Game 6 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 TOR 4

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees have had a rough first trip to Toronto.  On Friday night they lost their starting first baseman to injury and on Saturday their punchless, Teix-less lineup wasted a very good debut starting performance from Michael Pineda.  A win today would have been a nice way to finish off this tough series and head back home for Monday's Yankee Stadium opener with a series victory and some momentum.  The rotation had cycled back around to CC Sabathia, and the big fella was looking for a continuation of his strong Opening Day finish.

Game Notes:

- He got staked to a 3-run lead in the top of the 1st thanks to some patience (2 walks), some speed (Brett Gardner SB), and some power (2-run double by Kelly Johnson) from the lineup.

- Just like on Opening Day, things didn't start off well for CC.  He gave up a solo HR to Melky Cabrera to lead off the bottom of the 1st, but didn't let it snowball into anything more and quickly found his groove.  He retired 15 of the next 17 hitters he faced to cruise through the 5th.

- A leadoff walk got the Yankee offense going again in the top of the 4th.  Another Yangervis Solarte double plated 1 run and a follow-up 2-run homer by Brett Gardner made it a 6-1 game.

- Bad GB luck hurt Tanaka on Friday night, and it bit CC a little bit in the bottom of the 6th.  With 2 outs, he gave up a bloop single, a deflected GB double, and a GB single that snuck up the middle to plate 3 Toronto runs and get the Jays back in the game.

- The offense didn't score any more after the 4th but they didn't need to.  Adam Warren, Shawn Kelley, and David Robertson combined for 3 scoreless innings after CC and gave the Yanks their first series victory of 2014.

Pineda's First Start Highlights The Need To Develop His Changeup

(Courtesy of the AP)

For reasons related to my post-UConn victory celebration last night, I was unable to recap yesterday's game.  The game marked the second straight Yankee debut for a highly-touted young pitcher, only this time it was a player coming back from injury rather than pitching in his first MLB game.  Michael Pineda was outstanding yesterday, allowing a single run in 6 innings of work, walking nobody, and striking out 5.  He threw 83 pitches, 58 for strikes, and his stuff looked very good.  His fastball was lively and averaged 94 MPH and his slider was very sharp, drawing 7 swings and misses.  He even mixed some cutters in.

If there's one negative to take away from Pineda's start yesterday, it was the lack of changeup usage and the problems it caused him against left-handed hitters.  He faced lefty swingers 12 times and they were responsible for 4 of the 5 hits he gave up, including 2 hard-hit doubles and an RBI single.  The development of Pineda's changeup was supposed to be what helped him against lefties, but there wasn't much sign of it yesterday.  He only threw a change once.

We had heard that Pineda was working on his changeup during his MiL rehab starts and bullpen sessions last year, and I thought I read somewhere that it looked better early in spring camp.  If yesterday's start was any indication, however, he still has a long way to go to make it a useful pitch for himself.  Hopefully he starts to work it in more and gets more comfortable with it.  He's going to need it to keep lefty hitters honest.

Teix To The DL, Romine Called Up

#Yankees place 1B Mark Teixeira on 15-day DL with right hamstring strain; recall C Austin Romine from Triple-A @swbrailriders.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 5, 2014

The beat guys have all the details, but the team made it official a few hours ago.  Teix has been put on the 15-day DL and Austin Romine has been called up.  It sounds like the team is going to go with the exact plan I described earlier this morning.  Johnson will be the primary first base man, Cervelli will work in some when the matchups are favorable, and Romine will get some time behind the plate.

Early indications are that Teix's hamstring strain isn't that bad and the team is hopeful he can return right after the 15 days are up.  That would be the best possible outcome, as long as he's fully recovered.

Teix's Hammy Not Looking Good

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

And all this time I thought it was his wrist we had to be worried about.  I guess when you consider how much worse it could have been, last night's injury to Mark Teixeira wasn't as bad as it would have been had it been the wrist.  Teix had to leave last night's game in the bottom of the 2nd after taking an off step fielding a foul ball and tweaked his right hamstring.  He called the trainer out onto the field after stretching his leg a few times and after a brief conversation with him and Joe, left the field quickly and angrily.  It's the same hamstring he tore running to first in the 2010 postseason.

The official diagnosis right now is a hamstring strain, although no MRIs or tests have been done to formally evaluate and diagnose the severity.  The plan is for Teix to get some further tests on it when the team returns to New York, but based on how quickly he left the field and his comments after the game about how it felt, it doesn't sound like something that's going to heal up in a few days.  A DL stint appears imminent and could happen as soon as today.

Game 4 Wrap-Up: NYY 7 TOR 3

(Ooooooh, trippy.  Courtesy of the AP)

However you felt about the Yankees' 1-2 showing in their season-opening series against Houston should have been immediately washed over by a tidal wave of excitement about last night's game.  If it wasn't, you need to reevaluate your fandom.  Last night was the moment we've all been waiting for since late January, our first chance to see the $155 million man in action.  Masahiro Tanaka made his MLB regular season debut last night in Toronto, and it was everything we hoped for.

Game Notes:

- Well, except for the first batter of the 1st inning.  Melky Cabrera led off the game for Toronto with a solo HR on a hanging splitter, but Tanaka sat down the next 3 in order to limit the damage to 1 run.

- He got into trouble again in the 2nd thanks to some ridiculously bad BIP luck on a slew of groundballs and a Mark Teixeira throwing error, giving up 2 more runs and giving away the lead.  After a brief injury delay for Teix (more on that later), Tanaka regrouped to strike out the final 2 batters of the inning.

- While these early problems were going on, the offense was doing its part to support Tanaka.  4 of the first 5 Yankee hitters got hits, including RBI singles by Teix and Carlos Beltran, and they tacked on additional runs in the 3rd (Yangervis Solarte RBI double) and 4th (Brian McCann RBI single).

- Tanaka shook off the rough start to the game and went into absolute shutdown mode after the 2nd.  He allowed just 2 more baserunners through the 7th, neither of which advanced passed second base, and got plenty of weak GB outs.  He was dealing.

- As Tanaka gave way to the Yankee 'pen, the lineup put up 2 more insurance runs in the 8th and 9th innings.  Matt Thornton, Dellin Betances (kinda), and D-Rob combined to finish the final 2 frames and get the Yanks back to .500.

It's Tanaka Time

(Courtesy of the AP)

The initial Tanaka Watch was a success.  Tanaka Watch 2014 was equally successful.  Since arriving at Spring Training the anticipation has only grown for his officially official MLB debut, and based on what we've already seen it's a safe bet to assume that the excitement isn't going to die down anytime soon.

And now tonight, after 5 ST games, 21.0 ST innings pitched, and 26 ST strikeouts, Masahiro Tanaka will take the mound and make his first meaningful start as a New York Yankee.  It's a big night tonight anyway you look at it, and based on his reputation for pitching his best when the lights are the brightest, we could be in for a show.

Go get 'em tonight, Ma-kun.  We're all cheering for you.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 4/4/14

Big sports weekend this weekend.  HYYYUUUUUUUGE weekend.  Tanaka's debut tonight, Pineda's tomorrow, Final Four on Saturday night featuring my alma mater and the biggest school in the state I'm currently living in, full slates of MLB games on Saturday and Sunday, Blackhawks-Blues Sunday afternoon, and WrestleMania Sunday night.  Hope everybody's cleared their schedules accordingly.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Chad Jennings of LoHud got some early insights on Joe's bullpen management strategy for this season.

- William Juliano of The Captain's Blog dished out his predictions for 2014.

- On Tuesday, Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley took a look back at some of the big Opening Day debuts in Yankee history.  Too bad none of the new guys this year added to the list.

- On Wednesday, Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits tried to put this year's starting infield in the right perspective by examining where their projected output would rank them in Yankee history.

- Nick Peruffo of Minor Matters had all the highlights from Double-A Trenton's media day.

- On Thursday, Michael Eder of IIATMS/TYA analyzed the differences in Mark Teixeira's swing during Spring Training and Opening Day to see if he was compensating for his wrist.

- Mike Axisa of RAB broke down CC Sabathia's Opening Day pitch location plot to try to find the cause of his turnaround from the first 2 innings.

- On Friday, SJK of NoMaas reminded everyone of who Masahiro Tanaka is replacing in the rotation and what standards he has to live up to.

Today's jam is "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" by STP.  Hadn't heard this in a long time and I caught the end of it on the radio the other day.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

Joe's Lineup Decisions Suggest Lessons Learned From Last Year

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

When you're coming off 2 straight losses to what was the worst team in MLB by a wide margin last year and you decide to sit your leadoff hitter, cleanup hitter, and starting third baseman in the 3rd game of the season, that's normally a decision that will draw some questions.  I certainly had a few in my head when I got a look at the lineup before last night's game.  I didn't understand why Joe would want to rest Brian McCann already when he's got a Friday night/Saturday afternoon setup this weekend in Toronto, and I really didn't understand why he felt the need to play the platoon matchup game with Kelly Johnson and a guy making his MLB debut in Yangervis Solarte when Johnson has a higher career OPS against lefties than righties.

First Inning Woes

Yankee Starters in 1st Inning: 3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER

Yankee Starters in All Other Innings: 14.2 IP, 11 H, 4 ER

If you don't have a calculator handy, that's an even and ugly 18.00 ERA in the 1st inning and a much prettier 2.45 ERA in every other inning pitched by the Yankees' starters in the first 3 games.  They haven't done themselves any favors by giving up early runs and putting the offense in early holes and that's a trend that can't continue once the opponents start being better teams than the Astros.  Nothing to really be worried about long-term though.  Pitchers are still working themselves into full game shape and there's always some extra adrenaline flowing in your first start of the season.  Just strange to see the Yanks stumble out of the blocks 3 games in a row.

Game 3 Wrap-Up: NYY 4 HOU 2

(Courtesy of the AP)

I'm smart enough now to not be at all concerned about starting the season 0-2, but it's not like I would have been happy to see the Yanks open the season getting swept by a team that lost 111 games last season.  In that sense, last night's start was the first big test for Ivan Nova in 2014.  He was the starting pitcher tasked with preventing the sweep and he was supported by an offense that had produced 3 runs in 18 innings and was without its leadoff hitter, cleanup hitter, and starting third baseman.

Game Notes:

- Nova, like those before him, didn't get off to a good start.  2 sharp singles and a HBP and it was bases loaded, nobody out in the top of the 1st.  A force play scored a run, a walk loaded the bases again, and in what turned out to be a HYYUUUUUUUUGE play, Nova escaped the inning on 4-6-3 a double play.

- Interestingly enough, it was Ellsbury and Johnson's replacements who got the rally started in the top of the 3rd.  Ichiro and Yangervis Solarte singled with 1 out, then came around to score on a Brett Gardner single and a Carlos Beltran sac fly to give the Yankees their first lead of 2014.

- Nova breezed through the next 3 innings, mainly on the strength of some well-timed double plays to end the 3rd and 4th, but then hit the skids again in the 5th when he gave up another run.  A 4th double play ball of the night kept it at only 1.

- The offense managed to keep tacking on with a Derek Jeter RBI single in the 5th and what was scored as an RBI single for Solarte on an infield pop-up that the Astros decided not to field.

-The 4-2 lead they built held up thanks to some stellar bullpen work behind Nova.  Adam Warren and Shawn Kelley didn't allow a baserunner and struck out 4 in 2.1 IP and D-Rob went 1-2-3 for his first save of the year.

Home Opener On Monday's Not Going To Be Sweet Or Anything...

Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte will throw out the first pitches to Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada at the #Yankees’ home opener on Monday.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 3, 2014

Nope.  Not at all.  Just my 3 favorite Yankees of all time and the greatest Yankee catcher I ever got to see play, the foundation of the most recent run of World Series success in team history, throwing out the first pitch to each other.  Nothing sweet about that.

If you have tickets to that game, I hate/envy you.

Thoughts On The Minor League Rosters

(Should be the starting Triple-A catcher.  Courtesy of Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The Minor League season gets started tonight, and while I don't want to steal any of Tamar's team-by-team season preview thunder, I did want to comment on some of the roster decisions.  Each club officially released their Opening Day rosters yesterday, some more complete and correctly than others.  There are some surprising and not so surprising decisions at almost every level, which is pretty par for the course in the world of managing a wide range of prospects and non-prospects.  Here's my 2 cents on the early roster breakdowns for the 4 full-season MiL teams (click the team names for the full rosters).

Soriano's Early Results Show Signs Of Lingering Spring Training Rust

(Courtesy of Texas Leaguers)

That's Alfonso Soriano's swing plot through the first 2 games of the season.  As you can see, it's all over the place.  Soriano has seen 36 pitches in his 8 plate appearances and he's swung at 19 of them.  Of those 19 swings, he's swung and missed 8 times and put the ball in play 4.  None of those balls in play have gone for hits and the other half of his 8 PA have ended in strikeouts.  Needless to say, that's not the production you're looking for from a player in a run-producing spot of the lineup.

Soriano missed a fair amount of time early in Spring Training because of his bout with the flu and the time needed to catch back up limited the number of in-game ABs he got.  That swing plot above is indicative of a hitter who's not seeing the ball well and doesn't have his timing at the plate and that's almost certainly a direct result of that early missed time.  Soriano is expanding his strike zone all over the place and taking a lot of bad swings at bad pitches to hit, but there's no reason to panic based on 8 PA.  As he gets more reps, gets more comfortable at the plate, and gets his timing back, this issue should correct itself.  If the rest of the lineup had hit over the first 2 games, Soriano's struggles wouldn't stick out as much as they do.

Game 2 Wrap-Up: HOU 3 NYY 1

(Pinch hitting Solarte for Johnson??  Courtesy of Getty Images)

It wasn't the start to the season that any of us had in mind on Tuesday night.  Thanks to some very poor starting pitching and some shoddy defense, the Yankees found themselves down 6-0 before the game was an hour old.  They were hoping for a better result in game 2 with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound last night.  Instead they got the same one, only half as bad.

Game Notes:

- Once again they were down after the 1st inning.  Dexter Fowler hit the second pitch of the game, a hanging sinker from Kuroda, for a leadoff HR and a quick 1-0 Houston lead.

- Fowler tripled with 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd and scored on a fielding error by Mark Teixeira to make it 2-0.  Rough start at first base for Teix.  Rougher than his start at the plate.

- The lineup managed a measly 4 singles through 5 innings off Astros starter Jarred Cosart and they squandered a 2 on/1 out situation int he top of the 5th with a pair of groundouts.

- Cosart went out after 5, but the failure to capitalize didn't end there.  The Yanks wasted another 2 on/1 out setup in the 6th inning on a strikeout by Teix and a groundout by Alfonso Soriano.  Even the run they scored in the 7th, after a leadoff walk and a Brian Roberts single, was a wasted opportunity thanks to a GIDP by pinch hitter Yangervis Solarte.

- Hirok retired 9 of the last 10 he faced to make it through 6 innings without any more damage and gave way to David Phelps to start the bottom of the 7th.  Phelps gave up a 2-out solo HR to Matt Dominguez to seal the deal for the 'Stros.

Now The Real Utility Bench Competition Begins

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The move to designate Eduardo Nunez for assignment was a long time coming.  After spending a few years earlier in his career as the media-anointed heir to Derek Jeter's starting shortstop spot, Nunez came to be seen for what he truly was over the last few seasons: a below-average hitter with a swing-happy approach and an almost unfathomably bad defensive player at any position.  The Yankees gave him plenty of chances to show signs of improvement and he didn't show them, so even though there does exist the slight possibility of him sticking with the organization, it's far more likely that we've seen the last of Eduardo Scissorhands in a Yankee uniform.

A Reason To Not Be Concerned About CC's Start Yesterday

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Besides the simple and obvious one that he's had a poor Opening Day track record, of course.  CC Sabathia was bad in his first 2 innings last night, giving up all 6 of his runs in those frames before settling down and making it through 6 without further damage.  He and Joe said his early struggles were due to his pitches cutting, and after the game CC had an explanation as to why:

“I wanted to try to back off and not overthrow.  When I do that, I tend to cut myself short and that’s when the balls cut. My changeup cuts, my fastball was cutting. It’s just me not really getting extended and letting the ball go out in front. It’s just cutting it off and that’s what makes it cut.”

Whatever mechanical adjustment he made to counteract the early cutting problem worked for him over the next 4 innings, as did the addition of the cutter to his pitch mix in the 4th.  While it's never good to see the big guy struggling, it's reassuring to read that he knew what was wrong and made a change to correct it.  That's way better than the lack of answers he had for most of last season and should provide confidence that Sabathia will be fine going forward.

Game 1 Wrap-Up: HOU 6 NYY 2

(Courtesy of the AP)

After going through an offseason that saw more roster revamping than I can ever remember, the Yankees became one of the final 2 teams to start their 2014 season when they took the field in Houston last night against the Astros.  On this night, they looked very much like an early work in progress.

Game Notes:

- Ugly, ugly start for the Yanks.  CC Sabathia wasn't sharp in the 1st inning, giving up 4 runs on 3 hits and a wild pitch.  Brian McCann's poor throw on an extra base attempt and Mark Teixeira's wide throw home attempting to prevent the second run didn't help matters.

- Sabathia's struggles continued in the 2nd.  He gave up his second HR of the game to L.J. Hoes to start off the inning, then his 6th run of the night on a 2-out single by Jose Altuve.  Before the Yanks even had a chance to turn their lineup over, they were down 6-0.

- The offense didn't do much to help the shaky Sabathia.  Scott Feldman held them to 3 baserunners (1 hit, 1 BB, 1 HBP) through 6 innings.  They loaded the bases against him in the 7th, but the bullpen got him off the hook.

- Sabathia settled down and got through 6 innings after the horrible start.  He retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced and started to find the command of his sinker and slider.  It was just too little too late.

- Speaking of which, the Yanks managed to not get shut out by tacking on 2 too little too late runs in the top of the 8th.  McCann and Teix each singled in a run to finalize the 6-2 score.

Yanks DFA Nunez To Clear A Roster Spot For Solarte

(So long, Scissorhands.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

In retrospect, I think we should have all seen this coming.  As first reported by Mark Feinsand, the Yankees have designated Eduardo Nunez for assignment in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Yangervis Solarte.  It started late last week when Solarte was announced as Joe's pick for the final bench spot, it continued earlier today when Solarte was given Nunez's number 26, and it concludes with this roster move.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise based solely on Nunez's tenure with the team.  As recently as a week ago he looked like the odds-on favorite to win the final roster spot, but I guess his ST performance that was right in line with the consistently below-average production he's had his whole Major League career was the final straw.  The bottom line is the guy didn't hit and didn't field.  You have to be able to do one or the other to stick and the Yankees gave him plenty of chances to prove that he could.  We'll see where Nunez goes now, but this move has to all but signal an end to his Yankee career.

Tuesday Afternoon Food For Thought: Oganizational Rotation Depth

Projected Triple-A Starting Rotation Before Spring Training: Manny Banuelos, Jose Ramirez, Nik Turley, Vidal Nuno, Shane Greene

Projected Triple-A Starting Rotation as of Today: Greene, Bruce Billings, Brian Gordon, Alfredo Aceves, Chris Leroux

As much as I loved Joe's decision to bring Nuno north as part of the Major League bullpen and still think it was the right move, I'd be remiss if I didn't touch on the somewhat alarming transformation the RailRider rotation has undergone in the past month.  Turley and Ramirez have been down and out with injuries since early in spring camp and Ramirez will be converted to a reliever when he's healthy again, ManBan will start the year in High-A Tampa to knock some of the rust off, and with Nuno in the Yankee 'pen there is suddenly very little organizational depth behind the Yankee starting 5.

Now ManBan will make it back to Triple-A eventually and hopefully Turley's arm tightness doesn't turn into an eventual elbow or shoulder surgery, but it's still a night and day difference between what was supposed to be and what is.  No offense to any of the non-Greene members of the current SWB rotation.  They're all pros and I'm sure they'll do a fine job filling in.  It's just hard to get excited about a group of 30-something journeymen in a Triple-A rotation when the alternative was 5 legit prospects.  If an injury or 2 does happen in the Major League rotation, I'd rather see a Nuno or a Turley or even ManBan subbing in for spot starts than Aceves or Billings.  At least there's something to get excited about if the prospects do well and it's easier to chalk it up to lack of experience if they don't.

Opening Day Starting Lineup

Joe announced this yesterday, but here's the starting lineup that will take the field tonight:

1) Jacoby Ellsbury- CF
2) Derek Jeter- SS
3) Carlos Beltran- RF
4) Brian McCann- C
5) Mark Teixeira- 1B
6) Alfonso Soriano- DH
7) Brett Gardner- LF
8) Brian Roberts- 2B
9) Kelly Johnson- 3B

SP) CC Sabathia

A couple thoughts.  Not sure how I feel about Teix hitting 5th when he's admittedly not swinging normally.  I'd rather see him 6th.  And it's a little surprising to see Gardner 7th and Johnson 9th.  Johnson's lefty power after Soriano's righty power makes more sense in the 7-spot, but Joe must have something in mind so I'm willing to see how this lineup works before questioning the decision.

It's Here...

It's finally here.  It's been 6 long months since the Yankees last played a meaningful baseball game and that game marked the end of the legendary career of Mariano Rivera.  Today marks the start of the season-long farewell to his Core Four teammate and Yankee captain Derek Jeter, but more importantly it marks the start of another season of Yankee baseball.

The offseason was a busy and productive one.  This year's team looks a lot different and potentially a lot better than last year's.  Will it be enough to get back to the postseason and chase title number 28?  We start finding out today.  Happy Opening Day, everyone.  And let's go Yankees!

Lots Of Sound Logic In Joe's Opening Day Roster Decisions

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

As the Yankees were coming down the home stretch of Spring Training last week, I thought I had Joe's final roster selections all figured out.  I thought he was going to go with the experience/performance combo and take Matt Daley for the final bullpen spot, which also would have allowed Vidal Nuno to stay stretched out as a starter in Triple-A and be ready to come up and spot start in case of an emergency.  When it came to the final bench spot, I thought Eduardo Nunez's tenure as a Yankee and familiarity with their system would give him the advantage over Yangervis Solarte and Joe would give him the nod based on loyalty.

In another shining example of why Joe and Cash have the jobs they have and I'm a cube monkey who blogs in his spare time, I was wrong on both accounts.  Joe didn't go on experience and he didn't go on loyalty.  He thought about what his team was going to need the most in the first few weeks of the season and made the 2 most logical choices to meet those needs.

AB4AR 2014 Season Preview: The Predictions

When I said the 3 weeks of season preview posts were over yesterday, I wasn't being 100% honest.  There's still the matter of making my 2014 predictions, an annual rite of passage I've passed with flying colors each of the last 2 seasons.  If you've already read the staff predictions post over at IIATMS/TYA, then you already know what my picks are.  Only thing that's changing here are the additions of the full AL East predictions and expanded postseason predictions.

Without further ado, here they are...

Spring Training News And Notes: 3/30/14

Spring Training is technically over, but there were a few noteworthy things happening yesterday as the majority of the team made its way to Houston for Tuesday night.

- Michael Pineda stayed behind to get 1 more start in at the Tampa complex.  He pitched in a MiL game and went 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks with 8 strikeouts.

- If you missed it before, here's what Tuesday's starting lineup will look like: 1) Ellsbury- CF, 2) Jeter- SS, 3) Beltran- RF, 4) McCann- C, 5) Teix- 1B, 6) Soriano- DH, 7) Gardner- LF, 8) Roberts- 2B, 9) Johnson- 3B

- A roster spot still needs to be opened in order to add Yangervis Solarte to the 40-man.  No word yet on the move, but I'd guess Nik Turley goes to the 60-day DL.

- Donnie Collins took an educated stab at predicting the Opening Day roster for the SWB RailRiders.  Definitely not the starting rotation they envisioned having.

AB4AR 2014 Season Preview Recap

Well that's it, ladies and gentlemen.  3 weeks have come and gone and with them we've previewed the upcoming 2014 season in every which way imaginable.  The last week of preview posts was this past week, a detailed position-by-position breakdown of the Opening Day roster and its strengths and weaknesses.  The rotation and outfield look like the no questions asked strengths of the team while the infield and bench look like the obvious weaknesses, but check out each individual roster group post and judge for yourself.

- The Infield

- The Outfield

- The Rotation

- The Bullpen

- The Bench

The regular season starts on Tuesday, so use these next 2 days to catch up on whatever you've missed.  The "2014 Knowns and Unknowns" series can be found here, and the "Season Storylines" posts here.  Check back tomorrow afternoon for my 2014 predictions.