Again, as I said, on paper. There is no denying that most of the roster is playing well below potential.

Posada: Definitely has some issues. While he is still strong defensively, his batting skills have seriously dropped since his great 2003 season.

Martinez: He is still the *best* defensive first basemen in the game despite his age, with an excellent lifetime .995 fielding percentage. I'd still put him in the batters box over Giambi any day.

Cano: AAA 2B. We really don't know much, other than that he is one of the Yankees top prospects, though from what I hear from ESPN and YES he isn't projected to be much more than an everyday player.

A-Rod: His batting skills are varying from day to day. Still having problems adjusting to 3B. I wonder what would happen if Torre worked him out at SS for a few games.

Jeter: Still the Yankees most consistant bat. Though he's in his prime, and still one of the top 5 shortshops, Tejada is clearly the premier defensive shortstop in the league. His effort and leadership are, however, unparalled.

Womack: He's been a disappointment. I really was confused as to why we let both Enrique Wilson AND Miguel Cairo loose after the season, except for the fact that Womack was an excellent base runner and stealing threat. However, the pop in Cairo's bat is missed.

Matsui: Also struggling a bit, I still think his solid batting mechanics and fielding place him near the top of the team in value. It will be interesting to see how he handles the transition to CF, though they said on Baseball Tonight he was the best CF in the game a couple of years ago before he came to NY.

Sheffield: Still performing well, but is showing signs of age. Nothing to snuff at though, he is the Yankees big bat from the right side.

Giambi: Will the real Giambi please stand up? No. Please sit down. Why didn't we terminate this bum's contract after the whole steroid thing?

Bernie: Very, very streaky at the plate. His fielding skills have diminished because of his age and knee problems, but he still can get it done. He should probably move into a more mentor type role for Bubba Crosby.

Sierra: Best possible choice at DH when he is healthy.

Starting Pitching: Johnson will need to be more Johnson-esque, and Pavano will have to keep pitching effectively. Mussina did alright last night, but also has to step it up a notch. The jury is still out on whether Jaret Wright can become an effective starter. And Kevin Brown should be flushed the same way other brown things like his namesake are sent down the toilet.

Bullpen: The bullpen, even with Mo, has been ineffective. Sturtze started slow and now is hurt, Gordon is...clueless, and Stanton has been questionable. Groom has actually been a pleasant surprise, since we need a good left-hander in the 'pen. Karsay was clearly expendable. Felix Rodriguez needs to not turn into Felix Heredia. I hope we keep Colter Bean up, he seemed to do a pretty good job from what I saw.