The Yankees non-tendered outfielders Karim Garcia and Dave Delluci, while Gabe White accepted arbitration. The Yankees roster is just about complete. The only position they need to fill is a back-up for Jason Giambi at first base.

After a weekend of stalled negotiations, Tom Hicks, the owner of the Texas Rangers, has set another deadline in the potential Alex Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez blockbuster trade. The latest in a string of deadlines is 5 p.m. tomorrow. But even if the deal doesn’t get done by then, how do we know that this will be the last deadline we see? The Boston Globe reports:

And so, the next deadline beckons. Will the Sox attempt to re-sign Garciaparra to an extension if the A-Rod deal is indeed DOA? They haven’t contacted his agent, Arn Tellem, about doing so in recent days, according to an industry source. Maybe they’re waiting for the newest deadline to pass.

“If the [A-Rod] deal gets done, then we’ll know it’s over,” one industry source said yesterday. “But if it doesn’t get done, how will we know it’s done? This has been going on nonstop for a month. A whole industry has developed around this. How will we know that it’s really over?”

Peter Gammons reports how the talks screeched to a halt over the weekend:

According to sources, Rodriguez’s passion for this trade has diminished, both because of his relationship with Hicks and his encounters with Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino.

Rodriguez was reportedly incensed when a Lucchino statement Wednesday not only made reference to Alex and his wife — neither of whom Lucchino has ever met — but also tried to drive a stake between A-Rod and the union, portraying Rodriguez as some union-buster who cared little for his fellow players.

“What happens from here on out will depend on whether John Henry steps forward, and undoes some of the damage rendered by his employee Lucchino,” said one source.

Gammons writes that there is plenty of blame to go around, but is especially critical of Gene Orza and Larry Lucchino:

Rodriguez and Theo Epstein did reach an agreement under which A-Rod would restructure his contract by $28 million. But Gene Orza, still fighting the “30-Year War,” nixed it. Then when Larry Lucchino, another cold-war warrior, blasted Orza and made a statement that separated Rodriguez from his fellow players, it blew up any immediate compromise or the hope that someone rational like Michael Weiner and Rob Manfred could be brought into the equation. It should be said that for one man, Orza, to anoint himself with the god-like authority to establish arbitrary valuations of benefits agreed upon by a player and general manager reeks of the height of arrogance. But when Lucchino played his Khrushchev routine there was no chance at an immediate compromise.

Complicating things was Hicks’ hopeless leaking of information in Texas, which clearly disgusted Henry, who does his business where it should be done — in private.

As expected, Mike Lupica jumps all over the union too, but Tim Marchman of The New York Sun wrote last Friday that Orza and the MLBPA did the right—if unpopular—thing:

If the deal is good for Rodriguez, why wouldn’t the union approve it? Because it’s not in the interests of players generally. It would set an ugly precedent, and this is probably the union’s primary concern. Any player trying to force a trade—which is quite common, as Curt Schilling or Roger Clemens could tell you—would be told by the team he wanted to join that he they’d need to renegotiate in order to get the deal done. Also, it would depress the player salary scale significantly. Free agent negotiations and salary arbitrations now use Rodriguez’s contract as a comparison point. Lower it, and you lower the potential income of every union member. The MLBPA would be criminally negligent if it didn’t object. If indeed they are willing to approve a $15 million giveback, as ESPN reported, they’re going far out of their way to get this deal done.

Gary Huckabay of Baseball Prospectus doesn’t understand how Texas would benefit from the trade, and defends the union as well:

It’s going to be interesting to see how things actually shake down. This has the potential of being the biggest trade of my lifetime, and it’s both good and bad that money and intrigue have become such a big part of it. I do know two things: 1) from a tactical perspective, I think the OCB played this much better than I expected, and 2) Gene Orza isn’t paid enough.

If this trade doesn’t eventually go down, it could be Rodriguez’s loyalty to the union that ultimately killed the deal. A Rod didn’t allow Larry Lucchino to seduce him into a scenerio where he’d essentially be setting himself apart from the MLBPA. Marchman concludes:

Moreover, [Rodriguez] has made it clear that he will not waive his no-trade clause to allow the deal to go through unless the terms are approved by the union. IF the trade does not go through, Commissioner Selig cannot bring the issue to an arbitrator, as he has reportedly considered doing, and the union will not be exposed to a potentially dmaging decision. In word and action, Rodriguez has shown an awareness of the history of the game—which could be written as a series of attempts by rich men to steal money rightly belonging to the athletes who generate it—that modern ballplayers are so often criticized for lacking.

Rodriguez should be commended for this awareness, the MLBPA should be commended for protecting the right of its members, the Red Sox should be commmended for trying to improve their team, and Commissioner Selig should be commended for trying to get Rodriguez to a city that will appreciate him.

How often can you say all that?

True enough. Although things are looking dark, I won’t believe that the deal is dead until A Rod is suited up in a Rangers uniform on Opening Day, or the Sox sign Garciaparra to an extension. Perhaps I’m being overly reverential of the Red Sox front office, but I wouldn’t count out a last-minute suprise from Saint Nick. Regardless, even if the trade doesn’t occur, the Red Sox have an improved, and mighty impressive team going into 2004 writes Ben Jacobs. I find it hard to disagree with him.

The distinguished movie-maker Robert Altman once said that you can write a movie just by walking down the street in New York City. By catching a phrase or a sentence from each passing couple, you can invent an entire story around them. You just need to have a good ear, and an even better imagination. With that in mind, head over to Will Carroll’s blog and check out what he overheard at the winter meetings last weekend. When you are done, continue on to Jay Jaffe’s most impressive–not to mention thorough–write-up on his time in New Orleans. You won’t be sorry.

Not to be completey overshadowed by the Yankees and Red Sox, the Baltimore Orioles introduced Miguel Tejada at a press conference yesterday. Tejada’s first assist for the Orioles will be trying to recruit fellow Dominican Vladimir Guerrero, a demure country boy, to play with him in Baltimore:

“I’ve only had a couple of days here, and I can already see how the people here are,” Tejada said. “I’m going to tell him this is a great city, and if you have to make a decision, it’s the right decision for you to come to Baltimore.”

It might not be all that difficult. Oh yeah, it helps that Tejada’s agents also happen to represent Guerrero.

The Yankees traded left-handed relief pitcher Chris Hammond–he of the Bugs Bunny slow pitch–to the Oakland A’s yesterday for two minor leaguers. Hammonds didn’t love pitching in New York, but the move is reportedly motivated by the fact that the Yanks want to re-sign Gabe White, another left-handed reliever. (Incidentally, the A’s also signed southpaw Arthur Rhodes to be their closer.)

Meanwhile, Javier Vasquez spoke with the New York press for the first time as a Yankee via conference call yesterday. His agents and the Bombers are still working on completing a lengthy contract extension. And just to prove that there is never a dull moment in the Yankee-Red Sox season, Karim Garcia and Jeff Nelson were officially charged with assault and battery for their parts in the Game Three bullpen brawl during the ALCS between Boston and New York.

The 5:00 deadline came and went yesterday and Alex Rodriguez was still a member of the Texas Rangers. While the Red Sox proclaimed that the “deal is dead,” Texas GM John Hart, and Rodriguez’s agent Scott Boras said that just isn’t the case. I still believe the trade will get done, oh, just in time for Christmas (hey, timing is everything, right?). For the latest on the story that just won’t quit, check out the professionals: Bob Ryan, Joe Sheehan, Harvey Araton, John Donovan, Buster Olney, David Pinto, Jack Curry, and Tom Boswell.

After I received e-mails from both David Pinto and Edward Cossette this morning urging me to join the Dirt Dogs’ protest outside of the Player’s Union this afternoon, I thought the least I could do was check it out during my lunch hour (the Union offices are just blocks away from where I work). According to the Boston Dirt Dogs website, an informal protest was scheduled to start today at noon. When I got there at a quarter past twelve there were about a dozen Red Sox fans milling around, chatting, trying to keep warm. A couple of reporters from the local papers were asking questions. It was a tepid demonstration for starters, and not yet a full-on protest. There was no sign of the Dirt Dogs, but I assume that’s because they hadn’t made it down from Boston yet. I’m sure once they eventually arrive things will get more festive. Who knows, maybe Bill Lee will fly in and offer his two-and-a-half-cents worth.

Incidentally, the Sox fans I spoke with were all nice, rational guys. The prevailing sentiment was that the A Rod deal should and will get done, if not today, then sometime soon. David Pinto has a link to Mike C’s take on how Bud Selig’s done all he can to help the Red Sox. Pinto concludes:

I think it’s pretty clear what’s going on. In return for letting Henry buy the Red Sox when there was likely a higher bidder, by letting the Red Sox acquire whomever they want, Bud gets a large market team to support his small market socialism. It’s Bud buying power.

Doug Pappas details the language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement with regards to this case, and Jim Caple writes about the nature of Rodriguez’s character, as he publicly politics for Nomar Garciaparra’s job.

On the day that Gary Sheffield was introduced as the new Yankee right fielder, the Alex Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez blockbuster temporarily came to a halt when the Player’s Union blocked the deal. According to Gordon Edes in The Boston Globe:

Faced with the possibility that the Alex Rodriguez trade will not take place because the Major League Players Association rejected the restructuring of Rodriguez’s landmark contract by the Red Sox, Major League Baseball’s top labor lawyer said last night that commissioner Bud Selig may legally challenge the union’s right to do so.
If Selig approves the reworking of the contract of sports’ highest-paid player over the objections expressed by union lawyer Gene Orza, the matter could wind up before an independent arbitrator, a legal process that could take weeks and cause chaos for the teams and players involved

Still, as Bill Madden reports in The Daily News, the long-anticipated trade is likely to be completed by today’s 5 p.m. deadline:

A baseball person with knowledge of the internal workings of the deal predicted the teams will get it done, if only because they have to. “I can’t believe the Red Sox, after all the tumult they’ve caused in Boston with Nomar, plus all of A-Rod’s publicly campaigning for Nomar’s job, aren’t going to go through with this thing. There’s been just too much damage done to go back now.”

Jack Curry concurs in The Times:

An executive from one of the teams said that the development, though disappointing because it created another obstacle, would not kill discussions and that the trade was still possible. “I think there’s too much wanting to get this done on both sides for it to die,” he said. But before the Red Sox or the Rangers do anything, they will probably wait to see what Selig does. An official from the commissioner’s office described Selig as being incensed at the union and said he was investigating his legal options. If Selig approves the trade, the union will most likely file a grievance and the issue will be settled by an arbitrator.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, Joe Torre joined Brian Cashman in welcoming Gary Sheffield to the big city. Torre was asked if he was concerned over the prospect of dealing with high-profile malcontents like Sheffield, Brown and Lofton. His response was typical:

“My job is going to be tough enough, not because of the new acquisitions of guys who are supposedly tough to handle,” Torre said. “When you go in and you have new people, you see what you have. Will my job be tougher? You never know that. I certainly don’t think it’s fair to the players that we’re getting to all of a sudden put a wary eye out.”

Joel Sherman spoke with Jim Leyland, who managed Kevin Brown and Sheffield on the star-studded Marlins championship team in 1997:

“Those two guys are professionals,” Leyland said by phone from his Pittsburgh home. “I don’t give a [bleep] what anyone else says. And they are going to have the perfect manager for them in Joe Torre because his strength is communication and all those guys want to do is win.”

…”I love Gary Sheffield. I heard the gossip about him, but I am telling you he is ready to play and one of the best clubhouse guys I’ve ever had. Joe Torre and Gary Sheffield will be a great marriage.”

The Yankees are stacked, there is no doubt about it. Then again, as Tom Verducci reports, so is Boston. All eyes are now on the Red Sox and Texas, the Union and Bug Selig, as they attempt to get this deal done by this evening. I would be surprised if it didn’t happen.

If anyone is still looking for the ideal gift that any baseball fan would treasure, I urge you to consider ordering a copy of Lee Sinins’ Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia. Sinins’ cd rom allows you to create your own leader lists, as well as the ability to compare a player or a team to the league average. It is an indispensable tool for any serious fan, and a perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays.

A few years ago, Nigella Lawson, the voluptuous British cook, came to the U.S. First it was her book, and then her cooking show. Although the half- hour program was shot through soft filters in her own kitchen, making it unlike most cooking shows–it looked like something out of “9 1/2 Weeks”– Lawson had a casual and spontanious approach to cooking that was almost as appealing as simply looking at her. I only caught one episode, which concluded with Lawson deep frying candy bars–all the rage a few years back–and inviting some friends over for a feast. Upon tasting one of these treats, a guest proclaimed, “It’s like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one.”

Well, that’s exactly how I expect Red Sox fans will react if Nomar Garciappara gets traded to the White Sox for Magglio Ordonez. Newsday is reporting that the deal will take place after the Rodriguez-for-Ramirez deal is completed later this week (the A Rod business could happen as early as today). If Ordonez does in fact get traded to Boston, the Sox will not suffer any serious decline in production with the loss of Ramirez. They will also continue to become a more likable squad, and I’ll be beside myself with envy as Ordonez has been one of my favorite players in the league for the last four years. Shortly, I won’t be able to root for Magglio or A Rod any longer; in fact, I’ll be forced to actively root against them.

Poor little Yankee fan am I.

Ben Jacobs has an excellent look at how the American League is shaping up for 2004 (and it’s not even Christmas yet). Last Friday, on the eve of the winter meetings, Jacobs

Sunday was a memorable day around the country as the fallen Iraqi President, Saddam Hussien was captured by American troops. But if the news barely penetrated the insulated world of the baseball winter meetings–at least as I experienced it–it did provide a framework to encapsulate the day in our memories for a long time. Everything seemed heightened, lifted.

Jay Jaffe and I got a late start, and after a thoroughly mediocre brunch in the French Quarter, we arrived at the Marriott and found the Baseball Prospectus guys. At first they busted my chops in good humor for making like a ghost on Saturday. I spent most of that first day milling around on my own, but it certainly wasn’t done at the expense of the Prospectus guys; I simply wanted to get the chance to meet as many people as I could dolo.

Jay and I joined Ryan Wilkens and Chaim Bloom of Prospectus around a table in the center area of the hotel lobby. Joe Sheehan and Will Carroll buzzed in and out as they worked the room. Nate Silver, also of Prospectus, eventually joined us, as did Tim Marchman of The New York Sun, and Jeff Silver, erstwhile front office analyst for the Reds (Tim, Jeff and Joe are all New York natives). After spending the first full day at the meetings scrambling to meet newspaper men, engaging in brief, often distracted conversation, I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon in the company of these guys, and had a terrific time.

The reason it was so rewarding was because we just sat around and talked baseball all day. Just what the doctor ordered, thank you very much. And let me tell you something, if I felt lifted it was because of the quality of the conversation. The common bond the guys I mentioned above all share is that they are all stunningly bright, and shamlessly enthusiastic about the game, its history, and its future. You could even say that they are part of the future. I would not be surprised to see Bloom, Wilkens or either of the Silvers–not to mention Joe and Will—working inside the game in five years time.

Tim, Jay and I spent several hours wanding around the French Quarter, and we were joined by Jeff for a bite to eat at the Acme clam house. By the end of the night, I was losing my voice. It was like having been at an all-day concert. I was exhausted but exhilerated as well.

By the time we left on Monday afternoon, several more deals went down of course. We were all together on Sunday afternoon when Bloom informed us that Tejada was going to the Birds. We first heard it as six years, $65 million; while we were at dinner, whenever there was a lull in the conversation, someone would blurt out, “Six, sixty-five.” (We later discovered it was actually six years for $72 million.) And when we returned to the hotel, the latest was that the Orioles were working on signing Vlad Guerrero and either Pudge Rodriguez or Javier Lopez. Hey now. As Theo Epstein mentioned later on, you can label the east the “AL Beast” once again.

While the A Rod deal to Boston was not done over the weekend, most of the guys that I spoke with anticipate that it’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when. Don’t fret Red Sox Nation, you will be enjoying the holiday season plenty.

In all, the weekend was a success. One of my brother’s oldest friends lives in New Orleans, and I got a chance to hang out with her on Saturday. She showed me around the town and gave me insights into the city that I would not have gotten otherwise. And though I felt ready to leave after Saturday night, the time I spent in the company of the Prospectus guys as well as Jeff Silver, Tim Marchman and Jay Jaffe on Sunday was the highlight of the trip.

Oh, and to show what a mensch Jay is, our connection flight from Atlanta back to New York was delayed five hours (10:00) and Jay offered to let me take the final seat on a stand-by flight on at 6:00 (I had to be up early this morning for work, and Jay didn’t). We thought we would both make it on, but there was only one seat left. I walked into my apartment in the Bronx twenty minutes before Jay’s flight left Atlanta. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated the gesture. It was the icing on the gravy, and capped a great adventure. I’m glad I was able to share it with Jay, and I feel fortunate to have met and rapped with so many interesting and warmly disposed professional baseball men.

Fear and Loathing in New Orleans

After two days at the winter meetings, I can safely say that this is one of the oddest experiences I’ve ever had. Jay Jaffe and I arrived late Friday night at our hotel

Oh, this should be a good one. While there was relatively little activity at the winter meetings last year, this year should provide plenty of punch. First and foremost is the Alex Rodriguez-for-Manny Ramirez trade. I expect that it will happen. Ditto for Gary Sheffield becoming a Yankee. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.

I’m headed down to New Orleans for the weekend with Jay Jaffe. I won’t have the ability to post anything from the road, so there will not be a new post until Tuesday morning. Anyhow, I want you guys to feel free to continue the great conversations you’ve been having on the comments section below. It would be cool for me to track the progress of the meetings through what you’ve got to say.

I’m not sure what kind of experience we’ll have down there, but I look forward to giving you my take when I return.

According to the New York media, losing Andy Pettitte signals the “End of the Joe Torre Yankees.” The story is being spun several ways: George Steinbrenner did not appreciate what he had in Pettitte, and dissed him; or, Andy Pettitte wanted to go home to pitch, no matter how much money the Yankees offered. If the Yankees had courted Pettitte from jump the way they have wined and dined free agents like Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi he would still probably be a Yankee. The question is: Did the Yankees overlook Pettitte due to their own arrogance, or were they simply not interested in re-signing him in the first place? And: Was he worth keeping? The other piece of the puzzle is: Who was behind the Yankees course of action? George Steinbrenner, or the Yankee braintrust of Brian Cashman and Stick Michael? Or a combination of the two?

I felt a degree of sadness watching the highlights of Pettitte’s career in New York last night. But I wasn’t angry anymore. At either Pettitte or the Yankees. But the New York columnists were spitting mad this morning. If you have the stomach for it, check out the latest from Lupica, Vaccaro, Heyman, Harper, Anderson, Kernan, Sherman, Olson, and Bob Raissman.

The Yankees didn’t waste any time in moving ahead. They have traded Jeff Weaver, two prospects and $3 million in cash to the L.A. Dodgers for Kevin Brown. The Yankees still need to go over the fine print in Brown’s contract before the deal can be completed. Brown is a 39-year old pitcher with a history of injury problems, but when he is healthy, he is nasty and he’s an ace. The deal would give the Yankees a heavy right-handed rotation (with the lone exception of David Wells).

So, are the Yankees better off with Brown and Vasquez in 2004 than they were with Clemens and Pettitte in 2003? According to Gary Huckabay in The New York Sun, indeed they are:

Can Brown be expected to outperform Pettitte? Absolutely. His 2003 ERA was 2.39, far better than Pettitte’s, even after factoring in the benefit from pitching in Dodger Stadium. Brown’s strikeout rate and control are both outstanding, and indicate that he is more likely to continue his success than Pettitte is to continue his. Yankee fans will likely forget about Pettitte and the circumstances under which he left by about the fourth inning of Brown’s first start.

…Andy Pettitte’s been a good pitcher, but he hasn’t been great. He’s logged just under 1,800 innings in his Yankee career, posting an ERA of 3.94. Yes, he’s won 149 games, but he’s done so with some truly tremendous levels of run support. Pettitte’s reputation has come in large part due to his appearances in the postseason, where he’s been viewed as some sort of latter-day Clutch God. This reputation is something of a mystery; his actual postseason performance hasn’t really been all that noteworthy (30 games, 186.2 innings pitched, 201 hits, 52 walks, 118 strikeouts, 4.05 era).

Rob Neyer agrees, and thinks that Brown and Vasquez represents a significant upgrade for the Bombers:

Could a Yankees rotation that includes Brown stack up with the Red Sox’s new Schilling-ful squad? You’d better believe it. Mussina/Vazquez/Brown is just as good as Martinez/Schilling/Lowe, and I suspect most clubs would take Jose Contreras over Tim Wakefield in the fourth slot.

It’s true, as the rosters stand right now, the Red Sox would have to be considered the favorites in 2004. But the way things stand now isn’t the way they’ll stand in March, at which point I suspect the Yankees will have muscled their way back to the top of the forecasted standings.

Neyer is less than impressed with Pettitte’s reputation as a great pitcher:

How will Andy Pettitte fare in Houston? He’ll presumably enjoy his family life there, but his baseball life is going to suffer. His (relative) run support will suffer, because while the Astros have a good offense, the Yankees had a great one (they led the AL in road scoring in 2003). And Pettitte’s trading a home ballpark that’s kind to left-handed pitchers for a home ballpark that’s not (though he is a ground-ball pitcher, which will help).

And frankly, Pettitte’s not a great pitcher. He was great in 1997 and excellent in 2002 (when he wasn’t on the disabled list), but most years he’s been merely good. Everyone seems to think the Astros are getting a No. 1 starter, but the reality is that Pettitte is the team’s third-best starter, behind Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller.

Why do people think he’s a No. 1 starter? Because Pettitte’s spent his entire career pitching for the best baseball team in the world, which has meant 1) great run support, and 2) plenty of TV time in October.

Which isn’t to say it’s a terrible move for the Astros. There’s nothing wrong with having a solid No. 3 starter, though $10.5 million per season seems like a lot to spend unless it’s the Yankees or the Red Sox doing the spending (and of course, the Yankees offered even more money than the Astros did).

For a thorough analysis of Andy Pettitte, head over to Bryan Smith’s fine blog, Wait ‘Til Next Year.

The Yankees will likely be active this weekend in New Orleans. According to the Post, the Yankees have contacted Bernie Williams to inform him that they plan to acquire Kenny Lofton to play in centerfield next season. Gary Sheffield was in San Franciso yesterday along with the brothers Giambi testifying in the BALCO trial. I figure that both Sheffield and Lofton will be wearing Yankee pinstripes by the time Cashman returns from New Orleans.

Andy Pettitte is now a member of the Houston Astros. This is going to take a minute to get used to. Buster Olney writes that the Yankees have nobody to blame but themselves for not getting a deal done with the southpaw. According to Olney, losing Pettitte is a portent of things to come:

Pettitte’s departure also is another indication of the overwhelming dysfunction that looms on the horizon for the Yankees. Manager Joe Torre — who argued to prevent the Yankees from trading Pettitte to Philadelphia in 1999, and argued again this offseason for the Yankees to aggressively re-sign the left-hander — goes into next year as a lame-duck manager.

He has indicated he does not want to talk about another extension, and it’s easy to envision an early-season slump leading to his dismissal, a last chance for George Steinbrenner to humiliate Torre on the way out; that’s what Steinbrenner does.

Torre could go at some point, in an era when Steinbrenner is increasingly pursuing players like Raul Mondesi and Gary Sheffield. The Yankees’ players thought last season was a whacky, contentious ride; well, they ain’t seen nothing yet.

The Pettitte signing goes down just before the winter meetings are to start in New Orleans. Jayson Stark reports that there could be a flurry of activity this weekend in the Big Easy, and not just the A Rod blockbuster. What will the Yankees do to replace Pettitte? The hot rumors all involve Kevin Brown.

Never a dull moment, huh? Who said there was an off-season in Yankee land?

According to ESPN, the Houston Astros have called a press conference for high noon to announce the signing of Andy Pettitte to a thee-year deal worth somewhere between $32-$34 million. George Steinbrenner, who has never been a big fan of Pettitte’s, was unable to swoop in at the last minute and get a deal done with the southpaw. Many Yankee fans–including this one–felt that the Yankees would overpay to keep Pettitte in the Bronx, but it wasn’t to be. Now, the Yankee rotation appears vulnerable, with David Wells as the only possible left-hander available to them.

As much as this hurts the Yankees in the short-term, I believe that Pettitte may have a tough time with the Astros. The last I checked, Minute Maid Park had an extremely short left-field porch. I’m not sad to see Andy go, I feel bitter. At George, and at Andy.

Ah, I’m just a poor little Yankee fan. (How do you think Met fans and Red Sox fans feel about this? Heck, I wonder what Joe Torre thinks about it.)

The winds were whipping around last night. I was up for an hour in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, listening to the wind, and thinking about Andy Pettitte pitching for the Astros. It was still windy this morning, and raining. On the subway ride to work the two guys next to me almost came to blows over who was taking up more seat room. After exchaning obscenities, they sat silently next to each other until we reached 96th street. I sat quietly next to them and read the morning papers. The setting was ideal, considering the news.

It’s not a chipper day in Yankee Land, that’s for sure. Andy Pettitte is in fact close to signing with the Astros. Pettitte has kept the door slightly ajar for the Yankees to overwhelm him with money, and he will make up his mind by tomorrow. The New York columnists–Jack Curry, Mike Lupica, and Mike Vaccaro are all in agreement with who is to blame here: George M. Steinbrenner. Pettitte may have wanted to go home all along, but the Yankees have not handled his negotiations with class. Last week I argued that these Yankees are not quite the Yankee teams of the eighties. But the one thing that does remind me of that era is that the Yankees’ biggest obstacle is not the Red Sox, Blue Jays or anyone else in the American League: it is their owner.

While the Yanks are on the verge of losing Pettitte, but they may still sign Gary Sheffield (although they are reportedly players in the Vlad Guerrero sweepstakes). Sheffield was at a Maryland hoops game with Darryl Strawberry last night, and said that “the deal will get done.” It’s hard to know what exactly is happening here. Judging from the bit that Brian Gunn offers at Rebird Nation, maybe Steinbrenner will leave Sheffield at the alter. But still, I doubt it. Not when he has “true Yankees” like Doc Gooden and Strawberry in his corner.

Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez is still playing for the Texas Rangers. Tom Hicks and John Henry as expected to meet during the next couple of days, and The Boston Globe reports that the two might be waiting for this weekend to announce a deal. (Take that, George.) But should the blockbuster deal fall apart, the Red Sox would have to deal with a dicey situation with Nomar Garciaparra.

GOSSIP

I just got an e-mail from a friend in the midwest who says that ESPN 1000 radio in Chicago is reporting that Andy Pettitte has signed a deal to pitch for the Astros. The deal will evidently be announced this weekend. We’ll have to wait and see if this is for real, but if it is, it doesn’t come as a major surprise.

So much for the Yankees’ number one priority. Stay tuned…

ZOOLANDER

Fine, I give up. Enough with defending George Steinbrenner for me. While Red Sox fans happily anticipate a trade that will rid them of a headcase in Manny Ramirez and give them oh, only the best player in baseball, Yankee fans are following the antics of Boss George with a slightly upset stomach. Free agent signings in Yankee land have been exciting events during the past several years, but this winter, they seem like omens of the end of the Joe Torre era.

Gary Sheffield is not a Yankee yet, but many baseball insiders still believe that he will be shortly. (The question is: with Vlad G out there, why?) Joel Sherman reports:

It probably won’t be long now until Steinbrenner – who ignored the handshake deal Wells once had with Arizona to guarantee Wells six times as much money – temporarily reconciles with Sheffield to get a deal done. Sheffield, with no place else to turn for the big bucks, will return the disingenuous hug. And, thus, Steinbrenner’s last chance to get away from a bad movie for which he has already seen the preview, will go the way of any lingering dignity left in this organization.

…As always, Steinbrenner never appreciates what he has. In the home-grown quintet of Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams, he not only has been blessed with a nucleus of great players, but also low-maintenance professionals who value winning and honor teammates. He has been equally blessed with Torre and GM Brian Cashman, who have engendered such respect in the industry that they have put whatever positive face there can be on a team owned by Steinbrenner.

Bill Madden, who has seen it all during the Steinbrenner years, weighs in with his take:

As we all know, if there is one thing Steinbrenner is big on, it’s accountability. Well, the Boss has got to be accountable for this one. Gary Sheffield has essentially thrown down the gauntlet, and the only way Steinbrenner comes out of this with his “Boss-ness” intact is to tell this certifiable nutcase to take a hike. Because even if Sheffield temporarily comes to his senses and accepts the original deal, the ink will hardly be dry before he starts complaining. And if you don’t believe that, then allow me to refer you to all of Sheffield’s previous stops – especially Los Angeles – where he constantly carped about money, called the owner a liar, and wore out his welcome while cementing his reputation as an inveterate clubhouse malcontent.

…Steinbrenner was warned that he was dealing with a selfish player – and everything the Joe Torre Yankees of 1996-2001 were not – and now Sheffield has proven this beyond any doubt. However, Steinbrenner apparently isn’t listening to the baseball people who have served him so well.

In a perfect Yankee universe, Stick Michael and Brain Cashman would run the show. But this is Boss George’s World: we just live in it. Boomer Wells, Kenny Lofton, Gary Sheffield? Oy veh. No wonder some Yankee fans are thinking about the eighties. I hope that the deal with Sheffield now falls apart, but I doubt that will happen. Steinbrenner is convinced that he is doing the best thing for his organization: for Joe Torre and for the fans. But right now he’s only doing the best thing for himself. And who knows what that is, since he changes his mind hourly.

And what ever became of the Yankees number one off-season priority? What about Andy Pettitte? That’s what Pettitte’s father is asking in The New York Times today. Pettitte hopes to ink a deal by the end of the winter meetings in New Orleans this weekend and is puzzled as to why the Yankees have been so slow with negotiations.