As spring training ramps up and all players have reported, the New York Yankees still find themselves without a defined backup third baseman. It seems as if the club is content to enter the year with Starlin Castro and Rob Refsnyder as their primary backup options, a move that could blow up in their faces.
Castro is the Yankees’ starting second baseman. He is also fairly new to that position, though he seemed to take to it very well last year with the Chicago Cubs after switching from shortstop. However, he has never played third base in MLB, so asking him to continue to learn the nuances of second while also serving as the backup to Didi Gregorius at shortstop and learning third base all while getting acclimated to a new team might be a little much.
As for Refsnyder as a backup third base option, this makes a little more sense. He is a former outfielder who was moved to second base in pro ball. He was still learning the position as of last year when he made his MLB debut. Turning him into a third baseman, or at least having him learn the position, is not necessarily a bad thing, at least for him and his future in the game. However, he was no defensive gem at second, so there is no telling how he will handle third base.
The Yankees seem intent on entering the 2016 season with their final bench spot a revolving door. That is fine as long as you have someone who can back Chase Headley up at third. Right now the best option for the third base backup job is Ronald Torreyes. He has some experience at the hot corner and has hit in the minor leagues enough to offer some hope that if Headley goes down with an injury he can fill in competently for a spell.
What the Yankees are doing is loading a whole bunch of potentially faulty ammunition into the gun and hoping one will fire when they pull the trigger. Of course, they are hoping Headley plays over 150 games at third and they don’t need another player to step in. But, anyone looking at the Yankees in recent years knows that anything that can go wrong will probably go wrong. Injury and age are huge factors on this roster, at least to several key players. The Yankees can’t afford to gamble that one of Castro, Torreyes or Refsnyder shows enough at third base to make them a viable option there.
At this point it wouldn’t hurt to bring in a Pedro Alvarez on a minor league deal. The 29-year-old is still floating on the market despite his coming off of a 27-home run campaign and being two years removed from a 36-homer season. The power is there and it is legit. He can also play third base and first base, two positions the Yankees need help with off the bench. Granted, he isn’t exactly a good defensive player, but he can get the job done.
The Yankees should stop gambling and bring in Alvarez. It will strengthen the bench, give them a legitimate power threat and allow Castro and Refsnyder to focus on middle infield stuff. One thing is certain; his lefty swing would be pretty fun to watch at Yankee Stadium.
