AL East Roundup: 2015 BSI Preview

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Apr 4, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; New York Yankees third baseman

Alex Rodriguez

(13) takes the field before the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:

Brad Mills

-USA TODAY Sports

New York Yankees

BSI Predicted Ranking: 4th Place

Spring Training Record: 17 wins, 16 losses, 1 tie

Unavailable – SS Brendan Ryan, P Ivan Nova, P Chris Capuano, 2B Jose Pirela
Capuano is out until at least May, with a Grade 2 right quadriceps strain. Nova won’t even be back until June, after recovering from Tommy John surgery, last April. Pirela’s concussion has him out until early April, and Ryan’s right calf strain will keep him from any chance at the lineup until May.

Starting Pitchers:

Rotation – Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, C.C. Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, Adam Warren
Eovaldi’s career record stands at 15-35, starting 79 games. Warren’s career record stands at 6-8, while only starting 3 games. These two pitchers anchor the starting rotation? The Yankees will need Tanaka, Pineda, and Sabathia to win games, without getting hurt or suspended much. We’re looking at you, Pineda!

Bullpen:

Declared Closer – None announced yet
Relievers – Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, David Carpenter, Justin Wilson, Esmil Rogers, Chasen Shreve, Chris Martin
No closer chosen and a bunch of pitchers on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi will have his hands full with strategies and looking to the minor system early, this season, for any relief.

Position Players:

C – Brian McCann, 1st Base – Mark Teixeira, 2nd Base – Stephen Drew, 3rd Base – Chase Headley, ShortStop – Didi Gregorius, Left Field – Brett Gardner, Center Field – Jacoby Ellsbury, Right Field – Carlos Beltran, DH – Alex Rodriguez
With an aging lineup, including many players prone to injury (yes, looking at you too, Teixeira), the Yankees will want to find ways of getting on base besides home runs or speed on the base paths.
Jeter is gone. Long live the Gregorius Era! Well…maybe not. I’m sorry, I tried. In his three-year career, hitting .243 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs isn’t terrible, but it isn’t exactly going to be leading the Yankees to a World Series, without a lot of help.

Player To Watch in 2015:

Could it be anyone else? Alex Rodriguez, undoubtedly, will take the spotlight, whether the Yankees want him to or not. Forget the statistics, the commercials, the fanfare (at least his ability to attract some of the fairer sex), the endless PED-scandal saga refuses to go away because A-Rod refuses to leave it alone. The Yankees paid him too much to just release him, as he has become a public-relations nightmare, and A-Rod has too much money and pride to step away and breach his contract. But, if he can hit home runs as well as he did before the infamous issues, at least the Yankees will have something to attract people to games. Who doesn’t dig the long ball? Hopefully, for the Yankees’ sake, there will be players on the bases when A-Rod does it.