2008 Season Preview

Here is the Sports Network 2008 Season preview of the New York Yankees.


New York Yankees 2008 Preview
By Chris Ruddick, MLB Contributing Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees enter a season without Joe Torre for the first time since 1995.

After four World Series titles and 12 straight years of reaching the playoffs the Yankees decided to offer Torre an incentive laden contract which he quickly turned down. So, the Yankees handed the managerial reins over to Joe Girardi, who earned Manager of the Year honors in his one year as skipper of the Florida Marlins in 2006.

Last year the Yankees overcame a horrendous start to reach the playoffs for the 13th straight consecutive year. However, they entered the playoffs as a wild card, as their string of nine straight division titles was stopped by the eventual world champion Boston Red Sox. Alex Rodriguez was the driving force behind the Yankees' run and picked up his second MVP Award in three seasons.

The Yankees late season success, though, didn't carry over to the postseason, as they were ousted in the ALDS for the third straight season, losing to the Cleveland Indians in four games. In addition to Torre leaving, the Yankees future seemed murky at the end of the season with the pending free agency of not only Rodriguez, but Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera.

Things got even more cloudy once it was announced that A-Rod was opting out of his contract, but that situation was quickly corrected with him signing the richest deal in baseball history. After that, things fell into place as Rivera, Posada and Pettitte all put their names on a new contracts with the Yankees.

After a winter-long flirtation with Johan Santana, the Yankees chose not to pull the trigger on a potential trade for the two-time Cy Young Award winner and kept their surplus of talented young arms intact for the upcoming season.

The Yankees' chances this season could very well rest on the young right arms of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, in addition to last year's phenom Joba Chamberlain.
Either way the tremendous offense will probably be able to overcome any shortcomings the Yankee pitching staff may encounter.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2008 edition of the New York Yankees, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2007 Finish (94-68) - Second Place (AL East)

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: LaTroy Hawkins RP; Jonathan Albaladejo RP; Billy Traber RP; Morgan Ensberg 3B; Chris Woodward IF; Jason Lane OF

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: Luis Vizcaino RP; Tyler Clippard SP; Andy Phillips IF; Roger Clemens SP; Ron Villone RP

PROJECTED LINEUP: Johnny Damon LF; Derek Jeter SS; Bobby Abreu RF; Alex Rodriguez 3B; Jason Giambi 1B; Jorge Posada C; Hideki Matsui SH; Robinson Cano 2B; Melky Cabrera CF

PROJECTED ROTATION: Chien-Ming Wang RHP; Andy Petitte LHP; Mike Mussina RHP; Phil Hughes RHP; Ian Kennedy RHP

PROJECTED CLOSER: Mariano Rivera RHP

MANAGER: Joe Girardi

INFIELD
Despite a potential messy contract situation hovering over his head last season, Rodriguez had one of the best offensive years in the history of baseball, as he batted .314 with 54 home runs and 156 RBI in 158 games, leading the league in homers, RBI and runs scored (143).
Since RBI became an official statistic in 1920, only three other players (none in the past 50 years) have compiled a season with the major league lead in those three categories -- Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle. Rodriguez's .645 slugging percentage was also tops in the big leagues, as was his incredible ratio of one RBI per 3.7 at-bats.
For his efforts Rodriguez picked up his fourth MVP Award, his second in pinstripes, and then was rewarded with a monstrous 10-year $275 million deal that could be wort well over $300 million if he breaks the all-time home run record.
Of course, Rodriguez isn't the only star in the Yankees infield. Derek Jeter is back for his 13th season as New York's shortstop. Jeter wasn't quite as good as his near-MVP campaign of 2006, but the Yankees captain still hit .322 with 12 home runs, 73 RBI and scored 102 times. He also topped 200 hits for the third straight season, while going over 100 runs scored for the 11th time in his 12 seasons.
Jeter, though, had his string of three straight Gold Glove Awards stopped.
Those two are joined by one of the budding stars in the game in second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano overcame a horrendous start a year ago to hit .306 with 19 homers, 97 RBI and 93 runs scored. He was sensational after the break, batting .343 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI, while playing through an abdominal injury in September.
Cano established career highs in runs scored, hits (189), triples (seven), home runs, RBI and walks (39), while matching his previous career high with 41 doubles.
First base figures to be a revolving door all season. Jason Giambi showed up to camp in tremendous shape and as long as he is healthy, he should be the guy for Joe Girardi.
Giambi, who will likely become a free agent at season's end, struggled with the stick a year ago, hitting .236 with 14 home runs and 39 RBI. The Big G, though, is probably best suited to be the team's designated hitter, since he is a liability with the glove and only played 18 games at first base last season.
Posada had one of the best offensive seasons ever by a catcher last season and was rewarded with a hefty four-year, $52 million deal. Posada hit .338 with 20 homers and 90 RBI in 144 games last season.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first Yankees catcher to finish a season in the top 10 in the league in batting average since Thurman Munson finished 10th in 1978 with a .297 average.
He also became the first player in major league history to hit at least .330 with 40 doubles, 20 homers and 90 RBI in a year in which he caught at least half of his games played.
The 36-year-old Posada has never been placed on the disabled list in his career and has started at least 120 games behind the plate in each of the last eight seasons.

OUTFIELD
Johnny Damon (.270, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 93 runs) admittedly showed up to camp last season out of shape and it showed. Damon was slowed by nagging injuries the better part of the year and never really got it going until the second half.
Damon's game, though, seemed to pick up once he moved from center field to left and that is where he will spend the majority of his time this year. Unlike last year Damon showed up for spring training in extremely good shape and vows to return to the level of player he was while in Boston.
WIth Damon in left, the everyday job in center field now falls to Melky Cabrera, who would have been dealt to Minnesota had the Yankees completed the deal for Johan Santana.
Cabrera, who is tremendous defensively, was the spark plug of the Yankees run towards the playoffs last season and started 101 of the Yankees' final 111 games in center field, batting .290 with six home runs and 58 RBI in 411 at- bats over that span.
Rounding out the outfield will be Bobby Abreu in right. Abreu, another Yankee who showed up out of shape last season, was hitting a paltry .228 on May 31 last season, but rallied to finish the year at .283. He also belted 16 homers with 101 RBI. Abreu also walked 84 times.
Defensively, Abreu won't run into any walls for you, but he possesses an above average arm.

DESIGNATED HITTER
Hideki Matsui figures to be the team's DH if Giambi is going to be playing the field. Matsui struggled with knee injuries last season, but still hit .285 with 25 home runs, 103 RBI and scored 100 runs.
Matsui, of course, will also be used as a fourth outfielder. On those days Giambi or the energetic Shelly Duncan will fill the DH spot.

STARTING ROTATION
No pitcher in baseball has won more games than Chien-Ming Wang over the last two seasons. Wang had his second straight 19-win campaign a year ago, while pitching to a 3.70 earned run average. He also missed most of the first month of the season.
The 27-year-old right-hander, though, struggled in the playoffs, losing both of his starts to the Cleveland Indians, giving up 12 runs in just 5 2/3 innings.
Pettitte will hope to put a tumultuous offseason behind him and will slot in behind Wang as the team's No. 2 starter. Pettitte was named in the Mitchell Report and admitted to taking human growth hormone on a few occasions. Pettitte also confirmed to Congress that he and Roger Clemens had in fact discussed the seven-time Cy Young Award winner's use of performance enhancing drugs.
This is probably not the end of it for Pettitte either, as he will likely have to testify once again with regards to the government's pending perjury case against Clemens.
On the field last season Pettitte was solid, going 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA. Pettitte had actually contemplated retirement before re-upping with the Yanks for one year and $16 million.
Mike Mussina showed signs that the end may be near last season, as he struggled through his worst year as a pro, racking up an 11-10 ledger to go along with a 5.15 ERA.
After those three the Yankees will turn to a pair of relative unknowns in righties Hughes and Kennedy.
Hughes, who has been the crown jewel of the Yankees system for years, showed signs of brilliance last season. In just his second start Hughes held the Texas Rangers hitless in 6 1/3 innings before suffering a severe hamstring injury. Hughes struggled when he returned, but seemed to get stronger as the year went on and was sensational for the team in the playoffs.
The Minnesota Twins wanted Hughes in any deal for Santana, but the Yankees refused, believing Hughes has the potential to be an ace.
Kennedy, meanwhile, shot his way through the Yankee system last season and made three starts for the big league team down the stretch, going 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA.
If Mussina or either of the youngsters struggle, the Yankees plan on moving Chamberlain into the rotation.

BULLPEN
After flirting with the idea of hitting the free agent market, Rivera is back as the Yankees closer after signing a three-year, $45 million deal. The 38- year-old Rivera notched 30 saves in 34 opportunities last season, adding a record of 3-4 with a 3.15 earned run average in 67 games.
The native of Panama owns 443 career saves, the most in franchise history and the third-most in baseball annals behind Trevor Hoffman's 524 and Lee Smith's 478.
Rivera, though, makes his money in the postseason, where he has been truly dominant with a mark of 8-1, 34 saves and a sparkling 0.77 ERA. He's allowed 10 earned runs in 117 1/3 innings over 76 postseason appearances.
Girardi has stated that Rivera will once again have Chamberlain setting him up. Chamberlain was sensational in the eighth inning down the stretch for the Yankees last season, using a blazing fastball and an even better slider to surrender just one earned run in his 24 appearances.
The Yankees have said that Chamberlain's future is as a starter and the plan is to ease him into that role in the second half. But if he is as dominant setting up Rivera as he was last year, it would be extremely difficult to move him out of the pen.
In addition to Chamberlain, Kyle Farnsworth and newly-signed LaTroy Hawkins will be used to build the bridge to Rivera. Farnsworth has been ineffective in his two years with the Yankees, but the team hopes Girardi, who caught him in Chicago, can cure him.
Sean Henn and Billy Traber will be called on to get lefties out.

BENCH
When the Yankees acquired Wilson Betemit last season there were thoughts that he could be the guy to replace A-Rod. Betemit can play a number of positions and will see time at both corner infield spots and maybe some shortstop should Chris Woodward or Cody Ransom not make the team.
Duncan was breath of fresh air for the Yankees last season. His energy seemed to rub off on just about everybody. Duncan can play first as well as the outfield and will provide some pop off the bench for Girardi. He may even have a bigger role should Giambi struggle early on. Girardi will not hesitate to throw Duncan in there as the regular first baseman.

OUTLOOK
Things could go really well for the Yankees this season. Or they could go horribly wrong. Offensively there is not a thing to complain about, as they possess one of the best lineups in the game. Pitching-wise, though, there are a ton of question marks. The young guys are touted as can't misses, but who really knows what you are going to get from them. Plus Mussina looked real old last year. If you think the answer to that is to throw Chamberlain into the starting mix, then who is setting up Rivera? Farnsworth? Hawkins? The Yankees, though, always find a way to make things work. Should everything fall their way the Yanks will cruise to a 14th straight playoff appearance. If things go the other way, though, heads will roll in the Bronx.
03/25 19:37:26 ET