MLB Betting Online: Hope springs eternal in Major League Baseball. Your favorite team made a key offseason move, the prized prospect is ready for his breakout season or the injuries from last year have all healed. Whatever the circumstance, everyone is tied for first at this point.
The Yankees ended a two-year postseason drought in 2015, but their wild card loss to the Astros left them with a bitter taste in their mouths. Now they’re looking to take the next step toward another World Series title. There are issues with the starting staff, but the lights-out bullpen trio of Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances will shorten plenty of games.
NEW YORK YANKEES
+2303 to win 2016 World Series
+1107 to win AL Pennant
GM Brian Cashman spent the winter watching the rest of the league spend lavishly on free agents, but the big-market Yankees held firm to their vow not to hand out any more significant contracts, turning to the trade market to bolster the roster.
This year’s big additions were Starlin Castro, the three-time All-Star shortstop who will take over as New York’s everyday second baseman, and hard-throwing reliever Chapman, acquired on the cheap from the Reds. Castro turns 26 in March, continuing the Yankees’ efforts to get younger and more athletic as they prepare for the future while trying to win at the same time.
“We expect to win,” manager Joe Girardi says. “We’re doing everything to help us win a World Series as soon as possible. I liked what our guys did last year. I think we can do better.”
Not surprisingly, the Yankees have had a difficult time replacing Robinson Cano since their longtime second baseman departed for Seattle following the 2013 season. This time around, Cashman opted to go younger, trading swingman Adam Warren for the going-on-26-year-old Castro.
For the second season in a row, the Yankees enter the year with an incredible amount of uncertainty in the rotation. Only one of last year's starters, C.C. Sabathia, even threw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. Not only was his 4.73 mark nothing to write home about, but he also left the team during the final weekend of the regular season to enter a rehab facility to address alcoholism.
Masahiro Tanaka, who was able to pitch through a small tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, nonetheless was limited to 24 starts by injuries, then underwent off-season surgery to remove a bone spur. Nathan Eovaldi didn't pitch after Sept. 5 due to elbow inflammation.
Michael Pineda was rocked for a 5.80 ERA and 1.8 homers per nine in the second half. Ivan Nova returned from Tommy John surgery but was cuffed over his final seven starts. Rookie Luis Severino was brilliant in 11 turns and will be looked upon to advance.
Having passed on David Price and other free agents, the Yankees somehow need this motley assortment to come together into a contention-caliber unit. It's not hopeless, though. The upsides for Tanaka, Severino and Pineda have been on display intermittently over the past two seasons, and Sabathia did pitch well late in the year once he was fitted for a new knee brace.
What’s more, the trio of setup men Betances and Miller and newly-acquired closer Chapman should shorten games for this shaky crew. Still, it's going to take several things going right here for the Yankees to contend.
Look at what the Yankees have on paper, and you’ll see a baseball team that could be pretty good. For that projection to come true, however, they will need to stay reasonably durable. Trouble is, they’re not exactly built to be reasonably durable.
Key Additions: INF Starlin Castro, CL Aroldis Chapman, OF Aaron Hicks
Key Losses: SP Adam Warren, 1B Greg Bird (injury).
The talent is there for the Yankees to contend for another AL East title, though they’ll need to avoid major injuries and get more innings from the rotation. If they can do that, a 90-win season isn’t out of the question. If they can’t, it could be a long year in the Bronx.
Prediction: 93-69
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