"After talking with my family,
we decided that this was where we wanted to come back". With that
statement, Joe Girardi made it official and all of Yankee Universe cheered as
the news broke that he was returning and sticking around for another four
years. In keeping with the winning tradition, the Yankees re-signed a manager
with a long pedigree of winning despite all obstacles.
Joe Girardi has had a long-standing
commitment to winning, extending to his decision to return. “I wouldn't have
come back if I didn't think we could win a championship. I know there's a lot
of work to be done. I know there's a lot of holes that we have to fill, and
there's people leaving and people retiring, but I have faith in our
organization. I'm an optimist and I believe we're always going to have a chance
every year”. We are very happy to hear that, Joe, because now that you are
coming back, we have a lot of work to do. Here is the rundown.
We need a closer. It is impossible
to fill the shoes of the greatest closer that ever lived, Mariano Rivera, but
we need someone who we can rely on consistently. Maybe the answer is in David Robertson, who has been Mo’s setup man the last few years. On the other hand,
maybe we need to look at the farm and kids like Mark Montgomery, who have shown
great promise and terrific results at their respective levels. Either way, none
of them has proven yet to be up to the task of the closer role, but at least
you have some clear options here.
Our infield needs help. There are
serious question marks at every position, which makes this a daunting task.
Mark Teixeira has been injured for the better part of the last season and a
half. Can he be healthy enough to be the everyday first baseman, which he has
not been since August of 2012? There is a lot riding on his ability to hit clutch
and on his Gold Glove defense.
Will Robinson Cano re-sign with the Yankees? His
potential departure is probably the scariest scenario to face. There is no
replacement that is even close to what Cano can do in terms of hitting for
power, hitting for average, and defense. Derek Jeter has been hurt for a long
time now, and some of us are starting to wonder if he will ever be 100% again. Nobody
knows exactly what is going to happen with Alex Rodriguez’s appeal, but it is almost
certain that he is going to be out for a long time. To cap it off, we are still
trying to solve the catcher problem. It is safe to say that the Chris Stewart
experiment is over, and that Austin Romine did not look ready for prime time.
Finally, there is the starting
rotation. CC Sabathia did not look like our ace last year, so you and your
coaching staff have to straighten him out. Hiroki Kuroda, who was our strongest
starter for the year, is going to be a free agent. Andy Pettitte just retired. Unless
you see something worthwhile in Phil Hughes that has escaped everyone’s notice,
it is probably time to cut bait on him.
Is it time to invest in the kids –
Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Adam Warren, and others – or do we go out to the
market and try to sign some top-shelf starters?
Joe, we would like to welcome you
back for the 2014 season. You could not have come at a better time. It is as
you said - we have many holes to fill. We appreciate your optimism, but more
than that, we look forward to your “find ways to win” approach to help build a team
of which we can be proud. Welcome back!
The Bleeding Yankee Blue store is opened! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING! Also, follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting on Bleeding Yankee Blue.