2006 Offseason- Bullpen, Bench, and Free Agents (UPDATE: 1/6/07))

To the other side of pitching, the other side of offense/defense, and to the other side of business deals, time to talk about the little things that sometimes go ignored in baseball. Bullpen, Bench, and Yankees that will stay and go due to free agency.

Bullpen: The Yankees 'pen had some surprises, and some disappointment this year. The Yankees miracle wild card Dotel seemed to be a burn out, the 100 MPH fireballer Farnsworth wasn't all he was hyped up to be, and a rarely used Yankee who never seemed to find his place in the organization, became the most frequently used pitcher not just with the Yankees, but in all of baseball in 2006, Scott Proctor.

Surprises: Scott Proctor being the biggest, he came out of nowhere and ate up innings, getting out of pressure situations, and giving the Yankees more than they could ever hope for. He lead the majors with 83 appearances, and give the Yankees a real fighting chance when times were tough. Brian Bruney seemed to catch the same fire that Proctor did, coming from Arizona and blowing people away with his fastball. Any kid who comes from a team with no real chance at winning, and pitches with the Yankees and pulling through big like he did is ok in my book, but don't be sold by this kid yet, remember Shawn Chacon.

Disappointments: Kyle Farnsworth and Octavio Dotel both seemed to have too much hype, giving Yankee fans too much to look forward to. Farnsworth battled back problems and his stuff was sub-par in the beginning of the season, but he did pull threw in the second half, giving the Yankees more stability. Dotel on the other hand didn't do so hot. Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting to see how he could contribute to the Yankees, and Dotel kept everyone waiting. His heart was in the right place, always being optimistic, always looking forward to his eventual arrival to the Yankees, but when he finally got here, he didn't make the most of his opportunity. I think the Yankees should give him another shot, he barely had two months with the Yankees, one full season could bring out the Dotel of the past. The biggest disappointment of this season was Mariano Rivera. Now before you chop my head off hear me out, Rivera was great this season, and he was as automatic as ever, his performance this year was not disappointing at all. What was disappointing however, was how he had to be sidelined for about a month with a strained muscle in his arm. It turned a light on in Yankees fan's heads that, Rivera isn't gone yet, but he is getting there. The dramatic three inning saves, even the two inning saves may be in Rivera's past, his career is starting to wined down, making it all the more important to get to the post season so Mo can get that final out, at least one more time before hanging it up for good.

What they need: The Yankees don't need to look much further than what they already have to make the 'pen of 2007 great. If Darrell Rasner and Jeff Karsten spend any time with the Yankees next season, they will be in the bullpen for long relief and spot starts through-out the season. If they do anything like last year, the club would be more than pleased. For short relief the Yankees still have the lefty specialist, Mike Myers in the 'pen. Sure they only bought him to face David Ortiz, but he came through in some clutch situations last year. For longer appearances, lefty Ron Villone did pretty well his first year as a Yankee. Villone filed for free agency, but the Yankees do need another left arm in the bullpen, so expect him to return. As for right handed relief, Taynon Stertze is coming back from an arm injury, he has proved to be a strong force in relief, so even though eh also filed for free agency, the Yankees will probably take a chance with him.

The Bench: Melky Carbrera. Need I say more? This kid comes up from the minors to replace an injured Hedeki Matsui, and did an amazing job. Sure we missed the home runs, RBIs and clutch hitting of Matsui, but in return the Yankees got some great defense, more hit-and-runs, and more youth in the clubhouse. Melky was the perfect fit at the perfect time, and filled in better than anyone expected. For next season however, he will have to be rotated in as the 4th outfielder. Matsui, Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, and Jason Giambi will all shift in and out of the DH spot, giving Melky a few days at a few different positions all year, as well as a few at bats. But don't worry Melky fans, he is still young, and unless Abreu puts up serious power numbers, I would see Melky being the starting right fielder for a long time. As for the rest of the bench, Phillips seems to be the only other bench player besides Melky that will 100% remain on the Yankees, all the rest have filed for free agency. Sal Fasano who the Yankees picked up mid year to replace Kelly Stennet filed before the end of the World Series, meaning there isn't much chance of him coming back, unless no other team will give him a better offer. Andy Cannizaro, who the Yankees brought up for a few games during the year was sent back to AAA. The same offer was given to Nick Green but he decided on free agency the same time Fasano did. Bernie Williams will most likely return to the role he was suppose to fill this year as a pinch hitter and defensive replacements during the game. Injuries to Gary Sheffield and Matsui gave him a lot more playing time, and showed the Yankees he still has some game left in him, so expect Bernie to be with New York at least one more year. Miguel Cairo, who came back last year after a year with the Mets, filled in great for Cano when he was injured. Cairo has made it clear that he likes playing for the Yankees, so he should be back next year also. A wild card that might have slipped some peoples minds in Bubba Crosby. Crosby was designated for assignment last year, but cleared waivers and is still in the Yankees system playing in AAA. With spots being open on the bench, I would expect him to be with the Yankees again next year. The Yankees have really lucked out with the bench the past few seasons. Both Crosby and Melky can play all three outfield positions, and Cairo can play all the infield positions, giving the Yankees much more versatility when replacing players.

What They Need: The biggest need for the bench at this point is a back up catcher. The Yankees have gone through three in the past two years, not seeming to be able to find a suitable back up. Wil Neives seems to be a likely candidate for the job, but the Yankees feel that he is better suited as a full time catcher in AAA than a back up catcher in the majors.

Free Agents: No starting Yankees have the opportunity to file for free agency this season, taking a load off of GM Brian Cashman's plate, and giving him enough time to work on starting pitching. The list of Yankees that have filed are mostly bench players, and most of their futures are pretty clear with the exception of only a couple.

Miguel Cairo: Latest news on Cairo is that he and the Yankees agreed on a one year, $750,000 deal for next season pending a physical. This makes it very grim for Bernie Willaims' chances in remaining in pinstrips next season due to lack of space on the roster.

Bubba Crosby: Crosby has signed with the Cincinnati Reds for 2007, so he will not be with the Yankees next season.

Octavio Dotel: Dotel signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals to be their closer. If it were a better team, I would be a little worried, but it's the Royals.

Sal Fasano: The Yankees seem to be set on having Wil Nieves and Raul Chavez compete for the back up catcher role during spring training, making Fasano's time in the Bronx a thing of the past.

Nick Green: Green was offered a minor league contract, but chose free agency. In basic English, he is gone. Probability of return: 0%

Terrence Long: Long was acquired by the Yankees to start because of the Sheffield and Matsui injuries. Since the Yankees have an amazing forth outfielder in Melky, I doubt Long would want to return as a back up to a 22 year old. Probability of return: 0%

Mike Mussina: Mussina and the Yankees have come to an agreement to a two year, $23 million contract, putting the Moose back in Pinstrips.

Wil Nieves: Nieves doesn't seem to be a likely candidate to be Jorge Posada's successor behind the plate, and the fact that he is turning 30 next season doesn't give him much inspiration to stay with a team that is going to keep him in the minors. Nieves will return next season to try-out for the back up catcher roll, competing against Chavez.

Gary Sheffield: The only reason the Yankees picked up Sheff's option was to trade him. He has been an amazing player, put up great numbers, and became a fan favorite, but his attitude in the club house and his lack of real teamwork led to his demise, and he will not be coming back next year. Since Sheffield has been traded to the Tigers, he has signed a 2 year extention, so Yankee fans can breath a sigh of releif that he will not go to the rival Red Sox.

Aaron Small: Small has been a journeyman through-out his career, making a huge name for himself in '05 by going 10-0. But his Cinderella story ended in his first start with the Yankees last season, when he took his first loss as a Yankee. After that he could never recover, suffering the same fate as Crosby did, being designated for assignment and then clearing waivers to pitch for the Yankees AAA club. With the over abundance of long relief the Yankees have, it is doubtful he will make it to the big leagues with the Yankees again. Small might be happy pitching AAA with the Yankees, but if another team wanted to take a chance, maybe get some of that same magic that produced a 10-0 record, then he could take a chance with another team. Probability of return: 50%

Tanyon Sturtze: Stertz signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for one year. The Yankees might consider bringing him back depending on how he does in Atlanta.

Ron Villone: Villone was born in New Jersey, growing up as a Yankees fan, it was his dream to play for the Yankees, and when he finally got that call last season it was a dream come true. He did well for the Yankees, pitching up to three innings of relief at times, getting out of some very difficult situations. The Yankees still need another left arm in the bullpen, so chances are both Villone and the Yankees can come to an agreement. Possibility of return: 90%

Bernie Williams: The oldest tenured Yankee came back once thinking he was going to be just a bench player, so he would most likely do it again in a heartbeat. Unfortunatly, due to lack of space on the 25 man roster, it is unlikely Bernie will be resigned unless Melky Cabrera is traded.

Craig Wilson: Wilson who was acquired by trade near the deadline filled in nicely at first base, but now Doug Menkeitwicz and Phillips or Phelps will be spliting time between first, making Wilson's tenure with the Yankees complete.

Jaret Wright: Coming down to the final weeks of last season, Wright seemed to finally wake up. He pitched brilliantly in his last few starts of the season, but a few good starts woke make everyone forget about the last one and a half seasons, where he did very poorly. Wright didn't make enough starts to have him eligible to have his option pickled up automatically. The Yankees have said they are close to a deal with the Orioles to bring reliever Chris Britton to the Yankees. The trade is pending commissioner Bug Selig's approval, because the deal will be Wright and cash for Britton, and the cash will exceed 1 million, so the commissioners approval is necessary.