Got Melky? The Yankees don't

Soooooo ...

The Yankees acquired Javier Vasquez.

Shall we walk again the long and winding road that lead, at one point, to Vasquez coming to the Yankees from the Expos for a pile of players — including Nick Johnson — and then being sent to Arizona for a pile of players and cash for Big Headache Randy Johnson?

Let's not.

Acquiring Vasquez is a good thing. He's seasoned enough now to withstand the rigors of a season in New York. He'll be effective lower in the rotation and benefit from the Yankees powerful offense.

But sending Cabrera away presents several problems:
If creates a hole that wasn't there. The Yankees have sent away their best arm and most versatile outfielder, a switch-hitter to boot. Now they need a leftfielder, who may or may not be Mark DeRosa, a veteran who's a fine, but more expensive option. Not that THAT matters.

More importantly, the Yankees traded Robinson Cano's best friend on the team. Cano is immensely talented, but emotional and sometimes absent-minded. He got himself straight this year after a down season in 2008. One hopes Cabrera's absence doesn't affect Cano's attitude, and thus, his play.

Hey Curtis, wow

Curtis Granderson: impressive

Hey Curtis, nice suit

Nothing is more awkward and uninspiring than the press conference welcoming a new player, no matter who the player is.

KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!!!!!

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMME BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot stove

Happily, Yankee-killer Roy Halladay appears on his way to the National League. Good, the Yankees won't have to worry about facing him until the World Series, and with Cliff Lee's exodus from Philly, advantage still Yankees — in my totally non-biased opinion.

Closer to home, John Lackey looks set to join the Red Sox, at a slightly higher salary than AJ Burnett.

Here's a quick breakdown of Lackey's seven-year career versus Burnett's 10-year career. Although Burnett made only 20 starts in 1999 and 2000 and 2003 was lost almost completely to injury, so each has pretty much pitched seven full seasons in the majors.

Lackey
233 starts
Record: 102-71
ERA 3.81
Innings: 1,501+
Ks: 1,201

Burnett
244 starts (24 starts in 1999 as a rookie, 2000, 2003)
Record: 100-85
ERA: 3.84
Ks: 1,473

Lackey somehow has the reputation of a consistent mound presence, while Burnett has the reputation of being unhittable one day and unimaginably bad the next. But the stats show they're almost the same guy.

The Yanks also let Chien-Ming Wang go. I would be shocked if the Sox didn't take a chance on him.

Welcome Curtis

The rich get richier.

So, with Granderson coming, what does this mean for the Yankees? Well, we can speculate:

Assuming they bring Pettite back, and Wanger figures out how to pitch again, that's CC, AJ, Pettite and Wanger, with a fifth spot hole. It shouldn't be Chamberlain with the exodus of Phil Coke, who was brilliant and awful in equal measures. Chamberlain should be in the bully with Hughes and Marte, but the World Series Marte, not the crappy regular season Marte.

I'd assume Granderson would play center, which shifts Cabrera somewhere, with Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner. Cabrera has the best arm of the group, but Gardner covers more ground. Still, it should be Swisher in left and Cabrera in right with Gardner coming in for pinch running and defense for Swisher.

Which means so long to Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. Granderson, it's been written, answers all the questions asked about either of those two, who may still have years left, but costly years, and how many?

Both were great as Yankees, and it's sad to see some players go, but I think I'll miss Matsui more. I hope he goes back to Japan. It would be weird to see him play for some other - ahem, lesser team. He is - or was - the biggest star in Japan. Can you see him on the A's? Sure. You could see just about any player - 'cept The Captain - on any other team. But it wouldn't feel right. It would just feel like hanging on to hang on.

The Yankees look as if they should be planning another parade dow the Canyon of Heroes, but, you know, stranger things, such as 162 game seasons, have happened.

Signings of the times

So, the Yankees have, or are very much on the verge of bringing back Andy Pettitte — a legitimate big game pitcher, even if he's a bit long in the tooth. Pettitte wins games, no matter the stuff he has and this is a good move for the Yanks.

This on the heels of the Red Sox signing — pardon me while I simultaneously laugh hysterically and puke up all the scorn and bile in my being — Marco Scutaro.

I really didn't feel like writing about any of this, but my one memory of Scutaro is the walk-off three-run jack he hit of Mariano Rivera in 2007. It still gives me heartburn.

I can't wait for this guy to hit .223 for the Sawx. I'm giddy already.