Bill Madden and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News report that the Yankees have had preliminary discussions about 3B Joe Crede, a right-hand hitting third baseman coming off of back surgery.

Crede, 29, hit .283 with 30 HRs while driving in 93 runs.

Also, one Yankees official recently deemed it “likely” that the team will exercise OF Bobby Abreu’s $16 million option, which must be done by tomorrow.

ESPN reports that Joe Girardi has been officially offered to become the next manager of the New York Yankees. Don Mattingly, who also interviewed for the job, will not return as a coach next season.

The offer is believed to be worth six million dollars over three years.

Girardi seems like a great choice, he did an excellent job with the Marlins and was fired basically because he clashed with Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins owner. It should be interesting to see how he deals with the brothers Steinbrenner and the cast of characters in the Bronx who my buddy Matthew Cerrone brilliantly refers to as the “Hankees”. I’m also interested in seeing how he manages former teammates like Mariano and Jeter, which has to be a strange dynamic.

Scott Boras, Alex Rodriguez’s agent, issued this statement to the Associated Press regarding the third baseman’s decision to opt out of his Yankee contract.

Alex’s decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher, and one of his statured pitchers was going to do. He really didn’t want to make any decisions until he knew what they were doing.”

Could be a chilly winter for the Yankees.

Jon Heyman on SI.com writes that the Yankees appear to be focusing on Joe Girardi to replace Joe Torre as Yankee manager and an offer could come as early as today.

The Boston Red Sox completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies tonight to earn their second World Championship in three years. What was once a 86 year drought, their cup now runneth over, and a new dynasty could be in the making with the great young talent on their roster.

The most compelling question of the night ties in with the other story of the evening. Mike Lowell, the 2007 World Series MVP, whom many in Red Sox nation have come to hold dear, is set to become a free agent in 10 days. Alex Rodriguez declared that he will opt out of his $242 million dollar, 10 year contract with the Yankees. The Red Sox will have a tough decision to make as they are one of the few teams in baseball who could possibly afford the two time MVP. It is entirely possible the Red Sox could put A-Rod back at shortstop, and resign Lowell as well.

With the World Series complete, so begins the Hot Stove season. The champagne is still being poured in Colorado and things are already getting interesting. Stay tuned.

Buster Olney on ESPN reports, according to league sources, that the Yankees are prepared to make an offer to Alex Rodriguez that will exceed, in average salary, the $27 million per year that he is scheduled to make over the next three seasons. The Yankees have not yet been granted the meeting they have requested with their third baseman.

Olney believes the offer could be in the neighborhood of 5 years at $30 million a year, the highest per workday salary in baseball history.

Rodriguez must inform the Yankees within 10 days after the conclusion of the World Series if he intends to opt out of the remaining 3 years on his currenty contract, which is valued at $27 million per year on average. If he does so, the Yankees have said they will compete in an open market for Rodriguez’s services.

Newsday reports that the Yankees have banned ESPN from future conference calls with their managerial candidates after ESPN aired a conference call live despite the Yankees requesting the networks only broadcast the recorded version.

I generally try to avoid things dealing with that team over in the Bronx, but I'll make an exception today.  Over at baseball blog Ump Bump, Nick takes a very special look at Derek Jeter. In poem form.

Fellow Foot writer Gary pointed out that YES now televises Yankee batting practice. This is one of those things that make me wonder, have the Yankees spent so much money putting together their team of under performing billionaire ex allstars that King George now has to start cutting corners elsewhere?  I guess after tossing all that money at Andy, Roger, and Johnnie, mixed in with the costs involved with A-rods lipstick and maintaining Pavano's blog there isn't too much left over for original programming.  But batting practice?  Do people actually watch this?

Now, I wasn't willing to tune in, check it out.  It seemed easier to you know, blindly make fun it. I'm going to assume though they still use Al Leiter to provide color commentary during it. “And Giambi launced another 80mph fastball over the plate into the stands. Thats his 100th.'

Now that Rocket is getting paid a cool mill per inning pitched, I suspect things will be tough all over the Yankee Empire.  Carl Pavano will have to get his season ending surgeries from back alley doctors who failed out of CW Post.  Practices will be conducted with souvenir balls Doug Mientkiewicz has taken home from games. But more importantly: even more bland programing from YES.  Watch Jeter ride the stationary bike, next on YES.

Granted, SNY might not be a bastion of great programming. With the four hours of Sports New York on today. Though those Mets blue style BP jerseys: way cooler than the black road jerseys.

For fans of our crosstown rivals, some good and same bad news.

The good, they snapped a losing streak and took one from the Sox with last nights victory.

The bad, another starting pitcher went down.  Starter Jeff Karstens took a line drive to the leg, resulting in a broken bone. He will be placed on the 15 day DL, but it is unknown how long he will be out for.

Jon Heyman reports on SI.com that the Yankees have told Andy Pettitte
they are willing to go to $17 million for 2007 and will even offer a second year in order to sign him.

17 million for Andy Pettitte? Have they lost their flipping minds? Oh thats right, its the Yankees. It makes perfect sense now.

I'm afraid to think what they might offer if they actually get involved in the Zito sweepstakes. My question is, how do you offer Andy Pettitte 17 million and not give it to Zito, a younger and more durable pitcher, unless they're really afraid of locking into 6-7 years with him. I pray they're not laying in the weeds here like they were with Damon.

The NY Times reports that the Andy Pettitte will not retire before the 2007 season and that the Astros and Yankees are ready to make their offers on the southpaw.

The Astros would like to bring back Pettitte for a one year and $12 million. But the Yankees are prepared to offer him $15 million for one season and would consider making a two-year offer if Pettitte wanted it.

The agent Randy Hendricks did not elaborate on Pettitte's thought process. But he did confirm that Pettitte, 34, would not retire. “Andy has decided to play,” Hendricks wrote in an e-mail message.

The voting for AL MVP could be deadlocked on top between Derek Jeter and Justin Morneau.

The Red Sox are showing interest in Rangers SS Michael Young. They are also offering the Nationals OF Wily Mo Pena in exchange for P Chad Cordero.

The Astros, Rangers, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Cubs and Mets are all in the hunt for P Vicente Padilla.

The Cubs are pursuing SS-2B Julio Lugo, but they want him to move to centerfield.

The man who never sleeps aka Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting the White Sox and Rangers had second thoughts in the final minutes before completing a trade which would have sent P Jon Garland to the Rangers and P John Danks to the White Sox.

Rosenthal points out that the Orioles are one of the teams that is still persuing Garland.

The relentless one is also reporting the Rangers are close to bring back signing Smithtown, NY native Frank Catalanotto to a 3-year deal with an option for a fourth year.

Catalanotto hit .300 with 7 home runs and 56 RBIs last year platooning with OF Reed Johnson.

I know Frank personally and I know he is a Yankee fan, but he always said he would love to play in New York, regardless of the team. He would have fit in perfectly with this team as our starting 2nd basemen, improving our bench with Jose Valentin and never signing the mistake waiting to happen in Damion Easley.