2012 Storylines: Playing For A Job

(Will there be a new face doing the three-way back bump after this year?  Courtesy of The AP)

Roster turnover is a part of any baseball season.  Over the course of 162 games, there are going to be a multitude of injuries, signings, trades, promotions, and demotions that will affect the breakdown of the 25 men on the active roster, and the 25-man on Opening Day will assuredly look different than the one on the last day of the regular season.  The Yankees come into the 2012 season with the majority of what will be the Opening Day roster intact, with a spot or two still up for grabs.  Thanks to their big budget, a well-stocked farm system, and some shrewd MiL contract deals, they are well positioned to handle any kind of change to the roster as the season progresses.

But there is another factor that will affect roster turnover this year, a factor that usually isn't part of the Yankee equation.  That factor, of course, is the goal of getting the payroll under $189 million by 2014.  There are players on the team right now who likely won't be wearing pinstripes by then as part of cutting costs and players whose involvement in future plans will be determined by how they perform over the next couple years.  The payroll goal will become more of a behind-the-scenes storyline once the regular season starts, but it will always be there and could have influence over roster decisions during the season.  Between that and the regular ebb and flow of roster changes, there are multiple groups of players who will have more to play for this season than just winning a championship.


You already know that Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, and Curtis Granderson are the guys most affected by the pending budget crunch.  Swish's contract is up after this season and he seems to be the most likely casualty of the payroll cutting endeavor.  But at 31, he still has a few good years left, and his player profile and personality fit well in the Yankee system.  With a big season he could make the "re-sign or let walk" decision a bit more difficult.  Cano is at the opposite end of the spectrum, almost a sure thing to get a new deal as the best hitter in the lineup and best second baseman in baseball.  C-Grand is somewhere in the middle as a player who can provide elite-level offensive production and serviceable defense at a premium position (screw the defensive metrics).  But he'll be 33 by the time his contract is up, right on the doorstep of age-related decline.  He needs to prove that last season was no fluke if he wants to stay a Yankee, and even then he could be at risk of pricing himself out of their range with two more seasons similar to what he did in 2011.

Moving away from the lineup and to the rotation, the recent return of Andy Pettitte has created a near overabundance of starting pitching and could lead to some midseason trimming of the fat.  Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes were already battling for the right to be the fifth starter, and both could find themselves demoted or on the trade block early in the summer if/when Pettitte is ready to join the rotation.  They can certainly help their cause by pitching well, but any success they have could be a double-edged sword as it will also increase their trade value.  Pettitte's presence should also put Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda on high alert as they could be sent down to the Minors to make room for Andy if they aren't performing up to snuff.  Joe said that only CC and Kuroda were guaranteed spots in the rotation and it will take injuries for them to be at risk of losing those spots.  Everybody else is fair game.

They aren't at risk of being budget cut casualties or losing their job to Andy, but even the bullpen and bench guys aren't safe.  Positions are pretty well set to open the season with Mo, D-Rob, Soriano, Logan, Wade, Garcia, and whoever Joe picks for the last spot.  But Joba and David Aardsma are getting closer to returning from TJS with each passing day, and they aren't going to come back and just ride the pine.  Cory Wade and whoever is holding down the 7th spot will need to be on high alert come June-July.  One or two bad outings might be enough to get them kicked to the curb or sent down to Triple-A to make room for Joba and Double-A.  Ditto for Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez, who as older players on low-dollar deals become easily expendable if they get injured or don't produce.

The Yankees have plenty of players at their disposal this season, and the combination of regular baseball wear and tear, the Andy Pettitte Revival Tour, and future payroll cuts could lead to higher roster shuffling than we're used to seeing.  Very few players are guaranteed to hold their spots down throughout the season, and the ones who aren't will be in a bunch of different job-saving scenarios.  Some will be playing for future contracts, some for their roles on the team, and some for their very right to wear a Yankee uniform.  One thing's for sure; there will be plenty of discussion and plenty of excitement surrounding these situations once the wheels start turning.

P.S.- Totally forgot about Russell Martin.  Dude can either earn himself a big-money, multi-year deal with a good season or lead to the start of the Austin Romine Era with a regression.