Friday, June 23, 2017

Quick Hit: Two More First Base Options Enter the Fold


The Greedy Pinstripes have been talking about the July 31st trade deadline for close to a whole month now and as new potential trade candidates enter the fold we will constantly keep you up to date. We are doing just that this afternoon as two more potential first basemen are entering the field of play and both may interest the Yankees as they look to replace the injured Greg Bird and the struggling Chris Carter. Let’s take a look at both Lucas Duda of the New York Mets and Yonder Alonso of the Oakland Athletics.

Duda is 31-years old and at the time of this writing hitting .239 with 12 home runs and 26 RBI through his first 49 games. Duda is a free agent at the end of the season and is making a salary that is modest enough to be designated for assignment if and when Bird is deemed healthy and ready to take over first base duties again. Duda is a left-handed hitter with pop, insert the traditional “his swing is made for the short porch inside Yankee Stadium” line here, although his defense is nothing to write home to mom about. The Mets and Yankees don’t matchup for trades often, the last significant one was probably back in 2004 when the Yankees and Mets swapped relievers Mike Stanton and Felix Heredia, but I guess it could happen.

Alonso on the other hand is just 30-years old and is also a free agent at the end of this season. Alonso is having a huge season for the Athletics posting a .299 average with 17 home runs and 37 RBI in his first 62 games this season which puts him on pace to have a monster 30+ home run season. All this while playing his home games in the spacious Oakland Coliseum, could you imagine him inside Yankee Stadium with Aaron Judge protecting him? Oh my, oh my indeed. For all these reasons Alonso would be attractive to the Yankees and for all these reasons he would be attractive to every other team who needs a first baseman as well likely making him very, very expensive.


So what are your thoughts? Stay within the organization with Tyler Austin? Stick with Chris Carter? Trade for Eric Hosmer? Trade for one of these two? Leave your thoughts below in the comments section of the site. Thank you. 

5 comments:

  1. One move you gotta go with Alonso. If your looking to load up its possible it can all be done with one team, however the Royals are still in the playoff hunt. I would part with some of our top tier guys if I could get their ace, Hosmer, and Moustakis. You are talking more then half of our best young talent though for those 3. Would sure up both corners, make the bench look even better, and the rotation would get a major lift. I'll just keep dreaming

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  2. It comes down to this. Hosmer will not be on the market. Adams is staying in Altanta. That is why Freeman is moving to third. Alonso may sign an extension. That leaves Frazier as most likely option. Good thing is at least he can slide over to play third if Bird does make it back.

    If your willing to release Duda then you could easily do the same to Carter.

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  3. I would enter Judge as the 1st basemen if I was stupid, but as I am of sound mind let's not jump to conclusions as far as outside replacements. I say, bring on Tyler Austin for now!
    Tyler Austin is not going to give us a "Big Stick" but, he will give much-needed defense at 1st base.
    Every time someone gets hurt the knee jerk reaction is TRADE away some of our top players. Think a bit! If...as has happened to other teams this year...we were to have Hicks, Ells, and Brett end up on the DL, what then? What about next year or the year after when we need big time help in the outfield or even the infield?
    Trades are the one thing, we need not do right now, that is why one has the farm system and besides, Bird may be back in a week or so!

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    Replies
    1. Daniel wrote a nice piece about Mike Ford awhile back. I'd like to see him return to Triple A for more experience at that level. If Austin is 1A, then Ford is 1B. Not interested in Ji-Man Choi.

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  4. I agree Scott...
    Ford is a very good ball player, he gets on base and has good SO to Walks numbers and close to .300 Avg. Ford isn't a big time HR hitter but will pop some out at maybe 10/15+ per year...which ain't bad.
    We had a guy that had (about) the same stats back a year or so and he turned out OK...some guy named Don Mattingly!

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)