Rumblings

Reports seem to indicate that a lot of guys have showed up to spring training in significantly better shape than last year, including Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes.

My big prediction for the year relates to offense. Don't be surprised if the Yankee offense has a season for the ages in 2008, and by that I mean 1000 runs. Expect significant bouncebacks from Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu, who are in their contract years. For those of you who aren't familiar with that term (it's thrown around by sportswriters quite a bit), it means that a player is in the final year of their current contract, and it is often used to allude to the idea that players will try harder and perform better when the size of their next contract is in the balance. Also, look for a resurgence from Johnny Damon, who was clearly embarrassed by his weak .270/.351/.396 line last year. I'd say he'll wind up at around .300/.370/.450 this year if he stays healthy.

The only position player I'm really worried about is Melky Cabrera. He's got to show something this year considering his 2007 numbers were worse than his 2006 numbers, which were already only average for his position. I'm less worried about Hideki Matsui, who despite his failing knees will probably be good for .290/.380/.480 this year. After all, he must display the golden dragon heart power and fight for the undying glory of his homeland, drawing from the eternal underworld spring fountain of his ancestors.