Pot on Hot Stove Ready To Boil: How Will Yankee Soup Taste?

The hot-stove pot is reaching a simmer, which soon will be boiling, and Yankee fans are wondering what kind of soup they will have to dine on when Spring Training opens.

The news this morning seems very positive. To begin with, Brian Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, announced that he believes that Robinson Cano is already fixed. That sounds as if Cash plans on Cano being with the Yankees.

There are also reports that the Yankees really like Mark Teixeira, who is a free agent after finishing the season with the Angels. Teixeira, who turns 29 just after next season begins, is a career .295 hitter who has averaged 33 homers and 112 RBI over his six-year career.

If Teixeira can be brought to the Bronx, the Yankees will have the best infield in baseball, both defensively and offensively. With Teixeira at first, Cano at second, Derek Jeter at short, and Alex Rodriguez at third, the Bombers will feature an infield that could very possibly have four players who will average over .300, produce more than 100 homers, and account for more than 400 runs among them. 

And the defense among that group will be superb. A-Rod has developed into a great third baseman. Cano is as smooth as and covers as much ground as any second baseman. Teixeira is very good at first. Jeter, despite constant criticism for his defense, has won Gold Gloves and still makes plays that no other infielder makes.

There is talk that the Yankees are interested in the Milwaukee Brewer's Mike Cameron to take over center field. Cameron is 35 years old and has a career batting average of .250. It is difficult to understand how bringing another aging outfielder to this team would be an upgrade. 

But the Yankees may not need an upgrade at this position. If Bobby Abreu is re-signed and stays in right field, Xavier Nady can remain in left. There are a number of options in the Yankee system for center field. 

Melky Cabrera has a higher upside than Mike Cameron, considering career stats and his age. His demotion to Triple-A late last season may have been the wake-up call he needed. There is no question he has tools. The only question is whether he will get another chance to use them in the Bronx.

Brett Gardner is a question mark on offense. He has yet to prove he can hit consistently in the big leagues. But he is exceptional on defense, and he has the potential to manufacture runs with his speed if he gets on base.

Johnny Damon is not an option in the field. But he produced at the plate last year. While he is not the prototype designated hitter, he will probably produce more runs than other options at DH, such as Hideki Matsui.

Catcher is a very large question mark. Jorge Posada insists that he will catch. Coming off shoulder surgery, catching 130 games will be difficult for him. He has never been a good defensive catcher, and his throwing has to be suspect. Giving him time-off and letting him DH 30-50 games will also give Damon much needed rest as he gets older.

Jose Molina is a superior defensive catcher and Yankee pitchers trust him to call their games. But the Yanks lose a lot on offense if he catches more than 35 games next year. It seems certain that the Yankees will have to open the season with another option at catcher.

Cashman has said pitching is his priority and nobody doubts that he will go all-out to sign at least one major free-agent starter. CC Sabathia has to be his first priority, but A.J. Burnett would not be a bad second choice. Both of them could be signed by Cashman, as the Yankees have freed-up a lot of salary with the end of contracts for Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano, and others.

Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, and Phil Hughes would make a good rotation for the first four slots. If Mike Mussina or Andy Pettitte fills the fifth spot in the rotation, it might be hard to find a better final starter on any rotation.

The Yankees' bullpen is anchored by the best in Mariano Rivera and a number of solid set-up options are already in the Yankee system. If Damaso Marte is re-signed, the Yankees will have a left-handed reliever that they have lacked the past few seasons.

It will be a while before Yankee fans know how the 2009 "soup" will taste. This is an exciting time of year as the hot stove is stoked and anticipation builds.