Mailbag: What's the outfield rotation?

Beat reporter Bryan Hoch answers Yankees fans' questions

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

01/07/2008 1:18 PM ET

Why all the talk about Hideki Matsui as a designated hitter? Isn't he an "iron man" with a better arm than Johnny Damon? As far as I can tell, the only bad thing Matsui ever did in left field was break his left wrist in May 2006. It seems to me that with the production the Yankees can expect from their outfield personnel, a rotation might suit them best.
-- Brad B., Temple, Texas

It does seem that ever since Matsui broke his wrist, his "iron man" status has taken a hit and it could be a thing of the past. Injuries slowed Matsui for much of 2007, starting with the strained hamstring on that chilly April day in the Bronx, and his arthritic right knee required a surgical procedure after the season.

At the same time, Damon's energy made a real difference down the stretch, the same way Melky Cabrera represented an upgrade over Damon in center field. Damon seemed to take well to playing left field, even though it was clear that he would have preferred to play center.

Having Matsui healthy changes the dynamic a lot, and it will be curious to see how manager Joe Girardi handles the situation. With his consecutive-games streak long over, Matsui still offers the Yankees a professional hitter, whether he's in the field or serving as the DH. But part of the reason why he was able to log so many at-bats as a DH in 2007 came from Jason Giambi's absence due to injury.

As of right now, the Yankees project to have Cabrera starting every day in center field and Bobby Abreu doing the same in right. That leaves Damon and Matsui for left field and DH once again, but with Giambi back in the mix, someone is more than likely going to be left out.

The deal for Johan Santana has come down to a matter of dollars and cents. Twenty million a year for an ace pitcher in three or four years will seem like a bargain deal. In six or seven years, an ace pitcher will easily be able to demand $30 million yearly. If it's just about the money, it looks like a steal for the Yankees.
-- Larry K., Lewiston, Idaho

Senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner has made very little secret of the fact that he'd like to see Santana in pinstripes, but he and general manager Brian Cashman have been reported to be among the organizational voices of dissent. If the Yankees do move forward on their trade for Santana, it would likely have to come packaged with a contract extension that has been reported to be as much as six years and $120 million.

Hypothetically, that only plays out to be a good deal if Santana is still pitching -- and effective -- well into the next decade. Sure, $20 million may well be a bargain for a top-flight starting pitcher in 2013, but is there any guarantee that Santana will be filling that role when he's 34?

To be clear, if you're going to commit that kind of money to anyone, it might as well be to Santana, who is dominant, in the prime of his career and seems to be at the top of his game.

But here's something to think about -- relatively few big-money deals for five years or more for starting pitchers have worked out in favor of the clubs over the past 30 years. Mike Mussina's $88.5 million deal has been pretty helpful for the Yankees since 2001. But for every Mussina, there's a Denny Neagle (five years, $51 million), Mike Hampton (eight years, $121 million) or Chan Ho Park (five years, $65 million) to make you consider a future with Phil Hughes intact.

I've read that Jorge Posada started his career as a second baseman. Did he and Derek Jeter team up for double plays in those early years or did Posada move positions before they started playing together?
-- Mike S., Monterey, Calif.

Posada led all New York-Penn League second basemen with 41 double plays turned for the Oneonta Yankees in 1991 before making a successful transition to catcher with Class A Greensboro in '92. By the time Jeter was drafted by the Yankees that June, Posada was already honing his catch-and-throw abilities behind the plate, though they would play on the same team when Jeter joined Greensboro late in the year.

I have not heard much about Doug Mientkiewicz. Do you know if he will be coming back next season? I think that he is still a solid first baseman.
-- Marcin K., New York

Few are as enjoyable to watch defensively as Mientkiewicz, but he does not appear to be on the Yankees' radar. Cashman said recently that he is not in the market for a first baseman. By allowing Mientkiewicz to enter free agency and also cutting Andy Phillips loose, the Yankees appear primed to head into the season with Shelley Duncan, Giambi and Wilson Betemit as their primary first-base personalities.

What is the status on Juan Miranda? Will we see him in a Yankees uniform or is he more suited for trade bait?
-- Hugo G., Miami

Miranda might be a wild card for the Yankees' first-base situation later in the season. Lauded as a professional hitter, Miranda batted .264 with 16 home runs and 96 RBIs in 446 at-bats for Class A Tampa and Double-A Trenton in 2007. Since Giambi really projects more as a DH anyway, it comes down to what Betemit and Duncan produce at first base. If it's less than what the Yankees would like, don't rule out seeing Miranda by mid-summer.

Whatever happened to Humberto Sanchez? If healthy, is he projected to be a member of the Yankees' bullpen?
-- Keelan L., Avon, Conn.

Coming off Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, Sanchez will be a touch behind the rest of the Yankees' pitchers and catchers when he reports to Tampa, Fla., next month, but he's expected to be on a mound and throwing sometime in March. With success, Sanchez could be an option for the Yankees' bullpen before the All-Star break.

Do you think we will see Jose Tabata, Andrew Brackman or Jesus Montero in the Bronx any time soon?
-- Rafi G., Monroe, N.Y.

Tabata, for all his offensive promise, won't turn 20 until August. He might have a slight chance of seeing New York by year's end, but it's not as though the Yankees have any reason to rush him, especially with 40-man roster spots at a premium. Montero has already shown good progress, but he'll need to continue in the lower Minor League ranks. Brackman is slated to miss most or all of 2008 after undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in August.

Will there be a museum at the new Yankee Stadium? I went to a Texas Rangers game in Arlington and wandered into their museum and thought it was very well done. A team with the history and legacy of the Yankees should have something like this as well. Any room in the new stadium?
-- Bryan L., Terryville, Conn.

Plans for the new stadium do include a Yankees museum and many of the historical touches that you would expect from a facility meant to evoke the original "House that Ruth Built." As an aside, having watched the new stadium rise on a near-daily basis during the season, it has been quite striking to see an updated version of the same entryway modeling that is so prominent in photographs of the pre-renovation facility.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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