Yankees Preview: Middle Infield

Middle Infield:

It has been an off season of immense turmoil for the New York Yankees. Between the transition of power to the Steinbrenner sons, the never ending Johan Santana rumors, the Joe Torre Saga, Andy Pettitte's admitted HGH use and Roger Clemens denied steroid use, the Yankees are likely in a desperate search for some calm and stability within their organization.

Those two traits can be found in their middle infield.

Second Base:

You know Derek Jeter, and you are now beginning to really know Robinson Cano. Cano was the lone offensive bright spot for the Yankees in the playoffs besides Johnny Damon, hitting a team high .333 along with two home runs and 12 total bases. But perhaps the most encouraging part of Cano's 2007 season was how he responded to a little adversity. After a breakout 2006 that saw him bat .342 and erase any worries of a sophomore slump, you could say that the expectations for 2007 were rather high for the young second baseman. Instead, Cano struggled through the early months of the season and found himself at just .274 with six home runs at the All-Star break.

But Cano, who has been criticized at times for looking lazy on the field and undisciplined at the plate, broke out in second half of the season when the Yankees needed all the help they could get in order to reach the playoffs. Cano batted .343 in the second half of the year, reminding everyone why he was being compared to Rod Carew just a year ago. When it was all said and done, Cano finished with his second straight .300 season, batting .306, while reaching career highs in home runs (19) and RBI (97).

Cano's defense also appeared to be vastly improved last season, thanks in part to the tutoring of Larry Bowa. Cano's range factor and zone rating both improved in 2007, however, it will interesting to see how Bowa's departure to Los Angeles to join Joe Torre might affect Cano.

Shortstop:

Derek Jeter finds himself listed under a rare label as he enters 2008, a playoff goat. Jeter's typical October heroics were not on display against the Indians, as the Captain registered one of his worst postseason performances in the first round loss. Jeter was just 3 for 17 in the series, all singles, driving in just one run and worst of all he grounded into three double plays. Luckily for Jeter, he is not that other guy on the team and all has already been forgiven by most Yankee fans.

Jeter may be getting older, he will be 34 in June, but he remains one of the most consistent players in baseball. Jeter batted .322 in 2007, the ninth time he has finished with an average over .300 in 12 full years in the majors. Despite coming back to earth after his MVP caliber 2006, the typical Jeter numbers were there. The Captain swatted 12 homers, drove in 73 runs and had 206 hits.

However, the news was not all good for Jeter. Whether he has succumbed in some part to his age, or perhaps the mounting bumps, bruises and injuries he has suffered throughout his career, it appears that Jeter is slowly down in the field and base paths. Jeter's stolen base total fell to just 15 in 2007 while being caught eight times. In 2006, he swiped 34 and was caught just five times. His defense, the aspect of his game that has always been most scrutinized, also deteriorated last year. Jeter had 18 errors, an increase of three from 2006, while his range factor, fielding percentage and zone rating all dropped.

Still, Jeter is unlikely to be put on any pre-Spring Training lists of "Yankee Concerns". Yankee fans and management know what Jeter will bring to the field everyday, consistency, professionalism and a will to win that any other player in the game will be hard pressed to match.

Overall Rating: 90

Pros:
+ Cano's youth and likely continued improvement.
+ Jeter's leadership and offensive production.
+ No controversy: you will not find any steroid questions, playing time questions or off the field issues with these two.

Cons:
- Cano's mind still seems to wander at times.
- The loss of Larry Bowa, who took Cano under his wing, may have an impact on the young star.
- Jeter's decaying defense and increasing age.