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Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Starts and Sits: Week 12 Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to start and sit for in Week 12 /fantasy/baseball/lists/Top-10-Fantasy-Baseball-Start-and-Sits-061713 http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/17/061713-MLB-Good-the-bad-the-Uggla-TV-Pi_20130617155811299_136_102.JPG
The phenoms of 2013 2013's rookies and first-year players full of phenoms making a crop that is the best in years, including Yasiel Puig, Evan Gattis, Wil Myers, Gerrit Cole and Hyun-Jin Ryu. /mlb/lists/2013-rookies-first-year-players-phenoms-best-in-years-yasiel-puig-evan-gattis-wil-myers-gerrit-cole-hyun-jin-ryu-061713 http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/07/060613-MLB-Yasiel-Puig-PI-AA_20130607011200341_136_102.JPG
Fantasy Baseball Studs and Duds Week 10 Fowler names the best and worst fantasy baseball players from the week that was. /fantasy/baseball/lists/week-10-fantasy-baseball-studs-and-duds-yasiel-puig-061113 http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/11/061113-FANTASY-MLB-PAT-A-CAKE-OB-PI_20130611131713455_136_102.JPG
Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Starts and Sits: Week 11 Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to start and sit for in Week 11 /fantasy/baseball/lists/Top-10-Fantasy-Baseball-Start-and-Sits-061013 http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/10/061013-MLB-Friars-Club-TV-Pi_20130610154535396_136_102.JPG
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MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10880522 10 players who'd look good in pinstripes 10+players+who%27d+look+good+in+pinstripes MLB With the Super Bowl out of the way, it’s time to re-engage our real national pastime: rooting for (or hating on) the Yankees.

There’s no neutral ground with this empire; you either admire the Bombers’ obsession with winning and their limitless supply of cash, or else you’re convinced every Yankee victory brings us a day closer to the apocalypse.

Given that passion, here are 10 players who’d be difference-makers in Pinstripes, the one who could raise the Yankees to the level of untouchables. Either that, or drag them a rung closer to the inferno. — Bob Klapisch
 Lisa Blumenfeld - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/09/020810-MLB-Dustin-Pedroia-P_20100209024721_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/09/020810-MLB-Dustin-Pedroia-P_20100209024721_107_80.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879300 Johnny Damon Johnny+Damon MLB This is a sentimental pick, because the Yankees and Damon have obviously moved in opposite directions. Both sides should’ve thought more carefully about that break-up.

Damon and agent Scott Boras badly misread the market for a 36-year-old left fielder with declining defensive skills. That the Yankees didn’t offer Damon arbitration should’ve been a wake-up call that last year’s $13 million contract wasn't going to be duplicated. Hunting for similar money guaranteed the end of his Yankee career.

But the Bombers needed to be more aware of what Damon did for the clubhouse; how he helped change the climate around Alex Rodriguez. And, as he proved in the postseason, Damon could be counted on under duress.

That might not have been worth $13 million a year or even $10 million, but the fact that a compromise wasn’t reached was a failure that Damon and the Yankees will ultimately regret. — Bob Klapisch

 Mike Stobe - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/1_20100208203645_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/1_20100208203645_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879231 Carlos Beltran Carlos+Beltran MLB The Mets center fielder has never been entirely comfortable in Flushing, and the relationship with ownership has further deteriorated in a recent public relations war over the surgery on his right knee.

Beltran says the Mets green-lighted the operation, which will keep him on the DL until June; the front office says Beltran went rogue and did it on his own. The slugger is probably thinking life would’ve been simpler if the Yankees had pursued him as a free agent in 2006. Beltran would’ve taken less than $119 million he ultimately got from the Mets, and the Yankees would’ve had the perfect successor to Bernie Williams.

Instead, George Steinbrenner preferred Randy Johnson, which everyone now realizes was the wrong horse to pick. — Bob Klapisch
 Ezra Shaw - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/2_20100208203645_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/2_20100208203645_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879110 Cliff Lee Cliff+Lee MLB The Phillies had their chance to sign Lee to a long-term contract this winter, but trading him to the Mariners officially started the clock on his free agency. And guess who’s counting the days until Lee files: the Yankees, who covet the left-hander for a million reasons.

They love Lee’s 4-0 record and 1.56 ERA in last year’s postseason, including his two wins over the Yankees in the World Series. Lee has proved he’s October-tough, is American League-tested and will be awarding himself to the highest bidder in a few months. The heavy breathing you hear is coming directly from GM Brian Cashman’s office. — Bob Klapisch
 Jed Jacobsohn - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/3_20100208203645_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/3_20100208203645_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879230 Carl Crawford Carl+Crawford MLB Another lay-up for the architects of the 2011 Yankee roster. Making room for Crawford is one reason the Yankees were so obviously lukewarm in their pursuit of Johnny Damon; they’re ready to give left field to the younger, more athletic Crawford, who, like Lee, will be a free agent after this season.

Between Crawford and Curtis Granderson, the Yankees’ outfield would be remarkably fleet and would make fans forget about the era of the unsteady Damon and the lumbering Hideki Matsui.

It’s all part of the Yankees’ wish to field a more athletic team in this decade. Crawford certainly fits that profile, having already stolen 50 or more bases five times while hitting .300 four of the last five seasons. — Bob Klapisch
 Jim McIsaac - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/4_20100208203645_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/4_20100208203645_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879320 John Lackey John+Lackey MLB While we’re on the topic of sleeping with the enemy, don’t let the Yankees fool you — they were sorely tempted to take a run at John Lackey before he ended up in Boston.

The right-hander has the make-up and the postseason experience to have been a perfect fit in Pinstripes. The Yankees ultimately devoted their resources toward Granderson and Javier Vazquez; for public consumption they say they were concerned about the long-term durability of Lackey’s arm.

But in a big game or big series, we’d put our money on Lackey before Vazquez. The Mets were crazy not to pursue Lackey in earnest, and although the Yankees’ rotation is strong enough to live without Lackey, lining him up behind Josh Beckett and Jon Lester gives the Sox the best front-line rotation in the American League. — Bob Klapisch
 Stephen Dunn - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/5_20100208203645_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/5_20100208203645_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879232 Dustin Pedroia Dustin+Pedroia MLB Yes, we know the Yankees have the more talented second baseman in Robinson Cano. The Bronx incumbent is smooth, super-cool and has a hitting DNA to die for. But Pedroia plays harder and has a greater emotional investment in the day-to-day outcome of his team. In other words, he cares more than Cano.

In an alternate reality, Pedroia’s intensity would blend perfectly in a tapestry created by Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. It was no surprise that Pedroia and Jeter got along so well as teammates during the World Baseball Classic; they run on the same type of engine.

It’s true Pedroia swings like he’s auditioning for the Home Run Derby, but his contact ratio is astounding: 93 percent over the course of his career.
— Bob Klapisch
 Paul Bereswill - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/6_20100208203645_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/6_20100208203645_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879233 Joe Mauer Joe+Mauer MLB Another pipe dream here, because baseball really needs Mauer and the Twins to stay married for a long, long time. His hypothetical defection to the Yankees would be enough to hand a generation of fans over to MMA, or the WWE, or bowling. It would start an insurgency that Bud Selig could never quell.

But similar to the Pujols scenario, it’s impossible to completely extinguish the Yankee pipe dream as long as Mauer remains unsigned beyond 2010. They’ve got the money, the need (as Posada transitions toward DH status) and the near-guarantee of putting Mauer in the postseason every year.

And can you imagine what the game’s best hitting catcher would do in home run-friendly Yankee Stadium? It’s enough to make a Yankee dreamer perspire in anticipation — and enough to make a Twins fans wake up in a cold sweat, thankful that Mauer isn’t leaving the Twin Cities anytime soon. — Bob Klapisch
 Jamie Squire - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/7_20100208203657_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/7_20100208203657_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10879321 Albert Pujols Albert+Pujols MLB Before we go any further, let us assure panicked (and understandably outraged) Cardinals fans that Pujols isn’t going anywhere. The chances of him leaving the Cardinals are negligible.

But …

He’s in his walk year, and the Cardinals have just plunked down $120 million for Matt Holliday. In all likelihood, they wrote this massive check to convince Pujols they’re serious about winning. Then again, the Cardinals might’ve been safe-guarding themselves against the possibility that Pujols decides he’s worth more than GM John Mozeliak can pay.

If Pujols wants Alex Rodriguez-like money — and everyone knows he’s worth it and then some — the Yankees would be his best option. No one in the Bombers’ front office is counting on this as a realistic outcome, but as the old New York Lottery slogan used to say, “hey, you never know.” — Bob Klapisch
 Jeff Gross - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/8_20100208203657_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/08/8_20100208203657_70_70.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10880502 Tim Lincecum Tim+Lincecum MLB EDITOR'S NOTE: Looks like the Giants wised up at the last minute, avoiding arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $23 million contract for Lincecum on Friday, after this was written.

Negotiations between the Giants and their ace are going poorly; it’s a near certainty that Lincecum will end up across the table from his bosses at an arbitration hearing.

Arguments during arbitration often create hard feelings.  Lincecum might not be so fond of the Giants for failing to offer what (he thinks) was a fair raise after his second consecutive Cy Young Award.

Maybe he'll go year to year with the Giants until free agency in 2013. Maybe he’ll think about the biggest paycheck that’ll be waiting for him — where else? — in New York. The Yankees would welcome Lincecum as a successor to A.J. Burnett, who’ll be nearing the end of his contract. A longshot, but not  impossible. — Bob Klapisch
 Ezra Shaw - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/09/020810-MLB-Tim-Lincecum-P_20100209024305_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/09/020810-MLB-Tim-Lincecum-P_20100209024305_107_80.JPG
MLB 49 43 10 guys who would look good in pinstripes 10880521 Prince Fielder Prince+Fielder MLB Putting Fielder and his massive home run swing in Yankee Stadium would be like allowing LeBron James to play on a nine-foot hoop. Fielder’s blasts over the right-field fence would be more than massive, they would be laboratory experiments.

The images are too powerful to ignore; with Fielder headed for free agency this winter, coming off a modest, two-year, $18 million deal, he’s clearly looking at a pay-off worthy of his stature. Who better than the Steinbrenner family to finance that new revenue stream?

Fielder, whose father played in the Bronx from 1996-97, has the Yankee blood lines, he has the swagger and, goodness, he has the home run gene. At the age of 25, Fielder has already hit 160 HRs, which makes him larger than life, if not slightly larger than his uniform.  — Bob Klapisch
 Harry How - Getty Images http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/09/020810-MLB-Prince-Fielder-P_20100209024446_600_400.JPG http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2010/02/09/020810-MLB-Prince-Fielder-P_20100209024446_107_80.JPG
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http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/17/061713-MLB-Good-the-bad-the-Uggla-TV-Pi_20130617155811299_136_102.JPG Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Starts and Sits: Week 12 Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to... Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to start and sit for in Week 12 Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to start and sit in Week 12 Jun 17, 2013 5:17 PM ET 1 40 /fantasy/baseball/lists/Top-10-Fantasy-Baseball-Start-and-Sits-061713
http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/07/060613-MLB-Yasiel-Puig-PI-AA_20130607011200341_136_102.JPG The phenoms of 2013 2013's rookies and first-year players full of... 2013's rookies and first-year players full of phenoms making a crop that is the best in years, including Yasiel Puig, Evan Gattis, Wil Myers, Gerrit... These guys have big hype or big numbers -- or both. Either way, this rookie class appears to be something special. Jun 17, 2013 7:30 AM ET 1 40 /mlb/lists/2013-rookies-first-year-players-phenoms-best-in-years-yasiel-puig-evan-gattis-wil-myers-gerrit-cole-hyun-jin-ryu-061713
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http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/06/10/061013-MLB-Friars-Club-TV-Pi_20130610154535396_136_102.JPG Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Starts and Sits: Week 11 Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to... Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to start and sit for in Week 11 Meyer advices fantasy baseball owners who to start and sit in Week 11 Jun 10, 2013 4:57 PM ET 1 40 /fantasy/baseball/lists/Top-10-Fantasy-Baseball-Start-and-Sits-061013
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