A Challenging Road Lies Ahead for the Yankees

Added by Gina Sorce on March 20, 2013.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman is trying to keep the team together despite injuries and age. Is he going about it the right way? (Tim Fuller/USA TODAY Sports)

As much as no Yankee fan wants to admit it, Derek Jeter’s days in pinstripes are winding down.

Jeter, 38, has been rehabbing his broken left ankle injury and has returned to the Yankees lineup this spring. However, Adam Berry reported that Jeter was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup due to a “cranky” ankle.

Jeter told Berry that doctors said he was going to feel stiffness around his ankle because he was in a boot for so long, and it would take some time to regain its strength.

“You’ve just got to deal with it and move on. If I wasn’t told that, then I would be concerned. But that’s what I’ve been told,” Jeter told Berry.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wants to have Jeter at shortstop Opening Day, but if his ankle is still bothersome, Girardi might give Jeter a few more days rest, according to Berry.

“My goal is to have him at shortstop, and that’s his goal. But we might have to make some adjustments on the fly,” Girardi told Berry.

According to multiple reports, Jeter was seen by Dr. Daniel Murphy on Tuesday. X-rays were negative, but the MRI showed inflammation of Jeter’s ankle. The captain is listed day-to-day.

Jeter isn’t the only Yankee suffering from the injury bug, however. Mark Teixeira, first basemen, is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks with a strained wrist. The Yankees said that there is a 70% chance Teixeira won’t need surgery to repair the torn tendon sheath in his right wrist, according to Bryan Hoch. 

In his search to find Teixeira’s replacement at first, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman attempted to enlist Chipper Jones, former Atlanta Brave, to help the Yankees injury-stricken roster, reported Terence Moore of MLB.com.

Chipper Jones responded to the request in a tweet, and said: “Enough with the rumors! While I’m flattered about the speculation of being enticed out of retirement, I’m happy with life as a golfer!”

Cashman also reached out to Derek Lee, who also recently retired.  Cahsman was once again unsuccessful, and Lee turned down the Yankees’ contract offer.

Along with the amount of injuries the Yankees will have to overcome this season, there is no denying that the team isn’t getting any younger.   

Mariano Rivera, 42, just announced his retirement. Jeter’s contract is up at the end of the season, and has an $8 million option for 2014 according to ESPN. Andy Pettitte came out of retirement last season to help the Yankees, but the aging left-hander doesn’t have much baseball left in him. The trio has been with the team since 1995, and the end of the 2013 season inevitably marks the end of an era.

Between 1996-2003, the Yankees were the most feared team in baseball. The Yankees appeared in the World Series seven out of the eight seasons and won four championships.

The last time the Yankees won the World Series was in 2009, against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jeter, Pettitte and Rivera are success stories of the Yankees farm system. They have won five World Series titles together and are names that will be brought up time and time again when discussing the legends of the Yankees organization.

Within farm system, young players are giving their all, day in and day out, trying to capture the attention of scouts and make their presence known. Instead of looking at veteran free agents who are costly and won’t be around the game much longer, Cashman should give the younger players a chance. By investing the time and confidence in these young players, the Yankees can restore their glory and ultimately bring World Series titles back to the Bronx.

In order to compete with the young, talented teams that have emerged around the league over the past few years and restore the dominant reign of the Yankee franchise, the Yankees need to rebuild. Until that happens, injuries will be the downfall of the Yankees.