At Least Hideki Matsui Can Wrestle Him for the ROY Trophy

A report has the Yankees signing Ángel Berroa to a minor league contract to compete for a utility infielder role which was vacated when former can't miss prospect Wilson Betemit was traded to the White Sox in the Nick Swisher trade. If you don't remember Berroa (and nobody would blame you because the dude's playing ability probably could be classified as "borderline major leaguer" and he plays in that competitive baseball Siberia known as Kansas City), he has some Yankee notoriety as the guy who won the 2003 American League Rookie of the Year award over Hideki Matsui due to a couple of rogue writers unfairly left Matsui off the ballot in a dispute over eligibility. If Matsui's still bitter about this, I say lock the two of 'em in the manager's office and let them duke it out. One of them comes out with the trophy. Somehow I doubt that'll play out.

While we're on the topic of Yankees news, I have admit that I'm disappointed to hear that Andy Pettitte has apparently rejected the one year / $10 million offer. For someone who talks a great deal about how much it means for him to be a Yankee, I'm not sure why he would turn his nose at what I think is an extremely generous offer given his poor performance in the second half of last season (in which he clearly didn't earn his $16 million contract) and the way the Yankees stood by him publicly despite being left in the dark around his admitted abuse of human growth hormone (HGH). Add to that Pettitte's carrying of his Christian faith juxtaposed with his posturing making him look like just another greedy athlete with a sense of entitlement. Aside from reconsidering and taking the offer, I'm not sure how this will end up good for Pettitte, especially since I can't see any team in it's right mind giving him a better offer (I think $10 million is still $2 million too much given his elbow problems). If he goes to another team for less money, he's going to swallow his pride and people will question all his "I love being a Yankee" rhetoric. Does he have a abrupt and unceremonious retirement, due to his pride outgrowing his abilities like Bernie Williams did? With a rotation that starts with C.C., A.J., Wang and Joba, the Yankees can afford to see what Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy can bring to the table. It looks like Pettitte really overplayed his hand. It's a shame.

I didn't get a chance to speak about the Mark Teixeira signing. Well, I love it. He's a switch-hitter who hits for average and power on both sides of the plate and brings Gold-Glove caliber defense to first base. He's not a wild and crazy nut-job like Manny Ramirez or even a party animal like Jason "party like a rock star, hammer like a porn star, hit like an All-Star" Giambi - instead there's this vanilla professionalism. Okay, so you can argue that he has a predator of an agent (Scott Boras) with whom he's happy to milk every last penny. Besides that, what's not to like? In addition, this is a guy that the Red Sox really wanted and could use.