Just like last year, I bring you the results for my 2010 preseason predictions. Sadly, my average dropped from .289 to below the Mendoza Line.

AL East
1. Yankees INCORRECT (Rays)
2. Red Sox* INCORRECT (Yankees)
3. Rays INCORRECT (Red Sox)
4. Orioles INCORRECT (Blue Jays)
5. Blue Jays INCORRECT (Orioles)

AL Central
1. Tigers INCORRECT (Twins)
2. Twins INCORRECT (White Sox)
3. White Sox INCORRECT (Tigers)
4. Indians CORRECT
5. Royals CORRECT

AL West
1. Angels INCORRECT (Rangers)
2. Mariners INCORRECT (Athletics)
3. Rangers INCORRECT (Angels)
4. Athletics INCORRECT (Mariners

NL East
1. Phillies CORRECT
2. Braves CORRECT
3. Marlins CORRECT
4. Nationals INCORRECT (Mets)
5. Mets INCORRECT (Nationals)

NL Central
1. Cardinals INCORRECT (Reds)
2. Brewers INCORRECT (Cardinals
3. Reds INCORRECT (Brewers)
4. Cubs INCORRECT (Astros)
5. Astros INCORRECT (Cubs)
6. Pirates CORRECT

NL West
1. Dodgers INCORRECT (Giants)
2. Giants* INCORRECT (Padres)
3. Rockies CORRECT
4. Diamondbacks INCORRECT (Dodgers)
5. Padres INCORRECT (Diamondbacks)

*Wild Card Winner

AL Champion: Yankees INCORRECT (Rangers)
NL Champion: Giants CORRECT
World Series Champion: Yankees, 4 games INCORRECT Giants, 5 games

Awards:
AL MVP: Evan Longoria INCORRECT (Josh Hamilton)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols INCORRECT (Joey Votto)
AL Cy: Felix Hernandez CORRECT
NL Cy: Tim Lincecum INCORRECT (Roy Halladay)
AL RoY: Austin Jackson INCORRECT (Neftali Feliz)
NL RoY: Jason Heyward INCORRECT (Buster Posey)
AL Manager: Joe Girardi INCORRECT (Ron Gardenhire)
NL Manager: Bruce Bochy INCORRECT (Bud Black)

Yankee Stats:
Robinson Cano RBIs: 109 CORRECT (Umm. Yeah.)
Javier Vazquez wins: 16 INCORRECT (Ha, 10)
Jorge Posada AVG: .262 INCORRECT (Close, .248)
Nick Johnson HR: 21 INCORRECT (HAHAHA, 2)
Curtis Granderson HR: 29 INCORRECT (Close, 24)
Joba Chamberlain Ks: 100 INCORRECT (77)
Phil Hughes ERA: 4.40 INCORRECT (Close, 4.19)
Brett Gardner SB: 55 INCORRECT (Close, 47)
Jesus Montero GS: 15 INCORRECT (0)

—–
That’s 10-for-50, or .200 if you’re counting at home.

I think next year I’m going to come up with a scoring guide so I can give myself more points for the hardest predictions.

Last year’s predictions
Last year’s results

If I had to choose to give Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera or Cliff Lee the deal they want, it would be Rivera (we don’t know what Andy Pettitte wants yet or even if he is going to return). Rivera would play the fewest number of innings among the three listed, but he’s still worth it because of all the headaches (and games) he saves.

And I do not want a 40-year-old shortstop or an overrated starter in his late 30s making more than $20 million on the Yankees (4-6 years down the line).

Right now, the Yankees don’t even have their top setup man from last year secured for next season (Kerry Wood). They didn’t even offer him arbitration. Can you imagine Joba Chamberlain as a closer in 2011? I could easily see him blowing eight saves for the Yankees. Rivera has blown eight saves in the last three years combined.

Some followers on Twitter agreed with my pick.

Keep in mind there are a few legitimate free agent closers available this offseason. Of course, none are in the same echelon as Rivera.

Not on Twitter? Tell me who you would pick in the comments!

Javier Vazquez was a bust in 2010; there’s no question about it. But he may not be worthless to the Yankees after all.

The Yankees offered the Type B free agent arbitration yesterday knowing he would decline (gentlemen’s agreement). This compensates the Yankees with a supplemental draft pick between the first two rounds of the draft.

In five years maybe we’ll look back on this day and say, “hey, this role player is a lot more valuable than the guy we gave up to get him.”

Well that’s the best you could do, Javy.

Ugh. The creative people at the New York Post would Photoshop Derek Jeter in a Red Sox uniform, wouldn’t they?

Joe Posnanski says Jeter is not going anywhere. No team will match the Yankees’ offer of $15 million annually.

Brian Cashman:

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can to put the best winning team on the field. We feel Derek Jeter gives us the best chance to win. But we’re not dealing with Derek alone.” – via ESPNNewYork.com

That quote says it all.

Cashman still hasn’t confirmed the reported three-year, $45 million offer to Jeter, and Jeter’s agent, Casey Close, hasn’t said anything since he told the Daily News he was “baffled” by the team’s negotiating strategy.

I have no idea why he’s baffled. Does anybody understand the Yankees don’t have an unlimited payroll and Jeter isn’t the only player the Yankees are trying to sign this winter?

Baseball is still a business, and if players ask for far more money than they are worth, why bother with them? This is even more true in Jeter’s case since there is likely no team willing to spend more than $15 million per year on the 36-year-old shortstop.

The Yankees need to spend more money on Jeter than other teams need to because he is worth more to them than he is to other teams. To the Yankees, he’s the face of the franchise and some still consider him the face of baseball. To other teams, he’s just an old shortstop. Cashman has clearly taken this into account in his suspected offer. The sooner Close understands that the better.

On the other hand, maybe the Yankees should just forget about signing Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Cliff Lee. (Sarcasm.)

Josh Hamilton received 22 first-place votes and received his first AL MVP Award today, leaving Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano in the dust. Jose Bautista actually claimed one of the first-place votes, but received zero for second place and just four for third.

Cano had this to say about Hamilton (via LoHud):

“I would like to congratulate Josh Hamilton on winning the MVP. He is a great player and deserving of the award. I am very proud of my season and expect nothing less of myself. I will continue to work hard and play hard, and along with my teammates, do everything I can to help the Yankees get to and win the World Series.”

Class act.

I thought Cano would’ve received a few first-place votes. If you line up the numbers, Hamilton’s BA is the only thing that really stands out from the pack.

Cano also had a Gold Glove to add to his résumé.

Lovely. Another contract disagreement between the Yankees and a Core Four member.

Via Yahoo! MLB Columnist Jeff Passan:

Source: #Yankees want to offer Mariano Rivera only a one-year deal. Rivera seeking two-year deal for around $18 million per season.

Let’s review the Yankees’ major suspected offers this offseason shall we?

• A) 11/17: Yankees want Derek Jeter for thee years & $63M, but Jeter wants at least four years.
• B) 11/21: Yankees plan to offer Cliff Lee a five-year, $115-120M contract.
• C) Tonight, the Yankees want Rivera for one year, but he wants two years, $36M.

If all three get what they want, that’s north of $60 million just to pay those three for next year. Add on Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, and you’re looking at close to $140 million for six players. That’s more than most teams’ total salaries.

I agree with the Yankees’ side in samples ‘A’ and ‘C’ but not ‘B.’ I said last night the Yankees should pay Rivera what he asks for, but I wasn’t expecting a 41-year-old closer (due in seven days) to ask for more than Albert Pujols makes.

I might give Mo $18M for one year, but definitely not for two.

Either way, I’m disgusted with both Core Four members asking for ridiculous contracts, and I’m even more ticked off at the Yankees for planning to offer Lee the lucrative deal he wants.

Even though the NL MVP was announced today (Joey Votto almost unanimously, if you didn’t hear), it was a pretty slow news day in Yankeeland. With the AL MVP set to be announced tomorrow, I’m posting this fitting video of Robinson Cano and Bo Jackson in a Nike commercial.

Anyone think Cano has a shot to beat out Josh Hamilton or Miguel Cabrera for MVP? ESPN’s Wallace Matthews thinks so.

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported yesterday the “word is” the Yankees plan to offer Cliff Lee a five-year deal in the $115-120 million range ($23-24M per).

My response: The Yankees are overpaying Lee if they sign him for more than $20 million at any length. Before I elaborate, here’s a quick dose of what my followers on Twitter had to say.

Because my Twitter responses weren’t overwhelmingly one-sided, I’ve made it this week’s blog poll. Please chip in by voting on the left sidebar.

Economics 101:
He’ll likely be the highest paid free agent this offseason — certainly the highest paid pitcher. The next best starter available, according to MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes is Hiroki Kuroda. Because of the short supply, Lee can demand big money and will likely get it. If the Yankees do proceed with an offer in the $120 million range, no team is going to match that.

Lee is Overrated
The thin market for aces this offseason makes Lee look like a God. Here are the facts:

• His regular season ERA for the Rangers last year was 3.98 in 15 starts — and that’s not a product of the hitter-friendly Ballpark in Arlington.
• He’s won exactly one Cy Young Award with a career ERA of 3.85. Two-and-a-half regular great regular seasons makes you a top five paid pitcher in the game?
• He’s had some excellent starts in the postseason, but doesn’t have any ring to show for them. He didn’t make it through the fifth inning in Game 5 against the weak-hitting Giants this past World Series and took the loss in Game 7. He was also lucky to face A.J. Burnett in Game 5 of the ‘09 World Series, as he won despite allowing five earned.
• The Cleveland Indians sent him down to the minors in 2007 (just three years ago).
• He is 32 years old and his back is still an injury concern.

My Prediction:
Unfortunately, I think the Yankees will eventually agree to overpay him, probably close to what Cafardo reported (five years, $115-120 million). If it were up to me, I’d offer Lee four years at $18 million annually at the max. I doubt any other team besides the Yankees offers more than $20 million per year for Lee.

I was surprised by last week’s poll results. Sixty-five percent of voters voted WCBS-AM broadcaster John Sterling should not be replaced after his contract expires next offseason. The other 35 percent wanted Sterling out of the booth as soon as possible.

Last week I wrote three posts on why Sterling shouldn’t be replaced.

New poll: Would you pay Cliff Lee $120 million to pitch?