Yankees in '09: A Realistic Look

I have read some of the other articles about projections for next year.  Some of these folks need to look at some statistics and start getting their heads on the field and out of the clouds.

Here is my take on what the Yankees' make-up should be next year.

Catcher

Not Posada. He has always been a terrible defensive catcher and cannot throw.  He reminds me of a drunk trying to catch butterflies with a ping-pong paddle. He recently told Michael Kay all he wanted to do was catch.  Forget it.  DH or maybe first base. But not behind the plate.

We have some young prospects, and Molina is a great defensive catcher. Jose is never going to produce much on offense, but if there is one position where you are going to sacrifice offense, it has to be behind the plate.

First Base

If we can get Mark Teixeira and sign him to a long-term deal, it will be money well spent. He is a better than average defensive first baseman and he is an average and RBI machine. You can expect him to hit 30-plus homers in the new Yankee Stadium.

If Teixeira cannot be had, try Posada there. He'd be about the same defensively as we have had all these years with Giambi with a little more overall run production. Although, nobody should ever expect Posada to hit like he did in '07. If you look at his career you'll see that was an aberration. You certainly can't expect him to do that again as he gets older and is coming off shoulder surgery.

If not Posada, Juan Miranda will be a great defensive first baseman and will probably hit for average if not for power in the bigs. I’m not sure he is ready yet, but he looked good in the last week.

Second Base

Leave Robinson Cano alone. Sure, he is occasionally a head case, but here is where all the Yankee fans need to leave their emotions behind and think with their heads. No one is going to field better day in and day out. He is smooth and has a great arm and a very quick release. Also, he works well with Jeter.

Offensively, this year was the statistical aberration. He is going to hit. His hands are too soft and too strong and his swing is too smooth for him not to hit. One day he will win the batting title and I hope it is as a Yankee. He should be in this same position 10 years from now.

Shortstop

Jeter, of course. I only hope he can play long enough to break Rose's hits record.  And shut up about his defense. He is as good statistically now as he has been for his entire career.  As Casey Stengel used to say, "You could look it up."

Third Base

A-Rod, of course. He has become a very good defensive third baseman and nobody is going to exceed his offense. A-Rod is finally happy to be in the Bronx, too.

Outfield

Forget Damon and forget Matsui. They are both defensive liabilities. We went out and got Nady because the brain trust could look with their own eyes and realize that every team knew they could take the extra base anytime a ball was hit near Damon. He is a greater liability in center than in left and he cannot go get the balls he used to get.

In left field, leave Nady alone. He is very good defensively and he is going to hit very close to .300, with 25 homers and 85 RBI every year.

Gardner is never going to hit enough to play center field regularly. Girardi seems to love this kid the way Casey used to love Billy, but Gardner cannot hit. Anyone who thinks he will ever produce as much as Melky had better think again. Yeah, I know he hit .296 at Scranton, but there is a reason they call it Triple A.

Melky Cabrera is a superior center fielder. Maybe he's not quite as good as Gardner, but Melky can hit major league pitching. Again, he needs his head adjusted and maybe his demotion this year will be the ticket. I hope he comes to spring training and shows everybody that he can really play in the Bronx.

If nobody on the Yanks thinks Melky can do it and Jackson is not ready for this transition, then trade with the Pirates again and this time get McClouth to play center.

In right, nobody can find a player who can match what Bobby Abreu has done. Last year when he was down everybody was talking about trading him for Jermaine Dye and Abreu came back to hit around .300, drive in 100, and score 100. He was very close to those numbers again this year.  He has a great arm and even though he is a little afraid of the walls, he is a good right fielder.  Keep him right where he is.

And anybody who thinks we should go get Manny Ramirez must like chowdah.

Pitching

I agree that we need one big time starter and if we can buy CC Sabathia, great.  If not, try to get Burnett—but not both. That is too much of an investment in something that is not two sure things, and we don't need them both.

Sign Moose to a one-year deal if he will take it with an option for another. He will be the four or five starter, depending on whether you get Sabathia or Burnett.

Wang, Joba, and Moose are three-fourths of the starting rotation. Hughes is going to be a very good starting pitcher. He may not be the No. 1 that everybody thought he was two years ago, but he's still a No. 2 or No. 3.

Forget Ian Kennedy and trade him if you can. However Humberto Sanchez, Coke, and some of the other young pitchers in the minors show promise of filling the fifth spot if we can't get one big hoss like Sabathia. Even Dan Geise did a respectable job as a No. 5.

I see the rotation as Sabathia, Chamberlain, Wang, Hughes, and Mussina, and if one of those is not here, we have some good cheap starters who can do the job.

If Mariano comes through the surgery and is okay by March 1 we are set at closer. We have Bruney, Marte, Veras, and Coke to provide a good foundation for the bullpen and don't forget the reliever we traded.  Farnsworth is a free agent and Girardi loves him. Go get him and bring him back. Maybe he will cry to return as he did when he left.

Manager

Girardi was a disaster. He could not put a consistent team on the field and he bears a great deal of the blame for not sustaining winning streaks, injuries or no injuries.  I think he is on a short leash. If the Yanks are not solidly in first place by the All Star break, look for Girardi to be gone.

I think Willie Randolph will be with the Yankees in some capacity within two months and if Girardi cannot get the job done, don't be surprised if Willie is brought in.

I am not sure Dave Eiland is the right answer as pitching coach. Maybe he and Girardi can't get on the same page somewhere there has been a break down that led to people being misused at times and overlooked at others. Is Gator available to come back?

And we miss Bowa. Right now we don't have a single person on this team who can jack somebody's jaw, figuratively speaking. Meachem and Pena are too mild mannered. We need to get somebody with some fire to light it under the young kids when they need it.

My prediction for next season: We will be back in the playoffs in the first season in the new stadium but there are many question marks concerning critical positions such as catcher, first base, and the No. 1 slot in the rotation.

If it all comes together as I have outlined, we could see Flag No. 27 above the new stadium.