2013 YANKEES SEASON - WHO, WHAT, WHERE?

As stated in the beginning of the season, I had concerns over the health, age, and restricted spending of the New York Yankees’ 2013 team.  Unfortunately, all three concerns came to fruition.

Who are these players?  The year began with so many injuries (way more than any other team in the majors) and continued at a ridiculous pace throughout the season.  The 7 main injured players who were also each former All-Stars included Jeter, Teixeira, A-Rod, Granderson, Pineda, Youkilis, and Gardner.  In addition, the disabled list included some mid-level hitters/infielders such as Francisco Cervelli, Jayson Nix, Travis Hafner, and Eduardo Nunez, along with pitchers David Phelps, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Michael Pineda.  Lastly, let’s not forget the very unfamiliar names that were supposed to come to the rescue:  Corban Joseph, Vidal Nuno, Luis Cruz, Zoilo Almonte, and Cesar Cabral.  Who the heck are most of these players, anyway?  Even the mid-level ones are not exactly famous enough to plug in the gaps of the All-Stars this team has been accustomed to for so many years.

What happened to the competition?  The only team in the American League East that has excelled this season has been the Red Sox.  Ever since they got rid of Bobby Valentine last year, they began to improve.  The Blue Jays underperformed (which I thought they would after attaining some of the Marlins’ headaches).  Also underperforming were the Orioles and Rays.  Actually, the Rays were the only so-so team that surprised me as I thought they would have taken the division this year.  No team in the AL East (except the Red Sox) has shown anything worthy over the last few weeks of baseball - with only approximately 7 games left.

Where will they all end up in a week?  Well, what has been obvious for a while is that the Red Sox would make the playoffs and the Blue Jays wouldn’t.  But the wild card races have been a crapshoot.  Even the other divisions in the AL have pitifully fallen apart.  I actually put a fork in the Yankees back in March, with more certainty a few weeks ago.