A few items out of the Bronx…
- In a conference call with reporters (including Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog) today, GM Brian Cashman said he will look to fill the Yankees' DH spot through a trade, with free agent designated hitters being a "secondary" focus. Cashman said it's "a possibility" he will try to acquire a hitter using the Yankees' excess pitchers.
- The Yankees hope to address their DH need by trying to deal A.J. Burnett for salary relief or a "DH type," tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. If that isn't possible, Sherman says the next target would be to deal for a young, controllable hitter in exchange for a young starter like Phil Hughes.
- Joe Pawlikowski of the River Aves Blues blog looks at the pros and cons of trading Burnett, eventually concluding that New York should probably keep him given the difficulties in finding value in a deal.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears the Burnett trade market is non-existent, even to the point of using a "pie in the sky" hashtag to describe the Yankees' chances of moving the veteran right-hander.
- The Yankees are "in no rush" to address their DH need quickly, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. "Teams in need can almost name their price," Rosenthal writes, given how many free agent DH types (Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui, Vladimir Guerrero, Johnny Damon, etc.) remain on the market.