A.L. East Preview: Yankees Reload For Another Long Run

For a long while it was a quiet offseason for the New York Yankees, then a sudden flurry of activity saw them restock their cupboard with the kind of talent that could see them go a long way in 2012.

The Action: The biggest of the moves the Bronx Bombers made was trading sweet-swinging slugger Jesus Montero to Seattle for young fireballer Michael Pineda, who is already slotted for a spot in the starting rotation. General manager Brian Cashman also signed former Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda, and moved A.J. Burnett to the Pirates for a couple of prospects.

There are also indications this could be the final season for one of the greatest pitchers the game has ever seen: reliever Mariano Rivera, who will be the last man to wear Jackie Robinson’s universally retired No. 42.

The Pinstripers also just inked ageless hit machine Raul Ibanez to be their lefthanded DH, and re-signed Eric Chavez to a one-year deal to be a utility guy off the bench.

It’s A Lock: Manager Joe Girardi, a former catcher for the club, must be salivating at the thought of having one of the strongest pitching staffs in the majors. It starts with C.C. Sabathia and Pineda, and includes Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia. That’s six starters for five roster spots.

The bullpen is stronger than ever, with Rivera, Rafael Soriano, Boone Logan, David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain (who continues to recover from Tommy John surgery). Their pitching is so deep that they could keep blue-chip prospects Dellan Betances and Manny Banuelos in AAA to work on their form.

Hedge Your Bets: Montero was shipped to the Mariners in the Pineda deal, and they might regret giving up that bat considering that they might have some issues elsewhere. Both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez aren’t getting any younger, but the advance of age isn’t stopping A-Rod from acting like an A-hole.

They have other question marks in their batting and defense. Teams now use a defensive shift for 1B Mark Teixeira because of his tendency to be a pull hitter; now he’s considering bunting to try to beat that shift. Also, have Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano already peaked? Can Brett Gardner get better? Will Nick Swisher fade? Can Eduardo Nunez learn to play third base? Can Russell Martin stay healthy enough to contribute effectively?

The Payoff: Having made the postseason in the 17 of the past 18 seasons, there’s every reason to expect the Yanks to do it again. The MLB futures betting has them just behind the L.A. Angels to win the American League title, and second to the Phillies to win it all. If their defense stays at a high level and their hitting becomes as dangerous as their pitching appears to be, the Yankees will be tough to beat.