When Mike and I were talking about the show earlier in the week, we didn’t think there would be much to talk about. Silly us. If Mike Francessa can jabber on about sports for six hours a day, surely Mike and I can talk about Yankees baseball for an hour a week. Sure enough, we had plenty to talk about.

It started off with the Chase Wright trade which landed us Eric Fryer and which sent Wright to Milwaukee. We wish Chase the best of luck out there, and hope he can crack the Brewers weak rotation.

The show mostly consists of us answering reader questions. These were thought provoking, certainly not material we’d think of on our own, so a big thank you goes to anyone who sent something in. We’re going to need the material in the coming weeks, since baseball is in a lull right now, and it won’t get much better once pitchers and catchers report.

Onto the podcast. It is available in a number of formats. You can download it here by right clicking on that link and selecting Save As. If you want to play it in your browser, just left click the link. You can also subscribe to the podcast feed, which will send it to you every Thursday. You can also subscribe in iTunes. Finally, we have the embedded audio player below.

[audio:http://riveraveblues.com/podcasts/RABRadioShow2409.mp3]

We appreciate any feedback. You can leave it in the comments or email either of us.

I apologize in advance for some audio issues about 2/3 of the way into the show. We’re working to get these issues resolved, but a big part of it is Time Warner. Bear with us, and we’ll certainly improve on that aspect.

Arbitration is the big story. Like Ben, we lament Melky Cabrera’s settlement. How could his agent have thought he was worth $1.7 million? I don’t see the argument here. The Yankees caved, though, and that’s all that matters. Here’s to hoping for bigger things from the Melk Man in 2009.

The subject quickly changes to free agency, as we note that there are many free agents remaining for just a few teams. Where are guys like Orlando Hudson and Adam Dunn going to land? Mike and I run down the Type As and bigger-name Type Bs remaining. We have a few guesses for most, but one has us stumped.

Then it’s onto reader Q & A. We got some good ones this week. Hopefully next week we’ll be able to take some live callers.

Onto the podcast. It is available in a number of formats. You can download it here by right clicking on that link and selecting Save As. If you want to play it in your browser, just left click the link. You can also subscribe to the podcast feed, which will send it to you every Thursday. You can also subscribe in iTunes. Finally, we have the embedded audio player below.

[audio:http://riveraveblues.com/podcasts/RABRadioShow12209.mp3]

We appreciate any feedback. You can leave it in the comments or email either of us.

In a time where baseball talk hits a lull, we have plenty to talk about on the podcast. The theme of the last few weeks has been building out the team, both the back end of the rotation and the bench. In our discussion, Mike and I find that the bench isn’t all that bad, and that it’s tough to improve since it only contains four guys, and one of those spots is locked in with Jose Molina.

There is a little concern about the other spots, though. If the Yanks hang onto both Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher, one of them can be a powerful force off the bench. Then you’d have one of Melky and Gardner, whoever isn’t starting. And then utility infielder, who at this point looks like Cody Ransom. I suggest another player, someone who turned down arbitration and the money it guarantees for the chance to play for a winner. Listen in to find out who (though I’ll probably say it in the comments for those who don’t/can’t listen).

We take plenty of questions from readers. If this bit about Ben Sheets is true, the Yanks would have to jump on it. Most teams would probably enjoy that, but he only costs the Yanks a fourth rounder — though the Mets would get away with only a second rounder. I know picks can be overrated at times, but why would a small market team spend $6 million+ and a draft pick on a player who might give them zero innings?

Onto the podcast. It is available in a number of formats. You can download it here by right clicking on that link and selecting Save As. If you want to play it in your browser, just left click the link. You can also subscribe to the podcast feed, which will send it to you every Thursday. You can also subscribe in iTunes. Finally, we have the embedded audio player below.

[audio:http://riveraveblues.com/podcasts/RABRadioShow11509.mp3]

We appreciate any feedback. You can leave it in the comments or email either of us.

It’s the first podcast of the new year. We start things off chatting about, what else, the Mark Teixeira press conference. It’s tough for guys to make poor impressions at these things, and Tex was no exception. He came off confident and aware of the pressures ahead. Another interesting tidbit: He says that being a switch hitter, it takes him longer to get into the groove because he’s working on two swings. His April splits lend some stats to that anecdote.

To make room on the roster for Tex, the Yankees DFA’d Shelley Duncan. This comes as no surprise. Like all DFAs, Shelley will hit the waiver wire. If unclaimed, though, he does not have the right to declare free agency. He’ll instead be forced to accept and assignment with the Yankees. If I had to venture a guess I’d say he’ll be in Scranton in April.

Then it’s onto the minor league contracts. The Yankees inked Jason Johnson, Angel Berroa, Jorge Vazquez, and John Rodriguez. They’re all no risk moves, so it’s tough to complain about them (but that won’t stop some people). It looks like Rodriguez could provide some level of reward.

We touch on the Nady and Swisher rumors and come to a conclusion: Keep ’em. Depth is valuable, and becomes more valuable as we get to March and April. Unless something good comes along (Aaron Harang?), the Yankees should just stand pat and see how the spring unfolds.

At the end, Mike discusses the case of Andy Oliver. He was drafted out of high school, but chose to attend Oklahoma State. Just before the playoffs this year, he was suspended indefinitely. Why? He used an agent/lawyer to negotiate his post-draft deal. Mike explains the whole thing. While I understand NCAA’s desire to keep their athletes amateur, it seems unreasonable to expect an 18-year-old to negotiate a deal without a lawyer.

Onto the podcast. It is available in a number of formats. You can download it here by right clicking on that link and selecting Save As. If you want to play it in your browser, just left click the link. You can also subscribe to the podcast feed, which will send it to you every Thursday. You can also subscribe in iTunes. Finally, we have the embedded audio player below.

[audio:http://riveraveblues.com/podcasts/RABRadioShow1809.mp3]

We appreciate any feedback. You can leave it in the comments or email either of us.

We missed last week because of Christmas, but Mike and I are back this week a bit earlier than our normal Thursday spot. As you know, there was a major deal last week in which the Yankees acquired a top-tier first baseman. Mark Teixeira is now in the fold for eight years and $180 million. Mike and I talk the deal and how it went down.

From there we move onto the roster implications this move creates. Do the Yanks trade an outfielder or hold onto the depth? Do they keep their $10 million offer to Pettitte on the table, or do they pull it and have a fifth starter competition? Do they bat Tex third or fourth? Some of these questions are more important than others, but they’re all ones the team will face prior to April 6.

Since we had some time, we decided to talk salary cap, since a couple of owners decided that since the Yankees have the same payroll as last year, there should be a cap. There are plenty of arguments here, but in the end Mike and I just can’t support a cap. If anything, a cap is just a red herring. The real issue is the management of smaller market teams.

Onto the podcast. It is available in a number of formats. You can download it here by right clicking on that link and selecting Save As. If you want to play it in your browser, just left click the link. You can also subscribe to the podcast feed, which will send it to you every Thursday. You can also subscribe in iTunes. Finally, we have the embedded audio player below.

[audio:http://riveraveblues.com/podcasts/RABRadioShow123008.mp3]

We appreciate any feedback. You can leave it in the comments or email either of us.