The New York Yankees have outrighted Freddy Guzman and Josh Towers from their 40-man roster, and both players have opted for free agency over an assignment to the minor leagues, according to our main man Chad Jennings over at the LoHud Blog.

On a far more significant note, pitcher Chien-Ming Wang could be the next one out the door.

Wang, of course, won 19 games in consecutive seasons early in his career, and was off to another great start to 2008 before tearing up his foot running the bases in Houston.

After missing the remainder of the 2008 season, Wang came back to begin 2009 and, while apparently favoring the previously injured foot, struggled mightily with his control, and eventually injured his shoulder.

The Yankees, even during his best times, have never seemed to have much in the way of faith when came to Wang, and now they might be ready to cut ties with him completely.

New York will almost certainly non-tender the right-hander after a second consecutive lost season, but it had been previously reported that the Yanks were interested in bringing Wang back on an incentive-heavy contract with a low base
Now comes word from Joel Sherman at the New York Post that the Yankees might be ready to wash their hands of Wang completely.

Says Sherman: "I am getting a strong vibe from Yankee officials that the intention is to non-tender Wang and, perhaps, not even offer him a small base with incentives to return."

According the SI.com and MLB Network guru Jon Heyman, the New York Yankees will check with the Toronto Blue Jays about the availability of star pitcher Roy Halladay.

Most believe Halladay will be dealt this offseason because the Jays have come to the realization that they simply cannot afford to keep him. Further complicating any thoughts of Halladay staying in Toronto is his expressed desire to win--something the Jays don't appear ready to do.

Halladay is heading into the final year of his contract, so the Jays have to deal him sometime between now and the trade deadline or risk seeing him walk out the door with only a couple of draft picks going to Toronto in compensation.

Meanwhile, new Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, according to Heyman, says he's "open to dealing" within the American League East.

The butchering of the Halladay situation at least season's trade deadline is a large part of the reason then GM J.P. Ricciardi no longer has his job, so you have to think Anthopoulos is going to learn from that mistake and deal Halladay for the best possible deal he can find.

Whether or not the Yankees are the ones who offer the best possible deal, of course, remains to be seen. Ask yourself if you're ready to START with Phil Hughes and Austin Jackson, and then add more to that.

Nevertheless, it has not taken long for word to get out that the New York Yankees have a serious interest in the free agent right-handed starter John Lackey.

While there is no CC Sabathia in this offseason's free agent market, there is at least one very good starter available, and most of the GM's poled by ESPN believe he is headed to New York.

By virtually every account, John Lackey of the Los Angeles Angels is considered the number starter available this year.

Today, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick polled 20 of Major League Baseball's general managers, who are in Chicago for the annual GM meetings, on many issues, including Lackey's future team.

19 of the 20 GM's asked offered and opinion, and 12 of those 19 predicted that Lackey lands in New York City.

The Yankees were judged the heavy favorite to land Lackey, with eight GM's predicting the right-hander lands with the reigning World Champions.

Meanwhile, four GM's predicted Lackey would end up with the Mets, who ranked second in the poll, three of the exec's said Lackey goes back to the Angels, while the Dodgers, Astros, Orioles and Brewers each received one vote.

Much more often than not, the GM meetings are nothing more than prelude for any significant moves that happen during the Hot Stove League.

John Heyman of MLB TV and SI.com fame tweets tonight that the "Yankees are definitely interested" in the Lackey. In the same tweet, Heyman says that concerns over "previous arm issues" will probably keep the Mets away.

A majority of GM's polled on the Lackey subject expect the pitcher to land in New York.

YANKEES ARE TEAM OF THE DECADE!
Last offseason, the New York Yankees jumped in at the last moment and stole Mark Teixeira from the Boston Red Sox... And at the last possible moment, the Yankees jumped up and stole Team of the Decade rights from those very same Red Sox.

Both New York and Boston won two World Series in the first decade of the new millennium. But the Yankees won the American League Pennant four times compared to Boston's twice, and New York won the A.L. East an amazing eight times in the decade while Boston won the division only once.

Additionally, the Yankee failed to make the postseason only once in those 10 seasons while Boston missed the playoffs four times. If you think about it, it's not really close.

QUICK, BUILD ANOTHER STADIUM!
The New York Yankees won the World Series in 1923, their first season in the original Yankee Stadium. 86 years later, they won the 2009 World Series in their first season in the new Yankee Stadium.

The 1912 Boston Red Sox and the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals are the only two other teams to win the World Series in their first season in a new ballpark.

MARTE COMES UP HUGE!
Damaso Marte got healthy, according to GM Brian Cashman, "just in the nick of time." And the left-hander showed what he could do. One of the greatest question marks for the Yankees heading into the World Series turned into one of their most valuable pitchers on their way to their 27th championship.

Marte pitched in eight postseason games for the Yankees this season, and he overtook Phil Coke as the team's #1 lefty out of the pen along the way. Marte worked four innings, allowed only two hits, walked nobody, and posted a ZERO ERA!

His strikeout of the red-hot Chase Utley in the seventh inning of game six might well have been the most important at-bat of the World Series.

NOBODY MORE IMPORTANT THAN MO
Hideki Matsui was named the MVP of the World Series, and he certainly deserved it. That said, reason #1 the New York Yankees won the World Series this year is Mariano Rivera.

Closing in on 40 years old, Rivera remains the best closer in the game, and the Yankees are the only team of the eight to make the postseason not to watch their closer blow a postseason game.

MOST VALUABLE GODZILLA!
What can you say about Hideki Matsui? The man was the most important offensive player for New York in the World Series despite starting only half the games.

He had the the go-ahead home run in a must-win game 2, a huge pinch-hit home run in game 3, and drove in a World Series record-tying 6 RBI's in the championship-clinching game six! Matsui finished the series with a .615 batting average.

ALEXANDER THE (POSTSEASON) GREAT!
How ironic that a season that began is such a nightmare for Alex Rodriguez would turn into the season in which he buried so many demons.

Rodriguez, who was finally embraced by his teammates this season (watch the replay and see how many Yankees immediately ran to him after the final out of game 6), had some of the biggest and most important hits of this postseason for the Yankees. And now he's a champion, as well.

BIG-GAME ANDY
Andy Pettitte was huge for the Yankees, as well. He won every postseason game in which he received the decision, he extended his all-time MLB record for postseason wins to 18, and he won the series-clinching game for New York in each of the three rounds of the 2009 playoffs.

JOBA BEGINNING TO RULE AGAIN... IN BULLPEN
We have been among the strongest proponents of Joba Chamberlain being a starting pitcher. Gotta be honest here... We're starting to waiver a bit.

After being moved back to the bullpen for the postseason, Joba Chamberlain, slowly but surely, began to round into his dominating form from the past. By the time the postseason came to an end, Joba was dealing 96 and had re-found his filthy slider.

GIRARDI SHOULD GET SOME HARDWARE OF HIS OWN
If there is any justice in this world, Yankees manager Joe Girardi will be named American League Manager of the Year for 2009.

This man embraced the pressure of managing the Yankees, taking #27 because his stated goal was to get championship #27 for the franchise. He also made some significant adjustments in his handling of situations from 2008, and he completely retooled a failing early-season bullpen and turned it into one of the very best in the game.

Tonight was hands down the most amazing experience of my life. I have yet to marry or have kids, so this isn't entirely baseless here... :) I'm letting my emotions take over. Tears and all I am very exited. But sure not as the New York Yankees.

For the first time since 2000, the Yankees have won the World Series. The Yankees 2009 World Series win tonight was led by the incredible bating of Hideki Matsui.

Hideki Matsui owned game 7 and was named World Series MVP. Although I thought Mariano should've won it. But Matsui has done great these past games and especially tonight.

Matsui homered in the second with A-Rod on base. Matsui singled in the 3rd with Damon and Jeter on base, both scoring. And then Matsui singled in the 5th, bringing A-Rod and and Teixeira in.

The Phillies never warmed up in game 7 after already producing a three game losing streak in the series.  In the 6th game, the Phillies got back into the series with a stunning early inning lead that held despite a run in the 8th by the Yankees.

Next up for the Yankees is a ticker-tape victory parade through the Canyon of Heroes. Which I will be there for sure!!!

Congrats to my YANKEES!!!!

 

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 World Series Champions...
The New York Yankees!



For the Boss! And Girardi. And A-Rod. And the whole lot of 'em...
And all of us!

I mean, how appropriate is this?
- At home, in the new stadium.
- Andy Pettitte, most postseason wins ever, pitching
- Jorge as the other half of the battery
- Mo closing it out
- Matsui taking it to the Phillies AL-style after having to sit through the away portion
- Girardi at the helm

There's nothing better. So. Damn. Happy that..

No, not for a parade but to game 6 that is.

As we have been saying all season, win, lose or draw, the New York Yankees never give up.

Trailing the Philadelphia Phillies 8-2 in the eighth inning of game 5 on Monday, New York battled back again.

The Yankees scored three runs in the eighth inning to climb within 8-5, and then got a double from Jorge Posada and a single by Hideki Matsui to start the ninth.

That brough the potential tying run to the plate with no outs, but Derek Jeter rolled into a 6-4-3 double play that put a quick end to the Yankees' best chance in this game.

Horrific performances from starter A.J. Burnett and reliever Phil Coke were the primary reasons New York found themselves with such a large mountain to climb.

The World Series returns to the Bronx for game 6 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

I had a great time at Yankee Stadium on sunday night. Heart stopping and yet electric crowd of Yankees fans in cold weather wanted that win. It felt like we were actually at the game but from the Bronx that is. I simply loved it! Thanks to my bro, cousins and the fans that were sitting at home plate. Hey, Thanks to all for making it worth while. Even those Phillies fans who got booted out too.




So...Alex Rodriguez waited all game for this hit. Heck, he got hit 3 times these last 4 games. The crowd was up and the stadium trembled of happiness. Hi-fives, hugs, cheers were all over the place. :)

Rodriguez delivered the biggest hit of the game, a go-ahead, two-out double in the ninth inning off Brad Lidge. Jorge Posada followed with a 2-run single and the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 on Sunday night for a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

Derek Jeter delivered all game and Mariano Rivera closed it out as the Yankees moved within one win of that elusive 27th championship and first since 2000. Rodriguez could really savor this victory -- seething after again being hit by a pitch, he struck back with his potent black bat.

The Yankees will try to clinch it tonight when A.J. Burnett faces October ace Cliff Lee.

Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz hit late home runs for the Phillies that tied it at 4. Then it moved to the ninth and Phils brought in Lidge -- a postseason star last year, who had struggled all season before regaining his touch this October.

But November was not so kind to him



oh and to Jimmy Rollings. Phillies in game 5? I don't think so.

*I expected Mark Teixeira was going to win the Hank Aaron award. But fans decided...Congrats to Jeet & Pujols.