Despite Big Spending Yankees Are No Contender

Despite Big Spending Yankees Are No Contender

 

Quick disclaimer to start things off here; I am a diehard Yankee fan and most Yankee fans will not share my same opinion, but I hope this is one outcome on the season I get completely wrong. The Yankees came into this offseason almost certain they would be losing Robinson Cano after his outlandish contract demands were made public. While Cano certainly is someone who can be questioned for his hustle there’s no mistaking the fact that he is one of the best pure hitters in baseball. Due to Cano leaving town it freed up money for the Yankees to acquire every item on their wish list and then some. Trouble is there are still too many problem areas and question marks surrounding this team.

On offense the Yankees have an infield surrounded by uncertainty. Mark Teixeira has already said his wrist is still not 100% and it will be a while before it will be. Asking Brian Roberts to come in and be a starter when he hasn’t played a full season since 2009 is asking way too much. The injuries began piling up and the after effects of a concussion have just been too much for Roberts lately. At shortstop there is God himself Derek Jeter, but despite worshipping the ground the man walks on, he is 40 years old and coming off a major ankle injury which will limit his already limited range at short. Kelly Johnson will be playing third base and while he is a fine utility infielder to have to spell guys or start a few games, giving him 500-600 at bats in a season will shine a light on his shortcomings as an everyday player. Brian McCann is the only bright spot behind the plate, a position the Yankees needed to upgrade desperately. The short porch in right field should help his power numbers and the attitude and feistiness he brings to the team is a welcomed addition. The bench for the Yankees is not very strong. Brendan Ryan, Ichiro, Eduardo Nunez, Francisco Cervelli just to name a few are not guys I have much confidence in should an injury occur or a big hit is needed late in a game.

On the pitching side of things, the ace of the staff, C.C. Sabathia was battling velocity issues last season and now looks like a child I want to support for the price of a cup of coffee so that will not help matters. He deserves tremendous praise for the discipline and commitment to get into better shape but it could end up hurting him from a pitching perspective. Hiroki Kuroda is a suitable hand to have available. He may not be lights out like he was for the first part of last season but I don’t think he’s as bad as he was in the second half. Big money acquisition Masahiro Tanaka is a wild card in this deck. His stuff translates well and he should have great success, but the bright lights of Broadway have affected far better than him. Michael Pineda has looked fantastic this spring and if he can stay healthy and sustain the success throughout the year then the Yankees have the young building block they thought they were getting when they gave up Jesus Montero. The bullpen is filled with question marks as well. The talent is there but the ability to handle high leverage situations in New York is certainly lacking. With Mariano Rivera gone, David Robertson should slide in just fine as the closer, but fans need to worry about the guys who need to get the game to him. If they can be successful then this bullpen could be one of the best, but for now it looks suspect.

 The Yankees are an improved team from the disaster that was last season, but still not improved enough. A lot of things will have to break right for this team to reach the playoffs with all the strong competition in the American League, especially within its own division. Getting to say goodbye to The Captain in person this season for 20 games will make this season a memorable one no matter what happens but I would love for you to prove me wrong fellas. Please, I’m begging you.

We will be back tomorrow with a look at whether the Pirates can sustain their 2013 success. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for all our coverage of the national pastime.