Excerpt: "Offseason Catchup, AL East"

"This ain't 2008. Not only did the Yankees sign a lesser group of players, relative to what they got five years ago, but they add those players to an older, diminished core. They also lost a great player, Cano, in the process, taking a chunk out of whatever gains they made by adding Ellsbury, McCann and Beltran. The Yankees couldn't really do much else -- they played the 2013 season with scars at too many positions and took hits in actual attendance and TV ratings for doing so. However, the team they have after all those moves still doesn't look like a top-tier favorite in the AL, and because of the age and injury concerns at first base, shortstop, third base and left field, still has more downside risk than upside."