Top stories from last week:

• The Yankees are still trying to trade A.J. Burnett to free up some money. Four teams have interest, but they reportedly have a framework in place with the Pirates. They’re said to be willing to eat $10M of the $33M left on his deal but will not include Garrett Jones in a trade. The Yankees are pushing for a 50-50 split.
• Although they are reportedly in serious talks with Raul Ibanez about their DH job, the Yankees signed Russell Branyan to a minor league contract. Utility man Bill Hall was also signed to a minor league pact.
• Joba Chamberlain‘s rehab from Tommy John surgery continued as some other pitchers started throwing in Tampa. Manny Banuelos headlines the list of Spring Training invitees.
• Banuelos, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez, and Dellin Betances all cracked Keith Law’s top 100 prospects list. The Yankees placed tenth in his organizational rankings.
• Yankee Stadium will host a second Roger Waters concert, a Madonna concert, and potential a soccer match this year. Stadium parking prices could spike in the future.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: February 13th, 2012

Top stories from last week:

• The Yankees hired former Cubs GM Jim Hendry as a special assignment scout and announced a series of promotions, most notably pro scouting director Billy Eppler to assistant GM.
• Joba Chamberlain is throwing off a half-mound as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Phil Hughes reportedly looks great during offseason workouts.
• The Yankees are “in serious talks” with utility man Bill Hall. The Mariners reportedly asked about Mason Williams during the Michael Pineda talks. Joe Girardi would like another bat.
• Kevin Whelan was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton, and the Yankees signed Manny Delcarmen.
• Mark Teixeira might bunt more to beat the shift.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: February 6th, 2012

(REUTERS/Darrell Byers)

Jesse asks: What are your thoughts on the theory that the reason Cashman did not go all in for Darvish is not because he didn’t like the idea of an imported pitcher, but because there were already rumblings of Pineda in pinstripes?

I’m not sure I buy that. Both Brian Cashman and Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik have acknowledged that talks about the Jesus Montero-Michael Pineda trade started at the winter meetings, which was just about a week before Yu Darvish was officially posted. We all knew he was going to posted so it wasn’t some big surprise, it was just a matter of when. The Yankees most likely had made up their mind about whether or not to pursue him well in advance of the meetings and submitting their $15M bid. I can’t imagine it was a spur of the moment thing.

I don’t think their half-hearted attempt to acquire Darvish had to do with anything more than their questions about his ability to succeed in MLB, with a new ball, a new mound, smaller stadiums, better hitters, a five-day rotation, etc. If they had truly wanted him, Pineda wouldn’t have stopped them. Trade talks were still in the early stages back then and weren’t guaranteed to work out, so they could have gone down both paths and determined which was the better fit at a later time. Passing on Darvish because of Pineda could have easily resulted in them getting neither pitcher.

I’d much rather have Darvish and Montero than Pineda and [insert random DH here], but these things don’t happen in a vacuum. It would have taken over $100M to land Darvish, who isn’t a sure thing. Pineda isn’t either, but he’s also making the league minimum and has an above-average MLB season under his belt. Nine-figure Darvish and dirt cheap Montero for the next six years, or dirt cheap Pineda and say a $5M DH for the next five years? I was a big proponent of pursuing Darvish (not my money!) and there’s a lot more upside in option #1, but also substantially more risk because of the money involved. I can understand why the team went with door #2 even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. This calls for a poll…

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Mailbag & Poll: Darvish vs. Pineda

Top stories from last week:

• The Michael Pineda/Jose Campos trade, Hiroki Kuroda signing, and Andruw Jones signing were all made official. Kuroda’s contract includes a full no-trade clause. Kevin Whelan was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for the right-hander.
• The Yankees avoided arbitration with Russell Martin ($7.5M) and Boone Logan ($1.875M). All six of the team’s arbitration-eligible players are now under contract for 2012.
• Brian Cashman said that free agents would be “secondary” in their pursuit of a DH, though the team has interest in Raul Ibanez. One player they definitely won’t be getting is Prince Fielder, who signed with the Tigers for nine years and $214M.
• Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has been declared a free agent and can now sign with any team. The Yankees have interest in 18-year-old Cuban left-hander Gerardo Concepcion.
• Jorge Posada‘s retirement became official at Tuesday’s press conference.
• Kim Jones will not be back with the YES Network in 2012.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: January 30th, 2012

Top stories from last week:

• The Yankees avoided arbitration with several players, agreeing to one-year contracts with Phil Hughes ($3.2M), David Robertson ($1.6M), Joba Chamberlain ($1.675M), and Brett Gardner ($2.8M). Russell Martin and Boone Logan remain unsigned at the moment, but we’re still a month away from hearings.
• The Yankees were contact by the representatives for Jack Cust, Vlad Guerrero, and Raul Ibanez about their DH vacancy while the team reached out to Hideki Matsui. Carlos Pena is no longer an option though, he signed with the Rays.
• The Michael Pineda trade and Hiroki Kuroda signing are still pending physicals. Jorge Posada will officially announce his retirement on Tuesday.
• The Yankees announced the first 2012 concert at Yankee Stadium.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: January 23rd, 2012

Top stories from last week:

• The quiet offseason is officially a thing of the past. The Yankees agreed to trade Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Michael Pineda and prospect Jose Campos on Friday, adding a young power arm to their rotation and a high-ceiling prospect to their farm system. The trade is still pending physicals and is not yet official.
• Because Pineda was not enough, the Yankees also agreed to sign Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth $10M on Friday, not long after we learned that the price for free agent pitching was dropping. The contract is pending a physical as well.
• Prior to those moves, Hal Steinbrenner met with Scott Boras about Edwin Jackson. Steinbrenner had to approve an expanded budget to accommodate Kuroda, and they were only willing to add a pitcher on a one-year contract.
• With Montero on his way to Seattle, the Yankees are calling around for offense and have already spoken to both Carlos Pena and Johnny Damon about their DH job. They also have interest in re-signing Luis Ayala.
• The Yankees signed Cory Wade to a $500k contract for 2012, and brought in Preston Mattingly on a minor league deal. Preston is Don’s son.
• Bernie Williams received 9.6% of the vote his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot while Mattingly received 17.8%.
• The YES Network continues to draw monster ratings, tops among regional sports networks.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: January 16th, 2012

Top stories from last week:

• It’s not official yet, but Jorge Posada will reportedly announce his retirement within the next two weeks. Posada apparently instructed his agents to not make calls on his behalf this winter as he mulled over his future.
• The Yankees and Hiroyuki Nakajima did not come to a contract agreement during the 30-day negotiating window, with role and years being the major sticking points. We also found out that they bid just $15M for Yu Darvish.
• Rafael Soriano may be costing the Yankees a shot at signing Edwin Jackson. The Yanks didn’t inquire on left-handed reliever Darren Oliver before he signed with the Blue Jays.
• Mariano Rivera expected to be ready for Spring Training and is doing well after having surgery on his vocal cords.
• The Yankees signed righty Adam Miller and outfielder Cole Garner to minor league contracts. They also released 14 low-level minor leaguers.
• It’s unlikely there will be a NHL Winter Classic in Yankee Stadium until 2016.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: January 9th, 2012

Top stories from last week:

• Andruw Jones will be back in 2012, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2M with another $1.4M available in incentives. The Yankees also signed Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal, but they’re still far apart in contract talks with Hiroyuki Nakajima.
• Alex Rodriguez underwent an experimental procedure on his right knee and left shoulder in Germany with blessings from the team and the commissioner’s office. Brian Cashman said it was more about “maintaining health going forward” than rehabbing past injuries.
• Carlos Beltran came to the Yankees and was willing to sign for two years and $26M at the last minute, but they declined and he took the same contract from the Cardinals. The Cubs are prioritizing young pitching in a Matt Garza trade. Despite reports to the contrary, the Yankees do have money to make moves according to Randy Levine.
• The Yankees will apparently wear 1912 throwback jerseys on April 20th to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park’s opening.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: January 2nd, 2012

Top stories from last week:

• A number of pitching options came off the market when Gio Gonzalez was traded to the Nationals, John Danks signed an extension with the White Sox, and the Rangers won Yu Darvish’s negotiating rights with a $51.7M bid. The Yankees only bid $15-17M for Darvish, and the Athletics wanted Jesus Montero and top pitching prospects for Gio. Roy Oswalt is only seeking a one-year deal now, and several teams are kicking the tires on A.J. Burnett.
• The Yankees reportedly considered pursuing Carlos Beltran earlier this offseason, but he signed with the Cardinals last week. The Indians and some other clubs have interest in Nick Swisher, and the Yankees haven’t made much progress towards a new deal with Andruw Jones.
• Joba Chamberlain‘s rehab from Tommy John surgery continues to go well.
• The Yankees were hit with a $13.9M luxury tax bill for the 2011 season.
• For the third straight year, Montero topped Baseball America’s list of the top ten Yankees prospects.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: December 26th, 2011

Top stories from last week:

• The Yankees submitted a last second bid for Yu Darvish before his posting period ended on Wednesday. The Blue Jays are believed to have bid more than $40M, and the winning bid is said to be in excess of the $51.1M the Red Sox paid to talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka five years ago. The team that submitted the winning bid is still unknown, but it wasn’t the Yankees, reportedly.
• Talks about a contract with Hiroyuki Nakajima are ongoing, and the player’s agent broached the idea of a sign-and-trade. The Yankees haven’t had any talks with either Nakajima or other teams about such a scenario.
• The Yankees have signed right-hander Matt Daley and catcher Gus Molina to minor league contracts. Andrew Brackman signed a big league deal with his hometown Reds. Colin Curtis cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A after being designated for assignment last week. The Yankees didn’t non-tender anyone before Monday’s deadline.
• Yoenis Cespedes’ free agency is likely to get pushed back in January. MLB and the MLBPA are forming an International Talent Committee to look into an international draft.

Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.

Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blog

Fan Confidence Poll: December 19th, 2011