The New York Yankees acquired a 1B signed through 2011 in exchange for a utility infielder and two minor minor league pitching prospects.  The addition of 1B Nick Swisher sends two signals.  The first is obvious while the second is not quite so.

The obvious signal is being sent to Scott Boras and his stud 1B free agent, Mark Teixeira.  With Nick Swisher on board the Yankees will not be serious contenders for the services of Teixeira.  For Yankees fans, the additon of a 1B also sends the message that C Jorge Posada looks like he'll be able to catch in 2009.  After that, OF/DHs Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui will no longer block a Posada move to DH.

The less obvious signal ties into Joel Sherman's article in yesterday's NY Post.  He reported the Yankees were readying a preemptive offer to SP C.C. Sabathia that will completely demoralize any other potential suitors - something north of the record-setting deal given to Johann Santana last winter.  If teams know the Yankees will pay $150MM, how many other teams will even try to vie for Sabathia?

The acquistion of 1B Nick Swisher gives credence to Sherman's report that the Yankees will blow away Sabathia with an offer no mildy-union-listening player could ignore.  By using all their resources to land Sabathia rather than hoping to get Sabathia and Teixeira for $120 MM each, the team can focus on signing a second-tier free agent pitcher like Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez to flesh out a formidable rotation of C.C. Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, Lowe/Perez and Phil Hughes.

Now if the Yankees can pry away a Carlos Gomez-esque CF to roam between LF and RF....

Why aren't Jim Bowden and the Washington Nationals getting more attention this winter?  Yesterday's Washington Times reported the team is seeking trades to land a first baseman, and, coming up empty, could jump into the free agent market for the likes of Adam Dunn, Jason Giambi and Mark Teixeira.

While Giambi and Dunn look like possibilities to take more money to be a National than a competitive team would offer, the idea of the Nationals being serious bidders for the services of 1B Mark Teixeira strains plausibility.  But Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported this:

The Nationals are preparing to make a significant offer to Mark Teixeira; we'll see how they compete with offers made by the Angels, Yankees and Red Sox.

One wouldn't imagine Nats' ownership allowing GM Jim Bowden being able to add a third $5+ MM 1B, but, maybe, just maybe, if you suspend disbelief and accept that the Nats could make the $120+ MM offer to Teixeira, this could work.

With Teixeira in the fold, the Nationals could then offer 1B Nick Johnson to either of the bigger market teams that needed Teixeira to plug a hole at 1B - the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Whether Johnson can hit with power or stay healthy is secondary to the high-OBP band-aid he could apply to either team's short term needs at 1B.

The question would then be whether Bowden would accept a middling pitching prospect for Johnson or if he'd go all Alfonso Soriano on either team and ask for the world.

Sunday's New York Post contained plenty of information on what the New York Yankees will do in the upcoming Hot Stove action.  George A. King III casts some gloom over the Yankees' wish list by asserting the Yanks will have to throw serious cash at C.C. Sabathia in order to buy him away from his preferred locations.  This is not breaking news.

What was more worrisome was his report that A.J. Burnett won't be bought either.  I'm sorry.  He "will shy away from the Bronx."  This leaves the Yanks free agent fishing amongst the injury-prone (Ben Sheets), the old (Derek Lowe and Ryan Dempster) and the inconsistent (Oliver Perez).

This isn't the worst news relayed by King.  He mongers this rumor.  Baltimore Orioles' owner Peter Angelos is considering going after Maryland native Burnett and fellow Marylander Mark Teixeira - another free agent who fits nicely with a hole in the Yankees line-up.

While a bidding war between the Orioles and Yankees will delight the two ball players and their agents, it will hurt to Yankees more to lose it.  See the team has already been passed by the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.  The Baltimore Orioles have three top prospects ready to contribute at the major league level in 2009/10 - C Matt Wieters and SPs Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz.  Add in Burnett and Teixeira, and the Orioles will pass the Yankees.

In other MLB rumor news, the Florida Marlins and trying to deal 1B Mike Jacobs because the organization believes Gaby Sanchez is ready to take over.  Plus Sanchez isn't arbitration eligible.  Fake Teams readers are familiar with Sanchez. 

I place this trade rumos in the more likely to happen category because Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes:  

The Marlins...wanted to deal Jacobs to Kansas City, but the deal died last week because of a medical issue involving the minor-league pitcher that Florida would have received. The Marlins also spoke to Toronto and San Francisco about Jacobs.

A consummated trade but for a medical issue involving a minor leaguer?  That is as close to a guarantee as one will receive this off-season.

The biggest trade rumor to date that did not involve a starting pitcher is the one reported by Peter Gammons of ESPN.  Offered by the Atlanta Braves to the Boston Red Sox was free-agent-to-be 1B Mark Teixeira for 1B Kevin Youkilis and AAA reliever Craig Hansen.  According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Red Sox Gm Theo Epstein denied it.

In the current trade market where soon-to-be free agents have their minimum value set against the potential draft picks the team would receive if the player was offered arbitration and signed with another team, this offer makes sense from the Braves point-of-view.  Kevin Youkilis is a Gold Glove caliber player at 1B and better than avergae at 3B.  He is a patient hitter with power.  Some could say if he switch hit, he'd be Mark Teixeira.  As a second-year arbitration player, the Braves have multiple seasons of control over Youkilis.  He is worth two draft picks

For the Red Sox, though, this offer falls painfully short.  Teixeira is a free agent and a client of Scott Boras.  He will test the market and cost the team that signs him $100MM plus their first round pick (assuming it is not in the Top 15 of the first round.)

The question is whether a 29-year-old switch-hitting 1B at $100MM for six years is a better investment than a 30-year-old 1B under control for two more years and $20MM?  (All salaries are guesses and ages are for the 2009 season.)

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