It looks like Jeff Nelson has decided to forgo pinstripes in exchange for some Cardinal red. St. Louis gave him a minor-league contract worth about $800,000 if he makes the big-league club out of spring training, with incentives could push the deal to more than $1 million.

As much as I liked the results that Nelson put up when he was with the Yankees, I'm happy to see him being added to another team's roster. I wasn't enthused with the rumors ealier this month that Jeff was going to be given a spring training invite. Of course, now we have word from NY Newsday that Tanyon Sturtze is still hurting.

Tanyon Sturtze took his late 2005 right shoulder woes seriously enough to spend his offseason in Manhattan so he could make thrice-weekly visits to a Columbia-Presbyterian specialist. Tests showed the Yankees reliever's pitching shoulder to be "worn down and weak," Sturtze said Friday at Mohegan Sun.

I don't think that losing Sturtze would be an enormous loss but it would explain the interest in Jeff Nelson.

I thought, and and still think, that there are several other options that are worth considering before turning to a 39-year old reliever. Granted, Jeff has been exceptionally good against righties. He held them to a .196/.319/.247/.566 OPS line in 2005 and to a .218/.304/.299/.603 OPS line over the last three years. Of course, Scott Proctor (yes, THAT Scott Proctor) held righties to a .217/.270/.358/.628 OPS last year so if you were looking for someone who could work against righties, he could fill that role. He's cheaper and 10 years younger, though not nearly as effective against lefties...yet. There's also another option in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Called-Up just in case there was a need for a pitcher who has dominated in the minors.

Also, this is from the Newsday article referenced earlier:

The Yankees very much need a healthy Sturtze, given that Kyle Farnsworth is guaranteed to be a colossal flop and Octavio Dotel is no guarantee to get healthy.

Thank you for the insight, Miss Cleo.