30 Teams In 30 Days

New York Yankees: The Billion Dollar Bombers

(Over the next 30 days, BERNing on Sports will be previewing every team in the Majors, yes, even the Royals. Only one a day, every day, so try not to get too hooked)

Keeping It Real

The Yankees dumped a disgusting amount of money (recession or not) on three of the best free agent available this off-season. It came to a whopping 423.5 million. But, the reality is they actually trimmed payroll from last year (amazing as that sounds, it's true). Gone are heavy burdens like Jason Giambi (back to the Bay), Mike Mussina (retired), Bobby Abreu (allowed to avoid walls in Anaheim now), Carl Pavano (allowed to quit for another franchise), and Kyle Farnsworth (allowed to flex his muscles in purgatory...err, Kansas City). They added serious rotation depth, not just in A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia, but also in the form of former ace, Chien-Ming Wang, who is healthy after missing most of last season with a freak ankle injury. Mark Teixeira may have seemed like a greedy pick up, but they needed him for a) his defense, and b) his bat (Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano aren't likely to get either younger or more consistent).

Alex Rodriguez Plays Baseball (among other things)

What can be said about this guy that hasn't been said? What more can he say or do wrong? Just a few days ago he said he wished he could play with Jose Reyes all the time. I guess Derek Jeter and Cano don't do it for ya? I can't say the steroids won't distract him, but, it won't be the first time (or last) he'll be bombarded with media coverage. My advice to Rodriguez? Take your time recovering from surgery, keep your mouth shut, and hit a home run or two when you come back.

And The Award For Most Time Spent On The DL Goes To...

With the types of players on the Yankees, the amount of money invested in them, and the history the Yankees have had with the DL, it's not a matter of who, but how often and how long. If I was running Vegas, the odds on favorite would be A.J. Burnett, and that's hard to argue with. But, to keep it interesting and because he's already starting the season on the DL, Alex Rodriguez has to make the list.

Running Proof the ROY Means Nothing

Just in case you hadn't noticed, Angel Berroa, AL ROY in 2003, is battling Cody Ransom (who at least can do this) for the back-up infielder spot. Apparently, striking out at a rate four times more frequently than walking is detrimental to your career success. Who'd have thought?

Bold Predictions

Robinson Cano will start (and finish) strong, bouncing back from a poor 2008. People have compared him to Rod Carew (easy with that) and while he's no where near that now, he'll finally have a complete season. I'll say a steady .295/20/95.

Phil Hughes in another attempt to distract people from the fact that his fastball tops out at 92 MPH, will try glasses again while pitching. When that doesn't work, he'll wear the same mask that Rip Hamilton wears.

Up Next...Friday, Atlanta Braves