You would think with the moves that the Yankees made in the offseason, that they wouldn't miss the post-season again this year. Ah, but misfortune has plagued the Bombers this spring, with two key players unavailable for opening day next week.
The late George Steinbrenner would have ditched Aaron Boone and/or GM Brian Cashman already, but son Hal doesn't have the impulses his father had, and this is despite the fact that there were people calling for Boone to be gone after failing to make the playoffs last season.
Infield: DJ LeMahieu will likely begin the season on the IL, and that opens a spot for Columbia High grad Kevin Smith (Oakland), should he make the 40 man major league roster. The rest of the infield is set, with the Anthonys---Rizzo & Volpe----and Gleyber Torres.
Outfield: The big news, of course, was Juan Soto coming over from San Diego, and bringing Trent Grisham with him. The Yankees also signed Alex Verdugo away from Boston/ Factor in Aaron Judge, and you can understand why Yankee fans are hoping they not only make the playoffs, but win the division, too.
Pitching: Gerrit Cole is on the IL. Luis Severino is with the Mets. Domingo German, he of the perfect game last summer, is in Pittsburgh. The rotation, as it stands now, consists of Marcus Stroman (Cubs), Carlos Rodon, Nester Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, and maybe, Luke Weaver, a mid-season pickup last summer. Rodon in particular had issues last season, and unless he finds the form he had in San Francisco and Chicago, the Yankees may have to lean too heavily on the mercurial Stroman, who returns to the AL East (Toronto).
This also puts an extra burden on the offense, though a heart of the order consisting of Judge, Soto, & Giancarlo Stanton is a threat any day of the week, especially if Stanton is healthy. LeMahieu's absence will be felt more on defense. Whatever offense the Yanks can get from their catching corps would be a bonus with Kyle Higashioka gone (San Diego).
As for the rest of the AL East:
In addition to losing Verdugo, Boston saw Justin Turner go north to Toronto. Vaughn Grissom comes over from Atlanta to fill Turner's spot on the roster, while Tyler O'Neill (St. Louis) will try to fill in for Verdugo. Lucas Giolito (White Sox) is gone for the year (Tommy John surgery), which all but kills the Red Sox's playoff chances.
Baltimore shocked a lot of folks by winning the division last year after a back & forth with Tampa Bay most of the season. The Orioles picked up Corbin Burnes from Milwaukee, but he might not be ready for opening day. The Rays, while adding some offense with Amed Rosario (Cleveland), does not look like they'll be a factor. Aside from Justin Turner, Toronto's only real notable move was picking up Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Yankees.
Projected order of finish:
1. Baltimore.
2. Yankees.
3. Tampa Bay.
4. Boston.
5. Toronto.
Of course, I could be wrong.
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