THE Yankees finally go from Money Ball to playing ball as spring training begins this week at Steinbrenner Field. Thus begins a new chapter of Yankee Years.
Everyone knows the numbers from last year, 89 wins, and zero playoff games. That’s why the Yankees went on baseball’s biggest spending spree, running up a $423.5 million tab on three monster free agents. Here is a more granular look at those three big additions, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira.
GM Brian Cashman tried to add top-of-the-line talent and change the culture of the ballclub. When he talks about Sabathia, he talks about what a great teammate he is as well as a great pitcher.
Sabathia will change that culture immediately. He is a presence, and not just because of his girth. When Sabathia came to the Brewers, he quickly won over the team and became the most popular teammate.
“He put his team before himself and his impending free agency,” Cashman said.
Sabathia turned back the baseball clock, pitching on three days’ rest when needed as he carried the Brewers into October. He’s the kind of pitcher that if he is removed from the game, stays on the bench with his teammates. On days he’s not pitching he’s there, too, spikes on.
The big concern for the Yankees is to make sure Sabathia gets into the kind of shape he needs to be in because if he is not there physically, he puts too much pressure on his knees and his mechanics suffer. Sabathia gave up 27 runs over his first four starts last season before he settled in on the mound.
As for Burnett, hitters simply fear him. There is so much movement to his pitches. The key for manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland is to be proactive in giving him rest. Though Burnett made 34 starts last season, the Yankees need to be more realistic and cut back his starts a bit so he remains healthy. The previous four years, Burnett’s start totals were 25, 21, 32 and 19.
The Yankees should expect around 30 starts from Burnett and build in some extra off days. As one major league talent evaluator told me, “It’s better to give him extra rest – think of it as prehab instead of rehab.”
That will make a difference in the long run.
As for Teixeira, there are so many ways he will make a difference with his glove and bat, but one of the biggest pluses is that he is a switch hitter. Left-handed pitchers Brian Burres, Brandon Morrow, Ryan Feierabend, Tom Gorzelanny and Garrett Olson were all under .500 last year, but they all beat the Yankees, as did left-handed aces Cliff Lee and Jon Lester.
The Yankees were 10-15 against left-handed starters on the road, compared with 31-25 against right-handed starters away from home. Teixeira brings much-needed balance to the lineup, essentially replacing Jason Giambi, who batted .231 against left-handers last season. Teixeira owns a .309 average lifetime against left-handers.
You never know how a player is going to respond to playing in New York, but Teixeira seems to have what it takes. Looking at last year’s numbers one thing is certain; he loved hitting against New York teams. Because he played for the Braves and Angels, he played nine games each against the Mets and Yankees. In 64 at-bats he produced a Manny-like .437 average with 22 RBIs. Lifetime against the Yankees and Mets, he is a .325 hitter.
Burnett is 6-3 lifetime against the Yankees and 5-0 vs. the Red Sox. When he is right, he is nasty. Sabathia, however, owns a 1-8 lifetime record against the Yankees, 2-4 against the Red Sox.
All the numbers start anew now, though. The Yankees wrote the December paychecks. Look for these Yankees to write their own October history.
