How the Yankees will look in 2014

It's 1/4 of the way through the 2013 MLB season, and the New York Yankees are atop the AL East with one of the best records in baseball. All they do is keep winning. With that being said, it's never too early to examine what the team can look like in the future. Most of this is purely hypothetical, but what the hell?

Catchers
C Francisco Cervelli
C Austin Romine

I would not be surprised if Chris Stewart is as good as gone when Cervelli comes back this year, but next year? They should go with Cervelli/Romine, ala Girardi/Posada circa 1999: playing time right down the middle.

Infielders
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Robinson Cano
SS Derek Jeter
3B David Adams

IF Eduardo Nunez
IF Corban Joseph

Not a surprise here. Tex will be back. Cano will not leave via free agency: the Yankees cannot let him. I think Jeter returns for his last season next year. Kevin Youkilis will not be back either; I think David Adams runs with the 3B job with a solid rookie year. Back-ups will include Nunez at SS/2B and I think Corban Joseph replaces Jayson Nix; he can play corner IF and 2B.

Outfielders
LF Vernon Wells
CF Brett Gardner
RF Brennan Boesch

OF Zoilo Almonte

Wells and Gardner have 2 spots locked in. I think the Yankees let Granderson go because he's a candidate to be overpaid with declining skills. I also believe that the Yankees might let Ichiro go because they do not want to pay him to sit on the bench: they wanted him to hit his 3000th hit and he won't, so why not let Boesch and minor leaguer Zoilo Almonte compete for RF? Boesch wins and Almonte is a back-up.

Designated Hitter
DH Alex Rodriguez

Can't forget him, right?

Starting Rotation
SP CC Sabathia
SP Hiroki Kuroda
SP Michael Pineda
SP David Phelps
SP Vidal Nuno

CC and Pineda are locks. I think they convince Kuroda to come back for another year. I also believe Phelps can lock down another if he pitches well the rest of the way. I believe the 5 spot is wide open. If Andy Pettitte wants to come back, he's got it. They could go with Vidal Nuno or Brett Marshall competing. Or a cheap veteran, along the Cubs signing Scott Feldman last off-season, but Nuno is a safe pick. I think (and secretly hope) Phil Hughes gets overpaid somewhere.

Bullpen
LR Adam Warren
LHS Cesar Cabral
RP Shawn Kelley
RP Preston Claiborne
RP Mark Montgomery
SU Grant Balfour

CL David Robertson

I'm going with a young, talented, cheap bullpen. Mo retires, D-Rob closes and Balfour is the veteran back-up. I think the young guns take over with Joba, Boone Logan leaving via free agency. They are loaded with bullpen guys in AAA, might as well recycle them and see who sticks, right?