FACE IT: Tex could tweak a gonad on April 4, leaving Juan Miranda to bat cleanup through the all-star break. Every team faces off-years and bone spurs.
But there are also the dice rolls -- the potential stars/craps -- who make or break a season. We have five.
1. Brett Gardner. If he craps, we play Thames and Wynn -- pros, but no poetry: Karim Garcia meets Rondell White. If Brett hits, he steals 50 bases, makes pitchers go Knoblauchy, and adds 20 points to Jeet's BA (which means batting crown?) If Gardner is constant, we win.
2. David Robertson. If he turns Veras on us, Joe just feeds arms to the bullpen until Andrew Brackman arrives, sometime in 2013. But if Robinson does well -- 8th inning bridge, the strikeout pitcher, innings eater -- we might even have Mo's replacement. He's our Daniel Bard. How good is Daniel Bard? Donno. Soon, we find out.
3. Francisco Cervelli. He can't hit worse than Moly. He's got the energy thing. He's got the eyes. We want him to backup Jorge until Jesus ascendiths, but that might never happen, as catcher. Jorge could need DH time. Right now, Austin Romine is just a Double A Cervelli. If Frankie evolves, he might anchor the Yankees for many more seasons than anybody suspects. Or not.
4. Sergio Mitre. No, I'm not kidding. Girardi loves this bum, and Girardi is no fool. Remember last year when Sergio pitched a no-hitter into the late innings, then got walloped by a line-drive? He never recovered. But considering his surgery, Mitre shouldn't even have been pitching last summer. He made a remarkable comeback, faster than the Melancons, the Brackmans, even Mickey Rourke. Gaudin is gone. Aceves is struggling. Mitre remains. Who knows? By May 1, he could be our fifth starter. No-hitter?
5. Phil/Joba. Yeah, it's a joke to still be rolling dice on these guys. Hughes had a fine 2009 but was still a disappoinment, compared to the hype. (Phil Franchise?) Joba remains the high-ceiling train-wreck. Who are these guys? Let's roll, find out, and end the speculation.
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Also: is Grandy our new, younger Johnny Damon or platoon fodder who can't get off the interstate against lefties?
I wouldn't have a problem with Cervelli doing the lion's share of the catching and Georgie DHing right this very instant -- assuming Frankie makes it out of spring training without another freakish, unlikely injury (heretofore known as "pulling a Cervelli"). I think the kid is the real deal.
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