Yankee rumors 10/28/08

Looks like there are some folks who really think Sabathia and even possibly Holliday will be in pinstripes come Spring Training. Oh yeah, maybe the reason why Cashman chose to stay in NY, too.

First Sabathia:

Jimmy Rollins, a friend of superstar free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia dating back to their upbringing outside Oakland, Calif., and one of the best prognosticators in the game considering his lofty and correct predictions for his own Phillies, didn't hesitate when I asked him where he thought Sabathia would wind up.

"New York, American League,'' Rollins, an Alameda, Calif. product, said. "They've got enough money, and they need him.''

As Heyman rightfully noted, it IS about the money, stupid (where have you heard that before?):

As is typical, the choice may come to the usual: love or money. In that skirmish the loot usually wins out.

And regarding Holliday:

Yankees people have heard good things about Holliday. However, their one concern is his home-road splits, which show he has been more successful at Coors Field than on the road. This year the difference was minimal, as Holliday hit .332 with 15 home runs at home, .308 with 10 home runs on the road. But his lifetime numbers reflect a significant variation. He's a .357 career hitter at Coors Field, with 84 home runs. On the road he is a .280 hitter with 44 home runs.

Color me concerned about the splits. But he runs in addition to bopping HR's. Too bad he doesn't play 1B.

On the cesspool that is the Mariners ownership (as compared to our cesspool, mind you):

Brian Cashman is still a Yankee in part because of Gillick's stories about working for the current Mariners regime. Gillick told Cashman for years what it was like to answer to Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln, and Cashman is said to have never seriously considered going there in part because of those stories.

Now, if Cashman chose Hank and Hal (and George) over Lincoln, how bad does Lincoln have to be? Seriously.

Now, back to that Gillick-as-special-assistant-to-Cashman-next-year stuff...