New York Yankees: 5 Reasons It's Time to Get Nervous

We're just about two weeks away from Memorial Day weekend, which is typically a good time to step back and evaluate exactly where your baseball team is or where it's headed.

Questions abound for New York Yankees fans.

Do you like what you see in the Bronx?  

Do you like the team that Brian Cashman put together for 2012?  

Are you content with some of the moves or non-moves Joe Girardi makes in a typical ballgame?

Are the Yankees getting too old?  

Or is all this concern and worry for nothing because in October, this team will show up and dominate the playoffs?

Life Without Mariano Rivera

Last night was a wake-up call for what life will be like without No. 42 closing games for the New York Yankees.

On Monday night against the Rays, new closer David Robertson loaded the bases but worked out of the jam to earn his first save.  Yesterday he wasn't so lucky.  First giving up a game-tying sacrifice fly and then a second deck bomb to Matt Joyce to seal the Rays' comeback.  Robertson was so brutal last night that Girardi had to bring in Clay Rapada to get the last out of the ninth inning.

There's a world of difference between setting up in the seventh or eighth innings and closing, especially when talk radio, print media and blogs analyze your every move.

How long before Rafael Soriano gets a shot closing?

Mark Teixeira's Lack of Production

Face it, Mark Teixeira has been outright brutal going as far back as the 2011 Division Series against the Detroit Tigers. After hitting .167 with a a whole one RBI and leaving a ton of men on base, most Yankee fans figured he'd bounce back in 2012.

So far, Teixeira is not hitting his on-base average.  He has a slugging number of .374, too.

Not exactly satisfying numbers for a $20 million man.

Yes, he plays a solid first baseman, but how long before Girardi has to drop him further down in the lineup, especially with Nick Swisher being so productive in his walk year.

Catching

I have no idea how Russell Martin has fell under the radar.

He had a subpar year in 2011, yet I never heard anyone complain or say that the Yankees needed an upgrade.

In 2012, both he and Chris Stewart have been virtually unproductive.

Yankee catchers have a combined six extra base hits!

No one is expecting the second coming of Thurman Munson or even Rick Cerone, but having a virtual automatic out in the number eight or nine slot is tough when others in your lineup are not producing as well.

Slots 3, 4 and 5 in the Starting Rotation

The 2012 season is a long way from October, but are there any Yankees fans comfortable with Phil Hughes, Hiroki Kuroda or Ivan Nova?  

If the Yanks had to play a one-game wildcard playoff, would you be confident with anyone but CC on the mound?  

Before you boast that Andy Pettitte is back on Sunday, remember, the guy will be 40 next month and didn't exactly have superior stats in the Minors while getting back into pitching shape.  He may also take the ball every fifth day and extra days of rest from Joe Girardi, so don't anoint him as the Yankee Savior just yet.

If it makes you feel any better, old friend AJ Burnett has an ERA over six in his four starts in Pittsburgh.  

The Entire AL East Is Even Tougher Than Originally Thought

Currently, the only team in the AL East with a losing record is the Boston Red Sox.  Yes, they have some issues and have been in trouble since their September 2011 collapse, but the team has too much talent to be under .500

We already know the Rays can play with anyone and are definitely not in awe of the Yankees like they were six or seven years ago.  

The Yanks haven't played the Toronto Blue Jays this year, and it will be interesting to see how they match up.  The Jays have very quietly also improved their team and have gotten excellent pitching from Ricky Romero, Kyle Drabek and Brandon Morrow to go with hitting stars Edwin Encarnacion, Kelly Johnson and Jose Bautista.  The only thing that would concern me is they do not have a reliable or legitimate closer.

Finally, Baltimore has totally overachieved and has lingered around first place for the first six weeks of 2012.  Not to be taken lightly anymore, there are no more "creampuffs" in the division for the Yanks to feast on.

Probably not something lost on Yankee management!