Here’s my list of MLB’s top 20 prospects for the 2012 Season. Note that I did not include Yu Darvish on here, as I do not consider him a true prospect. Debate is more than welcome in the comments. I’ll also be putting out an MLB prediction list later on in Spring Training. Anyway, on to the list!

20. Archie Bradley, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks: High school arms are always in desire, especially ones that rear back and touch 99 mph. Picked seventh overall by Arizona, Bradley features a two-seamer and a 12-6 curveball. Bradley also committed to Oklahoma for football and baseball. Also trying to develop a changeup into his repertoire, which would greatly shorten his road to the show.

19. Bubba Starling, OF, Kansas City Royals: Starling is an 18-year-old Kansas native drafted by the hometown club this past June with the fifth overall pick. Starling rejected a football and baseball scholarship from Nebraska in order to play for the Royals. Still a long ways away from the bigs but look to see him by late 2013. He was also considered the most athletic all around player in last year’s draft.

18. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles: Bundy was drafted No. 4 overall by the Orioles last year, and features a four-seamer, curveball, slider and change-up. Bundy’s makeup and potential is through the roof, and is also known for having very polished mechanics, which should help him rise quickly through the Minors.

17. Nolen Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies: 20-year-old going on 21, Arenado was drafted in the second round on 2009 draft by the Rockies. Arenado made a name for himself in the second half of 2011, hitting .312 with a .369 OBP. Arenado continued this success into fall ball, hitting .388 with a .423 OBP in the Arizona Fall League, good for league MVP. Expect to see Arenado sometime in 2013, barring another excellent campaign this year, where we could see him as a September call-up.

16. Danny Hultzen, LHP, Seattle Mariners: Another piece of the stacked pitching class of 2011, Hultzen was drafted by the Mariners with the surprising second overall pick out of University of Virginia. Hultzen features a 95 mph fastball with plus movement, along with a sinking change-up and a developing slider. Look for him to be up with the big club within a year.

15. Devin Mesoraco, Catcher, Cincinnati Reds: Triple-A catcher for the Louisville Bats, Mesoraco notched a .371 OBP last year, and also banged out 15 home runs. Mesoraco is noted as having good bat speed and plate discipline, and has potential to hit over .300 with 20 home runs as an everyday catcher in the future.

14. Jacob Turner, RHP, Detroit Tigers: 6’5, triple-digit fireballer who gets a high amount of ground balls? That would be no other than Tiger’s right-hander Jacob Turner, who spent most of his time with Double-A Erie in 2011. Turner has phenomenal control of his 95 mph sinking fastball, curve, and change-up, walking only 2.1 guys per nine.

13. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates: Drafted second overall by Pittsburgh in 2010, Taillon stands at 6-foot-6 and 225 lbs. In his first professional season with Single-A West Virginia Power, Taillon struck out an astounding 9.42/9 while walking only 2.14 BB/9, good for an FIP of 3.37. Taillon has topped out at 99 mph, and expect him to take to The ‘Burgh by early 2013. Fangraphs.com has also noted Taillon as the best high school pitching prospect since Josh Beckett.

12. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Washington Nationals: Rendon, drafted at sixth overall last year, the third baseman spent his 2011 partially injured at Rice, which is why he fell from his originally projected number two slot. Expect Rendon to make a transition to another position, most likely second base, as he is currently being blocked by Ryan Zimmerman.

11. Trevor Bauer, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks: Bauer and Gerrit Cole combined for dangerous 1-2 punch at UCLA last season, which brought them the No. 1 seed in the PAC-10 and to the NCAA Regionals. Another D-Back pick, Bauer was snatched up by Arizona with the third overall pick last year, and can dial up to 97 on the gun. On top of that, he offers plus pitches in a 12-6 curveball and a sharp breaking slider.

10. Manny Banuelos, LHP, New York Yankees: Putting Banuelos this high may exemplify my Yankee bias, but regardless he is one of the top pitching prospects for 2012, and the second-best lefty pitching prospect. Banuelos can dial it up to 97 mph from the left side, and also features a very good changeup and plus curveball. Although just 20-years-old, expect Banuelos to make an impact in the Bronx sometime during Summer 2012.

9. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates: Cole’s potential really is something else. The 21-year-old was originally drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2008 draft, but declined to sign an instead chose to attend UCLA. In 2011, Cole was drafted again, this time by the Pirates first overall, and chose to sign. Cole can hit triple digits, and allowed just 10 hits in the Arizona Fall League this past year. Cole also posses a very good slider, and should reach the majors sometime in early 2013

8. Manny Machado, SS, Baltimore Orioles: Machado posses all the tools of a solid shortstop, with the ability to hit for power and average while also holding a very good defensively tools. Machado struggled hitting for average last year, combining for just .257, but many feel his bat will improve due to his exceptional bat speed.

7. Shelby Miller, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals: Miller has been nothing short of phenomenal during his past two seasons with Quad Cities, Palm Beach and Springfield. The 2009 Cardinals first-round pick, Miller strikes out an abnormal number of hitters, 13.75/9 with Palm Beach in the first half of 2011. Miller continued his success Double-A, where he struck out 9.24/9. Look for Miller to make in impact by this June for the Cardinals, if not sooner.

6. Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers: Another exciting shortstop on the list, Profar was signed in 2009, and after a questionable 2010 season, broke through 2011. Profar drilled 12 home runs, while registering a very high .397 wOBA, and hitting .286 from the dish. Profar also has an above average arm, with solid defense at the position. His speed isn’t exactly a plus tool, but his base-running skills are good enough to make him a threat on the path.

5. Jesus Montero, Catcher, Seattle Mariners: Out of all the 2012 prospects, Jesus Montero easily has the best power and most potential to swing for the fences. Banging out 39 home runs over 2010 and 2011 with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees, Montero looks to a new ballpark out in Seattle, which may restrict his power numbers more than Yankee Stadium would have. His defense is also in question, as many are unsure if he will be able to remain at catcher. Nevertheless, look for Montero to hit anywhere from 30-45 a year at his peak.

4. Julio Teheran, RHP, Atlanta Braves: Teheran made a brief appearance in the big show last year, yet it was unsuccessful, finishing with 5.03 ERA in five games, three of which were started. Otherwise Teheran posted a 15-3 with Triple-A Gwinnett last season, also adding a 3.06 FIP to the mix. Teheran has a mid-90s fastball, curve, and change-up, all of which are regarded as plus pitches and can be commanded. Look for Teheran to be up with Atlanta sometime in April.

3. Matt Moore, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays: The best pitching prospect in this year’s class, Moore can touch up to 99 mph from the left side. What more can you ask for out of a pitcher? The amount of batters Moore strikes out per nine innings is obscene, and he struck 13.50/9 last season at Triple-A Durham, while walking 3.08/9, good for a 2.02 FIP. Moore will almost surely start the season in the Rays’ rotation, and along with his fastball, has a plus curveball and developing changeup.

2. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Although Trout may have struggled in his first 40 big league games, there’s no reason to doubt him as a future all-star outfielder. Trout, just 20- ears-old, is expected to start the season in the Angels outfield, along with Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells. In 91 games with Double-A Arkansas, Trout notched a phenomenal .426 wOBA while hitting .326 and drilling 11 home runs. Look for this excellent production to continue at the Major League level, as Trout has a great chance to lead the league in average and power.

1. Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals: This choice wasn’t difficult at all; Bryce Harper is easily the best prospect in MLB right now. Believed by many to be “The Chosen One,” Harper was known for drilling 570-foot bombs in high school, and this production didn’t halt at all during his first professional season. Harper began the season with Single-A Hagerstown, and hit 14 home runs, .318, and notched a .436 wOBA in 72 games. After moving up to Double-A Harrisburg, Harper hit three home runs, .256, and had a .332 wOBA through 32 games. Expect him to start the season in Double-A, but don’t be shocked if he’s playing in the capital by June. Harper’s a special player, and his impact on MLB will be nothing short of tremendous when he arrives.

When the New York Yankees traded Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos on Jan. 13, the Yankees Universe erupted in shock. General manager Brian Cashman once called Jesus Montero his own version of Mike Piazza, and said it would take a lot to trade him. This trade gives the Yankees another young quality starter and another young pitcher who’s too young to even buy an alcoholic beverage. To finish off this day of moves, the Yankees signed SP Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year/$10 million deal.

What was the biggest need during the offseason became their biggest commodity in less than 24 hours. There will be a war for the five starting spots this season with pitchers including C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, and the possibility of the BB boys (Betances, Banuelos.) Of course, we already know that C.C. and Nova have their spots solidified in stone based on last season and the fact C.C. is one of the highest paid players in baseball.

You may wonder if C.C. has a spot based on money, why is A.J. Burnett at the bottom of his list? That’s because of his lack of consistent performances the past three years in pinstripes. In 2009, Burnett inked his name on a five-year, $82.5 million deal.

His first season with the Yankees was a success, as he helped the team win it’s first World Series since the 2000 Subway Series. Burnett also brought along a new tradition that many teams are starting to copy. On May 17 2010, Marcus Thames hit one of the many walk-offs for the Yankees that season. Burnett came up behind him and slapped him in the face with a pie of shaving cream. I bet that must’ve tasted amazing. Nothing like some Barbasol in your mouth after a clutch victory.

After the 2009 season, Burnett has underperformed to his contract. In the 2010 season, Burnett went 10-15 with an ERA of 5.26 and gave up 109 earned runs. In 2011, Burnett was 11-11 with an ERA of 5.15.

The 35 year-old Burnett is clearly near the twilight stages of his career. With only two years left on his contract and a lot of very young talented pitchers in the palms of the Yankees, it makes you think that there is a possibility that Burnett could be trade bait for another bat to replace Montero. It might not sound appetizing to other teams, but the Yankees would be able to eat up that salary like cake like we’ve seen before. Here are five teams that make sense for Burnett and why.

Boston Red Sox: I know this sounds crazy, but it just might work. A main reason why Boston collapsed at the end of the season was because a lack of pitching. Josh Beckett was a roller coaster of stellar and ugly while Jon Lester and Clay Buchholtz can’t finish a full season without arm problems. Behind those three, there are many question marks.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is another question mark with a big contract over his head, while John Lackey is out for the year. Tim Wakefield is too old to start but could be their long innings reliever. Burnett would fit right at the end of the rotation and give Boston some solidification, and he shouldn’t come at a high price.

Minnesota Twins: This team desperately needs an ace or some type of decent pitcher.The Twins should’ve learned from the Yankees that Carl Pavano isn’t worth the money you spend on him. After losing 99 games the previous season, rebuilding might be the big picture here. And how would you rebuild with Burnett? Easy.

With Burnett, you’ll have a starter from you know what you’re getting and could surround him with more young pitching like Scott Diamond or Anthony Swarzak. This team overall has lots of young talent already, so bringing in a veteran who won a World Series could help propel them to the top of the AL Central once again thanks to his experience and ability to loosen up a clubhouse.

San Diego Padres: The Padres are another version of the Twins minus having two powerful bats (Mauer, Morneau) and in possession of a pitchers park in Petco. San Diego is clearly sold on their young talent. Although I was shocked they got rid of their young ace Mat Latos, Burnett could fill in the void.

Pitching at Yankee Stadium can boost up your ERA thanks to the fact it’s just a human home run pinball machine. The New York media can also be a reason to why Burnett hasn’t played like his contract says. For the final two years of this contract, Burnett could bring San Diego fans a reason to come to the parks and a few extra wins. They could only go up from their 71-91 2011 season with this much young talent.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Noticing a trend here? Most of these teams are in rebuilding mode with a ton of young talent. Pittsburgh is just another example.

At one point, they were in first place in the NL Central around the All-Star break but lost it at the end. Reasons why could be lack of experience in playing in October. I sound like a broken record but it’s true: Burnett has the experience and has delivered.

Most of the Pirates pitchers (Correia, Morton, McDonald, Karstens, Lincoln) are all under 30 years of age. Most of us all know that the Pirates don’t buy but rather sell most of the time. But with new manager Clint Hurdle giving this team hope, will it convince the management to buy?

Washington Nationals: Oh does this sound appetizing. The Washington Nationals are a team to watch out for as early as this season. Stephen Strasburg will be in the starting rotation for what looks to be a whole season for the first time in his career, alongside Gio Gonzalez. This rotation will be followed by Jordan Zimmerman, John Lannan, and Edwin Jackson. I don’t think the Nationals would mind bringing Burnett in because he’s pitched in the NL East before with the Marlins and was very good in his tenure. Pitching in the National League will be easier on Burnett because of no DH and most of the ballparks are pitchers parks.

If the Nationals do get Burnett, this team would be able to win the Wild Card now. If they were able to get him and Fielder, possibly the division.

There is the possibility that Burnett will stay a Yankee and be one of the seven pitchers competing for a spot in spring training. Cashman doesn’t give up on players after a very short time. But what might drive him to make the move is the fact that he hasn’t been the fans favorite and the potential of newly acquired Pineda, Kuroda, and Campos is very high. And let’s not forget that Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are still in the mix. Staying a Yankee might be the best out of all of these scenarios, but don’t be surprised if Burnett is wearing a different uniform by the trade deadline.

Jesus Montero, top New York Yankees prospect and Baseball America’s 2011 third best prospect in all of MLB, was dealt Friday night to the Seattle Mariners alongside pitcher Hector Noesi for young stud Michael Pineda and Low-A prospect Jose Campos. At first glance, this deal works well for both teams; the Mariners get hitting and an arm to replace Pineda, and the Yankees get the pitching they need while not losing depth at the catcher position due to the current surplus in the minor leagues. Yet, let’s diverge a little bit more into the stats of each player.

First and foremost, Jesus Montero is the real deal when it comes to his power. Rated an 80 on the 20-80 scale, Montero played 18 games for the Yankees in 2011, banging out four home runs, 12 RBI and hitting .328. Montero also recorded a Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) of .421 and was worth over half a win. In Bill James 2012 projections, he projected for Montero to hit 26 home runs, notch 83 RBI while hitting .289. Montero is also projected to register a wOBA of .363 on the year.

Initial concerns in Seattle may be on where Montero would play. As many if us know, although Montero is listed as a catcher, he may be better off as a DH as his defensive skills are not up to par with the average major league catcher. It would not surprise me if the Mariners decided to plug Montero into Triple-A early on in the season to make sure he gets the proper feel as a catcher. It feels like the proper move for the Mariners to make as a 22 year old full time DH is not very desirable, and the fact that first base is blocked by Justin Smoak. Furthermore, some may question how his power may be affected by transitioning from one of the best hitter’s parks to a prime pitcher’s park.

On the flip side, Michael Pineda was rated as the Mariners second best prospect prior to the 2011 season, and the sixteenth best in all of baseball. Pineda had a stellar 2011, as he went 9-10 while striking out 9.11 hitters per nine innings, and registered an xFIP of 3.53. Pineda also had the fourth best velocity wise fastball in all of baseball, clocking in at 94.7 MPH. In 2012, Bill James projected Pineda to go 11-8, while striking out an astounding 9.41 batters per nine innings, and also recording an FIP of 3.19 (xFIP is not a projected stat).

Negative thoughts about Pineda will likely include his fly ball rate in such a homer happy park. Pineda drew only 36.3 percent ground balls last season in pitcher’s haven Safeco Field, while also allowing 0.95 HR/9. You may see this as something that will be worked on throughout spring training, as a home run rate of one per nine innings in a massive pitchers park will almost surely not succeed in Yankee Stadium.

When looking at the minor parts of this trade, Campos is a 19 year-old minor league arm who has two years of experience in the Mariners system, coming at rookie league and Low-A. Campos pitched to FIP’s of 2.29 and 2.38 while striking out over nine batters for each season, respectively. Noesi pitched in 30 games with the big club last year, registering an xFIP of 4.02, mostly coming out of the bullpen.

After observing all the details, including the additional pieces of the trade, this feels like a win for the Yankees, but also a solid deal for the Mariners. The Yankees get the pitching they need and keep their depth at the catcher position, while the Mariners get a much-needed bat to power their offense. Yet, this is contingent upon Pineda pitching at least to the statistics of 2011, and Montero living up to his hype. If Pineda has trouble lowering his fly ball rate, or Montero’s power disappears at Safeco, it will be easy to determine a clear winner for this deal.

For most of the offseason, both the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners have been relatively silent. It is often that the public hears very little from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman himself- as of late he has opted more for a Teddy Roosevelt approach to acquisitions than that of George Steinbrenner style.

Speak softly, and carry a big stick. With the deal that these teams completed Friday night, this ideology has been put into practice.

After well over a year of being adamant that it would take “the right deal” to deal star catching prospect Jesus Montero, the Yankees did just that by dealing him across the Breadbasket of America to the west coast. Montero, alongside young-gun pitcher Hector Noesi will now find themselves in Mariner green and white, while Rookie of the Year candidate and stud pitcher Michael Pineda and highly-touted prospect Jose Campos head to the Bronx.

What took many by surprise was the suddenness of the deal, as grumblings of a trade between the two broke just hours before its completion. While it should come as no surprise to many that these two teams would be doing business together, it certainly was somewhat shocking that a deal of this magnitude came together in public so quickly. Both Cashman and Mariners GM Jake Zduriencik have been in discussions with one another several times over the past year over various trades that would have involved Seattle acquiring Montero, including a Cliff Lee trade that fell through at the last moment in 2010.

Ultimately though, what allowed these two teams to pull the trigger on this swap was the stability it provides for both squads, which, in essence, makes it one of the truest baseball trades the league has seen in a long time.

Mariners

In this deal, the Mariners pick up one of the best hitting youngsters in all of baseball. Even in his short tenure as a Yankee during the latter part of the 2011 season, Montero was extremely impressive as the Yankees DH. The Venezuelan-native hit .328 with four homers and 12 RBI’s in 18 games played, and even batted in a run during the postseason as well. Even with limited catching ability, at 22-years-old, he will only improve as a complete baseball player, and certainly has the ability to be an All-Star relatively soon.

The Mariners, however, must understand that their ballpark is known to be a pitchers’ park by all accords, and putting ginormous expectations on a guy who’s played in less than 20 games in his entire career could be a bit much at first. What made Montero so deadly for the Yankees last season was his ability to go opposite field and take advantage of the short porch that is right field at Yankee Stadium, something that may be a little more difficult at Safeco Field where it is 326 feet to right.

Alongside Montero, Seattle picks up a 24 year-old righty in Hector Noesi, who had a streaky start to his Yankee career. Noesi did manage to strikeout 45 guys in 56.1 innings pitched in 2011, but struggled somewhat in serving up 28 earned runs in relief. He has tremendous upside if used correctly, which will be a testament to how Eric Wedge can manage him early on in his career. It will be interesting to see what he can do, but he is certainly more ready for the big leagues than his counterpart with whom he was swapped for.

Yankees

Even though Cashman has been quoted as calling Montero his own Mike Piazza, this was a trade he needed to go through with. It addresses the Yankees glaring need for another starter, and he fixes just that with Michael Pineda.

Pineda, 22, was an All-Star in his rookie campaign that saw him go 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 171 innings pitched. While the record is only reflected by the team he played for, it is his strikeout total that interests New York undoubtedly. He struck out 173 batters in 2011, but moreover, sported a 9.1 K/9 line, a number surpassed only by David Cone and Roger Clemens in Yankees lore.

While the deal does wreak some havoc within rotation placement, as Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett or Freddy Garcia could find themselves on the outside looking in, Pineda should have a solidified spot in it. Expect the right-handed Pineda to fill in as a no. 3 guy behind Ivan Nova at first, but could potentially even move up to backing up CC Sabathia.

Also, the Yankees bring in Jose Campos with this trade, who is viewed as one of the better young arms in the minors for what he is worth. While he is still trying to develop as a complete pitcher, the belief is that Campos arm will be good enough to simply overpower hitters. In 14 games in the Northwest League in 2011, Campos sported a 2.32 ERA, with a K/9 line of 9.4. If he can eventually find himself a spot in the Yankees already powerful bullpen, he could be an X factor in this trade.

Verdict

As mentioned earlier, this trade is almost as split down the middle as it can possibly be. Both teams addressed their pressing needs immediately, which should start paying dividends fast. The Mariners acquire a guy who could potentially be one of the deadliest hitters in baseball down the line, and the Yankees get a pitcher, who if he plays out to his full potential, could even be a Cy Young candidate one day.

SB Nation released a graph that utilizes the predicted WAR of the players involved in the deal for the next three years to determine who will have won the trade. Their graph shows that the combined WAR of Montero/Noesi is slightly higher than that of Pineda/Campos, even though Pineda outscores Montero. The wild-card in this is undoubtedly Campos, who must surface as a presence in the Yankees bullpen in years to come.

From a strictly objective view, however, the argument can be made that the Yankees come away with more of a satisfied positional outcome. Baseball 101 states that pitching wins championships, and when the Yankees are involved, finding a hitter is of little regard. Additionally, the Yankees added former Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda Friday night, which will furthermore aid in the starting rotation.

Even so however, if there is a winner in this deal, it is of a small margin. New York fills their pitching need, while Seattle gets their hitter that they hope they can build a lineup around. It is an old-fashioned baseball trade, and both front offices of these squads deserve much credit for getting it done. It will be incredibly exciting to see how this one plays out, not only in 2012, but for years to come.

After yet another first-round exit in the playoffs on behalf of the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees enter this season’s free agency period in need of severe pitching.

The Yankees had one of the best offenses in the 2011, along with the best AL record and second-best record in the league behind the Philadelphia Phillies.  The team enjoyed a breakout season from CF Curtis Granderson, who put up MVP-like stats. Every position player put up solid offensive numbers, and we saw glimpses of a great bat in top prospect Jesus Montero.

Entering free agency, the Yankees are looking to either sign a pitcher or two or maybe trade for a big name.  Several free agent pitchers that are linked to the Yankees are C.J. Wilson, Mark Buerhle, Edwin Jackson, and Roy Oswalt.  More options include bidding and signing the Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish.  And we’ve heard a peep about the Yankees possibly trading for Giants ace Tim Lincecum.

What will Brian Cashman do?  Well what he first did was sign Yankee ace CC Sabathia to a contract extension and locking him up for another two years added to his four years left. He’s going to be in pinstripes for the rest of his career. Cashman then got himself a three-year deal.

What Cashman has been doing the past few years has been criticized yet has been working.  He’s been developing his farm system more than signing big- name pitchers to lucrative deals.  Examples of his project have been Robinson Cano, Ivan Nova, and Jesus Montero.

This could be the reason why the Yankees might be silent once again in free agency, but don’t be surprised if a move is made.  Last season, Cashman gambled and signed veteran pitchers Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to fill the final two spots in the rotation. It worked very well, as the Yankees got production from both pitchers until the end of the season.

These small moves were successful but could they last for long?  Many have assumed he signed these two vets because he was keeping the seat warm for Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos; the Yankees top two farm system pitchers.  Now Cashman is saying he won’t bring them up  until next season.

Now here’s a look at the possible 2012 rotation right now for the Yankees.  Led by CC Sabathia, it is followed by Ivan Nova, A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes. The the last spot is open. Since they want to bring up the “B & B boys” next season, the Yankees should sign either Edwin Jackson or Roy Oswalt to a one-year deal and that’s it.  There’s no need to go out and get a Japanese star (see Kei Igawa and Hideki Irabu for examples.)

A rumor that could become a possibility is the Yankees trading some of their top-tier prospects for another ace.  Names like Tim Lincecum, James Shields, and Felix Hernandez have been thrown around.  Although all of these names make sense to trade for, what makes you think Cashman would be willing to give up his prospects?  We saw it when the Yankees were reluctant to trade Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes for Johan Santana.  It happened again last year for Cliff Lee.

In recap to all of what I just said, I think the Yankees will sign a veteran to a one-year deal once again just to keep the seat warm for the “B & B boys.”  Cashman has learned his lesson on giving free agent stars lucrative deals.  He will be criticized for not getting the big free agent, but keep in mind that  the best Yankees teams were the ones where they had home grown talent. The dynasty in the late 90′s was mostly just home grown Yankee prospects along with a few free agent signings like Darryl Strawberry.

Once again, the Yankees will be as silent as a mime during the Winter Meetings.  It’ll take time for the prospects to develop, but Cashman is silently building what could be another Yankees dynasty in the making.

-Ken Rosenthal has been all over the Yankees over the past several hours. His latest tweet claims that the Bronx Bombers are interested in Astros ace Wandy Rodriguez.

-There are a few major hangups with Rodriguez, however. It is believed that the Astros want “impact” prospects, which from the Yankees perspective could mean C Jesus Montero, or possibly the highly-regarded relievers Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances. One could also make the claim for P Ivan Nova, who just yesterday picked up a victory in a 17-3 routing of the Baltimore Orioles.

-It should be noted the Yankees were reluctant in parting with any of those four in a proposed Ubaldo Jimenez deal, so the likelihood of dealing them in a Wandy Rodriguez trade could seem redundant.

-Alongside, the team receiving Rodriguez would likely be required to pay a majority of the almost $39 million that he is owed through 2014. That, however, is contingent on him exercising his player option.

-As we stated earlier, the Yanks also hold “high interest” in Padres closer Heath Bell. It is said that the Padres have realized they need to move him now before his value decreases later on, and will be actively shopping him throughout the afternoon.

-Joel Sherman, however, believes that the deal could be a long-shot because both sides must find common ground. The Rangers and Phillies may also hold interest, though that of the former may have dwindled after the acquisition of Koji Uehara.

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