Yankees: Looking for the Future

FIRST BASEMAN: 1) DRAW–Shelley Duncan and Jason Giambi 2) Morgan Ensberg (distant 2nd)
Observations: Duncan’s impressive spring training has continued, with the high (or, if you look at it differently, low) point of the season sliding into Akinori Iwamura and sticking up for his teammates. Meanwhile, I still can’t recognize Jason Giambi besides #25 (he’s in that good shape), and his approach at the plate is more balanced. The stats are proving it, too. Ensberg will stick around as a back-up infielder with Wilson Betemit, with the latter’s performance wiping out the chance of platoon appearances for Giambi and Duncan.
UTILITY INFIELDER: 1) Wilson Betemit/Morgan Ensberg tandem 2) Nick Green 3) Bernie Castro 4) Chris Woodward 5) Cody Ransom
Observations: The tandem has the best shot because of Betemit’s $2M contract and what was given up to get him (Scott Proctor) despite his performance with the Yankees last year and his spring this year, and because of Ensberg’s strong spring despite no home runs. Betemit would face righties and Ensberg lefties. Nick Green has been giving himself a shot, lifting himself from the depths of the low interstates to have the game-winning hit against Cleveland this week, and hit a shot against Pittsburgh yesterday. Bernie Castro’s speed is something the Yankees don’t have much of, and haven’t had since Tony Womack was here. He can also handle the bat well. However, he needs to hit better to make it over more seasoned guys with more lucrative contracts. Chris Woodward has shown solid fielding and versatility despite lackluster fielding. He likely won’t make the team, though, because there are better options. Same for Cody Ransom, who, on the opposite, has hit decently well but has made several errors when he’s played. He likely gets a AAA job, though.
LONG RELIEVER: 1) Jeff Karstens 2) Darrell Rasner
Observations: I just don’t see how either makes the team. Karstens impressed until he was lit up in relief recently, and he’s been given many chances by the Yankees since 2006, and hasn’t delivered in the past 1+ year. On the other hand, Rasner nearly allowed a run against a college team (not good when trying to make a Major League team. He hasn’t impressed this spring at all, and his velocity is down a little. Joe Girardi is looking for a long man, but these two aren’t capable of the job. If you want to bring up Kei Igawa–well, he hasn’t even appeared recently in a game, so…
LEFTY SPECIALIST: 1) Billy Traber 2) Heath Phillips
Observations: Traber was added to the 40-man, and has pitched lights-out this spring against lefties, so the job is essentially his. Phillips has faded fast, with a poor relief outing topped with an awful first inning in the Shelley Slide game (and beaning Evan Logoria).
6TH and 7th BULLPEN: 1) Scott Patterson 2) DRAW–Edwar Ramirez and Chris Britton 4) DRAW–Ross Ohlendorf and Jonathan Alabadejo 6) Jose Veras 7) Brian Bruney
Note I added 6th bullpen because I don’t think there will be a trademark long man on this team. Scott Patterson has consistently impressed in Spring Training with the major leaguers still in the game. He hasn’t allowed a run this spring, and should make for a solid reliever. The only reason people don’t give him enough credit is because he’s a 29-year-old former Indy Leaguer. For the final spot, I see it as a draw between Edwar Ramirez and Chris Britton. Both have been solid if unspectacular, and Ramirez posts the higher strikeout numbers while Britton keeps getting outs on the ground. If anything, Ramirez gets the nod because he gives the ‘pen a different look, a changeup artist as opposed to a hard-thrower. Moreover, Britton seems to have gotten fatter–not a good sign with Joe Girardi managing. Ohlendorf’s spring has taken a turn for the worse with back-to-back subpar outings, and he now doesn’t figure to make this team till later in the year. Alabadejo’s awful start to the spring has improved drastically, but it’s too little, too late for him. Veras has been consistently ineffective, giving up runs in many of his outings (albeit it “only” being about 1 run), and Bruney hasn’t pitched much.