If the idea of New York finding contributions from aging, former All-Star level players is surprising, you haven't been paying attention for the last 15 years.

While the bulk of the roster has always been led by prime superstar level contributors, it's clear that Brian Cashman has always felt more comfortable handing role player positions to former stars than rising prospects.

In theory, especially when the Yankees financial might is taken into context, the practice is brilliant.

If a young player is a true prospect with a future in the major leagues, sticking them on the bench or bullpen won't accelerate their development. Consistent at-bats or innings is necessary to growth.

Of course, per-arbitration players are cheaper than veterans, thus the reason many organizations take the younger route.

With a payroll of at least $189 million to work with, handing out a few $1 million deals won't hurt the bottom line in New York.

The secret to the success of older players in New York isn't magic, pixie dust or great coaching. It's rooted in the idea that great or very good players have farther to fall from the top of the sport to replacement level. If they are 50 percent of the players they were, respectively, when they were, say, 28, that's still likely more productive than a fringe prospect or less accomplished older player.

Furthermore, transitioning the former stars into utility and spot duty roles saves the wear and tear on their older bodies. While their counting stars have almost never been great for New York, their at-bat by at-bat or inning-by-inning contributions have matched, or even exceeded, their prime seasons.

The following is a year-by-year list of contributors that Cashman has added to the roster since his first season on the job. Over the last 15 seasons, New York has missed the postseason a grand total of one time, been to the World Series on six separate occasions and captured four World Series titles.

Every single member on the list was either a former All-Star, MVP, Cy Young Award winner or Rookie of the Year.

1998-1999: Chili Davis, Darryl Strawberry
2000: David Justice, Jose Canseco, Denny Neagle, Dwight Gooden
2001: Mark Wohlers, Henry Rodriguez
2002: Ron Coomer
2003: Robin Ventura, Raul Mondesi
2004: Tony Clark, Ruben Sierra, Kenny Lofton, John Olerud, John Lieber
2005: Tino Martinez, Matt Lawton, Kevin Brown, Al Leiter
2006: Randy Johnson
2007: Roger Clemens
2008: Ivan Rodriguez, Richie Sexson
2009: Eric Hinske
2010: Lance Berkman, Kerry Wood
2011: Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia
2012: Eric Chavez, Andruw Jones, Derek Lowe, Raul Ibanez, Ichiro Suzuki

Of course, not all of the moves worked out, but the grand majority contributed to the cause, sometimes in standout roles.

If not for the 20 home runs provided by David Justice in the second half of the 2000 season, it's likely the Yankees dynasty ends a year earlier. Without the contributions from Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in 2011, a playoff berth wouldn't have materialized. While Raul Ibanez's 2012 season wasn't spectacular, he'll be remembered forever in New York for clutch, pinch hit magic in the postseason.

You can make the case that Cashman has had to rely on veterans because of a minor league system that failed over the years, but it doesn't take away from the belief in former stars to harness their ability and turn back the clock in pinstripes.

Anyone can hit on a few veterans, but 34 former All-Stars isn't an accident. It's a philosophy that has helped New York remain one of the most consistent outfits in professional sports for nearly two decades.

Does Brian Cashman get the credit he deserves in New York?

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Somehow they are finding a way to win.

Here is a look at the ten things we've learned about the "Bombers" through the first quarter of the 2013 season.

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At the start of this season, the Yanks had about $100 million on the disabled list in the names of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter, all with varying injuries and return dates no earlier than May.

Baseball pundits and fans of the sport overall doomed the Yankees to be an 85-win team at best with ESPN's Buster Olney and Jayson Stark going as far as to say that the Yanks would finish in last place in the American League East (per Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com).

That prediction of this veteran team seemed a little strange at best when first stated by Olney and Stark, but now, it looks downright ridiculous as the Bombers have far exceeded the expectations of outsiders and even some of the more negative fans of the team.

Coming into Tuesday's action, the Yankees are 24-14 and are one game up on the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East and just 0.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the best record in Major League Baseball. Again, it's still early, but these results thus far are stunning for many.

I cannot say I'm as stunned as most experts and fans are because despite all the injuries to the Yanks' big bats, I knew New York had a solid pitching staff all around to keep it afloat until the big guns came back.

So while the offense is an uncharacteristic 14th in runs scored in MLB this season, the Yanks' team ERA is an impressive 3.49, which is good enough for sixth in the league.

Speaking of offense: The Bombers have gotten immense contributions from guys general manager Brian Cashman picked off the scrap heap, namely Vernon Wells (nine homers, 22 RBI, .299 average), Travis Hafner (six homers, 18 RBI, .260 average) and Lyle Overbay (six homers, 22 RBI, .252 average).

When looking at Wells' numbers specifically, they are simply astonishing to say the least.

After being driven out of Los Angeles to make room in the Angels' crowded outfield, Wells has the same number of home runs as Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols combined, and he sports a far better average than either of those two sluggers (.212 and .234, respectively).

Wells has also driven in more runs than Pujols or Hamilton separately, and that's a stat that could've helped the Angels, who are ranked 17th in the league in runs scored.

That is a remarkable turn of events this season for a player who was thought to be finished and was believed to be a serviceable outfielder at best.

Combined, not only are the Yanks getting great production out of the three players mentioned above; Overbay, Wells and Hafner are also hitting in the clutch, which is something the Yanks have had a problem with in recent years, both in the regular season and playoffs from some of their best hitters.

It's clear the doubts about this year's roster were a bit overblown, or in some cases very overblown. There were plenty of Yankees fans out there who knew this team had the pitching to weather the storm, but not even those fans with more faith in the roster thought this team would actually be the storm.

No matter what anyone says, this season is different because for once the "Evil Empire" was the underdog with a seemingly lackluster roster that was getting next to no respect from anyone. This is a very new role the Yankees are playing, and they are thriving in it to the fullest extent.

That will enable Yankees fans to gloat about how they are overachieving, which is normally impossible thanks to the incredible amount of money this team spends on players each and every season.

That's right, gloat away, Yankees fans. This may be one of the few times in your lifetime you get the chance to do so, at least as long as this roster continues to be successful this season.

As the season moves along, tough decisions will have to be made about who will play once the bigger names on the Yankees come back, but when they do, the Yanks will no doubt have the deepest team in the majors.

That's quite the contrast from the start of the season when it was thought the Yanks didn't have enough offense to get the job done.

The only question that will remain is if the return of Grandy, A-Rod, Jeter and Texeira will have a negative impact on the overall winning chemistry of this team. That remains to be seen, but with a great shot in the arm coming in the next few months with players returning, I'm sure the Yanks as a whole don't mind finding out if it will.

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Having lost Curtis Granderson to a fractured forearm in February, GM Brian Cashman was facing the prospect of an Opening Day outfield that included slap-hitting speedsters Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki.

And pretty much no one else.

So the Yankees took a shot in the dark. They agreed to absorb $13 million of Wells’ bulbous salary through 2014, despite a pitiable two years in Anaheim where the former Blue Jays star batted just .222 with an OPS of .667.

But Wells has rewarded their investment.

Sprinting out of the gate with a wOBA of .374, he has more than replaced departed free agent Nick Swisher’s production in one of the club’s maligned corner outfield slots.

Back in March it was assumed that when Granderson returned, Wells would head to the bench to provide some depth and versatility. But his better-than-expected play now presents the Yankees with an interesting dilemma.

Granderson has looked ready to go in four rehab games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .412 with a home run and three RBI. With Brennan Boesch now demoted, it seems likely that Granderson will be ready before Tuesday’s home game against Seattle. That leaves four outfielders for three spots amongst Granderson, Wells, Gardner and Suzuki.

And none of these players really deserve to ride the pine.

Gardner’s .329 OBP is less than stellar, but his five stolen bases are tied for the team lead. He has also posted an impressive 3.9 UZR in center field. The fact that all of Granderson’s rehab starts have been in right or left suggests that the Yankees intend to leave Gardner in center to preserve their best defensive alignment.

Ichiro has struggled the most out of the Yankee outfielders at the plate, stumbling to a .644 OPS in April before coming alive slightly to post a .734 mark thus far in May. Still, the 39-year-old probably didn’t sign his two-year deal with the Yankees this winter expecting to sit.

And manager Joe Girardi has always had a habit of protecting his veterans.

Ultimately, Girardi will favor some sort of outfield rotation in the coming weeks with each candidate playing roughly three games out of four. The fact that each of them can handle at least two of the three outfield positions will aid that endeavor.

One of the four will man the DH spot versus lefties, with regular DH Travis Hafner batting just 3-for-20. Though Granderson, Ichiro and Gardner are all left-handed themselves, the former two aren’t neutralized by southpaws. Suzuki, in fact, has been slightly stronger against them throughout his career, especially in 2013 with a .341/.333/.439 split.

Girardi will face a challenge keeping his four starting-caliber outfielders happy and on the field more often than not. But having too much quality is certainly better than having too little. The Yankees will now have a useful bat on the bench to pinch hit for the likes of Jayson Nix and Chris Stewart late in games.

If nothing else, fans can rest assured that the days of Ben Francisco starting—and inexplicably batting fifth—are gone.

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Heading into Monday's doubleheader in Cleveland, the New York Yankees sat at 23-13, atop the American League East and winners of five consecutive games.

As Yankees fans extol the virtues of general manager Brian Cashman's offseason moves and the managing performance of Joe Girardi, the reality of the 2013 Yankees revolves around an expensive, veteran team surviving and thriving while their injured, expensive veterans heal and return for the bulk of the season.

From Chris Nelson to Vernon Wells to Lyle Overbay to today's Game 2 starter, Vidal Nuno, these Yankees are actually underdogs, plowing their way through baseball without apparent regard for their lack of collective talent.

Of course, the talent isn't far from returning.

Curtis Granderson could be back this week (via NJ.com), and Joba Chamberlain and Kevin Youkilis are probably slated to contribute again later this month. June isn't an outlandish timetable for Mark Teixeira and Michael Pineda, and by the time the All-Star Game invades New York, two former regulars of the Midsummer Classic, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, could be nearing rehab games and return dates.

While the optimist projects how good the team could be when the reinforcements arrive, the pessimist cites chemistry and not fear of ruining the run this particular 25-man roster is on early in 2013.

To be honest, defining chemistry and momentum is an arduous task. Does wining beget chemistry or does chemistry lead to a winning group?

With these Yankees, it's more likely that a winning culture feeds the beast. From ownership to the front office to Joe Girardi to the leaders on the field like C.C Sabathia, Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano, there is a sense of accountability and confidence that runs through the clubhouse. The fact that it permeates through new, less talented players isn't a coincidence.

That being said, the Yankees need their injured players to return. As the weeks and months go on, the premise of playing .650 or better baseball with Ichiro Suzuki batting fifth, Ben Francisco garnering regular at-bats and Vidal Nuno on the mound is too much to ask of any roster.

Unlike football, basketball and hockey, baseball is an individual sport wrapped up in a team game.

Ultimately, the Yankees are doing well because the replacements, Overbay in particular, are doing a decent impersonation of the All-Stars they are replacing. While 37 games isn't quite a tiny sample size, it's not close to one that should be counted on to continue.

The beauty of having players like Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter isn't their talent on a given day, but rather their consistent ability, day after day, for the grind of a 162-game season.

Despite the team's success thus far, troublesome signs have formed beneath the surface.

Only three teams in the sport have a lower collective OPS against left-handed pitching. At .638, the Yankees effectively run out an entire lineup of Chris Parmelle's when the opposing manager starts a left-handed pitcher.

Despite their age and question marks moving forward, Derek Jeter (.911) and Alex Rodriguez (.944) are two of the best hitters against lefties in the history of baseball.

Although Vernon Wells has played well enough to stay in the lineup when Curtis Granderson returns, taking away playing time from Ichiro Suzuki in favor of Granderson will make the lineup much, much more powerful.

At his best, Granderson is a 150-200 point improvement in slugging percentage from Ichiro. For as great of a hitter as Ichiro once was, his anemic .307 OBP doesn't cover up his lack of pop any longer.

If Michael Pineda can resurface as the pitcher he was for the Mariners in 2011, New York can rid themselves of the question marks that surround David Phelps and Ivan Nova when one takes the mound every fifth day.

Expect there to be grumblings about chemistry or momentum if the Yankees lose a few games when the projected lineup is back together.

Ignore the noise.

While we'll probably never get a chance to know, the ceiling for the current group can't touch the 90 wins that are likely necessary for a postseason berth in the American League East.

The real story shouldn't be about what the replacements could do with a full season, but rather commending them on giving the stars a chance to rejoin a winning team on a path back to October.

Lyle Overbay, Chris Nelson and Jason Nix shouldn't play big roles in August and September for a postseason bound club, but their contributions early on could be remembered as invaluable if Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez return to carry the load.

Will the returning stars halt the Yankees' chemistry and momentum?

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Granderson, Jeter, Rodriguez and Teixeira have the potential to turn the first-place Yankees into an even more talented club. The Yankees have gotten the job done thus far with names like Vernon Wells, Jayson Nix, Chris Nelson and Lyle Overbay filling in for the respective superstars. As a first-place team, it's safe to say that the Yankees are more than pleased with the play of these fill-ins.

Granderson and Teixeira are scheduled to be back with the club in the near future (though Granderson should be back first), while Rodriguez and Jeter are on track to be ready sometime after the All-Star break.

In shortened seasons, what should we expect from some of the Yankees' biggest stars?

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Eduardo Nunez is now on the 15-day DL, as are several other players that started on opening day.

It seems like every week there’s a new player getting a start in the infield.

But the front office continues to stay away from their prized top prospects and search out of the organization for stopgaps.

So as the Bombers continue to push through an injury-ravaged season, let’s check out how their top prospects did last week.

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However, I am here to make the argument a bit clearer. 

From the Great Bambino to "Mr. November", the pinstripes have peppered some of the game's greatest players throughout baseball history. 

Hitting for power and average, names like Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle collect attention throughout American households still today. 

Not everyone, however, was fortunate enough to have a lengthy career like Derek Jeter or play in the same era as Babe Ruth. 

So who belongs where among the elite hitters to ever grace the Bronx and which Yankee was the greatest pure hitter of all-time? 

Here's my take.

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None picked the real champions of the division that year—the New York Yankees—and nobody could have predicted Boston to fall to pieces like it did that September.

Those "experts" apparently didn't learn their lesson. Most of them picked the Toronto Blue Jays, this year's version of the 2011 Red Sox, to win the AL East crown. Meanwhile barely any of them picked the Yankees to make the playoffs once more. 

Of course, given all the moves that the Jays made and the injuries the Yankees have sustained for the last several months, you couldn't blame them.

Boy, do those 'experts" look foolish yet again.

Here the Yankees are in first place in the AL East and only a half-game out from the best record in baseball. Love it or hate it, it's one of the biggest storylines of the season. The idea was to tread water for the first couple of months until key players came back, but right now, you can just laugh at that idea. 

No Derek Jeter, no Alex Rodriguez, no Mark Teixeira, no Curtis Granderson and many more injuries have occurred, but the Bronx Bombers have not slowed down whatsoever.

A bunch of has-beens and replacement-level players have scored enough runs for a Yankees' pitching staff made up of an ace losing his velocity, a couple of old geezers still getting it done and the greatest reliever in baseball history still doing his thing after missing last year due to an ACL injury. 

That is the reason why the division is actually there for the taking again this season in New York. Nobody gave them a chance on Opening Day, but they could be the favorites right now.

Of course, the AL East is wide open. Going into the season ,it was the consensus that just about any of the five teams had at least a decent shot at winning it. While each contender has specific weaknesses, each club also boasts some big-time strengths.

Let's start with the Boston Red Sox.

They lost 93 games last year and have seemed to been rebuilt overnight, literally and figuratively. The new regime in Beantown has put together a decent team that can mash the ball, led by newly acquired Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli. Their two big aces, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester, have rebounded and leading the charge.

Boston's potentially fatal weakness is its pitching depth. Their top two relivers Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan are both on the DL. After Lester and and Buchholz, their rotation is awful and thin.

The Red Sox have lost eight of their last 10 and could be in trouble because of their current quagmire. 

The Toronto Blue Jays, everyone's favorite to win the division and possibly a World Series title, have been a major disappointment.

Nine games under .500, the Jays are last in the division with the third-worst record in the AL at 15-24 going into Monday. They've had their usual injuries, but the facts remain that the Blue Jays also have the second-worst team ERA in baseball (4.74) and the guys they brought in, 2012 NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle have to pitch to their baseball cards.

They're way too talented to be this bad. 

The Baltimore Orioles, the darlings of 2012, are proving they are no fluke so far.

They've scored the most runs in baseball and have gotten great performances from the young Manny Machado, franchise star Adam Jones, slugger Chris Davis and others. Their pitching has improved a bit, and could get even better if top prospects Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman find their way to the big leagues this year. 

Next we have the Tampa Bay Rays, always a threat and a force to be reckoned with in the Amercian League. The Rays are only 19-18, leaving one to wonder when they'll get hot.

Their usual suspects, 2012 AL Cy Young Award-winner David Price, along with closer Fernando Rodney, the 2011 AL Rookie of the Year and 2012 AL Comeback Player of the Year, haven't been themselves.

Given their success in Tampa, however, you can be sure that they'll come around and will make the Rays a serious problem for the rest of the East. Evan Longoria is carrying the offense and will continue to do so as long as he is healthy.

Finally, we have the first-place New York Yankees. How did they do it and is it sustainable?

Let's be honest, they haven't been fantastic or overwhelming. They've just been winning games.

They are 7-1 in one-run ballgames and 15-4 in games decided by two runs or less—both marks the best in MLB. You can owe that to a shutdown bullpen, led by David Robertson and Mariano Rivera, who is 15-for-15 in save opportunities in the young season.

The Bronx Bombers haven't put up eye-popping numbers. They are only scoring 4.36 runs per game, which is their worst mark in 22 years. However, they've also been getting the usual numbers from Robinson Cano. He's played like an MVP candidate this year in his walk year.

Supporting Cano have been the unusual suspects—veterans Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner. One has to wonder if they can continue their hot-hitting ways and stay healthy.

You could have expected an early-season decline given all those who are out, but the Yankees have found enough to win games because of the bullpen and "Mo" along with the starting pitching. 

The Yankees' pitching staff is in the top third of the AL in earned run average. New York's rotation has an ERA that ranks sixth is only .05 points away from from fourth.

Hiroki Kuroda has been absolutely spectacular at 5-2 with a 2.31 ERA, 179 ERA-plus and a sparkling 1.05 WHIP. Andy Pettitte has been all you can ask for in consistently grinding through innings. Phil Hughes has had a couple rough starts, but has pitched better lately except for Friday's start in Kansas City.

The major concern is CC Sabathia, who has been pitching good enough, but with his velocity down. If he's still can't touch over 90-91 mph on his fastball in June or July, it's a problem.

If you're a Yankee fan, you have to be very pleased with the results so far. Many pundits expected them to "tread water" until regular players like Jeter and Teixeira came back.

They've exceeded that and there's help on the way. Granderson is close to returning after going 7-for-17 with a homer in four rehab games in Triple-A. While Teixeira isn't close to returning, he could be back in a month-and-a-half.

You have to wonder what will this Yankee team look like in July?

Will the replacements still be playing well? Will their current problems of offense vs.left-handed pitching and infield depth still be rearing their ugly heads? How will the team transit with likes of Granderson, Jeter, A-Rod, and Teixeira returning to the lineup?

Who knows?

All you can do is enjoy the ride they're on right now and hope that when it all comes together, the Yankees will be on their way and have a chance to be there in the end.

Right now, things are looking mighty good in "Yankee Land." 

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Eduardo Nunez is the next name on a long list of New York Yankees to be placed on the disabled list this season (h/t George A King III of the New York Post). Nunez, who has been hampered by a left rib cage injury since last Sunday (May 5), has been placed on the 15-day DL.

In a corresponding move, the Yankees moved Mark Teixeira to the 60-day DL in order to make room on the 40-man roster for infielder Alberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who was acquired this past week in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, will likely fill the spot vacated by Nunez.

Gonzalez has played sporadically over his seven-year career, a career that began with the Yankees in 2007. In 413 games (916 at-bats), Gonzalez sports a line of .241/.279/.319 with four home runs and 87 RBI.

By no means is he any more than a reserve infielder for manager Joe Girardi, though he may see a decent amount of playing time while Nunez recovers. Expect Chris Nelson and Jayson Nix to see a little more time to compensate for Nunez's loss, though.

Nunez had been struggling this season prior to the injury. His line of .200/.290/.275 has left much to be desired, and he's already struck out 16 times in 80 at-bats.

Despite the offensive struggles, Nunez's defense has improved slightly. By using the all important "sight test," it's easy to see that the young infielder seems more comfortable ranging into the hole and making tough throws. He has a strong arm, and it's good to see that he's beginning to trust it.

Nunez is a semi-unorthodox player with the way he swings and throws, so playing with a rib injury is not conducive to his own personal success. Taking the time necessary to heal and get back to full strength will be to the benefit of both Nunez and the team.

This does not appear to be an injury that will linger through the 2013 season if he takes the time to heal now. He should be back on the field by the end of the month.

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