The Yankees are dropping like flies, and age is probably a big factor. Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson will be out until May, and that could be the equivalence of 10-15 homeruns lost. If you follow WAR, it doesn’t look as bad, and it’ll probably only cost the team around a win and a half, assuming the two would normally qualify for 4 wins each this season. The important thing is that the team can find good defensive replacements that have at least some offensive prowess.

Ideally, the Yankees would be targeting a Chase Headley or even a Logan Morrison to shore up current and future problems. While it answers some of the outfield and budget questions, obtaining such players will cost you a decent chunk of prospects, and who knows if they’re even available. Cashman is much more likely to target a veteran player on the last year of their contract, and Justin Morneau‘s name has been mentioned quite a bit. The problem here is that you’re temporarily stopping the injury problem with a 32 year old that has an extensive injury history. Once Teixeira returns, where do you play Morneau with Travis Hafner as your left-handed DH?

Cashman has done a fantastic job of targeting older veteran players in the past to create a strong bench without giving up prospects, but these practices have caught up to him. While Ichiro Suzuki was supposed to be a part-time player last year, he’s now a starter in 2013, and the margin for error has been dwindling down as these part-time players move from the bench to the starting lineup.