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General manager Brian Cashman has a ton of work to do for the 2014 season, and constructing a lineup should be the next logical move after re-signing manager Joe Girardi.

Creating a lineup will be difficult. There are a ton of questions surrounding the team regarding who should be re-signed and who should be allowed to walk, and there’s also that whole Alex Rodriguez suspension thing. Oh yeah, and can Derek Jeter still play shortstop? These are all questions that Cashman will need to address in the coming months.

The free-agent market isn’t particularly deep, and the New York Yankees are in a delicate phase of the franchise. Having not made the playoffs for the second time since 2008, the Yankees need to decide if their older players have another World Series run in them. If they don’t, then it’s probably time to blow it up and start back over from scratch.

The Yankees should field a competitive lineup next season, even if it will look a little bit different than year’s past.

Let ‘Em Walk

There are a few players that Cashman should let walk, whether it be because of money or because of fit with the team.

Curtis Granderson should be on a new team next season—the Chicago White Sox, perhaps? Cashman will not pay top dollar for a mediocre outfielder and perennial threat to strike out nearly 200 times. Forty-plus homers will be difficult to replace, but one can argue a 20-homer guy that hits .280 and racks up extra-base hits would be equally as productive.

Despite his surprising 2013, Lyle Overbay will also be gone. With Mark Teixeira back in the lineup, Overbay becomes expendable. He would have been a nice trade chip for the Yankees at the trade deadline of last season, but Teixeira’s wrist prompted the Bombers to keep him.

Bring ‘Em Back

First, we need to address the elephant in the room.

No, not Mark Reynolds—although I predict he’ll re-sign to back up first base and platoon at third. Robinson Cano is the Yankees’ biggest free agent in recent memory, and he’s already asking the moon and the stars in terms of contract length and value.

While the money he’s asking for likely won’t be given to him by anyone, expect Cano to still get a nice payday. In the end, the Yankees will be re-signing their second baseman. If the Los Angeles Dodgers supposedly don’t want to be in the mix, then who else has a chance at shelling out top dollar? Nobody.

Brendan Ryan is also a guy that needs to be back in pinstripes. Despite his lackluster performance at the plate, he was a revelation in the field and formed an incredible defensive middle infield with Cano to his left. What you see is what you get with Ryan. If he hits .240 in over 400 at-bats, then consider it a bonus.

Toughest Decisions

In my eyes, the Yankees have three tough decisions outside of the obvious Cano situation. First is addressing third base.

With no indication otherwise just yet, Rodriguez will be suspended for 2014. This leaves a gaping hole on the left side of the infield. Reynolds is an option to be part of a platoon over there as the right-handed hitter, but a lefty stick would be nice to have as well.

Cashman could potentially bring 36-year-old Eric Chavez back to the Bronx for another season in pinstripes, or they could test second baseman Skip Schumaker over at the hot corner. Chavez would appear to be the best bet.

The second question comes at shortstop. Can Jeter still man the position? His legs aren’t what they used to be, he’s clearly lost a step over the years, and the guy who finished out the season there has arguably the best glove in the league. To me, these all add up to Jeter being the full-time designated hitter and Ryan being the full-time shortstop.

The runs Ryan will save at short should be more than enough to make up for the runs he doesn’t drive in at the plate. Plus, it could be good for the Yankees to have a guy hitting ninth that can move runners over and steal a few bases here and there.

Finally, Cashman needs to address his outfield. Currently, Alfonso Soriano, Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki and Vernon Wells are on the roster. The Yankees could choose to stick with these four and platoon Ichiro and Wells in right field, or they could look to dump one of the two and go after a free agent.

The only right fielder worth going after—in my opinion—is Carlos Beltran, and his strong postseason suggests that the St. Louis Cardinals might not let him go so easily. He probably won’t be changing teams.

Sign Him

There’s one free-agent position player that the Yankees need to pull out all the stops to sign. Catcher Brian McCann is an immediate upgrade over Chris Stewart, Austin Romine and Francisco Cervelli, and signing him to a four-year deal would be enough time to allow Gary Sanchez to continue his development in the minors.

Unless he re-signs in Atlanta, McCann should be wearing pinstripes in 2014. It’s a no-brainer, and there should be no excuse for Cashman if he doesn’t make it happen.

A perennial 20-home run threat and rock behind the plate, McCann has proven himself nothing if not consistent over the years. He also plays with a fire that could do well to ignite some of the older players on the squad.

Four years and $48 million—do it, Cashman.

The Lineup

Given the fact that there could be a couple of platoons in 2014, here is what I predict that Yankees’ lineup will look like against both lefties and righties.

Lefties

1. Brett Gardner, CF

2. Derek Jeter, DH

3. Mark Teixeira, 1B

4. Robinson Cano, 2B

5. Alfonso Soriano, LF

6. Brian McCann, C

7. Mark Reynolds, 3B

8. Vernon Wells, RF

9. Brendan Ryan, SS

Righties

1. Brett Gardner, CF

2. Derek Jeter, DH

3. Mark Teixeira, 1B

4. Robinson Cano, 2B

5. Alfonso Soriano, LF

6. Brian McCann, C

7. Eric Chavez, 3B

8. Ichiro Suzuki, RF

9. Brendan Ryan, SS

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New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman seems to be wasting no time in the negotiations process with free-agent manager Joe Girardi, as he plans to offer Girardi a raise over lunch on Wednesday, reports Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.

Whether or not Girardi will immediately accept the offer remains to be seen. He’ll surely have an opportunity to manage his hometown Chicago Cubs, and other teams with positions available could look to bring him aboard. He could even take a job with Fox Sports, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Girardi claims that the opportunity to be in Chicago isn’t actually as appealing to him as it once was (via Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger):

Our home has been here [in New York]. My kids are engrossed in schools here. I haven’t lived there [in Chicago] since 2006. I have a brother still there, a couple brothers there, actually. But my father’s gone. My mother’s gone. So there’s not as much there as there used to be.

Girardi, 48, has been the Yankees skipper since the beginning of the 2008 season. In his six-year tenure with the Bombers, he has a record of 564-408 (58.0 winning percentage), one World Series championship (2009) and an average American League East finish of 1.8.

That being said, Girardi has been at the helm for each of the past two times the Yankees have missed the postseason (2008 and 2013).

He was the National League Manager of the Year with the Florida Marlins in 2006—his first year as a manager—and there are many around the sport that believe he’s in line for the AL side of the award this year. John Farrell of the Boston Red Sox and Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians also deserve consideration, but their teams faced significantly fewer issues over the season.

This may have been Girardi’s best job at the helm yet.

He battled injuries from his best players—Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Youkilis—while also dealing with injuries from key role players such as Jayson Nix, Travis Hafner, Francisco Cervelli, David Phelps and Ivan Nova.

Despite these hardships, Girardi led the Yankees to an 85-77 record.

Many have questioned Girardi’s managerial tactics throughout his tenure in the Bronx, as many don’t agree with his constant use of the infamous binder that, for him, holds the answers to all his toughest decisions.

He silenced many doubters with the job he did in 2013, though, and the Yankees would be hard-pressed to find a manager better fit for the 2014 squad than Girardi. Options could present themselves later in the offseason (like Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), but the Bombers aren’t in a position to wait.

If they do, then Girardi will likely flee to Chicago.

Cashman seems ready and willing to offer Girardi whatever he wants to keep him in pinstripes. For a team with an uncertain future, locking down a familiar face at the helm is a good start to the offseason.

*Note: Managerial statistics courtesy of baseball-reference.com. 

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The New York Yankees are in the thick of a playoff race, but that may not stop left-hander Andy Pettitte from announcing his retirement Friday afternoon, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Pettitte and the Yankees are fighting for the second of two American League Wild Card spots, though their chances seem slim given their recent skid. Throw in the fact that there are only nine games left on their schedule, and the Yankees really need some luck to get in.

Playoffs or not, Pettitte will be joining Mariano Rivera in retirement following the season. The two burst onto the scene in 1995 with the Yankees, and save for a few years from Pettitte, they have remained with the team throughout their careers.

Pettitte hasn’t been his usual self in 2013. He is just 10-10 with a 3.93 ERA over 169.1 innings pitched. More often than not, Pettitte has found himself in jams that he has been unable to come out of unscathed. Couple that with the Yankees’ stagnant (at times) offense in 2013, and Pettitte hasn’t really seen the results he’s used to.

Over the course of his career, Pettitte has compiled 255 wins, 3,300 innings pitched and 2,437 strikeouts. He finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1995, was named an All-Star three separate times, finished in the top-six of the AL/NL Cy Young voting five times and even finished in the top 24 of the AL/NL MVP voting twice.

In the postseason, Pettitte ranks among the best in MLB history. He owns a career record of 19-11 and an ERA of 3.81. As the go-to guy for the Yankees in the late-90s and early-2000s, Pettitte was arguably the most important starting pitcher for the team.

The left-hander is widely considered one of the top Yankees starters of all time. In terms of left-handers, Pettitte and legend Whitey Ford are nearly interchangeable at the top of the chart.

Should this be the end for Pettitte, don’t expect a return like he made after sitting out the 2011 season. At 41, this is likely it for one of the best Yankees of all time.

It’s hard to foresee the future, but a spot in monument park for No. 46 could happen within the next few seasons. There isn’t another Yankees starter more deserving.

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Vladimir Guerrero, one of the most dangerous hitters of the late-1990s and 2000s, has retired, reports Hector Gomez of Listen Diario (Spanish link).

Guerrero had this to say on the difficult decision (via Gomez): 

“I decided to announce my retirement due to my desire to spend more time with my family, as well as because of the two operations that I’ve had on my right knee.”

Guerrero, 38, retires with 449 career home runs. He falls 51 home runs shy of 500, a milestone that he reportedly wanted to make a run at before retiring (via Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com).

His 449 homers place him 36th on the all-time list, and Gomez reports that he would have loved to finish higher up the ranks: “Lamentably, I couldn’t do it. That was one of my principal goals.”

Injuries derailed the MLB career of Guerrero. Knee injuries hurt Guerrero’s ability to be an effective corner outfielder, hampering his value for major league clubs.

Always known for his rocket arm from right field, his inability to run down balls in the outfield had made him a liability at the tail end of his career.

He signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League in April to re-establish some big league value, but his pursuit of the bigs ultimately didn’t pan out. This came after playing for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles in the MLB.

Undoubtedly, there will soon be speculation on Guerrero’s Hall of Fame probability.

One of the most feared hitters of the generation, he has a legitimate shot at making the Hall. At the very least, he deserves serious consideration.

He ends his 16-year career with an incredible triple-slash line of .318/.379/.553 with 449 home runs, 1,496 RBI, 181 stolen bases (40 of which came in 2002), 2,590 hits, 477 doubles, 46 triples, 1,328 runs scored and an OPS of .931.

Oh yeah—and he was an All-Star 9 times, the 2004 American League MVP, top-25 MVP finisher 12 times and eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

His best season came in 2000 with the Expos. He hit an absurd .345/.410/.664/1.074 with 44 home runs, 123 RBI, 197 hits and a league-leading 23 intentional walks.

Guerrero deserves legitimate Cooperstown consideration, given his monster numbers and success late in his career. His final season (2011 with the Orioles) was also pretty darn good (.290/.317/.416 in 562 at-bats).

The Dominican slugger will be remembered for his ability to hit anything near the plate (or possibly his inability to lay off pitches out of the zone). Regardless, he could hit nearly anything thrown in his direction—making him one of the hardest batters in the league to get out.

It will be five seasons before we know the Hall of Fame fate of Guerrero, but he’s just as deserving as the next guy—even if he fell short of both 500 homers and 3,000 hits.

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In their endless search for depth and talent, the New York Yankees were in the mix for Washington Nationals starter Dan Haren as recently as last weekend, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

Rosenthal cites that money was the main reason the two teams could not strike a deal. Haren is still due more than $1.5 million this season, and apparently Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was not comfortable taking on that amount of money for what would be just three or four starts from the soon-to-be 33-year-old.

If the Yankees had been able to acquire Haren, he would not have been eligible for the postseason roster. Players acquired after September 1 are ineligible for the playoffs, so this deal would have been one to increase the team’s chances of getting there.

Haren has been up and down in 2013. He owns a 9-13 record and a 5.02 ERA, but that’s not necessarily indicative of his recent performance. He was 4-3 over July and August with a 3.41 ERA over 59.2 innings. During that span, he was crucial in keeping the Nationals afloat in both the National League East and NL Wild Card standings.

He’s come back down to Earth since, posting a 5.00 ERA in September over nine innings pitched.

The problem with Haren is that he allows entirely too many home runs—26 of them, to be exact. That number is tops in the National League. Haren is no longer able to blow his fastball by hitters, and he’s still having some trouble learning how to rely on his command over his stuff. Leaving fastballs in the middle of the zone has killed him in 2013.

Allowing home runs is the same problem that Phil Hughes has had this season. He’s allowed 23 big flies, and his time in the Yankees rotation has been questioned as a result. He did start the game on Thursday evening against the Baltimore Orioles, but manager Joe Girardi left him in for only three innings before he had a chance to do damage.

Haren would have replaced Hughes in the rotation and would have bumped David Huff to a spot in the bullpen. He had been filling in for Hughes, but a spot in the bullpen makes much more sense given his stuff and Boone Logan’s injury. Girardi will need a lefty out of the pen for the rest of the year.

Acquiring Haren could have gone either way for the Yankees. He may have pitched well in the thick of a playoff hunt in the American League East, but he also may have imploded and continued his less than stellar September performance.

We’ll never know, though, as the money simply was too much for Cashman to take on—especially for a pitcher that would not have helped them beyond September.

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Brian Cashman has been the general manager of the New York Yankees for nearly 16 seasons, but several people around the game suggest that he could be getting “a little tired” of the organization, reports Nick Cafardo of the The Boston Globe.

Cafardo believes that, should an attractive GM position open up elsewhere, Cashman could be persuaded to leave New York. He cites the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as a possibility, if owner Arte Moreno decides to can current GM Jerry Dipoto.

The Seattle Mariners asked to speak with Cashman about their GM opening prior to the 2008 season, but the Yankees used their contractual right to block the interview. It’s unclear as to whether or not they would do so now.

Moving to a different team to fill the same position would be a strange move for Cashman. He’s under contract with the Yankees for 2014, and he wouldn’t have a larger role in his first season with a new team. If he were moving for a promotion of some sort, then it would make sense. Because he’s not, envisioning such a situation is difficult.

This doesn’t mean that such a move wouldn’t be a good move for Cashman, though. The Yankees are entering a delicate stage in their franchise’s history. The goal is to get under $189 million because of the luxury-tax threshold for 2014, and the Bombers are desperately in need of a roster overhaul.

Alex Rodriguez, 211-game suspension or no 211-game suspension, still has a contract large enough to ruin a team for multiple seasons. Mark Teixeira still has a ton of money on his contract, as does CC Sabathia. Robinson Cano is also in line for a massive new deal.

The pitching staff is old (and mostly ineffective), and the offense is stagnant. Mariano Rivera is also set to retire come the end of the season, so entering a rebuilding phase now may be the most logical step for the franchise.

Seeing as this would put Cashman in a difficult position with some of the team’s biggest stars, a lateral move may not be a terrible idea.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says that both parties do not want to “sever an overwhelmingly positive longstanding relationship,” so it’s not easy to choose whom to believe. Cashman has disagreed with the Steinbrenners in the past, but he’s mostly built winners in his time with the Yankees.

This is a situation to monitor moving forward, though there’s really no indication that Cashman has plans to leave.

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Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com tweets that Seattle Mariners DH/1B Kendrys Morales has been claimed off revocable trade waivers.

An unknown team has put in the claim, but it would make sense for the claim to come from an American League team. Every team in the AL would have a chance to acquire him ahead of National League clubs because the waiver process works in reverse order of the standings.

The Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees have been in the market for offense as their divisional races heat up, and the Yankees had been linked to Morales earlier during the season (even though they never called about him, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com). Even though he’s played just 27 games at first base this season, he would serve as the right-handed counterpart to Lyle Overbay.

The Yankees did just pick up Mark Reynolds—who hasn’t been terrible—but picking up a bat like Morales’ would be ideal for their playoff push.

Morales has performed well in his first season with the Mariners, posting a line of .281/.338/.446 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, though, and Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik could choose to let him walk.

Instead, he’ll now have two days to work out a trade with the claiming team. Again, this team is currently unknown. They will likely remain unknown until a trade is either reached or falls through.

The Yankees have some recent trade history with the Mariners, as they dealt Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi prior to last season for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Zduriencik could have a more open line of communication due to their recent history.

Acquiring Morales shouldn’t take all that much. The Yankees can offer the Mariners the ability to take on the remainder of his $5.25 million and even swing a low-level prospect their way. A guy like pitcher Zach Woods or catcher Tyson Blaser (both from High-A Tampa) could interest the M’s.

Adding a switch-hitter like Morales to the middle of the lineup could have huge implications on the AL East for the Yankees. With pretty much the entire lineup finally healthy (minus Mark Teixeira, of course), bringing in some more power could be the last piece to a playoff berth.

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In the New York Yankees‘ endless search for viable bats, the next name on the list could very well be Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Ramirez is scheduled to come off the disabled list on Monday after nursing a sprained knee, and the Yankees (along with the Boston Red Sox) will be sending scouts to the game in an effort to gauge where he is physically at this point in his career.

The third baseman is currently in his 16th season in the majors, spending his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs before moving to the Brewers before last season. He has consistently been one of the better offensive third basemen in the league—hence the Yankees’ alleged interest.

Over the course of his career, Ramirez has crushed 347 home runs while posting a line of .285/.344/.501. He has placed in the National League MVP voting five times and has been named an All-Star twice. He also won the Silver Slugger in 2011, his final season with the Cubs.

Yankees fans shouldn’t have qualms in acquiring the 35-year-old third baseman, as he put up arguably his best career numbers last season. He led the NL with 50 doubles, posted a line of .300/.360/.540 and recorded 27 home runs and 105 RBI.

Ramirez is signed through the 2014 season with a mutual option for 2015. He is scheduled to make $12 million next season. The Brewers would likely have to cover some of that salary if a deal is to be made. Even with his numbers from last season, Ramirez is a liability at third given his age and apparent knee issues.

The Brewers would likely seek a prospect-heavy package in return. As a team sitting in last place in the NL Central, they need to start stockpiling talent for the future.

Yankees fans should also keep in mind that Alex Rodriguez expects to return on Monday against the Texas Rangers, according to Gabe Lacques of USA Today, so it will be interesting to see how the team envisions using both players. Rodriguez could become the full-time designated hitter, but then Travis Hafner would be without a role on the team.

It’s far-fetched, but Rodriguez and Hafner could split DH duties depending on the pitcher. Rodriguez would then see at-bats against lefties, though that would result in far fewer at-bats compared to Hafner. A 50-50 split could work, with Rodriguez seeing nearly all at-bats against lefties.

Or, Ramirez could move to first base. While he has never played a single inning there during his major league career, Ramirez has the build and defensive capabilities to make a near-seamless transition across the diamond. This solution would make Lyle Overbay expendable, or it could simply shift him to a bench role (a role that he is best fit for).

It will be interesting to see how the Yankees play this out. Everything will weigh on what the scouts see on Monday when the Brewers take on the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. In their quest for offensive firepower, Ramirez could end up being just what the team needs.

***UPDATE, 7/20, 11:16 AM***

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com is reporting via Twitter that Ramirez will miss 10-14 more days and is no longer a candidate to be traded in July. If he clears waivers, then he can be dealt in August.

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Robinson Cano has chosen to let his contract negotiations with the New York Yankees stay privately between himself and the organization, but that didn’t stop Jose Cano, Robinson’s father, from chiming in on his son’s impending free agency.

Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com reports that the elder Cano believes his son will re-sign with the Yankees during the upcoming offseason: “I think he is coming back. I don’t think he is going to go anywhere else. Hopefully, he can stay here.”

Jose’s confidence in the matter comes from his own personal desires, however. He cites New York as a convenient location that’s close to home and doesn’t want to think of the possibility of Robinson playing “five or six” hours away. Jose also has confidence in the Yankee organization to “come up with something good in the end.”

The Yankees’ second baseman has been adamant about not discussing his contract negotiations with the team he has spent his entire nine-year career with. Amid all the distractions the Yankees have been faced with during this tumultuous season, the last thing they need is to be continuously reminded about their best player’s lack of a contract beyond this season.

At 31-years-old, Cano is still in his prime. The Yankees may not want to go more than six or seven years for him, but Cano will more than likely ask for a deal in the eight-to-10 year range. Negotiations from there are between Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman, Cano and Cano’s new agency, Roc Nation.

Cano’s track record suggests he is certainly worth a long-term investment—just how long, though, likely won’t be up to him. He owns a career line of .308/.354/.505 with 198 home runs and 780 RBI. He’s also performing this season like he’s determined for a huge deal, sporting a line of .302/.386/.531 with 21 home runs and 65 RBI. A .386 on-base percentage would be the best mark of his career.

The second baseman is focused on this season and taking his Yankees to the postseason, but his father already has legitimate thoughts about the future. He envisions his son as the heir apparent to Derek Jeter—and not just in terms of talent.

Jose went out on a limb in the interview with Marchand, going so far as to say that his son will be the next captain of the Yankees. That’s right; Jose believes his son will join the ranks of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly, Jeter and seven others. Talk about elite company.

What happens with the star second baseman remains to be seen, but he’ll be the most highly sought after free agent this offseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies are three teams listed by Marchand that could have the dollars to sign him, but the Yankees may end up being at the top of nearly everyone’s prediction list.

We’ll have to just wait and see. If his father’s opinions mean anything, though, count on Robinson being a Yankee for a long, long time.

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The road back to the New York Yankees has officially begun for Alex Rodriguez, as the third baseman played his first rehab game for Single-A Charleston on Tuesday evening.

Rodriguez recorded two at-bats, grounding into a double play in his first at-bat and striking out looking on a 2-2 fastball in his second at-bat. Not exactly the best results for A-Rod, but it could have been worse.

Just last week, Rodriguez tweeted that he was cleared to return to action—much to the chagrin of general manager Brian Cashman. Cashman used expletives to describe his distaste in the public announcement made by Rodriguez and had no problems saying what came to mind when asked about the situation.

It turns out that Rodriguez wasn’t lying. He was indeed cleared to play and may be closer to a return than many expected. After playing three innings at third base on Tuesday, the team expects A-Rod to play just one more game in Charleston before taking the next step in his rehab, per a tweet from Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

That next step would presumably be a few games at Double-A Trenton before making the jump to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Then, it’ll be on to the big stage.

The results weren’t pretty for A-Rod in his first live action since undergoing offseason surgery to repair his mess of a hip, but it was unfair to expect anything from him in the first place.

After not seeing in-game pitching for several months, Rodriguez’s timing and mechanics are likely a little off—even against Class A pitching. The Yankees aren’t looking at his results so much as his health, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if he found a gap or two during his rehab.

The third base situation for New York is currently in a state of flux, as Kevin Youkilis is wasting away on the disabled list, and the team has yet to find any consistency from David Adams and Alberto Gonzalez.

Rodriguez may not be close to the player he once was, but it’s safe to say that he’s an upgrade over the current players.

Fans should monitor Rodriguez’s rehab closely in order to make their predictions for his 2013 season. After just one game, it appears as if he’s right on schedule.

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