The New York Yankees just made another huge splash in the free agent market as Mark Teixeira and the team have agreed on a eight year contract that will be worth $180 million. Yes, you heard me right, $180 million! That means that the highest four players in major league baseball all will be playing for the New York Yankees.

The contract would pay Teixeira an average of $22.5 million per season. New York has spent $423.5 million in salary in the last month, with $161 million going to left-handed pitcher C.C. Sabathia in a seven-year deal and $82.5 million on right-hander A.J. Burnett for five years.

The Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals were the two other teams that were in the final three for Tex. This was a big time signing for the Yankees, now let’s all just hope that it doesn’t backfire!

Yankees Blog

The New York Yankees made sure that starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang was not forgetting with the recent signings of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. The team signed Wang to a new one year contract worth $5 million as the two parties avoided arbitration.

Wang was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA in 15 starts for the Yankees last season before spending the rest of the year on the disabled list with a sprain of the Lisfranc ligament in his right foot and a partial tear of a tendon in the same foot.

If Wang can stay healthy for the Yankees in 2009, expect him to be the number three or four starter in the rotation. Three if Andy Pettitte is not brough back, and number four if he is.

Yankees Blog

The New York Yankees made another splash in the free agent market over the weekend as A.J. Burnett agreed on a five-year deal that will pay him $82.5 million dollars. This coming shortly after the team signed C.C. Sabathia to a $161 million dollar deal earlier in the week. It looks like the Yankees are tired of not making a deep run in the playoffs and are opening up the checkbook to better their chances of getting there in 2009.

“A.J. Burnett has great stuff,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said recently. “I think he’s matured a lot as a pitcher, as well. He’s learned to control the running game a lot better. He attacks hitters and gets hitters out quickly, throws a lot of strikes, fields his position. I think he’s much more complete as a pitcher than he was a couple of years ago.”

As long as he can stay healthy I think this is a good signing for the Yankees. He will be a great addition to the starting rotation that is for sure.

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The New York Yankees made the biggest off season splash as they will soon be signing free agent pitcher CC Sabathia to a seven year $160 million dollar contract. The Yankees have been hard after Sabathia and have been talking with him for the past three days before he agreed to become the newest New York Yankee.

Sabathia, 117-73 in eight big league seasons, will bring something to the Yankees that they haven’t had in three decades: a relatively youthful pitcher at the top of their rotation. Traded to the Brewers by the Indians on July 7, the left-hander almost single-handedly carried Milwaukee to its first postseason berth in 26 years by going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts.

Sabathia had been courted by the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers said that Sabathia, who lives in California, had expressed interest in playing there, too, although the team did not publicly make him an offer.

In the end however, Sabathia chose the Yankees and he hopes to get back into post season action this next year. It’s an exciting time to be a Yankee fan!

Wow has it been a busy week for the management of the New York Yankees. Earlier in the week the team announced that they had signed pitcher Damaso Marte to a new three year - $12 million dollar contact. Marte will make $3.75 million next year, $4 million in 2010 and $4 million in 2011. The 2012 option is also worth $4 million and includes a $250,000 buyout.

And then on Thurday the Yankees picked up Nick Swisher and a minor leaguer from the Chicago White Sox via a trade that sent Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquiz, and Jhonny Nunez to the White Sox. Expect Swisher to get looked at to the everyday starting first basemen. He can also play all three outfield positions for the team.

Swisher has three years left on a five-year, $26.75 million contract. He’s scheduled to make $5.3 million in 2009, $6.75 million in 2010 and $9 million in $2011. His deal also includes a $10.25 million club option for 2012, with a $1 million buyout. As you can tell, the deal didn’t come cheap for the Yankees.

On Tuesday the New York Yankees declined options and starting pitcher Carl Pavano and first basemen / dh Jason Giambi. Pavano’s option was to be worth $13 million instead it was bought out for $1.9 million. Giambi’s was worth $22 million and he was bought out for $5 million. Not a bad payday for going on the free agent market if you ask me.

Pavano could possibly be re-signed by the Yankees if he will take a cheap deal but don’t look for the Yankees to really negotiate with Giambi.

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The New York Yankees have signed infielder Morgan Ensberg to a one year contract.  Ensberg will probably fill in a first and third base and pitch hit a little bit.  I wouldn’t expect to him to have much value to the Yankees unless Alex Rodriguez or Jason Giambi get hurt.

Ensberg had a pretty bad 2007 season, and was actually non-tendered by the San Diego Padres.  So maybe changing uniforms and playing for a great team like the Yankees will get him going back in the right direction.

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The New York Yankees and utility player Wilson Betemit have agreed on a one year contract for the 2008 season.  Reports are saying that the contract will be worth a little over $1 million dollars.

Pretty good signing for the Yankees and a really cheap price.  Betemit was once the next great player for the Atlanta Braves but that didn’t turn out.  He will be a solid player in New York in my opinion.

Yankees Blog