by Lindy's

Updated: March 24, 2008, 4:25 PM EST 51 comments

add this RSS blog email print

Sure, New York made the playoffs for the 13th straight season. But the Yankees were bounced by Cleveland in the Division Series shortly after rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain unraveled in the now infamous "bug game" at Jacobs Field.

Once eliminated, the Yankees did a wonderful job of big-footing the festivities. First, manager Joe Torre refused to accept a pay cut to stay with the club, and the Steinbrenner brothers, club president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman held a conference call with reporters in response just hours before C.C. Sabathia and Josh Beckett squared off in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

Soon after that embarrassing spectacle, Alex Rodriguez raised self-indulgence to an art form. As the Boston Red Sox put the finishing touches on Colorado in Game 4 of the World Series, the news leaked that A-Rod was exercising his opt-out clause and hitting the free agent market. Agent Scott Boras wound up taking the blame for the unfortunate timing of the announcement. Rodriguez called the episode a "debacle."

The theatrics continued into the off-season, as Rodriguez reopened the lines of communication and signed a $275 million deal; Joe Girardi came down from the YES Network broadcast booth to manage the club; Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte played a starring role in the Mitchell report; and the Yankees made an on-again, off-again play for Minnesota's Johan Santana.

The old Yankees just concentrated on winning games. With this outfit, you just keep waiting for the games to begin so that everyone can get some rest.

Pitching

Chien-Ming Wang will make 30-plus starts and the Carl Pavano watch is history. Other than that, nothing is certain in the Yankees' rotation. Pettitte, who re-upped with the team for $16 million, will have to deal with those mettlesome Mitchell Report questions. Mike Mussina is 39 and just posted the highest ERA (5.15) of his 17-year career. And while Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy come highly recommended, they're still kids. Mariano Rivera keeps rolling along in the closer's role, but the Yankees have some work to do to build a bridge in front of him.

Chien-Ming Wang — RHP
2007 line: 19-7, 3.70 ERA, 30 GS, 199.1 IP, 199 H, 59 BB, 104 SO, .265 BAA, 8.99 H/9, 2.66 BB/9, 4.70 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the first Yankee with consecutive 19-win seasons since Tommy John in 1979-80. The team went 10-2 when Wang pitched following a Yankees loss.
Scouting report: Loose arm. Easy hand-over-the-top delivery with a little hesitation at the top. Pounds the bottom of the strike zone with a power sinker (90-94 mph) that ranks with the game's best. Gets groundball after groundball with his sinker. Mixes in a slider that's hard and small with late break and a split he uses to lefthanded hitters. Logs a lot of innings. Slow to first and the plate.
Grade: 3.7

Andy Pettitte — LHP
2007 line: 15-9, 4.05 ERA, 34 GS, 215.1 IP, 238 H, 69 BB, 141 SO, .286 BAA, 9.95 H/9, 2.88 BB/9, 5.89 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the 27th lefthander to win 200 career games. Went 11-3 with a 3.84 ERA after the All-Star break vs. 4-6 with a 4.25 ERA before.
Scouting report: Strong workhorse. Easy motion with explosion. Great downward angle. Commands an average fastball (88-91 mph) to both sides of the plate. Likes to cut his fastball in on righthanders. Throws a slider that's essentially a bigger, deeper version of his cutter. Mixes in a big downer curveball and a changeup to keep hitters off balance. Outstanding move to first base.
Grade: 3.2.

Phil Hughes — RHP
2007 line: 5-3, 4.46 ERA, 13 GS, 72.2 IP, 64 H, 29 BB, 58 SO, .235 BAA, 7.93 H/9, 3.59 BB/9, 7.18 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: At 21 years, 105 days, he was the youngest Yankee to win a postseason game. Went 4-1 with a 3.11 ERA in six road starts.
Scouting report: Strong pitcher's body. Compact, repeatable delivery. Features a fastball (90-94 mph) with hard sink and occasional cut-and-run; keeps his fastball down very well. Complements his fastball with a hard, tilted slider, a power curveball with tight rotation and downward break and a changeup with fade. Shows good arm speed with his change. Holds runners close and fields his position well.
Grade: 2.8.

Mike Mussina — RHP
2007 line: 11-10, 5.15 ERA, 27 GS, 152.0 IP, 188 H, 35 BB, 91 SO, .311 BAA, 11.13 H/9, 2.07. BB/9, 5.39 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the seventh pitcher with at least 10 wins in 16 consecutive seasons. Had a 4.62 ERA before the All-Star break and a 5.72 ERA after.
Scouting report: Savvy veteran. Sound delivery. Doesn't throw as hard (86-90 mph) as he did in his prime, but still gets good movement with his fastball and throws it where he wants. Separates speeds and looks (arm angle) with a tightly-spun curveball, a slider and a changeup. Can't make mistakes in the middle of the plate anymore. Lacks the ability to go deep in games because he pitches off the plate a lot. Continues to field his position superbly.
Grade: 2.2.

Relievers

Mariano Rivera — RHP
2007 line: 3-4, 3.15 ERA, 67 G, 71.1 IP, 30 SV, 68 H, 12 BB, 74 SO, .248 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Has gone 8-1 with a 0.77 ERA and 34 career saves in the postseason. Posted a 2.72 ERA at night vs. a 4.15 ERA during day games.
Scouting report: Upper-echelon closer. Effortless arm action. Continues to throw cutter after cutter at 91 to 94 mph, a few mph off his peak velocity. Stays near the top of his game because of his athleticism and consistent delivery. Shackles lefthanded hitters. Needs to be used carefully at this stage.
Grade: 4.0.

LaTroy Hawkins — LHP
2007 line: 2-5, 3.42 ERA, 62 G, 55.1 IP, 0 SV, 52 H, 16 BB, 29 SO, .252 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Went 16 consecutive appearances without permitting a walk during one stretch last season with the Rockies. Missed a month in April/May with an inflamed elbow.
Scouting report: Veteran setup reliever. Live, loose arm. Still touches 98 mph with his fastball (93 to 98 mph); likes to throw it up in the strike zone. Keeps hitters off it with improved breaking stuff: a quick, cutter-like slider and a big curveball he throws early in counts to lefthanded hitters. Doesn't pitch his best in pressure situations. Very resilient.
Grade: 2.5.

Kyle Farnsworth — RHP
2007 line: 2-1, 4.80 ERA, 64 G, 60.0 IP, 0 SV, 60 H, 27 BB, 48 SO, .256 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Pitched through chronic back pain last season. Posted a 6.75 ERA in seven appearances against Boston.
Scouting report: Big arm. High-octane stuff. Pumps his fastball up there in the upper 90s. Doesn't pitch inside enough with it. Throws a hard, tilted slider in the upper 80s. Lacks anything soft to take hitters off his hard stuff. Easy to follow.
Grade: 2.5.

Catching

Jorge Posada, 36, is certainly aging gracefully. Last year, he became the first Yankees catcher to finish in the top 10 in the league in batting since Thurman Munson in 1978. He also became the first full-time catcher in history to bat .330 with 40 doubles, 20 homers and 90 RBIs. Posada has never spent a day on the disabled list, and the Yankees undoubtedly took note of that when they signed him to a four-year deal worth $52.4 million.

Jorge Posada — C
2007 line: .338 BA, 506 AB, 91 R, 171 H, 42 2B, 1 3B, 20 HR, 90 RBI, 74 BB, 98 SO, .426 OBP, .970 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Had a .338 BA, 68 points higher than his career .270 BA entering '07. Ranks 12th on Yankees' all-time list with 861 RBIs.
Scouting report: Switch-hitter. Patient approach. Works a lot of fastball counts. Likes the ball middle down lefthanded; middle up righthanded. Adjusts to offspeed stuff. Pulls for power either way. Calls a good game. Seems to throw better as the season progresses.
Grade: 3.5.

Infield

Who's the face of the Yankees? Derek Jeter, we think. He has 2,356 career hits at age 33, and with every productive season, he spends more time strengthening his ties to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig on the team's all-time record lists. But while Jeter's contract expires in 2010, the Yanks are now committed to Alex Rodriguez through 2017. For all their early posturing about moving ahead sans A-Rod, the Yankees knew you don't just replace 54 homers and 156 RBIs. Human hit machine Robinson Cano is now a fixture at second base, while the Yanks are looking at some combination of Jason Giambi, Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit at first.

Jason Giambi — DH/1B
2007 line: .236 BA, 254 AB, 31 R, 60 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 39 RBI, 40 BB, 66 SO, .356 OBP, .790 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Was limited to 83 games by a foot injury that bothered him throughout the season. Hit .196 during day games.
Scouting report: Modern-day slugger. Extremely selective. Takes a lot of pitches; works the counts. Looks for fastballs in his wheelhouse (middle away). Hammers offspeed pitches left up and out over the plate. Hits the ball out from left center on around. Below-average 1B. Displays OK hands, but knee-to-knee range. Doesn't like to throw to the bases. Ideally a DH.
Grade: 2.5.

Robinson Cano — 2B
2007 line: .306 BA, 617 AB, 93 R, 189 H, 41 2B, 7 3B, 19 HR, 97 RBI, 39 BB, 85 SO, .353 OBP, .841 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Turned 136 double plays, 15 more than any 2B in MLB. Batted .343 with 13 of his 19 HRs coming after the All-Star break.
Scouting report: Doubles machine. Quick, fluid swing with great balance. Lets the ball come to him and hits it hard to all fields. Gets very good carry off the bat. Stays in well vs. lefthanded pitching. Inclined to chase the ball moving down and away. Upper-tier defender. Fields the ball smoothly, shows impressive range to both sides and leftside arm strength. Excels on the pivot.
Grade: 3.7.

Alex Rodriguez — 3B
2007 line: .314 BA, 583 AB, 143 R, 183 H, 31 2B, 0 3B, 54 HR, 156 RBI, 95 BB, 120 SO, .422 OBP, 1.067 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the first player since Roger Maris in 1961 to lead MLB in HRs, RBIs and runs. Has a .159 BA in the playoffs over the past three years.
Scouting report: Power stroke. Very strong hands. Excellent balance and leverage. Gets through the ball quickly, especially out over the plate. Imparts tremendous backspin (which promotes carry). Can shrink any part of the park. Fights off pitches up and in. Often tries to do too much in pressure situations. Solid 3B. Retains much of his SS athleticism. Reacts quickly and moves easily to the hole or line. Continues to have some issues throwing to second base to start the double play.
Grade: 4.7.

Derek Jeter — SS
2007 line: .322 BA, 639 AB, 102 R, 206 H, 39 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 56 BB, 100 SO, .388 OBP, .840 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the all-time MLB leader with 123 postseason games played. Has six seasons with at least 200 hits, most all-time among SS.
Scouting report: Prototypical No. 2 hitter. Outstanding bat handler. Inclined to shoot fastballs the other way and pull breaking stuff to left, left-center. Can be exploited hard in, but is quick to turn on the ball and smoke it if a pitcher goes to the well too often. Chases hard sliders down and away. Solid SS. Has good hands and a strong arm. Doesn't get to some balls he once did, especially to his glove side. Manager's dream.
Grade: 4.0.

Wilson Betemit — SS
2007 line: .229 BA, 240 AB, 33 R, 55 H, 12 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 38 BB, 82 SO, .333 OBP, .788 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Hit .226 with four HRs and 24 RBIs in 84 ABs for the Yankees. Hit .289 with three HRs at Yankee Stadium.
Scouting report: Big, strong body. Bats both ways. Likes to extend his arms. Displays impressive strength and leverage in his left-side swing. Has a lot of holes, especially righthanded. Overgrown former SS. Lacks middle-infield quickness and mobility. Fits best at first base or as outfield corner. Throws very well.
Grade: 2.1.

Outfield/DH

The Yankees have some issues to resolve here. If Melky Cabrera plays center field, what's Johnny Damon's role? If Damon slots over to left field, what becomes of Hideki Matsui? And if Matsui logs a lot of at-bats at designated hitter, where does that leave Jason Giambi? When Bobby Abreu was hitting .228 in late May, an anonymous scout called him a "piece of garbage" in the New York Daily News. Not quite. Abreu finished with a .309 average and 123 runs scored, prompting the Yankees to exercise his $16 million option in November. Opponents run on Cabrera at their peril. His 14 assists were the most by an AL centerfielder since Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli notched 15 in 2003.

Bobby Abreu — RF
2007 line: .283 BA, 605 AB, 123 R, 171 H, 40 2B, 5 3B, 16 HR, 101 RBI, 84 BB, 115 SO, .369 OBP, .814 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Had at least 100 RBIs each of the past five seasons. Hit .326 with 10 HRs at home vs. a .241 BA and six HRs on the road.
Scouting report: Quick, strong hands. Selective, moneyball-type approach. Recognizes pitches early and hits the ball from line to line. Tends to take lefthanders the opposite way. Can hit the ball out from left-center on around, but has been leaking power in recent seasons. Average RF at this stage. Comes in much better than he goes back. Takes a long time to get rid of the ball, which dilutes his plus arm strength.
Grade: 3.0.

Melky Cabrera — CF
2007 line: .273 BA, 545 AB, 66 R, 149 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 8 HR, 73 RBI, 43 BB, 68 SO, .327 OBP, .718 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Led AL centerfielders with 14 assists. Hit .310 during day games vs. .251 at night.
Scouting report: Switch-hitter. Short stroke either way. Makes line-drive contact; uses the field. Likes the ball on the outer half and down from both sides. Shows some extra-base juice, especially from the left side. Capable CF. Has improved his jumps and angles, but doesn't have great closing speed. Possesses a 55-60 arm (above average).
Grade: 2.5.

Hideki Matsui — LF/DH
2007 line: .285 BA, 547 AB, 100 R, 156 H, 28 2B, 4 3B, 25 HR, 103 RBI, 73 BB, 73 SO, .367 OBP, .855 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Was bothered the second half of the season by right knee pain and underwent offseason arthroscopic surgery.
Scouting report: Professional hitter. Efficient swing. Controls the strike zone; stays in the zone a long time and hits the ball where it is pitched. Pulls for power. Tends to swing over sliders down and in. Adequate LF. Restricted by a bad knee last year. Catches the balls he should catch, but doesn't get the balls he once did. Doesn't throw particularly well.
Grade: 3.0.

Johnny Damon — CF/LF/DH
2007 line: .270 BA, 533 AB, 93 R, 144 H, 27 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 66 BB, 79 SO, .351 OBP, .747 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Hit 69 points higher at night (.290) vs. day games (.221) with 11 of his 12 HRs at night. Hit .296 after the All-Star break.
Scouting report: Slasher. Good eye. Likes the ball on the outer half and rips line drives all around. Shows big pull power if he's sitting on a center-cut fastball and gets it. Still runs well when he's healthy (which wasn't often in '07). Decent OF. Can run down tardy reads. Lacks arm strength.
Grade: 2.7.

Organization/management

General manager Brian Cashman's fingerprints were all over the game plan when the Yankees held firm and refrained from giving up too much young talent for Johan Santana. But who's really in charge here? Senior VP Hank Steinbrenner assumed a higher profile over the winter, answering every reporter's phone call and making life interesting for the tabloids in the mold of dear ol' dad. Manager Joe Girardi squeezed the most out of a young Marlins squad in 2006, but his regimented approach will require some adjustments from his new players in New York.