Having finally laid to rest the 2008 Baseball season, from a Bronx perspective,  a week ago, we now begin looking at the team as it will line-up for 2009 or at least as it looks like it will this side of Spring training.

Here are the players that I would expect to dominate the roster:

C – Jorge Posada 
1B – Mark Teixeira
2B – Robinson Cano
3B – Alex Rodriguez
SS – Derek Jeter
LF – Johnny Damon / Xavier Nady
CF – Melky Cabrera / Brett Gardner
RF – Xavier Nady / Nick Swisher
DH – Hideki Matsui / Johnny Damon

Infield Bench – Cody Ransom / Juan Miranda
Outfield bench – Brett Gardner / Nick Swisher
Catchers on bench – Jose Molina / Francisco Cervelli

SP1 – CC Sabathia
SP2 – Chien-Ming Wang
SP3 – AJ Burnett
SP4 – Joba Chamberlain
SP5 – Alfredo Aceves / Phil Hughes

Long Relief – Alfredo Aceves / Dan Giese

Middle Relief 1 – Jose Veras
Middle Relief 2 – Brian Bruney
Middle Relief 3 – Phil Coke

Left handed specialist – Damaso Marte
Closer – Mariano Rivera

Other pitchers in the running: Ian Kennedy, Andrew Brackman, Jonathan Albaladejo, David Robertson, Humberto Sanchez.

I’m reckoning that they’ll only carry one of the back-up catchers I’ve mentioned – very probably Molina. Aceves is in the forefront for two spots but could miss out all together. The bullpen, as always, is the least settled prior to the Spring. Nick Swisher could move prior to the start of the season.