So What Exactly Do The New York Yankees Need?
July 27, 2009 · Sean Fitzgerald · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
He seems happy, doesn’t he? A little too happy if you ask me. But who can blame him? At the start of the second half, the New York Yankees were 3 games out of first place.
Flash-forward to today. After going 9-1 in their homestand against the Tigers, Orioles, and Athletics, the Yankees sit comfortably atop the American League East, 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
With a 60-38 record and the July 31st trading deadline vastly approaching, the Yankees HAVE to make a move, right? At least that’s what they always do. That’s their modus operandi as a franchise.
Whether it be trading for Esteban Loaiza, Shawn Chacon, Damaso Marte, or Xavier Nady. The Yankees have always felt the need to tweak something just a little bit in an attempt to improve their situation.
But this season feels different, doesn’t it? They’re pitching differently, hitting differently, and most importantly, winning differently. These aren’t the Yankees of the past (more recent past) who rely heavily on the longball and when faced with a deficit, roll over and play dead.
Maybe New York should stay right where they are.
Offense
In three words: They. Score. Runs. They score a lot of them. And by my count, they have scored more runs than any other team in Major League Baseball. 543 in total. They lead the majors in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, total bases, and RBIs. And at the risk of sounding like an ESPN talking-head, they do the little things right and hit when it matters.
Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. One wonders how manager Joe Girardi can provide ample at-bats for 19 different outfielders, but he seems to be doing an admirable job.
Defense
The word “defense” is rarely uttered in a sport like baseball. The only time you will hear it is when a bench player has been brought in for “defensive purposes”. Other than that, defense is treated as a bonus from a player’s skill set. Teams will mortgage their futures on stars with plus-1 OPS’s and never consider their defensive limitations.
That being said, the Yankees are fine defensively. With the way Teixeira uses his glove, he has made it seem like the Yankees didn’t even have a 1st baseman since 2001.
If you would like to look for a problem area. Look at two positions: Right-field and catcher.
Nick Swisher may field 98.9% of the balls hit to him and Shaquille O’Neal may hit 52% of his free throws, but when a ball is hit to Swisher, I’m not sure I know which one I’ll bet on. Lately, Swisher has fielded hit position like a little leaguer. Dropping balls, missing cut-off men, eating grass, you name it. His nickname should be “The Liability”.
In terms of the catching position, Yankee fans knew this day would come. A day when Posada would break down physically and not be the same defensive catcher he once was. Granted, he was never the greatest defensive catcher, but he certainly held his own. Now, at the age of 37 (turns 38 on August 17), Posada looks like a shell of his former self.
Sure, they may have Jose Molina to spell him every fifth game, but it’s only a matter of time before Jorge costs New York a game with pass balls and late throws to second. Bottom-line: It is was it is and a trade is out of the question.
Bullpen
They may rank 19th in all of baseball in overall bullpen ERA, but over the past few months the Yankees have greatly improved their late-inning pitching situation. Their solution: Phil Hughes. Following last season, New York was adamant about inserting Joba Chamberlain into the starting rotation.
Obviously, by taking him away from the set-up role, their was a hole that needed to be filled. And after months of auditioning, the job has apparently been awarded to Hughes.
With the likes of Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Phil Hughes, and Mariano Rivera anchoring the back-end of games, searching the tradewire for bullpen is something the Yankees won’t need to be doing.
Besides, is there anyone actually good out there?
Rotation
You’d think after spending the GDP of Guatemala on starting pitching during the offseason, New York should be ashamed to even address this question. But just every other season, things don’t always go as planned.
The Yankees planned on having Chien-Ming Wang back to his old self inducing double-plays and racking up 20 wins. Not only was he ineffective, he proved himself once again to be a tin-man.
The Yankees planned on having Joba Chamberlain as a future Josh Beckett. Although he has shown flashes of dominance, his inconsistency is unsettling and he is nearing the innings-limit the Yankees shackled him with at the beginning of the season.
If the Yankees are willing to ride Chamberlain out for the rest of the season and into the playoffs as a starter, they have at least four reliable pitchers. If not, it’s time to trade.
It looks like a good year to be a Yankee fan. When you’re desperately looking for problems, your team is successful.
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