so do their rivals in the AL East. The New York Yankees, for example, have to figure out who their fifth starter will be.
It's the position battle to watch in camp, and the top candidates include Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes,
Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre. In fact, it is highly unlikely anyone but Chamberlain or Hughes wins the job. But Chamberlain has
gotten off to a very poor start, and with most of his major-league
success coming out of the bullpen, the team may elect to put Chamberlain back into a relief role.
However, Hughes experienced tremendous success out of the 'pen in
2009, and his 18 holds put him among the AL's top setup men. The Yankees may choose not
to mess with Hughes' success, although he profiles as the better starter
in the long term. Whatever the choice is, it's likely to remain unsettled
the entire year.
Two Iconic Yankees to Be Free Agents
One of the things to keep an eye on this season will be the
impending free agency of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.
Jeter is finishing up a 10-year, $189 million deal while Rivera is
wrapping up a three-year, $45 million pact.
The Yankees have a policy of not discussing contract extensions in season,
preferring to have the extra data to evaluate what a new contract should
be. With their deep wells of money, it's a smart choice as there's only a
smidgen of possibility the two will not return to town. With both
players' continued excellence and meaning to the club, New York will
likely pony up to bring the two back to the Bronx.
Yankees Bring Kevin Towers Into Fold
New York just grabbed the most coveted front-office free agent on the
market, with Kevin Towers agreeing to join the club as a special
advisor to GM Brian Cashman. Towers was fired as Padres GM
(with Boston's assistant GM Jed Hoyer taking over) after 14
years.
Towers, who also considered joining Boston (given his friendship with Theo
Epstein), is widely considered one of the best scouts in the game.
He wanted to work for an American League team in 2010 so he could
broaden his knowledge of players in the Junior Circuit. Odds are high he
will become general manager of a team following 2010.
