Bench Archives - River Avenue Blues

Beyond Bird and Voit: A primer on the Yankees’ backup first base options

February 21, 2019 by Steven Tydings

For the last three seasons, the Yankees have had one of the worst first base situations in baseball.

Greg Bird’s injury history has a lot to do with it. The team is 27th in first base WAR since the start of 2016 with Bird missing all of 2016 and parts of the last two seasons.

While the team still didn’t get elite production at first last season, they were middle of the pack thanks to the unexpected mashing of Luke Voit. The Yankees were 16th in 1B WAR last year and Voit produced 1.9 of it in just 39 games.

However, Voit is far from a sure thing. He had a remarkable 148 plate appearances last year and some projections are bullish on his production, as Bobby noted recently, but is he really a middle-of-the-order masher? There’s a strong chance he’s just a flash in the pan.

And if Voit is a flash in the pan and Bird can’t get back on track, what do the Yankees do? What’s the backup plan? Certainly, they’ll each get every opportunity to win the job, particularly Bird as the lefty-power hitter the lineup needs. But what’s the backup plan?

That’s worth trying to suss out.

1. D.J. LeMahieu

When the Yankees signed LeMahieu in January, it was with the idea that he would be a multi-positional player who could fill in all around the infield. In theory, that’s great. He’s played all the positions before … in 2014.

Since 2014, LeMahieu has been a Gold Glove second baseman and nothing but. He hasn’t played another position and it’s a tremendous question mark whether he can maintain his value as a steady glove when moved to the corner infield. Would his range be a real asset at first? There’s even the question whether his unfamiliarity at first could make him a negative there.

The fielding questions come long before you dive into his hitting. Outside of his batting title in 2016, he’s been a mediocre hitter and worse outside Coors Field. That sounds like more of the same from what the Yankees have gotten at first base.

Then there’s the doomsday scenario: What if Troy Tulowitzki can’t stay healthy or produce while both Voit and Bird fail in short order? LeMahieu would need to shift over to second base to help cover Tulo, forcing the Yankees into keeping a below-average first base situation. Unless you move someone else across the diamond…

Looking for something? (Jim McIsaac/Getty)

2. Miguel Andujar

In that doomsday scenario, Andujar would still need to play third base. But let’s say the team can shift things around and Andujar becomes the backup at first base. Can he even play the position?

Andujar’s foibles at third base are well documented. He struggled on reads, was slow in making throws and didn’t have the proper footwork, leading to errors or balls skirting through the infield. Moving him down the defensive spectrum to first base eliminate some of his throws but places him back into an unfamiliar spot with balls coming at him just as quick. In terms of scooping balls at first, he can’t be too familiar, though that’s hardly a deal breaker after watching Voit butcher a few throws.

Andujar can at least hit the part at first base, but it doesn’t sound like the team is too keen on trying him opposite the hot corner. In his introductory spring press conference, Aaron Boone shied away from committing to Andujar playing any first this spring, so thrusting him into action in the regular season becomes almost out of the question.

So who’s after Andujar?

3. Other in-house options

Seriously, who?

On the active roster, Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine have first base experience in the majors. Sanchez only played three innings there in 2017 and didn’t look all that comfortable. Romine rated well by UZR in 80 innings across 2016 and ’17, but he doesn’t hit at a level of an everyday player.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are likely destined for first base and DH duties late in their career but not in the short term. Both play a capable corner outfield at this stage and neither has first base experience.

In the upper minors, there’s no intriguing prospect. Mike Ford and Ryan McBroom have each hit well in Trenton and Scranton over the last couple years, though each is past prospect status in their late 20s. Could either go on a Voit or Shelley Duncan-style streak in the Majors? Sure! But sustained success is questionable, even if Ford could give you some two-way dreams.

If all else fails, what about outside the organization?

4. Trade or free agency

There was one big fish — Paul Goldschmidt — on the trade market this offseason and he’s been reeled in by St. Louis. The rest are slim pickings.

Free agency doesn’t do much better. Brad Miller is three years removed from a 30-homer season and hasn’t been all that productive since in addition to some fielding woes. Logan Forsythe played a little first for the Dodgers the last two years, but he hasn’t hit enough to justify a signing. Beyond them, want a flyer on Logan Morrison? Hanley Ramirez? Meh.

By July, there might be a few more first base options popping up. A Wilmer Flores or Justin Bour might be available, as could a reunion with new Marlin Neil Walker. The only name that stands out would be Giants first baseman Brandon Belt.

At 30, Belt is no longer a spring chicken and has struggled around injuries since his 2016 All-Star appearance, albeit while still posting above-average numbers. His plate discipline and glove play in any park and his lefty bat might play especially well at Yankee Stadium. He’s signed for three more seasons at $17.2 million per year, so he wouldn’t come cheap.

Conclusion

If the Yankees are going to finally get better-than-average production from first base, it’s going to be Voit or Bird. The team’s other options are few and murky at that, so riding it out with that combo is the hand the Bombers are forced to play.

It might turn out great! Bird is finally coming off a healthy offseason and Voit could be for real, at least to an extent.

But even if the Yankees need to carry a less-than-stellar first baseman, they can survive just like they have the last few years. Bird and Voit were key down the stretch the last two years and a power-hitting first baseman certainly helps, but it’s hardly a requirement for winning a championship. Still, it’d be nice if it works out.

The Troy Tulowitzki signing gives the Yankees some clarity regarding their bench construction

January 10, 2019 by Mike

It’s someone I don’t think any of us expected, but the Yankees have their Didi Gregorius replacement in Troy Tulowitzki. The Blue Jays released Tulowitzki last month, the Yankees scooped him up at the league minimum, and Brian Cashman made it pretty clear Tulowitzki is expected to be the starting shortstop while Didi Gregorius is sidelined.

“I can’t say what it would take us out of, but we’re going into this with a commitment level to try Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop,” said Cashman to Kevin Kernan and Bryan Hoch last week. “… We are obviously looking at this as a risk because he hasn’t played for a year and a half, but I think there’s a lot of upside here in terms of what we were able to evaluate.”

Obviously a Manny Machado signing would change everything. He’s a special case. Otherwise, it sure sounds like the Yankees are done with their infield shopping. They’ve been connected to Josh Harrison, one of the lower end free agent infielders, but not Jed Lowrie or DJ LeMahieu. Signing someone like that would come out of nowhere. There’s been no chatter at all.

In addition to addressing the need at shortstop — potentially addressing the need at shortstop, I should say, because Tulowitzki is no lock to stay healthy — the Tulowitzki signing also clarifies the bench situation. The Yankees are a three-man bench/eight-man bullpen team. Here’s what we know about the bench right now:

One of those three spots goes to a backup catcher (Austin Romine).
The Yankees don’t need a shortstop on the bench because Gleyber Torres can play the position.
The Yankees need a backup first baseman, unless they’ll let Romine do it (no thanks).

Had the Yankees replaced Gregorius with, say, Lowrie or LeMahieu, they would’ve had to carry a shortstop capable infielder on the bench. That would’ve been great news for Tyler Wade and Hanser Alberto with regards to their chances of making the team. That is no longer the case though. Torres can back up shortstop and that gives the Yankees a little more wiggle room when building their bench. A backup shortstop is not absolutely necessary.

With Gleyber backing up shortstop, the Yankees will need to use those final two bench spots on players who can provide coverage at first base, second base, third base, and preferably the outfield as well. The Yankees do have four outfielders (Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton) but all four figure to be in the lineup most days. Removing one (injury, pinch-run, etc.) means losing the DH the rest of the game. Maybe the Yankees are okay with that. I’d rather not.

The in-house bench options include Wade (second, short, third, some outfield), Alberto (second, short, third), Thairo Estrada (second, short, third), Tim Locastro (first, second, short, outfield), and Greg Bird (first base). Clint Frazier is returning from his post-concussion migraines and is probably not a bench option until he shows he’s fully healthy, and has enough Triple-A plate appearances to get back up to speed at the plate. Jacoby Ellsbury is a non-factor until he’s healthy and maybe even after that too.

Assuming Luke Voit is the starter at first base — “(Voit is the starter) unless Bird beats him out,” Cashman said to Jack Curry last week — I don’t love the idea of carrying Bird on the bench. That is two roster spots dedicated to first base only players with a three-man bench. The Yankees have done it before (Bird and Chris Carter in 2017) and they could do it again. Seems to me a backup first baseman who can also play other positions is the way to go though. That would give the Yankees their most functional roster.

The other option is having Stanton or Miguel Andujar (or Tulowitzki) play some first base, which solves the backup first baseman problem. A good idea, in theory. There are no indications either player is working to learn first base though, so at best we’re talking about a Spring Training crash course, which doesn’t seem fair to the player or smart for the Yankees. Not when you have five weeks to find a viable backup first baseman before pitchers and catchers report.

The Yankees could cobble together a bench from their in-house options. Locastro and Alberto gives you coverage everywhere. Wade and Bird gives you coverage everywhere as well. Clearly though, there’s room for the Yankees to go outside the organization for a bench guy. The versatile Derek Dietrich (first, second, third, outfield) is sitting in free agency. So are Harrison (second, third, short, outfield) and Wilmer Flores (first, second, third, short), just to throw two other names out there.

What about a reunion with Neil Walker? Walker can play the three non-shortstop infield positions and also fake the outfield, if necessary. He struggled with the transition into part-time duty last year — Walker had some very good runs when an injury pushed him into the lineup everyday — but perhaps year two will go better. Given his injury history, Tulowitzki might only play four or five times a week. Walker would help fill in the gaps.

This to me is where the “the Yankees are set up to get a bargain late in the offseason” thing comes into play. Similar to Walker last year, the Yankees can see which players are still looking for work come mid-to-late February, then pick a bench guy. Maybe it’ll be Walker again, or Harrison or Dietrich or someone else entirely. Let the market bring the discounted talented to you, then make a pick. That’s what every team is doing now.

The bench has long been the last thing teams address each offseason. That was true long before teams stop paying free agents too. They’d address their starting lineup, the starting rotation, and the bullpen, then figure out the rest of the roster. Rarely do you see a team sign or make a trade in November for a clear cut bench player. Maybe a waiver claim, which is time sensitive, but that’s really it. The bench always gets pushed aside until everything else is finalized.

We’re probably still a few weeks away from clubs beginning to attack their bench. The Tulowitzki signing gives the Yankees some clarity because now they know they don’t need a backup shortstop on the bench, and that’s kinda huge. It makes non-shortstop capable players like Walker and Dietrich more realistic options. If necessary, the Yankees could put together a viable bench internally. That said, they have an opportunity to go outside the organization for a nice little depth pickup or two in the coming weeks.

Even with rosters expanded, the Yankees lack a quality righty pinch-hitter on the bench

September 5, 2018 by Mike

Five days ago September call-ups arrived and the Yankees and every other team brought up extra player from the minors. The Yankees are carrying 31 players on the active roster (15 position players, 16 pitchers) and it’ll be 32 players once Didi Gregorius returns from the disabled list, which could be as soon as Friday. No more worrying about running out of relievers or playing guys out of position.

Once Gregorius returns the Yankees will have seven players on their bench, and, on any given night, these will be the seven players and their roles:

Backup Catcher: Austin Romine
Third Catcher: Kyle Higashioka
Utility Infielder: Ronald Torreyes
Defensive Specialist: Adeiny Hechavarria
Designated Speedster: Tyler Wade
Pinch-Hitter, Maybe?: Greg Bird
Neil Walker: Neil Walker

Walker has somewhat predictably cooled of late as his playing time has decreased, though at this point I think he remains the team’s top pinch-hitting option against right-handed batters. I know Bird almost hit that pinch-hit grand slam the other day, but his bat still looks frighteningly slow, and I’m not really sure how you can send him up to the plate in a big spot as your top pinch-hitting option.

Even if you consider Bird a good pinch-hitting option, the Yankees are still short a right-handed bat on the bench. Walker is a switch-hitter who is hitting .174/.237/.246 (30 wRC+) against lefties this year, and his struggles against southpaws date back several seasons (career 86 wRC+ vs. LHP), so it’s not small sample size noise. He’s a switch-hitter in name only. That leaves, uh, Romine or Torreyes as the top righty bench bat? Yikes.

This isn’t a minor detail either. It has come into play the last two nights. On Monday, with the Yankees down three and two runners on base in the seventh inning, Walker was sent up as a pinch-hitter against a righty, and the A’s countered with lefty Ryan Buchter. Buchter retired Walker and Brett Gardner, a .250/.321/.339 (83 wRC+) hitter against lefties this year, to snuff out the rally.

Last night Buchter was brought in to face Gardner with a runner on base in a one-run game and the Yankees had no countermove. That one actually worked out okay in a weird way. Buchter picked Gleyber Torres off first base to end the inning, then Gardner started the game-tying rally the next inning with an infield single into the 5.5 hole. That doesn’t seem like a sustainable strategy, Gardner beating out infield singles against lefties.

The right-handed pinch-hitter down the stretch was supposed to be Luke Voit, but instead he’s in the starting lineup because he’s mashing dingers (and Bird has been terrible). Having Walker to pinch-hit against righties and Voit to pinch-hit against lefties would be fine. Instead, the Yankees have Walker to pinch-hit against righties, no one obvious to pinch-hit against lefties, and Bird without a clear role.

The Yankees only have one seemingly viable right-handed pinch-hitting option in Triple-A: Ryan McBroom, a first baseman by trade who played some outfield this year, and hit .302/.348/.458 (125 wRC+) with 15 homers between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton this year. The Yankees got him from the Blue Jays in the Rob Refsnyder trade last year. They could bring McBroom up and let him take his hacks against lefties as a pinch-hitter.

Or maybe this isn’t a big deal at all. Aaron Judge started swinging a bat earlier this week and is inching closer to a return, and once he does get back, the Yankees will have five players (Gardner, Judge, Aaron Hicks, Andrew McCutchen, Giancarlo Stanton) for four lineup spots (three outfield plus DH). If Gardner is in the lineup, that means one of the other four guys will be on the bench and available to pinch-hit against a lefty.

Until Judge returns (if Judge returns?), the Yankees don’t have an obvious pinch-hitting option against a lefty pitcher, and it burned them two nights ago. It nearly burned them last night. Maybe bringing up McBroom as a short-term bench bat until Judge returns makes sense, just to have that power righty bat on the bench. Otherwise the best option is probably sending Torreyes up there, and hoping he contact bombs the pitcher and finds outfield grass.

Making a case for adding Tyler Wade to the bench

August 15, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

For the fourth consecutive game, Neil Walker started in right field last night. They’re the only four right field starts of his career. Aaron Judge is out with his fractured wrist and Giancarlo Stanton is nursing a tight hamstring, which has pushed Walker into right field. Who would’ve guessed it would come to this back in April and May? Goodness.

Neither Judge nor Clint Frazier is expected back anytime soon, which means either Walker will continue to see time in right field (likely) or Shane Robinson will get more playing time than anyone would like (possible). Either way, it’s not an ideal situation. Walker has hit very well the last few weeks but he’s no outfielder. Robinson is what he is. A replacement level depth guy.

The Yankees traded away Billy McKinney at the deadline — they traded McKinney literally hours before Judge got hurt — so their Triple-A outfield options are limited. One of them: Tyler Wade, an infielder by trade. Wade has been up and down a few times already this year. Does it make sense to call him up to replace Robinson? Let’s talk it out.

1. He has more outfield experience. Not more than Robinson, obviously, but more compared to where he was earlier this season. The Yankees had Wade begin the process of learning the outfield during the 2016 Arizona Fall League and, since then, he’s played 36 total games in the outfield between Triple-A and MLB. Not much! But it’s more than Walker.

The Yankees have played Wade in the outfield in the big leagues and not only in emergency situations. He started a game in left field earlier this year and started one game in left and one game in right last year. They’re willing to play him out in the outfield at the MLB level despite his lack of experience. Heck, they’re playing Walker in right field now. They’re open-minded about this. A little added experience helps though.

2. He has more offensive potential. Look, I’m a Wade fan, but I am under no illusions that he’ll one day be an impact bat. He’s a slash-and-dash speed guy who figures to draw enough walks to post respectable on-base percentages. Maybe at his peak he can be a leadoff guy. More than likely, he’s a eighth or ninth place hitter long-term and that’s fine. Teams need those guys too.

Robinson, meanwhile, is the quintessential replacement level player. He’s less than three months away from his 34th birthday, so, even if he had much offensive upside, he’s at the point where you expect age-related decline anyway. Robinson is a career .223/.292/.295 (63 wRC+) hitter in 829 big league plate appearances and this year he authored a .261/.296/.330 (75 wRC+) line in 202 plate appearances with Triple-A Scranton before being called up.

We know what Robinson is. He’s a career up-and-down guy and hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. Robinson has played in parts of nine MLB seasons now and his career earnings are in the seven figures. We should all be so lucky. There’s not much upside here though. Wade is a young player who some ability who might be able to chip in more offensively. He might not be able to, but isn’t it worth it to find out?

3. He brings speed as well. If nothing else, we know Wade can run. Statcast has his sprint speed at 28.8 ft/s, which is on par with noted speedsters like Starling Marte and Ozzie Albies. The Yankees’ sprint speed leaderboard:

Brett Gardner: 29.0 ft/s
Tyler Wade: 28.8 ft/s
Shane Robinson: 28.4 ft/s

Turns out Robinson can run too. I’d trust the 23-year-old to retain his speed late into the season more than 33-year-old, however. Remember, Jacoby Ellsbury is done for the season, so he won’t be the designated September/October pinch-hitter. Wade is the obvious in-house candidate to fill that role. So, then, let him play and run the bases, and gain experience.

4. He has a chance to be a long-term piece. I have no idea where Wade fits long-term. Possibly nowhere. But I know where Robinson fits long-term: Nowhere. No offense to the guy, but he is a journeyman playing for his fourth organization in the last five years, and as soon as the season ends, he’ll be among the first guys dropped from the 40-man roster. Consider what had to happen for Robinson to get called up and receive fairly regular playing time:

Judge is on the disabled list.
Stanton is nursing a tight hamstring.
Ellsbury is on the disabled list.
Frazier is on the disabled list.
McKinney has been traded away.

Robinson is like eighth on the outfield depth chart and he is performing as expected. He’s a short-term fill-in who wouldn’t have been called up if Frazier was healthy or if McKinney had not been traded. Is Wade a long-term piece? I have no idea. It seems unlikely given the rest of the roster. I know Robinson is not a long-term piece though. Isn’t it time to find out what Wade can do? The kid has 117 big league plate appearances and 130 days on the MLB roster. That’s nothing.

* * *

Given Judge’s and Frazier’s timetables — or lack of firm timetables, more accurately — it stands to reason Robinson isn’t go away anytime soon. September call-ups are less than three weeks away and he very well might be on the roster for the duration of the regular season. Wade seems like the better option to me, but the Yankees know their players better than anyone, and if they’re not calling him up for outfield spot start duty, there’s probably a pretty good reason.

As good as he’s been, Tyler Austin should be the odd man out when Greg Bird returns

May 23, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

At some point soon, likely within the next week, Greg Bird will return from his ankle surgery and join the Yankees. The Yankees love love love Bird and he is expected to step right in as the everyday first baseman. It would not surprise me at all to see him hitting third or fourth in his first game back.

The first base position has not been a total disaster during Bird’s absence. Neil Walker has been really good this month while Tyler Austin has crushed lefties all season. Even after going 0-for-Hamels last night, Austin is hitting .293/.362/.634 (163 wRC+) against southpaws this year. He has been an objectively great platoon bat.

“Tyler’s put himself in a very good position,” said Aaron Boone to Erik Boland yesterday when asked whether there is room for both Austin and Bird on the roster. “He’s having a lot of success, having a big hand in us winning games. I definitely see a role, potentially, for both of them.”

Moving forward with a Bird/Austin platoon at first base sounds simple enough, though roster spots are a finite resource, and the Yankees may not be able to carry two first base only guys. And, as good as he’s been, sending Austin to Triple-A when Bird returns is the most logical move, for three reasons.

1. The Yankees aren’t scheduled to face many lefties. Pitching plans can always change, but right now, the Yankees are scheduled to face two lefties over their next 15 games. They’ll see Andrew Heaney this weekend and Dallas Keuchel next week, and then it’s a long run of right-handed pitchers. Again, pitching plans are tentative, but that’s how things are set up at the moment.

As good as Austin has been overall this season, he should not be in the lineup against right-handed pitchers. And especially not over Bird. Austin’s platoon splits are ridiculous:

vs. RHP: .200/.250/.467 (89 wRC+) with 4.7 BB% and 43.8 K%
vs. LHP: .293/.362/.634 (163 wRC+) with 8.5 BB% and 27.7 K%

Austin shouldn’t be in the lineup against righties. Not over Bird. And, with so many right-handed pitchers coming up, Austin is going to be glued to the bench. Yeah, I suppose he could be a pinch-hitter option against a lefty reliever, though those opportunities may be few and far between. Simply put, it doesn’t appear there will be many at-bats for Austin in the near future.

2. The Yankees are going to carry an eighth reliever. Like it or not. I don’t like it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. The Yankees will start a 14 games in 13 days stretch Friday — hey have the makeup doubleheader in Detroit coming up — and I would bet heavily on the Yankees carrying an eighth reliever during that stretch. They like having the eighth reliever. It’s been made clear.

Who will that eighth reliever be? It might be Jonathan Holder once Tommy Kahnle and Adam Warren return. The identity of the eighth reliever is irrelevant. As long as the eighth reliever is on the roster, there are only three players on the bench. Austin Romine and Ronald Torreyes will be two of them. The more versatile Neil Walker makes more sense for the final bench spot than another first baseman. Walker in MLB and Austin in Triple-A is better than Austin in MLB and Walker out of the organization.

3. The sooner he goes down, the sooner he can come back. By rule, players sent to the minors have to stay there at least ten days before being called back up, unless they’re replacing a player placed on the disabled list. So, the sooner the Yankees send Austin down, the sooner the clock starts and the sooner they’ll be able to bring him back as a platoon option should they run into a bunch of left-handers or something like that. Odds are Austin’s assignment to Triple-A would only be temporary.

* * *

It boils down to this: The Yankees have too many good players. It sounds silly and it is, but it’s absoluty true. Clint Frazier and Brandon Drury should be in the big leagues. So should Adam Lind. Holder has looked pretty good lately and deserves to stay in the big leagues, but might get pushed down when Kahnle and Warren return. The Yankees have an incredible amount of depth right now.

Austin doesn’t deserve to be demoted. He’s performed about as well as anyone could’ve possibly hoped so far this season. Given the roster though, carrying another full-time first baseman doesn’t make sense once Bird returns. The Yankees are going to carry an eighth reliever, which leaves them sort a bench player, and there aren’t many left-handed pitchers on the upcoming schedule. A righty platoon first baseman isn’t the best use of a roster spot.

These roster logjams always have a way of working themselves out. Bird has had plenty of trouble staying on the field lately — Austin himself as an injury history too — and it is entirely possible an injury elsewhere on the roster will create an opening. Given the current roster, it’s hard to see how both Bird and Austin fit, even with Boone saying there is potentially a role for both of them.

Adam Lind, Tyler Austin, and the backup first base job

March 6, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

No outfield time for Lind, pls. (Matt Hazlett/Getty)

Last last week the Yankees took advantage of the still slow-moving free agent market and signed veteran slugger Adam Lind to a minor league contract. He spent a few days at the MLBPA’s free agent camp and, despite a strong 2017 season with the Nationals, Lind confirmed he received only two offers this winter. Both were minor league deals.

“They offered me a contract,” said Lind to Pete Caldera when asked why he signed with the Yankees. “The way this winter worked out, I’m happy to just have a job … It’s a great opportunity, I know I’ve talked to them over the past couple of years (about a deal). I think it was the right situation.”

Lind now has three weeks to prove he’s worth a big league roster spot, which you’d think he did last season by hitting .303/.361/.513 (122 wRC+) with Washington, but apparently not. As far as the Yankees are concerned, this is a no risk move. They’ll get three weeks to see what Lind can do, and if he looks good, they can keep him. If not, they can walk away with no strings attached.

“It’s an insurance policy. He’ll come in and be in the mix. We’ll see what he’s got,” said Brian Cashman to Bryan Hoch. “He’ll obviously have a chance to prove that he’s got some value … We know what he’s capable of. We saw him all of last year and previous years. We know obviously he’s a very productive hitter.”

For all intents and purposes, Lind is competing with Tyler Austin for a bench spot, that backup first baseman’s spot. Cashman ruled Lind out as outfield option — he did play 25 games in left field for the Nationals last year — which means he’s a first base/DH guy only, limiting roster flexibility. Austin can at least fake the outfield, if necessary. A few things about this sudden competition.

1. The Yankees keep replacing Austin. A few days prior to the Lind signing, Aaron Boone said Austin had a leg up on a bench spot as Greg Bird’s backup. Now he doesn’t. This is the second straight year the Yankees have signed a low cost veteran first baseman to replace Austin. Last year it was Chris Carter. This year it’s Lind.

Maybe replace isn’t the right word. But both this year and last, the Yankees brought in some veteran competition for Austin, veteran competition you can easily envision on the roster. Carter had just led the NL in homers when the Yankees signed him. Of course he was going to be on the roster. Lind had a great year in 2017. Does he really have to compete for a job? Actions speak louder than words, and the Yankees keep signing guys to keep Austin off the roster. Hmmm.

2. Lind is not Carter. For a few reasons. One, he doesn’t strike out nearly as much. Carter had a 32.0% strikeout rate the year before signing with the Yankees and his career strikeout rate is 33.3%. Lind struck out 15.6% of the time last season. His career strikeout rate is 18.8%. Lind makes way more contact. Two, right-handed hitter vs. left-handed hitter is not an insignificant difference. Lind has the platoon advantage more often.

Three, the Yankees know Lind can produce in a part-time role. He did it last season. He was a classic NL bench bat last season. Lind was Washington’s top pinch-hitter and part-time first baseman (and left fielder). Carter had been an everyday guy pretty much his entire career. Making the adjustment from everyday player to part-timer ain’t easy. And four, Carter had a guaranteed contract. Lind is on a minor league deal. The Yankees owe him nothing. This doesn’t mean Lind will work out whereas Carter didn’t. Just that they’re different players with different skills and a different set of circumstances.

3. Lind and Bird can’t platoon. Tough to platoon two left-handed hitters! Lind has never hit southpaws — he’s a career .217/.263/.329 (56 wRC+) hitter against lefties — so the Yankees can’t employ some kinda fancy reverse-split platoon here. Austin is a right-handed hitter, so it’s easy to see how he could factor into the lineup. When Bird needs a day, give him a day against lefties for platoon purposes.

Keep in mind the AL East is loaded with left-handed starters. The Red Sox have Chris Sale, David Price, Drew Pomeranz, and Eduardo Rodriguez. The Blue Jays have J.A. Happ and Jaime Garcia. The Rays have Blake Snell. Another right-handed bat wouldn’t be a bad idea. Then again, when you have Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez in the lineup, maybe another righty isn’t a huge deal. Point is, Austin would have a clearer path to playing time than Lind.

4. The Yankees need insurance for Bird. We all love Greg Bird, but the dude has had lots of trouble staying on the field, and if he gets hurt again, Lind is a capable everyday first baseman. At least offensively. Defensively … not so much. We don’t really know what Austin can do at the big league level on an everyday basis. He’s never had an opportunity. Lind, if nothing else, gives the Yankees a more proven insurance plan should Bird get hurt again.

5. Lind is a great pinch-hitter. Coming off the bench cold and producing as a pinch-hitter isn’t easy. Lind is a career .324/.391/.568 (152 wRC+) hitter as a pinch-hitter, including .356/.396/.644 (165 wRC+) with the Nationals last year. The Yankees are poised to go with some combination of Brandon Drury, Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, Ronald Torreyes, and Tyler Wade at second and third bases. Having a quality lefty pinch-hitter for the late innings ain’t a bad idea.

Now, that all said, Lind has 156 career pinch-hitting appearances, 48 of which came last year. We’re talking about not many pinch-hitting appearances spread across many years. (This will be his 13th big league season.) I’m not sure how meaningful or predictive Lind’s pinch-hitting numbers are. He has produced in a pinch-hitting role up to this point. Will he continue to do so in the future? Given the small sample and volatile nature of pinch-hitting, it’s impossible to say.

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Lind can opt out of his contract at the end of Spring Training, so if he performs well, he’ll have the option to latch on elsewhere. It’s unclear whether he’s willing to go to Triple-A. Lind has banked more than $40M in his career to date. He might decide to pack it in and go hang out with the family if he doesn’t get a big league job. If he is willing to go to Triple-A, the Yankees could stash him there for a bit and go with Austin on the bench.

There’s a chance — a pretty good chance, I’d say — the only way the Yankees will be able to keep Lind is by adding him to the active roster at the end of Spring Training. I’m not sure I’d count on him accepting a Triple-A assignment. And given the first base depth chart …

Greg Bird
Adam Lind
Tyler Austin
Austin Romine
Billy McKinney
Ryan McBroom

… keeping Lind might not be a bad idea, even if it means adding him to the roster and sending Austin back to Triple-A for the time being. If Bird gets hurt again — I wish we didn’t have to think like this, but we do — the Yankees will be happy to have Lind around. The Yankees are quite deep as an organization, but first base is not one of their stronger positions.

There are more than three weeks to go before Opening Day, so sorting out the bench and figuring out what to do with with Lind and Austin is hardly a pressing issue. Maybe Lind gets old quick and his Grapefruit League play makes it easy to walk away. What do I always say? These things will work themselves out. The Carter/Austin situation did last spring when Austin broke his foot. As far as I’m concerned, the Yankees have two viable backup first basemen in Lind and Austin. With any luck, everyone will stay healthy and the Yankees will be forced to make a tough decision.

Given uncertainty at second and third, the Yankees may need a new utility infielder to start 2018

January 25, 2018 by Mike Leave a Comment

Spring Training is less than three weeks away and we still don’t know who the Yankees will have at second and third bases on Opening Day. Could be prospects, could be veterans yet to be acquired, could be some combination of the two. For what it’s worth, Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees have had “minimal” recent contact with free agents, which of course could change at any moment.

The Yankees have to sort out their second and third base positions in camp, and they’ll also need to figure out their utility infielder as well. Ronald Torreyes has done a wonderful job holding that spot down the last two years, and I’d put money on him doing it again this year, but Torreyes could end up starting (or platooning) at second or third. I’ve been thinking about the backup infielder’s spot lately for whatever reason — it’s not like anything else is going on this offseason — so let’s talk this out a bit.

1. The backup infielder may play more than usual. Last season Torreyes played in 108 games and received 336 plate appearances, which is frickin’ incredible. Injuries to Didi Gregorius (shoulder) and Starlin Castro (hamstring, twice) forced Torreyes into regular action for weeks at a time and, by and large, he was pretty darn good. There were still times when Torreyes played a little too much, even when Gregorius and Castro were healthy.

This year the Yankees might break in two rookie infielders simultaneously, and in that case the utility infielder could play more than expected. Most rookies hit the skids at some point — even Aaron Judge did last year — or deal with growing pains when they first get to the show. That’s when the utility infielder could pick up some of the slack. I’m not saying the kids should be benched outright when they struggle, but a day off here and there never hurt anyone. And when you have two rookie infielders, that means twice as much risk for growing pains.

2. There are benefits to using a prospect on the bench. Let me start by saying that no, I don’t think using Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar on the bench would be a good idea. If they’re not going to play everyday in the big leagues, send ’em to Triple-A so they can play everyday there. Torres can play different infield spots, so he’d make more sense as a utility guy than Andujar. Andujar can only play third. Tough to carry a guy like that on the bench.

Now, that all said, I do believe there are benefits to a young player being in the big leagues even when he isn’t playing, especially catchers. They get to sit in on scouting meetings, work with the big league instructors, soak in the experience and pick the brains of big league veterans. That is all valuable information. More valuable than playing everyday in Triple-A? Maybe! Depends on the player and where he is in his career. I don’t think Torres or Andujar are at that point. I think they’re best off playing in Triple-A if they’re not playing in MLB.

3. Wade is a better bench option than Torres or Andujar. If the Yankees are going to carry a young player on the bench, Tyler Wade is the obvious candidate. Not Torres or Andujar. Wade has more Triple-A games than Torres and Andujar combined, and he has much more experience moving around the field defensively than those two. Andujar is a career third baseman. Torres has eleven games at second and 15 at third. Wade has been moving around for more than two years now.

There’s a scenario in which Wade winds up on the bench (again). A couple of different scenarios, really. Andujar or Torres starting at one infield spot with the other guy in Triple-A, Torreyes at the other infield spot, and Wade on the bench. A veteran pickup starting at one spot, Torreyes at the other, Torreyes and Andujar in Triple-A, and Wade on the bench. See? I’d prefer Wade starting over Torreyes in either scenario, though Torreyes starting and Wade on the bench isn’t far-fetched. Bottom line, he is not the same caliber of prospect as Andujar or Torres, so the Yankees figure to be more willing to let Wade sit on the bench. That was clearly the case last year.

4. Whither Peterson? Remember what happened when Gregorius got hurt last season? Pete Kozma was on the bench for a month. The Yankees could go a similar route this season, preferably without the injury. A kid at second or third, Torreyes at the other spot, and Jace Peterson (or a similar low-cost veteran) on the bench until another kid is deemed ready for big league time. Once Torres is up to speed and has his free agency pushed back, basically.

A potential issue with this plan — don’t laugh — is the luxury tax. Peterson will make $900,000 at the big league level last year, so if the Yankees bring him north as the utility guy on Opening Day, they lock in that $900,000 salary. That’s $900,000 they can’t use on call-ups or midseason trades later in the summer. The Yankees are $22M under the luxury tax threshold right now, so maybe that $900,000 is no big deal, but what if the plan is to carry Peterson for a month like Kozma? Is it worth the $900,000 hit then? I don’t think would be a dealbreaker at all. It’s just something to consider.

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These days having a good bench and a strong supporting cast is a necessity in baseball, not a luxury. Just look at how Torreyes filled in for Gregorius and Castro last season. Worrying about the utility infielder may seem like small beans, but when you’re potentially breaking in two rookie infielders, the backup plan is pretty darn important. I think it’ll end up being Torreyes again with others starting at second and third. That seems easiest. If the Yankees go in a different direction though, figuring out the utility infielder situation will be another priority in Spring Training.