Yanks and a pair of 5's

The Yankees have a pair of fives...to fill.  Maybe even three- Rotation, the batting order and...bullpen.
The rotation is easy- for me it is Gaudin and send Joba and Highes back to relief. A dominant bullpen to make up for the loss of Matsui to offense, which projects to be weaker than last year while the division has gotten a lot better top to bottom.  Mitre and a prospect will be the depth for the rotation, the prospect might be Kei Igawa or one of four or five minor leaguers, the Yanks are deep now.

 The bullpen then would close with Rivera, Joba sets up the 8th with Marte, Hughes swings from 7th -9th.  Earlier innings and the critical seventh go to Robertson and Aceves.  This is the big # 5 for the bullpen...the inning the starter fails most of the time is the 6th, that is where leads are often lost, or deficits climb into the difficult range for a team that does not have the firepower of last season.
The extra lefty could be Boone Logan from Atlanta...or Melancon from the minors...not a lefty but a big power arm.

Jaun and Jesus, Montero and Miranda- they might become a tandem like Mauer and Morneau. The batting order lost Damon's speed  and smarts at the top pf the order...his streaky power, steady smarts and base running skills, he was a tough out in a big game.  In his place, they will have Nick Johnson, who should by talent be: .300 + batter, 35-40 doubles,  90 runs, and 200 hits.  With Jeter at lead-off there would be some games when these two lead the offense with power and rbi hits.  Johnson is slow, only his batting eye helps avoid double plays.  This is not a good solution for number two, and still leaves a big hole at number 5, for which Johnson is better suited, as a tough out to follow ARod, a guy who can deliver a base hit with men on base-- just because he is a good hitter. The ideal guy for number five on the current roster is Robbie Cano-- but last season showed an allergic tendency towards hits with men in scoring position.  Perhaps someday is this season and his 200 hits/.320 avg would put him in the elite rbi hitters in the game-- he is that good, and he would have many opportunities. 
Trade for Mauer- yes, that could get done with_ Miranda, Montero,  Chad Gaudin and Hughes...a good enough package even for Mauer. I think the Yanks realize two things: Miranda can hit, and has the makeup to be  a big RBI man, and Montero might be a lot like Mauer, at least as a hitter. I think the 5 spot will be filled by Miranda at some point this summer, and Montero will come up later and he will also vie for time in the middle of the order.

So for now, we watch the 5's.

2010- the pitching ...

The rotation will be good if Joba and Hughes are in the bullpen, the best selection for the end of the rotation would be Chad Gaudin who showed why at the end of the season, he was highly effective, at times dominant.  He would be another change of pace from the power guys...Vasquez, CC Sabbathia, and A.J. Burnett.  Pettitte used to be able to do both, now he has a powered up innining or two each game, but is at his best making hitters swing and miss or mis-hit by changing pace and location.  His cut fastball off his fastball, curve has become an out pitch now, and the cut fastball gets weak ground balls.  Gaudin has a similar mix.  He is low 90's fastball with great location, his breaking ball and change get swings and misses.  He uses location on all of his pitches to get ground ball double plays, his control and smarts are his best tools.  It would be a good mix- Power lefty(Sabbathia)- Pettitte- Power righty( Burnett)- Gaudin- power righty(Vazquez)- then back to CC.  In a three game set the worst the Yanks will offer is Gaudin- Vazquez- Sabbathia-- their worst four- Gaudin- Sabbathia- Pettitte- and Burnett...they will have a chance to win or stay in the games against any staff in the AL, the best of which is Boston- Beckett, Matsusaka-Lester- Lackey.  With Gaudin against Beckett, the Yanks would figure to stay in the game- on an average day they should get 4 runs against Beckett and Papelbon and Bard. Sergio Mitre and Kei Igawa will be depth- each might surprise with effectiveness after a year of arm strengthening last season.  Mitre showed he can be very good.
The bullpen: Robertson, Aceves, Marte, Joba, and Hughes would have an answer for 6th, 7th & 8th inning questions, and Joba can close.  Mark Melancon figures prominently this season along with Robertson and Marte.  If Melancon is ready for a role, he can turn an excellent bullpen into an elite one in the game. Mariano Rivera, might be better this year than last, more velocity late in the season, he too had a year of arm strengthening...Oh Man!