Would the Yankees really pull the trigger on CC, Big Mike?

Lately, the Yankiverse has spawned a bucket of infield chatter about trades that - frankly - look dubious. Brian Cashman - who never flags a deal in advance - has noted that anything is possible, that anyone can go, and that anywhere can be Paris - if you use your imagination. Thus, we hear that Brett Gardner, Chase Headley, Michael Pineda and even CC Sabathia are on the block. But I wonder... and here's why.

Gardy: Technically, he's been on the block since that dark day when the Yankees signed Ellsbury, (in part to divert attention from Joginson Cano - the Seahawks'12th man - going to Seattle.) The reason: a) Gardner is nearly a clone of Ellsbury and b) the lineup is lopsided with lefty lead-off men. Still, I can't help but think Cashman would prefer to jettison Ellsbury, whom we'll have for Trump's entire four year term. Gardy will be gone after two. (We have a third year option.)

Hal Steinbrenner paid down Brian McCann's contract to trade him, and Cash immediately noted that the deal gave us "flexibility." Well, the real Yankee bottleneck is in CF, where Ellsbury stands, and it's only going to worsen, as our young outfielders rise through the system. We never hear Ellsbury's name in rumors. To me, that's a reason to raise suspicions.

Headley: We hear teams have made "inquiries." So what? Every day I get inquiries in the mail - from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I tear them up, except for the Calgon Bath Oil Beads coupons. (The Yankees traded Aaron Judge? Calgon Bath Oil Beads, take me away!) The problem with trading Headley is simple: We have nobody else to play the position. He's going to hold the position until Miguel Andujar either arrives or bombs out - which is two years. We can go out and sign a place-holder, but it won't be cheap, and we'll be right back where we are already. Trading Headley? I just don't see it.

CC: After all the water under the bridge here - his alcoholism rehab, his bum knees, his many many innings - it's hard to believe the Yankees would trade a team leader and certified warhorse. If CC looks fat, it's because he eats innings. We will be auditioning a bunch of young starters this season, and we'll need somebody to go out and throw six innings every fifth day. What would we get for him? Two rookie league nobodies? Nah. I don't think so.

Pineda: A lot of fans would love to see him go. And there might be a market from teams that look at him and see Ivan Nova: He's the classic guy who needs to get out of NYC. But nobody escapes this team alive, nobody. If we're dead at the deadline, Pineda can go to Pittsburgh, like everybody else. I don't see him going this winter, unless it's in a huge package of prospects.

Look - I'm all in on a full-scale, nuclear housecleaning. I don't see us winning it this year. But this recent trade speculation - nope, I think we're being fed diversions. Whatever Cash is going to do, he's not going to let it tumble out in rumors.