Complete Postseason MLB Predictions

Well, what can you say about the 2013 Major League Baseball season other than WOW? Not only do we have the two wild card play in games. We have a play-in game for the play-in game in the American League. I will give you my complete predictions for the entire postseason in this article, complete with how each series will end and some analysis behind my decisions.

AL Play-in Game- Monday 9/30 on TBS Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers
David Price vs. Martin Perez

GAME 163. Last time we had a game 163 it was in 2009. The Twins beat the Tigers in 12 innings on Alexei Casilla's walk off single. That was for the AL Central crown. Four years later, we have another game 163, this time it's for a chance to play in the AL Wild Card Play-in game. David Price's numbers are not good in Arlington, he has gone 1-2 and 10.26 ERA, but he is a big game pitcher, he is the reigning Cy Young Award winner, and he is a better pitcher than who Texas is throwing out, (Martin Perez.) Although the game is in Texas, I Believe that Tampa will in 2-1 in another instant classic getting themselves a date with the Red-Hot Cleveland Indians.

AL Wild Card Play-in Game- Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians Wednesday 10/2 on TBS TB-TBA CLE- Danny Salazar

With Tampa beating Texas in game 163, they will get a chance to play at "The Jake" just kidding Progressive Field for a chance to play the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. I do not think they will be able to defeat Cleveland. Cleveland is hot coming in winning 10 in a row. Yes, they have a rookie starting in Danny Salazar, but Danny Salazar has GREAT stuff. A power fastball ranging anywhere between 95-98. If they get five or six out of him, then they will be in good shape. Justin Masterson (who was the ace coming into the season) is going to close for them throughout the postseason. I just see this club as one of those teams who shouldn't be here but they are. They have great chemistry much thanks to Nick Swisher who is never without a smile. No one picked Cleveland to make the playoffs this season. They all kind of scratched their heads at the moves made i.e. Swisher, Bourn. But somethings have fell into place that no one could have predicted. Ubaldo Jimenez has found his form, and so has Scott Kazmir, yes, SCOTT KAZMIR. Cleveland takes this one in front of the home fans, (should be a good crowd.) 5-2.

NL Wild Card Play-in Game- Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates 10/01 on TBS CIN- Johnny Cueto PIT- Francisco Liriano

RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER! The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the playoffs for the first time in my lifetime. Wow, I'm 19, and its been 21 years. If you couldn't tell where I'm leaning on this one, I'm going with the Buccos. For a few reasons, 1. The home field advantage. These fans have been itching for a playoff game in Pittsburgh for 21 years and now they've got one. Also Francisco Liriano is 8-1 with under a two ERA at home. Pittsburgh gets enough offense and "Shark Tank" finishes it out with Jason Grilli "Cheese" closing it out. 6-3 Pittsburgh.

ALDS Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox- Tito vs. the Sox.

Is there a better first round match up to be had? Terry Francona gets the boot from Boston and his replacement was gone after a year? Now Tito's back in the playoffs with Indians with a chance to show the Sox what they are missing. Well, it took them one more managerial change for them to see what their missing. John Farrell to the Red Sox is one of the best trades no one talks about. Yeah, he was traded from the Blue Jays to the Red Sox. From worst to first. GM Ben Cherington brought in some good "clubhouse" guys. Shane Victorino, Johnny Gomes, Mike Napoli. If you've payed attention to anything in this article you know I'm all about good chemistry in clubhouses, I think that a good clubhouse can breed a good winning environment. This is why this might be one of the harder series for me to pick. Both teams have great chemistry. But, as much as it pains me to do this, I'm going with the bearded men in Boston in hard fought five game series. BOS 3-2

ALDS Detroit Tigers at Oakland Athletics Friday 10/04 TBS or MLBN- Revenge for the Swingin' A's.

A rematch for the ages to start in Oakland on Friday. In a series where no one thought the lowly A's would be able to compete with the Tigers, the A's took them to five games. This year I think the A's will get them. I know how can I pick against the Tigers? The best pitching staff in the postseason and one of the best offensives as well. The A's to me are interesting because I think they like to be the underdog and they relish the fact that people think the same as they did last year. There are two differences from last years team though. 1. Bartolo Colon. They didn't have Colon last year due to a PED suspension. Now this year he has continued his dominance. And 2. The young guys have a little more experience now. Jarrod Parker, Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook, A.J. Griffin and others have now had a postseason under their belt. Plus this year they have another young stud, hard throwing Sonny Gray. Whether they use this kid in the rotation or the pen, he flat out throws gas. Oakland wins this one 3-1.

NLDS Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals. 10/03 on TBS- The Jolly Roger is Raised Again.

Yeah, I'll admit it, I'm on the Pirates bandwagon. You know this because I just picked against one of the best postseason teams over the past few years. St. Louis has the all the inner workings of a championship caliber team, but I just think Pittsburgh wants it more than everyone else in the postseason. If they were playing a different team, I might have picked a the opposing team. But because they are playing the Cardinals, a division foe who they have played 18 times this year it's a good match up for the Bucs. The pitching is where I have to give the edge to Pittsburgh, only because St. Louis' closer role is up in the air right now. Edward Mujica who has been great all year is all of a sudden in a funk. I know Trevor Rosenthal is most likely going to be the new closer, but his age will catch up with him in this series. (he's only 23.)
Pitt wins this in five- 3-2.

NLDS Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers. 10/03 TBS- Puigmania Prevails.

Probably on paper the Best matchup in the postseason. Two teams that have been called the best team in their league for the most of the year. The Braves held the best record for most of the year, but scuffled at the end and now will open the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. The last arriving and early leaving dodger crowd won't be able to leave their seats during this series, because it's going to be all Dodgers. The Dodgers are one of the, if not the most talented team left. They have best starting two-some with Kershaw and Greinke. Oh, and don't forget about Ryu, and Nolasco. Plus there's those guys, Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig, and Adrian Gonzalez in the middle of that lethal lineup. All Dodgers in this one even without Matt Kemp. LA sweeps the Bravo's 3-0.

ALCS Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox- Saturday 10/12 FOX- Beards vs. Beards

I couldn't tell you who would win in a beard growing contest, but I can tell you who will the ALCS and punches their ticket to the World Series. Pitching is even, offense has to go to Boston, and bullpen is a push as well. Grant Balfour is one of the better closers in the game, but Koji Uehara has been tremendous. I think the X-Factor in this whole postseason is Clay Buchholz who when healthy is one of the best pitchers in the game. Couple him with Jon Lester, Jake Peavy and a rejuvenated, healthy John Lackey. I give the edge here to Boston. They will advance to their third World Series in the last nine years. Boston wins this one in six 4-2.

NLCS Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Dodgers- Friday 10/11 TBS- The Dodgers Keep on Rolling.

This one was particularly hard to pick. As I've said before the I've jumped on the Pirates bandwagon. But the Dodgers just have too much for the Pirates to handle. LA's pitching is too great for a slightly above average Pittsburgh offense. The city of Pittsburgh will have gotten a great run from their boys, and they have shown that they are here for the long run. The Dodgers will finally get Donnie Baseball to his first World Series. They win this one in five 4-1.

109th World Series Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox- Wednesday 10/23 FOX- The Match up Everyone Wanted.

Yes, sadly I picked the same match up as most will. I usually don't like to pick the favorites to get there but, this year I have. The only reason is because I truly believe these two teams will have the best shot to make it here. They have all the pieces, they have the pitching, the offensive, the bullpen, and most importantly, the chemistry. This is the best match up for baseball as a whole. They have two of the biggest markets in the game in the World Series. This will attract the casual baseball fan as well as the diehards. Now for my pick on who will win the 109th World Series. It will be... the Los Angeles Dodgers! I give them the edge because of their pitching. They literally have two of the best pitchers in the game on their team. Also one of the guys they got from the Red Sox in that mega deal, Adrian Gonzalez. As well as Hanley, Puig. This will go seven games and will be an Epic World Series and one for the ages. Thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it! Enjoy the postseason!

Follow me on Twitter- @TheDonnyFinkle

Thoughts and Musings about the New York Giants 0-2 Start

The title is pretty self-explanatory. Thankfully for the Giants, the rest of the NFC East is pretty mediocre. It is a very safe bet to say the NFC East Division champ is the only team that is going to make the playoffs. The Eagles lost, putting them at 1-2, and if the Giants win and Cowboys lose, the Giants are tied for first at 1-2. But, here's some thoughts, musings and suggestions on the team, including how to improve the linebackers.

1. Eli Manning is both great and awful. Great: he is near the top of the league in deep pass completions. Eli's arm has never been talked about as one of the elite in the league - his deep passes aren't pretty and are quite wobbly, but he rarely under-throws them. But, Eli, those interceptions are killer. I've said Eli has been very unlucky with a majority of his INT's (I mean, the INT off the defender's foot? Did he walk by a black cat? Jeez..) but some of his decision making has been poorer than in years past, like throwing to Cruz in the end zone with 3-4 defenders around him. Gotta cut those down.
2. Run the ball more. Please feed the ball to David Wilson. Look, 2 fumbles in the first game is unacceptable, but if the Giants are going to pass 40 times a game, there has to be a valid running game. We can see in Denver, the passing game sets up the run game; the Giants can do that too. Wilson is an electric talent, we saw that in the last 5 weeks of 2012. He needs the ball: a game changer. The backlash he got was deserved out of frustration, but it's Coach Coughlin's job to address it, not the media or the fans. I also give Wilson credit for adjusting his carrying style, but he needs to get 20 carries a game.
3. Why the hell did the Giants bring Brandon Jacobs back over Willis McGahee? McGahee is gonna start in Cleveland soon and had a 1,200 yard season 2 years ago. He averaged 4.4 yards a carry last year. Out of his 10 year career, he's only started full time 5 years. He's a much better back than Jacobs. Everything I hated about Jacobs as a Giant: could not convert short yardage, being an absolute jerk when he doesn't need to, all still there. Don't let the fans make the decisions. 
4. The Giants are lucky they have three legit WR's. I love the 3-WR sets. But Kevin Gilbride, for the love of god, what the hell are you doing? His play calling is just mind boggling at times. Call the deep ball more and stop using these awful screen passes to the running backs and horrible sweep run plays.
5. The interior offensive line play is been atrocious. Wow. Will Beatty is by far their best offensive lineman and has played a solid LT. Justin Pugh has had his rookie moments at RT, but he looks to be worlds better than David Diehl's awfulness. But, Chris Snee is getting old. He's gonna start until he retires because he's Coughlin's son-in-law, and quite frankly, I would avoid awkward dinner conversations at Thanksgiving and Christmas, too. I didn't like the David Baas signing when it happened and I don't like it now. Kevin Boothe has been mediocre too. Time for a change.
6. I don't think Jason Pierre-Paul is anywhere near healthy. The 2011 Pierre-Paul was all over the field. I think the Giants should have put him on PUP list and let him rest and rehab. An explosive Pierre-Paul for 10 games, especially helpful in December or a mediocre, not totally healthy Pierre-Paul for 16? I'd rather he was explosive for the last 10 games.
7. Spencer Paysinger, Keith Rivers, Jacquan Williams and Mark Herzlich are absolutely atrocious. The worst group of linebackers in the league. Phil Simms during Sunday's game said Paysinger and Williams are two of the better/faster coverage LB's in the league but they cannot tackle. I mean literally, they cannot tackle without assistance. They're linebackers, they should be menacing and run-stifling. I'd rather they drop 20 pounds of muscle and make them DB's. The Giants brought in Leroy Hill for a tryout: he should be signed and starting at MLB Sunday. The rest should be special teamers only and Herzlich cut - he's the worst.
8. My creative way how to improve the LB's: stay in nickel formation most of the time with Terrell Thomas on the field and for the two LB's? Damontre Moore and Cooper Taylor. I get it: they're rookies and technically a DE and a SS. Here me out: Moore is undersized at DE, a pass rusher purely. In a 3-4, he's an OLB at 250 pounds. He's got speed and more upper body strength to tackle. Taylor is listed at SS/OLB (at least in Wikipedia) and he's a big, big dude at 6'4". He hits hard (check his U-Richmond tape). I want hard hitters: give them a shot.
9. How awesome has Terrell Thomas been? 2 years of torn ACL's in a row after a fantastic 2010 season of over 100 tackles and 5 INT's. He's covered well and he goes after the ball carrier. I'm so glad he's back and playing well.
10. Nit-picking but Steve Weatherford hit some very poor punts on Sunday. I understand directional punting is needed, but send it deep.

I'm done. I will still root for the Giants and the rest of the season is still open for taking, as is the NFC East, but changes are needed. Go Giants!

Brendan Ryan? A Keeper?

The defensive wizard Brendan Ryan might have found a home in the Bronx. As my colleague Justin, has pointed out Ryan is a very viable option for the Yankees at Shortstop for the 2014 season. His offensive numbers are less than sub-par. A career .238 batting average and a .300 on base percentage, Ryan's numbers don't translate into what Yankees fans are used to see out of the shortstop position. Justin believes that Ryan can be helped by Kevin Long. I on the other hand do not think so. The highest he's ever hit was .292 in 2009 with the cardinals, that was in 129 games. I think Ryan could help out this team but as a backup shortstop/super utility man. I also think that there are other more proven viable options in the free agent market i.e. Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Drew.

Drew finally stayed healthy this year hitting .245 with 12 home runs and 62 RBI's. Peralta on the other hand has been suspended by MLB as a part of the Biogenesis scandal, which makes him an interesting fit. He had 11 home runs and was hitting .305 before being suspended in 104 games. Peralta can also play third as opposed to Drew who is primarily a Shortstop. Plus, last year the Yankees offered Drew a contract and he declined because he wanted a guaranteed starting spot. The same will be true this year and the Yankees cannot give him a guarantee, they don't know how Derek Jeter will come back. He could be the Derek Jeter of 2012 again, or maybe a something even remotely close to that. Peralta, since he is coming off a suspension will be looking for a one year deal to prove that he can play well when he is, "clean." Drew will probably look for a multi year deal and might get one.

I think that both of them are more viable options than Ryan is at this point. Only because of the question marks surrounding the Yankees next year. Is Texieria going to be Texieria? Or is he going to continue to regress as he ages. Is A-Rod even going to be playing next year? And who the hell is going to be the starting Catcher? As all of you know, no one wants it to be Chris Stewart again. I can't be wasting my time with a project like Ryan, when there are more viable and consistent options out there. If Ryan could hit .265 I could entertain the idea of him playing Shortstop and batting 9th but thats too many question marks for my book.

Follow Me on Twitter- @TheDonnyFinkle

And give some sort of debate here!

Should the Yankees keep Brendan Ryan at SS for 2014?

As Yankee followers have noticed, former Mariners and Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan has taken over the everyday duties for the Yankees after his acquisition a few weeks back. Ryan is known as a defensive wizard, with an elite glove and exceptional range. Yet, Ryan has not hit since his first full season with the Cardinals in 2009, when he hit .292. He has then posted batting averages of anywhere between .196 and .248.

Shortstop Derek Jeter, the Yankees SS since 1996, has been criticized for his shortcomings defensively, but that argument is another blog post at another time. Anyway, with Jeter entering his 40th year as a human being in 2014 and his impending potential free agency and/or retirement, the Yankees need to consider a full-time replacement and making Jeter the designated hitter. After all, Jeter showed in 2012 he can still be an offensive force, but his ankle injury and loss of nearly all of 2013 shows he should not be in the field any longer. The question is: should the Yankees keep Brendan Ryan, an impending free agent or go after other free agent SS such as Jhonny Peralta or Stephen Drew? Let's examine:

If the Yankees retain Brendan Ryan, they have to do another round of moves to compensate. To keep a hitter of Ryan's ineptitude in the lineup to make up for his defensive capabilities, the rest of the lineup has to be well above average. This means a healthy Gardner and Teixeira, a non-suspended A-Rod, a re-signed Robinson Cano, a productive Alfonso Soriano and a new RF, C and DH. Only then can you be happy with Brendan Ryan hitting 9th. If the Yankees are gonna skimp by just keeping Zoilo Almonte, Ichiro, Vern, Murphy/Romine/StewVelli and not get legitimate upgrades, then they need to over after an offensively capable SS in Stephen Drew, who has finally stayed healthy and put up numbers resembling his Arizona D-Back days or Jhonny Peralta, coming off a suspension, but with the better track record of health and offensive production and the capability to play 3B too if A-Rod is suspended.

But, if you have watched the Yankees telecasts over the last week, you have certainly heard Michael Kay note in a conversation he or somebody had with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, that K-Long said (paraphrasing here) that he can 'fix' Ryan's swing. Ryan's swing has been adjusted too much, thus not improving his swing at all. If Long can fix his swing this offseason to make him a better contact hitter (he's a no-power type, so if Ryan can hit .260 out of the nine hole, that's amazing for him and great for the defense), then Ryan might be the best option. Just something to ponder.

Follow me and debate me on Twitter @JMFlorio

Could the Astros have a legitimate lineup in 2014?

Yes. But please, continue on. The 2013 Houston Astros have endured another tough season. After finishing 55-107 last year, they are on pace to finish with the same record again this year. Additionally, fans have not rushed to Minute Maid Park, averaging around 19,500 fans per game. Neither have they rushed to the television screen. Get this: reports surfaced this weekend that only 1,000 people watched the Astros game versus the Mariners on Saturday. Ouch. The pitching staff has been nothing short of awful: last in ERA at 4.81, last in WHIP, and sitting in the high twenties in BAA and Quality Starts. Not pretty.

But, hope is on the horizon. The offense did show some signs of productivity. A number of note: 19th in runs. Considering they are universally thought of as being the worst team in the league, that's not too bad. I believe that the Astros could have a legitimate lineup that finishes in the top half of the league in runs scored. There is drastic improvement to be made: they hardly take walks which reduces the amount of base runners per game which equals less runs. Nevertheless, lets examine what can be hope for this team's future.

The Cornerstones
Jose Altuve - You already are familiar with All-Star Jose Altuve: the diminutive second baseman leads the team in average (.287), hits (165) and stolen bases (35). Altuve has put together a very solid .287/5 HR/52 RBI line. He is the face of the franchise and is well worth his 4 year/$12.5 million contract (a bargain!).
Jason Castro - A first round pick in 2008, has finally lived up to his potential and made the All-Star team as a reserve. Castro leads the team in doubles (35), runs (63), on base percentage (.350) and for you sabermetric followers, WAR (3.9). Castro is flawed (only .242 versus lefties) but a drastic uptick in walks post-AS break is a positive sign.

The Building Blocks
Robbie Grossman - Grossman will probably move over to left field with uberprospect George Springer coming up to play center, but there's a lot to like about Grossman. He's a solid outfielder and in the second half of the season, has hit .322. He's a likely .270 hitter or so moving forward, but retains value as a solid switch hitter who can be an MLB regular.
Matt Dominguez - Dominguez is second on the team in home runs with 20 and RBI with 75. His plate discipline leaves a lot to be desired, especially in the batting average department at .242. But, with some improvement, a .260 hitter with 25 home run, 90 RBI potential at a premium position is a solid player, which is what Dominguez can amount to.

The Intrigues
L.J. Hoes - Hoes came over from Baltimore for Bud Norris. He's a contact, limited power type. He prides himself on excellent plate discipline: rarely k's and walks semi-frequently. Ideally, he fits in the 2 or 7 hole and could cement himself as a building block.
Jonathan Villar - He's come on fast in August and September. Over the entire year, his stolen base production would equate to about 52 stolen bases. He only has one home run this year, but has shown 15 home run power in the minors. He's an intriguing piece moving forward and a solid sleeper for middle infield in fantasy.

Thou Shalt Turn It Around
JD Martinez & Chris Carter - I am not a Carter fan. But, he has power. Lots of it. He would be a solid platoon partner, but I imagine he starts off as the first baseman at least in the first half of the season. Martinez has a lot of untapped potential. The tools are there to succeed, but he needs to put it together. I think hitting lower in the lineup will help him.

The Rookies
George Springer - He had an unbelievable year in AA and AAA. His combined stats? .303/37 HR/108 RBI and 45 stolen bases. He's an extraordinary talent (and from CT! Ha-ha! We have talent!). His high K rate worries me going forward but the 2014 favorite for AL ROY for sure.
Jonathan Singleton - The team's other big offensive prospect had a rough year in AAA: hitting only in the .220s. He's a future talent, but I imagine they will not rush him with Carter around to start off.

April's Starting Lineup:
SS Jonathan Villar
2B Jose Altuve
C  Jason Castro
1B Chris Carter
3B Matt Dominguez
CF George Springer
LF Robbie Grossman
DH LJ Hoes
RF JD Martinez

I think there is potential here. I also believe Springer moves up as the year goes on, but they won't force him up top immediately. There is potential for 80 stolen bases between Villar and Altuve and close to 100 home runs between the 3-6 hitters. Feel free to debate me on Twitter: @JMFlorio

(Stats courtesy of ESPN and Baseball Reference)

Time to Rotate the Yankees Rotation: Huff for Hughes

Phil Hughes turned in another pitiful performance last night, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs, 3 earned, jumping his ERA near 5, at 4.91, and making his W-L record 4-13. 4-13!!

How can the Yankees continue to throw him out every 5 days and compete for a playoff spot? He's been nothing short of awful since the All-Star break. What's worse is the fact that the Yankees beat writers, specifically Mark Feinsand and Sweeney Murti, of NY Daily News and WFAN, defend this guy like he's Felix Hernandez!

I'm going make the basic case to replace Phil Hughes with David Huff, who has pitched 8 straight shutout innings of relief in his last 2 appearances. Huff's track record as an MLB starter is not particularly great, but he's pitching better now. Here's the goop:

(Stats via ESPN and Baseball Reference)
Hughes
He's being hit hard by batters on both sides of the plate: .278 BA by righties and .293 by lefties. Further splits do not help his cause.

Hughes Pre/Post AS Break: 4.57 ERA (roughly a quality start of 6 innings/3 earned runs)/5.94 ERA after the break. A nearly 6.00 ERA since Mid-July. Awful. If that's not enough, he's getting worse as it goes. He has a 6.46 ERA in August. What's next, a 7.26 ERA in September?

September is exclusively against AL East rivals. With that in mind, the Yankees need to be conscious about playing their counterparts. Hughes' ERA against the AL East teams?
Baltimore: 7.00
Boston: 10.38
Tampa Bay: 5.73
Toronto: 3.78

Outside Toronto, not inspiring. What is inspiring? Replacing him with David Huff

Huff
Huff's last two appearances out of the bullpen:
5 innings/1 hit/0 runs/2 K's
3 1/3 innings/0 hits/0 runs/5 K's

His career stats do not scream anything special, either. As a starter, his career ERA is 5.41. Whereas out of the pen, he's got a 2.89 ERA. Reportedly, though, Huff had altered his throwing motion in the minors, which may have led to being more effective since his recall a few weeks back. Plus, he's left-handed. Anything you can take is a leg up on the competition. Using a lefty helps nearly automatically. Look at some top AL East hitters:
Chris Davis against lefties: .247 vs. .334 against righties.
David Ortiz against lefties: .265 vs. .350 against righties.
Edwin Encarnacion against lefties: .264 vs. .276 against righties.
Ben Zobrist against lefties: .239 vs. .287 against righties.

I'm not going to claim he's going to be Clayton Kershaw. But, I'll take Andy Pettitte at this point. A quality start = 4.50 ERA, which is an improvement. If Huff can even manage that, or somewhere around 3.80 or 4.00 ERA, he's got himself a rotation spot.

Follow me on Twitter @JMFlorio

Contacts & Conundrums, Part 1 - 2014 Yankees Featuring A-Rod

This is Part 1, in a 3 Part series on forming a 2014 Yankees Roster while staying under the $189 Million threshold. The Yankees have a number of players under contract, as well as a large amount of players going to arbitration. Also on the shopping list are a number of impending free agent decisions, including some top FA's on the Yankees too. This post covers Alex Rodriguez as a part of the roster, meaning that he would beat his suspension by MLB and resume his role as the Yankees 3B/DH for 2014. For the sake of argument, the Yankees will keep everyone under contract too; Meaning for example, Vernon Wells is on the roster, though his contract is affordable enough to be an easy cut. So, let's dive in:

(Contract numbers courtesy of Sportrac, ESPN & Baseball Reference)

Under Contract - 2014 Contracts
Alex Rodriguez, 3B - $26,000,000
Mark Teixeira, 1B - $23,125,000
CC Sabathia, SP - $23,000,000
Derek Jeter, SS - $8,000,000 Option
Ichiro Suzuki, OF - $ 6,500,000
Alfonso Soriano, OF/DH - $5,000,000
Vernon Wells, OF - $2,400,000
Eduardo Nunez, IF - $533,300
Michael Pineda, SP - $528,475
David Phelps, SP - $512,425
Adam Warren, P - $490,525
Preston Claiborne, RP - $490,000
Austin Romine, C - $490,000
Zoilo Almonte, OF - $490,000
Cesar Cabral, RP - $490,000

Cap Hit: $97,521,250; Amount leftover - $91,478,750

That covers the players under contract. Most of these players you are familiar with: 3/4 of the infield starters, 3/5 of the starting rotation and a number of outfielders. Let me so some clarifying: Cesar Cabral replaces Boone Logan as the lefty out of the bullpen. I imagine Logan will be paid handsomely this offseason as the premier left-handed reliever on the market. Bullpen pitchers are volatile and should be a cheap part of the team. I also expect the Yankees to delay Pineda's service time, and thus, his arbitration for a year.

Arbitration Eligible - 2013 Salaries and 2014 Hypothetical Salaries
David Robertson, RP - $3,100,000 (5,000,000)
Brett Gardner, OF - $2,850,000 (5,000,000)
Shawn Kelley, RP - $935,000 (1,000,000)
Jayson Nix, IF - $900,000 (1,000,000)
Ivan Nova, SP - $575,600 (900,000)
Francisco Cervelli, C - $515,350 (600,000)
Chris Stewart, C - $515,100 (600,000)

Cap Hit: $14,100,000; Amount leftover - $77,378,750

I imagine that Robertson and Gardner will see their salaries increase to about $5,000,000 a year, with Gardner in his final arbitration year and Robertson asking for closer's money. Kelley and Nix should up to over a million and Nova to about $900,000. The Yankees will have to make a decision on who catchers are, but we'll adjust as it goes.

Impending Free Agents - 2013 Salaries and 2014 Hypothetical Salaraies
Hiroki Kuroda, SP - $15,000,000 (18,000,000)
Robinson Cano, 2B - $15,000,000 (20,000,000)
Curtis Granderson, OF - $15,000,000 (TBD)

I hope Kuroda decides to return. He'll ask for a raise considering his fantastic 2013 season, bumping it up to around $18,000,000. Cano will be paid handsomely by either the Yankees or another big market team with big bucks and a need at second base (...cough....Dodgers...cough...). Let's say the Yankees and Cano agree to a 7 year, $140,000,000 deal - making him worth $20 million a year. I believe Granderson goes, along with every other FA, Hughes, Joba, Overbay, Hafner. I also presume Andy Pettitte hangs them up as well.

Cap Hit: $38,000,000; Amount leftover - $39,378,750

Roster before Free Agent/Trades/Call-ups
SP CC Sabathia
SP Hiroki Kuroda
SP Ivan Nova
SP David Phelps
SP Michael Pineda

LR Adam Warren
LHS Cesar Cabral
RP Preston Claiborne
RP Shawn Kelley
RP
RP
CL David Robertson

C
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Robinson Cano
SS Derek Jeter
3B Alex Rodriguez
OF Brett Gardner
OF Ichiro Suzuki
OF Zoilo Almonte
DH Alfonso Soriano

OF Vernon Wells
IF Jayson Nix
IF Eduardo Nunez
C Austin Romine

Remaining Moves
I think the Yankees can do some damage in free agency to legitimately help the team. Here is who can fill out the roster affordably.

Middle Relief: RHP Chase Whitley. He's down in AAA. He is major league ready with 3 solid pitches. He'll only cost the MLB minimum at $490K. Former Phillie David Herndon is also a possibility, as is Mark Montgomery, top relief prospect.

Experienced Reliever: RHP Jesse Crain. I think Crain makes a lot of sense to add another experience reliever who could probably close if Robertson falters. Crain is making $4.5 million this year - let's give him that contract for 2014 as well.

Starting Catcher: C Brian McCann. He is ideal for this team. They need a starting catcher who is MLB quality. He is making $12 million with the Braves this year; let's give him a realistic 5 year/$75 million contract, at $15,000,000 a year.

Adding these contracts and removing C Chris Stewart and C Francisco Cervelli:

Cap Hit: $19,990,000 - 1,200,000 = $18,790,000; Amount leftover - $20,588,450.

The Yankees can still afford to get themselves a quality OF, push Almonte to the bench and cutting Wells. They can improve their bench by getting a better utility player than Nix. They can also afford to bring in a solid veteran SP who won't break the bank, such as Colby Lewis, Chris Capuano, Jason Hammel are some targets. Even with A-Rod, I think the Yankees can make this $189,000,000 cap work, while getting younger, healthier, and possibly better.