Yankees Winter Outlook: Outfield

Heading into the 2013 season, the Yankees seemed to have a good outfield in place.  Curtis Granderson was going to spring training to learn left field, while Brett Gardner was going to (finally) take over in center.  There was a question mark in right field with Ichiro, but most were hoping that his late surge in 2012 would carry over into 2013.   Of course, a freak injury to Granderson put the Yankees in a position where they, for whatever the reason, thought that acquiring Vernon Wells was a good idea.  It turned out to not be such a great idea, as Wells was terrible for most of the season.  His $0 price tag towards the 2014 luxury tax is hardly refreshing, given how bad he is as a player.

Traditionally, right field has been an offensive position for the Yankees, given that their ballpark does not require a stellar right fielder defensively.    Over the past several seasons, right fielders have included O'Neill, Sheffield, Abreu, and Swisher. (We will conveniently forget about the Raul Modesi experiment).  Now, they have a strong defensive player in Ichiro who has lost his ability to hit.  This is simply not ideal - it is nice to have good defense at any position, but for the Yankees, right field needs to be offensive.

Heading into 2014, as it stands right now, they will have Alfonso Soriano in left, Brett Gardner in center, and Ichiro/Wells in right field.    Obviously, I feel comfortable with 2/3 of that outfield, but right field really should be addressed.   Zoilo Almonte started strong when he was called up but faded.  I still hold out hope for him as a productive major leaguer (113 PA tell us nothing), and he could be an option to take over right field if the Yankees wish to give him a chance.  

Free Agents:

The market is littered with free agent options, but none of them are obvious fits beyond their own free agent, Curtis Granderson.   I think Granderson is serious when he says he is considering the qualifying offer, but I also don't think he will take it.  The Yankees will likely have to give him at least 3 years - perhaps with some sort of 4th year option - if they want to secure his services.  Granderson has his warts, but he is also a proven left-handed home run bat in a ballpark that requires left-handed home run bats....Whenever there is a high-priced free agent on the market, the Yankees will find a way to be linked to them.  That is the case with Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo. On the surface, Choo may seem like a perfect fit - left-handed bat with power and a stellar OBP.  But he is looking for a deal over $100M.  Make no mistake about it:  Choo is a very good player, but I do not see the Yankees going in this direction.  Ellsbury is a strong defense center fielder with superb speed, but most of his OBP is tied into his batting average and he has lost the power he had a few seasons ago.  He is a very dangerous proposition for any team on a long-term deal....Name the last season the Yankees were not linked to Carlos Beltran. Beltran, who has always seemed destined to play for the Yankees at some point in his career, never has and it seems more and more likely he never will.  Beltran was still solid in 2013 (128 OPS+), but he will be 37 in April and no longer steals bases.  A sharp decline is always possible.  I wouldn't mind him for a year - but he has likely earned himself a multi-year deal, and that scares me....Nelson Cruz has power to burn, and I think that would be the case even without the PEDs.   That said, the Yankees already have a better version of Cruz in Alfonso Soriano, and I just don't have much of a desire for loading up the lineup with right-handed power bats.  That is not what the home ballpark has been designed for....David Murphy is certainly not a free agent you think about, but is probably one that should be on the radar.  Murphy cannot hit left-handed pitching, but was solid vs. RHP before 2013 came along.   He can handle the outfield corners and could probably do OK as a left-handed platoon designated hitter.   Given what the Yankees are striving to do, he could be a buy low candidate...

Trade Targets:

There really isn't anyone obvious on the trade market (that we know about) who seems to be all that enticing.  Please don't even bring up Giancarlo Stanton, as I have a better chance at manning the OF for the Yankees than he does in 2014....Matt Kemp makes a boatload of money and is coming off of an injury-plagued season.  Perfect fit, right?....Andre Ethier can still hit, but is due $69M over the next five seasons and is going to be 32 years old in 2014.  Do you even need to ask how that is going to turn out?...

The Farm:

Heading into 2013, the outfield situation looked strong for the Yankees organization.  By the time 2013 ended, we were left with a lot more questions than answers.

Ronnier Mustelier had a hard luck campaign in 2013.  Destined to make the team out of spring training, he injured himself not long before the team was heading north.  When he finally did come back, he didn't do the one thing that put him on the radar in the first place:  Hit.....

One of the most disappointing aspects of the 2013 season was what happened with the Trenton outfield.  For various reasons, Tyler Austin, Slade Heathcott, and Ramon Flores just didn't do anything near what the Yankees expected them to do.  We have to hope that Austin gets over his wrist injury, while also hoping that Heathcott can finally live up to some of his potential while avoiding injuries of his own.  When he was healthy, he wasn't terrible (.261/.327/.411), though he did strikeout 107 times..  Flores has the reputation for an advanced hitting approach, but was dreadful in 2013.....That said, Ben Gamel put himself somewhere on the map with a good campaign between Tampa and Trenton, hitting .267/.342/.387 in 495 PA as a 21-year old. That may not jump out at you, but it is pretty good for a player of his age at these levels.  However, he may never develop home run power and may not be ideally suited for center field.   Yes, like Flores, he may end up with the "tweener" level:  Not an ideal hitter for the corners, but may not quite be good enough to handle center full-time....Taylor Dugas needs to be mentioned, despite a skill-set that isn't exactly ideal.  Dugas is a smallish outfielder with no power potential, but who also continues to hit (.285/.405/.339 in 477 PA between Charleston/Tampa).  This is the type of player who would expect to fail as he moves up the chain, and we shall find out....Jake Cave's first taste of minor league ball (OK, he did have 1 AB in the GCL in 2011) was a solid one.  The Charleston center fielder hit .282/.347/.401 with 37 doubles and 6 triples, which could be an indicator of some future home run power.   He is high on my watch list for 2014 as he tries to conquer Tampa...2013 signees Brandon Thomas and Mike O'Neill were both dreadful in Staten Island.  It was their first taste of minor league ball, so we will give them a minor pass - but as college hitters entering the organization, you did expect more.  Thomas did show off a bit of plate discipline, but also struck out a ton....Of course, at least they played - Aaron Judge was drafted early, waited to sign, and never played in 2013.  That is a major problem....

Bottom Line:

The Yankees can certainly use an upgrade here - especially in right field - and can do that simply by resigning Granderson.  Of course, they may just decide to go with the status quo, which is dangerous.  OK, it isn't just dangerous:  It is ridiculous.  Having a massive black hole on offense in right field at Yankee Stadium is reckless.  The status quo will offer them no advantage over the opposition.  It would be like the Red Sox sticking Juan Pierre in left field full-time; a completely wasted opportunity to take advantage of what your ballpark gives you.

Re: Yankees Winter Outlook: Third Base

On Saturday, November 9, 2013 11:58:54 AM UTC-5, Tom K wrote:

Of all of the positions up in the air for the Yankees in 2014, third base is likely the strangest and most complicated.  

Nix!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOG

Yankees Winter Outlook: Third Base

Of all of the positions up in the air for the Yankees in 2014, third base is likely the strangest and most complicated.  The Yankees have to prepare for any scenario when it comes to Alex Rodriguez.  The scenarios run from A-Rod playing the full season all the way down to A-Rod missing the entire season.  Nobody knows at this point which way that will go, and it will be a while before it is all figured out.

We have to do this under the assumption that Rodriguez will miss a significant amount of time in 2014 (Even the lightest penalty (50 games) forces the Yankees to do something about the situation at third.

Whether one wants A-Rod back or not doesn't really matter - the writing is on the wall that if he can play, he will play.

But what if he can't?  Will the Yankees try to use Eduardo Nunez full-time at the position?  Will they attempt to resign Mark Reynolds, who has absolutely no defensive value but has enough hitting ability to warrant some playing time?   I have a feeling the Yankees are going to want to resign Reyonds since he can help at first, third, and designated hitter while providing a power bench bat.       David Adams is another possibility, but his offense was quite miserable in 2013.  This doesn't mean you should completely throw in the towel, but he isn't a young prospect and his approach upon coming up to the Yankees was terrible - after having a reputation for having an advanced offense approach in the minors.

Free Agents:

If I told you that Reynolds may just be the best free agent third baseman on the market, what would you think?  Most likely, you would think the market is terrible.  You would be right about that.  But Reynolds is near, if not at the top, of the list and is among the youngest free agents at the position (30 years old).....  Eric Chavez fits the profile for what the Yankees would want, and can also be passable as a designated hitter.   In 80 games for Arizona last year, Chavez hit .281/.332/.478, which was a slight decline from his productive 2012 season in pinstripes.  Chavez himself will the first to tell you that you cannot count on him for an everyday gig, and it seems that he wants to play in Arizona, and they want him back....The Yankees were one of a few suitors for the services of Michael Young late in the season.  Young was OK offensively in 2013 (.279/.335/.395; 102 OPS+) but doesn't come with much defensive value.  He should be on the radar for what the Yankees wanted out of Youkilis heading into the spring of 2013, but nothing more....Speaking of Youk, he is again on the open market, but the Yankees are not likely to touch him with a 5,000 foot pole.

Trade Targets:

When you think of third base and the trade market, the first name that will keep coming up is Chase Headley. Headley struggled a bit in 2013, but the end results was still good:  .257/.347/.400 (116 OPS+).    He will hit free agency after the 2014 season, which makes him a good get as a one-year rental.  Since they will be trading for him prior to the season, he can be tied to free agent compensation next winter, which is an added bonus.  Even with all that, he will come at a cost, as the Yankees would likely have to include at least one significant prospect to land him....Another player hitting free agency after 2014 is Pablo Sandoval, though the Giants are likely not going to actively look to dump him.    The huge third baseman hit .278/.341/.417 (119 OPS+) over 584 plate appearances.  Sandoval has dealt with nagging injuries, but his season low in plate appearances in 442 (in 2012).   This is just a name to throw out there because I think if the Giants made him available, the Yankees would definitely inquire.  He earns $8.5M in 2014....The most realistic trade option may be David Freese, who may actually be a non-tender candidate in St. Louis if they don't trade him.  Freese's defensive reputation is poor, to say the least, and he is coming off of a down offensive season (.721 OPS; 101 OPS+).  The Yankees could try to secure him rather than let him negotiate with all teams by offering something of middling value to the Cardinals, but remember one thing:  The Cardinals are near the top of best run organizations in all of baseball, and they are value their players appropriately.

The Farm:

The Yankees actually do have some up and coming talent at third base in their system - but the upper minors don't offer too much at the moment, unfortunately.   David Adams had a rough go in his first taste of the majors.  Ronnier Mustelier, if he has any future, is likely more of an outfielder who can play third in a pinch.  Addison Maruszak can play third in addition to shortstop, but his future is likely that of a bench-type player.

Poor Rob Segedin.  Drafted out of Tulane in 2010, Segedin made an impact in 2011 before stalling in 2012.  In 2013, the Yankees moved him back to third base in Trenton (partially due to need; partially due to the fact that Trenton's outfield was full) and he started off the season on fire,with 24 hits in 71 AB (13 for extra bases).  However, he succumbed to a hip injury and missed the rest of the season.  It remains to be seen how he will bounce back going forward, but if he would have stayed hot through the first few months in 2013, he may have found his way all the way up in the Bronx...I was debating where I was going to put Pete O'Brien in my reports, and decided on third base since that is where he ended the season.   O'Brien can flat out mash, hitting .291/.350/.544 in 506 PA between Charleston and Tampa.   He strikes out a lot (134) and doesn't walk often (41).   He can also catch and probably could be thrown into the outfield as well.  He has a chance to be a valuable piece to the future.  Now he just has to prove he can do it in the upper minors....When you read reports about the Yankees system, you will often see Dante Bichette lumped together with Cito Culver. To me, that is a disservice to Culver.   Bichette has been a nightmare since his breakout campaign in the GCL.   In his second year in the Sally League, his numbers actually declined, as he hit .214/.292/.331 with 119 K in 114 games.   There is obviously nothing to sugarcoat here:  Unless something clicks suddenly in 2014, this is a colossal bust....The Yankees had three early picks in the 2013 draft, and used one of them on Eric Jagielo.  He certainly did not disappoint, hitting .266/.376/.451 in 51 games for Staten Island after a brief appearance in the GCL to get his feet wet.    Perhaps most importantly for Jagielo is that he adjusted to the level quickly.  After hitting .267/.388/.360 in July, he put up a .272/.382/.576 August, showing off some of the power many thing he will be able to tap into.  Jagielo has the ability to move quickly, and the Yankees may just challenge him to do so.  Before we get too far ahead of ourselves though, let us see what he does in his first taste of full-season ball in 2014...In 2010, the Yankees signed Christopher Tamarez to a $650,000 signing bonus.    Signed as a shortstop, he spent 2013 (all 32 games!) at third base, hitting .235/.288/.304 as a 19-year old in the GCL.    Not yet a top prospect, and may never be - but someone to just watch closely.

The Bottom Line:

This position is another tricky one because the Yankees have no idea what is going to happen with Alex Rodriguez.   I think they may end up ultimately trading for a cheap alternative (ie, Freese) rather than try to make a big splash with a player like Headley.    As stated at shortstop, there are probably some who feel that Eduardo Nunez should be given another chance - I am increasingly becoming one who doesn't think that is such a great idea.  

Yankees Winter Outlook: Shortstop

The last time the Yankees had any kind of question mark at shortstop was prior to 1996, when the organization debated between Derek Jeter and Proven Veteran Shortstop, whoever it would be.  Rumors have persisted through the years that the Yankees were discussing a potential trade for Felix Fermin, with Mariano Rivera or Bob Wickman among the targets for the Seattle Mariners.  Imagine that.

Of course, the Yankees stuck with their rookie shortstop and a legend was born.   Let us now fast forward to 2014, where the Yankees now face a bit of a dilemma at the position.

One of the issues the Yankees have is that it is still going to be hard to entice a veteran to come in to play the position.  Derek Jeter will likely be back, and what veteran with any kind of starting value is going to want to wait around to see if Derek can play shortstop or not?  The answer to that question is nobody.   

The farm system doesn't currently offer much hope in the immediate future - so where do they go?  It is a bit of a stretch to once again rely on Eduardo Nunez.  Even if you have faith that he can at least be average offensively, Nunez is showing to be a bit injury-prone.   

Let us take a look at some other potential candidate.

Free Agents:

If reports are accurate, the Yankees supposedly offer Stephen Drew more money than the Red Sox did prior to 2013, but he wanted to be guaranteed more playing time.  Go figure, as Drew would have been the Yankees shortstop for pretty much the entire 2013 season.   Drew ended up hitting .253/.333/.443 (111 OPS+) in 124 games for the Red Sox, making him a valuable offensive shortstop.  The Red Sox have a qualifying offer out for him (worth $14.1M), so if Drew turns that down, it is with the intention that he can get a better deal than that.  In other words, he won't be cheap and may once again worry about potential playing time issues...Towards the end of 2013, the Yankees made a trade for Brendan Ryan, an all-glove, no-bat-at-all type.  Ryan lived up to the no-bat reputation, hitting an abysmal .197/.255/.273 (51 OPS+) in 349 PA for Seattle and the Yankees.  Yes, glove work is important - but that is nearly an impossible bat to carry, even in this age of reduced offensive output at shortstop....Jhonny Peralta will forever have the PED tag label stamped on him.   The 31-year old had a strong offensive campaign in 2013 (119 OPS+) after a terrible 2012 season (84 OPS+).  There are a lot of question marks with Peralta, and I just hope he signs elsewhere before the Yankees get the final word on A-Rod (Peralta has third base experience, and could be a candidate to fill in at third if A-Rod gets a long-term suspension)....

Trade Targets:

There is already a rumor out there that the Rangers may be willing to trade Jurickson Profar, who would be a nice fit for the Yankees.  We will end it there, because there is no obvious match between the Rangers and the Yankees.  I don't think the Yankees actually have anything the Rangers would trade Profar for, to be honest...The White Sox are in full rebuild mode, which puts Alexai Ramirez on the trade market, in all likelihood.    Ramirez has a good glove, and his bat is passable in this day and age.  He adds an element of speed to his game, which gives his offense a bit more of a boost.    He comes with a $9.5M price tag for 2014, and a $10M price tag for 2015. Ramirez is far from spectacular, but he is priced right.  A lot would come down to what the White Sox want in return...

The Farm:

Let us forget about the immediate horizon - Addison Maruszak is the most ready minor league shortstop they have, and he is not someone you are going to use to replace Derek Jeter in the short or long term.   Down in Tampa, you have Cito Culver, a first-round pick who has not yet been able to click on all cylinders in the minors.  He performed well in 16 late-season games for Tampa, but that obviously does not tell us anything yet.  Culver does come with a good glove reputation, and completely gave up on left-handed hitting in 2013.  I still have faith in him for a few reasons:  He will be able to stick at short, he has speed, and has shown signs of good plate discipline.  At a shallow position like shortstop, you have to keep players like Culver on the radar...Down in the very low minors, the Yankees saw very encouraging signs from 18-year old Tyler Wade (.309/.429/.370), 18-year old Abiatal Avelino (.303/.381/.399 between the GCL and Staten Island with 28 steals in 32 attempts), and 17-year old Thairo Estrada (.278/.350/.432 in the GCL).   Every prospect has to start somewhere, but it is hard to get too excited over players excelling at the GCL level.  The Yankees have to just hope that one of them is able to break through going forward.

The Bottom Line:

This is an impossible situation for the Yankees right now, unless they can get lucky and find a player who is both passable and willing to concede the fact that Derek Jeter will have to play at least a part-time role at shortstop.  The only free agent that is very tempting is Drew, but that requires giving the Red Sox a draft pick AND convincing him that he will get the playing time he wants.  Never mind the fact that he will be costly.   Ramirez may be an intriguing trade target, but the White Sox have to view him as one of their best commodities on the market and will price him that way.    It is hard to use a "Let Us Pray" type of strategy, but in the end, the Yankees may have to hope for 90-95 games at the very least at shortstop for Jeter, while filling in the rest with a player who is adequate.  There are probably more trade targets than I mentioned above that I am sure they will explore.  For now, this remains a very confusing and extremely important position for 2014 and beyond.

Yankees Winter Outlook: Second Base

This article could be a few sentences long:  Sign Robinson Cano, and the Yankees won't have to worry about second base for the next five seasons or so.     Of course, it becomes more complicated if the Yankees do not sign Cano.

It would be impossible to replace Cano's overall production at second base if he were to walk.  We can talk all day about how the Yankees can reallocate the money to fill in holes elsewhere, but the end result would be the same:  We would lose a major advantage at second base.  No allocating would fix that problem.

Free Agents:

As noted a few times already, this is a poor free agent class overall.  And second base (beyond Cano) is not an exception.  Mark Ellis is a solid player who won't completely kill you at the plate (especially for a middle infielder) and likely wouldn't command much in years or money.   He hit .270/.323/.351 (92 OPS+) for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.   He has a small place in Yankees history:  Hitting one of the most unexpected walk-off home runs off of Mariano Rivera in his illustrious career.   Kelly Johnson offers a left-handed bat with some versatility.  Last year, while playing the "four corners", Johnson hit .235/.305/.410 with 16 HR in 407 AB for Tampa.   He could be an intriguing player to sign as a utility player, but not as the everyday second baseman.  The Yankees supposedly have already talked to Omar Infante, who is coming off of a bit of a career year at the age of 31 for the Tigers (.795 OPS; 113 OPS+ is impressive for any middle infielder).   He makes contact, and has always been just barely good enough offensively to warrant significant playing time.  He may just be the top free agent choice on the Yankees radar if the unthinkable happens.

Trade Targets:

It is always hard to determine who may be available for trade; we have already heard that the Yankees have called on Brandon Phillips, who appears to be in a bit of a steep decline while playing in an offensively friendly ballpark.  (Don't let the 103 RBI fool you too much) Moving his right-handed bat to Yankee Stadium would not likely rejuvenate his career, and the Reds would likely price him as if he is the same player he was a few years ago.

On the Farm:

Second base is actually a bit of a strength for the Yankees at the moment, even with the uncertainty now surrounding Corban Joseph (shoulder surgery).  The Yankees have Jose Pirela currently manning the position in Trenton, with Robert Refsnyder right behind him in Tampa.  Refsnyder had an encouraging 2013 season, putting up a .293/.413/.413 line between Charleston and Tampa with more walks than strikeouts.  He also stole 23 bases in 29 attempts.  He will likely get a shot to break the Double-A barrier to start 2014. If he continues to show off good plate discipline with decent speed and a little bit of pop, his value will increase quickly.   Deep in the minors, 2013 draftee Gosuke Katoh was mightily impressive in the GCL, hitting .310/.402/.522 in 215 PA.  Of course, Dante Bichette once crushed the ball in the GCL as well, so we will temper our expectations somewhat.

Bottom Line:

Sign Cano, and there really isn't much more that needs to be worried about.  It really is the biggest no-brainer they have this winter.  It will cost them plenty, but it is an investment they almost have to make.  It will give them stability at a position where offense is getting harder and harder to find for many years to come.     

Yankees Winter Outlook: First Base/DH

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.

Yankees Winter Outlook: Catcher

There is no way to sugarcoat the current catching situation with the Yankees.  After going years with penciling in the durable Jorge Posada, followed by a few years of penciling in the solid Russell Martin, the Yankees decided to go in a completely different direction in 2013, and it failed miserably.

It started off decently enough:  Francisco Cervelli got off to a hot start, though it only lasted 17 games before he found himself on the disabled list for the rest of the season.  After that, the bulk of the duty fell on career backup Chris Stewart, and as you may imagine, it ended up being a terrible experiment.  Stewart hit .211/.293/.272 in 340 PA in what was one of the worst offensive seasons for a catcher in franchise history (The incomparable Jake Gibbs hit .222/.280/.282 in 871 PA between 1967 and 1968.  If Stewart is given the catching duties again in 2014, he could challenge this rather easily)

This leads us to 2014 - the Yankees are in desperate need for a catcher now.  There isn't much of a scenario that would lead one to think that Stewart will be back as anything more than a non-roster invitee.  Cervelli may still have value, but his injury history is already extensive at the age of 27.  Austin Romine showed a few flashes here and there, but still ended up with an OPS of .551 in 148 PA.   

So, where do the Yankees turn?  Do they try to go with some combination of Cervelli, Romine, and J.R. Murphy?  Murphy made a brief appearance in the majors late in the season, but didn't play nearly enough to get much of a read on him.   

In a blah free agent market this year, there actually are a few good catchers, headlined by Brian McCann, who will turn 30 in February.   Coming off of a rough season in 2012 (.698 OPS; 87 OPS+), McCann returned to his usual offensive ways in 2013, hitting .256/.336/.461 in 402 PA.  McCann is virtually guaranteed to hit 20+ home runs (He has done it in 6 straight seasons and in 8 of his 9 full seasons in the majors), and you would think that is virtually guaranteed in Yankee Stadium.  The problem will be the price - McCann will not come cheaply - you are likely looking at 5+ years for a catcher hitting the age of 30.   This isn't necessarily a death sentence, but it is a bit scary.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the true definition of an offensive catcher.   He had his best overall season in 2013 (.273/.338/.466; 118 OPS+) and it may even get better if you put him in Yankee Stadium.  He has two big issues working against him:  He isn't much of a catcher and, although he is a switch-hitter, he cannot hit vs. LHP.   You may be able to setup a bit of a platoon with Romine, but are we willing to almost completely sacrifice defense to add some pop to the lineup?  He will come cheaper than McCann for that very reason.

You will once again hear the name AJ Pierzynski come up in rumors this year.  He is cheaper than McCann in both years and dollars and is still a fairly productive catcher (.272/.297/.425; 94 OPS+ in 2013).   As you can see, he is not going to take walks, but he does make decent contact and has good power.   The other strike is that he seems to be a very much unlikable guy from afar, but it seems that teammates typically don't mind him so much. 

Carlos Ruiz is oft-injured, is coming off a bad season, and will be 35 years old.   He would be a buy low candidate that won't cost a draft pick, but if you sign him, you better have a good backup plan.  Ruiz had a .688 OPS in 92 games in 2013.

There really aren't any "take a flyer" types of free agents on the market.   Switch-hitter Brayan Pena is probably the best of the "unheralded" bunch, but his skill set is limited.

THE FARM:

As you probably know, the best prospect in the Yankees system happens to be a catcher:  Gary Sanchez got his first taste of Double-A late in 2013, putting up a decent .744 OPS in 23 games.  Overall, he hit .253/.324/.412 in 509 PA in two ballparks that are pitcher-friendly.   Sanchez could conceivably be ready sometime in 2014 if he blossoms next spring, but the Yankees cannot currently go into next season planning on that to happen.   Once a player graduates to the majors, I don't think of them as being on the farm anymore - but J.R. Murphy still has the qualifications of a farmhand.   The Yankees have been aggressive with the 22-year old, and he hasn't disappointed.  In 468 PA between Trenton and Scranton last year, he hit .269/.347/.426.  It may be a bit of a leap to put him square into a competition to win the 2014 job, but the Yankees obviously love him.  The best case scenario is regular at-bats in Scranton until Sanchez knocks on the door.   Murphy may have the athleticism to move around the field a bit, which would obviously increase his value - especially if Sanchez reaches his ceiling.  

Bottom line?  I fully expect the Yankees to aggressively try to upgrade this position heading into 2014.  McCann is probably the most obvious free agent fit for them this offseason (other than Robinson Cano), but he will come at a high price.    It is a Catch-22 type of situation:  You see the obvious need, but beyond the highest priced free agent, it is hard to see a good overall fit.  This may lead the Yankees to overpay for McCann in the end.