What are your thoughts on the Cardinals winning the World Series?

Hey, it's a crapshoot. I've said all along I think that St. Louis was probably the sixth- or seventh-best team in the NL this year, and I don't think we got much high-quality baseball this October. But I think it's ridiculous to say (as some folks have) that we need to alter the postseason to prevent this national tragedy from recurring.
 

David Eckstein: Below-average baseball player or belly full of guts?

Below-average baseball player. With a ring.
 

What types of things do scouts look for when evaluating defense?

Range, hands, arm strength, arm accuracy, fielding instincts (e.g. reading balls off the bat). Some position-specific things as well, like throwing time to second for catchers, ability to pivot on a DP for 2b, "scoop" ability for 1b.
 

Which element do you think has the most impact on the game: hitting, pitching, or defense?

Hitting. Although pitching and defense are so closely related, I'm not sure it's fair to separate them.
 

Is Matsuzaka's career workload a bonus or detriment?

It's impossible to tell, because he's nearly always pitched on more rest (five full days) than MLB pitchers receive. I don't think we have any data that can support an argument that his workload is or is not excessive.
 

Was Derek Jeter deserving of his Gold Glove?

Ha! Good one.
 

Do you expect Chien-Ming Wang and/or Robinson Cano to maintain these levels of production?

No, but I expect both to be above-average players for the next several years. I have to admit that I have never seen a pitcher get so much weak contact as Wang does. Even Roy Halladay didn't cause the death of so many worms in the dirt in front of home plate.
 

If you're Brian Cashman, which free agents are you targeting and how much would you be willing to pay?

First thing is to get Mussina under contract, esp. since it seems like he's willing to sign with the Yanks for less than the market rate. Given that, I'd be after 1-2 starting pitchers, preferably guys who don't rely heavily on their defenses (since that's the one area where the Yanks are not strong and not likely to get stronger in '07), and then any strike-throwing middle reliever I can get my hands on. I'd try to avoid giving up more than one draft pick, though; this farm system is finally on its way back, and forfeiting a whole draft would not help.

I'd rather let Karstens/Clippard/Hughes/etc. fight it out for the fifth-starter spot than give some mediocre guy 3 years and cough up a pick for him.

As for money, the Yanks have the highest payroll in baseball. They should never be outbid on a guy they really want. What the Yanks need to avoid is excessively long commitments to older FAs.
 

Zito or Schmidt: Would you?

There's no way to answer those questions. It depends on the years and dollars. I will say that I like Schmidt if you can keep the years short, but I am probably the low man on Barry Zito.
 

Gary Sheffield recently claimed he was better than Bobby Abreu. What say you?

I wish I could say that that was the silliest thing to come out of Sheffield's mouth this year.
 

Any value plays among free agents?

Randy Wolf, Kerry Wood, Tony Armas. But even those guys may end up poor values because of the scarcity of guys ahead of them.
 

Is Kevin Thompson a reasonable option for the Yankees 4th OF?

I think he's more of a 4/5 than a 4. Melky is a 3/4, though, and since he'll be the Yanks' 4, they're in good shape out there.
 

Are there any Yankee minor leaguers who you think should be on the 25-man roster next year (bullpen options, bench players, etc)

J. Brent Cox is pretty close, probably starts in the back of the pen andworks his way up. Clippard and Hughes should both make their major league debuts in '07, probably in the May/June timeframe.
 

The performance of relievers tends to be volatile. What is the best strategy to construct a bullpen?

I have some opinions, but the truth is that no one has a good answer to this question. If I was a GM, I'd probably go for a mix of skills - some strike-throwers, some power guys, at least two lefties (preferably at least one of whom is capable of getting a right-hander out more than once a month), etc. I think teams get into trouble when every guy in the bullpen looks the same - sinker/slider RHP, doesn't actually sink the ball that well, can't get lefties out, doesn't have the ++ command that might get him by. Those guys actually grow on trees along I-4 in north Florida and can be harvested in late February or early March every year.
 

What are your thoughts on moving a proven reliever into the starting rotation?

If he has the build, repertoire, feel for pitching, and the desire to start, I'm all for it. If you don't consider the leverage of the innings thrown, a 200-inning, #3-type starter is worth significantly more than a very good 60-inning reliever, not least of which because the former is much harder to find than the latter.