By the time you read this, it will probably be dated :- ) but still...

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=== Expansion Draft City ===

Baker alerts us to Jon Heyman's report that the Yankees froze 5 young prospects* in expansion-draft style:  Joba and Hughes, both loosely comparable to Brandon Morrow in terms of value; Romine and Montero (both catchers), and Austin Jackson, a 5-toolish AAA center fielder who is loosely in the Adam Jones mold.

John Sickels has only 3 hitters in his top 14 Yankee spects, and the Yankees pulled them all off the table.  The reasoning is obvious:  they've got a 15-man redundancy in their pitching cupboard, only 12 pitchers play in NYY at a time, and they're all going to be imported free agents anyhow.

So, after their only three hitters plus Huges and Joba, "Otherwise take your pick."

Take any other one prospect?  Any other 99 prospects for 2 cents?  Or what?  Heyman doesn't bother to say.

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=== Putting a Face to the Name Dept. ===

Abstracts are one thing, specifics another.   D-O-V was against trading Washburn just to flush him, and was also against trading Washburn for non-elite players such as the guys we got for Betancourt.

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But hold on now.  Are you saying that the Mariners could take Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman (two behemoth near-7-footers throwing 95+) for two months of Jarrod Washburn?  That's a whole 'other subject.  :- )

The Yankees really are stacked with minors pitching (in part because they have little hitting).  "Take your pick" of any one, that's tempting.   If "Take your pick" means any two, that's a deal.  If "Take your pick" means any three, it's beyond no-brainer.

If Zduriencik is playing brinksmanship, thinking he can get a Phillip Hughes MUCH LESS JOBA CHAMBERLAIN?! ... or a big package from the Twinkies?  Whooo boy.

By the way, here is our May 2006 shtick on Dellin Betances.

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=== F'r Instance?, Dept. ===

Was a bit surprised to see a few late-nighters express skepticism on the Yankee arms.  Nay verily, amigos.

Betances is 6-foot-8, 245 lbs, is hitting 98 mph this year, and is essentially their version of Phillippe Aumont. He reportedly throws the 94-98 fastball downhill, high release sharp downward angle, has a power 12-6 curve and a change with screwball action. 

Brackman has been reported to scrape 7 feet tall now, has supposedly hit 101 on the gun along with "a true sledghammer" curve, was a #30 overall in the first round.

What would we be saying about a Mariner minors starting pitcher who was 6' 10" and had hit 101? 

Lefty Phil Coke was 9-4, 2.51 at AA last year as a starter, with 115 K in 118 innings, only 39 walks... and this year IN THE MAJORS has debuted with a 34:14 control ratio in 43 innings.

Who is that guy for us, a lefty who torched the high minors and who has a sparkling ML debut going?

Those are just three of quite a few Yankee arms that intrigue.  I doubt that Heyman means the M's can pick two or three, but if that's the case, I don't see how you pass it up.

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=== Brinksmanship ===

The first sip of real vintage, on the names talked about for Washburn, pretty well blew me away.  I had no idea that the market would be so strong.

We sort of laughed and shrugged when we read that outrageous report about the M"s asking Joba for Washburn.  We didn't even process it mentally, just sort of flew by it.

But apparently that's the kinda thing Capt Jack is trying to do for yer.  Good on 'im.

BABVA,

Jeff