Unlike the catching position, first base is pretty much set in stone in 2014, assuming Mark Teixiera comes back healthy from his wrist injury. There aren't any indications that he won't, and for now, he has to be penciled in as the everyday starter.
However, for the first time in his tenure as a Yankee, there is at least some hesitation about his future. That is what happens when you are 33 years old and coming off of a season where you played in only 15 games (and probably should have played in none).
The designated hitter position has been filled in the last few years with players the Yankees dragged in off of the scrap heap. The strategy worked reasonably well in 2012, when Raul Ibanez (who would end up playing more in the outfield than the Yankees ever wanted him to) hit .240/.308/.453 to go along with some postseason dramatics. Eric Chavez also performed well in the role when he wasn't playing the field.
In 2013, it didn't work so well - Travis Hafner got off to a strong start, but faded miserably as the season went on. There doesn't seem to be too much doubt that Hafner was likely playing with an injury. When all was said and done, Hafner put up a .679 OPS at a position solely designed for offense.
Looking ahead to 2014, there are still some questions to be answered. The Yankees will, without much question, give a lot of designated hitter time to Derek Jeter, but it is highly unlikely he will take the gig full-time. There is room for an extra bat, but where does it come from?
Free Agents:
There will be a few guys that may come up on the radar. Justin Morneau probably isn't looking for any kind of multi-year commitment at this point, and could be an interesting fit playing in Yankee Stadium. Mark Reynolds can most certainly be brought back, and has the added bonus of being able to (butcher) third base. I would think the Yankees want more of a left-handed bat for DH duties (assuming they will give Jeter the bulk of his DH time vs. southpaws). Perhaps the biggest free agent fish in the water is Kendrys Morales, a 30-year old slugger who regained some of his value with a .277/.336/.449 (123 OPS+) season in Seattle in 2013. The switch-hitter is better from the left side, but is passable from the right side. Of course, Morales is probably too good of a hitter right now to accept a part-time designated hitter role, and will likely be too high priced anyway. (Note that I am definitely not endorsing him).
The Farm:
When it comes to first base/designated hitter, you typically don't think too much about the farm system. Most players who become first basemen are players who failed elsewhere on the field - and once they become first basemen, they lose a lot of prospect value due to the need to be an elite hitter to be considered a top prospect. On the immediate horizon, help could come from Kyle Roller, a left-handed hitter who calls first base his home, but is quite terrible in the field. Roller hit .253/.347/.427 in 124 games for Trenton last season, but actually showed a reverse split - hitting lefties better than right-handed pitchers. I am not high on Roller, but his ability to hit with left-handed power will keep him somewhere on the radar. Deeper in the system you will find Greg Bird, a converted catcher who put up a dazzling season (.288/.428/.511 with 107 walks in 130 games) for Charleston in 2013. Bird will need to prove he can continue to hit at this pace before he is considered a major hitting prospect, but he took an important first step this season.
Bottom Line:
There isn't much to really think about here. The Yankees have to go into 2014 with the idea that Derek Jeter cannot play the field everyday (and may spend more than half of his time off the field, potentially). Because of that, they won't look to sign any big name (and none of the big names would likely want to sign). They could try to bring in a player like Luke Scott as a platoon DH bat who can play first or the outfield in a (severe) pinch, but that is the extent of what I expect them to do. There are just too many other holes they need to concentrate on.
No comments:
Post a Comment