It appears the New York Yankees have come to a fork in the road. They can either continue with their gross overspending in a fight to remain relevant, or they can revamp their roster with young talent, sacrifice a few seasons and reap the benefits a few years down the road.
Until they decide upon a path, the Yankees' future will always be clouded to a certain degree...and there's no better example of this than the product they'll be putting on the field this season. The combination of both new youngsters and over-the-hill veterans only reiterates the fact that the Yankees are in a state of transition.
This is what makes predicting the lineup so difficult, since the possibilities right now are numerous.
Starting Lineup
1. CF-Jacoby Ellsbury
The Yankees need to understand one of the few consistent assets they have, and that's Jacoby Ellsbury. The Yankees need to put Ellsbury where he belongs and where he can be the most productive with his speed and plate discipline. This is the leadoff spot.
2. 3B-Chase Headley
This may not appear to be the obvious choice, but it's definitely the safe one. Headley improved his hitting across all categories last year when he was brought in by the Yankees, and the fact that he's switch hitter gives the Yankees even more options when deciding who hits behind him. Also, he's a gold glove third baseman. So that's a plus.
3. C-Brian McCann
The 3 spot by default has to go to Brian McCann. I expect McCann to play exponentially better than he did last year in regards to his hitting, and based on the injury history of both Teixeira and Beltran, McCann is clearly the best choice.
4. 1B-Mark Teixiera
He's seemingly always injured, but there are two things that Mark Teixiera always brings to the table. He's the only consistent power hitter the Yankees still have, and he's a world class first basemen. This will shore up the defense on both corners of the infield, but this season the questions are undoubtedly about the offense.
5. RF-Carlos Beltran
Despite the fact that Carlos Beltran's health is more or less always in question, he's still the only clear choice for hitting cleanup. The Yankees need to hope that Beltran can find the fountain of youth in regards to his power numbers, but he's very reliable in his plate discipline and has a knack for getting on base.
6. DH-Alex Rodriguez
I can't believe I'm saying this, but Alex Rodriguez will be in the lineup next year. I'm more than a little biased, but I'm praying A-Rod gets booed out of the lineup because of lack of production, venom from fans, or some combination of the two. That being said, he's still Alex Rodriguez, and that fact forces Joe Girardi to work him into the lineup.
7. SS-Didi Gregorius
This where the beginning of the youth movement begins. Gregorius is a young, talented, and flashy fielder with a lot of questions to be answered when it comes to his bat. Didi has good speed, but he's a slap hitter with minimal power. Gregorius' success depends upon how many runs he saves at shortstop, and whether or not he has the ability to get timely hits when his team needs them.
8. 2B-Rob Refsnyder
For the Yankees, Refsnyder is hopefully the future at second base. He has been the model of consistency throughout his entire minor league career, and he's an above-average fielder. If he can produce on a daily basis, it won't be long before he works his way up the lineup.
9. LF-Brett Gardner
Last but not least, Brett Gardner will hold down the 9 spot in the lineup. This is more for strategic purposes than anything else. Gardner makes a perfect double leadoff man, and with Ellsbury hitting behind him, Gardner will get many more pitches to hit. This will allow Gardner to continue to be productive at the dish, as well as being an efficient defender in left field.
This lineup is fairly predictable until you get to the last third, but based on the potential there I hope this youth movement is just the beginning of what's to come for the Yankees.
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