New York Yankees Need Reinforcements: Must Recruit Zack Greinke and Cliff Lee
The Yankees battled the Tampa Bay Rays all season for the top record in the Majors. They lost out in the final days of the season, but still made it further in the playoffs than their division rivals. As expected, the Yankees swept the Justin Morneau-less Minnesota Twins, but their AL Championship Series performance was what was unexpected. They came back in Game 1 in Texas, but were rather lifeless the rest of the way.
Sporadic performances spread the team too thin. The Yankees could not recover from the quality pitching and hitting the Rangers threw at them. The lively Texas team made the Bronx Bombers the Bronx Kamikaze Bombers as the Yankees continually dug themselves into holes they could not burrow out of.
Derek Jeter
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The Yankees desperately need to bring back life to the franchise after their embarrassing loss to the Rangers.
The first step, above all, is to make sure they re-sign Derek Jeter. He is the face of the franchise. He is the Captain. He’s the top draw and moneymaker for the franchise. These negotiations are ridiculous. Money is not an issue for the Yankees. Sign Jeter to the contract.
Jeter had a down year. He was terrible for the most part in the playoffs. It happens. He started off hot, though, and will rebound. His defense is still among those of the better shortstops in the league. There are still not many players I’d rather have at the plate with the game on the line than Jeter.
Jeter’s still in good health, playing in 157 games last season. He still has his legs, stealing 18 bases. He only made six errors all season.
No. 2 needs to be locked up for life as a Yankee.
Mariano Rivera
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The same goes for Mariano Rivera, the best closer in the history of the game. Rivera slipped a bit, but I’ll still trust Mo with the game on the line over any other pitcher in the league. He is a crafty veteran and will rebound.
Rivera may very well be the most important Yankee on the team. They cannot afford to lose him to another team or show that they are not confident in their veteran future Hall of Famer.
Rivera converted 33 saves, well enough for fifth in the American League. He had a 1.80 ERA, .83 WHIP and .183 batting average against himself.
Like Jeter, Rivera needs to retire a Yankee.
Andy Pettitte
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Management needs to convince Andy Pettitte to return to the team. Pettitte performed fantastically for the Yankees, for the most part. He was one of the top pitchers before getting injured in the middle of the season. He is still one of the more dependable postseason pitchers.
As long as Pettitte has something left in the tank, the Yankees need to make sure he uses it to their advantage, even if they run the risk of the gas tank blowing up in their faces.
In 21 starts, Pettitte had an 11-3 record with 101 strikeouts, a 3.28 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. His ERA and WHIP were considerably down from the previous two seasons, showing that he still has plenty left to get the job done for New York.
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Carl Crawford
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The Yankees need to upgrade their lineup after being manhandled for the most part by the Texas Rangers staff.
Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays is on the market and would be a prime fit for the Yankees. Crawford’s speed at the leadoff position in front of Jeter would do wonders for this lineup. They would be able to use Crawford in left field and move Brett Gardner to the right. This would allow Nick Swisher to DH, which is a better role for him. Whenever an outfielder needs a day of rest, Swisher has experience in the outfield, which gives the Yankees flexibility with their lineup.
The Yankees cannot afford to let Crawford sign with the Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Angels.
Last season, Crawford had a .307 batting average with 19 HR, 90 RBI, 110 runs and 47 stolen bases.
Zack Greinke
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There are currently conflicting reports of whether 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke would be willing to accept a trade from Kansas City to New York. If there is any chance to make this happen, the Yankees need to take advantage of it.
Greinke had somewhat of a down season after emerging as one of the top pitchers in 2009. This young phenom would give the Yankees rotation a huge boost. It would arguably give them the best rotation in the Majors, with CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett already on board, and the possibility of Pettitte returning.
In 33 starts, Greinke held a record of 10-14. In 220 innings pitched, he struck out 181 batters and finished with a 4.17 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
Cliff Lee
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The biggest prize on the free-agent market is Cliff Lee. Lee is one of the top pitchers in the league and pitched brilliantly in the postseason.
Signing Lee would give the Yankees nation its biggest advantage heading into the 2011 season. Lee atop the rotation would strike fear in opposing lineups as they enter a series with the Yankees. At this point, after the way Lee has owned the Yankees in recent memory, management needs to offer him anything he desires. There should be no issues with negotiations.
Lee finished the regular season with a 12-9 record, 3.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP with 185 strikeouts.
In the postseason, Lee finished with a 3-2 record, 47 strikeouts, 2.78 ERA and .81 WHIP.
Maintaining the Empire
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The Yankees always go after the top prize, whether it is the best players in free agency or the World Series Championship throughout the season. It is all for one reason: to be the best. If the Yankees don’t win the World Series, the season is seen as a failure. To make the season a success, they need to bring in the players to make that happen.
Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Petttite, Carl Crawford, Zach Greinke and Cliff Lee would ensure a 28th World Series Championship.
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