Yankees Sign Chan Ho Park

UPDATE: 3/1/2010 @ 10:23AM: Yankees make room on the 40-man roster for Park by DFA (designating for assignment) relief pitcher Edwar Ramirez.


The Yankees' bullpen became a little more crowded Monday, as the Bombers agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.2 million deal with righthander Chan Ho Park.


Brian Cashman wouldn't confirm the signing, saying only that he has remained engaged with Jeff Borris, who represents Park. The 36-year-old went 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 45 games (seven starts) with the Phillies last year, posting a 2.52 ERA as a reliever. He then posted a 3.24 ERA in 12 postseason appearances, including four scoreless outings against the Yankees in the World Series.

But Brian Cashman says the addition of Park doesn't  present an over-crowding problem for the Yankees. He believes that there isn’t any such thing as too deep a 'pen.

“The more the merrier,’’ Cashman said. “You can never have enough.’’

Girardi echoed his boss.

“We will make sure we will take the best 12 guys,’’ Girardi said. “Having more quality arms than spots is a luxury.’’

Park, who still had to pass a physical before the deal became official, joins Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre as middle relievers, though the Yankees are unlikely to have room for more than two of them in the bullpen when the season starts. Park was in South Korea on Sunday and has to travel to Tampa to take the physical. He is not expected in camp until Wednesday or Thursday.

There is an additional $300,000 in incentives for Park, who has pitched for the Dodgers (twice), Rangers, Padres, Mets and Phillies.

The Yankees view Park strictly as a reliever, and not part of the battle for the fifth starter’s job.

Park had been on the Yankees’ radar for the past two years, but he really left a positive impression by throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings in four appearances in last year’s World Series. As a reliever, the Yankees noticed, Park’s stuff played up; his fastball reached 96 mph and his curveball remained crisp.
The Yankees also liked that Park had a reputation as a good teammate who works hard to stay in shape. In addition, he has been in the playoffs each of the past two seasons, for the Dodgers in 2008 and the Phillies last year.

“I have heard great things about him,’’ Jorge Posada said. “He has great arm. He was throwing 96-97 mph fastballs and they had movement. He had a great slider and changeup.’’

Park was 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA last year in 45 appearances, including seven starts. But his ERA as strictly a reliever was 2.52.

Aceves, who was very effective a year ago in relief, has options, so he could be sent to Triple-A. But he probably have to pitch poorly for that to happen.

“It’s not in my hands, it’s their decision,’’ said Aceves, who if given the option would prefer starting to relieving. “You do more in the game, you spend more time and pitch more innings. I really enjoy it.’’

The Yankees see Park deepening what they already considered a strong bullpen. Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Damaso Marte, Aceves and the loser of the Joba Chamberlain vs. Phil Hughes fifth starter battle, and now Park, are pretty much guaranteed roles.

The Yankees would love to see newly-acquired Boone Logan assume the other role to give Girardi a second lefty in tandem with Marte.

Even with the signing of Park, the Yankees are not currently considering sending the loser of the Chamberlain-Hughes battle to the minors to stay stretched out as a starter. But the presence of Park, at the least, can make the Yankees more comfortable with that option. Remember that in their best-laid plans, the Yankees imagine Chamberlain and Hughes in their 2011 rotation, which would be easier if both stayed stretched out this year.

The Yankees are at the full limit on the 40-man roster, so somebody has to be deleted when Park’s deal becomes official.

Excellent signing for the Yanks, in my mind, because Park can still make hitters miss, and in the bullpen, that's really important. He revitalized his career with the Phillies last season and he was extremely effective in his role out of the bullpen.

If he can duplicate that success this season in the Yankees' pen, they will have one nasty bullpen.

Imagine if the Yankees had Chad Gaudin as their fifth starter and Park, Aceves, Chamberlain, and Hughes in the bullpen. I don't think there would be a better one in baseball if that was the scenario.

Report: Mets, Barajas Agree to Deal

The Mets, who are still searching for their starting catcher, think they have found that by signing free agent catcher Rod Barajas to a one year, $1 million deal today.

The Texas Rangers reportedly offered Barajas a minor league deal.

Omir Santos is the No. 1 catcher by default in Mets camp, but the team reportedly was uneasy with the thought of going into the season with him as the starter as his game-calling skills reportedly were called into question last season.

Santos hit .260 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs last season.

Prospect Josh Thole, who hit .321 in 17 games last season, was also being considered but is more likely to start the season at Triple-A Buffalo.

The Mets signed Henry Blanco earlier this offseason to serve as the team's primary backup catcher.

Barajas, who was the Blue Jays' starting catcher last season, hit 19 home runs with 71 RBIs in 2009. The 34-year-old, who only had a .226 average, threw out 33 percent of base runners attempting to steal last season.

This is a good signing for the Mets considering what little options they had left once they couldn't sign Bengie Molina. Barajas is pretty good behind the plate even though he is almost an automatic out at the plate.

Many pitchers have enjoyed throwing to Barajas over the years because he is a calming presence behind the plate and often calls an excellent game, keeping the Jays' pitching staff to a 4.26 ERA last season in games he caught.

In the case of Barajas, the good defense may out way the terrible offense. Even though he hit a measly .226 last season, he was third in the MLB with a caught stealing percentage of 33.3%. That was better than Molina's career low 21.3% (that is when he catches over 100 games and he is at 24.6% over the last six seasons) that he put up last season, significantly better than Omir Santos's 20.4%, and better than Brian Schneider's 27.6% he put up in 2008 (sixth best in MLB for the season).

This season Barajas is projected to throw out 34.6% of would be base stealers. If the Mets can get that out of him, as well as maybe a batting average between .240 and .250, it would become money well spent. The Mets need Barajas to control the pitching staff and help John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and whoever becomes the fifth starter have solid, comeback seasons.

This has the potential to be a good move for the Mets. Of course only time will tell though. I like the move, but they obviously could have done better, and worse.

Delgado Has Second Hip Surgery

Carlos Delgado had hip surgery, his second such surgery in less than a year, this week according to his agent, David Sloane.

Sloane told the New York Post and FoxSports.com that Delgado will be sidelined for four months, but the current free agent intends to return this season and sign with a team when he is healthy.

The surgery was done to repair the labrum in Delgado's hip. According to FoxSports.com, Delgado also underwent microfracture surgery to repair his hip socket. The Post reported that the surgery happened on Wednesday.

Dr. Marc Philippon, who also performed hip surgery on A-Rod last season, performed the surgery.

"The prognosis is that Carlos Delgado will be the Carlos Delgado of old in four months rather than an old Carlos Delgado," Sloane told the Post.

Delgado missed 136 games last season for the New York Mets because of the hip injury, which also required surgery in May.

Delgado, 37, has 473 homers and 1,512 RBIs in 17 major league seasons with the Blue Jays, Marlins and Mets.

Gardner Ready for Bigger Role?

Last offseason, Brett Gardner went into Spring Training with an eye on winning the starting centerfield job. He hit the ground running, hitting .379 during the spring, beating out Melky Cabrera, who hit .351, for the job. However, when the season came around, the roles were reversed and Gardner quickly lost the job back to the Melk Man when he started the season by hitting .214.

After that, Gardner was used as a fourth outfielder, filling in for Cabrera in centerfield and as a defensive replacement in the late innings of games, with Cabrera switching to left and Johnny Damon taking a seat, and as a pinch runner. For the season Gardner played in 108 games, batting .270 with three home runs and 26 stolen bases, good for 13th in the American League.

In the post season, Gardner was often used again as a defensive replacement in the late innings as well as the important role of pinch runner, aiming to get himself into scoring position to score a run if the Yankees were down.

This season, however, with Cabrera gone to Atlanta and Curtis Granderson aboard, Gardner has the chance to claim the starting job in leftfield (or maybe center, again, if Joe Girardi deems him a better fit there, with Granderson in left).

But that doesn't seem to be enough for Gardner.

This offseason he dedicated himself to becoming a better bunter, saying that he focused more attention on squaring the bat around during his workouts this winter.


"That's the good thing about hitting off a [pitching] machine," Gardner said, according to the Daily News. "You can bunt 50 or 100 balls in 15 or 20 minutes. No time. I've been bunting a lot, working on that more and trying to bring that back into my game."

"Now it's just a matter of being comfortable enough with it not to be scared to do it in a game and have confidence that I'm going to put it where I want it. Not only can it be a tool to get on base, but it keeps defenses honest and can bring the corners in and maybe I can shoot some balls by them."

After spending the winter hitting at a facility near his South Carolina home, Gardner was among a contingent of early arrivals in camp, well in advance of the Yankees' position player report date of Feb. 23.

Gardner may find the early arrival helpful, heading into a spring where he will challenge Randy Winn and Marcus Thames for playing time and to confirm that he should be in the Opening Day outfield for the Yankees on April 4 in Boston.

Manager Joe Girardi said that he views the outfield setup of Gardner, Granderson and Nick Swisher as interchangeable, but he intends to keep Swisher in right field for the most part. That will leave Granderson, an All-Star center fielder last year, and Gardner, a speedy pure candidate for the same position, to sort things out in the Grapefruit League.

"I'll just wait and see what happens," said Gardner, who said he would also take balls in right field, just in case. "I'll just go into Spring Training, stay healthy and do the best I can. It's not really something I worry about. Hopefully, I'll have a good spring and do well enough for them to feel I need to be out there every day no matter where I am."

He missed 40 games last season after suffering a fractured left thumb on July 25 on a caught stealing against the Athletics, interrupting a 56-game stretch where he was batting .308 (40-for-130) after hitting just .214 (15-for-70) to begin the season. 

I love Brett Gardner, and if he can stay as consistent as he was during that 56-game stretch where he hit .308, he should be a great number nine hitter in the order, maybe occasionally batting first when Jeter gets a day off. Gardner is one of the fastest guys I have ever seen and he is always hustling, no matter if it's a ground ball to the pitcher or a triple in the gap.

He works hard and is dedicated to making himself a better player every day. His defense is remarkable, as he covers so much real estate in centerfield because of his blazing speed and even has a pretty above average arm to go with it. He gives up his body when he needs to and makes good reads on the ball. Although he may be able to play leftfield and rightfield, he is much better suited for center, which is usually where the fastest guys can showcase their speed and ability to cover ground.

I have frequently said that I think the Yankees best outfield right now is with Granderson in left, Gardner in center and Swisher in right and I am going to stick by that.

Gardner has also become a fan favorite in New York because of his constant hustle, base stealing ability and overall excitement he brings while playing the game. I still think Swisher is better for a reserve role, as I have said many times, but whatever. I am excited to see what Gardner has to bring to the table and if he can nail down a starting job in the outfield for the entire season. The first Spring Training game is March 3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. I am so excited for it, are you?

Pitchers and Catchers Report Tomorrow

That's really all I have to say, and that I'm very excited about it. It should be an interesting spring. Oh yeah, and happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there!

Roloson on the Block?!

UPDATE: 10:48PM 2/14/2010: It has been confirmed that BOTH Roloson and Biron are on the trade block, with Roloson still rumored to net a first round pick for the Isles while Biron may get them a mid-round pick.

Biron has played well in his last two games, two wins, and those games may have been a showcase for interested teams. Roloson continues to have a solid season, despite his age, and it appears he gets better with each game.

With the Olympic Games going on for two weeks, the league will be in a freeze, but when the Olympic break is over with, expect trade season to pick up as the March 3 trade deadline approaches.


Going into last offseason, the New York Islanders wanted to solidify their goal-tending situation, as they knew Rick DiPietro would be out until, as it turned out to be, January 12. Last season, when DiPietro went down for the season after playing only five games, the Islanders were forced to play inexperienced goalies between the pipes, in Joey McDonald and Yann Danis. Both goaltenders certainly held their own, for the most part, but an upgrade was necessary.

Enter Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron, two number one caliber goalies, to fill the shoes of the injured DiPietro. Both knew headed into the season that one of them would most likely be traded upon DiPietro's return, and the one shipped out of town would probably be the netminder playing worse at the time.

Well as the trade deadline approaches, it seems to be that the Islanders are shopping BOTH Biron and Roloson. Wait a minute, you might be saying, I thought the reason for signing Biron was to trade him for a mid level prospect or mid round pick at the deadline? Well originally you were correct, but apparently Garth Snow is set on stockpiling more draft picks, and rumor has it that Roloson could net another first round pick for the Isles.

If you are, by now, thoroughly confused, good. You see where I am now too. It appears the Isles are shopping Roloson, and several contenders are in on the 40-year-old, Islander's Point Blank's Chris Botta reports. But now get this, in a reverse of fate, this also might mean Martin Biron won't be dealt. What the hell, you may be thinking? What the hell is what I was thinking anyway.

Now I understand the importance of having as many draft picks as you can, especially first round picks, on a rebuilding team, but what does this tell your fan base when you trade the best goalie on the team? I am sure there are plenty of Islanders fans as confused as I am right now, and maybe in the near future Garth Snow can clear some of this up for us.

However, this would immediately catapult DiPietro back into the starters role. Is he ready for that yet? No one really has an answer. Biron has certainly showed, in his limited time, to be the most likely to lose a game, although to his credit, the team doesn't score for him very often.

Even as I write this I don't understand the logic of trading away Roloson. Whatever, I never understand most of the trades the Islanders make anyway, except the Ryan Smyth trade. I guess I have Mike Milbury to thank for that, a heated discussion for another time.

Giants Release Defensive Captain Pierce

Today the Giants released the captain of their defense for the last five seasons, Antonio Pierce.

"I was shocked at first, but I'm not the one up there up in the office, and they said they felt they needed to go in another direction," Pierce told ESPN's Rachel Nichols on Thursday. "They said it wasn't my health, or the way I played, but just that -- that they were going in another direction. We left everything smooth and peaceful and I'm happy about that. I felt like I said everything I needed to say to them. I've loved my time in New York and won't have anything but good feelings about being with this team."

Pierce said the reason he was in the New York area was to have a doctor look at the herniated disk in his neck that caused him to miss the final seven games of last season. He said the MRI was "very positive."

"I can't say I'm 100 percent yet, but with the season still six months away, I'm right where I need to be and I'm going to be fine," he said.

Pierce had one season left on the contract he signed as a free agent in 2005.

Pierce has no wish list going forward from here, but said he would like "to stay in the NFC East, since I know the division so well. But I just want to go somewhere I can help a good team."

For most of his time, Pierce was an outstanding football player for the Giants. He led the team in tackles three times, was a three-year captain, a Pro Bowler in 2006 and one of the inspirational leaders of the squad that did not have a losing season in his five years.

Pierce finished his final season with the Giants with 51 tackles (31 solo), three tackles for losses, a sack, two passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His five-year totals with the Giants were 537 tackles (322 solo), seven sacks, six forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and four interceptions. Pierce also had 44 postseason tackles (28 solo).

An undrafted free agent, Pierce played his first four seasons with the Washington Redskins.

This move probably will turn out well for the Giants. Pierce was hurt for the majority of his final season, and his age may have also played a role in his release. Pierce is 31 years old and the physical abuse that linebackers normally take on a weekly basis can lead to some real wear and tear on the body. Several mock drafts have the Giants drafting a linebacker in the first round. Anyone with any favorites?

The "Joba Rules" Are Gone

Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland told the New York Daily News that Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will be part of a competition for the fifth spot that also will include Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre.

He also told the newspaper that the team is going to delete the "Joba Rules" from the baseball vocabulary. The pampering is over and Joba Chamberlain will be treated no differently than any other pitcher when he competes for the fifth spot in the Yankees rotation.

The Yankees had been overly protective of Chamberlain, who they view as the potential top-of-the-line starter. "The kid gloves are off, and he's just going to go out and pitch and he knows that and he's going to come in and be all geared up to win that job, as are the other guys," Eiland said.

"He's not going to have any restrictions, so Joe (Girardi) and I are not going to have to go into the game thinking, 'Oh, he's got 85 pitches or six innings or whatever comes first.' We don't have to game plan it out. The kid gloves are off, and he's just going to go out and pitch and he knows that and he's going to come in and be all geared up to win that job, as are the other guys. Competition should bring out the best in everyone," Eiland said.

Eiland said he believed the close management "probably did" weigh on the Chamberlain, although the 24-year-old never knew exactly how many pitches or innings he was allowed in a given start.

Immediately after the All-Star break this past season, Chamberlain started off extremely dominant, pitching 21 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits and two earned runs, while walking eight and striking out 19. That's an ERA of 1.20. Granted that was only three starts, but for the erratic season that Chamberlain had as a starter, a string of three straight outstanding starts means something.

Props to the Yankees for finally realizing that Joba doesn't need these dumb rules/restrictions. That is what killed him last year, as he was never able to get a real rhythm on the mound and was always thinking if he messed up one inning it could be the end of the game for him. I still think he projects better out of the bullpen, and I've made that argument numerous times. Anyone else agree with me and Joel Sherman?  

Mike Jacobs Signs Minor League Deal with Mets

Once a Mets prospect, traded to the Marlins in the Carlos Delgado deal, Mike Jacobs is close to returning to where he started. The Mets are close to signing Jacobs to a minor league deal with their former prospect to compete for the starting job at first base with Daniel Murphy.

Jacobs, who began his big league career with New York in 2005, was non-tendered by the Royals after hitting .228 with 19 homers last season. A deal with Jacobs could indicate that the Mets are no longer interested in free agent Carlos Delgado, who like Jacobs is a lefty hitter with less than ideal defensive skills.

He's the lefty power threat the Mets currently lack, though his .313 career OBP and poor defense are big negatives. He also struggles immensely against southpaws.

So now that it is clear that the Mets just signed a player that is not that good defensively, doesn't get on base a lot, and pretty much just strikes out unless he hits a home run, who is next? Rod Barajas? It seems like the Mets are right where they were at the beginning of the offseason, which is a scary thought for Mets fans everywhere.

Yankees Sign Marcus Thames to Minor League Deal

Last night the Yankees came to an agreement with an old friend, outfielder Marcus Thames. Thames agreed to a minor league deal with the team and will get the chance to be the fifth outfielder.

Thames, who appeared in seven games for the 2002 Yankees (they drafted him in the 30th round in 1996) and homered off Randy Johnson in his first big-league at-bat, hits lefties well and if he makes the team, he will become the predominant right handed bat off the bench to spell any of the outfielders throughout the season.

Also, Thames gives the Yankees three options with which to replace Johnny Damon, who is unemployed. Thames spent the last six season with Detroit and hit .252 with 13 homers and 36 RBI last year, down from 25 homers and 56 RBI the previous season. He would get a $900,000, one-year contract if added to the 40-man roster and have the chance to earn an additional $900,000 in performance bonuses.

The right-handed hitting Thames could find himself alongside center fielder Curtis Granderson, his former Tigers teammate, and complement the switch-hitting Winn, who hit .292 from the left side last year and .158 from the right. Thames batted .257 against lefties and .248 against righties. The speedy Brett Gardner also will be in the mix for playing time alongside Granderson.

"He has a great bat against left-handers," manager Joe Girardi said of Thames, who was dealt from the Yankees to Rangers for Ruben Sierra in 2003.

Said GM Brian Cashman: "He hits left-handed pitching well, and we know him as a person, so we will see where it takes us."

I don't get this. Thames is not that strong of a hitter and does not get on base a lot, he has a career .306 OBP. I get the signing from the standpoint that he can play both corner outfield spots, first base, and DH, but the Yankees could have gone out and gotten someone else that does the same thing.

Nick Swisher can do the same thing and I have already made the argument that I don't believe he belongs in the starting spot in right field. The Yanks could have resigned Xavier Nady to play right field for a low amount of money and had Swisher play the role that Thames is playing, but would do so more effectively. 

I would have to say that I do not agree with the last two signings in the outfield for the Yankees. I am still set on my opinion that they should have signed Reed Johnson to platoon with Gardner. I guess the good news in all of this is that if neither Winn nor Thames work out in Spring Training, Johnny Damon is still unemployed and wants to come back to the Yankees.

So given what I've told you, and given that Thames's career OBP is .306 and Winn hit .158 against lefties last season, what would you think about all of this? I've already told you what I think.

Pennington to Return?

In August 2008 the New York Jets released their starting quarterback of six years when they traded for Brett Favre. Soon after, the Dolphins scooped him up and made him their starting quarterback. In the 2008 season Pennington earned Comeback Player of the Year, leading the Dolphins to an 11-5 record and the playoffs.

This season was not as successful for Pennington as the previous year, as Pennington went down with another shoulder injury in the middle of the team's week three game against the Chargers. On October 1, Pennington had his third shoulder surgery in five years, which has led his career in doubt.

In Pennington's absence, rookie Chad Henne more than held his own, proving to the Dolphins that he could be the quarterback of the future. Now Pennington is a free agent and there has been talk that the Dolphins will not retain his services.

One possibility for Pennington's next destination is where it all started, the New York Jets. However, if Pennington does return, it would not be to his old starting quarterback role. His new role with the Jets would be Mark Sanchez's back-up.

While acknowledging it "would be tough" to return to the team that fired him only 19 months ago, Pennington - an unrestricted free agent in four weeks - told the Daily News Thursday he would definitely listen if GM Mike Tannenbaum called.

"I'd be crazy not to be interested," Pennington said. "Once you think you're too big where you can't entertain every opportunity, you'd better be careful because you'll be looking from the outside in."

Pennington's shoulder injuries have kept him from securing a chance to start regularly at this stage of his career, but his willingness to understand the situation and to realize that the move to release him in 2008 to make room for Brett Favre was just a business decision is likely to make things a little easier for him to find a job in the league.

Current Jets backup Kellen Clemens will be a restricted free agent in March and rumors thus far indicated that the Jets intend to tender Clemens a second-round offer, which would net the team a second-round pick should he sign elsewhere.

Even though Clemens won his only start in 2009, filling in when Sanchez was injured, he was underwhelming and didn't win the confidence of the organization. He also has fallen behind Sanchez in terms of experience (nine career starts to Sanchez's 18), and the team would like a seasoned backup who can be a mentor to their still-maturing franchise quarterback.

However, signing Pennington to be Sanchez's back-up would be a brilliant move. He would be able to show Sanchez the ropes and how to be a professional. Pennington is the most accurate passer in NFL history and he would be able to show Sanchez how to become an accurate passer, while also provided that veteran back-up presence that the Jets desperately need incase of another injury to Sanchez.

Imagine if Pennington was the Jets starter this past season. Maybe the Jets would have made it to the Super Bowl with the precision passing of Pennington. Maybe not. Of course no one will ever know, but both Pennington and Sanchez could throw their fare share of completions to the other team.

Nonetheless, if the Jets bring Pennington aboard, Sanchez will surely improve under his tutelage and become that much better of a quarterback.

Thomas Jones: Staying or Going?

This past season the Jets had the number one rushing attack in the National Football League. All three of their runningbacks, Shonn Greene, Leon Washington, and Thomas Jones, had big seasons.

Washington was, unfortunately, lost for the season to a severely broken leg in week seven against the Raiders. Washington, the do-it-all runningback, broke his on a six-yard carry and is out six to twelve months. At the time he was having his usual big season, carrying the ball 71 times for 325 yards, 15 catches for 131 yards, and 16 kickoff returns for 385 yards. His injury increased the workload for rookie back Shonn Greene.


Greene took that role and ran with it, so to speak. He helped run the Jets right to the playoffs, but, of course, he did not do it alone. Led by Thomas Jones's career high 1402 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, the Jets committed to their philosophy of ground and pound and it led them all the way to a Wild Card birth in the AFC playoff bracket.

However, the title of this article was not written because Thomas Jones had a spectacular, career year. It is because he was relegated to back-up duty in the playoffs as Shonn Greene shined in his new starting role, rushing for over 100 yards in the first two playoff games before being halted by the Colts run defense in the AFC Championship game.

His 304 rushing yards for the playoffs is a rookie record and when he went out with a rib injury against the Colts, the Jets rushing attack went with him.

The talk is that the Jets are going to cut Jones so they don't have to pay his $2.8 million cap hit, but if you think about it this is the talk because Greene had a sensational postseason that showed that he is the future back of this football team. Many people believe that with the rise of Greene and return of Washington, the team does not need Jones's services as much as before.

Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News laid out the reasons why the Jets should hang onto Thomas Jones early last week, mainly that Leon Washington's return to form is in question (and the team will want more than just Shonn Greene in the backfield), and Jones is considered a team leader.

Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum addressed the Jones issue during his season-ending presser, and said, "We hope to have him back," but acknowledged financial problems could be a factor in his final decision.

I happen to completely agree with Cimini. Washington's return to form is not guaranteed, especially because he is coming off a serious leg injury, and Greene would only be a second year back with inexperience. Jones provides the Jets best chance of keeping together their great trio for their ground and pound attack on offense.

They could be like the Giants Super Bowl winning team of 2008 with their Earth, Wind and Fire trio of backs. Washington would be the wind, Greene would be the Earth and Jones would be the fire. It spells success and I think the Jets need to keep Jones. March cuts are right around the corner so we'll see what the Jets decide.

Saints Win First Super Bowl

For the first time in their history, the New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl Champions. Peyton Manning may have been the regular-season MVP, but on this given Sunday, Brees was better.

Lifting his team from a 10-point deficit, Brees completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns to tie the Super Bowl record for completions on his way to winning the game's MVP honors. However, Brees struggled early on while Manning flourished, but that quickly changed in the second quarter.

While Manning continued to excel as always, Brees started to catch up, and that was just what the Saints wanted. Probably the only team in football that could keep up in a shootout with Manning and the Colts, the Saints did just that.

After halftime, Brees came out flying, as New Orleans began the second half by recovering a surprise onside kick. That set the stage for the rest of the game, as head coach Sean Payton made many gutsy calls throughout.

"We were really excited when he made the call," said linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who was on the field when teammate Chris Reis recovered the ball. "That changed everything."

The ball, kicked expertly by Thomas Morstead, bounced off the hands of the Colts' Hank Baskett to set up the Saints' offense.

"We're going to be aggressive, Payton said. "We'd seen the onside kick all week and guys executed it well. It turned out to be a big change of possession."

Instead of defending against Manning -- who finished the game completing 31 of 45 for 333 yards -- the Saints drove 58 yards for a touchdown. Running back Pierre Thomas caught a 16-yard scoring pass from Brees and, very suddenly, the Saints had their first lead of the game.

The expected shootout was developing into a surprising defensive standoff. Naturally, the second half began with an onside kick. Payton, after getting wrecked on two conservative goal-line run calls, went for the trick play out of the box and with just over three minutes into the second half, after Thomas' touchdown, it was a very different game -- 13-10, Saints.

But, of course, Manning is Manning. Completing two critical balls to tight end Clark along the way, Manning presided over a terrific drive. Addai, spinning a full 360 degrees, ran 4-yards for a score with 6:15 left in the third quarter to put the Colts back on top 17-13.

Game on.

The Saints came right back and Hartley's 47-yard field goal closed the gap to one point.Indianapolis moved down the field, picking up a fourth-and-2 at the Saints' 46 when Wayne caught a 14-yard slant. But just when it looked like the Colts would distance themselves, linebacker Jonathan Vilma made two terrific plays -- a tackle for a loss followed by a batted down pass to Colts wide receiver Austin Collie down by the end zone. Matt Stover's 51-yard field goal attempt was wide left. And it seemed as if that sealed the fate of the Colts.

Sitting in my den watching this game with my friends and father, we all knew that Stover was going to miss this kick and that the Colts probably should have punted and it turned out that we were right. Stover's wide left kick was way short of uprights and that changed the entire game, as Brees had almost half a field to score a touchdown.

And he promptly did just that, hitting tight end Jeremy Shockey with a two-yard touchdown pass on the right side to give the Saints a 22-17 lead with 5:42 to play.

New Orleans was then compelled to go for two to put Manning and the Colts within seven points of a tie. Lance Moore had the ball in his grasp over the goal line momentarily before it came loose. The play was called incomplete, but Payton challenged the call and replays showed the catch was good for a two-point conversion, and the Saints had a seven-point lead.

With the Colts driving, Tracy Porter made the game clinching interception that gave his team a 14 point lead for good.

The Colts drove down the field on the final drive, but Manning's last-gasp pass, a seemingly quite catchable throw, glanced off the hands of Wayne near the end zone, and the Colts were formally done. In the fourth quarter the Saints managed to make Peyton Manning look like a mid-season Mark Sanchez, making poor decisions with the football and throwing interceptions that Manning would never throw. Peyton was human on this night, and it was good to see.

The Saints are no longer the Ain'ts and finally have something to go crazy about. Only four years ago the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, with many people left homeless. The Saints took their city on their shoulders and brought it to this point. This game was an outstanding game from start to finish and the Drew Brees finally went from great quarterback to elite quarterback.

The Saints have become my second favorite team in football, behind the Jets of course, ever since Drew Brees and Reggie Bush came to town. I have always been a Bush fan, being a huge USC football fan, but if he wasn't going to the Jets in the 2006 draft, I was really OK with him going to the Saints. The story of the Saints rising up and lifting the city in 2006 moved me and made me a huge fan.

In comes Jonathan Vilma.

After the 2007, Jonathan Vilma was traded from the Jets to the Saints. He was my favorite Jet at the time and I was very upset to see him go, especially since they got Kris Jenkins to be their nose tackle. But him going to the Saints only made me love them more. I am so happy for Vilma and the other former Jets that won the Super Bowl tonight, it was well deserved. What a night for the Who Dat nation! They deserved this more than anyone can explain!

Umenyiora tells Giants He'll Quit if He Doesn't Start

Well Giants fans, as if this season wasn't hard enough. Not only did your defense give up the third most points in the league, and after starting 5-0 you went into a serious tailspin, but now your best defensive player is complaining. Osi Umenyiora, who was relegated to a third-down rusher for the last five games, has stated that if he is not going to start for the Giants next season, he will quit.

"I'm not going to be a backup player, I can promise you that," Umenyiora said in an interview on WFAN Wednesday. "I'll stop playing football before I do that ever again."

Could this be the end of his Giants career? After the final game at Giants Stadium, Umenyiora suggested that he might not be a Giant in the future. He said later that week that he wanted to play for the Giants, but there had to be changes. Many interpreted that as meaning the dismissal of Sheridan, but Umenyiora said that wasn't the case. Clearly he was talking more about his role in the defense and whether he can be an every-down defensive end or just a role player.

"Did it go through my mind? Obviously yes," Umenyiora said of the possibility that his days as a Giant were over. "You come to a situation where you've been here for a long time and you won [a] Super Bowl, you've been to the Pro Bowl a couple of times, and then things like that start happening. You start getting benched, you're coming in on a third-down rush, I think it almost seemed as if the writing was on the wall at that particular time. I felt like I had worn out my welcome."

Let's be honest here, Umenyiora is probably the best and most dynamic player on that defense. Alright, so he had a down year, who doesn't?! I think this whole thing well eventually pass over as we get deeper into the offseason. The Giants just came off of a season in which only one other team in franchise history gave up more points, who wouldn't be frustrated?

I completely understand Umenyiora's frustration, but I think he is taking it a little too far. My opinion is that he will be returning to his starting role, if he hasn't already, but when your team is struggling as much as the Giants were, you try and shake things up to get something going. Umenyiora has to understand THAT, but I guess not.

Maybe new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell can light a fire under the Giants defenders' butts the way former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could. Who knows? It's way to early to make that assessment, but if he can't look for Umenyiora to speak out again.

I say that Umenyiora is with the Giants next season, but if they play like this again next year then he's gone after 2011. However, if the Giants play defense like the Giants of old, Umenyiora may even get an extension.

Islanders Place Veteran Witt on Waivers

After activating Brendan Witt from injured reserve Wednesday, the Islanders have decided to place him on waivers. The 34-year-old alternate captain, who has two goals and three assists and a plus/minus rating of -18 in 42 games, is known for his grit and toughness, but his ice time has dwindled significantly throughout the season.

GM Garth Snow said the move is less of a knock on Witt's play but rather a testament to the development of some of the Islanders' young defensemen and the organization's confidence in their play.

"It's probably more indicative of how well Jack Hillen has performed, Andrew MacDonald, and most recently Dustin Kohn," Snow said. "For the way we want to play, it's an indication of how well they've played."

If Witt clears waivers by Thursday afternoon, he will report to Bridgeport. The Islanders were rumored to have been shopping Witt but could not find any takers because of the year left on his deal.

This is a good move for the Islanders and it seemed as though this was a long time coming because, despite Witt's incredible leadership, toughness and grit, he was very unproductive and the younger Islanders were playing much better than he was.

He, and it hurts to say this because I love Brendan Witt, did not warrant minutes based on his plus/minus rating and his lack of ability to help the team at either end of the ice. So long Brendan Witt, I, for one, will miss you.

The Jeff Tambellini Problem

At the 2005-2006 trade deadline the New York Islanders acquired left winger, and former first round pick, Jeff Tambellini, along with defense man Denis Grebeshkov, from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for winger Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel.

Tambellini was in his rookie season at the time, as he decided to forgo his senior season at Michigan to turn pro. Since he was traded to the Islanders at the trade deadline that year, he has spent his Islanders career bouncing back and forth between the big club and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

While at Bridgeport, Tambellini set the Sound Tigers single-season scoring record with 76 points in 57 games. When GM Garth Snow announced that he was going to rebuild his team through the draft and his current young players, Tambellini was made a part of those plans and the big question was what would Tambellini be able to do with significant playing time?

Last season Tambellini was given that opportunity and was unable to make the most of it, scoring only seven goals while tacking on 15 points in 65 games. Many people began to doubt his ability and started to think maybe it was time to head in a different direction.

However, Tambellini was given another opportunity this season, and has flourished in the little amount of playing time he has received. In only 24 games he has equaled his goals total from last season with seven and has added six assists as well. Now the question seems to be, why is Tambellini being left out of the line-up so much?

He has produced when he has been given the chance, and recorded his first career hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres on October 31, yet game after game Tambellini has been listed as a healthy scratch. For a while I could not understand how Coach Scott Gordon could justify playing the awful and consistently terrible Nate Thompson over Tambellini, but when the Islanders waived Thompson last month, Tambellini remained out of the line-up much to the chagrin of many people. I mean I am a Blake Comeau fan, but he has done nothing to warrant more playing time than Tambellini.

I guess the good thing Tambellini has going for him with his good play is that he remains significant to the organizations future plans, but he is not going to get any better from the press box and you can only improve so much just by practicing. I think Tambellini has earned the right to play and has showed just that during his few games on the ice. Maybe Scott Gordon will smarten up and give him the chance because we all know the Isles aren't making the playoffs this year anyway.

UPDATE: 2/4/2010: 7:06pm: I guess Coach Scott Gordon heard what I had to say because, guess what fans, tonight Jeff Tambellini is in the line-up!

Yankees #5 Starter is...

That's just the thing, it's a big question mark. I guess the good thing is that the question isn't who is the Yankees ace anymore, like it was for a bunch of years after Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens walked after the 2003 season. The question for the upcoming season is who is the number five starter going to be?

The Yankees have rotational depth with the addition of Javier Vazquez via trade this offseason, but it remains to be seen who the last starter will be. The candidates are Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin, Phil Hughes, and Joba Chamberlain. However, I don't think Girardi is going to remove Aceves and Gaudin from the bullpen and Sergio Mitre is really more of a long shot and potential dark horse.

Aceves was so outstanding out of the bullpen last season that how could you justify taking him out of that role for the 2010 season? I don't think you can and I believe that Chad Gaudin plays the role of long reliever and spot starter. Nevertheless, if you really think about it, the battle for that last spot in the starting rotation is between Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, with the "loser" becoming Mariano's set-up guy.

Last season, that became the role that Hughes was absolutely dominating in, with an ERA of 1.40 in 44 games and 51 1/3 innings pitched. Unfortunately for him, during the World Series, he was not as dominating as Chamberlain was in the same role. Chamberlain was able to channel all of his energy into throwing his 99 MPH fastball and power slider for one inning.

I guess the question now is who fits better and where? In my opinion, I believe both Hughes and Chamberlain can and will excel in the role of set-up man and either one could be the successor to Mariano as closer; however, I think Hughes is better suited in the starting rotation than Chamberlain.

Hughes projects better as a starter because of his ability to throw his fastball, change-up and curveball in any count with a high success rate. He also uses a better variety of pitches than Chamberlain, especially since he implemented his two-seam fastball last season. Hughes features a plus fastball, plus curveball, a brand new two-seam fastball, cutter, and change-up that came to life towards the middle of last season. His pitches are better suited for a spot in the rotation than Chamberlain's pitches are.

Chamberlain's repertoire consists of a plus fastball, a plus slider, average change-up and average curveball. He usually uses his curveball on the first pitch to set up his power fastball. His high-energy demeanor is what makes him better suited for the set-up role and potentially Mariano's successor.

His ability to throw as hard as he can for one inning and then come back on the next pitch with his power slider enables him to keep hitters guessing for one inning each time. The battle for the last spot in the rotation should be a very interesting one that is sure to keep a lot of people on edge and the “loser” will become the main set-up man in the bullpen. Chamberlain doesn't care which role he is in, as long as he is helping his team.

"The biggest difference is that, as a starter, you know you're going to have to face a guy maybe three, four or five times," Chamberlain said.

"In the bullpen, you're only going to face him once, so you don't really have to set him up. You don't have to worry about, 'OK, I got him out on a curveball in his first at-bat.' That's the biggest difference, the planning in the game of how you are going to get guys out."

The battles will begin in two weeks when pitchers and catchers are due to report. It’s primed to be an exciting spring.

Yankees in the Outfield

With the new look outfield the Yankees have put together this offseason, many are wondering what will the Yankees be like with Curtis Granderson instead of Johnny Damon. If you ask me, I am not sure why the Yankees chose Randy Winn over Johnny Damon and why the "Bankees" all of a sudden have a budget. But baseball is a business, like any other sport, and it is what it is.

The Yankees outfield for the 2010 season is as follows: Brett Gardner, Randy Winn, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Rule 5 draft pick Jamie Hoffman, and Ramiro Pena. You could make the argument that this plays out as a strong group, but then again an outfield of Johnny Damon, Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Ramiro Pena is MUCH better.

I still think Nick Swisher should be a fourth outfielder, but that's why Joe Girardi makes those choices and not me. I just don't get the Winn signing. The Yanks could have had a better option for the one year with Damon and still able to sign Carl Crawford next offseason.

Winn is getting old and while he might still project very well as a corner outfielder, he cannot hit lefties. While I don't think he is the .158 hitter he was against lefties last season, I do think he is closer to, or maybe a little lower, than his career .280 average against left handed pitching. Either way, he only hit two home runs and his batting average dipped to .262 last season.

I still think that if the Yankees were serious about not re-signing Johnny Damon, they should have looked for better options to play leftfield in 2010. My top choice was Reed Johnson because he plays excellent defense with his all-out attitude and he is a good enough hitter to hold his own at the number nine slot in the batting order, but clearly the Yankees did not feel the same way.

Winn will be able to hit in the ninth slot for the Yankees and not lose too much from the order. Granderson should be a good number two hitter against right handed pitchers and a good number seven hitter against lefties, with Nick Johnson hitting second against lefties and seventh against right handers.

The big deal seems to now be who plays where. The best defensive alignment I think the Yankees could go out onto the field with is Winn in left, Granderson in center and Swisher in right. However, since Gardner and Winn will most likely platoon, when Gardner is in the game he is a better defensive center fielder than Granderson. Granderson should be in left, Gardner in center and Swisher in right in those cases. That is just my opinion, but hopefully the Yankees decide that those two routes are the best for their team. I guess Spring Training will tell us.

Sanchez Decides to Have Knee Surgery

Today Mark Sanchez, decided to have left knee surgery to strengthen the ligaments around his patella. These ligaments hold his patella, kneecap, in place. Sanchez first injured this knee during his junior season at USC and he has worn a knee brace ever since. It is important to note that this is not the knee that Sanchez hurt this season while sliding incorrectly. That was his right knee, which has been diagnosed as a PCL sprain and is expected to heal through rehab. The surgery will be performed by team doctors in the coming weeks and he is expected to be ready well before training camp begins.

It is expected that Sanchez will need about two months to recover and will miss some of the early offseason workouts, such as the OTA's and some of mini-camp. General manager Mike Tannenbaum has said the quarterback would be ready in time for training camp in July if he had surgery. This surgery is not needed, but was recommended by renowned surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, because it is expected to help prevent future tweaks to the kneecap area, which he reinjured Nov. 29 in a game against the Carolina Panthers.

Reyes is Ready for Spring Training

Well today the Mets received some excellent news as Jose Reyes proclaimed himself ready for Spring Training, saying that he feels as fast as ever.

Reyes has been recovering from surgery to repair his torn right hamstring tendon and at this point, "He's 100 percent," says physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist Rob Panariello.

Panariello, who runs the Professional Athletic Performance Center in Garden City, 10 minutes from Reyes’ house, has been working with Reyes to strengthen his legs in his attempt to come back stronger than ever.

He feels great and ex-teammate Paul LoDuca, who also trains there, says, "Jose looks great. His explosiveness is there. He’s healthy, positive, he looks ready to go."

Fourteen weeks ago, Reyes started his rehab on crutches and has now gotten to working five days a week. The other day he ran 90 feet on the track in 3.53 seconds, the average time to first for a lefty is 4.2 seconds.

His running mechanics have changed for the better too. Now he is flexing his right leg more, with his heel inching closer to his backside, making his stride faster and cleaner.

Panariello and his staff at the Performance Center know what they are doing over there too.

They taught me proper running mechanics, which improved my 40-yard dash time from 5.46 to 5.09 in six months. So I can tell you from experience that Reyes is working with some of the best in the business and if anyone can get Reyes back to his normal self quickly, it is them.

Reyes begins each session at the Performance Center by warming up his lower body and legs on the stationary bike. Panariello then brings him back into the physical therapy room to stretch out his leg and hamstring.

After the stretching, Panariello puts him through a series of 90-foot sprints, a 10-yard tennis ball drill, and weight-lifting drills, including a high-tech beauty in a machine called the velocity cage and a low-tech exercise, where he pounds a truck tire with a 10-pound sledge-hammer from both sides of the plate.

After his rigorous workout session, Reyes walks next store to Frozen Ropes, where there are a series of batting cages that he takes swings in.

Reyes said he has not felt this good since last April. He’s at 198 pounds and he cannot wait to get back on the field and do what he does best. “I can do everything I did before on the field,” Reyes said. “I can’t wait to hit a triple.” Reyes seems ready, and for agonizing Mets fans, that is some of the best news they could have received.