Podcast: Yankees team preview
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In this episode of the podcast, Chris and Mike Axisa discuss how the luxury tax impacted the Yankees, and their strengths and weaknesses heading into the season.
- From the beginning: Is this the worst Yankee team on paper in recent memory? How did the luxury tax impact the club?
- 3:45: We go around the infield, starting with catcher. What type of performance can the team expect out of their Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart combo? Is Travis Hafner a good fit for the park? What are the timetables for Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez?
- 15:40: We transition to the outfield, where the team is making some defensive changes. How will Brett Gardner handle center field? What will the team do with Curtis Granderson, who is going to be a free agent at the end of the year?
- 27:10: Time to talk about the rotation. How much of a concern is it that the team has some aging pitchers, CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte, at the top of the rotation? What can we expect from Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova?
- 36:10: In the bullpen, the team will get Mariano Rivera back. Is this the season he finally declines? With Rivera, David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain, can this be one of the top bullpens in the game?
- 41:40: It's decision time. Mike tells you if he thinks the Yankees are a contender in a tough AL East.
- Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikeaxisa. I can be found @Chris_Cwik.
You can listen to the podcast in our popout player, which can be found here.
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This episode runs a little more than 45 minutes.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the latest rumors from bloggers Chris Cwik, Jack Moore and R.J. White, follow @MLBRumorsCBS.
