Yankees Counting on Mark Teixeira in '09

It’s incredible to think that in the beginning of the offseason, the Yankees weren’t pursuing first baseman Mark Teixeira because he may be the only real reliable hitter in their lineup.

Alex Rodriguez was supposed to help him carry the load, but with a tear in his labrum, there will be question marks surrounding him until he has surgery. The plan for that is for him to play through the season without it, and he will have surgery during the next offseason.

The Yankees knew he had issues with his hip as far back as last May, but did nothing about it. He should have had surgery months ago and instead will have surgery next November. They are taking a gamble by opting for rehab instead of surgery now. Sure, they would lose him until probably July, but they would be getting a completely healthy A-Rod for the stretch run.

As Buster Olney states:

With question marks surrounding him, more of the load falls on Teixeira because, as Peter Abraham pointed out today, there are issues with every other hitter in the lineup.

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Aging players coming off injuries: Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui.

Aging players in decline: Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon.

Young, unproven players: Brett Gardner, Melky Cabrera.

Players coming off their worst season: Robinson Cano.

Players without a position: Nick Swisher.

Players who probably aren’t as good as last season’s stats would indicate: Xavier Nady.

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That leaves just Teixeira as the only reliable bat in the lineup. I couldn’t have put it any better than Buster Olney did so I’ll leave you with this excerpt from his blog:

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“But considering the composition of their lineup—the singles and doubles-hitting Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter at the top, the recovering Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada in the lower half—Teixeira must make an impact in the middle, early and often and all season.”

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