The Yankees have signed 27-year old lefty reliever Andy Sisco and 28-year old righty reliever Brian Anderson to minor league deals. Sisco pitched in 48 games (0 starts) in AA-ball for the Giants last season and he was 4-4 with 1 save, a 4.32 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Sisco last pitched in the majors way back in 2007 with the White Sox. Sisco has pitched in 151 games (0 starts) in three years in the majors and he is 3-9 with 1 save, a 5.18 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Brian Anderson pitched in 14 games (4 starts) in Rookie+A+AAA-ball last season and he was 0-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. Anderson only gave up 10 hits in 17 1/3 innings last season while whiffing 17 batters which is pretty impressive as Anderson was a outfielder until last year. Both Sisco & Anderson have live arms so I like these signings for the Yankees.

The Yankees have signed 30-year old lefty reliever Neal Cotts to a minor league deal. Cotts missed last season as he was rehabbing from surgery. Cotts has pitched in 284 games (5 starts) in his major league career and he is 10-12 with 1 save, a 4.63 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Cotts will have a chance to win a job in the pen for the Yankees next spring if he’s healthy enough to give it a go.

UPDATE: (2/16/2011) - The Yankees have released Neal Cotts.

The Yankees have released 28-year old righty reliever Jonathan Albaladejo so that he could sign with a team in Japan. Albaladejo pitched in 10 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last season and he was 0-0 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He pitched in 49 games (0 starts) in parts of three years with the Yankees and he was 5-2 with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. The Yankees won’t miss Albaladejo and it was nice that they did him a favor by letting him go.

UPDATE: (11/29/2010) - The Yankees have received $1.2 million bucks from the Yomiuri Giants for the rights to Albaladejo.

30-year old lefty C.C. Sabathia finished in 3rd place for the A.L. Cy Young Award behind Felix Hernandez of the Mariners and David Price of the Rays. I don’t have a problem with this as both of those guys pitched better than Sabathia did despite his 21 wins. Sabathia started 34 games for the Yankees last season and he was 21-9 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. He has now pitched in 322 games (all starts) in his first 10 years in the majors and he is 157-88 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Sabathia has won a Cy Young Award once in his career (in 2007 with the Cleveland Indians) and I think he’ll win another for the Yankees in the near future.

UPDATE: (12/2/2010) - C.C. Sabathia has also finished 13th in the voting for the A.L. MVP Award.

The Yankees have acquired 22-year old lefty swinging corner outfielder Cody Johnson from the Braves for cash considerations. Johnson played in 106 games in Rookie+A+AA-ball last season and he was 73 of 344 (.212 avg, .687 OPS) with 43 runs scored, 18 homers, 60 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 151 whiffs. He has now played in 456 games in parts of five years in the minors and he is 392 of 1,613 (.243 avg, .796 OPS) with 230 runs scored, 94 homers, 309 RBIs, 40 stolen bases and 629 whiffs. The Yankees are taking a flier on Johnson because of his lefty swinging power potential which plays well at the new Yankees’ Stadium.

The Yankees have dealt 27-year old lefty swinging 1B Juan Miranda to the Diamondbacks for 19-year old starting pitcher Scottie Allen. Miranda played in 33 games for the Yankees last season and he was 14 of 64 (.219 avg, .718 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 3 homers and 10 RBIs. In parts of three seasons with the Yankees, Miranda played in 46 games in which he was 21 of 83 (.253 avg, .788 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 4 homers and 14 RBIs. Allen pitched in 16 games (all starts) in A-ball last season for the D-Backs and he was 4-4 with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. In his first two years in the minors, Allen pitched in 28 games (16 starts) in which he was 5-4 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Miranda was blocked at 1B and DH for the Yankees so it was a smart move to deal him for a young arm.

29-year old lefty reliever Royce Ring has elected free agency after rejecting a minor league assignment from the Yankees. Ring pitched in 5 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last season and he was 0-0 with a 15.43 ERA and a 2.14 WHIP. He also pitched in 52 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 2-1 with 2 saves, a 1.93 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Ring should have no problem inking a minor league deal with some team this winter.

27-year old righty reliever Chad Gaudin has rejected a minor league assignment by the Yankees making him a free agent. Gaudin pitched in 30 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last season and he was 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. In two years with the Yankees, Gaudin worked in 41 games (6 starts) in which he was 3-2 with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. The Yankees won’t miss Gaudin too much going forward.