the Yanks somehow traded for the want away Miguel Tejada ?
He could play either short or 3rd and Derek Jeter could move to centerfield, thus solving the Bombers CF problems.
Of course it ain’t gonna happen, what would they have to give up for Tejada, more than likely Cano & Wang something they shouldn’t want to do and what are the chances Jeter would want to move to center ? Double shortstop Gold Glove winner now you know.
On the upside they Yanks got rid of Tony Wom(e)mack to the Reds and amazingly probably came out on top in the trade, getting a couple of minor leaguers, Ben Himes & Kevin Howard.
The lesser player, outfielder Ben Himes, is too old for his league, having failed to advance beyond A-ball at the age of 24. But he did hit .320/.372/.533 for Sarasota in the Florida State League last year. Himes is a fourth outfielder at best, but given that strong showing and the fact that he got a late start (he was drafted out of college in 2003), there’s no reason to write him off just yet.
Kevin Howard, meanwhile, was ranked by both Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America as the top player available in today’s Rule 5 draft. A 24-year-old, lefty-hitting second baseman who spent all of 2005 in double-A, Howard doesn’t have a whole lot of power, but gets his hits and knows how to draw a walk (his .296/.346/.428 line in Chattanooga last year is fairly representative of his abilities at the plate). Howard played 3B in college and returned there in October in the Arizona Fall League where he crushed to the tune of .409/.475/.557, winning the AFL batting crown. A left-handed hitter, Howard’s never had a great defensive reputation, but his offensive skills and ability to play multiple positions (it’s thought he could also be used in the outfield) could make him a useful utility player as soon as the latter half of this year, which means he’s probably already more valuable than Womack. Best of all, the Yankees got him without having to keep him on the 25-man roster all year. Bronx Banter
Yanks have also added lefty Mike Myers to the bullpen and seem to be looking to bring back Bernie Williams in the bench role held by Ruben Sierra over the last couple of years.