The Yankees Potential OffSeason Shopping List for 2010

We all have about 40 days left of shopping until Christmas.

For the Yankees and General Manager Brian Cashman, he may be starting his Christmas shopping in six days.

Friday, Nov. 20 will mark the beginning of Major League Baseball's free agency period for all teams and all players.

So far, the 30 teams have six more days to re-negotiate with their players before they hit the open market for good.

Last year, the Yankees spent $161 million to get CC Sabathia, $82.5 to get A.J. Burnett, $180 million to get Mark Teixeira, and traded for Nick Swisher.

All the moves in the offseason were tremendous moves made by Cashman and helped bring the Yankees their 27th World Series Championship in 2009.

Now, with Friday looming, what does Santa Cashman have in store for Yankee Universe in 2010? Who is on his wish list, or maybe even, his shopping list?

SP John Lackey, Los Angeles Angels

When Mike Scioscia took the ball from Lackey in Game Five of the ALCS to end his night, Scioscia might have taken the ball from Lackey for the last time in an Angels uniform.

Lackey is perhaps the best available pitcher out on the market now that Cliff Lee and Brandon Webb had their options picked up for 2010.

Since 2002, Lackey has been a gamer for the Angels. He pitched Game Seven of the World Series in his rookie year and won against the Giants. Since then, he's been a durable horse and a fixture of Scioscia's rotation.

In 2009, Lackey went 11-8 with a 3.83 in 27 starts. He missed time due to injuries in the beginning, but picked up the slack later on and was the Angels Game One starter in the playoffs.

He'll be 31 next year, but he's the best on the market, so the Yankees will definitely have interest.

SP Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays

Lackey might be the best available starter from free agency, but Halladay is the best available starter through the trade market.

Last season, former Blue Jays general manager J.P. Riccardi failed to move Halladay and ended up getting fired after the 2009 season.

The Blue Jays have a new rookie general manager in Alex Anthopoulos, who said he is open to trading Halladay in the A.L. East, which automatically enters the Yankees back into the mix.

Halladay was 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA in 239 innings pitched, so he's another work horse who will complete games and give bullpen's a rest when he's out there.

His age is a little bit of a concern at 33 next May, but Halladay is more than just a hurler, he's a thinking pitcher with an arsenal that makes hitters cringe.

Some say the Red Sox and Mets will be looking to pursue Doc as well, but don't count the Yankees out of the mix, they have the prospects and players too to land this guy.

SP Ben Sheets, Free Agent

Most people forgot about Sheets. He could end up being a team like the Yankees Plan B or C if Lackey and Halladay are unavailable.

Sheets is a huge risk because he missed the entire 2009 season with a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow, which required major surgery and cost him a potential contract with the Texas Rangers.

Sheets says he is 100 percent and ready to go for 2010.

He'll be 32 in July, but when he is healthy, has some of the best stuff in the game, which is why he was the National League starting pitcher in the 2008 All Star Game at the old Yankee Stadium.

Some teams might not offer him a huge deal, but someone could if they really can afford to risk the gamble. The Yankees may just be that type of team pending their options.

LF Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox

Did I just hear Red Sox Nation throw up all at once?

What do these players have in common; Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon?

All former Red Sox players spurned off at one point to play for the Yankees and win a championship in pinstripes.

Bay has been a tremendous player for the Red Sox, hitting 36 home runs and 119 RBI in 2009, but he did strike out 162 times which caused his average to dip down to .267.

His defense isn't the greatest, but it would be an improvement over Johnny Damon's.

Bay was offered a four year, $60 million dollar deal from Boston and has yet to accept it. If the Yankees encounter problems with Damon or Hideki Matsui, Bay is an option.

LF Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals

In Oakland, his numbers were suffering dramatically and hurting his chances in free agency.

But a trade in the summer to the Cardinals to help Albert Pujols win the 2009 N.L. Central increased his stock. With the Cardinals, Holliday hit .353 and 13 home runs in two months.

Now on the open market, Holliday is expected to get a major payday for 2010. Teams like the Yankees, Mets, Cardinals, Angels and others have interest.

Some have even said Holliday is putting off negotiating with the Cardinals because he wants to come to New York. Now, which team in New York was not said, but it could be either or.

If the Yankees want to make the offer, they've got the cash and they know the agent well in Scott Boras. Boras is the agent for current Yankees Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and free agent Johnny Damon.

With Damon and Hideki Matsui not guaranteed to be back, Holliday is in the mix, along with Bay.

CF Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers

Earlier in the week, I had reported the Yankees were interested in trading for Granderson, who was put on the trade market by the Tigers not too long ago.

I made the case for the Yankees to explore this option because Granderson is an outstanding leadoff hitter and very quick in center field, plus he would be an instant upgrade over Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner, especially in home runs and RBI.

The Cubs and Angels are also showing interest in Granderson too, so if the Yankees were to put a package together, it would probably have to start with top outfield prospect Austin Jackson.

CF Mike Cameron, Milwaukee Brewers

Most people forget that Mike Cameron was nearly a Yankee in 2009.

The Yankees and Brewers had a deal worked out to send Cameron to New York for Melky Cabrera, but the deal fell apart and both players stayed with their teams.

Cameron will be 37 in January and isn't as fast as he once was, but still has some power left in his bat and plays a gold-glove like outfield in center field.

He hit .250, 24 home runs and 70 RBI last season with the Brewers. He's still durable, and as a free agent, could be an option.

If the Yankees still forsee Austin Jackson as their next center fielder of the future and if Granderson isn't available in a trade, Cameron could be the short-term solution in center until Jackson is ready.

The Yankees from 2009 in 2010 Free Agency

The Yankees still do have to take care of the players from the 2009 roster on the free agency list.

Andy Pettitte is on there and as long as he wants to come back for 2010, the Yankees will bring him back after going 14-8 in the regular season and 4-0 in the postseason, winning every clinching game in the playoffs.

Johnny Damon's status is unknown for 2010. Scott Boras, his agent, is stirring things up in the media, but people around Damon have said that he wants to come back to the Yankees.

The only question is how many years is Damon looking for in a contract, which will decide if Damon comes back.

Hideki Matsui is also a free agent and became an attractive one after winning the 2009 World Series MVP Award.

Now the talk is if Matsui might still have enough left in the tank to help the Yankees as a designated hitter for 2010. If the Yankees pass on Matsui, there will be other teams looking for Matsui's services.

Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston, Jr. are both free agents, both of which were brought to the Yankees to add depth to the bench to the 2009 team, which made them dangerous in the late innings. Both are solid veterans who are well liked and contributed.

Part of having a good championship team is veterans like these two on the bench, and the Yankees would be wise to re-sign both Hinske and Hairston.

Jose Molina was the personal catcher for A.J. Burnett and won his second World Series with the Yankees in 2009, but at age 35, may be moving on in his career.

With Francisco Cervelli's progress, Cervelli could be ready to be the full time back up catcher behind Posada and could be Burnett's personal catcher if needed. Cervelli is well liked by the players and could fit in nicely for 2010.

Molina will probably be on another team next season, but for two and a half years, did the job for the Yankees.

Xavier Nady is the final name on this list and because of his Tommy John surgery in July of 2009, will need at least a full year to recover, so more than likely, won't be back in pinstripes for the Yankees in 2010.

After having a great second half in 2008 after being traded from Pittsburgh, Nady went down early in the 2009 season with the elbow injury.

If he heals, there will be a team out there who will give Nady a contract. But don't expect Nady back unless nobody resigns him in the offseason.