As the 2013 Yankees begin to take shape I can’t help but feel that we are seeing the transition from one era to the next. Contracts are coming due, and our aging stars from the better part of the past two decades are on the stretch run of great careers.
Already at catcher we will see a new face. Whether it be Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, or Austin Romine, the team will now be a full catcher removed (Russell Martin) from the backstop of our core four – Jorge Posada. A few years down the road there is a real possibility that highly touted prospect (he’s only 20, has good power, decent speed, and is above average defensively) Gary Sanchez will take over behind the plate.
At first base Mark Teixeira will be our foundation until at least 2017, so we are good there.
Second
base is not a sure thing for us as much as we’d love it to be. We have
watched as Robinson Cano emerged on the scene with his electric arm,
classic swing and infectious smile in 2005 and became the team’s best
player. However, his contract is up after next season and his agent is
Scott Boras - not a good combination if you are a Yankees owner, read ROBINSON CANO: WHEN THE GOOD GO BAD for more insight on that. It is
quite possible that if the Steinbrenners decide to keep a lid on
spending, Cano may end up playing second for someone else in 2014.
(In Photo: Corban Joseph)
If
that does happen, look for either David Adams or Corban Joseph (two
promising players in the Yankees system) to be thrust into the
limelight.
At
shortstop the face of our team, our captain, and one of the greatest
players to ever don pinstripes, Derek Jeter, enters the final two years
of his contract. One of two players that define this recent Yankee run
of success now comes to the close of his storybook career. We last
watched as he had to be helped off the diamond after breaking his ankle,
and we know that nothing will keep him from returning for the 2013 and
2014 seasons, but we have to face the fact that sooner rather than later
we’ll be saying our goodbyes to the most beloved of players. Waiting
behind him is a work-in-progress, Eduardo Nunez, who has already shown
promise at the plate and on the base paths, but who still requires some
development on the field. The 25 year-old will never be able to replace Jeet, but over time he will prove to be an adequate (if not above
average) shortstop.
Third
base has become the resting ground of one-year contracts for aging
veterans as Alex Rodriguez has suffered through injury-riddled,
unproductive seasons over the last two years. In 2013 Kevin Youkilis (I
can’t believe I can no longer refer to him as “Kevin USEliss”, it still
feels strange) will man the hot corner for the “Bombers” while ARod
and his never-ending contract remain on the sidelines recuperating from
yet another hip surgery. Whether ARod will ever be productive again as
a third baseman remains to be seen, and chances are that when he does
return his time in the field will be very limited. The future at this
position remains wide open to speculation.
(In Photo: David Adams)
One “in-house” possibility
is the aforementioned David Adams. While at Double-A Trenton last
season, Adams played 23 games at third. It may be in preparation for
one day occupying that spot in the Bronx.
Our
outfield is seemingly always in flux. Curtis Granderson is on a
one-year contract and borrowed time, “Swish” is gone, hopefully to be
replaced by Ichiro, and Gardner will be coming back from spending most
of last year on the DL. There should be good speed to cover the entire
field and three left-handers to add to the lineup. On the farm sit the
top two prospects in the system – Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott.
As Baseball America puts it:
“Outfielders
Mason Williams, Slade Heathcott and Tyler Austin and catcher Gary Sanchez need more time to develop, but all are candidates to become the
first homegrown Yankees to crack the big league lineup on a consistent
basis since Brett Gardner in 2008.”
So
while Granderson and Ichiro keep the spots warm, center field and right
field appear to be well represented in the near future.
The
pitching corps will soon see a changing of the guard as well. Sure,
CC, Hughes, Nova and David Phelps will all still be battling for
rotation spots for the next few years, but our big Texan southpaw Andy Pettitte, and 39 year-old Hiroki Kuroda only have a short time left
before hanging up the cleats. We can hope that Michael Pineda is able
to bounce back from his injury and live up to the promise that brought
him to New York.
In the bullpen
the change will be even more dramatic. The other face of the franchise
(with Derek Jeter), and the one most connected to the run of
championships over the past 15 years – Mariano Rivera – will soon leave
giant shoes to fill at the closer spot. There has never been a better
relief pitcher in the history of the game, and his successor can only
hope to be half the stopper that “Mo” has been. The candidates are
few. Double A Trenton’s Mark Montgomery is only 22, but already there
is talk that he may be the closer-in-waiting. Other possibilities
include veteran relievers Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson. Both
are blessed with “stopper” stuff, but neither has proven that they can
handle that role.
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1
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