If the Yankees don’t win this Season, they could lose a lot of Players this Offseason

A Guest Blog by Howard Ticker

The New York Yankees have a tough rest of the season ahead of them and maybe even a potentially more difficult offseason. They have a lot to go up against in the playoffs. Even if they win the American League East they have proven they can’t beat the Red Sox during the regular season. What makes everything think they can beat them in the American League Championship Series if they meet? Even if they do beat the Sox, I don’t believe they can match up with the Phillies rotation. The Yankees have way too many questions in their rotation for me to be confident to make a solid playoff run. I believe in C.C. Sabathia. Ivan Nova is having a great season but he doesn’t have playoff experience as a starter. Burnett has no consistency, Phil Hughes is slowly getting back on track but I’ve never been sold on him either. Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia may be our best bets for number 2 and 3 starters in the playoffs but they may be burnt out by then.

So let’s say my prediction with the Yankees is correct, and they are eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. They will have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. Actually, these decisions may be made by the players themselves.

C.C. Sabathia is expected to opt out of his contract to get a bigger pay raise. In doing so, he will be leaving 4 years and 92 million dollars on the table. That means the Yankees will have to offer him more than that just to bring him back. I don’t think he is going anywhere because I don’t think any other teams can offer that much.  Also, I think C.C. really loves pitching in New York and they give him the best chance to win a title besides the Red Sox and Phillies who don’t have 25 million dollars to offer him with their high salary packed rotations.

Next Nick Swisher is in an option year. I hope the Yankees pick up his 10 million dollar option for next season because it isn’t too much for the Yankees standards and it gives the Yankees one more year to not have to work on a deal with agent Scott Boras.

Next up is Soriano which scares me a little. He has been pitching well as of late and Mariano Rivera has not. I wasn’t a big fan of the Steinbrenner’s going over Cashman to sign Soriano. However, I feel like they need him to come back next year in case something happens to Rivera. He can opt out of the final 2 years of his contract leaving 23 million on the table. I hope he doesn’t do it.

Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia are also free agents. I hope they can bring them both back but I feel like at least one of them will leave for more money. They both have exceeded expectations by far and they will look to make much more than the minimums they made this year.

Jorge Posada is a free agent and there is no way the Yankees will bring him back. I hope he retires because there is no way I can see him in another uniform. I would like the Yankees to bring him back as a coach because he brings a lot to the club house but I can’t wait to see his 13 million come off the books.

Luis Ayala has had a great comeback season in the bullpen. He may leave as well to get more money. I hope the Yankees bring him back because Joba Chamberlain will be out most of the season because of his Tommy John surgery.

Damaso Marte who has been a waste of space for the Yankees will be a free agent. If healthy, I would like to see what he can do on a minor league deal but the Yankees don’t need him with lefties Boone Logan and Pedro Feliciano (coming back from injury) in the bullpen next season.

Lastly, key reserves Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones are free agents. Both were once great players but are now way out of their prime. If the price is right, I would like them to come back. However, it won’t hurt so badly if they leave for more money.

I am excited to see what happens this offseason but I hope my playoff prediction is wrong and they can bring in another World Series Title.