2014 Yankees preseason

[jacksonianmarch]

I know we're a ways into ST by now, but better late than never. Thus far, it sounds like Tex and Jeter are healthy which is huge. It sounds like Pineda has gotten his stuff back. And it sounds like Tanaka has good stuff. I don't give a shit about the puff pieces that bored beat writers dream up after months of inactivity. By this point last yr, Jeter was having setbacks, Granderson broke his arm the first time and Tex decimated his wrist. So at least we're doing better than that to this point

[Station 13]

Yeah how about that infield could be outWARed by a single player such as Trout. So why haven't they signed Drew with nobody to replace Jeter?

[jacksonianmarch]

You do know that you outWAR'd Mike Trout by 2 with your IF and that included a career yr from Napoli and a since departed Stephen Drew, right? You're pointing out our 8 and 9 hitters in our lineup. If we get anything out of them, it's a bonus.

[jacksonianmarch]

I'd set up out lineup as follows.

1. Gardner LF
2. Jeter SS
3. Ellsbury CF
4. Teixeira 1B
5. McCann C
6. Beltran RF
7. Soriano DH
8. Johnson 3B
9. Roberts 2B

That's a deep, deep lineup

[Bellhorn04]

I'd set up out lineup as follows.

1. Gardner LF
2. Jeter SS
3. Ellsbury CF
4. Teixeira 1B
5. McCann C
6. Beltran RF
7. Soriano DH
8. Johnson 3B
9. Roberts 2B

That's a deep, deep lineup

I imagine Girardi will do some tinkering with the lineup in the early going depending on results. I think Ellsbury is your opening day leadoff hitter though.

[seabeachfred]

I'd set up out lineup as follows.

1. Gardner LF
2. Jeter SS
3. Ellsbury CF
4. Teixeira 1B
5. McCann C
6. Beltran RF
7. Soriano DH
8. Johnson 3B
9. Roberts 2B

That's a deep, deep lineup

It certainly is a stronger Yankee lineup than the one they used last season. A lot depends on what they get from Jeter and how Teixiera comes back from his wrist injury of last season.

[jacksonianmarch]

He may be. If that's the case, Gardner shifts to the 9 hole acting as second leadoff and Johnson and Roberts shift up a peg. Johnson has power and OPS'd a respectable .714 last yr while being jerked around the diamond. He's a lefty in our park. Assuming he doesn't age all at once, he might have a surprisingly productive yr.

[jacksonianmarch]

Also, I think this team sets up pretty well for a midseason trade for Chase Headley. That's assuming the likely scenario that either Johnson or Roberts aren't working out, be it injury or in effectiveness. I'd say the likelihood is that Roberts would be the one getting replaced with Johnson moving back to his natural 2b position

[BSN07]

I thought Ellsbury was signed to leadoff?

Just for fun here's how see the Yankee batting order play out,

1. Ellsbury CF
2. Jeter SS
3. Beltran RF
4. McCann C
5. Teixeira 1B
6. Soriano DH
7. Gardner LF
8. Johnson 3B
9. Roberts 2B

[jacksonianmarch]

If Gardner isn't leadoff, he'll hit 9th. There is no point to stacking him at the 7 slot with guys behind him who are less likely to drive him in.

[jete02fan]

I know we're a ways into ST by now, but better late than never. Thus far, it sounds like Tex and Jeter are healthy which is huge. It sounds like Pineda has gotten his stuff back. And it sounds like Tanaka has good stuff. I don't give a shit about the puff pieces that bored beat writers dream up after months of inactivity. By this point last yr, Jeter was having setbacks, Granderson broke his arm the first time and Tex decimated his wrist. So at least we're doing better than that to this point

i'm happy to see Betances finally make some real strides

[jacksonianmarch]

I have said for years on the scout.com site that he needed to be converted to relief. But every time I did, they'd talk about how amazing his stuff is and how you need to exhaust his starting potential, etc, etc etc. The kid has two dominant pitches and cannot repeat his delivery enough to go deep into games. In short stints, he's been dominant thus far in the minors. That will translate, IMO. He throws upper 90s with a true knockout curve. He will be a closer type and might end up as our setup man by seasons end

[Palodios]

I have said for years on the scout.com site that he needed to be converted to relief. But every time I did, they'd talk about how amazing his stuff is and how you need to exhaust his starting potential, etc, etc etc. The kid has two dominant pitches and cannot repeat his delivery enough to go deep into games. In short stints, he's been dominant thus far in the minors. That will translate, IMO. He throws upper 90s with a true knockout curve. He will be a closer type and might end up as our setup man by seasons end

We seem to see this trend in all sorts of organizations. No one wants to put a starter in the pen, even if he isn't any good as a starter. Luke Hochevar wasted away as an awful starter for years until they realized the #1 overall pick was a good reliever. Andrew Miller same exact thing, but #7 overall instead of #1. Lincecum may very well be another example, although he was untouchable as a starter for a long time.

[jacksonianmarch]

At least Hochevar and Miller were lights out in the minors. That's the thing with Dellin. He had one lights out season in High A. Other than that, his walk totals were just absurd. When he converted fully to the role, his walk totals dropped to 3.9 per 9IP and his stuff shone through. The kid's K/9IP as a reliever in AAA last yr was 12.4 with a WHIP just under 1 and an ERA of 1.35. He was lights out. In the last 3 seasons, he walked 185 in 281IP as a starter.

[jacksonianmarch]

Pineda threw a scoreless 2.2IP with 5K today. He's got his stuff back. Now the question is, will his shoulder explode or not? I think NY will actually option him to AAA for two month to try to cap his innings