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When the season first started for the New York Yankees, I was a bit concerned. The Yankees have Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson on the disabled list. They lost Raul Ibanez and Nick Swisher to free agency. Brian Cashman’s additions to his roster? Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner and Lyle Overbay.
When watching the Yankees on opening day, it was as if I was watching a Triple-A team. Things did not get off to a good start, as they were defeated by the Boston Red Sox, 8-2. It made you wonder how many games this team is capable of winning. However, since the first week of the season, the replacements have done a nice job of stepping up and helping the team win.
Travis Hafner is currently hitting .319 with 5 home runs and 10 RBIs. If he can stay healthy, he might not be a bad option at DH. Vernon Wells has five home runs and eight RBIs. He has done an admirable job filling in for Curtis Granderson. When the Yankees first traded for him, I was not too impressed, but he has done everything the Yankees have asked of him.
Overbay’s numbers are not as impressive, but a .273 batting average with two home runs and eight RBIs is a lot better than what I expected him to do through this point of the season. When Teixeira does return, Overbay will not be a bad backup at first base.
Cashman’s questionable transactions are paying off. The replacements are doing a lot better than I expecting them to, and the Yankees are only a game and a half out of first place. If the substitutes can continue playing like this until the heavy hitters come back, things might not be so bad in the Bronx.
