New York Yankees Biggest Issues Emerging from Spring Training

It has only been a month since pitchers and catchers reported to camp, marking the opening of spring training.  The New York Yankees have already had to deal with an inordinate number of challenges that may carry well into the season.

Some of the issues just come with the territory and are unavoidable, while others have been surprises that already force the club into a "plan B" mode. 

If nothing else, this spring season certainly has kept General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi from becoming complacent as opening day nears.

What the April Fools' Day lineup will look like is anyone's guess at this point, but it is clear there will need to be constant adjustments to keep the team competitive in the American League East Division.

This article examines some of the issues that have already emerged from spring training.

Age

The Yankees will break camp with eight players age 34 or older, and none of them will be playing bit parts during the upcoming season. 

From 43-year-old Mariano Rivera down to the 34-year-old "kid" Kevin Youkilis, the opening day lineup will be littered with hitters and pitchers in the final stages of their careers.

This hasn't stopped GM Brian Cashman from continuing to look at "old" players, as he has inquired about 37-year-old Derrek Lee (hasn't played since 2011), 40-year-old Chipper Jones (retired after 2012), and 37-year-old Scott Rolen in an effort to shore up the infield depth.

Will this veteran team hold up to a 162 game schedule? 

Last year, Girardi rolled with the setbacks and the team finished with 95 wins—the most in the American League.

And now the team is a year older.

Both Rivera and team captain Derek Jeter are coming off significant injuries that abruptly ended their 2012 campaigns.  One can only wonder if Father Time has finally started to take his toll upon the club.

Never has it been more true that only time will tell.

Injury

What is of most immediate concern to the Yankees as they enter the 2013 season is the injuries they have sustained.

Spring training was no more than a week old when Phil Hughes, slated to be the team's fourth starter in the rotation, was shut down with a bulging disc in his upper back.  This week he threw his first bullpen session and is being brought back slowly under the team's watchful eye.

Unfortunately for the "Bombers," Hughes' injury only was the beginning of a list of setbacks that the club has suffered.

On the second pitch of his first at-bat of the spring, outfielder Curtis Granderson was hit by a J.A. Happ pitch that broke his forearm and set him down until May.

While preparing to participate in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA, first baseman Mark Teixeira strained his right wrist tendon and is sidelined for up to 10 weeks.

Left handed relievers Clay Rapada and Boone Logan have also suffered from arm issues this month.  Rapada has shoulder bursitis and Logan is dealing with an inflamed elbow.

With Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and CC Sabathia all slowly returning from their own health issues, one is hard-pressed to find a Yankee that is 100 percent healthy. 

Every team will experience the normal "nicks and cuts" associated with spring competition, but what the Yankees are going through will have an effect upon the early stages of the season.

Depth

One of the reasons the New York Yankees were able to win 95 games last season in spite of having to deal with many significant injuries was their depth.  Manager Joe Girardi used players like Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, Eric Chavez, Rafael Soriano, and Freddy Garcia to fill holes throughout the year.

All of those players are gone and the team still has holes to fill thanks to the injuries it has suffered.

The Yankees now have Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera, Ben Francisco, Jayson Nix, Eduardo Nunez, Zoilo Almonte, and Melky Mesa competing to make the squad for opening day.

Will any of those candidates provide the solid depth to make 2013 successful?

Once again Girardi will have to correctly manipulate the bench he has to guide the team to a winning season. 

How he and GM Brian Cashman evaluate the "backup" players in camp will determine if the team will be able to withstand the setbacks they have already experienced.

Power Outage

Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez, Curtis Granderson, and Mark Teixeira combined to hit 147 home runs in 2012.  Only Granderson and Teixeira remain from that group, and they are both out until May.

In 2012, Manager Joe Girardi said "We're not the Bronx Bunters..." alluding to the fact that the team depended upon the long ball to get its runs.

2013 will have to be a different story, given the circumstances.

Where will the team look for its power?  Second baseman Robinson Cano averages 24 HR per season, and must now assume the role as the token HR threat until Teixeira and Granderson return.

GM Brian Cashman has tried to alleviate the situation by signing former Cleveland Indian Travis Hafner, and Kevin Youkilis (averaging 23 HR per season over a nine year career) should provide some "meat" to the order if he can return to normal performance levels in 2013.

With the likes of Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki, and Francisco Cervelli in the lineup, dependency on the home run can no longer be the team's strategy if they want to play well into October.

Robinson Cano

Over his eight year career, second baseman Robinson Cano has averaged 24 HR and 95 RBI with a .308 batting average. Since 2007, he has never played less than 159 games, and he has won two Gold Gloves (including 2012) while being the consistent force at the heart of the Yankees order.

He has become the yardstick to which other players at his position are measured.

He is also a free agent in 2014, and Scott Boras is his agent.

While the Yankees continue to work towards resigning their star, the process is slow and the media has covered the story from every angle—including the fact that Cano won't be giving the team any home town discounts.

How it all plays out is yet to be determined, but the potential is there for it to be something that looms over the team's head all season.

Will it be a distraction?  As Mark Feinsand reports for the New York Daily News, Cano has repeatedly said his focus is on the upcoming season and nothing else.

For the Yankees to be successful, that needs to be true.