March 2, 2012: USF vs. Yankees (W, 11-0)
March 3, 2012: Yankees vs. Phillies (W, 8-5)
March 4, 2012: Phillies vs. Yankees (W, 7-4)
March 5, 2012: Yankees vs. Phillies (L, 9-3)
March 6, 2012: Yankees vs. Pirates (L, 7-4)
March 7, 2012: Rays vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 8, 2012: Yankees vs. Blue Jays
March 9, 2012: Braves vs. Yankees (SS) (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 10, 2012: Yankees vs. Braves 
March 11, 2012: Yankees (SS) vs. Twins (MLB Network)
March 11, 2012: Yankees (SS) vs. Phillies (YES Network, MLB.TV)
March 12, 2012: Astros vs. Yankees
March 13, 2012: Red Sox vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 14, 2012: Yankees vs. Blue Jays
March 15, 2012: Yankees vs. Nationals (MLB Network, MLB.TV)
March 16, 2012: Nationals vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 17, 2012: Astros vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 18, 2012: Yankees (SS) vs. Orioles (MLB Network)
March 20, 2012: Pirates vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 21, 2012: Yankees vs. Rays (ESPN, MLB.TV)
March 22, 2012: Yankees vs. Red Sox (YES Network, MLB. TV, MLB Network)
March 23, 2012: Twins vs. Yankees (SS) (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 23, 2012: Yankees (SS) vs. Phillies (MLB Network, MLB.TV) 
March 24, 2012: Yankees vs. Tigers
March 25, 2012: Tigers vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV)
March 27, 2012: Blue Jays vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 28, 2012: Yankees vs. Braves (ESPN, MLB.TV)
March 29, 2012: Orioles vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 30, 2012: Phillies vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
March 31, 2012: Yankees vs. Astros
April 1, 2012: Yankees vs. Marlins (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
April 2, 2012: Yankees vs. Marlins (MLB Network, MLB.TV)
April 3, 2012: Yankees vs. Mets (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network)
April 4, 2012: Mets vs. Yankees (YES Network, MLB.TV, MLB Network) 

Lineup vs. Phillies:

Derek Jeter, SS
Robinson Cano, 2B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Andruw Jones, LF
Francisco Cervelli, C
Chris Dickerson, RF
Dewayne Wise, CF
Justin Maxwell, DH

Pitching Matchup:

Freddy Garcia vs. Roy Halladay

Pitchers Slated To Pitch:

 D.J Mitchell RHP, Boone Logan LHP, Corey Wade RHP, Clay Rapada LHP, Chase Whitley RHP , Kevin Whelan RHP

It's been a while since we've seen (or heard) from Andy Pettite but that might change since the Yankees offered Pettite to come back to the Yankees for Spring Training anyway. No, Pettite isn't going to play again but they did invite Pettite to be a guest instructor. So they want Pettite to come to the Yankees and craft the young pitchers minds. Sounds exciting. No word if Pettite will accept yet.

Follow Delia Enriquez on Twitter: @dfiregirl4

A.J Burnett's tenure as a Yankee may soon be coming to an end as a trade could send him to the Pirates. That means no more talking about A.J, no more watching A.J Burnett pitch, no more watching him save us in the playoffs from elimination. Yep. No more A.J.

A lot of fans are probably thrilled that A.J Burnett will no longer be a Yankee. A lot of fans are also probably thrilled that A.J might be going straight to the National League, where A.J can never hurt them except in Spring Training. While everyone else is saying, "Bye, bye A.J." I would like to take a minute to say, "Thank you A.J."

A lot are confused as to why I would be thanking A.J Burnett, the pitcher that probably cost us wins and a pitcher that seemed to have a bit of an anger issue. Well, I am not thanking A.J for the bad that he's done. I'll thank him for all that he had offered and all that he had done to save the Yankees time and time again. In the playoffs of 2009 & 2011 Burnett was the unlikely Superman of the team.

2009: If A.J Burnett hadn't won in his start in the World Series, the Yankees would have been down to the Phillies 2 games to nothing and possibly would have lost the World Series. A.J Burnett was the game changer in that whole series. 

2011: Burnett knew that it was do or die time when it came to trying to bring the Yankees back to the Bronx for Game 5. We all remember Jose Valverde saying that the Tigers were going to win in Detriot in front of their fans. Well A.J Burnett promptly shut them up. Burnett held the Tigers while the Yankees rallied back and won the game, taking Detriot to the Bronx along with them. Although they lost the series, Burnett looked the Tigers in the eye and defeated them. 

There was also one other memory of A.J Burnett that I have. When Chris Dickerson was plunked in the head in Baltimore, A.J Burnett was the pinch runner and went to run for Dickerson. While the whole situation wasn't funny, the fact that Burnett had to run for Dickerson was pretty much a smile cracker. So even in serious situations, Burnett even made me smile. 

Now that it might come time to say goodbye, I admit that I will be upset. But, this will just give me a reason to use my MLB.TV subscription and watch Burnett in his every Pirates start. So, this is just me saying, "Thank you A.J. You will be missed and I will be one Yankee fan that has, will and always care about you."

It started out as a normal Friday the 13th. The Yankees had the same 5 starters, Jesus Montero & Hector Noesi were still Yankees and the Yankees were a team that looked as if they were going to make it to the playoffs--maybe. But in one late night hour on Friday night Brian Cashman pulled the plug and turned the Yankees from drab to fab by adding 2 new pitchers: Hiroki Kuroda & Michael Pineda, wiping out the possiblity for a Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson pinstripe experience. The Yankees soon went from being a possible playoff team, to becoming the favorites to make the World Series.

So I know what you are thinking. Why did Cashman use Jesus Montero in a trade for Michael Pineda? Simple reason actually. One was there was no way that the Yankees were going to get King Felix. It wasn't happening. And two, Cashman felt that there were other catchers in the Yankees farm system that would have been able to catch defensvely. Montero's weak point was that he wasn't the best defensive catcher like the other catchers on the team, Ex: Austin Romine, Russell Martin and former Yankee Jorge Posada.

The Yankees now have a new dilemma though. They have 7 starters and 5 spots on the rotation which would mean that the 2 pitchers that aren't going to the rotation are either going to go in the bullpen or are going to a different team. The players that are competing for a spot are Freddy Garcia, A.J Burnett & Phil Hughes and one of them could get the coveted honor of representing the Yankees in the 5th spot of the rotation. Now, it's going to be a drama filled Spring Training as the tensions wll rise and the pitchers will feel as if they have to battle to keep their jobs. I've got my heart set on A.J winning the 5th spot. Is there a reason that I feel this way? Well, Burnett had a good 2009 but a poor 2010 & 2011. It seems to be that it feels lke the bounceback year in 2012 if he can control his anger and throw strikes that are not over the plate that can go HR distance. 

Looking into 2012 the Yankees seem to be a strong World Series favorite and I can agree with that, but as of right now let's just take the 2012 journey one step at a time and see where it gets us. A 28th championship would be nice, but let's focus on getting into the playoffs with the team we have, okay?

Behind every sport, there is some sort of drama that lies behind it. With Football, you have Peyton Manning missing a whole season, Tim Tebow doing his weekly "Tebowing" and then you have the Jets with their all bark and no bite mode. With basketball, there was the NBA lockout. And with hockey...well, it's the same thing every night. Pucks are hit into goals and punches fly. But if there was one sport that has drama that is unimaginable, it would have to be baseball. 

I believe that baseball has so much drama that it should be made into its own T.V. show. Something always happens in the offseason that makes you gasp and have the mentality that you "didn't see it coming." Here is some drama worthy moments for some of the baseball teams in the league.

Boston Red Sox: The 2011 season ended horribly for the Red Sox as they had the worst collapse in the history of collapses. It wasn't much better when they fired Terry Francona and blamed him for the collapse when in reality it was the players. The real eye shocker was that they hired Bobby Valentine to become the manager of the Red Sox all while Terry Francona took Bobby V's old job at ESPN. Talk about a switcheroo. After that, the Red Sox have not done much. As a matter of fact, if this was a T.V Show...it would probably get cancelled after a couple of episodes for low ratings.

Miami Marlins: Besides changing their name, the Marlins have made such a big splash this offseason that they could have their own drama show on their own channel. The Marlins worked hard to get Jose Reyes and Mark Buerhle but the addition of Ozzie Guillen is classic. We all know the top dog on the Marlins before Reyes was Hanley Ramirez, so to have your new manager tell you that are no longer playing SS is kind of a bummer. And the worst part is that he has to give up his spot for Jose Reyes. Also the Marlins are close to a deal with Carlos Zambrano. Can anyone say sparks will fly (violently) in the dugout between Zambrano & his teammates? 

New York Yankees: Most of the drama is coming from the waiting game with Brian Cashman. Every starter that was on the market is almost gone and Cashman isn't willing to give them money. Apparently Cashman wants to save the money for 2013 when there will be more "variation" in the market, but it's just making fans antsy. Some of the drama was during the Winter Meetings when EVERYONE's name was flying about in trades, heck even A.J's name flew around (but with not much enthusiasm on the other 29 teams’ behalf). Yep, the Yankees are the best at creating drama, by just doing nothing. So will this all pay off in Spring Training? We'll have to wait and see.

Milwaukee Brewers: Someone had to be in the middle of controversy with the Milwaukee Brewers, and that is what Ryan Braun did. His MVP title might become tainted if it becomes apparent that he used performing enhancing drugs during the postseason. Most people were in outrage and said that his title should be stripped, but that isn’t happening. It didn't happen to Barry Bonds & it didn't happen to A-Rod. What will happen though if it's true is that his name will be tarnished for a while. But there is more to this story. Stay tuned to the next episode of, What Will Happen to Ryan Braun. 

New York Mets: The Mets have to be one of my favorite drama stories during the offseason. The Mets have lost star players such as Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran & Angel Pagan. Now they are stuck with Jason Bay and David Wright. Not only are the Mets in trouble player wise, but the Mets are having trouble with money as well. The Mets had to take a loan from Bank of America, their second loan in the last year. They first took a loan from MLB earlier in the 2011 season, but the MLB made it clear they weren't giving the Mets any more money. The Mets are far from rebuilding mode and I wouldn't expect to see the Mets in playoff contention in decades at the rate they are going. I'm afraid that the Mets are going to go bankrupt and become extinct as a team franchise. This is what makes the story so interesting. What will happen to the Mets? We'll have to find out soon, but we might have to wait awhile or the ending.

Besides keeping their players that they had during the 2011 season, the Yankees have done absolutely nothing. Brian Cashman has been too conservative during the offseason and it's beginning to annoy Yankees fans. Before the 2011 offseason, Cashman said that he needed starting pitching. Christmas is on Sunday and Cashman has yet to do a single thing. All of the good pitchers that were on the market are now gone. During the Winter Meetings, C.J Wilson was signed to the Angels and Mark Buerhle was signed to the Marlins. The Yankees also missed their chance with John Danks who they could have traded for. He signed a 5 year, $65 Million deal with the White Sox. The Yankees chances of getting starting pitching are looking slim but there are still a few things that they could do in order to get pitching.

1. Trade for Gio Gonzalez: I know that this has been mentioned time and time again, but the Yankees and the A's both have something that the other team wants. The Yankees have offense and the A's have pitching, so it would make sense for the swap. If Cashman wants Gonzalez then he needs to make a good trade. A's GM Billy Beane said that he wanted Banuelos, Betances & Montero for Gonzalez but Cashman quickly said no. Cashman might want to think over who he would want to trade because Gio is not going to sit there forever. Betances would be okay to trade, along with some kids in the minors like Austin Romine, Adam Warren or David Phelps. Also they could throw in Eduardo Nunez if they get Nakajima (the kid  from Japan that the Yankees won the rights to negotiate a contract with). 

2. Trade for Cole Hamels: Cole Hamels becomes a free agent after the 2012 season and I think that he would fit nicely in the rotation if the Yankees could trade for him this year (plus, Hamels wants the big bucks). Hamels could fit in the rotation with CC, Nova, Garcia, & Burnett and it could go to being one of the best rotations out there in the AL if Nova can have a rookie year repeat, if Garcia can remain consistent and if (and this is a BIG if) Burnett can pitch well and not have a 5.00 ERA fr the whole season. Hamels is younger than some of the FA out there like his former teammate Roy Oswalt for instance. Cole also has better numbers than C.J Wilson which could make him a good #2 starter if the Yanks can pull off a trade. The Yankees again can give Nunez if they are able to sign Nakajima & Jesus Montero since the Phillies desperately need offense. All of their guys are getting old, let's face it and while Ryan Howard can hit the ball well he strikes out like twice a game. 

If Brian Cashman can't do one of the two things to get starting pitching, then the 2012 squad is going to look a lot like the 2011 squad during Spring Training (plus Jesus Montero which I don't mind at all.) But seriously Cashman, not doing much to help the Yankees especially during the Holiday season is not a very good gift. Can Gio Gonzalez be under the Yankees Christmas tree on Sunday?

The New York Yankees have announced that they are re-signing RHP Freddy Garcia to a 1 year deal. That is the good news. The bad news is that in order to put Garcia on the 40 man roster, the Yankees had to get rid of someone, so they designated OF Colin Curtis for assignment. Colin Curtis was out all year in 2011 nursing a broken shoulder which occured during Spring Training. No news as to where Colins will end up.

Follow Delia Enriquez on Twitter: @dfiregirl4

The final day of the Winter Meetings started off with a bang when Albert Pujols signed a 10 year, $250 Million with the LA Angels. The Angels were the "mystery team" when the Marlins and the Cardinals were trying to lure Pujols. Just moments after the Pujols news broke out, the Angels signed another player: C.J Wilson. C.J Wilson had a $4 year, $75 Million contract, just behind what ace Jered Weaver makes. The Yankees weren't exactly sitting back though. While what they did today wasn't a blockbuster attraction they made some deductions and additions.

Yankees get Brad Meyers from Rule 5 Draft: The Rule 5 draft was today, and the Yankees only made 1 big pick in the draft. They signed RHP Brad Meyers from the Washington Nationals roster. The way that it works is that the Yankees MUST keep Meyers on their roster or they have to send him back to the Nationals. The Yankees can see Meyers as a long reliever in the bullpen. The Yankees and Royals made a trade today as well: The Royals gave them LHP Cesar Cabral in return for cash. The Yankees can see Cabral as a second lefty in the bullpen to compliment Boone Logan.

Yankees release OF Greg Golson:  While the Yankees recieved two players, they had to let someone go to make room on the 40-Man roster. Unfortunately, the move was to release Greg Golson. Not sure who Greg Golson is? He's the guy that gunned down Carl Crawford in the 2010 season in Tropicana Field. Unfortunately, Golson was only used as a replacement on the basepaths or defensively. Farewel Golson. We barely knew thee. 

That is the end of the Winter Meetings, but there is still a lot that has to happen during the offseason. Will the Yankees make a trade to get a pitcher now that Mark Buerhle is off to Florida? And what will happen to FA Prince Fielder now that he's the #1 FA on the market? I guess we have to wait for the Hot Stove to boil over.

Follow Delia Enriquez on Twitter: @dfiregirl4

Day 3 of the Winter Meetings had a lot less drama than yesterday (thank goodness), but there were some interesting parts that fell together for the Yankees today. Let's sum up Day 3 of the Winter Meetings:

Yankees Willing To Trade A.J Burnett: I posted a quick blog post earlier today about this. Apparently the Yankees are willing to eat up the rest of Bunett's contract for a trade. So far, there has been no one interested. (And we are shocked why)?

Yankees Win Bid on Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima: The Yankees won a bid for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima earlier today and were "shocked". The Yankees have 30 days to negotiate a contract with him. Nakajima is a career .302 hitter and has surpassed 16 HR's & 15 SB in his last for seasons. The initial being was that with Nakajima, the Yankees could trade Eduardo Nunez but Brian Cashman said that if NakaJima signed with the Yamkees then both Eduardo Nunez and Nakajima would be on the roster. Nakajima however might not sign with the Yankees and probably will stay in Japan.

Mark Buerhle To...the Marlins?:  Mark Buerhle agreed to a 4 year, $58 Million deal with the Miami Marlins. The Yankees had spoken to Buerhle, but they were never entirely interested in Buerhle. 

Yankees contacted Mets about Jonathan Niese: The Yankees were one of the teams that have contacted the Mets about a trade for Jonathan Niese. There was no figuring out how much interest the Yankees had for Niese.

The New York Yankees are looking to shop A.J Burnett at this weeks Winter Meetings which would ultimately mean eating up the $8 Milion left on his $33 Million contract. Burnett, who will be 35 in January went 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA in the 2011 season.

Follow Delia Enriquez on Twitter: @dfiregirl4

The Winter Meetings for the New York Yankees wasn't a big bang, but one name was floating around a lot today. Yankees LF, Brett Gardner's name was mentioned with 2 teams: The Washington Nationals & the Oakland Athletics.

Washington Nationals: The Washington Nationals asked Brian Cashman about a trade for Brett Gardner but Cashman rebuffed. End of story.

Oakland Athletics: This one might be a rumor but it's a bit scary. The Yankees, Oakland & Royals according a source (not sure if it's a real source) were talking about a 3 way trade. Here was how the trade would go if it is real:

Oakland Athleitcs Get: LF Brett Gardner from Yankees, Clint Robinson from Royals

New York Yankees Get: Gio Gonzalez from Athletics

Kansas City Royals Get: RHP David Phelps from Yankees, Michael Taylor from Royals & PTBNL (Player To Be Named Later).

I wouldn't worry too much since this is Winter Meetings and rumors like to fly, but I am interested to know what you think. Do YOU think that the Yankees should trade Brett Gardner? And if not, which player should the Yankees trade?

Follow Delia Enriquez on Twitter: @dfiregirl4