The New York Yankees had quite an unfortunate season last year. Considering the fact that the Bronx Bombers were injury prone all season long with team members such as Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, and Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list for extended periods of time, the Yankees had to fill the open spots with less productive players and consequently missed the playoffs for the second time in nineteen years.
The Yankees front office realized that the roster needed improvement and spent most of their 470 million dollar budget on free agents such as Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Masahiro Tanaka.
Catcher Brian McCann’s lefty bat was something highly sought after. With his five-year 85 million dollar contract, McCann will provide the Yankees with much needed power and leadership behind the plate. McCann played for the Atlanta Braves and has a batting average of .277 with 176 home runs and 661 RBIs over his career.
Jacoby Ellsbury became the everyday center fielder for the Yankees after signing a seven-year, 153 million dollar contract. Coming off a World Series title with the Red Sox, Jacoby is known for his stellar defense and speed on the base paths. Ellsbury is also known for his lefty bat at the top of the lineup. He hit .298 in 2013 with an On Base Percentage of .355.
Carlos Beltran is attempting to win his first World Series Ring with the New York Yankees. Carlos will play right field and designated hitter at times throughout the season after signing a three-year, 45 million dollar contract with the club. Beltran has a .283 batting average with 358 home runs and 1327 runs batted in. He is also a switch hitter, hitting from both sides of the plate and is one of the most successful postseason players in MLB history.
The last player the Yankees signed, Masahiro Tanaka, undoubtedly received the most attention. Tanaka is a 24-year-old right handed pitcher who recently pitched for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. Tanaka achieved a record of 24-0 alongside an earned run average of 1.27 during his 2013 campaign with the Golden Eagles.
During the offseason, the head of the Golden Eagles “posted” Tanaka. This allowed MLB teams to negotiate a contract with Tanaka and would then have to pay a 20 million dollar posting fee to Rakuten. Tanaka chose the Yankees, signing with them to pitch on a seven year 155 million dollar contract. He adds star power to the Yankees starting rotation, which has been missing the past few years.
The Yankees didn’t gain all these players without losing a few major ones. Pitchers Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte both decided to retire. Closer David Robertson is certainly going to have major shoes to fill as the Yankees closer this upcoming season as Mariano remains atop the leaderboard in all time MLB saves. Pettitte will be missed as a reliable starter on the back end of the rotation.
Second baseman Robinson Cano left New York in the winter to sign with the Seattle Mariners on a ten year 240 million dollar contract. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez had his suspension reduced from 211 games to 162, still barring him from participating in the 2014 season. Curtis Granderson switched boroughs and signed with the New York Mets on a four year 60 million dollar contract.
These losses left the Yankees with vacancies in their defense. After adding infielder Kelly Johnson along with second baseman Brian Roberts, the Yankees hope to cover up their weak points at third base and second base. Eduardo Nunez is another candidate for either position.
The 2014 campaign received more attention on February 12 when Derek Jeter announced on his Facebook page that this season would be his last, marking the end of an era for the Yankees.
Jeter is entering his twentieth club with the team, with notable achievements like 3,316 hits and five world championships. The Captain will go through a farewell tour as Yankee legend Mariano Rivera had done in 2013. He, along with Mariano, has a spot waiting for him upstate in Cooperstown at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
With the infield and bullpen being the current weaknesses of the ball club, the Yankees are going to rely on their starting rotation to give them quality starts. With more big bats being added to the lineup, the Yankees look to have explosive spring season.