Yankees baseball blog

Yanks work to land Farnsworth, keep Flash

The Yankees need bullpen help and they're looking both inside and outside to find it - preferably quickly. They were moving close to signing former Braves closer Kyle Farnsworth last night and, in a bit of a surprise, were also in serious negotiations to bring back Tom Gordon as a key piece in the bridge to Mariano Rivera.

Farnsworth, who pitched for the Tigers and Braves last season, would give the Yankees a powerful setup man to complement Tanyon Sturtze and, the Yanks hope, Gordon. The Bombers are believed to be pushing a three-year deal in the $12 million to $15 million range for Farnsworth, whose fastball tops 100 mph. Despite some reports of erratic behavior, the 29-year-old is expected to fit well in the Yanks' clubhouse. Continue

Bat on shoulders as rest swing away

The Yankees once won nine World Series in 10 tries with Joe DiMaggio as their center fielder. After DiMaggio came Mickey Mantle. When the Yankees made it back to the Series in the late '70s, Mickey Rivers played center, and before he started to fade, Mick the Quick was some tough out at leadoff, and some player. Finally, in this generation, it was Bernie Williams in center as the Yankees won four World Series in five years. Bernie was such a champ in center, for such a long run, the Yankees apparently decided he would be out there forever.

It is not just any piece of real estate, center field at Yankee Stadium. But that is what it became in 2005. We saw a fading Bernie, Bubba Crosby, Tony Womack, Melky Cabrera and Hideki Matsui. Matsui was the best of the lot, but only because he looked a lot more solid in center last season than he did in left. Continue

Price rising on Yank 'pen

According to industry sources, the Yankees are going to pay the price for the Blue Jays and Mets signing B.J. Ryan and Billy Wagner, respectively. While the Yanks have Mariano Rivera to close games, they are discovering that rebuilding their bullpen is being affected by the ocean of money the Blue Jays bestowed on Ryan (five years, $47M) and the Mets dumped on Wagner (four years, $43M).

Yesterday, the Yankees made progress in talks with Kyle Farnsworth, 29, and Tom Gordon, 38, although Gordon is a strong candidate to be Wagner's replacement as the Phillies' closer. Continue

Yanks eye Kyle

While the Mets made back-page news again yesterday by landing Billy Wagner, the Yankees took steps toward rebuilding their bullpen. According to several industry sources, the Yankees are engaged in serious negotiations with flame-throwing, right-handed setup man Kyle Farnsworth and are very close to inking lefty specialist Mike Myers.

Having done a background on Farnsworth by calling the Tigers, one of the two teams the 29-year-old pitched for last year, and receiving positive reports, the Yankees have talked with agent Barry Meister in parameters but as of late last night no offer had been made. Continue

Yankees & Damon are years from deal

The baseball world seems to think the Yankees will find themselves in a serious conversation with free agent center fielder Johnny Damon. But the Bombers, according to sources, have told Damon's agent, Scott Boras, they flat-out aren't interested in even talking about the former Red Sox star unless the discussion revolves around a three-year contract.

As of now, there's no substantive dialog since Boras wants a seven-year deal for Damon. Boras didn't return a phone message yesterday but he's believed to be waiting until next week's winter meetings in Dallas before accepting potential offers from interested clubs, though one executive said he expects the list will be short if seven years remains the price. Continue

Yanks hike tix to $110,call it chumps change

The Yankees - the $200 million team that hasn't won a World Series in five years - are hiking the price of their best seats to $110. Bombers fans howled in response, saying George Steinbrenner must think they have the secret combination to A-Rod's bank vault. "It's ridiculous," said Bob Ostrowski, 62, a hotel security guard from the lower East Side. "A typical New York family - a man with his wife and two kids - are priced out. Forget it!"

The Yankees are raising the price of box seats closest to the field, which are only available as part of season-ticket plans, by as much as $20. The seats, which include waiter service, will cost between $95 and $110 after selling for $90 last season. Continue

Ryan & Jays close deal

B.J. Ryan, a hard-throwing lefty closer whom the Yankees and Mets inquired about early on in free agency, signed a five-year, $47 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last night, the Daily News has learned.

Ryan, 29, had 36 saves in 41 attempts for the Orioles last season and had been pursued by the Indians, Tigers and Red Sox. The Mets and the Phillies viewed him as a fallback in case they could not sign Billy Wagner and the Yankees hoped they could convince him to set up for Mariano Rivera. Continue

Center yield

One door in Chicago closed on the Yankees' center field problem yesterday and another may have opened in Philadelphia. When the World-Champion White Sox sent Aaron Rowand to the Phillies for Jim Thome, Rowand was deleted from the Yankees' list. However, Philly's Jason Michaels, a player the Yankees have been asking about for two years, is likely available.

And while the 29-year-old Michaels isn't as sexy as Johnny Damon, as skilled as Milton Bradley, a proven hitter like Brian Giles or as fast as Juan Pierre, there are a lot of positives around the Tampa native who has never gotten a chance to play full-time in Philadelphia but has been a productive part-timer. Continue

Yanks being patient, not aggressive

Unlike other years when the Yankees chased the action, this winter they are content to let it come to them — at least in the early part of the dance. "I haven't," GM Brian Cashman said yesterday when asked if he had made offers to free agents. "We are still assessing the market and gauging the market."

Though the Red Sox added pitcher Josh Beckett, an area the Yankees believe they have enough coverage in, the Yankees are waiting to see if OF Brian Giles returns to San Diego. If he doesn't, something the Yankees believe he will, the Yankees likely will make an offer to the 34-year-old and ask him to play center field. Giles has played 36 games in center the past three years. Continue

Giles set to narrow his choices

Brian Giles' agent said yesterday he believes he will know soon how serious the Padres are about retaining the outfielder, which could mean the Yankees will have to look elsewhere for a center fielder this winter. But there were also signs yesterday that the Yankees' interest in Giles is waning, anyway. Some members of the Yankee hierarchy believe Giles hasn't shown a great deal of interest in coming to New York and it's well-known that Giles' first choice is San Diego.

Asked if he believed the Yankees were moving away from his client, Giles' agent, Joe Bick, said, "No, I think their interest is still there and I think they have been very patient with us and hopefully that'll continue to be the case. Continue

Yankees and Giles playing phone tag

Neither the Yankees' manager nor their former right fielder can connect with Brian Giles. As of early last night, both Joe Torre and Paul O'Neill had been unable to talk on the phone to lobby Giles, the free-agent slugger, according to Giles' agent, Joe Bick. "He has not spoken to either one of them," Bick said, noting that Torre and O'Neill had left messages for Giles and vice versa. Bick said he believed Giles had tried calling Torre at some point on Friday or Saturday. Continue

Yanks can only watch as Beckett prepares to be traded to Bosox

While the Yankees' momentum toward acquiring Brian Giles dissipated, their rivals executed a move that could trump anything George Steinbrenner does this offseason. And with Josh Beckett all but secured, the Red Sox have their eyes on Tom Gordon, too.Boston, despite its lack of a general manager, agreed in principle to send three minor-leaguers - shortstop Hanley Ramirez, righthander Anibal Sanchez and a player to be named - to the unraveling Florida Marlins in return for righthander Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell.

ESPN first reported the trade, which is contingent upon all of the players passing physicals. Beckett, a 25-year-old righthander, is best known among Yankees fans for winning the clinching Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, a 2-0 shutout at Yankee Stadium on three days' rest. That earned him Series Most Valuable Player honors. Continue

Yanks' center still cloudy

Another day passed yesterday without the Yankees' center field picture getting any clearer. Though the Yanks have made significant overtures to Brian Giles, the position could morph into more of a quandary for the Yanks as the winter progresses. It's unclear whether the Yankees have made an official offer to Giles or just dangled their famous "parameters" of a deal, but they would sign Giles for three years between $30 million-$33 million, according to a baseball executive. The Yankees' offer would be an upgrade on the $25.5 million package that Giles reportedly turned down from the Padres.

Joe Bick, Giles' agent, said he had not spoken to Yankee GM Brian Cashman yesterday, but that the two had chatted on Friday. "Everything is pretty much the same as it was," Bick said, though he added it was possible his client could come to visit New York in the near future but nothing had been set up. Continue

Yanks to Flash: two is enough

Yankee management is dead set against offering Tom Gordon a three-year contract. At the same time, though, the team's cornerstone players are adamant about bringing the set-up man back for 2006. Alex Rodriguez has already phoned Gordon this offseason in a recruiting pitch, The Post has learned. And a source said Derek Jeter cornered him at the end of the season to tell him, "We have to have you back here." Additionally, on Friday night, Mariano Rivera said, "I wish the Yankees do the right thing with him and try to bring him home. Because I believe, deep in his heart, he wants to be here with us. Continue

Torre losing touch

The quantity of celebrities in the room Friday night spoke volumes about Joe Torre's cachet. At the annual dinner for his Safe at Home Foundation, the Yankees' manager greeted VIPs such as George Will and Chazz Palminteri, not to mention five players from his World Series-winning teams (David Cone, Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez and Mariano Rivera).

In the baseball world, however, Torre's reputation as a recruiter - and the Yankees' status as the place to be - has taken a short-term hit.Torre confirmed that free- agent reliever B.J. Ryan is essentially off the Yankees' radar screen for now, as the lefthander wants to pursue closing opportunities elsewhere. He also noted that his call to another top bullpen target, Scott Eyre, didn't do much good, as Eyre has signed a three-year, $11-million contract with the Cubs. Continue

Yank focus way off center

There is no more glamorous piece of real estate in all of sports, not one, than center field at Yankee Stadium. It belonged to Joe DiMaggio once, and Mickey Mantle. For a long, proud, classy run, that real estate has belonged to Bernie Williams. Now we read and hear that Williams' successor out there might be Brian Giles of the Padres. We hear that the Yankees have searched far and wide and that Giles just might be their man. If that is true, they need another search committee.

Giles is a tough out, and a gamer. He had some big years for bad Pirates teams once. There was a season when he played 108 games in center field for the Pirates, even though this would be difficult to prove, since nobody has actually seen the Pirates in years.Continue

Yankees' pen has disappearing ink

Improving their bullpen figured to be the easiest part of this Yankees offseason. Yet just one week into the free-agency period, their top targets are looking elsewhere.

The Yankees' dream of B.J. Ryan setting up for Mariano Rivera has all but ended now that the lefthander has made it clear he would rather close elsewhere. He and his agent were in New York the last two days, but they visited only the Mets.The Yankees thought highly enough of Scott Eyre, meanwhile, to have manager Joe Torre place a recruiting call Tuesday, but it wasn't enough. Eyre's agent, Tommy Tanzer, called Wednesday to turn them down, and Eyre agreed to terms with the Cubs last night.

The Yankees now are concentrating on free-agent righthanders Kyle Farnsworth and Bob Howry, keeping tabs on the market for Tom Gordon and scanning the thin list of effective lefthanders looking for jobs (Mike Myers, Joey Eischen and Ricardo Rincon). Continue

Yanks' $52M keeps Matsui

Before they can fully address their glaring needs in center field and the bullpen, the Yankees had to take care of one of their own. They did that yesterday, agreeing to terms on a new contract with Hideki Matsui that will keep the Japanese superstar in the Bronx for the next four years and pay him $52 million, according to sources.

GM Brian Cashman and Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, put the finishing touches on the pact last night and Matsui is scheduled to have a press conference at the Stadium today. This contract makes him the highest-paid Japanese player in the game. Continue

Yank greats & Alex a World apart

Alex Rodriguez is exactly what he was when the Yankees traded for him 21 months ago. He is their trophy third baseman, more of a trophy third baseman than ever now that he has won his second MVP award in three years. He is just not the trophy the Yankees had in mind. "We can win three World Series, with me it's never going to be over," Rodriguez said yesterday. "I think my benchmark is so high that no matter what I do, it's never going to be enough, and I understand that."

What a guy. The definition of benchmark goes something like this: A point of reference for a measurement. A-Rod knew exactly how big Yankees were measured when he decided to move here from Texas and move from shortstop to third base. The idea that the expectations for him are now ridiculously high is ridiculously low comedy. Continue

Cashman working on the fly

Although he had to leave the GM meetings and fly cross-country to New York yesterday, Brian Cashman still squeezed in some work. The Yankees' GM spoke to Joe Bick, the agent for free-agent outfielder Brian Giles, before he flew out, according to Bick. Teams were allowed to make offers to free agents from other teams starting yesterday, although it's not believed that the Yankees were set to do that on Day 1. Bick, meanwhile, simply indicated that he expected to have more talks with the Yankees. Continue

Yanks eye Giles as Matsui waits

When agent Arn Tellem meets with his client, Hideki Matsui, in New York on Sunday, he'll have a significant offer in his hands from the Yankees. Although Yankee GM Brian Cashman plans to spend all day traveling today, Matsui's offer could be delivered by tonight. The Yankees are willing to give Matsui a four-year deal for $11-12 million per year, but it's unclear whether the Japanese slugger deems that enough.

Cashman also plans to speak with Brian Giles' agent, Joe Bick, sometime today, according to Bick. That would be at least their third conversation in recent days. Although most baseball observers think it's an either/or situation between Matsui and Giles, the former San Diego right fielder, Bick disagrees. Continue

'I want re$pect'

Hideki Matsui may want to stay a Yankee but, like the man who paid his check the past three seasons, he won't be a pushover. Matsui, a symbol of calm in his pinstripe tour of duty, has been surprisingly vocal in recent days about his future compensation.

According to a person familiar with the situation, Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, gave Matsui a list of comparable players that featured J.D. Drew (who signed a five-year, $55-million contract with the Dodgers last winter) and Matsui's Yankees teammate Gary Sheffield (who will complete a three-year, $39-million contract in 2006). Continue

Torre wants Bernie back

The two old friends had played phone tag for about a week before finally talking yesterday and Joe Torre came away with the sense that Bernie Williams wanted to continue his career as a Yankee, though Williams knows that he'd be a sub rather than the team's starting center fielder.

And Torre made it clear that he'd be happy to have Williams back. "I hope that's the case and I hope that our team, with the makeup, that it's going to work," Torre said last night before accepting an award from Child Magazine at a midtown gala. Continue

Trading Jorge moves to front of Yanks' plate

Tino Martinez won't be back with the Yankees next season and the Bombers are putting out feelers to see if they might be able to move Jorge Posada, too. In Martinez's case, the situation was simple: The Yanks are looking to cut their payroll, so they declined the 2006 option on Martinez, paying him a $250,000 buyout instead of bringing him back and paying his $3 million salary.

Posada's situation, on the other hand, is more complex. The Yankees have been trying to gauge interest in their catcher for nearly a year and a half, but have found few takers because of Posada's bulky contract. Continue

Flash, Cash both playing coy

The Yankees' opportunity to negotiate exclusively with Tom Gordon will expire after tomorrow, opening the window for the free-agent reliever to open discussions with other clubs. The Yankees recently made an informal, two-year offer to Gordon, but the right-handed reliever is seeking a three-year deal. He's coming off a two-year, $7.25 million contract. Rick Thurman, Gordon's agent, said a deal could still be brokered, but he hasn't spoken with general manager Brian Cashman in about a week and cited 16 teams that are actively looking for a closer. Gordon at the end of the season told reporters that he'd like to go back to being a closer.

Negotiations with the Yankees were left "up in the air" when the parties last talked, Thurman said. "I'm not sure we're that far off," Thurman added. "[Gordon] loved being in New York. He has no problem coming back there and setting up for Mariano." There is no formal plan for Thurman to meet with Cashman, but the agent said it could still happen. Continue

No go on Tino

After two chapters, the Yankees are turning the page on Tino Martinez. And unless they have a change of heart, the book is closed on his pinstriped playing career. The Bombers declined the $3 million option on Martinez yesterday, buying out the fan favorite for $250,000. Martinez, in turn, filed for free agency. "As far as my future goes, I have no idea," Martinez told MLB.com. "We'll see what happens. I haven't ruled anything out either way."

Although general manager Brian Cashman said he's "not locked in" to totally cutting ties with Martinez, he's eager to move forward. Cashman gave the 37-year-old first baseman the news by phone yesterday. "I'm trying to reduce payroll," Cashman said. "We have a young guy knocking down the door in Andy Phillips, and I'd like to see what Andy's capable of doing. "At least that's the early thought process." Continue

Cashman campaigns for Mo, votes for Hideki

This week is mostly about the Yankees' plans for next year, but today could bring a pleasant reminder of the season that just ended. As Brian Cashman is taking part in the GM meetings here that run through Friday, the AL Cy Young award will be announced today and Mariano Rivera is among the favorites.

Cashman has serious business to handle - tops on the agenda is his much-anticipated meeting with Hideki Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, currently scheduled for tomorrow - but he took a moment yesterday to, not surprisingly, back his closer as the league's best pitcher. "I hope (Rivera wins)," Cashman said. "He certainly deserves it. He's very worthy." Continue

In AL race, Cano 2nd to Street

Robinson Cano was one of the main reasons the Yankees rebounded from a 10-15 start, but his impact and superlative first year weren't enough to beat out Oakland closer Huston Street for the American League Rookie of the Year award.

Street yesterday became the second straight Athletics player to win the award, topping a strong freshman class by getting 15 of 28 first-place votes and finishing with 97 points. Five different players got first-place votes and Cano (four first-place votes) was second with 57 points after hitting .297 with 14 homers and 62 RBI. "I'm glad I didn't have to vote," Street said on a conference call. "There were so many guys who had a tremendous impact on their teams. Continue

Matsui Yanks' top task

The most important man for Brian Cashman to see in Palm Springs at the GM meetings is Arn Tellem, the representative for Hideki Matsui. While the Yankees are locked on free agent reliever B.J. Ryan and mulling a trade for center fielder Milton Bradley, getting Matsui signed to an extension quickly is a must. If Matsui isn't signed by midnight Nov. 15, the Yankees lose him. And after the three years he has given them, Matsui would be difficult to replace. Continue

Yanks gauge Giles in outfield

Hideki Matsui remains the Yankees' outfield priority, but GM Brian Cashman also has started looking into other outfield possibilities and recently called the representative for Brian Giles to express interest in the free agent. "I've had a conversation with Brian (Cashman)," said Joe Bick, Giles' agent. "He said they are assessing what they are going to do and, obviously, Brian is an attractive guy to them and they are interested in talking about him. We have nothing specifically set up, but I'm sure we'll have another conversation."

Cashman refused to divulge specifics about the talk, but noted, "We're going to touch base with everyone who could help us." Teams can't talk money with anyone but their own free agents until after Friday, but can tell players they are interested. Continue

Guidry back to make Yank arms complete

The Yankees' bullpen problems might best be solved by getting their starting pitchers to go deeper into games. And their new pitching coach certainly knows all about that. The team announced yesterday that Ron Guidry will replace Mel Stottlemyre at that position in 2006, bringing another Yankee legend back into the fold to join Don Mattingly on Joe Torre's coaching staff. Joe Kerrigan, who had been working as a video scout for the Yanks, was named bullpen coach. Continue

Yanks narrow center search

The popular belief heading into the GM meetings next week in Palm Springs is that the Yankees will have a better chance of laying the groundwork to find bullpen help than a center fielder. That's because B.J. Ryan, Kyle Farnsworth, Julian Tavarez and Ugueth Urbina are free agents and will only require money to obtain.

The only name among free agent center fielders, is Johnny Damon. Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, Milton Bradley and Mike Cameron all are attractive to the Yankees, but it would require a trade to land one of them. Continue

Yanks turn to Far East

Seibu Lions righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka still hopes to pitch in the major leagues this season even after his Japanese League team rejected his request to leave earlier this week. And if Matsuzaka somehow can convince his current employers to reverse course, the Yankees are expected to hotly pursue the pitcher considered by many to be the best in the Japanese League.

A major-league source said Yankees officials were severely disappointed when Seibu on Monday declined Matsuzaka's request to be offered to the big leagues, though not as disappointed as Matsuzaka, 25, who recently hired agent Scott Boras to help him realize his dream to play baseball in the United States. Continue

Pena good catch for Yankee staff

Joe Torre is not planning on going anywhere, but if the Yankees somehow end up with a managerial opening in the near future, they will have plenty of options. The team announced yesterday that Tony Pena will be the first-base coach in 2006, the former Royals skipper joining Larry Bowa and Lee Mazzilli as Yankee coaches with managerial experience. If Joe Kerrigan joins the staff as expected - likely as the bullpen coach - he would be the fourth ex-manager. Continue

Maz back on Yank bench

Despite a rocky first experience as a manager, Lee Mazzilli says he hopes to run his own team again. Until that happens, he's looking forward to sitting next to Joe Torre. The Yankees officially announced yesterday that Mazzilli will be returning to the Bronx next season as bench coach. He replaces Joe Girardi, who left to manage the Marlins.

"It's good to be home again," Mazzilli said on a conference call. "It's a good opportunity to come back, be alongside Joe on the bench. We're assembling a pretty good staff right now, and I'm happy to be a part of it." Continue

A-Rod should fold'em

Alex Rodriguez arrived in New York as one of the more image-conscious pro athletes, but he's spent much of his first two years in pinstripes putting out fires. And now, it's all-in for him, again. A-Rod's latest flap regards sightings of him playing poker at illegal city clubs, which made the gossip pages, and then caught the ire of MLB officials.

Although it is not illegal to play poker at these clubs, running them is against the law if the house takes a profit, and police have raided several of them in recent months. Continue

Lawton tests positive; 10-day ban in '06

If the Yankees had even a remote interest in bringing back Matt Lawton - and there's scant evidence they did - yesterday's news put an end to such thoughts. Lawton failed a steroids test, Major League Baseball announced, so the free agent will begin the 2006 season by serving a 10-day suspension.

"I made a terrible and foolish mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life," Lawton said, in a statement to The Associated Press. "I take full responsibility for my actions and did not appeal my suspension. I apologize to the fans, the game, my family and all those people that I let down. I am truly sorry and deeply regret my terrible lapse in judgment." Continue

To Yanks, kids are all right

Top Yankee executives began to lay out the Bombers' offseason blueprint yesterday and one theme was particularly familiar: Keep the kids. The Yanks' young stars like Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang figure to get plenty of attention as potential trade chips this winter, but the general consensus among Yankee brass, according to sources, is that any deal that involves those two probably isn't worth it.

That doesn't mean Cano or Wang won't be traded - nothing is ever certain in the Bronx - but the feeling on the first day of the Yanks' annual organizational meetings in Manhattan was that retaining young talent should be a priority. When GM Brian Cashman repeatedly stated a similar sentiment around July's trading deadline, it was met with a healthy dose of skepticism around baseball. After all, the Yanks rarely pass up a chance to deal a potential player for an established one. But the Yanks stuck to their philosophy then, so there's no reason to initially doubt them now. Continue

Yanks hire Bowa; Pena next?

Finalizing the coaching staff was high on the Yankees' agenda as they kicked off their organizational meetings yesterday, and by the day's end they were inching closer. The Yankees announced the hiring of Larry Bowa as third-base coach -- their first official move -- and former Royals manager Tony Pena confirmed he's had discussions about coaching first base.

"I think working for a ballclub like the New York Yankees, it's a privilege," Pena said in a telephone interview. "It's a ballclub where you know you have a chance to win." With Lee Mazzilli, Ron Guidry and Joe Kerrigan also likely to be hired, the staff promises to be overhauled, with only hitting coach Don Mattingly back in the same role. Continue

Yankee meetings have N.Y. accent

The first steps in the Yankees' offseason program will be taken today when the Bombers begin their annual organizational meetings. George Steinbrenner and other Tampa-based executives will take part in the meetings, which had been held in Florida in recent years but have been moved to New York. That change has been seen as a symbol of the revamped chain-of-command within the organization, and GM Brian Cashman - who only signed a new contract to return after receiving assurances about the new structure - is expected to chair the proceedings.

Steinbrenner likely will remain in New York all week, though the formal meetings are only expected to last a few days as the Bombers lay out their priorities. At the forefront is landing a center fielder and shoring up the bullpen. Continue

Hideki on the clock

When the Yankee brass gathers today for organizational meetings in the city, one of the hottest topics discussed by the dysfunctional family will be Hideki Matsui. Sure, the Yankees want Matsui back. And Matsui's first preference is to remain a Yankee. Yet, if no deal is reached before midnight, Nov. 15, the Yankees have to release their starting left fielder and can't talk to him until May. So, if Matsui doesn't sign by the deadline, the Yankees will need a left fielder in addition to a center fielder and lose a big part of their lineup. Continue

Gold glove awarded to Jeter

After being shut out for the first eight years of his career, Derek Jeter has won his second straight Gold Glove, The Post has learned. According to multiple industry sources, the announcement that Jeter is the AL Gold Glove winner will be made today.

Jeter, whose .979 fielding percentage was second to the Angels' Orlando Cabrera's .988 among AL shortstops, was voted the winner by AL coaches. Jeter's fielding percentage was ninth among major league shortstops. After committing a career-low 13 errors a year ago, Jeter was charged with 15 this past season when his assists (454) dwarfed Cabrera's (347). Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez won his eighth Silver Slugger Award yesterday. Continue