New York Yankees 2003 Finish: 101-61, 1st AL East	Select Team Angels Astros Athletics Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals Cubs Devil Rays Diamondbacks Dodgers Expos Giants Indians Mariners Marlins Mets Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Red Sox Reds Rockies Royals Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees

Jorge Posada Doug Benc/Getty Images
Batting Order
CF	Kenny Lofton Little ball may return to the Bronx.
SS	Derek Jeter Inside-out swing makes him ideal No. 2.
3B	Alex Rodriguez The best player in the game anchors the best lineup.
1B	Jason Giambi Healthy knee should reduce strikeouts.
RF	Gary Sheffield Lethal line-drive hitter who puts ball in play.
C	Jorge Posada Steady production guided Yanks last year.
LF	Hideki Matsui Solid all-around player whose power may improve.
DH	Bernie Williams Aches and pains grow worse every year.
2B	Enrique Wilson 10-for-20, 1.224 OPS vs. Pedro Martinez in his career.
Rotation
RHP	Mike Mussina Only pitcher in MLB with 200 innings the last nine years.
RHP	Kevin Brown Stayed off DL last season for first time since 1999.
RHP	Javier Vazquez Could blossom into staff ace.
RHP	Jose Contreras Lengthy adjustment to majors should be over.
RHP	Jon Lieber Made the NL All-Star team in last full season (2001).
Bullpen
RHP	Mariano Rivera Closer was unhittable last September and October.
RHP	Tom Gordon Gave up chance to close so he could set up for the best.
RHP	Paul Quantrill Most durable pitcher in baseball since 2001.
RHP	Steve Karsay Even if shoulder holds up, where does he fit?
LHP	Felix Heredia Ground-ball specialist, but prone to wildness.
LHP	Gabe White Yanks wanted him for years before getting him in a trade last July.
Prospects
C	Dioner Navarro Jorge Posada's heir batted .341 after his promotion to Class AA.
RHP	Jorge DePaula Starter flirted with no-hitter in first major league start.

Determined to ward off their bitter rivals the Red Sox, the Yankees spent freely in the offseason to bolster their pennant-winning team. Their clubhouse may have a vastly different feel, but they enter the season with a more accomplished roster than any team in baseball and will be strong contenders to return to the World Series. Certainly the most intriguing acquisition is reigning MVP Alex Rodriguez, who came over in a trade for Alfonso Soriano.

The Yankees lost the Texas duo of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte (surprisingly, both to the Houston Astros), but they reloaded with Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez. If those two make a smooth transition to the American League, the Yankees' rotation may be even stronger, even if it is all right-handed. Mike Mussina, the staff ace, is bound to win 20 games some year, especially as he incorporates his splitter into his repertoire more often. Jose Contreras looked brilliant at times, fooling hitters with forkballs and fastballs, but he must prove he can sustain success. Jon Lieber, who won 20 games with the Cubs in 2001, spent all of last season rehabilitating his elbow at the Yankees' complex in Tampa. Lieber had Tommy John surgery in 2002, but pitchers routinely recover from that now, and Lieber has had plenty of time to get well.

The Yankees fiddled with their bullpen all season, then fortified it over the winter by signing two veteran right-handed setup men -- Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill. Steve Karsay missed all of last season due to surgery on his shoulder and may find that his setup role is taken when he returns. Gordon has also been vulnerable to injuries, but he would be a capable closer if Mariano Rivera spends time on the disabled list, as he has done the last two years. Yankee manager Joe Torre will lean heavily on the durable Quantrill in the middle innings. Torre also showed a fondness for left-hander Felix Heredia after acquiring him on waivers last August.

As many members of the organization grew tired of waiting for Alfonso Soriano to improve his poor defense, the All-Star did nothing to endear himself to his critics. The Yankees considered moving Soriano to the outfield but instead used him in a swap with Texas for Rodriguez. Shortstop Derek Jeter played stellar defense in the postseason, but his range seems to have declined in recent years, and his dislocated left shoulder may have made him hesitant on balls up the middle last season. Jeter did not need offseason surgery on the shoulder and should show a bit more range in '04. Rather than upset team chemistry any more than necessary, the Yankees will keep Jeter, the team captain, in place at short while A-Rod moves to third. Jeter does not wear a "C" on his jersey and did not change much about his clubhouse demeanor, but if there were ever any questions about who runs the clubhouse, Steinbrenner's decision to appoint him captain put them to rest. Barring another blockbuster trade, Enrique Wilson will get the first chance to be the everyday second baseman.

Aaron Boone, who broke the hearts of Boston fans with his ALCS-ending walk-off homer, tore his ACL while playing basketball, prompting the trade for Rodriguez. A-Rod's offense is incomparable, and the Gold Glove shortstop should have no problem shifting to the hot corner to play alongside Jeter. The trade of Nick Johnson eliminated the Yankees' best fielder at first base and will force the lumbering Jason Giambi to play there every day. The Yankees hope that Giambi's surgically repaired left knee makes him more durable in the field, and even then, they must worry about his erratic throwing arm. Giambi does help his infielders with his skill at scooping bad throws from the dirt.

Steinbrenner decided that he had seen enough of Bernie Williams in center field, so he imported the older but more nimble Kenny Lofton to chase down fly balls in Yankee Stadium. Lofton's arm, however, is not much better than Williams', and Torre says that he has not counted out Williams as an option in center. Left fielder Hideki Matsui has a below-average arm, but he positions himself well, gets good jumps and has a quick release on his throws. Free agent Gary Sheffield is adequate defensively and will be helped by the small right field in the Bronx. His offensive numbers with Atlanta a year ago speak for themselves.

It has taken awhile, but Jorge Posada has evolved into a stellar defensive player. His shoulder no longer bothers him, making him more of a threat to throw out runners trying to steal, and he has let fewer balls get past him. Posada and the capable backup catcher, John Flaherty, practice blocking balls almost every day, a practice not often employed by teams through the grueling summer grind. Offensively, Posada is one of the best-hitting catchers in baseball, and he finished third in the AL MVP race because of his consistent production in a season of extremes for many other hitters. Flaherty is a professional hitter with pop, giving the Yankees one of the best backup catchers in the game.

It may have seemed more logical to make Giambi the DH, but Steinbrenner felt that Williams had slipped further on defense. Williams is quiet and introverted and will not cause controversy, but he would like a chance to compete with Lofton for his old job, and Torre will give it to him. If Williams loses out to Lofton in a spring competition and ends up as the DH, he will be among the best, as a switch-hitting threat whose hot streaks can carry a lineup. Ruben Sierra can fill in at designated hitter, but Torre prefers to use him off the bench, reasoning that a switch-hitter with power is valuable in that role. Tony Clark, who backs up at first base, is another switch-hitting power threat.

Steinbrenner's increasing involvement in personnel matters made for a disjointed offseason, with frustrated top officials feeling left out. Senior VP Gordon Blakeley, a top recruiter of international talent, negotiated a contract buyout, and general manager Brian Cashman's future came into question. Torre enters the final year of his contract and has given no indication that he wants to return in 2005. If Torre leaves, his next stop will be Cooperstown. Don Mattingly takes over as Torre's hitting coach, and Luis Sojo is entering his first season as the first base coach. The wise pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre returns for what could be his final season in the Bronx.

This season will require all of Torre's patience, as Steinbrenner pushes and prods for the title that has eluded the Yankees the past three years, especially given the team's gaudy payroll ($180 million-plus?) and a roster resembling an All-Star team. Torre will be under intense pressure from the outset of the season. The Yankees imported talented players but prickly personalities. Torre will have to be the same calming influence he has always been in an environment that could potentially be negative and loaded with pressure.

• Click here for a complete list of 2004 Team Previews

To Purchase the 2004 Baseball Preview from Athlon Sports, click here.