2015 Yankees: The Case For Casey McGehee

The New York Yankees have a need at both third and first base heading into 2015 and while Chase Headley seems like the ideal candidate to fill both roles it would be a good idea for Brian Cashman and company to have a backup plan, enter the Marlins Casey McGehee. Headley is going to be well sought after and that may cause the bidding for a viable third baseman in a weak third base market to get out of hand. New York should not fall into the trap and overpay for Headley if McGehee is still on the market and I will tell you why.

First the back story as I am sure not many remember the 2012 trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates that saw Chad Qualls join the Pirates and McGehee join the Yankees for the postseason push. New York was fed up with the struggling Qualls and Pittsburgh was at it's wits end with McGehee so the two teams simply traded our problem for their problem and both hoped for a change of scenery that would help the player. Neither player bounced back as McGehee finished with a .151 batting average in 22 games with a home run and 6 RBI as a Yankee while Qualls continued to give up runs and blow games.

McGehee went to Japan for the 2013 season and spent time with current Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka as a teammate on the Rakuten Golden Eagles. McGehee led the Nippon Professional Baseball League with a .292 average with 28 home runs and 93 RBi while winning the Japanese equivalent of the World Series. McGehee followed that campaign up with a .282 average and four home runs with 76 RBI in 159 games with the Miami Marlins in 2014. McGehee only made $1.1 million with Miami this season while making a run at the NL batting title for much of the season and garnering the nickname "Hits McGehee."

McGehee will be entering his age 33 season and adds a clutch right handed bat to the Yankees lineup. While McGehee is not going to win a Gold Glove Award anytime soon he isn't a 40 year old third baseman with two bad hips or Brendan Ryan at first base either. Chase Headley should be Plan A for the Yankees but McGehee wouldn't be a bad Plan B for the Bronx Bombers in 2015.