Holes @ 2B - Had best in baseball last year SP3 SP4 Late Inning Reliever DH Opening Day Lineup as of today: Ellsbury - CF Jeter - DH McCann - C Teixeira - 1B Soriano - RF Johnson - 2B Gardner - LF Nunez - 3B Ryan - SS SPs - Sabathia, Nova, 3 of Huff, Nuno, Pineda, Phelps, Warren Amazing we've spent $250 million already this offseason(which is more than any other team will spend this offseason in its entirety except if someone else takes Cano) and this is the shitty team we have as of now.
***Please see my butler, yankeesfansince59, if you think it's too early to take this into account. He declared the Yankees would be better than they were in 2013 already. Seems they have some work to do even after having spent $250 million Apparently he would trade Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Andy Pettitte, Hiroki Kuroda, Mariano Rivera, Lyle Overbay, Chris Stewart for Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kelly Johnson, and a potentially healthy Mark Teixeira(who was already steadily declining prior to his wrist injury)
Nobody suggested that we trade the players you mentioned above. Don't you think it is still to early in the pre season to form an opinion on next years team as far as being critical of what needs the team still has. We are better than last year at this point. Cano is still a free agent, Lyle Overbay, Chris Stewart, even Grandy, you will be the only one that will miss them. Rivera is impossible to replace, get real will you. Ellsbury and McCann could get hurt, just like every other player in the league.We are or will be better going into the season at C, 1B, SS, 3B, LF, CF, and hopefully DH as it stands today, December 5th. Pitching wise, CC and Nova are in place. Phelps was our 5 th starter last year and will be going forward. Kuroda I predict will be back. So if Tanaka post, or a trade or free agent signing occurs, what then becomes critical is 2 or 3 relievers and I would love for 2 to be lefthanded. So yes we are better regardless because Rivera and Andy were retiring no matter what. Games start in April...
The team I listed in the original post is BETTER than what we had last year? The team I listed is what we have under contract as of today. Say what you want about Curtis Granderson, but 2 things are facts 1) He's had a better career than Ellsbury & 2) he'd have been much cheaper to sign than Ellsbury. In regards to pitching we may upgrade the staff, thats if if if. My money would be on CC going further into the tank. Someone telling you Nova will be in AAA by June is making as educated a guess as someone telling you he'll be pitching like a front of the rotation guy. He's been completely up and down. Kuroda is an old man who had a few good months, then the wheels came off. Tanaka may not even get posted and if he does the new posting system basically makes him a FA, so we'll have to contend with numerous teams and he'll end up getting huge money. Our starting pitching heading into 2014 is likely to be cross your fingers and pray at best. I dont think we'll have a single starting pitcher you can be overly confident in having a good season.
And what I am saying is simply this, wait till the off season is complete before forming any opinions. Players rebound from bad years, Rivera as I said is irreplaceable, but Granderson had 19 HR the year before he was a Yankee. Ellsbury is a different type of player. Ellsbury is in his prime, Granderson is a great guy and has a been a good Yankee, but he going to strike out 200 times a year. His defense has slipped, and in regards to pitching, We didn't have a strong starting rotation last year.
