Brian Cashman bailing out James Dolan with Lee deal

If Joel Sherman's report late last night that the Yankees were on the "brink of landing Cliff Lee," Brian Cashman is doing James Dolan a huge favor.

The Knicks owner failed to land uber free agent LeBron James last night, as he is headed to South Beach to form the super trio with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. If Cashman acquired Lee today before he makes his start against the Yankees tonight, it would be a big enough move to steer New York's attention away from the sadness of missing out on LeBron to the happiness of landing Lee.

I know what you all are thinking, "What about Jesus Montero?" Well, he's a goner if the deal goes through and Yankees fans are going to have to accept that. The fact is, fans have a tendency to fall in love with homegrown prospects when really they are all just prospects. When they mature, they have the potential to become a star, but more often than not they just become a regular player or even a backup. When you have a chance to land a star for a prospect, it's still favoring the team who gets the sure-thing.

Here's a thought: Maybe the Yankees gave up on Montero. They recognized he's hitting only .253 in Triple-A and isn't producing the power numbers he was supposed to be producing. And what if he can't refine his catching skills enough to be a backstop in the majors? His value significantly drops if he can only play at DH. To be perfectly honest, there doesn't seem to be a lot of hope for this mega prospect.

To clarify, there would be at least two other prospects in this deal, according to Sherman.

If I'm James Dolan, I'm kissing Cashman's feet the second after this trade gets completed. And yes, I do believe it will get completed today. Sherman, of the New York Post, may work for a rumor-filled paper, but he's also one of the best news breakers in town.