“I’ve said from Day One, this is the only organization I’ve ever wanted to play for, and that’s still true today. I was a Yankees fan growing up,” Derek Jeter told the media in Tampa. “This is where I want to be. I’ve never envisioned myself playing anywhere else, and hopefully I don’t have to.”

And exhale.

Whew. 

Yankee fans, don’t let your mind wander any further about seeing Derek Jeter in another uniform. It’s not going to happen.

“To be honest with you, I never put limitations on how long I can play. … I want to play as long as I can, as long as I’m having fun, as long as I can be productive,” Jeter said. “This organization prides itself on winning and putting a competitive team on the field. As long as I can help out, that’s as long as I want to play.”

It’s not going to be about keeping Derek Jeter in pinstripes, but how long Jeter’s next contract will be. Hopefully the two sides can agree on a contract length that makes both sides happy and ends with Jeter’s retirement.

“I can’t think about what’s going to happen after this year. You don’t think about what legacy you have when you’re still playing. That’s something you consider when your career is over,” Jeter said. “My desire is to stay here. I haven’t thought about … how much money [I] want because we haven’t sat down to negotiate anything. That hasn’t crossed my mind. That’s not what I play for. I play in order to try to help this team win. That’s what I’ve always done. My feeling is everything else will take care of itself.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said, ”Let’s put it this way, I think from the fans’ perspective they can count on those guys (Jeter & Mariano) being here a lot longer than I’m going to be here. I think they’re very secure. I don’t think there’s any sweat off any of these guys’ backs. They’ve been Yankees for life, and that’s what we intend to see happen. But again, you start those conversions at a different time and place that you feel is more appropriate.”

When Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he wouldn’t be adding a “big piece” to play left field for the Yankees after they traded Melky Cabrera and some minor league players to the Braves for Javier Vazquez, I didn’t believe him. As time goes by and free agents are being swooped up off the market, I’m starting to believe that Cashman and the Yankees are ready to have Brett Gardner or a different “smaller piece” be their everyday left fielder.

The left field free agent market is dwindling. Jason Bay signed with the Mets, Marlon Byrd signed with the Cubs, Mike Cameron signed with the Red Sox and Mark DeRosa signed with the Giants. Matt Holliday and Johnny Damon have ridiculous high price tags.  An addition of a “big piece” for left field is becoming increasingly less likely.

Who is still out there for the Yankees to grab that won’t cost a major chunk of cash? Reed Johnson and Jermaine Dye would all be worth a look if their price tags are in the Yankees’ range. Other than those guys, Gardner may be the best option for the Yankees at left field.

Brett Gardner would be a viable outfielder for most teams. He’s an athletic player with outstanding  speed and plays good defense. He will steal bases, have a bunch of infield hits and will hit more triples than home runs. Typically, corner outfielders are more known for their power, but the addition of Granderson in center field allows them to play a guy like Gardner in left. Having Melky and Gardner starting in the outfield would not have made sense. With Granderson in center, Gardner in left works.

The Yankees pride themselves on having a deep lineup with no easy outs. They strive to bring out a lineup that can kill you at any spot in the order. Comparable to the rest of the lineup, Gardner would be an easy out. It’s uncertain how Gardner will do over the course of an entire season. Can he sustain a .270 average over 500 at-bats? That has yet to be determined.

Brian Cashman is always looking ahead. He’s already thinking one, two or even three years down the road. The moves he makes, or doesn’t make, is telling of that. He didn’t pull the trigger on the Santana deal a few years ago because he knew that CC Sabathia would be a free agent the following year. He made a trade for Javier Vazquez because Vazquez has one year left on his contract and if he turns out to be a bust, the Yankees won’t have to live with it long. Vazquez for one year is better than signing a second-tier free agent pitcher like Jason Marquis or Joel Piniero and being tied up with a guy that could be a bust for three years. Cashman can see that the free agent pitching class is stronger next year.

The same thing goes with a left fielder. Cashman doesn’t want to overpay for a left fielder. Holliday and Damon are asking for way too much. That doesn’t fit in with the Yankees’ goal of keep payroll down below $200 million, although it doesn’t look like they’ll be below that mark anyway. The Yankees have a lot of players in-house to deal with next year (Jeter and Mariano) and there are also some big names that could potentially be on the free agent market (Mauer, Crawford and Cliff Lee). Putting a ton of money into Holliday or another left fielder isn’t the best thing for the Yankees to do right now.

Cashman isn’t only worried about the 2010 Yankees. He’s worried about the team for 2011, 2012 and beyond. Joe Girardi is high on Gardner so it looks like we could be looking at him being the opening day left fielder. He was the Yankees 2009 opening day center fielder after all. If the Yankees sign somebody his name won’t be Holliday. If Damon doesn’t find a suitor at the price he covets, the Yankees and Damon could converge on a one-year deal for $5-7 million. I wouldn’t be surprised if Damon drops his price tag by late January if he’s still on the market.

According to Jon Heyman of SI, the Yankees have contacted the Blue Jays about Roy Halladay. The Yankees have tested the waters in the past, but the price was too high for Halladay. The Blue Jays were asking for Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in a package of prospects back in July and the Yankees didn’t budge. Turns out the 2009 World Series champs didn’t need Halladay. Hughes and Joba pitched well for them throughout the season, most notably Hughes as the setup man in the regular season and Joba in the late innings of the postseason.

The longer the Blue Jays wait, the less they’ll acquire in return for Halladay. Current Blue Jays general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, would like to get at least something for him before he jets into free agency and they are only compensated by a draft pick.

Just like the Yankees didn’t budge in July, they shouldn’t budge this winter. The main reason is they won without the guy! Why would they want to give up their better prospects and young arms for a him when they already know they can do it without him? It makes less sense now than it did over the summer for the Yankees not to pursue Halladay. Their two young arms, Hughes and Joba, have more postseason experience than Halladay. Don’t get me wrong, Halladay is a great pitcher. Top of the line. I’d rather see the Yankees sign free agent pitcher John Lackey than trade for Halladay. It’s better they only lose dollars, not players, to acquire a pitcher.

Here are two articles I wrote last July against the Yankees’ pursuit of Roy Halladay: The Yankees and Roy Halladay, Yankees Shouldn’t Celebrate the “Halladay”. I stand by my words and there is absolutely no reason the Yankees should acquire Roy Halladay, even if the Red Sox are on the verge of signing him. There should be no “swooping in” by the Yankees like they did with Teixeira. Brian Cashman will remain in the talks for Halladay to either drive up the price for the Red Sox and other bidders, or because the Yankees are genuinely interested in bringing Halladay to the Bronx.

Here are some rumors going around about the Yankees as of November 12, 2009.

The New York Post reports Scott Boras, agent of Johnny Damon, is making a case that his client deserves a contract similar to Jeter. Boras is looking to get Damon a deal for three or four years while the Yankees would like to bring him back for one or two years tops. Read the article

If Boras sticks to his guns then Damon’s days in pinstripes are over. Cashman isn’t going to dish out big bucks to Damon until he’s 40 years old. The Yankees have prospect Austin Jackson waiting in the wings and he should better ready in the next year or two. The Yankees can find a cheaper, younger alternative for left field.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post has also reported that the Tigers will be taking offers for Curtis Granderson and believes the Yankees will be interested. Read the article

I’m probably in the minority but I’m not so sure I like this. Granderson started hitting for power in ’09 and his average plummeted. In ’09 he hit 30 home runs and batted .249 with a .327 OBP. His OBP was over .360 in ’07 and ’08 and he hit 23 and 22 home runs those seasons. He hit .302 in ’07 and .280 in ’08. If he stole more bases I think it would be a no-brainer (20 SB in ’09, 12 SB in ’08, 25 SB in ’07).

Brian Cashman on Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes: “I look at them as starters that can relieve.” Read the article

This could change if the Yankees add a starting pitcher or two.

SI reports that Andy Pettitte is leaning on coming back to the Yankees for one more year.

Pettitte has supposedly told some Yankees he wants to play one more year.

The Yankees, looking for another starting pitcher, have been linked to having interest in free agent John Lackey, the Blue Jays’ Roy Halladay and SI thinks Derek Lowe of the Braves.

Some teams are concerned with Lackey’s durability. If the Blue Jays put Halladay out there, expect the Yankees to be bidders along with the Red Sox, Mets, and some other teams. I’d rather see the Yankees go with a young pitcher, like Hughes, Kennedy or maybe Brackman, rather than trade for Derek Lowe.