Sunday, February 3, 2008

Opening Day

Only 57 days until Opening Day and this is my best guess at depth:

C: Posada
1B: Giambi
2B: Cano
3B: Rodriguez
SS: Jeter
LF: Damon
CF: Cabrera
RF: Abreu
DH: Matsui

Bench: Betemit
Bench: Molina
Bench: Duncan
Bench: Ensberg

SP: Wang
SP: Pettite
SP: Kennedy
SP: Mussina
SP: Hughes/Chamberlain

Pen: Rivera, Farnsworth, Hughes/Chamberlain, Ramirez, Hawkins, Albaladejo, Karstens

Apprehensions
  • Shoehorning guys into first base worries me. But in an ideal world Giambi would be the DH and Matsui would be at first base as his knee only leaks viscous goo instead of violently exploding. Ensberg provides a great off-the-bench option against LHP (career .936 OPS vs LHP) if he can return to fighting trim.
  • Last season our outfield limped out of the gates with sprained everythings. April OPSs: Melky-.451 Damon-. 678 Abreu-.668. The last two promised to take care of themselves this offseason but, last I heard, neither has reported to the training facility.
  • We may have to play a shell game with Hughes/Chamberlain as they're both under pretty tight innings caps. I'm guessing they'll both work as swing men. Chamberlain in the pen for the first part of the year and then trading Hughes for a rotation spot.
  • Mussina.
  • Brian Cashman being let go just in time to see one of the best home-grown rotations in full swing.
Things to be excited about
  • Seeing Joba and Hughes on the mound.
  • A peak at kids like Horne, Sanchez, Melancon.
  • A manager who can name a player in his organization under the age of 30.
  • One of the best benches in the game.
  • Dustin Pedroia getting 25 XBH.

4 comments:

malibuyankee said...

I think you'll see Ohlendorf in the pen coming out of spring

Brian said...

Fess up. You're Ross Ohlendorf, aren't you?

YankeeGM said...

It's this kind of blatant blog BS that I can't stand! Wrecklessly writing things that have no chance of happeneing...being so sensationalist as to predict a best-case scenario that has no shot of occurring!

Dustin Pedroia and 25 XBH? Irresponsible!

Brian said...

25 XBH is an exaggeration. But my point is that I think he will definitely disappoint this season.

And what's the "best case scenario that has no shot of occurring"?