When we last saw the Yankees, they were escorted out of the AL wild-card game by the Astros because they were swinging wet newspapers instead of bats.
Jacoby Ellsbury, a $153-million investment, was not in the lineup against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel because manager Joe Girardi wanted Chris Young’s right-handed bat in the lineup that was blanked, 3-0.
CC Sabathia was in a Connecticut rehab facility in the early stages of attempting to get sober.
Rob Refsnyder started at second base.
Now, with pitchers and catchers reporting to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Thursday and staging the first spring training workout the following day, the main question to be addressed is a simple one: Are the Yankees better today than the team that whimpered out of an October that gave us the Mets in the World Series?
“I think we improved our outfield situation with the addition of [Aaron] Hicks, and we certainly improved second base with [Starlin] Castro. Our bullpen is improved as well in my opinion,’’ managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner told The Post. “I like our starting rotation, but there are some health concerns, as any team has. I look forward to seeing more of our young players contribute this year as well. I think we have many things to be excited about.”
General manager Brian Cashman echoed those sentiments.
“I hope [we’re better], we always have that intent,’’ Cashman said. “I believe as we enter 2016 we have a stronger roster than we finished with 2015. But that’s on paper, you still have to play it out.’’
If the Yankees roster at the start of 2016 isn’t better than the one that finished 2015, they will have a hard time participating in a postseason playoff series for the first time since 2012.
Adding Aroldis Chapman to Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances gives the Yankees the premier bullpen in the AL East. Acquiring Castro to play second base is a colossal upgrade over Refsnyder and Stephen Drew, who played the position for most of last season and batted .201 with a .271 on-base percentage. Hicks, a switch-hitter acquired from the Twins for John Ryan Murphy, provides flexibility in the outfield.
A year ago at this time, the biggest question was Alex Rodriguez, who didn’t play a game in 2014 while suspended for swimming in the Biogenesis sewer. And he also has two surgically repaired hips. Despite slumping late in the season after turning 40, Rodriguez hit 33 homers with 86 RBIs and a .842 OPS as the DH.
Now, the starting rotation is the biggest question. Only one of the six bodies competing for five spots avoided the disabled list last year. Luis Severino avoided the shelf, but has 11 big league starts, and though many believe he eventually could be a front-end starter, there is plenty of room to grow before that happens for the right-hander, who turns 22 on Feb 20.
“I believe when we are able to run out the healthy starting rotation we have on paper we can match up with anybody,’’ Cashman said.
On paper is a long way from the mound, however.
If Masahiro Tanaka, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Sabathia and Severino combine for 150 starts and 900 innings, figure the Yankees sold their souls to the devil.
Tanaka is coming back from having a bone spur removed from his right elbow after last season. Eovaldi missed the final three weeks of the season with an inflamed right elbow. Pineda, who has been on the DL the past four seasons, was shelved with a right forearm issue. Sabathia’s right knee landed him on the DL for two weeks. Even Ivan Nova, who is the sixth starter in a five-man rotation, didn’t pitch until June last year due to Tommy John surgery.
The Yankees had to sacrifice the versatile and effective Adam Warren to get Castro from the Cubs — but Castro will be 26 in March, was a three-time All-Star in six seasons in the NL and will be a significant upgrade over Drew.
As for the other major deal the Yankees made, Chapman comes with baggage. He likely is to be suspended in the area of 15 games at the start of the season for allegedly being involved in a domestic abuse situation last fall that caused the Dodgers to pull out of deal with the Reds for the left-handed closer — who routinely pushes speed guns into triple digits.
And though the Yankees hope Chapman will be closing meaningful games into late September, Chapman likely would bring a nice return of prospects if the Yankees look to deal him before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.