New York Yankees Roster Battles: The Most Intriguing Spring Position Battles
March 15, 2012 · Peter Alfano · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Job openings don’t occur often with the Yankees.
Consider, for example, that Derek Jeter has been a fixture at shortstop and Mariano Rivera has been a bastion of the bullpen since the end of Bill Clinton’s first term as president.
Similarly, Alex Rodriguez has been the third baseman since 2004 and Robinson Cano has held down second since 2005.
By those standards, Mark Teixeira is a relative newcomer taking over first base in 2009. And Teixeira isn’t expected to relinquish the position anytime soon.
When people talk about change with the Yankees, it usually involves the starting rotation. This season is no exception. The back end of the rotation is a work in progress if you take manager Joe Girardi at his word.
For that matter, there are also some variables involved in the guys behind the plate who will be catching those pitchers.
The Yankees are expected to use a platoon at the designated hitter position with Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones, but will Eric Chavez become part of the mix?
Can Ibanez move ahead of Nick Swisher in the starting outfield?
While Rivera is the undisputed all-time closer in baseball, there may be renewed competition for the set-up role if Rafael Soriano can bounce back from his disappointing first season in New York and David Robertson falters.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the positions that are for the taking on the Yankees.
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