Five Yankees Who Need A Good Spring Training

Sep 20, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez (13) is greeted at home by right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (31) and catcher J.R. Murphy (66) after hitting a grand slam home run against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3B- Alex Rodriguez

We all know the deal with A-Rod. He’s coming off a suspension. He’s owed $61 million over the next three seasons. (No matter how many times you type that out it doesn’t get better). He turns 40 in July. He’s got two bad hips.

The Yankees brought Chase Headley back to play third base. Make no mistake. He’ll be the third baseman. Rodriguez will have to adjust to a new role as a DH/3B and should learn 1B to give himself more of an opportunity to play. Let’s face it. Mark Teixeira isn’t exactly Lou Gehrig in the durability department.

Rodriguez hasn’t faced a major league pitcher since the end of 2013. He needs to come into the spring and show that he can actually still hit. He needs to show he can still play the field a little. He also needs to be seen rather than heard. He should come in, do whatever kind of apology he’s going to do and then just go and work hard and show he can still play.

Sep 9, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Carlos Beltran (36) walks back to the dugout after striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

OF- Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran played 109 games last year. Yeah, I was surprised when I saw that too. It certainly didn’t feel like he played in over 100 games with all the injuries he had.

Beltran was an All-Star in 2013. Then he put up a .233/.301/.402 with 15 homers and 49 RBI. There were spurts last season when he looked like his former self. He did hit .300 in July, which was the Yankees best month of the season.

Beltran had to DH in 76 of his 109 games. With all of the older players on the roster this season, that can’t happen. I don’t think Chris Young playing close to 100 games is what the Yankees are going to have in mind this year (more on him later).

Beltran has two years left on his deal. What kind of player will the Yankees have? Will they have a $30 million hole over the next two seasons in the outfield? Or will they have a veteran, switch-hitting stick they can count on in the middle of the order to drive in runs?

Jun 22, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Adam Warren (43) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Baltimore Orioles won 8-0. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

P- Adam Warren

Warren got his first major taste of the big leagues in 2014 and became a huge part of the bullpen. He went 3-6 with a 2.97 ERA and was at times the seventh inning reliever. He pitched 78.2 innings and struck out 76, while giving up 63 hits.

Warren even saw an uptick in his velocity. Per Fangraphs, he got his fastball up to 94. With all the depth the Yankees have in the bullpen, the question is what is he? Is he a starter or a reliever?

Warren hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2012 in the minors. His stats weren’t overwhelming, going 7-8 with a 3.71 ERA and only striking out 107 in 152.2 innings. Warren is a different guy who throws harder.

Warren was told to come into spring training preparing to be a starter. The Yankees kept Chris Capuano for next season and Ivan Nova is supposed to come back in May or June.  What if Warren does well in Spring as a starter? Can he take over for Capuano and force him to go to the bullpen? Can Warren show he was more of the pitcher from the first two months, than the middle of the season?

Apr 29, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia (52) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

P- CC Sabathia

If the Yankees don’t have CC Sabathia in 2009 they don’t win that World Series. Period. Sabathia was an All-Star from 2010-2012. Then 2013 came and he struggled. Then last year came and he struggled and he got injured. He lost weight to get healthier, but all those years of pounding on that knee took it’s toll and now the 34-year old has something to prove.

Sabathia’s velocity is decreasing. That doesn’t mean he can’t adjust and do more with less. Plenty of pitchers have done that route in their careers. In 2011 he was at almost 94. Now he’s down to 89 per Fangraphs. You get guys out with that kind of velocity. Especially as a lefty. Just ask Tom Glavine.

Sabathia isn’t that number one guy anymore. That doesn’t mean you can’t win with him on the staff and it doesn’t mean he can’t be an effective pitcher.

CC has to come into spring showing he has fully recovered from his knee injury and ready to show that he can be a veteran leader on a staff with some young power arms. It was Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera being the veteran leaders on the staff. Now it’s CC’s turn.

Sep 10, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Chris Young (24) is congratulated by third base coach Rob Thomson (59) after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

OF- Chris Young

When Chris Young came up with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he had all the tools you could want from an outfielder. He could field, run and mash. He was an All-Star in 2010 and almost made the 30/30 club.

The next year he still had over 20 homers and steals, but his average dropped into the .230’s. In 2012 his numbers dropped and he was sent to Oakland.

He spent one year in Oakland and only hit .200. Billy Beane thought he could help platoon in the outfield and it didn’t work.

The Mets took a one-year chance on him trying to catch lightning in a bottle. He got released on Aug 15. The Yankees picked him up two weeks later. When he got brought up by the Yankees in September, he played well, delivering some big hits and posting a .282/.354/.521 in 79 plate appearances.

The question is, what kind of player is he? Is he the one with the Mets and A’s that floundered or was he what he was with the Yankees in that short period of time?

Young was re-signed on a one-year deal to be the fourth outfielder. But here’s the thing. The fourth outfielder on this team is gonna play a lot. Carlos Beltran is going to need to DH. Jacoby Ellsbury gets injured here and there. Brett Gardner has had his injury issues throughout his career.

Young has to prove he can do the job. Otherwise, they could turn to the young kids like Jose Pirela, Ramon Flores or Tyler Austin.