Do the Yankees make the playoffs in 2013?

[Pickle20]

The Blue Jays have made the flashy moves, the Rays have stayed their course and perhaps gotten weaker, the Red Sox have retooled a bit, but the Yankees (and Orioles) have largely been dormant this offseason.

It wouldn't surprise many people for the Orioles to revert back to a 75-80 win team in '13, but I do think people would be somewhat surprised if the Yankees missed the playoffs.

They've been able to buck a lot of trends in regards to age and the ability to absorb and write off sunk costs, but they're getting older and have to deal with the injuries that come with that while trying to clash payroll. They lost Swisher & Wilson, and will lose A-Rod for most or all of 2013.

Their pitching is still solid. Sabbathia, Kuroda, Hughes, Pettitte and Phelps is a good rotation but Pettitte and Kuroda are 41 and 38. They lost Soriano, but will get back Rivera. Their bullpen was also good.

I'm sure they'll make a move or two before the offseason is over and grab some headlines but overall I see a Yankees team that has a realistic chance of missing the playoffs in 2013.

[bmore_ken]

but overall I see a Yankees team that has a realistic chance of missing the playoffs in 2013.

I think someone here makes this prediction every year and they pretty much always make it

[weird-O]

I think someone here makes this prediction every year and they pretty much always make it

exactly. people have been calling them "old" for...what...like a decade now? yet they manage to come thru each year.

[HAIL2BNG]

The extra wild card increases their odds of making it.

[weird-O]

The Blue Jays have made the flashy moves, the Rays have stayed their course and perhaps gotten weaker, the Red Sox have retooled a bit, but the Yankees (and Orioles) have largely been dormant this offseason.

It wouldn't surprise many people for the Orioles to revert back to a 75-80 win team in '13, but I do think people would be somewhat surprised if the Yankees missed the playoffs.

They've been able to buck a lot of trends in regards to age and the ability to absorb and write off sunk costs, but they're getting older and have to deal with the injuries that come with that while trying to clash payroll. They lost Swisher & Wilson, and will lose A-Rod for most or all of 2013.

Their pitching is still solid. Sabbathia, Kuroda, Hughes, Pettitte and Phelps is a good rotation but Pettitte and Kuroda are 41 and 38. They lost Soriano, but will get back Rivera. Their bullpen was also good.

I'm sure they'll make a move or two before the offseason is over and grab some headlines but overall I see a Yankees team that has a realistic chance of missing the playoffs in 2013.

Boston - made several moves, but almost all of them were for old/aging players that don't figure to have an impact. they are pitching poor.

TB - traded from their depth (pitching) to improve a weakness (offense). they just missed the playoffs, so I wouldn't count them out.

Tor - made several flashy moves. but there are questions. for example, will Cabrera produce at the juicey levels he achieved last year? will Johnson, Buehrle & Reyes be healthy? can Dickey maintain Cy Young candidate level pitching?

O's - they didn't have many holes to fill, but they have needs. if they don't have a better DH solution than Betemit, they'll probably drop down in the ranks. and their piecemeal pitching staff of '12 needs to be more consistent.

on paper, NY is weaker than they were in '12. but IMO that still places them in the thick of things.

[hector]

It's pre-ordained - In 2013, the Yankees win 89 games and MISS the playoffs.

[BiggSeth]

The Yankees make the playoffs if ONE thing happens.....

they win more games than 10 other A.L. teams....

[durango46]

yes, they miss the playoffs

[Far from home]

I don't think you can tell one way or another right this second - but they really, really are getting old.
Their new philosophy doesn't lend to them finding a way to make their team better, either.

[ivanbalt]

Old or not, I wouldn't bet against them.

[bmore_ken]

Old or not, I wouldn't bet against them.

Same here.Like weird-o said, people here have been calling them old for a decade.

[soulflower]

The Blue Jays have made the flashy moves, the Rays have stayed their course and perhaps gotten weaker, the Red Sox have retooled a bit, but the Yankees (and Orioles) have largely been dormant this offseason.

It wouldn't surprise many people for the Orioles to revert back to a 75-80 win team in '13, but I do think people would be somewhat surprised if the Yankees missed the playoffs.

They've been able to buck a lot of trends in regards to age and the ability to absorb and write off sunk costs, but they're getting older and have to deal with the injuries that come with that while trying to clash payroll. They lost Swisher & Wilson, and will lose A-Rod for most or all of 2013.

Their pitching is still solid. Sabbathia, Kuroda, Hughes, Pettitte and Phelps is a good rotation but Pettitte and Kuroda are 41 and 38. They lost Soriano, but will get back Rivera. Their bullpen was also good.

I'm sure they'll make a move or two before the offseason is over and grab some headlines but overall I see a Yankees team that has a realistic chance of missing the playoffs in 2013.

I'm a Yankee fan but I mostly agree.

They're stuck with a lot of ridiculous contracts(A-Rod) and aging players like Jeter.

However, they still have solid pitching and should get solid run production with Cano and Tex in the middle of the lineup.

[soulflower]

I don't think you can tell one way or another right this second - but they really, really are getting old.
Their new philosophy doesn't lend to them finding a way to make their team better, either.

Well it's their old philosophy that is hurting them for the future.

They've spent the past decade or so sacrificing draft picks for free agent signings and trading or mismanaging top prospects. Now their farm system is pretty mediocre.

With teams around the league becoming more proactive at extending the contracts of their star players, the quality of the free agent market has declined significantly. The teams that invested in scouting and player development the past few years will have most of the advantages for the near future.

[weird-O]

Well it's their old philosophy that is hurting them for the future.

They've spent the past decade or so sacrificing draft picks for free agent signings and trading or mismanaging top prospects. Now their farm system is pretty mediocre.

With teams around the league becoming more proactive at extending the contracts of their star players, the quality of the free agent market has declined significantly. The teams that invested in scouting and player development the past few years will have most of the advantages for the near future.

with the new agreement of giving up 1st round picks to qualified FAs, NY now has three 1st round picks. they aren't early picks, but that will still help.

[hector]

Same here.Like weird-o said, people here have been calling them old for a decade.

If they were old then, they must be about ten years older now.

Yankees miss the playoffs this year as well as in 2014 and 2015 while they flush the old dogs down the tubes. The Yankees won't see the playoffs again until 2016. In 2016, the Yankees will win 91 games and get a wildcard to the playoffs.

[soulflower]

with the new agreement of giving up 1st round picks to qualified FAs, NY now has three 1st round picks. they aren't early picks, but that will still help.

It certainly will help. Perhaps they're thinking long-term instead of trying to "win now." They certainly don't have many studs in their farm system right now.

[HAIL2BNG]

If they were old then, they must be about ten years older now.

Yankees miss the playoffs this year as well as in 2014 and 2015 while they flush the old dogs down the tubes. The Yankees won't see the playoffs again until 2016. In 2016, the Yankees will win 91 games and get a wildcard to the playoffs.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[hector]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Glad you liked it - Hail 2 Hector.

[HAIL2BNG]

There is an added playoff spot and you think the Yankees will miss three years in a row. Sorry, that's just not sane.

[Far from home]

There is an added playoff spot and you think the Yankees will miss three years in a row. Sorry, that's just not sane.

The Blue Jays have a team built to win now.
TB is always in it with their pitching and their focus towards minor league development.
The O's are built to win for a couple of years, as long as their pitching continues to progress.
Alex is going to hang a pall over their franchise. Jeter is making a lot of coin - how many more years does he have at SS? Their pitching staff is old or so-so, with the exception of Pinieda if he can get back to form.
They don't have a good catcher.
Cano is critical, and if he leaves, they don't have a 2b replacement.
Gardner could be good for a decent stretch, but his game is speed, which never ages well, and he's good as a complementary player, not a showpiece.
Granderson doesn't have that long left with this team.
Who's playing Right?
Teix, imo, will rebound and has at least a couple of decent years left in him.

They have a middle of the road system.
It's very conceivable that they could miss the playoffs for 2-3 years, unless they go back to their old philosophy.

To be clear, I think they can contend, if not win the division this season - I just don't know what happens after that.