ESPN's MLB Rumor Central is reporting that the Yanks will probably sign Doug Mientkiewicz to compete with Andy Phillips and Josh Phelps for the first base job. Shea Hillenbrand appears to be out of the running because he was demanding a 2-year deal.
Phillips and Mientkiewicz are basically the same player, Phillips is younger and has a little more pop, but neither is going to contribute much with the bat. Both play good defense. Giambi is going to be the full-time DH this year, which is fine with me. He's going to have to get over the mental hurdle of not being a defensive player. He hasn't been able to do that in the past.
My big problem with this news is that Hideki Matsui's name is not in the discussion about first base. Going into the season, the Yanks are obviously planning on sitting Melky Cabrera on the bench, and rotating him in a couple of games per week when the older outfielders need a day off. This is a big mistake. The team would be much better with Matsui at first and Melky playing full time in left field. I don't know why this hasn't even been discussed up to this point.
Cabrera proved he belongs up here last year and they need him in the lineup every day. It was pure luck that Cano broke into the lineup two years ago, and the Yanks made the right move giving him the 2b job, they need to make the same leap with Cabrera.
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