For most teams 92 wins and a fifth consecutive postseason berth would be a succe sful season. For the , it was so disappointing that GM Brian Cashman called the team "unwatchable" after last season, and the club made significant changes to the infield over the winter. The changes everyone expected? No, not really. But changes nonethele s. "We stayed in touch and evaluated all the market availabilities through trade and free agencies, and then placed our bets," . "We were able to attack what was available to us once we pulled those down and closed doors on other things. You only have a certain amount of money to spend, and once you fill those needs you keep moving." The Yankees needed to improve their infield defense and also diversify a lineup that included too many swing-and-mi s righties. By and large, they accomplished that. They also pa sed up the best the offseason had to offer despite five consecutive heartbreaking postseason exits and having only so many more bites at the apple with the and -led core. Let's preview the season in the Bronx. 2021 record: 92-70 (lost Wild Card Game)2022 Sportsline projection: 86-76World Series odds (via William Hector Rondon Jersey Hill Sportsbook): +11001B RF Aaron JudgeLF DH 3B CF 2B SS C Bench: C , IF , IF/OF , OF The Yankees finished 10th in the American League in runs scored last offseason and they traded offense for defense at first base ( to Rizzo) and catcher ( to Higashioka) over the winter. They also improved their defense at shortstop and third base. The plan is to use Stanton in the outfield more often and LeMahieu as a super utility guy who starts 4-5 times a week. Stanton in right field, Judge in center field, LeMahieu at third base, and Donaldson at DH is an alignment we could see regularly. RHP Gerrit ColeLHP RHP RHP LHP Injuries, including Tommy John surgery, have limited Severino to 34 1/3 innings the last three seasons, postseason included. He is healthy now and the Yankees are hopeful he can be something close to the pitcher who received Cy Young votes in 2017 and 2018. Taillon had ankle surgery in October and is ahead of schedule with his rehab, so much so that he'll be in the Opening Day rotation in place of , who is on the Marwin Gonzalez Jersey 60-day injured list with a shoulder i sue. Cole is an ace and Montgomery is reliably above average. Behind them, New York's rotation is loaded with upside, but also quite a bit of risk. Closer: LHP Setup: RHP , RHP Middle: RHP , LHP , LHP , LHP Long: RHP Even with expected to mi s the season following Tommy John surgery, the Yankees have a deep bullpen with several closer-caliber relievers, and they've shown the ability to unearth quality relievers in other organizations. Loisiga had a monster breakout season a year ago and is one of those guys with stuff so lively it makes you wonder how anyone ever gets a hit. Holmes and Peralta were revelations after coming over in minor trades. Teams are set begin the season with two extra roster spots following the truncated spring training, which could put righty on the Opening Day roster. Abreu, a former Jeff Bagwell Jersey top prospect who got big outs at times last year, is out of minor-league options and must pa s through waivers to be sent to Triple-A. NYY RF #99 BA0.287R89HR39RBI98SB6 , the Yankees will deliver a presentation to Judge's representatives regarding a long-term contract extension. He can become a free agent after the season, and while injuries have been an i sue at times, Judge has never not performed at an MVP level when healthy. Last season he finished fourth in the voting. Judge indicated he has set an Opening Day deadline for an extension. : "If we're able to talk and get something done in spring training before the season starts, that would be ideal, especially since this is an important year," Judge said in his first comments of the spring. "We've got a lot of things to focus on during the course of the year, winning a division and winning a championship here in New York. I don't want contract talks or extensions and all that talk to be a distraction throughout the year. So, if we're able to agree to something here in the spring before we head up to New York, that's wonderful Josh Reddick Jersey and it would be an honor. If not, we'll talk after the season." The Yankees don't give out long-term extensions often -- they tend to let their players play out their team control years, and if they have to win a bidding war to keep someone as a free agent, they'll do it -- but Judge is a special case, and it makes sense to explore an extension now. Maybe he says yes to a sweetheart deal. Who knows? If not, then the Yankees will be right where they would be if they didn't approach him about a deal at all. Judge turns 30 soon after Opening Day. turned 30 in January and signed a seven-year, $182 million contract with the . turned 31 in September and he received a seven-year, $175 million deal from the . Historically, players who sign extensions one year prior to free agency get free agent dollars. There's no discount, and the Bryant and Semien contracts suggest Judge can reasonably seek seven years and $200-plus million. The Nolan Ryan Jersey Yankees owe Cole, Stanton, Hicks, and LeMahieu a combined $83 million per year through 2025, meaning a Judge extension would likely push them to $110 million for five players from 2023-25. Can the Yankees afford it? Of course. Is Hal Steinbrenner willing to afford it? That's the better question. All indications are the Yankees want to sign Judge long-term. Working out an extension isn't a slam dunk though, and they have two weeks to do it before Opening Day. NYY SS #12 BA0.271R74HR8RBI53SB20 The Yankees came into the offseason needing a shortstop and wanting a lefty-hitting first baseman with good defense. Five of the very best shortstops in baseball were free agents (Semien, , , , ), and there was a high-end first baseman who fits those needs available in free agency ( ) and another via trade ( ). Rather than flex their financial muscle and/or trade top prospects, the Yankees pa sed on all those players and settled for the sixth-best available shortstop and the third-best available first baseman. Add in absorbing the $50 million remaining on Donaldson's contract, punting offense at catcher, and not bringing in Dallas Keuchel Jersey any pitching despite an emphasis on run prevention, and you get an an offseason ripe for second-gue sing. "(Kiner-Falefa has) got a chance to be a good player. He's going to get that chance to be the everyday guy and run with it. He brings confidence to our defense," . "We're hopeful that he and everybody else that we have will do what we hope and see where it takes us. And we're going to run out the highest payroll we've ever had in our history." Will the Yankees be better defensively? Yes. I don't think there's a question about that. Will they be better offensively?