Third Base:
Controversy, thy name is Alex Rodriguez. After a monstrous 2007 regular season that earned him back his "Best Player in Baseball" label, Alex Rodriguez surely hoped that the momentum would continue into the postseason and he would carry the Yankees to a World Series. Unfortunately for Alex, he was unable to make an impact in the playoffs until he and his team were already long eliminated.
Before the Mitchell Report, before the Congressional hearings, there was the...A-Rod/Boras fiasco. Scott Boras let it leak that Alex had opted out of his contract and was going to file for free agency during Game Four of the slaughter that was the World Series. The Red Sox and baseball were obviously a little ticked that some of the thunder was stolen from the crowning of the Sox.
Everyone knows what happened from there, so there is no need to get into details. The only thing that matters is that A-Rod is now the proud owner of a $275 million dollar contract that could potentially balloon to the infamous $300 million dollar amount (depending on how Alex's chase of Bonds goes) that Boras originally promised to his crowning jewel.
There were many Yankee fans who felt that the team would be better off without Rodriguez, that he was too much of a headache. But hey, who were they kidding? Hey, imagine this lineup going against the Red Sox, Tigers and Indians of the world:
Johnny Damon
Derek Jeter
Bobby Abreu
Jorge Posada
Hideki Matsui
Robinson Cano
Jason Giambi
Wilson Betemit
Shelly Duncan
It would have been a great move to just let 54 homers and 156 RBI walk out the door. Especially because that potential lineup included 3, 4, and 5 hitters who are on the upswing of their careers. Whoops. I guess its a good thing those Yankee fans are not in charge of the organization.
Instead Rodriguez will indeed be a Yankee for the rest of his career and will provide for the foreseeable future, health willing, seasons full of 40 plus homers, 100 plus runs batted in and above average defense at third base.
While 2008 is unlikely to feature the same amount of super hero like acts by Rodriguez, I think Yankee fans will surely appreciate still having this guy around.
First Base:
Stability, it was mentioned before in regards to the middle infielders and it obviously also can be used when referring to third base. But first base, well, that is a whole different story.
Typically, first base is an area where most teams enjoy a great deal of offense and decent to suspect defense. The Yankees? Well, they won't enjoy much of either.
Jason Giambi will be more proficient at cashing checks this year than he will be at hitting the baseball. The 37 year old is mercifully entering the final year of his seven year deal in which he will collect the final $21 million dollars of his deal. The less Giambi sees of the field defensively, the better the Yankees will be.
Expect the majority of first base time to be split between Shelly Duncan and Wilson Betemit.
At least early on that is. Duncan, 28, finally got his chance in the Majors last year and hit seven home runs and drove in 17 runs in 74 at bats. But he also only hit .257 and is not a natural first baseman despite showing some flashes there. Duncan has to prove that he is not the next Shane Spencer if he wants to stick around next season.
Betemit, also not a natural first baseman, had been coveted by the Yankees since he was a member of the Atlanta Braves in 2006. Betemit ultimately was traded to the Dodgers that year, but has been somewhat of a disappointment ever since. Before he was traded to Los Angeles, he was batting .281 with nine home runs and 29 RBI through 88 games in 2006. He has since batted .234 although the power numbers, 23 homers and 74 RBI in 176 games are still somewhat respectable.
If Betemit can provide solid defense at first and manage to become a more consistent hitter with more playing time, he may help create a more stable situation at first for the Yankees in 2008.
Overall Rating: I'll do this separate because there is such disparity on each end.
3B- 98
1B- 65
3B Pros/Cons:
+ Rodriguez is the best position player in baseball.
+ His offense will help to offset the mess across the diamond.
- Despite a career year, he still struggled in the postseason last year.
- His ability to handle pressure has always been in question, will a new and even bigger contract cause even bigger headaches this year?
1B Pros/Cons:
+ It's Giambi's last year? In all seriousness, there really is nothing that can be counted on from this current group. Barring a bounce back career year from Giambi (which would just bring more controversy upon the team due to his past), there is little that can be expected from this trio.
- There is no Doug Mientkiewicz or Andy Phillips to bail out Jeter, Cano and Rodriguez from their bad throws.
- This is the weakest spot in the lineup.
