All Things Bubba

Newsday is reporting that the Yankees have given up on acquiring Santana:

Johan Santana is not expected to be the Yankees' big Christmas present, a source with knowledge of the situation said Friday.

"I don't see it happening with us," the source said. "We pulled out in Nashville, and we haven't put an offer back on the table."

Eh. I don't buy it. They may have pulled out in Nashville, but the lines have been open since then, according to many reports. I think it's just posturing. The negotiations will resume after New Year's.

Reds beat writer John Fay thinks the Reds are still hoping to land Bedard. The young pitchers they got from Texas for Josh Hamilton may be to replace Homer Bailey, should he go to Baltimore.

Fay also suggests that questions about Hamilton's durability and some clubhouse friction over Johnny Narron made him easy for the Reds to trade. Remember this? After Jerry Narron was fired, Hamilton warned the Reds they better not fire Johnny:

"He's a package deal with me. If I'm going to be here, he's going to be here. And that's not just for this year. That's for a lot of years," Hamilton said. "If they're really serious about having me as a player and want me to do well, they'll keep things like they are."

Pretty ballsy for a rookie to be making demands like that. I gotta say, that gave me pause. Not least because that kind of grandiosity is so common among addicts.

Then the Reds fired Johnny anyway at the end of the season. That was when I started expecting to see Hamilton traded.

Though he was apparently completely surprised. He didn't see it coming.

I think he'll do well in Texas, though. Assuming he stays healthy. He should hit a lot of home runs there. He'll be a starter there for sure (which wasn't certain in Cincinnati).