What the Yankees Lost/Gained

The offseason isn't over yet, and we have a lot of handwringing about
Tex signing with the Yanks, but let's stop and think just for a minute
about what their current team looks like versus last year's team.
Here are the positions that have new players:

1b
2007 - Giambi - 32 hr, 96 rbi, .247/.373/.502/.875
2008 - Teixeira - 33 hr, 121 rbi, .308/.410/.552/.962

SP
2007 - Mussina - 200.1 ip, 20-9, 3.37, 132 era+
2008 - Sabathia - 253.0 ip, 17-10, 2.70, 162 era+

SP
2007 - Wang/schleps
2008 - healthy Wang

SP
2007 - schleps
2008 - Burnett - 221.1 ip, 18-10, 4.07, 105 era+

So the offensive upgrade *from last year* isn't a ton. It is there,
for sure, but it's not a ton. The improvement from 2007 Mussina to
2008 Sabathia won't be much (for the long haul it will be a lot, but
not from last year to this year). But the two major improvements will
be getting a healthy Wang (heh) and a (hopefully, for them) healthy
Burnett, instead of the flotsam and jetsam they threw out there named
Rasner, Ponson, Pavano, Kennedy, and Hughes.

*That* is where this Yankee team is a lot better. But Mariano
probably won't be as good as he was last year (how can he be?),
Matsui, Damon, Jeter, and Posada are all older....this team will be a
force, but they're not guaranteed anything.

John
.

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