I know everyone is sick of the left field speculation, but its the biggest issue in Yankee Land these days. Here’s what we know…

The Giants signed Mark DeRosa, so count him out.

The Mets are in agreement on a 4 year deal with Jason Bay, so count him out.

Apparently, as opposed to what we heard earlier, the Yanks aren’t interested in Jermain Dye. That article, by Anthony McCarron, says that the Yanks are looking at Reed Johnson as well as Jerry Hairston Jr. Jerry was a nice addition midseason last year, but he’s not a great solution in left, if you ask me.

Scott Podsednik, as Chad Jennings notes, is mostly just an older version of Brett Gardner, so count him out.

Kelly Johnson, a second baseman by trade, but who has left field experience. is close to a deal with Arizona, so he’s unlikely too.

Apparently, even the injury-risk fan favorite Xavier Nady is too expensive.

Reed Johnson might be the most plausible option, while Dye could fit as well. For those of you shouting MATT HOLLIDAY, realize that he’s really not an option at this point. There’s also some chance that the Yanks go into the season with a Brett Gardner/Jamie Hoffman platoon. A small chance, but a chance nonetheless.

Chad Jennings over at LoHud put up his 25-man prediction the other day, so I’d thought I’d share mine (For some reason, I feel like I may have already done this, but I can’t find it, plus I’ve probably changed my mind on some things)…

1. C Jorge Posada

2. 1B Mark Teixeira

3. 2B Robinson Cano

4. 3B Alex Rodriguez

5. SS Derek Jeter

6. OF Jermaine Dye

7. OF Curtis Granderson

8.OF  Nick Swisher

9. DH Nick Johnson

10. OF Brett Gardner

11. OF Jamie Hoffman

12. C Francisco Cervelli

13. IF Kevin Russo

14. SP CC Sabathia

15. SP AJ Burnett

16. SP Andy Pettitte

17. SP Javier Vazquez

18. SP Joba Chamberlain

19. CL Mariano Rivera

20. SU Phil Hughes (Sorry, I had a typo before, writing Joba twice)

21. SU David Robertson

22. LS Damaso Marte

23. MR Mark Melancon

24. MR Alfredo Aceves

25. LR Chad Gaudin

SI.com passes along a report from the Chicago Tribune that says the Yankees are showing interest in free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye. Dye is a Type A free agent, but the White Sox didn’t offer him arbitration, so don’t worry about forfeiting a draft pick. The 35 year old (he’ll be 36 in January)  righty had a .250/.340/.453 line this season, hitting 27 long balls.  

Dye is a liability with the glove though, as demonstrated by his atrocious -20.00 UZR in right field this season. This is just me wondering aloud, but since the right field fence is shorter at Yankee Stadium, there’s less territory to cover out there, Dye might improve defensively playing right at Yankee Stadium. Of course, that would require moving Nick Swisher to left.

What’s interesting about Dye are his splits. .236/.323/.434 versus righhanders, while hitting .292/.387/.508 versus southpaws. Curtis Granderson, in case you forgot, is terrible against lefties (.183/.245/.239), but great against righties (.275/.358/.539). Dye could provide an interesting platoon decision.

Against lefties, the Yanks could start Dye, Brett Gardner/Jamie Hoffman, and Nick Swisher. Against righties, Girardi would pencil in Gardner, Granderson, and Swisher. That would be an effective platoon, but one has to wonder whether Dye and Granderson would be okay with reduced playing time. Dye has a -0.3 UZR in ’09 and hasn’t been worth more than 1.8 wins since ’06. Putting him in a platoon would make him much more valuable. This is all my speculation, by the way, but the Yanks looking into a guy who kills lefties and doesn’t do much versus righties certainly makes it seem like the Yanks are trying to balance Curtis Granderson’s splits with a platoon.

Justin Duchscherer has agreed to a one year contract with Oakland that will pay him at least $2mm while giving him an opportunity to make as much as $5.5mm more in incentives. That’s a good deal for Oakland. Worst Case Scenario: They just wasted $2mm. Best Case Scenario: For $7.5mm they get an ace for ’10. Conor was a big Duchscherer-to-the-Bronx supporter; I was not.

For all the fans out there that will inevitably complain that at that price the Yanks should’ve signed Duchscherer, realize that the Yanks can’t just sign everyone available for a small contract. As Brian Cashman has said, there is a budget. Justin is a bargain for Oakland, and honestly the Yanks don’t need him, not with Vazquez in tow. The number 5 starter will be Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain; we’ve been waiting for three years to see those two live up to their potential, so Duchscherer wasn’t about to take that spot. Sure, Justin could be a reliever, as he has been in the past. But, the Yanks will have Mariano, David Robertson, and Hughes (since the Commandments of Joba restrict me from suggesting that Joba could possibly lose the fight for the #5 spot) as their dominant late inning trio. Justin would want to play somewhere where he’d get a closer or set-up man role, that wasn’t available in New York.

Meanwhile, anyone else realize how much the Nationals have been doing as of late? They signed Jason Marquis to a two-year deal, signed Everyday Eddie Guardado, signed Matt Capps. Last month they got Brian Bruney from the Yanks. I’ve heard rumors that they could be interested in Orlando Hudson, who is a good ballplayer, but Felipe Lopez would be a smarter choice. If they don’t sign a second baseman they’ll stick to their original plan, moving Cristian Guzman to second and starting Ian Desmond at short. This is a reach. A BIG reach, but could the Nationals be a surprise team in ’10? I don’t think they have more than a 4% chance of reaching the playoffs, but hey, anything’s possible. If Stephen Strasburg gets to the bigs, and pitches how he’s supposed to, they could have a solid front three of John Lannan-Jordan Zimmerman-Strasburg. The bullpen is almost “deep” now, even if none of the guys they’ve brought in are really that good. Between Bruney, Capps, and Guardado, someone will be able to close effectively. Washington D.C. is a big market, and the Nats’ owner, Ted Lerner, is a billionaire. They have money to spend, and honestly, if they spend it well, this team could be good. They need another high-upside pitcher or two, like Ben Sheets. The lineup, though, has Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Cristian Guzman, Elijah Dukes, and Josh Willingham. This team could be a .500 club in 2010, which might not seem like much, but for a city that hasn’t had winning baseball in decades, it’d be a welcome change.

Anyone who’s still reading, I’ve got a few Yankee notes for you. The Yanks have been talking to the agent for Reed Johnson, according to Joel Sherman. In ’09, Johnson hammered lefties to a .324/.403/.500 line. For his career, he’s .313/.378/.463 when facing southpaws. Left handers are Curtis Granderson’s kryptonite, so Johnson could add some relief to the lineup against lefties. Interestingly, Brett Gardner, a left-handed hitter, actually fares better against lefties than righties, so a Johnson-Gardner platoon isn’t extraordinarily likely. Also, don’t count out Rule V pick Jamie Hoffman from impressing and winning a starting job. I’m dead serious. In 68 games at triple-A Hoffman hit .284/.360/.455. He’s a great defender and has plus speed. The former hockey player might actually be a key part of the 2010 team. For those of you praying that Mark DeRosa will land under the Yankee Christmas tree, I’m sorry but he seems to be leaning towards signing with the Giants. Then again, at one point Mark Teixeira was leaning towards signing with the Red Sox…No big new on other outfield options, yet. Stay tuned over the Holidays for more news, I’ll write between rushes of crazy Christmas family-time at my house.

Javy Vazquez wasn’t the Yankees’ Plan A. We all know that. The Yanks looked at options ranging from Ben Sheets (too injury-prone), Roy Halladay (excessive prospect demands), Carlos Zambrano (lack of match plus a no-trade clause), Cliff Lee (apparently Seattle offered better prospects…doubt it…), and Justin Duchscherer (mostly speculation). So here are two notes from the almosts…

In the talks for Carlos Zambrano, the Yanks would’ve sent Kei Igawa, and his contract, to Chicago. As much as ridding the organization of Igawa would be nice, I like Javy Vazquez better than the temperamental Zambrano.

The Yanks talked to the Phillies about Cliff Lee. When Lee was dealt to Seattle, they called Jack Zduriencik and tried to pry Lee away from his new bosses.

Just thinking about how dominant Cliff Lee was both in the Yankee Stadium opener and the World Series makes me drool at the thought of him being a Yank. Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and JC Ramirez don’t make up a particularly enticing package. Wouldn’t Phil Hughes, Austin Romine, and Arodys Vizcaino been a better return for the lefty? I can’t tell if Philly just wanted Lee far away, or if they thought that the package they received was truly better than what the Yanks would offer. A Sabathia-Burnett-Pettitte-Vazquez-Chamberalin rotation will be one of the best in the league, but a Sabathia-Lee-Burnett-Pettitte-Chamberlain rotation would be the best in the league, maybe the best rotation in the past decade. Let’s just hope Javy keeps pitching dominantly, making this Melky-to-Atlanta swap worthwhile.

A lot of people think that Mark  DeRosa is a perfect fit for the Yanks. He could be the everyday left fielder, but have the ability to backup A-Rod at third, Jeter at short, Cano at second, Teixeira at first, and Swisher in right. DeRosa is a good player, and he would definitely improve the ballclub, but I thought (still think) he’ll end up being overpaid or paid more than the Yanks are willing to offer.

DeRosa had been asking for a big deal, somewhere around 3 years and $20mm. Now, however, Jon Heyman tweets that the San Francisco Giants have offered DeRosa a 2 year, $12mm deal. DeRosa is from Jersey, so Heyman wonders if he is waiting on an offer from the Mets or Yanks. Fangraphs valued DeRosa at $10.8mm in both ’06 and ’07, a tremendous $17.3mm in ’08, and then at $7.3mm in an injury riddled ’09 season. So, at $6mm a year he could be a bargain (he’s projected to be worth $10.9mm in ’10).Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden say the Yanks only have $4mm to spend on a left fielder, but A. Its the Yankees. B. A Mitre/Gaudin trade would free up cash C. It’s only a $2mm difference.

The real issue is length. The Yanks are going to sign either Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth next offseason, which would leave DeRosa as a super-utility man with no set everyday role. If there’s no no-trade clause in his contract, the Yanks could conceivably trade him following the signing of a new outfielder. We’ll see if the Yanks extend an offer to DeRosa, but I just don’t see him as the club’s opening day left fielder. I think they’ll go with a less obvious choice, but that’s just me.

Turn a terrible utility player and two weak prospects into a right fielder with a good glove, a great eye,solid power, a fun-loving attitude plus an above average prospect? Check.

Convince the best pitcher on the market to decline an opportunity to pitch by his California home and come play in New York? Check.

Sign the second best pitcher available on the market? Check.

Break the hearts of everyone in New England by sweeping in and taking Boston’s key free agent target just two days before Christmas? Check.

Acquire a lefty role player mid-season with power? Check.

Acquire a utility guy who impresses everyone and scores the walkoff run in an ALCS game? Check.

Make a post-waiver deadline trade that reels in a guy who becomes an impressive 5th starter down the stretch? Check.

Brian Cashman did a good job this year. A really good job. For his World Series win, the Boston baseball writers have named him MLB Executive of the year. Yes, the Boston writers.

Cashman hasn’t slowed in his team-improvement efforts since the season ended. He’s added an underpaid centerfielder, a DH who touches first base on some 423 of every thousand plate appearances, and the guy who came in 4th in the NL Cy Young voting. Not too shabby.

On behalf of Yankee fans across the nation, thanks Brian. The CC-AJ-Swisher-Teixeira crop was a great Christmas haul last year, while Granderson, Johnson, and Vazquez have made this season just as jolly. Let’s hope this year’s gifts yield a similar October/November fate as last year’s.

Nick Johnson passed his physical, crossed his t’s, dotted his i’s, and became a Yankee, again, today. The first baseman turned designated hitter told reporters that he was excited to be back in the Big Apple. He was excited about “having a chance to win, that’s what it comes down to, winning. The last six years I haven’t been close to doing that.” Well Nick, welcome back to baseball games that matter.

Johnson is injured, like, a good portion of the time. He flashes some solid leather at first (though not Teixeiran good), but he’ll be the Yanks DH (first base is filled by the guy who’s last name I made into an adjective in the last set of parentheses). GM Brian Cashman says he hopes that having Johnson DH will reduce his risk of injury. It’s pretty hard to get hurt when you’re only on the offensive side of the ball, unless you’re making risky slides or barreling through catchers, but the slow-as-Posada Johnson won’t likely be a collision-type on the basepaths. Think about it: who sends a slow guy running on close plays? Point made.

Johnson, allegedly, told his agent back in November that he wanted to play for New York, even if it had to be as a DH. When Johnny Damon asked for the moon, a bag of chips, and $13mm a year, Cashman decided to sign the guy with the third best OBP in the MLB over the ’09 season. The left-handed Johnson fits the two hole in the lineup perfectly and will set Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez up for huge RBI totals in 2010.

First off, can I say how difficult it is to write about Melky playing for another team? *sigh* Don’t get me wrong, it was a well done trade, I just will miss watching that energetic goofball of a center fielder. Anyways, the Vazquez trade freed up about $9mm for Atlanta, in addition to landing Mike Dunn, Arodys Vizcaino, and Melky. The Braves went out this morning and spent $2mm on a one-year deal forTroy Glaus. He can earn more in incentives, just not sure how much yet. Glaus, who has had shoulder troubles for the past year or so, will likely be exclusively a first baseman, with no playing time at his old position at the hot corner. That’s partially because of his shoulder, and partially because of some guy named Larry (Really hoping someone knows that I’m talking about Chipper Jones). The Braves could look to spend $6mm or $7mm on another outfielder to add to the mix with Nate McClouth, Melky, Matt Diaz, and Jason Heyward. Atlanta likes Melky, but they were more interested in freeing up money and acquiring Vizcaino. Melky isn’t exactly the offensive bat they were looking for. I’ve said this time and time again, but the Braves should look at trading for Colorado’s Brad Hawpe. The Rox have an outfield surplus and could use the saved money to get a decent second baseman (Felipe Lopez). Anyways, it seems like Melky may not be an everyday player at Turner Field. Jason Heyward, Atlanta’s top prospect, will enter the season fighting for an outfield spot. Nate McClouth is entrenched in center. Then Melky and Matt Diaz are in the mix for the left field spot, but chances are, the Braves will get someone who’s a little more intimidating at the plate. This is just me speculating, but could Melky be on the move once again this off season? The Cubs have had interest, so maybe the Braves will send him to the North Side. Only time will tell.

On behalf of Conor and myself, I just wanted to apologize for the site being down since last night. We had a few technical problems, some long phone conversations with our pals at tech support, and now we’re back up and running, ready to keep pouring out loads of Yankee content. Sorry for the little accessibility hiatus–but now, all is solved.