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Deal would keep Colon from Bosox
By BILL MADDEN AND ROGER RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS
Yankees are working on trade to make sure Expos pitcher Bartolo Colon does not end up with the Red Sox. The Bombers would get Colon from the Expos, then turn around and ship him to the White Sox.
Orlando Hernandez would go to Montreal.
The Yankees are working on writing another great chapter in their bitter rivalry with the Red Sox.
Sources told The Daily News yesterday that general manager Brian Cashman spent much of the day trying to negotiate a three-way deal with the Expos and either the Marlins or White Sox that would involve 20-game winner Bartolo Colon.
The primary motivation for the Yankees to make a deal is to keep Colon away from the Red Sox, who have been trying to make a deal for the Expos righthander.
In the deals under consideration, Colon would not end up in pinstripes but with the third team, Florida or Chicago, which would send the Yankees a top prospect. The Expos would get the Yanks' Orlando Hernandez, but would have to pay only a portion of the $4 million-$5 million salary he is expected to be awarded in arbitration.
Already the Yankees and Red Sox have had one of the most acrimonious offseasons in memory and, as usual, the Bosox have been on the short end. The Sox were among the initial suitors for Hideki Matsui, the Japanese slugger who signed a $21 million deal with the Bombers. Boston was also snubbed by Cuban righthander Jose Contreras when he opted for the Yanks' $32 million offer instead of a more lucrative deal from Boston.
The Contreras episode escalated tensions between the clubs and Boston president Larry Lucchino even called the Yankees "the evil empire."
In response, George Steinbrenner told The Daily News, "That's B.S. That's how a sick person thinks. ... He's not the kind of guy you want to have in your foxhole. He's running the team behind John Henry's back. I warned John it would happen, told him, 'Just be careful.' He talks out of both sides of his mouth. He has trouble talking out of the front of it."
Boston's 29-year-old general manager was also livid when he learned of Contreras' decision. Sources told The News that Theo Epstein broke a window and door after hearing he lost out to the Yankees. Epstein also was said to have broken a chair during the winter meetings after losing out to the Giants on Edgardo Alfonzo, though the Red Sox deny both incidents happened.
Though the Yankees' rotation should be formidable next season, keeping Colon away from their division rivals is an added insurance policy. Boston has been seeking a third top-flight starter to go with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, who finished 2-3 in the 2002 Cy Young Award voting behind Barry Zito of Oakland. At one time Boston hoped Contreras would be it.
A deal that involves El Duque would make things easier for Joe Torre, who at yesterday's Matsui press conference was clearly concerned about how to fit the eight starters on the Yanks' roster into his five-man rotation.
"My job is to put things together best I can," Torresaid. "The eight starters ? sure it's nice to say use five of them and put three in the bullpen ? but you're not dealing with playing cards in the basement. You're dealing with people."
The Yankees have last season's starting five ? RogerClemens, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, DavidWells and Hernandez ? as well as Jeff Weaver, Sterling Hitchcock and Contreras.
Torre admitted Clemens and Mussina appear to be locks for the rotation, but it's hard to envision taking out 19-game winner Wells or Pettitte, who was the Yanks' most consistent starter in the second half of 2002.
The Yankees did not sign Contreras to use him as a reliever, and Weaver was promised a spot in the rotation when he was relegated to the bullpen last year.
However, according to a club source, there is a possibility that Contreras will begin the season in the bullpen.
"I told (Weaver) last year when I put him in the bullpen that he was one of the future guys on this ballclub and that he's going to be a starter," Torre said. "But again, everybody can't start."
sick, sick sick, I am not a fan of either franchise but I hate the Yanks more..............dreadsox may be in a murderous state these days...
Deal would keep Colon from Bosox
By BILL MADDEN AND ROGER RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS
Yankees are working on trade to make sure Expos pitcher Bartolo Colon does not end up with the Red Sox. The Bombers would get Colon from the Expos, then turn around and ship him to the White Sox.
Orlando Hernandez would go to Montreal.
The Yankees are working on writing another great chapter in their bitter rivalry with the Red Sox.
Sources told The Daily News yesterday that general manager Brian Cashman spent much of the day trying to negotiate a three-way deal with the Expos and either the Marlins or White Sox that would involve 20-game winner Bartolo Colon.
The primary motivation for the Yankees to make a deal is to keep Colon away from the Red Sox, who have been trying to make a deal for the Expos righthander.
In the deals under consideration, Colon would not end up in pinstripes but with the third team, Florida or Chicago, which would send the Yankees a top prospect. The Expos would get the Yanks' Orlando Hernandez, but would have to pay only a portion of the $4 million-$5 million salary he is expected to be awarded in arbitration.
Already the Yankees and Red Sox have had one of the most acrimonious offseasons in memory and, as usual, the Bosox have been on the short end. The Sox were among the initial suitors for Hideki Matsui, the Japanese slugger who signed a $21 million deal with the Bombers. Boston was also snubbed by Cuban righthander Jose Contreras when he opted for the Yanks' $32 million offer instead of a more lucrative deal from Boston.
The Contreras episode escalated tensions between the clubs and Boston president Larry Lucchino even called the Yankees "the evil empire."
In response, George Steinbrenner told The Daily News, "That's B.S. That's how a sick person thinks. ... He's not the kind of guy you want to have in your foxhole. He's running the team behind John Henry's back. I warned John it would happen, told him, 'Just be careful.' He talks out of both sides of his mouth. He has trouble talking out of the front of it."
Boston's 29-year-old general manager was also livid when he learned of Contreras' decision. Sources told The News that Theo Epstein broke a window and door after hearing he lost out to the Yankees. Epstein also was said to have broken a chair during the winter meetings after losing out to the Giants on Edgardo Alfonzo, though the Red Sox deny both incidents happened.
Though the Yankees' rotation should be formidable next season, keeping Colon away from their division rivals is an added insurance policy. Boston has been seeking a third top-flight starter to go with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, who finished 2-3 in the 2002 Cy Young Award voting behind Barry Zito of Oakland. At one time Boston hoped Contreras would be it.
A deal that involves El Duque would make things easier for Joe Torre, who at yesterday's Matsui press conference was clearly concerned about how to fit the eight starters on the Yanks' roster into his five-man rotation.
"My job is to put things together best I can," Torresaid. "The eight starters ? sure it's nice to say use five of them and put three in the bullpen ? but you're not dealing with playing cards in the basement. You're dealing with people."
The Yankees have last season's starting five ? RogerClemens, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, DavidWells and Hernandez ? as well as Jeff Weaver, Sterling Hitchcock and Contreras.
Torre admitted Clemens and Mussina appear to be locks for the rotation, but it's hard to envision taking out 19-game winner Wells or Pettitte, who was the Yanks' most consistent starter in the second half of 2002.
The Yankees did not sign Contreras to use him as a reliever, and Weaver was promised a spot in the rotation when he was relegated to the bullpen last year.
However, according to a club source, there is a possibility that Contreras will begin the season in the bullpen.
"I told (Weaver) last year when I put him in the bullpen that he was one of the future guys on this ballclub and that he's going to be a starter," Torre said. "But again, everybody can't start."
sick, sick sick, I am not a fan of either franchise but I hate the Yanks more..............dreadsox may be in a murderous state these days...
