year in an independent league before returning to the A's organization in 1998 for a season in Double A. He played his final time in organized ball in an independent league in 1999.

Kurt Abbott

For the Marlins, this trade was a clear win. While Kurt Abbott, a former 15^th round draft pick, was easily lost in the A's organization, he was easily found to be an asset in the Marlins organization. He took advantage of his opportunities almost immediately starting in 1994. He won the starting shortstop job as a rookie and posted a season with 9 HRs, 33 RBI, and a .249 batting average in 345 at-bats - respectable numbers for a rookie shortstop in 1994. The very next season, Kurt Abbott stepped up further with another quality season and led all NL shortstops in HRs with 17 (2^nd in MLB). He also had 60 RBI - also among the best totals by shortstops in MLB that year.

Abbott would hold the starting shortstop job until the next season when he lost the job to a young shortstop from Colombia named Edgar Renteria. Despite losing the starting role, Abbott was still helpful to the Marlins. He would start the next chapter of his career as a quality infield utility player. He started this when, after losing the shortstop job to Renteria, Abbott was tried at third base and then started to be moved over to second base as well. He then became a key infield bench combination with Alex Arias. In 1997, Abbott had the lead role at covering second base until the Marlins added Craig Counsell. From there, like many of the 1997 Marlins bench core, Abbott did his part. His role was providing infield power off the bench. Overall, during his time with the Marlins, Abbott had four quality years. After the 1997 season, Kurt Abbott was interestingly traded back to the A's one day short of the four year anniversary of when the Marlins acquired him from the A's.

After his time with the Marlins, Abbott would continue being a quality utility infielder for another four years with the A's, Rockies, Mets, and Braves. He would go on to play in another World Series with the 2000 Mets who lost to the Yankees.

After a very short stint with the Braves, Abbott retired in 2001. He ended up with MLB career totals of 702 games, 2227 plate appearances, 2044 at-bats, 523 hits, 62 home runs, 242 RBI, 273 runs scored, 22 stolen bases, and a .256 batting average.

For long-time Marlins fans, Abbott's stint with the fish was definitely appreciated. His contributions as a solid player can't be forgotten. His being added to the team can be remembered on this day, twenty years later.

Three-time All-Star Kevin Youkilis will spend the 2014 season playing in Japan.

Kevin Youkilis, whose major-league career has been plagued by injuries, has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Youkilis' base salary will be $4 million, though WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports that the contract includes $1 million in incentives.

Youkilis signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the New York Yankees prior to the 2013 season, hoping to rebuild his value and establish his health. However, Youkilis played just 28 games for the Bombers, hitting a paltry .219/.305/.343 with two home runs before being sidelined by a balky back. The third baseman underwent season-ending back surgery in June.

The 34-year-old never played a full 162-game slate during his major-league career, and over the past four seasons, Youkilis has appeared in just 372 contests. The majority of the third baseman's injury woes concern his back, as he has undergone multiple procedures to repair a herniated disc. The injuries have also hampered Youkilis' production. Between 2004 and 2010, Youkilis averaged a .294/.394/.497 line and smacked 112 home runs. Since 2011, though Youkilis' production plummeted to .243/.350/.424, with just 38 homers.

The Greek God of Walks has maintained a high OBP despite his numerous injuries, but it seems that the 2014 campaign might be his last. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that Youkilis will play just one more year.

The former All-Star will spend 2014 playing in Japan.

Kevin Youkilis has reached an agreement with the Rakuten Golden Eagles that will have him spend the 2014 season in Japan, according to Patrick Newman via Nikkan Sports. The 34-year-old's deal is reported to be a one-year contract with a base salary of $4 million. He could also earn up to $1 million in performance incentives.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick adds that 2014 could be Youkilis' final season.

A three-time All-Star and former Gold Glove award winner, Youkilis spent the first 8 and a half years of his career with the Boston Red Sox. He accrued a 31.3 WAR in Boston as he emerged as one of the best hitters in the game with a knack for getting on base as evidenced by his .281/.382/.478 career batting line. His best season probably came in 2009 when he hit .305/.413/.548 with 27 home runs, 99 runs scored, 77 walks, a 6.9 WAR, and a 146 OPS+, though you could argue his .312/.390/.569 (144 OPS+, 6.3 WAR, finished 3rd in AL MVP voting) 2008 season was better.

Youkilis left the Red Sox in a midseason trade to the Chicago White Sox in June of 2012. After an 80 game stint in Chicago, he decided to move on, signing a one-year, $12 million contract with the Yankees last winter. Unfortunately, injuries allowed him to play in just 28 games for New York. He reportedly received interest from as many as 9 MLB teams this offseason.

Youkilis had previously expressed a desire to play closer to his home in California in order to spend more time with his family. However, Youkilis' wife and children will join him in Japan for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a year enriched abroad.

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The potential Japanese import narrowed his choice down to three agents

Masahiro Tanaka has narrowed his choice of agent down to Casey Close, Arn Tellem and Mark Pieper per a Yahoo! Japan report.

This Tanaka news follows on the heels of a report that an official decision on his posting could come in the next three to five days.

Close currently heads up the baseball division of Excel Sports Management and has since he departed CAA in 2011. For those speculating on possible destinations for Tanaka based on the agent he chooses, Close represents baseballing luminaries Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees and Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

You may be familiar with Tellem from his previous experience in bringing Japanese players to MLB. Recently, he teamed up with Don Nomura to negotiate Yu Darvish's six-year, $60 million deal with the Texas Rangers. Reaching further back, he discovered the voluntary retirement loophole in Hideo Nomo's contract that allowed him to leave Japan and sign with the Dodgers. Tellem's biggest contracts include Jason Giambi's seven-year, $120 million deal with the Yankees, and Chase Utley's seven-year, $85 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pieper is CEO of SFX sports agency, a part of Relativity Sports. Relativity holds numerous clients, including names such as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Koji Uehara who have come over from Japan.

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