"It was only Friday that Brian Cashman drew a deep breath and executed a tornado of moves that fattened his starting rotation, and forced him to part with a beloved prospect — who also happened to be his expected designated hitter this year. So it was easy to understand, two days later, when Yankees insiders sai d they had not had time to fully consider DH options for 2012.

While a return to New York for Johnny Damon is possible, it is far from imminent. According to one source, the Yankees "haven't evaluated our options or preferences yet," in the wake of the trade that sent DH/catcher Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to Seattle for pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. On the same night, the team agreed to a one-year contract with veteran righthander Hiroki Kuroda.

The Yankees are also considering an internal DH candidate, 29-year-old Jorge Vazquez, whoz hit 32 home runs and posted an .830 OPS last season for Triple-A Scranton."