About a 'Buck-Eighty Short`

The 2007 New York Yankees scored a grand total of 968 runs throughout the course of the regular season. With only two games to go, the 2008 Yanks have scored only 780. Being generous and assuming they score ten runs in the next two games, that puts the 2008 club at roughly 178 runs less then the 2007 club. Now, I know we have had a ton of injuries this year, but we need to find away to support what is shaping up to be a solid bullpen and a potentially good rotation.

Below this post, I advocated the Yankees letting Abreu walk. The decision is easy...offer him arbitration. If he accepts, we get Abreu back on a one year deal. If he declines, we get a first round draft pick as well as a supplemental pick (the potential equivalent of a Phil Hughes AND a Joba Chamberlain, respectively) . With the outfield logjam lessened, assuming Abreu walks (I will assume he wouldn't accept arbitration), our outfield looks like:

RF: Nady
CF: Gardner/Baldelli
LF: Damon/Matsui/Baldelli

DH: Matsui/Baldelli

That leaves some payroll flexibility, as well as a lineup spot for....Mark Teixeira. Yes, I know he is a Boras client, and he will require a monster deal. However, I think that the amount of years is not a huge deal. Tex is 28, will be 29 next season, and is in his prime. If we give him, say, six years, his contract would expire before he turns 35. And, let's be perfectly honest, first base is the easiest position for an aging slugger to play. When Tex is 33-35, I'm sure his defense will still be satisfactory and he will still be able to hit. Worst case scenario, he becomes a DH in the last year or two of his contract. Even a seven year contract wouldn't be too bad.

Tex would give us gold glove caliber defense a first base and a solid power bat to hit in front of (or behind) Alex Rodriguez. I have recently come to this decision myself while I was thinking about the problem with the free agent pitching market. Sabathia, by all reports, likes the west coast and loves the NL. Sheets is injured again. Burnette looks like he might sign an extension rather than opt to test free agent. Derek Lowe is an option (career 3.72 ERA in the AL East). although he is already 35. If we cannot get a top flight starter, we MUST get a bat for our lineup. A rotation of Wang, Joba, Mussina, and two of Hughes/Aceves/Wright/Rasner/Kennedy/whoever else. Not the best rotation, but if this is the worst case scenario, then I'm not too concerned. That said, if the Yankees fail to land a top flight starter, we need some bats to fill Abreu's void and provide some run support for the rotation.

The case for Teixeira:
A .309/.412/.553 line.
33 homers and 120 RBIs.
Gold glove defense.This season, Tex is 8 for 14 with the bases loaded with 21 RBIs.

He is also hitting .314 with runners in scoring position this year, and .500 with runners on third.

2009 NYY Lineup:
LF: Damon
SS: Jeter
1B: Teixeira
3B: Rodriguez
DH: Matsui
C: Posada
RF: Nady
2B: Cano
CF: Gardner/Baldelli

The bench is fairly up in the air, but the acquisition of Tex gives us what we need: power, defense, and age on the right side of 30. Besides, I hear he might want to play closer to home (he's from Maryland). New York is a hell of a lot closer than LA.