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We all bash the Yankees for their frivolous spending. Even the most ardent pinstripe supporter laments the way the Steinbrenner family throws their might and money around, shaking their collective head at signings like Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano. Most were happy to have a reprieve entering 2008 when youth was served, or at least given a chance. But now that the luster is off the bloom of the Yankees??? heralded prospects, head honcho Hank has begin to throw his considerable (yet sometimes unexplainable) influence around throughout the halls of the Yankee kingdom. Rumors abound of acquiring C.C. Sabathia, Jake Peavy, Derek Lowe and others. So let???s speculate what could be, just because it???s fun, and gives us all that warm feeling during the coldness of winter. Let???s see what the Yankees can do if they decide to ???go big.??? What would it take for the Yankees to meet the Padres demands for Peavy? Well the Friars have stated they want young pitching and help up the middle. How about a package of Ian Kennedy, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Zach McAllister? That???s in the same ballpark as the rumored Atlanta Braves package of Yunel Escobar, Gorkys Hernandez, Charlie Morton/Jo-Jo Reyes and Blaine Boyer. Kennedy could go right into the Padres rotation, and his ability to pitch to contact would certainly play better in PetCo Park than at Yankee Stadium. So would Cano???s gap power, and despite his down season in 2008, let???s not forget he batted over .300 with considerable gap power for two years in row. Opinions may differ on Cabrera, but when you consider the Padres used Scott Hairston and Will Venable for a combined 71 starts in CF in 2008, they will be happy to take Cabrera and hope he comes somewhere close to his potential. McAllister had one of the best years of any Yankee minor league pitcher, which means it???s only a matter of time before he goes somewhere, and there???s no time like the present. But let???s not stop there. The Bombers have also shown interest in fellow free agent pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe. Yankee management has irons in both of those fires. No team has made an offer to free agent 1B Mark Teixeira yet, but you can be sure the Yankees will be calling. A conservative estimate has Teixeira signing for eight years and $160 million, and that sounds awful lot like Yankee money. Of course, after trading Cano, and possibly signing another ground-baller (Lowe) to go with Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees will need a strong defensive replacement at 2B. Enter Orlando Hudson. O-Dog and his stellar defense would be a great fit for the Yankees. Of course, we can all hear it now, the Yankee haters screaming that they are buying another championship. And to a certain extent they will be as right as they ever were. But let???s look at what the above scenario does to the Yankee payroll. Coming off the books (2008 salary): Jason Giambi - $21M Bobby Abreu - $16M Ivan Rodriguez - $13M Mike Mussina - $11M Carl Pavano - $11M Andy Pettitte - $16M Robinson Cano - $6M Total = $94M Going on the books (projected 2009) Jake Peavy - $8M (actual) C.C. Sabathia - $23M (6-yr/$140M) Derek Lowe - $15M (4-yr/ $60M) Mark Teixeira - $20M (8-yr/$160M) Orlando Hudson - $12M (4-yr/$48M) Total = $78M Now surely these are all estimates, based purely on speculation, but are any of them unrealistic? The fact remains that the Yankees can go on a shopping spree the likes of which we haven???t seen since Supermarket Sweep, and still lower their payroll???significantly. Given the standard the Yankees have set for themselves, this spending spree actually still leaves them below where they have been in the past. GM Brian Cashman would still have $16 M to bolster the bullpen without raising the budget. The Yankees may fall back to their free spending ways, but with the players available this off-season, it isn???t the terrible policy it once was. The Yankees downfall over the past decade wasn???t that they spent too much; it was that they spent it poorly. Carl Pavano cashed in on being the best free agent in a weak crop of pitchers after the 2004 season. He wasn???t worth 4 yrs/ $39.95 M, but he was the best available and the Yankees felt they needed pitching. Pavano cashed in because of supply and demand. This off-season, the supply is significantly stronger, especially when it comes to starting pitching. Pitchers like Lowe and Burnett, considered the second-tier free agents, are significantly better than the Pavanos and Jaret Wrights that led to the Yankees wasteful spending. A shopping spree this off-season would likely work significantly better than in years past. Consider the Yankees new formidable lineup: Johnny Damon CF/LF/DH Derek Jeter SS Alex Rodriguez 3B Mark Teixeira 1B Xavier Nady RF/DH Hideki Matsui LF/RF/DH Jorge Posada C/DH Nick Swisher CF/DH Orlando Hudson 2B And rotation: C.C. Sabathia Jake Peavy Chien-Ming Wang Derek Lowe Joba Chamberlain Or the Yankees could re-insert Phillip Hughes into the rotation and let Joba Chamberlain go back to being the best set-up man in baseball. It???s a win-win for the Yankees. Regardless of how it plays out, it???s a formidable Yankees team with an estimated payroll right around $200 million dollars (they spent over $209 M in 2008). It isn???t likely that the Yankees land all of the players mentioned, but they are going to be big spenders. And unlike the past few years, big spending will work this year.