New York Yankees 2008 Offseason

With Joe Girardi officially announced as the new manager of the Yankees it is time to look at the potential offseason moves the Yankees will make. This article will analyze the likely state of the Yankee roster from pitching to fielding on opening day 2008.

Starting Pitching:

Starting pitching for the Yankees in 2008 will determine the overall fate of the franchise. Major change is necessary in the rotation for the club to have a chance to compete. Last year the Yankees had nine separate starters start six or more games. These starters included Darrell Rasner(6 starts), Matt DeSalvo(6), Tyler Clippard(6), Kei Igawa(12), Philip Hughes(13), Roger Clemens(17), Mike Mussina(27) Chien-Ming Wang(30), and Andy Pettitte(34). Roger Clemens' playing days are effectively over as current news suggests he is strongly favoring retirement and that he will work with the Astros. At best he would offer an absurdly overpriced half season and thus will not be a factor with the Yankees next season baring a pitching shortage emergency. Andy Pettitte has opted out of his sixteen million dollar contract and appears to be favoring retirement. The Yankees must make a concerted effort to retain Pettitte, but this appears to be unlikely. For the purpose of this article I am going to assume the Pettitte is unable to be resigned. The remaining top starters remain with the team but losing two of the top four starters in terms of starts shows the obvious need for other pitchers to fill the newly created void.