New York Yankees Should Go with a More Versatile Lineup

So much of the spring has revolved around the New York Yankees pitching staff that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that these are the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees are built for the long ball. Six players hit 16 home runs or more in 2011, and that doesn't count the 14 homers hit by Jorge Posada and 13 by Andruw Jones as a part-time designated hitter.

And this season, Raul Ibanez, another 20-homer-plus addition to the lineup, makes the Yankees more imposing.

This kind of power makes pitchers pay for their mistakes. But the downside is that the Yankees are one-dimensional on offense. Robinson Cano (.328) is the only .300 hitter in the lineup.

The Joe Girardi Yankees are not as diverse as the teams managed by Joe Torre that could beat opponents with the long ball or small ball.

Girardi doesn't figure to stray from what worked last season, when the Yankees won 97 games.

That means a top-heavy lineup with Curtis Granderson batting second.

We understand that Girardi gets paid big bucks for his expertise on these matters, but our Yankees lineup would have a different look.

With the era of performance-enhancing drugs dormant for now and pitching making a comeback, we are offering a more versatile lineup that would give the Yankees the ability to manufacture runs and not have to rely so much on the three-run homer.

This is our opening-day lineup:

Time for Brett Gardner to Reach His Potential

It's true that Brett Gardner bats left-handed and could be overmatched against some lefty pitchers. But at the age of 27, it is time for Gardner to show the Yankees whether he is a full-time outfielder or fourth wheel.

His talents are suited for the leadoff spot because of his speed. He needs to demonstrate better discipline at the plate and have more than the 60 walks he did in 2011, when he batted .a disappointing .259.

He still stole 49 bases in 62 attempts, and like all speed-oriented leadoff hitters, he can drive a pitcher to distraction.

Gardner can turn a single or walk into a double by stealing second. He gives the Yankees options like the hit-and-run that basically doesn't exist with Curtis Granderson in the second spot.

And speaking of batting second...

Let Derek Jeter Bat 2nd and the Dominoes All Fall into Place

Derek Jeter had a bounce-back season in 2011, batting .297.

Never known as a power hitter, however, his extra-base totals continued to decline, as he hit only six home runs and had just 24 doubles in 607 plate appearances.

But Jeter is a professional hitter who still comes through when needed most. He had 61 RBI batting leadoff.

He would be ideal hitting second because he is patient and knows how to work a pitcher.

He would make a great hit-and-run combination with Gardner and would sacrifice himself by going the other way to move Gardner along.

The risk is that Jeter will also hit into more double plays, but that is a risk worth taking if he and Gardner can jump-start the Yankees offense with a little small ball as an appetizer. 

Cano Can-Do in the 3rd Slot

Now 28 years old, Robinson Cano is in his prime and emerging as one of the best all-around players in baseball.

He had terrific season in 2011, batting .302 with 28 home runs, 118 RBI and a slugging percentage of .533, best on the team.

He is a hacker who won't walk often, but neither does he strike out a lot. He struck out only 96 times last season.

Cano has batted .300 or better in five of his seven seasons and appears to be the only Yankees regular who is almost a lock to do it again.

His power and production are also on the rise, and with plenty of protection behind him in the lineup, Cano is going to get good pitches to hit.

Second basemen don't usually hit third, but Cano is an exception to the rule.

Texting, 1-2-3-4

So everyone is wondering whether we have forgotten Curtis Granderson?

Not really. We have Mark Teixeira in the clean-up spot because he is a switch hitter and can be a constant in the lineup no matter who is pitching.

By his standards, 2011 was a down year for Teixeira. The power was still there, as he hit 39 homers and drove in 111 runs, but his batting average dipped to a career-low of .248.

Teixeira was frustrated by trying to drive the ball past the over-shift used against him when he batted left-handed. He has the power to go the other way and should see his average climb again if he doesn't try to hit everything into the right-field seats to beat the shift.

He may no longer be a .300 hitter, as he was several times earlier in his career, but it is not unreasonable to expect Teixeira to hit in the .275-.285 range if he uses the whole field.

Another Grand Year for Curtis

Curtis Granderson hit 41 home runs, drove in 119 runs and had a slugging percentage of .552 with a .916 OPS batting second in the Yankees lineup last season.

So why mess with success?

Well, it might be too much to expect Granderson to match that power output this season.

He hit only 24 homers in 2010 with the Yankees. His previous career-high was 30 with the Detroit Tigers in 2009.

By batting fifth, Granderson will have Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira ahead of him and Alex Rodriguez (no, we didn't forget A-Rod) behind him. No one will have the luxury of pitching around Granderson.

He hit only .262 last season, which is close to his career average of .267, but could be better.

We remember when Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961 and caught flack for batting only .269.

Granderson struck out 169 times last season, and hitting lower in the order may help him cut down on strikes. 

A-Rod Can Deep-6 the Boos Batting 6th

In an earlier article, we detailed how batting sixth might actually help Alex Rodriguez rebound from an injury-plagued season in 2011 that saw his home runs drop to 16 in 99 games.

A-Rod has not hit .300 since 2008, and at 36, it is fair to speculate whether he is capable of coming close to the production he had even two years ago, when he hit 30 homers and had 125 RBI.

If he isn't insulted by batting sixth, Rodriguez can benefit by having a lot of the pressure he faces alleviated.

He is warmly embraced in New York, where his postseason disappointments outweigh some of the gaudy numbers he has compiled in Yankee pinstripes.

Lineups are not set in stone, but if manager Joe Girardi bats Rodriguez sixth, it gives the third baseman time to work his way past the cold and damp weather in April and perhaps avoid the boo birds he might hear if he fails to deliver from the clean-up spot.

It's just a suggestion, but one Girardi might want to consider, especially when overpowering pitchers such as Justin Verlander are facing the Yankees.

Swisher Brings Potent Bat to the 7th Hole

How many teams in the majors can pencil in someone like Nick Swisher for the seventh spot in the lineup?

That's how deep the Yankees are. Swisher batted .260 last season with 23 homers and 85 RBI.

That's hard to find in the bottom third of any lineup.

As a switch-hitter, he also saves Girardi from having to adjust the lineup depending on whether the Yankees are facing a left-hander or right-hander.

That's the same case that can be made for Mark Teixeira batting fourth. 

Swisher has been remarkably consistent in his three years in New York and can play first base when Teixeira needs a day off, or even DH.

The 2-Headed Monster at DH

By the time an opposing pitcher gets to the designated hitter tandem of Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones, he might be contemplating going to the National League when he is eligible for free agency.

The Yankees chose Ibanez over bringing back Johnny Damon, again choosing power over more speed, defense and likely a higher batting average.

Teaming with Jones, Ibanez doesn't have a lot of pressure on him unless injuries or slow starts put the spotlight on him to perform.

He rescued the 2011 season with a fast finish. Although batting only .245, he hit 20 home runs, drove in 84 runs and had a respectable .419 slugging percentage.

Ibanez will turn 40 on June 2, making him the oldest player in the Yankees lineup.

And there are questions about how he will adjust to the DH role after being a position player.

Jones had 13 homers and 33 RBI in 77 games last season. He is another Yankee who won't hit for average but can end a game or change the complexion of a game with one swing.

There is no reason when he and Ibanez can't combine for 20-25 homers, 80 RBI. That's decent output from the DH position that we have slotted in the eighth spot.

Russell Martin Brings a Dangerous Bat to the 9th Spot

This where pitchers hit in the National League.

Think about that when you consider the Yankees lineup that has Russell Martin batting ninth.

After giving the Los Angeles Dodgers four solid seasons behind the plate, Martin was allowed to pursue free agency after an injury-plauged 2010 that limited him to 97 games.

The Yankees signed him, and Martin rewarded them by carrying the team in the first month of last season.

He tailed off to finish with a .237 batting average, but had 18 home runs and 65 RBI in 125 games.

The Yankees staff is in capable hands when Martin is catching. He threw out 30 percent of base-stealers and had only four passed balls.

The good news for the Yankees is that he is still only 28, virtually a kid by their standards.

Whether he is just a place-holder for a couple of highly-regarded prospects or a longer-term solution, Martin gives the Yankees some unusual punch from the ninth spot.

As we said, lineups are not etched in stone, but we'd give this one a try before going back to what Yankees manager Joe Girardi probably has in mind.