You have GOT to be kidding... CLIFF LEE NOT GOING TO YANKEES IN TRADE

This morning, it looked like Cliff Lee was getting ready to be fitted for pinstripes in a deal that would have sent the southpaw to the Yankees for top prospect Jesus Montero and others.

But now, it's not happening.

Reported by MLBTradeRumors, the Seattle Mariners have pulled out of the deal with the Yankees. The Yankees it seems, are stunned and disappointed and may pull away from the Lee trade talks. What is most likely to have happened is that another team topped the Yankees offer. Seattle has questions about David Adams' injured ankle which is understandable, but how could they reject Montero?

I just want to know this:

Jack Zduriencik, (The Mariners' GM) what on Earth are you thinking?! How could reject Jesus Montero, the #4 best prospect in the game? Do you honestly think you're going to get a better package?!

This morning, I was opposed to the trade because Montero was involved. However, I got used to it and I thought this was a great trade and that while it would be hard to lose Montero, you have to give to get. But just as I get over Montero, this happens. What a joke.

I'm really curious to see what package Seattle gets that could top the Yankees' offer. It looks like Lee could be headed to Texas now.

On the bright side however, the Yankees get to keep Montero, which makes me happy. Sacrificing Montero for a three month rental of Lee would have pointless. Now at least, Jesus can hopefully have a career with the Yankees.

But the deal could still happen, so we just have to wait and see.

According to RiverAveBlues:

"Buster Olney says they have concerns about the “identity” of the second player; I wonder if that means they now want someone else instead of Adams."

"The Yanks wanted to “strike aggressively, strike quickly, and get a resolution to this,” but the Mariners appear to be shopping for alternatives. The Rangers, hamstrung a bit by their financial troubles, says Sherman (Joel Sherman of the NY Post), are now “working hard” to land Lee. I’d be surprised if the Yanks are willing to keep this deal on the table much beyond first pitch tonight and if the Mariners can wrest a package from Texas better than the one Brian Cashman appears to be offering."

It appears as though the deal with the Yankees is on hold, but I'd be shocked if Seattle finds a better package of prospects. At least for now, the Yankees can keep Montero. I'd prefer for the Yankees to just get Lee in the off-season and that way they have both Montero and Lee.

I thought this was a done deal.

We'll just have to wait and see, a deal between the Yanks and Mariners could still get done.

But you have to imainge that Brian Cashman* the Yankees' GM, must be PISSED.

...for now.

*That's Brian Cashman pictured above.

Yankees trade for Cliff Lee "imminent" NOT HAPPENING

First, we heard the Mets.
Then the Rangers.
And most recently the Twins.

But now, it's the New York Yankees.

The Yankees and Seattle Mariners have agreed on a trade that would send All-Star Ace LHP Cliff Lee to the Yankees for three prospects. The deal isn't done yet, but it's close to being finished.

I woke up to 15 text messages asking me if this was true and I thought "what's going on?"

Then I went online. The first thing I thought when I saw this trade this morning: "Holy $%#^$&!"

The word so far is that the prospects are C Jesus Montero, 2B David Adams, and a Player To Be Named Later.

I'll have more when this all becomes official!

More on the Cliff Lee front

The Cliff Lee Sweepstakes are beginning to take form.

During last night's Yankees-Mariners game in which Lee pitched, scouts from the Yankees, Mets, Rangers, and Phillies were in attendance, but not scouts from the Twins or Dodgers reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

He pitched a complete game against the Yankees, going 9 IP while giving up 4 runs, 2 being home runs by Yankees' right fielder Nick Swisher. Scouts are wondering if he's being overused by Seattle, seeing as his velocity dropped from 94-95 mph in his previous start, to topping out at just 92 mph last night. However, the lack of scouts hardly means that their a lack of interest in the ace left-hander.

It's been reported that Seattle would require a blue-chip prospect from what ever team they trade with. That means either C Jesus Montero from the Yankees or SS Wilmer Flores from the Mets. I wrote yesterday that Seattle wants a catcher in whatever deal they make, so for the Mets, building a deal around Flores and Josh Thole would surely net them Lee. It's known that the Mets need Lee, while the Yankees are are just interested.

The Mariners have been said to like Yankees' 2B top prospect David Adams, who is in Double-AA Trenton. Adams is currently blocked at the major league level by some guy who's leading the league in batting, I think his name is like Cano or something? Adams' future is best in another organization. Initially the Yankees would have to package Adams with a catcher, such as Montero or Austin Romine. Many would prefer the latter, as Montero is ranked as one of the top prospects in baseball, but Romine is not far off. If it's me, it's gonna hurt either way, but I'm giving up Romine. He just can't hit as well as Jesus.

So it seems as though the most likely destinations for Lee are Queens and the Bronx, we'll just have to see. I'll keep you updated.

I know you're all so unhappy that these Cliff Lee rumors are keeping me from writing my Ty Wigginton post (sarcasm).

In other news, NBA free agency kicks off tonight at midnight. Most of the buzz surrounds the big three: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. They met in Miami the other day to discuss their futures together, so we'll just have to see how that all plays out.

Mike Axisa over at RiverAveBlues has a column up about why the Yankees should go after Cliff Lee. It's a good read so have at it.

Yankees 2010 Trade Target: Lance Berkman

Lance Berkman, 1B/OF Houston Astros
2010 season: 55 G, .237/.341/.384, 6 HR, 29 RBI

As recently as last week, we heard rumors that the Yankees had scouts following the Houston Astros watching Lance Berkman, just in case the Astros decide to make him available via trade. By adding a power bat in "The Big Puma" Berkman, the Yankees would have a very dangerous offense. The face of the Houston Astros since the retirement of Craig Biggio, Berkman has slugged 21 or more home runs every full season in the big leagues, including a career high 45 in 2006, his best year, in which he batted .315 with 136 RBI and finished 3rd in the MVP voting. Berkman has slugged more than 40 home runs twice in his career, 42 in 2002 and 45 in 2006, as well has slugging over 30 or more three times, 34 in 2001, 30 in 2004, and 34 again in 2007. Add that to five seasons of 20 home runs or more: 21 in 2000, 25 in 2003, 24 in 2005, 29 in 2008, and 25 in 2009. He's also driven in over 120 RBI three times: 126 in 2001, 128 in 2002, and a career high 136 in 2006. He's also had six seasons of over 100 RBIs. He's had four seasons of over .300 batting averages with a career high .331 in 2001, .316 in 2004, .315 in 2006, and .312 in 2008. Add that all together and Berkman has a career batting line of .297 AVG/.409 SLG/.549 OBP, .959 OPS, 319 HR, 1070 RBI, and 1622 hits. A slugger to say the least.

It's not a secret that the Yankee offense right now is struggling. They got bombarded by the D-backs last night, after a great pitched game by Rodrigo Lopez, limiting the Yankees to four runs in last night's 10-4 loss. However, a case can be made that Berkman, 34, may not be able to help the Yankees. This season has been Berkman's worst career season, having career lows in AVG, SLG, OBP, and HR. There's also the contract issue. Berkman makes $14.9 million this year, and also has a no-trade clause, meaning he'd have to waive his clause to be traded to the Yankees. I'm not sure that the Yankees would be so willing as to pay all of that contract. That may not be a problem however, as recently Astros' owner Drayton McLane said that the organization would be willing to absorb salary in a trade depending on the offer. Perhaps if the Yankees made the Astros a strong enough offer, the Astros would eat Berkman's salary.

But there is yet another issue with trading for the Rice University graduate Berkman. It's well known throughout baseball that McLane likes to keep his favorite players, Berkman being one of them. Over the years he's shown resistance to trading players such as Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Roy Oswalt. However, due to the Astros' past under .500 seasons, including another one this year at 26-44, McLane may be forced to trade the switch-hitting Berkman in order to rebuild the organization by acquiring prospects with high potential.

Yet there are still more issues, the most important being where would Berkman play on the Yankees? First base is occupied for the next seven years, and the Yankees already have two corner outfielders who play better defense than Berkman. The obvious position for Berkman would be DH on the Yankees. This presents another problem due to the health questions surrounding Jorge Posada, who has shown his signs of age and cannot catch everyday, forcing him to DH. The Yankees would like to keep his bat in the lineup on days he does not catch, but if they acquire Berkman, Posada would be forced to ride the bench a few times per week. To me, it seems as though Berkman may not have a spot on the team, similar to Adam Dunn, who I profiled a few days ago.

Then there is always the issue of prospects. I'm pretty sure every Yankee fan knows that the Astros starting point would be with Jesus Montero or Austin Romine. The Astros would require a top prospect in the deal, but most likely two if the Yankees wanted the Astros to eat Berkman's contract. I think a deal would have to consist of at least an A-level prospect, a Bminus-level prospect, and at least two C-level types. That means a deal of C Austin Romine, RHP Mark Melancon, LHP Wilkin De La Rosa and 2B David Adams.

If I were the Yankees I would not trade for Berkman. I think that the offense could survive with another bat that could cost less prospects-wise. I also think that the salary is an issue. The Yankees are reportedly on a "budget" and I'm sure they don't feel like adding $14.9 million to the payroll. I don't think it'd hurt the team if they acquire Berkman, but he's not having a good year and not having a good year playing in the weak NL Central, meaning he'd most likely have difficulty adapting to the strong pitching of the AL East. And he's 34, meaning his best days of hitting 30 home runs are probably behind him. While I've always liked Berkman, I do not think he has a place on the Yankees and I'd rather spend the prospects and money on someone else who's having a better year and is less expensive. Sorry Puma.

Yankees 2010 Trade Target: David DeJesus

David DeJesus, OF Kansas City Royals
2010 season: 67 G, .331/.403/.494, 5 HR, 31 RBI

David DeJesus is a name familiar to most Yankees fans. DeJesus, in recent years, has been connected to the Yankees through trade rumors. The Brooklyn native is enjoying a breakout season this year, hitting a career high .331 AVG this season with a career high .494 SLG % while playing stellar defense for the Royals. One thing DeJesus has been credited for in his career is being a patient hitter. In his career, the highest season strike out total for DeJesus was 87 K's in 2009. He also draws his walks, having a career high of 64 in 2007, and ranging anywhere from 33 to 64 in his career. His ability to take pitches and have good plate discipline has resulted in a career OBP of .361, meaning he is on base 36% of the time. He's also been a great hitter throughout his career, with a career batting average of .290 on the spot. While not known for his power (career high 13 in 2009) or speed (career high 11 in 2008). Although an average outfielder, he is known for making great plays in the outfield.

DeJesus, 30, brings a lot to the table for the Yankees. A left-handed batter, he can play all three outfield positions and is extremely versatile. He makes $4.7 million this season, and has a club option of $6 million for the 2011 season which the Royals can pick up or decline. So if the contract is declined, the Yankees could always sign him in the offseason. The Royals, 29-40 (4th place in the AL Central) are 11 games out of first place. Sources indicate that they are ready to trade players, hoping to rebuild for the 2011 season. The Yankees could be major players for DeJesus, a graduate of Rutgers University, who they've been linked to and liked in the past. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Royals "are said to be asking for more return than is acceptable to the suitors." He also lists the Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres as suitors for the outfielder.

If it is true that the Royals may be asking for a lot, the Yankees may back out. If the Royals were to ask for one of the catchers, either Montero or Romine, I would say "no thanks." As much of a fine player as DeJesus is, a 30 year-old outfielder who is enjoying a career year is not worth a top prospect, especially when the Yankees have a set outfield as it is. If I were the Yankees, and the Royals approached me about a possible trade for DeJesus, I would give up a B-level prospect, such as RHP Mark Melancon, with a few C-level guys such as 2B David Adams or RHP David Phelps, but no more than that.

Acquiring DeJesus would have to require one of the outfielders, most likely Nick Swisher, or DeJesus, DHing full time. While I think he would be a great fit on this team, being a New York native and a fine player, I would be anxious to see how the Yankees would use him. There is always the question of free agency however, especially with Carl Crawford, who the Yankees covet, most likely to hit the market. Many predict the Yankees will sign Crawford, but on the flip side, with the recent production of the Yankees' outfield this season, many sources have changed their beliefs due to the trio of Gardner-Granderson-Swisher's performance. Acquiring DeJesus would also most likely keep the Yankees from signing Crawford, especially if he continues to keep us his strong play, they would most likely pick up his 2011 option. The only question would be where the Yankees would fit in DeJesus.

I would be in full support of a trade for DeJesus, but only for the right price. A battled veteran, a New York native, and a great hitter, he would help this team pick itself up offensively. While there is a question of uncertainty as to where he would play, I'm sure that the Yankees could find a spot for him.