1. The Big Three free agents
How will they fare after the Yankees guaranteed more than $400 million to them? Will they live up to the expectations? Will they be considered disappointments if the Yankees don't make the World Series this year?
1a. A-Roid
The SI report about him testing positive for PEDs in 2003 will haunt him until he retires, never mind 2009 when he'll hear even more booing from fans (both Yankee and opponents').
2. Joba the Starter
He'll be the fifth starter (hopefully) for the whole season, taking a turn off now and then to keep his innings down. There will be a lot of pressure (although there shouldn't be) from the 'Joba the Reliever' crowd. He will have ups and downs, but every young pitcher does.
3. Joe's book
How will the book affect Girardi and the players? Will it divide them or unite them? Perhaps it will light a spark under them, but it could cause more problems for Arod and Co.
4. Centerfield
Who will win the spot? The frontrunners seem to be Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner, but Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher and Austin Jackson have outside shots.
5. Rehabbers
Chien Ming-Wang, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui are all returning from season-ending injuries. Will they bounce back to their former selves, or continue to endure aches and pains that reduce their effectiveness? Of the three, Posada is the most important to keep healthy. There's a far bigger drop off between Posada and his backup(s) than between Wang and Matsui's backups.
Any other storylines I missed?