Where will the paths of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui lead to? At this point, there is no clear answer to that question, and only a few small clues to even get an idea to the answer. Both are in their late-30s, coming off of contracts with the Yankees that ended with them each earning $13 million in 2009. Will both, neither, or either of them end up with the Yankees again? Where else would they go? How much money? How many years? There are plenty of questions that remain to be answered as the offseason plays out.

Damon is probably the way to go if a team is looking for a player to give a multiyear contract. Unlike Matsui, he has the ability to play in the outfield on a daily basis, and run the bases better than average, although he is at the age of 36. Johnny is not declining as quickly as other players do, some years actually getting better; he is a clutch hitter who can turn a mistake into a home run, or slap the ball the other way for a base hit. "Johnny on the Spot" is an active clubhouse presence that plays a veteran role for the youngsters. I believe that if we sign one of the two, it will be him. We'll see where he ends up, and he is a candidate to go to a team in either league.

Many baseball fans already know about Aroldis Chapman. He is supposedly one of the game's best international players, defecting from Cuba, and ready to take his chances in M.L.B. He wants the money, believes he can earn it, but the question is, should teams take a look at him?

The story of how Chapman defected is simple: while with the Cuban team, he walked out of the hotel, got into a car, and left. He didn't tell his family that he was going to do this, and just went along with his plan. After that, he traveled to Europe, and eventually here to become a free agent.

Now that he is a free agent, he is looking for the big bucks, convinced that he is a "once-in-40-years" talent, according to his agent. There have been comparisons of the money he could make to the contracts that Stephen Strausburg and Daisuke Matsuzaka, both players that people say his is like. It seems that his agent will be looking for money in the $20-$60 million range, so there will be a lot of thinking involved when teams want to take the risk of going after him, for they do not want a largely-priced bust. Chapman will be one of the biggest international names coming out of Cuba, along with Orlando "El Duque" and Livan Hernandez, and Jose Contreras. Some teams that may be looking to sign him are the Yankees and Red Sox, along with others.

There is good and bad news when it comes to Chapman: the good, he has amazing stuff, throwing five pitches, a fastball, slider, curveball, splitter, and changeup; and the bad, he has very wild control. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic this year, and although his stats were mediocre, his stuff was good. Chapman's fastball is said to reach up to 102 m.p.h., leaving batters little time to catch up to the ball, and his other pitches keep hitters off-balance. The control factor is likely a huge problem. With the fastball, he has a small leeway to miss his spots, but with other pitchers, not as much. I think that before he makes it to the majors, he will need time in the minors, and see if he can keep his stuff while improving control.

We'll see how Aroldis Chapman's offseason and future plays out. He brings and interesting case, and we'll see how much money a team, and which team, will spend to take a chance on his stuff and control.

...I would start building on the Yankees next title. Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, heard boos from Yankees fans in 2008 and previous years, for the inability to put together a championship ballclub, but what he did during the offseason of 2008-2009 was undeniable. He took the money that the Yankees had to spend and signed the top two starting pitchers, the top position player, and made a surprise low-risk trade that payed off in a big way--all without increasing the payroll, and putting the greatest franchise ever back on top after nine years of frustration. Now, the Yankees and their fans are looking forward to another offseason, ready to revamp their team for a run at defending their title.

Here's how the offseason would play out if I were the New York Yankees' general manager, Brian Cashman:

1.   With both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui possibly leaving as free agents, I have Nick    Swisher in right field, and either Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner in center, not yet willing to give up too much offense to play both of them. I am missing a left fielder and designated hitter, but Swisher can play the corners and Melky and Gardner all the spots, so I have flexibility in choosing my players. I also have to think about the fact that I need to save the D.H. spot in a way, because occasionally, guys like Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez are going to need a day off, and we don't want to lose their bats. So, I go out looking for one good outfielder, and one low-risk guy who I can play in the outfield or at D.H. I will not use postseason performances when making my judgements. This would likely leave out Matsui, and although he was the World Series M.V.P., it would make no sense to keep him for a season. He has horrible knees, and cannot play the outfield, so holding onto him as the D.H., even though he has the power to play in Yankee Stadium. I would take Matsui out of the picture, and not allow another mistake. The final two spots, for me, would come down to Damon, Chone Figgins, and a trade for a guy like Curtis Granderson of the Tigers or Brad Hawpe of the Rockies, like last year, when the trade for Swisher worked out. I think that Damon would probably not take a steep hometown discount, and with an agent like Scott Boras, it might not work out. Plus, he is getting older fast, although it does not seem like it. I would definitely take a good look at Figgins, a speedster with great defense and hitting, even a switch-hitter. Then, I would try to strike a deal for one of those underrated outfielders, maybe giving up someone like Melky Cabrera, a pitcher or two from the farm system, or a catcher. Some players I would not want to overpay for are Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, who in my mind, would cost too much, and not be worth it in the end. Overall, my plan for action with the concern would be to add fielding, speed, and average, not too much power with no fielding or speed.

2.   The starting rotation is the next issue I would look to address. We have the depth, with guys such as Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves, etc., but we need more talent at the top. The first two, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, are set, and so will Andy Pettitte, once I gladly resign him to a $4-$7 million one year contract with incentive should he decide to not retire and return on a yearly basis again. The last two positions are up for grabs. If it were solely up to me, I would have one of either Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes be the set-up man in the bullpen, and one start, and those would be their future. I would have Joba in the bullpen, because I like what he does there, and Hughes starting, because although he may be better in the bullpen role, he still has great stuff as a starter. That would leave one spot. I would hold onto Chein-Mien Wang on a $1-$3 million contract loaded with incentives, because he can be a great pitcher when healthy and on his game, but use him as depth and in the bullpen to open the season. I would not go after a hugely-priced ace like John Lackey, because it would be yet another big contract. Instead, I would take a guy that is low-risk, and one-year, such as Justin Duscherer or Randy Wolf, and wait for next offseason for the superstars, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. We should have a pretty strong rotation going into next season.

3.   After sorting out the above two issues, I would look into adding depth and versatility to the bench and some low-priced relief arms. I would definitely look to resign Jerry Hairston, Jr., who was a welcome addition at the break that did a little bit of everything. He has proved that he can hit, run, throw, and field very well coming in as backup, so I would look to retain him for $1-$2 million. Then, I would seek a pinch hitter who has the ability to put one into the air and out of the park. The first name that would pop up in my head is Jason Giambi. He would likely be low-priced, has experience in New York, is a threat to loft a fly ball over the short porch. I would not try to go after Eric Hinske again. Although Jose Molina is potentially leaving, with the catching depth in our system, and the emergence of Francisco Cervelli, we don't need to bring him back. I would also probably take a look at the speedster Scott Podsednik as the type of player that could maybe platoon with a guy like Swisher or Cabrera. Looking at the bullpen, we have the pieces, but we may need to add one or two more, and sort it out. Plus, we have many pitchers in the minors who could get called up for some time either this year or next. To me, spending money on an level-A one out or less arm is not the way to go, so I may just take a look at small, about $1 million guys.

4.   One of my goals while using this plan is to get under the $200 million payroll. With a lot of money coming off of the checkbooks, our franchise has the ability to upgrade while not using all available money. I could use, say, $10 million less than what is being relieved, and do that steadily to eventually create a winning ballclub for around $150 million in a couple of years. I sense that this could be a great team again if we can do most of the above.

If you were Brian Cashman (or the general manager for your favorite team), what would you do this Hot Stove season?... 

Just hours after the Yankees' celebration ended, teams across Major League Baseball decided they wanted to make a move to try and topple them at about this time next year. A flurry of trades were made just minutes into the first sticks being thrown into the fire, and just like that, the Hot Stove is about to run full-force, and the General Managers' Meetings in Chicago are right around the corner. Let's start our first preview of the Yankees' next season:

With another offseason about to kick into high gear, many remember last year's offseason, and the New York Yankees' ultra spending-spree. They signed free agents CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the top two pitchers on the market, and Mark Teixeira, the top position player, to lengthy, massive contracts costing hundreds of millions of dollars. The Yankees returned with a payroll north of $200 million, and eventually won it all, capturing their record 27th title. Due to the amount the Bombers spent during that winter, and having the largest checkbook in the majors, nearly every non-Yankees fan believes that it was "bought", along with the other 26. "Buy 26, get one free" is not the slogan for this championship; it should be "The Yankees are truly the best team."

As baseball fans know, money does not matter when playing on the field; it only matters when you are signing big-ticket free agents. Some are just looking for an excuse because the Yankees won it all. If it was true that if a team spent the most money, the Yankees would not have won just 27 out of 105 championships, they would have won much, much more, maybe in the 50s or 60s. If CC, A.J., or Tex had failed, everybody would have thought that it was wasted money, and unwise spending. It does matter how teams spend their money. Every team has an equal opportunity, and the Yankees just have more money. Just take a quick look at 2008, and you'll see the biggest recent example of a low-payroll team getting to the top. The Tampa Bay Rays, despite one of the lowest payrolls of all the franchises, got all the way to the World Series. This shouldn't have surprised anyone, but because of the amount of money they had, it did. It is also true that the best players may not cost as much. How much money did Evan Longoria cost? Alex Rodriguez makes $30+ million, but is he better than Albert Pujols? Also, many teams are willing to spend money, it is just that the Yankees outspend them by a few million dollars. The Yankees pulled Teixeira away from their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, simply by adding one or two million dollars. Plus, the Mets had the second-highest payroll in baseball this season, but did that mean they would play the Yankees in the World Series? No, it meant that they would still not have enough money to cover up their loss of players by injury.

The thought in baseball fans' heads that the Yankees' championship in 2009 was bought should end instantly. It was in no way "bought", and teams do not just go around paying $200 million for a trophy proclaiming them the "champions".
 

The New York Yankees are the 2009 and 27-time baseball World Champions! The New York Yankees are the 2009 and 27-time baseball World Champions! The New York Yankees are the 2009 and 27-time baseball World Champions! The New York Yankees are the 2009 and 27-time baseball World Champions! The New York Yankees are the 2009 and 27-time baseball World Champions! ... This could go on forever! Yankees fans, it is time to celebrate endlessly.

"To the second baseman Cano...the Yankees are back on top! World Champions for the 27th time!" was the call by FOX commentator Joe Buck as the Yankees sealed the title and became kings of baseball.
John Sterling, the Yankees radio announcer made his call: "Rivera is set, and here's the payoff...swung on and grounded to second, Cano field, throws to first, in time! Ballgame over, World Series over! Yankees win! Thhhhhheeeeeeeeee Yankees win!"

It is not time to congratulate any single player or event; this win wraps up the entire season as a whole. Put together every small step over the course of the season and realize that out of 30 teams, they are the teams that's ups and downs equal the crown.

THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE THE 2009 AND 27-TIME BASEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!

World Series. Game 6. Yankee Stadium. Possible clincher. Number twenty-seven on the line. ...

Date: November 4, 2009

Series: 3-2 Yankees, in best-of-seven

Place: Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Time: 7:57 p.m.

Gates Open: 5:00 p.m.

Television and Radio: FOX; 880 AM/1050 AM

Weather: In the mid-to-high-40s, with a very low chance of rain.

Umpires:
Home Plate: Joe West
First Base: Gerry Davis
Second Base: Jeff Nelson
Third Base: Brian Gorman
Right Field: Dana DeMuth
Left Field: Mike Everitt

Starting Lineups

New York Yankees, home team

1: Derek Jeter, shortstop, #2
2: Johnny Damon, left field, #18
3: Mark Teixeira, first base, #25
4: Alex Rodriguez, third base, #13
5: Hideki Matsui, designated hitter, #55
6: Jorge Posada, catcher, #20
7: Robinson Cano, second base, #24
8: Nick Swisher, right field, #33
9: Brett Gardner, center field, #11

Pitching: Andy Pettitte, left-hand, #46

Manager: Joe Girardi, #27

Philadelphia Phillies, away team

1: Jimmy Rollins, shortstop, #11
2: Shane Victorino, center field, #8
3: Chase Utley, second base, #26
4: Ryan Howard, first base, #6
5: Jayson Werth, right field, #28
6: Raul Ibanez, designated hitter, #29
7: Pedro Feliz, third base, #7
8: Ben Francisco, left field, #10
9: Carlos Ruiz, catcher, #51

Pitching: Pedro Martinez, right hand, #45

Manager: Charlie Manuel, #41

Once the game starts, I am going to blog it live right here:

7:58: The game is underway here in the first inning, with a ball from Pettitte immediately followed by a groundout to Jeter.

7:59: This is going to be a great pitching matchup, the 37-year-old Pettitte on three days' rest against the 38-year-old Pedro on five days'. Both are big-game veterans, but I think they will give up just a few runs each and hand a close game to the bullpen, and the game comes down to the late innings, maybe extras.

8:01: Utley, working his hardest to keep the Yankees' world titles at the number on his back, grounds into a double play to end the inning.

8:06: Jeter swings at the first strike again, after taking the first ball in the dirt and a way too early mound visit.

8:22: Pettitte has the best pickoff move in the game, sometimes getting even the best runners caught off-guard. He throws a wild pitch, moving Werth to second, and then promptly gets Feliz on a pop-up.

8:27: A four-pitch walk to A-Rod, and now, two of the team's most recent clutch hitters are ready to step up.

8:34: A fabulous eight-pitch at-bat ends with a 3-2 2-run shot for Matsui. He has been great this World Series. Maybe he can get the W.S. M.V.P.
 
8:45: Ruiz gets himself a one-out triple on a weird hop of the wall, and now Pettitte has to face the top of the order. Now, Rollins hits a sacrifice fly to right field as there is no play Swisher can make.

8:51: It works out pretty well having Gardner batting ninth, because it occasionally allows him to act as the leadoff hitter, wit everybody else moving down one. Either that, or having him as a pinch runner in the late innings to potentially produce a key run.

8:53: That was the second line drive/fly ball for Jeter. On the first one, Ibanez caught it, but on this one, Victorino misplayed it, and had no chance to turn it around quickly enough.

8:58: Damon walks, making it two on with just one out and the big hitters about to come up.

9:00: Teixeira is drilled right on the thigh, and the bases are loaded for A-Rod. Can he continue his more-than-impressive clutch hitting.

9:05: Was that actually a strike to A-Rod? Probably not. Now, Pedro faces Matsui again, who has hit two home runs in two games against him.

9:07: Matsui delivers yet again. A two-run single and he has all four r.b.i.s for the Bombers. If the Yankees win this game, he may be known as one of those never-forget-their-names heroes of postseason games. If you could only bring back one of either Damon or Matsui in the offseason, who would it be?

9:14: Damon apparently got hurt running on Matsui's single, and now he is out of the game in place of Jerry Hairston, Jr. He has been one of the Yankees' best players this Series, so this could end up being a major loss.

9:17: Werth walks for the second time in as many at-bats, the only walks Pettitte has allowed. He has had most of his control thus far. You would think that when going on short rest, a pitcher would have his control but now his velocity. For the second time, in the same situation, another ball gets by for Werth to take second.

9:23: If Pettitte ends up winning this game, it would be his third straight series-clinching victory.

9:29: I like Swisher's regular bouncy stance at the plate, rather than the new one he tried during the games in Philadelphia.

9:41: A double play ends the fifth, and we are halfway through the game. It was started by A-Rod, a quick turn (or no turn) by Cano, and a stretch by Teixeira ends the inning. The top of the order will start things off for the Yankees. Pedro is gone and Chad Durbin is in for the Phils.

9:49: Jeter starts it with a carrying ground-rule double just out of the outstretched arms of Francisco, Hairston executes a great sacrifice bunt, and Teixeira makes it a four-run lead with a nice piece of hitting on a curveball, lining it for an r.b.i. single. A-Rod walks after the count being 0-2, and Durbin is done, so J.A. Happ is coming in to pitch to Godzilla and further.

9:57: Godzilla delivers yet again! 3-for-3, 6 r.b.i.s, 1 run scored, and he is just a triple away from the cycle. What a game for him. It's a 7-1 game in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Phillies are running out of time. Say Mariano Rivera pitches both the eighth and ninth innings, and pitches them well. The Phillies would then only have the sixth and seventh to piece together some rally that would make up half a dozen runs or more.

10:10: The sleeping bear has awakened as Howard belts a two-run shot the other way. He will probably still claim the unofficial "Least Valuable Player" award for the Series, but at least he can leave for the winter knowing he did something.

10:14: Andy deserves the applause and ovation he received after walking off the mound, coming in on short rest and shutting down the Phil's lineup.

10:17: Joba comes in and does his job, getting Feliz, who took him deep in Philly, to ground out to A-Rod.

10:27: The last pitch that Happ threw was a nice strike at the knees to ring up Gardner, and now Park comes in to get the top of the order.

10:39: There are three innings left for the Phillies to turn this game around and send it to a Game 7.

10:46: Damaso Marte is about to come in to pitch to Utley with two outs and fast runners on first and second. This is becoming a little more interesting. After that, there is Howard, who is not in his huge slump anymore.

10:50: Chase chases a pitch and goes just barely around as Marte does his job. Six outs to go without first giving up four runs.

11:00: Tex gets out, A-Rod scoots a little grounder under both the third baseman and shortstop, and now Matsui is going to bat against Scott Eyre coming out of the bullpen, trying to continue his dream game.

11:05: Matsui strikes out on a check-swing and Posada is intentionally walked, so Cano will try to extend the lead here in the bottom of the seventh.

11:13: I think that Marte will go and get Howard, and then Girardi will use Mo the rest of the way.

11:15: The Phillies may have just lost their best chances. Mo is in for five outs to try and close down the game, the series, the season.

11:25: Three. Outs. Left.

11:32: Ryan Madson will go for the last out in the eighth against the top of the Yankees lineup.

11:39: The greatest closer in baseball history now will try to get three more outs and close out a baseball season.

11:45: Two outs left.

11:50:24: THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE 2009 AND 27-TIME BASEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Phillies won Game 5 of this World Series behind some power from their lineup, and now have sent the Series back to New York. They took an early lead to put the Yankees in a huge deficit, 8-2, a hole they would not climb out of, and the Phillies held on. Although Cliff Lee did not pitch nearly as well as in Game 1, he ate up innings to give his team its best possible chance. A.J. Burnett did not burn up the Phillies' lineup this time around, getting hit around to leave the game in only the third inning. Chase Utley continued his romp in the postseason, blasting yet another two homers to put himself into consideration for the M.V.P. of the series even if the Phillies lose. With the Yankees having a slight chance, Phil Coke gave up two shots, the winning margin, as the Bombers could not complete a late rally to end the World Series.

It is not over yet, with a 3-1 Yankees lead over the Phillies in the World Series, but for the Phillies to pull it off would be a pretty major comeback. The Yankees lost the first game of the Series, and then took over for the next three bringing them to needing just one win out of their next three, two of them at their home park. Not just is the Series on the brink, the entire baseball season is. Just think: With one final pitch in the ninth inning or in extras, we will not have baseball until mid-February, when pitchers and catchers report. So, every baseball fan, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Nationals, Red Sox, others, no matter what fan you are a team of, savor every last moment of baseball for 2009. It is going to be an exciting last few days.

The Yankees won Game 4 in the same fashion as they have all season. There was their best starter, CC Sabathia, on short rest, who delivered a gritty, gutty performance, pushing through it to shut down one of the best lineups in the game even without his best stuff. There was Alex Rodriguez, coming through once again in the postseason with the eventual game-winning r.b.i. double in the ninth inning off the Phil's closer, Brad Lidge. There was Derek Jeter, once again starting the game with a base hit, inside-outing it to right. There was Johnny Damon, stealing second base, and knowing there was no one covering third because of the shift on Mark Teixeira, cleverly taking the bag easily. It was a great game for the Bronx Bombers, and they did nearly everything right to put a total of 175 regular season and postseason games on the brink with one win securing them as the champions.