Mo's getting old, and the rest of the pen is nothing special in the Bronx.

New York Yankees
Rank: 27
Closer: Mariano Rivera
Second in Line: LaTroy Hawkins
Confidence Level in Closer: 10%

Want to know why the Red Sox have won two World Series since the Yankees won their last one? Because the Yankees make stupid decisions overpaying players for past performance, while the Red Sox carefully invest their money in improving players. Exhibit A: Mariano Rivera, arguably the best closer in baseball history in his prime, receiving a three-year, $45 million deal this offseason.

Even if Rivera were still in his prime, that is probably too much money to pay a reliever. Considering he is 38 and just had his worst season as the Yankees closer, the deal borders on stupidity. By normal standards, Rivera’s 2007 was fine; he posted 30 saves and a 3.15 ERA. It is just so far off the 50 saves and 2.34 ERA he had in 2001.

Rivera could be fine in 2008, but the decline of older players tends to have a snowball effect. Once the chinks in the armor start to show, it gets exponentially worse month by month.

To bolster the rest of their bullpen, the Yankees signed 35-year-old LaTroy Hawkins from Colorado. Last season Hawkins had 18 holds with a 3.42 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He will compete for the set-up role with Kyle Farnsworth and Ron Villone, neither of who did much impressive in 2007.

Overall, the aging Yankees bullpen figures at best to only decline slightly in ability. More likely, the majority of their aging relievers could fall off the cliff. To finish, I would be remiss to not mention the Yankees ranking would be entirely different if Joba Chamberlain were still back there. According to the new Steinbrenner in charge, though, Chamberlain will be in the rotation in 2008.

Detroit Tigers
Rank: 26
Closer: Todd Jones
Second in Line: Joel Zumaya
Confidence Level in Closer: 10%

Is it in the job description for a closer that they have to be older than 35? On the other hand, maybe that is just the case with all these teams at the bottom of the list. Either way, the Tigers closer in the 2008 season figures to be 39-year-old Todd Jones. Jones finished fifth in the AL in saves in 2007 with 38. It is surprising he got so many, considering his ERA was 4.26 and WHIP was 1.42.

Jones has more or less been a full-time closer since 1997, but only twice in his career has he had an ERA under three. Despite his very-impressive-for-a-38-year-old 2007, like Rivera, I expect Jones’ performance to significantly decline in 2008.

Regardless of what Todd does, the key for the Tigers bullpen however will be the performance of 23-year-old Joel Zumaya. Fellow Tiger relievers Fernando Rodney and Bobby Seay are both solid, but neither has future and, possibly current, ace closer ability like Zumaya.

You may not think so looking at his pedestrian 2007 numbers, where he posted a 4.28 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. While they are good numbers for such a young player, they are very different from the 2006 season where he had a 1.94 ERA and was striking out ten and a half hitters per nine innings.

If the Tigers are to compete, the Tigers will need Zumaya to return to previous form. Jones will decline, there is no doubt; how much Zumaya steps up to make up for that will determine if this is a playoff team or not.

Philadelphia Phillies
Rank: 25
Closer: Brad Lidge
Second in Line: J.C. Romero
Confidence Level in Closer: 13%

The face of the Philly bullpen underwent major reconstructive surgery on November 7, as the Phillies removed Brett Myers from the closer’s role, returned him to the rotation, and the Phillies replaced him with the newly-acquired Brad Lidge. Acquiring Lidge was a gamble, but one that I think will pay off in 2008.

Lidge has had one of the most fascinating careers of recent memory. For two years, 2004 and 2005, he was one of the best relief pitchers in modern history. He had a combined 71 saves, and his K/9 was an off-the-charts 14.025. The past two years, however, his ERA has ballooned to 4.32 and he only averaged 25 saves per year. His K/9 feel to a still exceptional, just not by his standards, 11.82.

The change of scenery should be good for Lidge, as clearly for whatever reason things were not working out for him in Houston. He still has dominant stuff and maybe the City of Brotherly Love is just the place to get his head screwed on straight.

Setting up Lidge will be J.C. Romero. Before 2007, Romero had not done anything noteworthy since 2002 with the Twins. Following a mid-season trade from Boston, though, Romero found new life in the National League. Over 51 games, he had 22 holds and a 1.24 ERA. You always have to be skeptical with flash-in-the-pan seasons, especially from relievers over 30. That said, look for Romero to still have a strong 2008.

The ageless Tom Gordon, now 40, is also in the bullpen mix Gordon’s numbers in 2007 were average, getting 14 holds with a 4.73 ERA. Given that he is older than several other aging relievers I have poked fun at already, I have to point out a significant decline is the most likely 2008 for Gordon.

Closing out the top of the Phillies’ bullpen is Long Beach native Ryan Madson. Madson had a rebound year in 2007, with a 3.05 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. It was his best season since his breakout year in 2004.

Overall, there are too many “ifs” in the Phillies bullpen to feel overly confident. If Brad Lidge returns to form, Romero and Madson pitch like their good selves, and Gordon does not pitch as if he is his age, things will be fine. If any of those things do not happen, stay away from Rocky’s hometown relievers.