As has been typical at this time of year even before Steve, Cliff and I joined forces as the Bible Study Group, the three of us are all neck-and-a-half deep in our work for the Baseball Prospectus annual — particularly Steve, who edits the 600-page, 1,600 player behemoth — and some of the stories ...

Ex-Yankee Lance Berkman has multiple teams pursuing him as a free agent, but it's difficult to see how he'd fit in Colorado (AP). Parsing rumors is at least half the fun of the Hot Stove season. Figuring out not only whether a deal makes sense but how it would affect the parties involved, and ...

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 ...

Lance Berkman is suddenly a key to the Yankees extending their season (AP). With Mark Teixeira out for the rest of the postseason due to the Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered in Game Four — a bad break even given that he was 0-for-14 in the series — Lance Berkman is suddenly a much more central ...

Chances are none of these propsects will be as good as Ruffing, Gordon, Dickey, Keller, or DiMaggio, but we track 'em anyway (AP). The finals weeks of minor-league ball are upon us. The Gulf Coast League Yankees failed to make the playoffs, but there are five minor-league affiliates still in action. ...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it is all too easy to take shots at Brian Cashman and Damon: don't think twice--it's alright (AP) the Yankees for making the choice they did in opting to let Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui leave after last season. Yes, the team gambled on ...

Now that the Berkman trade is official, a couple of words on the price paid to get him: Mark Melancon was treated strangely by the Yankees this year and in general. His resume entering the season as excellent. They signed Chan Ho Park despite possessing a kid who threw in the low-90s, a cruel curve, ...

Still no Yankees pick-ups as the team hordes its prospects for the day that Boston makes Babe Ruth available. If you’re not going to use these players at the Major League level, they only have value as trade chips. They’re a bit like sushi: you can’t put it in the fridge and use it a month from ...

It has been a good June for the Houston Astros. With a record of 17-34 (.333) through the end of May, the team seemed dead in the water. It probably still is, but the lifeless body is still twitching with a little June hot streak against the Nationals, Cubs, and Rockies. Over the ten games they’ve ...

George King reports in today’s New York Post that the Yankees have scouts prowling after Houston’s Lance Berkman in case that club (which is somehow 6-2 in June after a 9-20 May) decides that it’s not going to make up its current 10-game deficit in the standings. Berkman is an excellent hitter, ...