Who Will Become the New Face of the Yankees? by Steven Jacobson
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Who Will Become The New Face of the Yankees? By Steven Jacobson Joe Torre's induction into the Hall of Fame and enshrinement in Monument Garden is a sobering reminder to Yankees fans that the last remaining link to his era in the Bronx—Derek Jeter—will be gone for good following the 2014 season. With the final member of the core four following Posada, Pettite, and Rivera out of the pinstripes and into future Old Timers' games, the Yankees will have a glaring hole to fill not only at shortstop but also at the very forefront of the team. For nearly twenty years, Jeter has occupied a place formerly held by figures such as Mattingly, Jackson, Munson, Berra, Mantle, DiMaggio, and, of course, Gehrig and Ruth. Every Yankees dynasty has undeniably had one or two iconic players. Some, like Jeter, were captains, and some, like Berra, were not, but since the Bombers' first World Series title in 1923, this much has remained true—there were always those one or two players associated with the team’s dominance, excellence, and legacy. The Yankees of the 1990s were especially renowned in that regard, as they had four (perhaps five, if you include Bernie Williams) of those players. So, once Jeter's farewell tour is finished, who will take his place as that figure? For years, the answer seemed to obviously be Robinson Cano, but that's no longer an option. With Cano's departure to Seattle this offseason went another integral part of the Yankees most recent world title in 2009. Only five and a half players from that team are still with the club- Jeter, Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, David Robertson, Brett Gardner, and the suspended Alex Rodriguez (hence the half.) There are some promising candidates on that list. Throw away Rodriguez, of course—no team wants to build their brand around that guy. It's hard to imagine Robertson as that figure, even though he was previously a dominant set-up man and is now an effective closer. It's hard for any relief pitcher short of Rivera to carry enough weight to embody a franchise. It's even difficult for a starter to do so. C.C. Sabathia could have been on his way if he had kept up his pre-2013 performance, but it appears all those innings over the years have finally taken a toll on the now oft-injured and oft-terrible not-as-big-anymore man. Perhaps C.C. will come back from his latest injury rejuvenated and return to his workhorse self, but that's a very remote possibility at the moment. While C.C. seems to possess the personality and late-season clutch required of a Yankees legend, his current ability on the mound falls short. Teixeira is a similar case. He's had something of a renaissance this season after a throwaway 2013 campaign, but he's aging and only has two more years left on his contract after this one. Nevertheless, Teixeira is still a slick fielder and has quite a bit of pop in his bat. However, he's more akin to a Tino Martinez at this point rather than a Mattingly—a good supporting piece rather than someone around which to build the team. Of those six, that leaves only Gardner, whom I believe is a most promising candidate. Gardner is a career Yankee. (That's not to say the face of the franchise can't be someone who was acquired via trade or free agency—Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth, for example—but it helps to be someone discovered, drafted, and developed by the team.) After discussion of Gardner being traded for Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips following Cano's flight to Seattle this offseason, New York's front office responded by handing Gardner a four-year, $52 million extension. Some could say that Gardner might have earned a larger payday if he had opted to test the waters of free agency instead, and it's hard to argue with that. The market would probably have been pretty good for the speedy defensive wizard and top-of-the-order catalyst. However, Gardner evidently likes New York and wants to remain a Yankee. Dan Martin of the New York Post quoted Gardner recently saying, “It’s one of those things that after the fact you can always wonder what might have happened, but I’m perfectly happy with the decision I made. I was happy when I made it in February and I’m just as happy now. No matter what happens the rest of the year, I’ll still be happy about it.” And New York likes him back. He's been a regular member of the outfield since Melky Cabrera was traded after the 2009 season, and has dazzled with his speed and defense. He's hit between six and ten triples each year since 2009. While Gardner's bat had never been his calling card, he's managed a career batting average of .270 and has been hitting around .290 this year. He also gets on base at a decent clip, with a career OBP of .352. Beyond the numbers, however, there's something more intangible about Gardner that makes Yankee fans like him so much. He's got that gritty, grinding quality about him, with that shaved head, the hustle, and his general underdog mentality, the same underdog mentality that took him from being a walk-on to the College of Charleston's baseball team to a third round draft pick for the New York Yankees. There's no denying, however, that while Gardner possesses the stuff to be the next Yankees leader-perhaps even their captain- he just doesn't stack up with the likes of Jeter, Ruth, and DiMaggio. On the dynasties of the 1950s or 1990s, he'd be more of a supporting member—think Billy Martin or Chuck Knoblauch—than the main cog. So, that leaves us with the batch of free agents Brian Cashman raked in this offseason. Carlos Beltran is too far past his prime to become that guy, but Brian McCann and especially Jacoby Ellsbury have the potential. McCann hasn't done much so far, but he has been heating up in recent weeks with big hits in pivotal situations late in games. As the catcher, McCann is the natural leader on-field leader and calls a good game as well. After a hot April in which he won Player of the Month honors, Ellsbury batted just .231 in May with a .644 OPS. However, Ellsbury will pick it up soon and act once again on his five-tool potential. His prowess at the plate, speed on the basepaths, defense, and role as all-star center fielder for the New York Yankees make him a bona fide contender to succeed Jeter. The most valuable free agent the Bombers acquired in the 2013-2014 offseason, however, has been Masahiro Tanaka. I shudder to think where the Yankees would be without their $155 million man, a price that now looks like a steal. Throw any epithet about Tanaka out there- ace, stopper, workhorse, MVP- and they all seem to fit. Tanaka is only twenty-five, and he'll be here until at least 2020, so he could be the one. It's just difficult for someone who's only on the field for one fifth of the season to be the most notable player a team can boast. Still, if any player can pull it off, Tanaka's the one- and it's not unprecedented. Before the Mariners locked up Cano for ten years in December, Felix Hernandez was that guy in Seattle, as was Sandy Koufax for the Dodgers of the 1960s. Who is the Yankees best player this year? Looking at baseball- reference.com's measure of wins above replacement, Tanaka obviously tops moundsmen so far with 4.0, while Gardner leads position players with 2.3. Ellsbury is second on the team, with 1.0. Look for one of those three, plus McCann, to break out as the Yankees' star of the future, the player who will usher in the post-Jeter generation. It's not quite 1996, but it's something. .