The Yankees welcome Gil McDougald back to the dugout after his grand slam in Game 5 of the 1951 World Series. (AP) Joe Torre’s early Yankees teams had special talent in unusual places. Tino Martinez was just okay given the other first basemen of the time, the third basemen were usually not big contributors, ...

Nagging thought in Brian Cashman's head: "I know I had a top rotation prospect around here somewhere. Now, where did I put him?" (AP) Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. So sang John Lennon. Indeed, while the Yankees have been busy preparing a contract ...

By season's end, Javier Vazquez had few reasons to keep his chin up (AP). The Hot Stove is on a slow burn at the moment, at least in the Bronx, where the Yankees’ pursuit of Cliff Lee is in a holding pattern while the team engages in a staredown with Derek Jeter. Meanwhile, the market for starting ...

Derek Jeter and the Yankees are having a lovers' quarrel, nothing more. (AP) The scuttlebutt over Thanksgiving weekend continued to concern the yawning gulf between the Yankees and Derek Jeter in their increasingly antagonistic contract negotiations. On Friday, Bill Madden of the Daily News reported ...

If I may be allowed a little bit of shameless self promotion (beyond linking to my SI.com articles, that is), I wanted to take a moment this morning to remind you all of a perfect gift for Yankee fans. Bronx Banter Presents: Lasting Yankee Stadium Memories: Unforgettable Tales from the House That Ruth ...

Step aside, Brian Cashman. Today it's somebody else's turn to run the Yankees (AP). Throughout the young offseason, my Baseball Prospectus colleagues and I have taken turns describing how we would go about handling the offseason chores for each of the 30 teams as “GM for a Day.” Over ...

The dangers of staying too long at the party: In Hawaii he played golf, laid a wreath on the grave of Alexander Joy Cartwright, the founder of American baseball, and complained after an exhibition game, “I guess I’m getting too old. Another year and I’ll have to quit.” Ruppert and Barrow winced ...

You can say goodbye to thoughts of the Yankees signing Scott Downs now that their top draft pick would be part of the price. (AP) The results are in and 14 Type-A free agents were offered arbitration, meaning if they are signed by a new team, they will cost that team their top unprotected draft pick ...

It should be an easy call for the Yankees to offer Kerry Wood arbitration, and perhaps some smoked salmon as well. (AP) Today is the last day for teams to offer their free agents arbitration. It used to be that failing to offer arbitration pretty much ended things between player and team, but now the ...

The Odd Couple of Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner both have strong cases for the Hall of Fame (AP). Today at Baseball Prospectus, I take up the Hall of Fame cases of Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner, who share space on the Expansion Era ballot to be voted upon at the Winter Meetings in about ...

Will they someday make a movie about one of the pitchers the Yankees will lose in this year's Rule 5 draft? It was a huge week for prospects around baseball, as teams were required to finalize their rosters for the Rule 5 draft by midnight Friday. The Yankees chose to protect northpaws Dellin Betances ...

The contrasts between Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera have been highlighted by their approaches to free agency this offseason. (AP) The the Yankees reportedly opened the Derek Jeter contract negotiations over the weekend with an offer of $45 million over three years. An offer which, in my opinion, given ...