Strengths:  Payroll.  The Yankees have a ton of work to do this off-season and their ability to spend money will prove to be their biggest strength.  One surprise is the fact the greatest closer of all time retiring might not hurt the bullpen.  David Robertson can easily become one of the best closers in the game next year.

Weaknesses: There is no telling if Derek Jeter will be healthy enough to ever play again, Mark Teixeira spent the majority of 2013 on the DL, Alex Rodriguez could be suspended all year, Curtis Granderson is a free agent, as is Robinson Cano.  The Yankees farm system is not filled with many prospects that are ready to make an impact this coming year, so they will have to look elsewhere for help.

Off-Season Needs:  The first thing the Yankees need to do is secure Robinson Cano.  They only have three legit starting pitchers, so that is also a major need.  The team is getting very old, so signing some of the younger free agents, or trading for younger players is a must.  Unfortunately, the lone quality free agent on the market under the age of 30 is Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and catcher is one of the smallest concerns the Yankees have this off-season.  I would also be surprised if the Yankees don’t go all in on Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

2014 Projection:  The Yankees are in a rough spot.  Their roster is old and injury prone, and they don’t have the youth coming up anytime soon.  2013 might have been the start of the Yankees loose spending catching up with them, and could very easily finish last in the AL East in 2014.

You can follow Shaun Kernahan on twitter @shaunkernahan, add him to your network on Google, and like Shaun on Facebook.