Friday, April 27, 2018

You Can’t Send Andujar or Austin Down, Can You?



The New York Yankees head into the weekend and onto the west coast as one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball right now. The Yankees beat up on the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins at home this week and look to continue their winning ways tonight when the team travels to Anaheim to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Orange County of Disney Land of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco of the Hollywood sign of not really Los Angeles but not really Anaheim either of Anaheim. The pitching has been better, the bullpen has been better, the defense has been better, and the offense has been amazing which has been led by Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge and a couple members of the Baby Bombers, Miguel Andujar and Tyler Austin. The Yankees are hot and the scariest part for the rest of the league right now is that the team is also getting healthy, but when the likes of Brandon Drury, Greg Bird and others come back off the disabled list you can’t really send down either Andujar or Austin, can you? 

How could the New York Yankees in good conscience send down a man that is sitting up there with Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio in any discussion, especially a discussion that has to do with extra-base hits and offense. How could the Yankees also send down a man that not only took the fight to the Boston Red Sox, literally and figuratively, but also has filled in well both offensively and defensively at first base. You can’t, in my opinion. What kind of message does this send? Gone are the days of the contract dictating the playing time, at least I thought, and here are the days of earning your playing time and, again in my opinion, both Andujar and Austin have earned their playing time. 


So, what do you do when both come back off the disabled list and come back to the Bronx with the team? The easiest decision should be to designate Neil Walker for assignment. The Walker signing looked good on paper in the spring, but it hasn’t worked out and the need for his bat is no longer there. Walker was brought in to provide power at the plate and depth at both second base and first base. With the arrival of Gleyber Torres in the Bronx and the emergence of Austin, mixed in with the return of Bird and Drury, the need for Walker is no longer a priority for the team. DFA him, give him a handshake and send him on his way. 

That’s one spot, clearing the second spot won’t be so easy though. In my opinion it comes down to one of two things, either the team has to send Ronald Torreyes down to the Minor Leagues and use up his last minor league option, or the team has to temporarily suspend GleyberMania for the time being. As much as it pains me to say it I have to say it because it makes the most baseball sense, Gleyber has to go back down. At least temporarily, and hopefully not for long. It just makes the most sense from a baseball perspective, not necessarily from a fan’s perspective. 

You have to keep Austin and Andujar as long as the production warrants it in my opinion, even if it means cutting ties with Neil Walker (sucks) and sending down their top prospect. It might not be a popular decision or opinion, but ultimately, I think it will be the best one. Stay tuned.

3 comments:

  1. Time to DFA Walker and send down a reliever . German since Cole has no options.
    We can use all of them in fact we can move Girardi to CF and Stanton to LF and Austin to DH or Bird to DH and lengthen the lineup.
    Drury can play 3rd and 2nd and LF and in fact we can use Hicks for another starting pitcher.
    Frazier will be healthy soon and he can play all the OF positions .
    You don't send down Andujar or Austin when they are helping carry the team.You cast out the dead weight Walker and Ellsbury and Hicks.

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  2. There is no good option. But if Drury is playing well, I would reluctantly send down Anduhar. Can’t send Toe down and I don’t want to slow Torres’ progress. Again, no good option.

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    1. Why slow Andujar's progress then? Andujar is ready, Torres is one of the youngest players in the league. If anyone would benefit from the demotion more, or hurt the least from it, in my opinion it would be Gleyber.

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