TAMPA, Fla. -- Based on recent comments made by Yankees manager Joe Girardi, here's a projected 25-man roster and lineup for Opening Day. A ton of variables can still impact this -- namely the health of Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada -- so I'm confident we're going to see some changes. Also, there's more than three weeks until the Yankees head north. That's plenty of time for things to get messier.
But what's to stop us from putting something out there?
Besides, pondering the 25-man is a good exercise to keep the mind occupied during the post-lunch haze. It sure beats counting the holes in the ceiling tiles above your desk, which is what I did at my old 9 to 5, but that's another story.
Here are some things to consider, ground rules, if you will, for piecing this thing together:
-- Even without Alex Rodriguez around, Girardi said he prefers to keep Mark Teixeira hitting in the three-hole in the lineup. Matsui (if his knee is fine) is a natural for the middle of the lineup.
-- Sinkerballer Chien Ming-Wang will pitch second in the rotation as a nice change of pace between CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.
-- Girardi said a second left-hander in the bullpen of a 12-man pitching staff would be a nice luxury, as would an experienced long reliever.
-- According to the manager, the loser of the Brett Gardner/Melky Cabrera competition for the center field job isn't necessarily out of a roster spot.
-- But if Posada (shoulder) isn't healthy enough to catch, the Yankees may need to use a roster spot on an extra catcher, bad news for one of two outfielders on the bench.
-- The organization views 2008 washouts Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy as starters, so they're probably not going to be asked to be long men.
-- Girardi said he hasn't forgotten last season's contributions of Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and Phil Coke.
-- Cody Ransom is here to stay till May. At least, so they say.
STARTING LINEUP
Damon, LF
Jeter, SS
Teixeira, 1B
Matsui, DH
Nady, RF
Posada, C
Cano, 2B
Ransom, 3B
Gardner, CF
BENCH
Molina, C
Berroa, Util.
Cabrera, OF
Swisher, 1B/OF
ROTATION
Sabathia (L)
Wang
Burnett
Pettitte (L)
Chamberlain
BULLPEN
Rivera
Bruney
Marte (L)
Ramirez
Coke (L)
Veras
Tomko
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