Discussion: Post Your Lineup

With money coming off the books, it’s not hard to fathom that there could be major changes in store for the 2009 New York Yankees. Mark Teixeira, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, CC Sabathia, Rafael Furcal, Ben Sheets, Manny Ramirez, Rafael Soriano, and others will all be available, so, using the following list of free agents courtesy of MLBTR, what lineup would you like to see throughout 2009 (warning, lineups are subject to change as long as Joe Girardi is the manager)?

Here’s mine:

CF – Johnny Damon
SS – Derek Jeter
1B – Mark Teixeira
3B – Alex Rodriguez
RF – Manny Ramirez (HA!)
DH – Hideki Matsui
C – Jorge Posada
LF – Xavier Nady
2B – Robinson Cano
BN – Justin Christian, Jose Molina, Mark Loretta

Oh, and for my rotation/bullpen:

SP1 – CC Sabathia
SP2 – Chien-Ming Wang
SP3 – Joba Chamberlain
SP4 – Mike Mussina
SP5 – Andy Pettitte
LM – Chase Wright/Kei Igawa/Darrell Rasner
RP – Jose Veras, RP – Chris Britton,
RP – Juan Cruz, RP – Edwar Ramirez
CP – M. Rivera

That’s the team I’d like to see. I’m not 100% sure whether or not Loretta is available, but I believe he is. I think Melky should go back to the minors (or he’ll be traded) since he doesn’t offer much other than defense, which Justin Christian can provide along with a ton of speed (and adequate offensive production). I like Loretta’s IF versatility and that he’s a consistent hitter (goodbye Wilson Betemit).

For pitching there aren’t many surprises in my set. Some may wonder where Phil Hughes or IPK are on this list, but I would be fine with leaving them in AAA for a bit longer (their innings can be controlled from the beginning of the season and then they can be called upon as the year progresses). Also, for middle relief, I think that the Yankees have been getting burned on left-handed relievers these past few years. With that said, why not opt for a left-handed long reliever (Chase Wright is my boy)? That way, you’ll have a lefty in the pen and a long-man. In addition, Juan Cruz (ARIZ), who is headed to free agency, is young and talented and he’d be a solid addition.

So, what would your ideal lineup look like for 2009?