These Yankees just aren't enough to get the job done

Honesty is always the best policy in all walks of life.

That's exactly why this fallacy that the 2014 New York Yankees are a team capable of making the playoffs and having a chance to make some noise in October needs to stop. It would be easy to agree with Denny Green's famous sentiment, "We are we thought they were," but that would be incorrect.

The team formerly known as the Bronx Bombers are now a team led by an overachieving starting rotation that that has been decimated by injuries and one of, if not the best bullpen in baseball. The infield defense has been a disaster for much of the season and the offense has been putrid to put it lightly.

At this point, you might be thinking, how could this happen with a $194 million payroll and you would be correct. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman pulled the trigger on high-priced free agents' Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann to bring much-needed pop to a Yankee lineup that struggled mightily to score a year ago.

All the money handed out by the Steinbrenner family has done nothing to fix the offense, and for the second year in a row, the Bronx Bombers have turned into a team that experiences no easy wins. With Monday's loss to division-leading Baltimore, 11-3, the Yankees have now been outscored by 33 runs (471-504) and stand seven games out of first place.

It would be easy to blame the debilitating injuries to the starting rotation, but that's just not acceptable at this point. Sure, losing four of your five starters for most of the season would cripple any team, but Cashman has continued to bring in journeymen and no-names to keep the Yankees in games.

From the resurgence of Brandon McCarthy to Chris Capuano to the wonderment of Shane Greene -- pitching has not been the problem. In the late innings, Dellin Betances and David Robertson have been arguable the best end of game duo in baseball. They have turned the game into just six or seven innings, but the offense's ineptitude continues to hold this team back. Despite all the injuries to the pitching staff, the Yankees are seventh in the American League with a 3.82 ERA, but are 11th in runs scored with 468 -- just four ahead of the hapless Astros.

With the exception of Brett Gardner -- who is having a breakout season -- no other Yankee has consistently produced at the plate. Gardner has hit for .279/.355/.455 to go along with 15 homers, 50 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, 18 doubles and six triples. Gardner -- the Yankee leadoff hitter -- has the highest slugging average on the team.

Beltran has been on a tear over his last 28 days with five home runs, 17 RBIs and a .326/.379/.555, but was shell of himself in May and June after the infamous collision with the wall at The Trop in Tampa. Ellsbury has been up and down; Mark Teixeira continues to battle that wrist injury and likely won't ever be the same. The Yankee first basemen has hit just .230 this year with a .332 on-base percentage. In his final season, Derek Jeter has kept his average between .270-.280, but he has zero power.

Chase Headley has been a bright spot since arriving from San Diego, but he's not the type of player that can carry a team. The excuses for this offense are the same ones that we've been hearing since May. In fact, I would venture to guess that the act of actually pulling teeth is easier than this team scoring runs.

Monday night's loss to Baltimore was a perfect example. The Yankees took a 3-1 lead after the Orioles terribly butchered a run down and Beltran and Headley scored, but Baltimore would score 10 straight runs to win the game. New York couldn't record a hit after Jeter's fifth inning double and it's not like this is the first time something like that has happened this season.

It's time for everyone to realize that this year's Yankees just aren't good enough to get to October. At least last year there was a large excuse with the litany of injuries. This year? Cashman and manager Joe Girardi should have a clean conscience, this one's on the guys swinging the bats. 

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Derek Jeter announces 2014 will be his last season

Derek Jeter has announced on Facebook that 2014 will be his last season in professional baseball with the New York Yankees, and he will be retiring next offseason.

"The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball," the Yankees captain said in a 15-paragraph note on the social media site.

“Derek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season." Yankees general managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. "In our conversation, I told him that I respected his decision because I know he put a lot of thought into it. I also let him know that I thought it was great that he was letting fans know now so they will have a chance to say goodbye to him.

"He is unquestionably one of the greatest Yankees ever. He has meant so much to fans, the organization, my father and our family. I’m glad we have this year to celebrate everything he has meant to us and all the great things he still stands to accomplish.”

Jeter will be leaving the game just one year after the Yankees had to say goodbye to a pair of Jeter's long-time teammates, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. For the second straight year, a season-long farewell tour will follow Jeter and the Yankees everywhere they go.



Jeter, who will turn 40 in July, signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Yankees this past offseason. Up until this point, the word coming from Jeter's camp was that no decision on his future had yet been made.

“Derek Jeter has been a great representative of what the Yankees have stood for over the years." Joe Girardi said in a statement. "He has been a team player who has only cared about winning. He has also been a fine example both on and off the field over his long tenure as a Yankee. It has been a real pleasure to manage him and play alongside him.”

He broke into the majors with the Yankees in 1995 when he was also named Rookie of the Year, and has since won five World Series championships, has been named to the American League all-star team twelve times, and was named Captain of the Yankees in 2003.

“It has been an incredible honor having a front row seat for one of the great players of all time." Brian Cashman said in a statement. "Derek has been a winner every step of the way. I am already looking forward to an exciting final chapter of his storied career.”

A no-doubt Hall of Famer, Jeter will retire as the Yankees' all-time leader in games played, at-bats, hits and stolen bases.

"In the 21-plus years in which I have served as Commissioner, Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter," Bud Selig said in a statement. "Since his championship rookie season of 1996, Derek has represented all the best of the National Pastime on and off the field. He is one of the most accomplished and memorable players of his -- or any -- era."

Jeter also went on in his Facebook to thanks "the Boss, the Steinbrenner family, the entire Yankees organization" as well as managers, coaches, teammates, friends, family and the fans.

"I will remember it all: the cheers, the boos, every win, every loss, all the plane trips, the bus rides, the clubhouses, the walks through the tunnel and every drive to and from the Bronx. I have achieved almost every personal and professional goal I have set. I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets."

**********

Gavin Ewbank is the Lead Writer of Yanks Beat Blog, and you can follow him on Twitter (below).

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Alex Rodriguez suspended for the entire 2014 season

We knew it was likely coming, but it finally happened Saturday afternoon when arbitrator Frederick Horowitz announced he would be reducing the 211-game ban on third baseman Alex Rodriguez to just the entire 2014 season, including the playoffs, for for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.

Rodriguez also announced that he plans to fight the ruling in a federal court, as we all expected. However, his court fight is unlikely to go far, and will probably be a waste of time for all involved.

"The number of games sadly comes as no surprise, as the deck has been stacked against me from day one," Rodriguez said in a statement. "This is one man's decision, that was not put before a fair and impartial jury, does not involve me having failed a single drug test, is at odds with the facts and is inconsistent with the terms of the Joint Drug Agreement and the Basic Agreement, and relies on testimony and documents that would never have been allowed in any court in the United States because they are false and wholly unreliable.

"This injustice is MLB's first step toward abolishing guaranteed contracts in the 2016 bargaining round, instituting lifetime bans for single violations of drug policy, and further insulating its corrupt investigative program from any variety defense by accused players, or any variety of objective review."

MLB defended the length of the original suspension in a news release.

"For more than five decades, the arbitration process under the Basic Agreement has been a fair and effective mechanism for resolving disputes and protecting player rights," MLB said in the statement. "While we believe the original 211-game suspension was appropriate, we respect the decision rendered by the Panel and will focus on our continuing efforts on eliminating performance-enhancing substances from our game."

The Yankees also responded in a statement of their own, saying that they "respect Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the arbitration process, as well as the decision released today by the arbitration panel."

A spokeswoman for Bosch said he thought the suspension was deserved.

"Tony Bosch doesn't take joy in seeing Alex Rodriguez suspended from baseball, but he believes the arbitrator's decision was appropriate," Joyce Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "He is glad to have the arbitration behind him and believes he can play a valuable role in the future by educating athletes about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs."

With the full-season suspension, the Yankees will no longer be on the hook for A-Rod's salary in 2014, saving them just over $24 million on the luxury-tax threshold.

Rodriguez also said that he plans to be in Tampa when the Yankees report in about a month. The Yankees and Major League Baseball will meet over the next few days to decide what will happen with A-Rod when Spring Training comes around.

They could tell him not to show up for Spring Training, but under the current rules, he has the right to show up, participate in workouts and play in the games.

Even though his suspension was reduced, this could still be the end of A-Rod's career. He will turn 39-years-old this year, and is still owed $61 million in the final three years of his contract after this season. The Yankees could decide to cut him, eat the remaining $61 million, and it would be highly unlikely that any team ever signs him again.

Through all of this, A-Rod has stuck to his side of the story, standing firm that he has never taken any such PED's or HGH as documented by Bosch and MLB.

"I have been clear that I did not use performance enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline, or violate the Basic Agreement or the Joint Drug Agreement in any manner, and in order to prove it I will take this fight to federal court," Rodriguez said in his statement. "I am confident that when a Federal Judge reviews the entirety of the record, the hearsay testimony of a criminal whose own records demonstrate that he dealt drugs to minors, and the lack of credible evidence put forth by MLB, that the judge will find that the panel blatantly disregarded the law and facts, and will overturn the suspension.

"No player should have to go through what I have been dealing with, and I am exhausting all options to ensure not only that I get justice, but that players' contracts and rights are protected through the next round of bargaining, and that the MLB investigation and arbitration process cannot be used against others in the future the way it is currently being used to unjustly punish me.

"I will continue to work hard to get back on the field and help the Yankees achieve the ultimate goal of winning another championship. I want to sincerely thank my family, all of my friends, and of course the fans and many of my fellow MLB players for the incredible support I received throughout this entire ordeal."

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What can we expect from Derek Jeter in 2014?

The Yankees have signed marquee free agents Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and they could possibly sign Masahiro Tanaka this winter.

Despite acquiring all those players, the success the Yankees have in 2014 weighs heavily on Derek Jeter's performance.

In 2012, the iconic shortstop hit 15 homers with a batting average of .316 and an OBP of .362. Because of injuries, he only played 17 games in 2013. He hit one homer with a batting average of .190 and a .288 OBP in those games.

2014 could possibly be his last season and he believes he can return to form and be the Yankees starting shortstop once again. He is currently having a full offseason getting his strength back in his legs. When Jeter is healthy, even at the age of 39, he is one of the top shortstops in the game.

Eduardo Nunez who played in place of him last season, hit just 3 homers with a batting average of .260 and an OBP of .307. Even as Jeter approaches the age of 40, with a variety on injuries the past few seasons, he will have much better numbers than Nunez had if he can stay relatively healthy.

Maybe even more important than the numbers though, is the veteran leadership he provides that just wasn't there at the shortstop position last season.

As Father Time is finally starting to catch up to him, many people expect another injury-riddled season from Jeter. After all, he isn't just coming off one injury. He had a variety of injuries ailing him in 2013, that kept him off the field almost the entire season.

As people continue to doubt Jeter, don't be surprised if he proves everyone wrong once again. Does he have limited range at the shortstop position? Absolutely. But still, there aren't many shortstops I would take over Jeter if any.

Assuming he stays fairly healthy in what could possibly be his last season, I see him hitting around .285 with around 10 homers. What do you guys expect from him?

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Player to watch for in Spring Training: Dean Anna

Not many people batted an eye when the Yankees acquired minor-league infielder Dean Anna from the San Diego Padres for right-handed pitcher Ben Paullus on November 20th. But that's probably because everyone thought the Yankees would re-sign Robinson Cano, and they wouldn't have to find another second baseman to replace him.

Well, Cano is gone and the Yankees still don't have a definite answer to the question of who will play second base next season.

Will it be one of the recent offseason acquisitions of Kelly Johnson and Brian Roberts? Roberts was once one of the best second baseman in the game, and Johnson bring some lefty power to the lineup, but not a good enough everyday glove, and Roberts has a deep injury history.

Why not Anna? The 26-year-old spent last season with Triple-A Tucson in the Padres organization, where he hit .331 with 90 runs, 38 doubles, 9 homeruns and 73 RBIs in 132 games. He saw time at second base, shortstop, third base and in left field.

Being an above-average left-handed hitter with the ability to play around the diamond gives him a very good chance to make the Yankees' 25-man roster out of Spring Training.

I got a chance to chat with Anna Friday morning, and he said that his versatility around the infield, being able to play third, second and shortstop, is his most useful tool in trying to help Yankees succeed next season.

With a big hole at third base, and question marks at shortstop -- depending on the health of Derek Jeter -- and second base, Anna could very well be an important asset for the Bombers in what would be his first big league season.

When Cano signed with the Seattle Mariners, Joel Sherman of the NY Post wrote a story about how the Yankees could be going from Cano to Anna at second, and how that wouldn't be the ideal situation. But Anna isn't worrying about that.

"I'm just happy to be with this great organization and get a shot to play." he said. "And hopefully I can help the big league team win some games."

And he'll at least get a shot in Spring Training. Anna is currently on the Yankees' 40-man roster, and he'll be with the team in Tampa when they report in just over 40 days.

In Tampa, Anna will get a chance to meet with many fellow teammates for the very first time. Anna hasn't talked with anyone on the club just yet, but there are several people he would like to talk with.

"One is obvious: Derek Jeter." Anna said. "And I just want to ask him how he approaches the game everyday."

Who better to learn the game from than one of the best players to ever step on the field. Anna will certainly get that chance come February, and maybe even longer if Joe Girardi and his coaching staff think he can help this team get back to the playoffs.

Dean Anna might not be Robinson Cano, but he's still a good, young ballplayer that could be a household name in the Bronx this summer. He doesn't have to be an all-star, but delivering a .300 batting average and quality defense could help him stick around for several years, and that's why he's one of our players to watch for in Spring Training.

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Players too easily relied on, and too easily counted out

If the Yankees are to make it back to the postseason in 2014, some players will have to perform at a level that they either never have before or haven't in recent years. Though the team has a decent and well balanced lineup, the starting rotation and bullpen have some question marks.

One key player is starting pitcher Michael Pineda, who is expected to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation after missing all of 2012 and 2013 due to shoulder problems.

Pineda will only be 25-years-old come Opening Day, and his rookie year with the Seattle Mariners was phenomenal as he went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 171 innings (9.1 K/9). The question is, are Yankees fans expectations unrealistic?

If you believe he is going to dominate from the start or possibly even at all, and throw 200 innings with ease, then yes, you're expecting too much.

Back in September, the Yankees were in desperate need of an extra starter, yet they didn't bring Pineda up from the minors. The reason? They weren't convinced he was ready and that he had regained his arm strength. If a team that desperate for pitching doesn't call on someone like Pineda, they must have a reason.

This isn't to say that Pineda won't be good in 2014 or that he won't some day be dominant, but don't be surprised if there are some bumps in the road.

Another player that may require patience in 2014 is David Robertson, who will likely be the heir to the closer role vacated by Mariano Rivera. Replacing a legend like Rivera is difficult, even more so for a pitcher like Robertson with almost no closing experience.

Even the great Rivera had some problems in April of 1997 when he was first replacing John Wetteland as closer. As good as he was, he was not Mariano Rivera.

Of course there will be some Yankees fans who will be shouting at Joe Girardi to try someone else as closer if Robertson has any problems, but remember, Girardi caught Rivera during those hard times and when he finally pulled through, so have some faith.

On the flip-side, there is one player who Yankees fans seem to expect to go out with a whimper. That player happens to be Derek Jeter. Yes he is going to be 40-years-old and is coming off a season in which he missed 147 games do to ankle injuries, but remember, he is only two years removed from leading the Major Leagues in hits (216).

Never count out the captain.

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2014 figures to be a much better year in the Bronx

The way 2013 went for the Yankees, just know that it can't get much worse in 2014.

Last Spring Training, Mariano Rivera announced his retirement, the Alex Rodriguez Biogenesis Scandal took off, and the heap of injuries got off to a hot start, bringing down both Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira early in the spring.

Derek Jeter came back in the spring, then went down again, playing in just 17 games throughout the entire seasons, spending four separate occasions in the disabled list. It was a "nightmare" season that he and everyone else are trying to forget.

Travis Hafner, Lyle Overbay and Vernon Wells made the club out of Spring Training. Overbay figured to play through the first month while Teixeira rehabbed his wrist injury.

That one month dragged into two, then lasted the entire season when Teixeira needed surgery on his wrist, leaving Overbay as the only first base candidate.

The Yankees were a first place club at one point in May, surprising the league with their decent starting pitching and surprising good offensive contributions from Wells and Hafner. But as May dragged on, then turned into June, the Yankees couldn't buy a run, leading them to their lowest point of the season.

And did I mention the A-Rod suspension scandal? That was only what everyone was talking about in July and through the rest of the season.

A-Rod threw lawsuits at everyone. Major League Baseball suspended him for 211-games. And Brian Cashman did what many fans wanted say, telling A-Rod to "shut the f**k up."

(I can't lie, I found is very assuming when A-Rod homered off Ryan Dempster after he had threw at A-Rod three times before hitting him in the previous at-bat.)

Then in September, Andy Pettitte announced his plans to retire and ride off into the sunset with Mariano. At least the baseball gods were kind to those two, letting them go out on top. Rivera left the game just as good as he was in his prime, and Pettitte closed out his career with a complete-game victory over the Houston Astros, his hometown team.

The endings for those two were far better than the Yankees', who missed the playoffs for the second time since 2008.

To make matters worse, Robinson Cano, the team's best player, left the Bronx to sign with the Seattle Mariners. Things won't be the same without Cano in the lineup next season, but I can say this: it'll be a much better year for the Yankees in 2014.

The Yankees have spent over $300 million on players so far this winter -- Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran -- and still hoping to land Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka for, most likely, another $100 million or more.

Joe Girardi put together his best manager job with a team riddled by injuries that was already expected to have no shot at making the players at full-strenght. Yet, he kept them in contention up until the final week of the season, and was able to cox 85 wins out of them.

There is no way that the injuries suffered in 2013 can continue to pile up in '14. Granderson's injuries were freak injuries. Jeter's were the cause of not having the time to get his legs in shape. And Teixeira's was because, well, we all know how tricky wrists can be.

Sure, the Yankees have added a few players with injury histories -- Ellsbury, Beltran and Brian Roberts. Even McCann missed some time early last season because of a shoulder injury. But that one I wouldn't worry too much about.

The Yankees finished third place in the AL East last season with a roster that we can all agree was not very good. They have improved very much in the lineup, and still need to address the holes in the bullpen and rotation, which I believe they will.

The ball dropped in Times Square last night, and that means 2014 is finally here. It's going to be a much better year in the Bronx. I can just feel it.

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David Robertson should be the Yankees' closer in '14

David Robertson says that he’s ready to take over for Mariano Rivera, baseball’s all-time saves leader, as the New York Yankees’ closer next season — and I believe him.

"I think I’ve got the stuff to do it," Robertson told the NY Post Saturday at a charity event. "It’s just a matter of coming out there and doing it. It’s the same thing as throwing the eighth inning. You got to get three outs, but there is no one behind you."

For the past few seasons, Robertson has been sitting in the bullpen with Rivera, leading the way for Mo to come into the game in the 9th inning to do his thing. Now that Rivera is gone, someone has to step up and take his place. Not only should Robertson be the top choice, but he deserves to be the top choice.

Sorry to do this, but click here to read the rest of my column on yanksgoyard.com.

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McCann and Ellsbury are nice, but work still needs to be done

The Yankees have already signed two of the biggest free-agents on the free-agent market, and we haven't even reached the Winter Meetings. It's worth noting that Robinson Cano is not one of those players.

After fumbling around in the drawers, the Yankees found their checkbook and now they're handing out big money deals like it's 2009 all over again.

While, yes, it's nice to have nice things and good players, the signings of both these All-Star players is not enough, solely, to get the Bombers back to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2013. If they're going to completely recreate the success of 2009, more has to be done.

For the time being, the Yankees don't have a second baseman. Even after signing Ellsbury, the Yanks still believe they are directly in the running to re-sign Cano, but talks with him appear to be going nowhere. Although, if Ellsbury could get a seven-year, $153 million deal, I don't see why the Yanks won't give him more than $175 million.

Jon Morosi reports that the Yankees have made an offer to free-agent second baseman Omar Infante, and if he were to accept that before a deal with Cano could get done, you would have to think that it would hurt the chances of Cano coming back.

A couple positions over, the Yankees still have to figure out who is going to play third base for them next season. There is probably no one within the organization that thinks Alex Rodriguez will be with the team on Opening Day. A decision with him won't likely come down until January 1st, I heard on Tuesday. The Yanks will save a ton of money should his suspension be upheld through, at least, the full 2014 season.

Infante could be an option to play third, but unlikely. I've said in the past that the Yankees could re-sign Mark Reynolds and have him playing third in place of A-Rod. That wouldn't be a terrible option. He would provide some power from the right-side of the plate. Right now, the Yankees would have Derek Jeter and Alfonso Soriano in the right side of the plate, with Mark Teixeira also being a switch-hitter -- you also have to hope that Jeter and Teixeira remain healthy.

The you have to take a look at the holes in the rotation and bullpen. Apparently the Yankees don;t even know who is going to be closing games for them next season. GM Brian Cashman has said publicly that he's unsure if David Robertson is ready to close.

The Yankees, reportedly, aren't going to start looking into the closer market until after something happens with Cano. Even then, the options in that area might be slim at that point. Joe Nathan signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, so he is off the board. Grant Balfour, to me, just doesn't fit in New York. I wrote that John Axford and Andrew Bailey would be solid bullpen options, but only has setup men because I think Robertson should be the closer -- he's earned the opportunity.

On the other side of pitching, CC Sabathia is still that headline of the rotation, and he declined dramatically in 2013. Ivan Nova is up and down, and you can only hope he pitches well all season, and not just at times. After that, the Yankees are still waiting on a decision from Hiroki Kuroda, who has an offer from the Yankees.

It doesn't appear that Masahiro Tanaka will be posted anytime soon, and he was the Yanks' No. 1 target this offseason. Eventually, though, if he does get posted, the Bombers will be big players for him, too.

At this point, the Yankees are starting to look like they could actually compete for a championship once again in 2014, but they still have to finish filling out the roster first. Yes, it's nice to have players like McCann and Ellsbury, but don't get caught up in that, because there is still work to be done.

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Also read: With Cano out of the way, where do the Yankees go from here?
Also read: Brett Gardner could now be a valuable trade piece.

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Yankees Release 2014 Schedule

Like EA Sports releasing the latest installment of it NHL franchise today, Major League Baseball officially released the 2014 schedules of all 30 of it teams. As you may have noticed, this is a Yankees blog, so that means I'm going to break down some key dates on the Bombers' schedule.

Opening week: The Yankees will begin the 2014 season the expect same way they're ending this season, with a trip down to Houston to take on the Houston Astros on Opening Day, Tuesday, April 1st. After three-games in Toronto, the Yankees head home to the Bronx for their home-opener on April 7th against the Baltimore Orioles -- the same team the Yankees are taking on tonight.

Interleague matchups: MLB decided to place the Chicago Cubs on the Yankees' schedule next season, with the two clubs playing a two-game series in New York on April 15th-16th. The Yanks and Cubs will meet one more time with another two-game series in May on the 20th and 21st, this time at Wrigley Field.

The Yankees will see a lot of the NL Central in the month of May, starting with three-game weekend series in Milwaukee against the Brewers on the May 9th-11th. The following weekend, the Pittsburgh Pirates and former Yankees AJ Burnett and Russell Martin come to Yankee Stadium for three-games, then the Yanks head back out on the road for the two Wrigley games, and three games in St. Louis to face the Cardinals the following week.

In between the Pirates and Brewers series', the Yankees play a two-and-two series against the New York Mets, playing the first two games in the Bronx, and the second two in Queens at Citi Field. One more interesting interleague matchup to mark down, the Cincinnati Reds come to town on July 18th for s three-game series.

Closing dates: As it usually is in September, the Yankees will play almost all of their final games against AL East opponents. They start the month with three-games in the Bronx against the Boston Red Sox, and finish up their 2014 season in Boston for a three-game set at Fenway. The Yankees final home-game of the season will be September 25th against the Orioles.

A-Rod return? Assuming the Yankees don;t make the playoff this season, MLB will begin the hearing for Alex Rodriguez in case case against MLB surrounding his 211-game suspension. If an arbitrator were to reduce the suspension to 50-games, A-Rod would be eligible to return to the Yankees' lineup on June 26th in Chicago when the Yanks are facing the White Sox -- I know, how ironic is it that he returned to the Yankees this season at US Cellular Field, and could possibly do the same next season.

For the full 2014 schedule, click here.

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