As we wind down Spring Training and approach Opening Day, we’re really just going through motions. At this point, we’re just hoping that no one else gets hurt. And, of course, there is a chance that Derek Jeter will miss Opening Day. Great. Let’s officially start the rambling there.
If Jeter is out for Opening Day, that is going to be one hell of a lineup in a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad way. What could it look like? Let’s assume they’re facing Boston’s lefty, Jon Lester.
1. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
2. Eduardo Nunez, SS
3. Melky Mesa, CF/LF (justification here)
4. Robinson Cano, 2B
5. Juan Rivera, 1B
6. Ben Francisco, DH
7. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
8. Francisco Cervelli
9. Brett Gardner, LF/CF
Um….yikes? That is…not desirable. It could shake out differently and we could end up with Ronnier Mustelier in the fold, likely at third. If that happens, the lineup could be:
1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Eduardo Nunez, SS
3. Ronnier Mustelier, 3B
4. Robinson Cano, 2B
5. Juan Rivera, DH
6. Melky Mesa, CF/LF
7. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
8. Francisco Cervelli, C
9. Brett Gardner, CF/LF
Honestly, I can’t tell which one is better/less worse. Your thoughts?
Earlier yesterday, I read this piece from the New York Times about Hal Steinbrenner and the “new course” he’s plotting for the Yanks. In defense of Plan 189, Hal broke out one of his favorite justifications:
“My firmly held belief is that you don’t have to have a $200 million payroll to be world champion,” he said last week in the team’s plush conference room at the spring training complex here. “And the historical data that led me to that conclusion is rock solid.”
After a year of planning a team around a $189 million budget, after thousands of blog posts, millions of water cooler chats, billions of comments about how to spend and who to trade, and one unhappy general manager, Steinbrenner might have a change of heart. But before you get too excited, I’ll warn you that [...]
From Buster Olney: Contract negotiations between the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman are going smoothly, according to sources, and could be concluded with a new deal in the week ahead. Cashman, who has been the Yankees GM since February of 1998, could theoretically walk away from the Yankees at the end of [...]
I’m usually not one for reading the Post, but in these desperate times for content–with a little help from my girlfriend’s wandering eye–pointed me to this article from GAK3 outlining his ten most pressing concerns for the Yankees heading into this season. Since I’m an absolute know it all, I’ll answer his concerns: 1. Who [...]
Hal Steinbrenner was just on the radio with Michael Kay, and Marc Carig tweeted an interesting quote from the interview: Hal on payroll: “I can safely say we’re going to stay at the same level.” This is important information, as it allows us to gauge how the Yankees will approach the offseason. They started 2010 [...]
The common line is that right now, the Yankees have about 2 million dollars left in their budget for the 2010 season. I think that this is entirely plausible. Hal Steinnerbrenner gave Brian Cashman a hard number, and said that he would have to approve any spending over that number. He did so last year [...]
[image title="02bronx600.1" size="full" id="14068" align="center" linkto="full" ] From Joel Serman (h/t to Fack Youk), we get an interesting report on the Yankee ownership’s unwillingness to spend past their stated budget: The Yankees are telling agents that they only have $2 million, at most, to spend on a left fielder. They figure Damon, even in a [...]
From Stewart Mandel (SI): NEW YORK — New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and the commissioners of the Big East and Big 12 will announce at a news conference Wednesday the formation of the Yankee Bowl, to be held at the new Yankee Stadium beginning with the 2010-11 postseason, [...]
From George King (NY Post): At Friday’s trade deadline, the Yankees added utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr. and nothing else. Not wanting to add payroll, the Yanks weren’t serious players for lefty Jarrod Washburn, who went from Seattle to Detroit. So, what are the chances of making a deal now that a player has to clear [...]
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