The inevitable drama and speculation fueled Yankee offseason is upon us. But this year the stakes have been raised even higher. There stands the possibility that the Yankee will lose Manager Joe Torre, SP Roger Clemens, SP Andy Pettitte, Catcher Jorge Posada, Closer Mariano Rivera, and soon to be 3-time AL MVP, 3B Alex Rodriguez.

I’ll address Torre first: He is all I know when it comes to Yankee baseball. He is shooting 100% bringing this team to the playoffs. When he came in, the New York media raped him, calling him ‘Clueless Joe’ and a host of insults, but Joe remained steadfast and showed everyone why he is the greatest Yankees manager of all-time (IMHO). Instead Joe has had to deal with the toughest media in the world, some of the sport’s largest egos, and never ending speculation that his job was in jeopardy. I really believe he is deserving of the AL Manager of the Year Award for what he did in this transition season. After the Yanks lost in game 4, the press conference felt like a Joe Torre funeral. There have been some inside leaks that Mattingly and Torre are trying to work together to announce a change of the guard, with Donny Baseball already publicly stating he does not really want to follow in Torre’s footsteps, comparing it to following John Wooden at UCLA. I think Torre should stay plain and simple. The job he deserves this season at least warrants a 2-year extension. But 7 straight playoffs with no WS doesn’t cut it for the aging Boss. We’ll have to wait and see if Joe goes or somehow comes back again, but it’ll be a sad day when he does, in fact, stop donning those Yankee pinstripes. That said, Mattingly would be my next choice…and if he doesn’t want it Bowa, assuming Bowa even sticks around considering his allegiance to Torre.

On to the Sandman. Mo is, again IMHO, the best reliever in the history of baseball. He wanted a contract this year but Cash Money stuck to his guns and said the Yanks don’t negotiate contracts mid-season. Probably with good reason, Mo started off very, very shaky this year but finally settled in. He had a good year but by his standards, it was mediocre. Facts are facts, he’s getting older. He has said he is ‘excited’ about testing the Free Agent market but that is solely a bargaining tool, he’ll be back in the Bronx next year with a 1-2 year deal worth about $15M a year.

Roger Clemens, arguably the best pitcher of all-time considering the ear he pitched in, is all but done. He struggled all season on the mound and nursed a weak hammy the whole last month of the year culminating in a anti-climatic 3 IP outing in the ALDS. We can’t however look past the achievements he made as a Yankee and the influence he had on all the young pitching that was thrust into the biggest stage in baseball this summer. I hope Roger goes to the Hall as a Yankee, because he has been a class act throughout his tenure in NY.

I believe Pettitte’s decision will be solely based on Torre’s return. Clemens, his BFF, will be gone, providing further incentive. There are reports Andy, at 35, is seriously considering retirement because his love of the game isn’t that of a Clemens, and he’s okay coaching Little League back in Texas. The Yankees will bring him back if he so wishes, my opinion is he stays of Joe stays, and walks with a new manager.

Jorge Posada had the best offensive season of his career this past season and with the exception of A-Rod’s ridiculous season, would have been right in the middle of the AL MVP discussion. He’ll be back, as the Yanks have no decent catching prospects or anything equal out in the FA market, expect Jorge to hold out for a 3-4 year deal worth about $15M a year…who says HGH doesn’t pay?

And finally Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez, the soon to be crowned 3x American League Most Valuable Player. He endured some tough years in NY, and to be honest, he was not ready for the market coming from Seattle and Arlington. The media spit chewed him up and spit him out when he played poorly, and A-Rod couldn’t adapt and started pressing. Even then he was one of the best players in baseball. This year he basically knew he had the opt-out clause at season’s end so just went out and played baseball. Along the way he had one of the more conving MVP seasons in recent AL memory. He had a career high in RBI’s, eclipsed 50 HR’s again, and led the Yankees offense to the postseason when they probably didn’t deserve to be there. He has won over New York and has a home here. So why leave? He is a no doubt Hall of Famer, so why play for another team and be another homeless player in the Hall of Fame? Who’s hat would he wear? Who’s legacy would he be remembered with? Alex wants to win a championship more than anything. His two best chances to do so are New York and Boston. If he flees to Boston, he will become the most hated athlete ever in New York, his hometown…I just don’t see it. He needs no more money and has said he wants a contract that ensures him playing to up to 43 years old. That means this next record breaking contract could realistically top out at 10 years at around $400M. Scott Boras is a snake and has had a great part in ruining baseball over the past decade, but its within the rules so who can blame him? And don’t let Cashman’s statements about letting A-Rod go if he opts-out, it is solely a leverage claim to entice A-Rod to stay for the less money in his current contract. The Yankees will give him whatever he wants, it’s up to him if he stays.