Yankees 2009

Each year, I feel like I start out the beginning of each baseball season saying how I'm less enthusiastic about the Yankees than I was the year before. This year will be no different.

I'm very concerned about the team's prospects this year. Their starting rotation is quite good, and should be pretty durable. CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang will be a nice 1-2 but there are still some questions. I don't think Sabathia will be as strong an ace as say, Johan Santana but given the money he's getting he will be expected to be. AJ Burnett should be decent, Andy Pettitte should suffice as a #4 and Joba Chamberlain belongs in the rotation. The minors seem to have enough pitching depth in case Joba runs out of gas or there is an injury. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy had nice springs, Kei Igawa and Brett Tomko were both also amazing during the spring time. This staff should be a nice upgrade over last year, but the Red Sox have a very formidable pitching staff out there and I'm not sure the Yankees are as good.

The bullpen is very strong. Mariano Rivera appears well after his shoulder surgery. Again, the minor leagues seem well stocked enough to fill in if any of the bullpen arms go down.

As for the lineup, this is where things are a little tricky. While Giambi and Abreu didn't have great seasons last year, the only acquisition the Yankees have made is Mark Teixeira, who will not be able to make up the production of both these players. Add in the loss of A-Rod, the unpredictable returns of Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui (who can't play DH at the same time) and the increased age of Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, there has to be some concern on the run scoring side. Nick Swisher should be starting over Xavier Nady, but this probably won't make a huge difference for now. Brett Gardner brings an extra dimension to the game that will be fun to watch, but again the production improvement over Melky Cabrera probably is not going to be huge. So the projected lineup is something like: Jeter SS, Damon CF, Teixeira 1B, Matsui DH, Nady RF, Posada C, Cano 2B, Ransom 3B, Gardner CF. Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher, and Jose Molina will also likely see a lot of time in the lineup. If Matsui and Posada do not perform as they had in the past (and it would be difficult as they are coming off surgery and one year older).

Finally, long term, the Yankees are going to have a huge dilemma when it comes to Derek Jeter. This is probably the most depressing decision they'll have to face in the future. Jeter has been getting a lot of flack lately for his defense, especially during the WBC when he was playing ahead of Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies. His contract will expire after the 2010 season, and it's not clear what the Yankees will do with him after that. He can't move to 3B or 1B as those positions are locked up for years to come. The only other options would be for him to go to the outfield or stay at SS. If his play is truly deteriorating, and few shortstops ever finish their careers at the position, then he would need to go to the OF. If between Cabrera or Gardner, one is the CF of the future, then that position is locked up. That would leave RF or LF remaining. At least one of these is traditionally a power position. In essence, Jeter will stay at SS, convert to the OF in a position he has never played or no longer be a Yankee. Given his salary and superstar status, it's hard to think that the Yankees wouldn't re-sign him but where will he play?