Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees

In what is expected to be an off-season full of spending and bidding wars in the Bronx, the Yankees have a lot of tough and important decisions to make. Despite finishing with 89 wins this past season, New York failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993 to conclude what was a disappointing 2008 campaign.

Projected 2009 Starting Lineup:

C- Jorge Posada
1B- Mark Teixeira
2B- Robinson Cano
SS- Derek Jeter
3B- Alex Rodriguez
LF- Manny Ramirez
CF- Melky Cabrera
RF- Xavier Nady
DH- Johnny Damon/Hideki Matsui

SP- Mike Mussina
SP- A.J. Burnett
SP- Chien-Ming Wang
SP- Joba Chamberlain
SP- Andy Pettitte

Who likely won't be back:

Bobby Abreu- RF
Jason Giambi- 1B
Ivan Rodriguez- C

For some reason, the Yankees don't appear too adamant on re-signing Bobby Abreu. One could make the argument that Abreu was New York's best player in 2008, batting .296 with 20 homers, 100 RBI, and countless clutch hits. Still, this might have something to do with the fact that Hank Steinbrenner plans on going hot-and-heavy after Manny Ramirez. Xavier Nady would then take over in right, and Ramirez, who does not want to DH, would play left. That would leave Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui to alternate at the DH spot, and Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner would play center. However, whether or not Damon and Matsui be happy sharing playing time is a big question. Maybe the Yanks try to deal Matsui over the winter? The possibility is always there.

Jason Giambi is a goner for sure, meaning that New York has its eyes set on Mark Teixeira, as the Angels may not be able to afford to re-sign the 28-year old first baseman. If the Yankees cannot sign Teixeira, they will have to either sign a role player to fill that spot or tend to that internally; remember that New York brought up 25-year old Juan Miranda in September, and the front office thinks he could develop into a nice player. Also, despite trade rumors that may suggest otherwise, it looks like Robinson Cano will stay put. Cano only batted .271 in 2008, but that had a lot to do with the fact that he hit only .151 in April (he compiled a .297 batting average over the final five months of the season). And, with Ivan Rodriguez being a trade deadline bust for the Yankees this past year, there is a very slim chance that he returns to the team in 2009, meaning that the catcher job is all Jorge Posada's.

That brings us to the starting rotation, perhaps the biggest question mark for New York in the off-season. Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman have several targets, including CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe, and A.J. Burnett. Of those three, the most realistic signee would be Burnett. It has been said that Sabathia does not want to pitch in a big market, and Lowe is opposed to the idea of playing in the Big Apple. The chances of the Yankees inking one of those pitchers to a contract, though, are pretty good. Andy Pettitte said recently that he wants to play at least one more season for the Yanks, but it is not known what Mike Mussina wants to do yet. The general consensus is that he will come back for another year. Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain will round out the rest of the rotation, and unless one of Mussina or Pettitte decides to retire, Philip Hughes may very well end up being the odd man out. Who knows what will happen with Carl Pavano. Some feel that New York has no interest in bringing him back, but due to the fact that he showed flashes in his return last year, I could see Cashman signing him to a one-year deal.

The bullpen will most likely look very similar to the one the Yankees sported in 2008. We all know who the closer is going to be, and Damaso Marte will probably be the setup man. Youngsters Phil Coke and David Robertson might get a shot at playing big roles in the pen, as well, and don't be surprised to see Alfredo Aceves, who looked impressive as a starter for New York the final month of the season, get a shot. I don't, however, expect Hughes to spend any time as a reliever.