Spring Training Game Thread: MASH Unit

March 24, 2013 by Mike Axisa 28 Comments

In all likelihood, the only players who played for the Yankees on Opening Day 2012 who will play for the team on Opening Day 2013 next Monday are Brett Gardner and Robinson Cano. That’s it. Well, I guess CC Sabathia as well, but I’m talking about position players. Just two of nine regulars are both still with the team and healthy enough to play next week. That’s pretty unbelievable. Here’s this afternoon’s starting nine…

CF Brett Gardner
SS Eduardo Nunez
RF Ichiro Suzuki
3B Kevin Youkilis
DH Travis Hafner
1B Juan Rivera
LF Ben Francisco
C Frankie Cervelli
2B Jayson Nix

And on the mound is the 135th overall pick in the 2009 draft, right-hander Adam Warren. No word on the day’s second stringers, but Mariano Rivera is expected to throw an inning. The game is scheduled to start at 1:05pm ET and can be seen on YES. Enjoy.

Manny’s BanWagon

Besides Cano, I guess this is the opening day lineup.
- jjyank
  
  Might be, more or less. Maybe Youk hits 2nd and Nunez slides to 8th and Cervelli 9th. Sounds about right to me. Although it’s looking like they want Ichiro at the top of the line up (though I disagree), so probably Ichiro hits second.
- Vern Sneaker
  
  Hope you’re wrong. Francisco’s not going to hit and Mesa’s a much better defender. Rivera is nobody to put at first — he’s a total DH. Still hoping for Musty, Youk to 1B.
  - Manny’s BanWagon
    
    What Mai’s you think Musty is any better at 3rd than Rivera is at 1st defensively?
    - Vern Sneaker
      
      I’m not but his bat makes it worth taking a shot. Also a sub-par guy at first causes more headaches than an iffy guy at third.
TomH

Will this team be buying? or selling, come July?
- jjyank
  
  I still don’t see them as sellers. At all.
- Manny’s BanWagon
  
  I can Never see them selling though if they’re 10 games back come July, I’d consider moving Granderson. The Mets got Wheeler doing that with Beltran a few years ago.
  - Laz
    
    I’d consider moving a lot of pieces. Many of the pieces could be worth quite a bit if enough teams are in the race. On the flip side though, the most likely reason they would be out would be if many of them are injured. Could see Cano, Grandy, Youk, Hafner, Gardner, d-rob, logan, hughes, all bring varying degrees of good returns, based on what I think they will do this year, but that is only if they are healthy, and if they are all healthy I don’t expect Yankees to be out of it by the deadline.
    - Nice Guy Eddie
      
      Axisa has convinced me that, even if they’re somewhat out of it by the break, they’ll look to add pieces in order to salvage something or possibly make a run at the WC.
      
      I do agree that the returns you could get for those guys is intriguing, but the regime will not punt this season under any circumstance.
      - Manny’s BanWagon
        
        Why not? If they go ahead with $189, they’re essentially punting next season.
        
        Nice Guy Eddie
        
        They aren’t looking at it like that.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
      
      They’re going to go for it as long as Mariano Rivera is playing. They won’t sell in his final season no matter how bad their chances look.
- trr
  
  good question, in other words will they be in contention in July? My short answer – Yes!
- http://twitter.com/Paddock9652 Stratman9652
  
  I’ve been wondering about this for a while. It’s not so much what will they do but what should they do? I honestly don’t think it is overly pessimistic to say that this probably isn’t a World Series winning team. Is it really the best move for this team to trade away part of an already weakening farm system to get back a rental?
  
  This team has more trade bait this year than I think they ever have, they could turn these pieces into young controllable players but it would cost any chance they have at winning this year. I don’t think this team will be out of it, but do you really want to put all your eggs in one basket hoping this team can shock us all and win the World Series when there was an opportunity to build for the future?
  - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
    
    Can’t this point be made almost every year though?
    Most teams “probably” aren’t going to win the World Series.
    Granted, this year’s team might have the slimmest chance of reaching the postseason of any Yankee team in a long time, but if they can somehow make it, and get most everybody healthy by the end of the season (a big if), they probably have about as much of a chance of making a playoff run as any other team.
    - http://twitter.com/Paddock9652 Stratman9652
      
      I get what you mean. Personally I would take the opportunity to build for the future rather than hope things fall in to place and try to slap band aids on things when the best case scenario is probably a repeat of the last couple of years postseason runs. That’s probably just me though.
      - jjyank
        
        I understand the desire to build for the future. I’m just of the opinion that this is just as big a gamble as trying to contend. Rebuilding the team doesn’t mean that the future will be brighter. There are no guarantees. I’d rather go for it all this year.
        
        dkidd
        
        agree
        
        there’s also the argument that mo rehabbed himself to take one more shot and the team owes it to him to GFIN, even if it makes things tougher long-term. i’m not sure i agree, but i understand the argument. mo is a legitimately special, once-in-a-generation case
        
        jjyank
        
        There are enough examples for me to be wary of the “hold fire sale, rebuild for the future” strategy. Teams that are perennially bad like the Cubs, Pirates, Royals, Astros, etc. Now some of them (specifically the Pirates and Royals) do have some bright spots, but they have yet to put it together. And remember, there is a window for every rebuilding effort. If the Pirates don’t put together a real contender before McCutchen is a free agent, they may have to start all over. And Kansas City has some potential there, but guys like Hosmer and Moustakas haven’t put it together yet.
        
        Also, I’m always reminded of the Cliff Lee/Justin Smoak trade. The Yankees could trade one of their good MLB players for a player like Smoak, and look really stupid a couple years later. Going full rebuild would make me very nervous about the future.
Josh

Austin has got 2 dingers today. Apparently the second one was ridiculous.
Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Not the way to earn a roster spot, Vidal.
JMK

I know it’s just spring training, but the defense has looked pretty crappy thus far.
Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Vernon Wells????!??
- Sweet Dick Willie
  
  No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.
  
  A thousand times NO!!!!
RetroRob

Lueke? Isn’t this guy the rapist who was traded to Seattle? Or am I confusing him with someone else?
Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Holy wind-aided, Musty.
- Frank1979
  
  Hahaha, hey it got out, didn’t it?