Cliff Lee: The Aftermath

First of all, don’t expect something big to happen right now, or any time in the near future. If you’ve been following Brian Cashman’s moves over the past few years, you can see that he values patience with his organizational talent and is unlikely to empty the farm for Zack Greinke, or any of the other unlikely trades targets that may be thrown around (Felix, Johnson, Latos etc.). So what can we expect as Yankee fans? Here’s what I think.

First and foremost, as much as you and I would love to see it, Joba Chamberlain is not going to get another shot at the rotation. The Yankees screwed that one up and will try to get as much out of him in the bullpen as they can. Second, do not expect Zack Greinke to come to New York. The prospect price is too high. (Notice the issue is not his social anxiety disorder. Greinke would be fine in NY regardless of the speculation, in my opinion). Third, do not even think about the Yankees signing Carl Pavano or any other free agent pitcher left on the market. The scrap heap they would have to choose from includes Pavano, Erik Bedard, Jeff Francis, Kevin Millwood, Brad Penny and Brandon Webb. Pass.

In the near future, expect the Yankees efforts to get Andy Pettitte back for one more year to increase. Make no mistake about it, they need Pettitte. At this point, the rotation is Sabathia, Hughes and Burnett. With Pettitte, the panic button is a little further out of reach.

Also get familiar with Ivan Nova. We’ll see him on the mound a lot this year. Cashman has already said that they like his stuff and they he would have figured prominently into their plans even with Lee in 2011. As a number five starter, the Yankees could do worse. But it’s certainly a question mark for them.

I would bank on things staying relatively quiet until midseason, especially if Pettitte returns. However, if Pettitte stays home, Cashman will have to address the back end of the rotation much quicker.

Fortunately, the Yankees do not have any gaping holes in the field. The one risk they do have is going into the season expecting Jesus Montero to win the starting catcher spot. With this in mind, look for the Yankees to dump their resources into bringing Russell Martin to the Bronx. He not only gives them Jesus insurance, but he also gives them a trade chip if Montero runs away with the job by midseason.

Another issue is the bench. You have to assume one of Ramiro Pena or Eduardo Nunez will be the utility infielder. Reports have linked the Yankees to Jerry Hairston Jr., who would be a welcome presence on the Yankee bench. 

So if we assume two parts of the bench are Martin and Pena/Nunez, and you assume that the Yankees go after Hairston Jr. or someone of the same mold, that leaves one more hole on the bench: the Marcus Thames role. They need someone who can hit left-handed pitching and possibly play the corner outfield spots. With Matt Diaz off the market, I wonder if they could bring Scott Hairston to the Bronx along with his brother. There were many reports about how much they enjoyed playing together in San Diego, perhaps the Yankees can take advantage of that and bring them both in.

Finally, there is the bullpen. Assuming five spots are taken by Rivera, Chamberlain, Robertson, Logan, and Mitre, that leaves two spots for a lefty and another power arm in the back end. Some left options include Pedro Feliciano, Randy Choate and Will Ohman. Back end type arms include Kerry Wood, Grant Balfour, Bobby Jenks, Jon Rauch, and Matt Guerrier. I would expect the Yankees to be in on Feliciano or Choate as well as Jenks and Wood. Balfour is a type-A free agent, so I have a hard time seeing him as an option. Wood will probably be overpaid by another team to close, which leaves Jenks.

After considering all of this, here are my predictions for the 25-man Opening Day roster:

SP: Sabathia

SP: Hughes

SP: Burnett

SP: Pettitte

SP: Nova

CL: Rivera

RP: Jenks

RP: Chamberlain

RP: Robertson

RP: Logan

RP: Feliciano

RP: Mitre

C: Montero, Martin

1B: Teixeira

2B: Cano

3B: Rodriguez

SS: Jeter

LF: Gardner

CF: Granderson

RF: Swisher

DH: Posada

IF: Nunez

OF: S. Hairston

Util: Hairston Jr.