As expected, the Yankees have exercised Bobby Abreu’s $16MM option for 2008. While it’s a little pricey, the cost certainty and one-year commitment made it an easy decision.
The Yankees may have an outfielder to spare, with Abreu, Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui all under contract for 2008. Of course since the DH and 1B spots aren’t both tied up by Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi could definitely work with his current roster and get everyone the necessary ABs.
By my calculation the Yankees will have roughly $135MM worth of contracts for 2008 if Andy Pettitte exercises his option. They’re typically in the $190-210MM range. Another $28MM for Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera and they still have at least $37MM to spend. They’ll throw the bank at Mike Lowell if they get the chance. Even then there’s $25MM left over. I could see a Francisco Cordero signing for lack of a better way to spend the cash. How do you see the Yankees spending $25MM?
